Roundabout

[57] ABSTRACT

Riding occupant propelled roundabout for amusement parks and the like wherein an automobile rear axle and differential assembly function as a combined vertical support structure and gear reducer.

Claims, 4 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED may 91972

3,661,386

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ATTORNEYS.

3,661,386

ROUNDABOUT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many municipalities provide, among other amusement devices, occupant propelled roundabouts or merry-go-rounds in public parks and other amusement areas. Publically funded devices of this type are normally characterized by a massive, heavy duty construction which will accommodate a large number of children and require minimal maintenance. Typically, such public roundabouts are propelled by one or more of the children pushing the same by running along the ground and thereafter jumping onto the rotating structure. Although roundabouts of this type can withstand a substantial amount of abuse and require little maintenance since the only moving parts consist of vertical support bearings; they do present ¹⁵some hazard to the pushing children in that the children’s feet may get caught between the ground and the rotating turntable which normally maintains a very small clearance with the ground. It is obviously desirable, both from the standpoint of safety and amusement, that such a roundabout be propelled by an occupant rider or riders; however, because of the necessarily massive structures required to support a large number of children, as in public parks, this has not been economically feasible because of the very high costs associated with gear reducers which would provide the necessary gear reduction ratio. Furthermore, the rotational inertia of a rotating roundabout of this type makes it very difficult to stop quickly as when a small child becomes frightened or a dangerous situation develops, such as a child being unable to “hold on” as the rotational speed increases.

There are commercially available, relatively light weight merry-go-rounds which are riding occupant propelled. These smaller devices are usually provided for home use and will normally accommodate a maximum of four children who propel themselves by reciprocal foot and/or hand motion which motion is converted by cranks or gears into rotation of the roundabout or turntable. Exemplary are the disclosures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,035,168 and 3,018,101.

Inasmuch as the cost of a gear reducer having a substantial gear reduction ratio would greatly exceed the total cost of the small merry-go-round itself, the motion conversion means does not normally include any substantial gear reduction. Economics and marketing considerations dictate that these smaller home units must sell at a price competitive with other outdoor amusement devices. Inasmuch as the quantity of structural steel required for the fabrication of even very small conventional roundabouts will approximate that required for competing devices such as swing sets, see-saws or the like; it is apparent that the radial and thrust bearings necessarily employed in the manufacture of these devices increases their selling cost to such an extent as to normally exceed that of the competing devices which do not require such bearings. In view of the foregoing, it becomes immediately apparent that a manufacturer must use the lightest weight structural components that are commensurate with safety thus assuring that the product will lack the substantial durability inherent in the more massive public structures. It follows that any further substantial increase in manufacturing costs such as by the addition of a high mechanical advantage gear reducer, would price the product out of the market.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an economical, heavy duty, riding occupant propelled, roundabout which includes heavy duty reduction gearing and precision bearings.

Other objectives are to provide a roundabout which can safely accommodate a large number of children and be readily propelled by a single child; to provide hydraulic braking and clutch systems and to provide for either two abreast or “buddy” seating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, in essence, resides in the utilization of an automobile rear end assembly including the differential, axle housing, brake drum and wheel rim as a combined vertical support and gear reduction unit for a riding occupant propelled roundabout. A conventional crank assembly may be operated by one of the riders to provide a rotary input to the main differential pinion shaft where the automobile drive shaft would normally be connected. A brake line interconnecting the hydraulic brake drum and a foot pedal operated “master cylinder” provides a means of stopping rotation of the roundabout which is quite appealing to children in its similarity to a conventional automobile brake. Similarly, a simple throw-out clutch may be interposed in the rotary input shaft and cable connected to a clutch pedal for operation by the rider when he wishes to “coast”, thus enhancing the appeal to children who may not only “drive”, but clutch and brake the device.

It will be quite apparent that, for the purposes of this invention, the rear end assembly may be one from a very old car or truck whose junk yard value is nil due to the fact that its vintage precludes any calls for the particular rear end assembly. Stated differently, a profitable junk yard operation is based on the premise of cannibalizing usable parts from junked cars to repair or replace parts in a similar model vehicle. When a particular model vehicle disappears from the road, junked vehicles of that particular model have only scrap value. Consequently, the recognition of the manner in which a virtually worthless rear end assembly may be put to use so as to not only produce a new and useful result as a substitute for what would be prohibitively expensive equipment if purchased new; but also to provide additional functions not previously available on a roundabout, such as hydraulic braking, constitutes a substantial advance in the art.

One of the driving axles and axle housings from a rear end assembly is removed immediately adjacent the differential as by cutting the housing with a torch and disconnecting the universal joint between the driving axle and side gear shaft. The remainder of the assembly is then stood upright with the outer face of the wheel rim engaging the ground and the differential supported thereabove on the remaining axle housing to provide the central vertical support for a roundabout. In the operation of the roundabout the usual stationary and rotary role of most of the parts is reversed. Stated differently, the wheel rim and parts non-rotatably connected thereto, such as the brake drum, driving axle and differential ring gear, remain stationary while the axle and differential housings rotate in response to the rotary input at the main pinion shaft. Radiating outrigger structure is rigidly connected to one of the nonrotating parts, such as the wheel rim, to provide a stable vertical positionment for the rear end assembly and the radiating seat supporting structure is carried by the rotating structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a roundabout constructed in accordance with the present invention and having a portion of the differential housing broken away;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of the rider input and brake pedal; and

FIG. 4 is a detail plan view illustrating the alternate seat positionment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1 is illustrated a riding occupant propelled roundabout 10 including riding occupant stations in the form of seats 12 mounted through the intermediary of radiating struts 14 on the axle housing 16 of a conventional vehicle rear end assembly 18 for rotation about the vertically disposed axis thereof. The vehicle rear end assembly performs the combined function of a vertical support and gear reducer and includes, in addition to the axle housing 16, the conventional wheel rim 20, brake assembly housing 22, axle 24, differential housing 26 and differential gearing 28.

During the fabricating process, one of the axle housing and shafts is removed adjacent the differential housing and,

3,661 thereafter, the rear end assembly is stood upright as indicated in FIG. 1 with the outer wheel rim face resting on the ground. Outrigger structure in the form of pipe members 30 or the like are rigidly secured to the wheel rim as by means of studs welded to the rim. The wheel rim, outer brake drum housing, axle and differential ring gear 32 provide a relatively massive vertical support structure about which the movable portion of the brake assembly, the axle housing and differential housing rotate.

Oscillation of a hand operated lever 34 mounted on a fixed pivot 36 carried by the foot support assembly 38 is translated into rotation of a rotary input shaft 40 through the intermediary of a crank and link arrangement indicated at 42,44, respectively. A brake line 46 extends from the brake assembly to a “master cylinder 48 operated by a foot pedal 50 positioned to the right of a central rigid foot engaging portion 52 of the foot support assembly. A similar pedal 54 is positioned to the left of foot engaging portion 52 for the operation of a conventional clutch 56 interposed in the rotary shaft 40.

The apertures in seats 12 by means of which the same may be mounted on struts 14 by bolts 58 and brackets 60 are so positioned relative to the holes in brackets 60 that the seat may be rotated 90°, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4, whereby two riders at each seat may ride abreast or in “buddy” fashion.

In operation, with his feet resting on rigid foot support portion 52 a child oscillates lever 34 to rotate shaft 40 and its universally connected main pinion 62. Since the main ring gear, axle and wheel rim cannot rotate, the input torque translates into rotation of the differential and axle housings on which is mounted the radiating struts 14 and seats 12. If it is desired to “coast”, the “driver merely depresses clutch pedal 54 to disengage clutch 56. Actual roundabouts constructed in accordance with the invention exhibit a remarkable “coasting time because of the finely machined precision bearings and gears that characterize vehicle rear end assemblies. Similarly, a small child can easily provide the necessary propelling force for substantially any number of children because of the high mechanical advantage made possible by the rear end assembly. In order to quickly stop rotation, the child depresses brake pedal 50 to expand the rotating brake shoe into braking contact with the stationary brake drum.