US2498450A - Pleasure railway - Google Patents

Description

B. B. PEWlTT PLEASURE RAILWAY Feb. 21, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1945 wiii INVENTOR.

B. B. PEWITT PLEASURE RAILWAY Feb. 21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1945 fi@wfii INVENTOR.

[TIER/V5 Y B. B. PEWITT PLEASURE RAILWAY Feb.21,1950

Filed Nov. 15, 1945 liul ll uli l WTTOW/VEY-S.

Patented Feb. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I PLEASURE RAILWAY Bernard B. Pewitt, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Application November 15, 1945, Serial No. 528,714

This invention relates to an amusement device in the form of a pleasure railway, an object of the invention being to provide a pleasure railway wherein a car is moved over the track, the car being so constructed that it may rotate end over end, or swing in a plane at right-angles to the direction of travel of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide manually operated controlled means within the car, whereby the rotations of the car end over end may be controlled, at the will of the occupant of the car.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention, illustrating the car as mounted on the tracks of the device.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the car.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the car.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character E designates the rails of the track, which are held in place by means of crossbars 6, the tracks being substantially wide and formed with deep grooves I in which the wheels 8, on which the car is mounted, operate.

The shape of the track may be of any desired design and is so constructed that a walkway 9 is provided, the walkway being supported by means of the brackets If! that are bolted to one of the rails 5 of the track.

The car which is indicated by the reference character II is of barrel formation, the ends thereof being preferably bulged as shown by Figure 2 of the drawings. The body portion of the car may be constructed of any desired material, the car having an opening through which the occupant may enter the car, the opening being formed in the upper wall thereof, and normally closed by means of the sliding closure [2 which is constructed of any suitable transparent material.

The body portion or car II is formed with stub shafts l3 extending from the front and rear ends thereof, the stub shafts l3 being mounted in bearings I4 formed in the frame I5, the frame 4 Claims. (Cl. 104-76) l 5 being constructed of tubular members. Hollow shafts l6 extend from the sides of the frame [5 and provide supports for the spindles l5 on which the wheels 8 rotate, the wheel 8 at one side of the frame 15 being formed with the brake drum ll, against which the brake shoes l8 engage to lock the wheel 8 at one side of the frame, to the. frame l5, the brake shoes and drum being of the conventional type to clutch the frame and wheel together. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, the car, together with the frame I5 will rotate end over end, when the brake shoes l8 are moved to lock the frame l5 with the wheel 8 atone side of the car.

Cables l9 extend through the hollow frame I 5 and operate over pulleys 20 formed within the hollow shaft H5 at the side of the frame carrying the brake shoes IS, the cables extending to the disk'24 that is mounted at the forward end of the control rod 2! which is provided with a wheel 22 at its inner end, wherebythe movements of the brake shoes may be regulated by the occupant sitting on the seat 23 of the car. As shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, the seat 23 is disposed an appreciable distance below the center of gravity of the car II, to the end that when the car II is rotated slowly end over end, and moves to an up-side-down position, the weight of the occupants of the car will tend to cause the car to rotate at right angles to the direction of travel of the car over the track.

The cables l9 connect with the disk 24 which is slidably mounted on the pins 25 that extend from the bearing [4 at the front end of the car. The control rod being connected with the disk 24 may be operated to control the cables by pushing the wheel 22 forwardly. A coiled spring indicated at 26 is connected with the disk, and acts to return the disk 24 to its normal position, when the person relieves the pressure on the control rod 2!.

Guides 21 are mounted in the bottom of the car and guide the weight 28 in its movements longitudinally of the car, the weight being provided with rack teeth 29 formed along one edge thereof, which teeth are engaged by means of the gear 30 mounted on the lower end of the vertical shaft 3! that extends upwardly to a position adjacent to the operators seat, where the operator will have easy access to the wheel 32 that controls the movements of the shaft 3|, and which is mounted on the upper end of the shaft 3|.

Thus it will be seen that by rotating the shaft 3|, the weight 28 may be adjusted according to the weight of the occupant of the car, to balance the occupant over the wheels.

A hood indicated at 32 is positioned on the frame I near the rear thereof and is so arranged that the car may roll or rotate on the stub shafts I3 within the hood.

The car is propelled over the track by means I of the cable 33, which cable connects with the hollow shafts l6 through the medium of the arms 34 which are shown as connectedwith the shafts I6, the free endsof the arms 34 being extended downwardly terminating at points below the car, where they are secured to the cable by means of eye-bolts 35. Safety belts indicated at 35' are provided to strap the occupant to the seat.

From the foregoing it will be seen tha't due to the construction shown and described, the car may be propelled over the"trackway by means of the cable 33 and that the occupant of the car may, by adjusting the weight 28, balance 1himself'over the wheels, and that by moving itherrod 2-1 to cause the wheel 8 atone side'of :the'car to he-locked to the:frame,-the'frame will be rotated end "over end.

WhatLis claimed is:

1..A pleasure railway comprising a track, carqembodying a wheel :supported frame, adapted to moive over the :track, means -for mounting 'the ;frame on the wheels. for end over end rotary movement of the frame .on a horizontal axis :intermediate the :ends of "the frame, a 'bodysup- ;portediwithin the frame to rotate therewith, and

,mearrsfor mounting the-body within'the frame 1 for rolling movement on anhorizon'tal axis at the ends of theframeina-plane at-right-angles to th direction-of travel of thecar.

2. A pleasure railway comprising a track, .a .frame, shafts extending from the sides of the Eframe, supporting wheels rotatable on theshafts and operating over the track, bearings at the front and rear ends oftheaframe, a-car mounted for rotation within the frame, trunnions extending from the ends of the car mounted :within lthe bearings-of the frame, means for selectively securing'one of the shafts of the frame to its Wheel whereby said frame is rotated end over end with the wheel, and said car beingfree for swinging motion on said trunnions in a plane opposite the path of travel of the frame under the weight of the occupants seated in the car.

3. A pleasure railway comprising a track, a frame, shafts extending laterally from the center of the frame, wheels rotatably mounted on the shafts, a braking mechanism between one of the shafts and its wheel, whereby said frame is secured to the wheel for rotation therein end over end, a car mounted within the frame, trunnions extending from the front and rear ends of the car, said trunnions operating in bearings at' th'e front and rear lends of the frame supporting the car balanced within the frame, a seat within the car disposed below the center of gravity of the car, the weight of a person occupying the seat overb-alancing the car when the car rotates end over end, rolling the car at right'angl'es to the direction of travel of the car over the track.

4. A pleasure railway comprising a track, a horizontal frame, shafts extending laterally from the central portion of the frame, wheels mounted on -the shafts, said wheels moving over the track, .a braking mechanism mounted on one of said wheels, brake shoes supported by one of said shafts and cooperating with said braking mech- :anismin locking the wheel to the shaft associated therewith, rotating the frame with the wheel in an end over end direction, a carpivotally mounted within the :frame and having connection with the frame atthe endsof-the frame, a seat within the car disposed below the center of gravity of the \car, means for operating the brake shoes from a point within the car, and means for moving-the frame andcar-over the track.

BERNARD B. PEWITT.

REFERENCES CITED illhe f'ollowing references are of record in the of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Courtney 'Nov.'1, 193s

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