Untitled record

Application filed May 7j 1896. Serial No, 590.601· (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Herbert H. Pattee, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have in5 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apio pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved amusement-roundabout, comprising, essentially, an upright or vertical wheel and in combination therewith a chute-shooting arrange15 ment.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, novel, and effective combination of mechanical parts which will permit a coasting or shooting car to be suddenly precipi20 tated along the arc of the circumference of a large rotary wheel in like manner as if it were being thrust down a chute or inclined way. The passengers upon an amusement-roundabout of this kind, which is propelled obvi25 ously with great celerity, will enjoy all the exhilaration of motion incident to the rapid shooting of a car down a chute, and combined therewith many other novel and enjoyable sensations incident to the peculiar movement 30 of the car upon the wheel’s periphery, the rotation of the wheel, the splashing of a watercourse arranged in con junction with the wheel and adapted to be struck by the moving car, and other characteristics too numerous to 35 mention.

The invention therefore consists, essentially, in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved observation-wheel and shooting car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the same, showing the 45 water-tank within which the lowest portion of the wheel’s periphery moves. Fig. 3 is likewise a partial sectional side elevation of the wheel, showing a body of water carried by the rim thereof and showing likewise a car which 50 is in position to slide down the incline of the peripheral arc. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of my improved wheel, showing the car at the lowest portion of the periphery of the wheel at the point where it passes through the water, which is arranged to be 55 carried within said periphery in like manner as is suggested in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the wheel’s periphery, showing the car in partial end elevation. Fig.

is a side elevational view of the car or boat. 6o Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig.

is a sectional elevational view of a modified form of my improved combined wheel and shooting boat.

Similar letters of reference designate corre- 65 spending parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

In carrying my invention into practical effect I provide a large rotary wheel. It is only necessary that the wheel should be stoutly 70 braced and constructed on correct principles in order that it maj^r have sufficient strength for the purpose for which it is intended.

A designates the wheel. In the example shown in the drawings this wheel has the shaft 75 a, which is journaled in bearings in the side frames D D. Wheel A has the rim B and the spokes A' A'. It must be clearly understood, however, that the wheel illustrated is simplj’ presented by way of example, and that 80 in actual practice I reserve the liberty of building it in any way that will afford a rotary structure of the necessary strength, the spokes, cross-beams, the rim, the shafting, and the side supporting - frames, together 85 with the other necessary mechanical parts, being all related and arranged in such a way as to combine cheapness, strength, and efficiency, and make the wheel what is needed for the purpose specified. 90

The rim B is trough-shaped, as shown in Fig. 5, the trough being of any suitable form or curvature and of any desired size. In the form of wheel shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the lowermost portion .of the trough-shaped rim 95 contains a quantity of water. As the wheel rotates it is obvious that this water will remain in the same position relatively to the wheel, occupying at all times its lowest level, and that different portions of the rim will 100

583,121 therefore successively contain the body of water referred to. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 the receptacle J, stationary and independent of the wheel A, is pro5 vided for containing a body of water, and through this receptacle rotates the rim of the wheel, so that the same result is attained as in Figs. 3, 4, and 5—namely, that of providing one portion of the wheel’s periphery with io a comparatively stationary body of fluid or liquid. Furthermore, it is to be particularly observed that the periphery of the wheel is provided at certain points with tunnels C C, which tunnels permit the passage through 15 them of a body moving along the troughshaped rim of the wheel. The tunnels are simply elongated and closed compartments on the inner face of the rim B of the wheel, and they may obviously be of greater or less 20 length. The greater the length the darker will be the interior of said tunnels. I find it convenient to place at least two of these tunnels upon the periphery of the wheel, and three or four or even more may be employed 25 to advantage. When the wheel in its rotation brings a tunnel to the lowermost position, it is manifest that the water will enter and pass through the said tunnel.

E designates a boat, car, or other suitable 30 vehicle which is adapted to move by gravity within the trough-shaped rim. One way of permitting and encouraging such movement is to provide tracks, as b b, within said rim which are engaged by lateral wheels or rollers 35 e e, arranged on the side of the boat or car.

I do not, however, wish to be restricted to this particular means of permitting and guiding the movement of the car or boat within the rim, but reserve the liberty of modifying 40 such means and providing others, if desired, to accomplish the same result. The car E is equipped with a front dasher F and with a series of seats E' E' E', the seats being arranged therein in any suitable manner; also, 45 the car is provided with means for locking it to any point on the wheel’s rim B. One example of such locking means is illustrated in Figs. 0 and 7, where it is shown as consisting of devices arranged on the under side of the 50 car, comprising the central medial rod G, to which are pivoted the levers g g g, which are fulcrumcd on the under side of the car by means of pivot-pins g' g'. The outer ends of these levers g on either side of the car are 55 connected by the side rails IIII. In the car

E is a lever I, having the catch i, that engages a notched segment I', said lever I engaging at its lower end one end of the medial rod G, so that the conductor of‘the car may by a 60 proper manipulation of the lever I actuate the leverage just described and thereby thrust the lateral rails II II outward from the car into contact with the tracks b b, as shown in Fig. 5, or into contact with, the sides of the 65 trough or some other part of the rim B in such a manner as to securely and effectually lock the car E at any desired point and hold the same in this locked position as long as may be desired. Of course it is to be distinctly understood that I am not restricted to 70 any specific form of locking mechanism, but may provide any locking, clamping, or securing devices which will achieve the object in view—to wit, that of temporarily connecting the car to a point on the wheel’s rim, where 75 it may be held until tlie time arrives to release it.

The wheel A is designed to be rotated by means of some suitable engine or power mechanism which will apply its power either to the 80 shaft a or to the rim B or to some other part of the wheel for the purpose of rotating it slowly or fast, as may be desired. In the practical carrying out of my invention I purpose to provide a motor for the wheel which 85 can be readily controlled by the conductor in such a way that the wheel will be given intermittent partial rotations, said partial rotations being of the length sufficient to lift the car E from the position shown in Fig. 4 90 to the position shown in Fig. 3, or perhaps higher. Suppose, for instance, that the wheel has been partially rotated, as just described, and the car E lifted to the position shown in Fig. 3, it being clamped to the rim of the 95 wheel during this partial rotation. If now the wheel is stopped with the car E in the position of Fig. 3 and the conductor releases the clamping device, the car E will be caused to shoot by gravity down the rim of the 100 wheel in the direction shown by the arrow until it strikes the water with great force and with a terrific splashing, thereby causing much excitement and consternation among the occupants of the car, as well as amuse- 105 ment to them and to the onlookers when it is understood and perceived that such apparent violence of movement and splashing about of the water is attended with absolutely no danger. In this movement the car E will pass no through the water and its momentum will be sufficient to carry it a short distance up the opposite incline of the wheel-rim, and when it reaches the limit of its movement the conductor will cause the clamping device to op- 115 erate to hold the car fast to the rim at this extreme point. The conductor can then signal to the engineer and cause the wheel to be given another partial rotation, which will carry the car again to the high point where 120 it is indicated in Fig. 3, and by a second release of the clamping device the car may be shot downward a second time under the action of gravity. Thus by successive partial rotations of the wheel the car may be al- 125 lowed to shoot several successive times down the incline of the wheel-rim. At certain of such times the car will shoot through one or the other of the tunnels C, thus adding to the excitement and amusement of the operation 130 of the mechanism.

Thus far I have described the wheel as having but one trough or track in the rim. It must be understood, however, that, if desired,

583,121 said rim may have duplicate or triplicate troughs, or there may be any other number arranged parallel to each other or otherwise, if desired. Furthermore, I can, if desired, have more than one rim or have a continuous rim, a portion of which is eccentric to the axis of the wheel. In Fig. 8 I have shown one modification of my invention, consisting of a continuous track passing two or three times around the axis of the wheel and being eccentric to said axis for a certain distance. The operation of this form of the invention is substantially the same as that of the other form, excepting that the car may travel over a longer distance, and several cars may be used, if desired.