US1927682A - Circular swing - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 19, 1933. W S 1,927,682

CIRCULAR SWING Filed Jan. 29, 1951 Ira 6722502 3 flfir/meafamkas Patented Sept. 19, 1933 P TE CIRCULAR swmc" l Arthur 0. Edwards, Minneapolis, Minn. 1.. Application January 29, 1931. ,Serial No.,511,'959 i '5 Claims. 01. ziz -ss) I This invention relates to improvements in devices known as merry-go-rounds, carousals, or circular swings, and has, among its objects, to provide a device so constructed that the riders may not be injured by contact with the post about which the device operates; to provide a swinging structure, the swinging motion of which with reference to the post is limited by a bumper means adapted to prevent jars, incident to bumper action, being communicated to the riders; to

so place the bumper means that the riders cannot possibly be injured thereby; and to provide a sturdy construction which can be cheaply manufactured. .15

of construction shown, as well as the broader ideas of which theillustrated embodiment is symbolic. ".Featuresand advantages of the invention will appear in the description of the drawing forming a part of this application, and in said drawmg o Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation showing the bumper in action, and also showing the normal position of the riding platform in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional elevation illustratingthe upper portion of the apparatus including the bumperring; o l I Figure 3 is a plan illustrating one form of bumper ring construction, and connection;

Figure 4 is a plan section illustrating the bracket means for connecting the platform elements; 35 Figure 5 is a plan view showing-a modified form of connection, between the bumper and the rods;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5. showing a third modification of thebumper-connecting means,.and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating a' modification of the bumper construction.

Numeral 1 indicates a post, at the top of which is a cap 2 rotatably and rockably associated therewith. The cap construction and its mode of connection is a feature of this inven tion. A plug 3 is telescopically engaged with Features of the invention include all'details 8 of the cap engagesi This" projection 8 is 1101 low to provide a lubricant supply chamber 9. An. opening 10 permits introduction of grease or oil into the chamber, and the grease is delivered.

downwardly through opening 11 to lubricate the H surfaces (Sand 7., The cap as. shown has the form of a hollow hemisphere having its open side downwardly faced, and has a flange 15" in theplane of its open side. This flange has a series of openings 16 through which hanger-rods- 17 pass to extend below and support a riding platform. These rodshave heads 18'engaging 30. circumscribes the bars 17' and is attached] thereto by clips13. V

A ,valuable feature .of this invention is. the

important featureof the inbumper means arranged at such level that the riders cannot possibly be injured there'byfand acting to prevent the platform 28 fr'o m' coming close enough to the: post 1; during swinging motions to injure, the riders, .and of performing the same function in regard to the hand rail 30. To this end, the bumper means is-connected to the series .of. downwardly radiating Q rods at a point between the hand rail 30 and the cap 2 and in this case nearer the cap than the-hand rail. Of course, the bumper may be placed at a lower level. This bumper means connects the rods ata' point intermediate of the .capand platform, andrit has herein the form ofa circular ring 40 havingintegral radially extending arms 41, each arm having terminally thereof clamping means :42 surrounding the corresponding rods 17. It will 'be noted that, the

.arms 41 are perpendicular to, the rod, -but' .are

at an angle to the plane, of the ring so that the thrust communicatedby the rod is transferred through the extension ll-and to the ring,

and thence to a companion bumper member43 p attached'to the post,.or directly to the post.

This bumper member 43 maybe rotatablyattached, although it isnot sopshownh In whatever manner it is made, it will be seen that when: the deviee is swung to the position shown therewith.

' does in thiscase.

tensions which are integral with'the cap, and

in Figure 1,' the inner surface .of the ring engages the post (or an element equivalent to 43) in a manner to prevent any engagement of the elements 30 or 28, or to prevent any such near engagement of these elements with the post as would injure the riders. When the motion of the supporting structure is thus suddenly arrested by the bumper, there is not a corresponding jarring effect at the platform, because of the resilient flexing action of that portion of the rods below the bumper. This is another val' uable feature. The elements 1'7 have the relatively long portions: 46 which lie below the effect is maintained.

The term bumpermeans may or may not include two elements, one on the post and one connected with the rods. If two are used, it is important that one of the elements connect the rods so that they move in unison. 7

As shown by the dotted line position'of Figure 1, the circular or polygonal platform 28 which circumscribesthe post is'spac'ed a considerable distance from the post when the device is not in use, and the bumper is so placedthat it cannot possibly injuriously contact a rider, andthe resiliency of the rods absorbs shocks due to the impacts of the bumper. 'Proper action is obtained by having the rods rigidly connected. with the bumper so that they move inunison It is conceivable that the bumper may form an integral part of the cap piece 2, as it virtually The bumper may have exresiliency. The gist of the inventionis the placement of the ring out of harms way, and above the platform so that the rods extend below the ring and can flex. j

Another feature of the invention is the bracket structure of Figure 4, including a horizontally arranged portion 50 upon which the terminal portions of adjacent platform elements rest, and

to which they are secured by fastening devices 51 passing through corresponding openings in the horizontal portion 50. Each'bracket is provided with a vertical portion 53 right-'angularly related to the portion 50' which has angularly related portions 54-55 corresponding to the plan configuration of the platform. Against theseportions are arranged vertical guardelements '29 of the platform. A reinforcing web 56 conthe bumper ring at a substantial distance above the platform is to be sharply distinguished from the use of chains, ropes, and rods, not.

so connected because in devices heretofore known to me the bumper action was a jarring action and not a floating "or buoyant action.

- "This springing flexible floating action is due largely-herein to the arrangementof the bumper ring at a substantial distance above the platform and adjacent the cap. I am aware that rods have been used but they have not been connected together by the bumper means lying above the platform, nor have they extended below the bumper means at all.

In Figure 5 a modification of the connecting means between the ring and the rods has been shown, this connection permitting slight vertical motion of the connecting arms and increasing the buoyancy and lessening the jar. In this instance, the ring 40 is provided with radial lugs 60 and each arm 41 is detachably connected to corresponding lug by a horizontal pivoting element 62.

Figure 6 shows a modification in which the arms are pivoted for limited horizontal motion and has the advantage of modifying the circular motion of the device, and of thus modifying the sensory effect onthe riders. In this form of the invention, the; ring 40 has a circumferential horizontal flange, as in the first instance, and to this'flange each armil -is pivoted on a vertical pivot 63, so that it has slight motion in "opposite directions in a horizontal plane, the degree of motion being limited by the stop surfaces 64-65. 1

In Figure 7 the bumper'ring '70 is formed from sheet metal by stamping to provide a truncated conical annulus, to the outer side ,of which annulus, the rods 17 are rigidly, or yieldably, attached by any suitable means 42. In this instance, the post is provided with a spoked wheel, as part of the bumper means, and this wheel is generally designated by numeral 43 "Therim has a flat periph'eralsurface 71 with which the surface '72 of the annulus! '70lcontacts. The element l3 is rotatable upon the post 1, on ball bearings 73. The surface '72 engages flatly with the fiat surface 71, to limit the rocking motion of the structure in exactly the same manner as previously described,

The bumper member 43' is shown as rotatably attached to'thepost and ;is held in place by ring 43 held by 'setscrew 43.

I claim as my invention: 1

1. A device of the-class described. comprisin a post having a cap rotatable and rockabl'e thereon, a ring below the post which is adapted to support the riders, a'series-of suspension rods capable of fiexion and having their upper-portions attached to the cap and having their lower portions attached to the ring, a bumper ring as a fulcrum for the rods arranged adjacent the cap and relatively remotely from the rider-ring and adapted to engage the post, and means con-' necting the rods to the bumper ring, whereby relatively long lever-arm-like rod portions are provided between the bumper ring and the rider- .1305

ring to obtainspringy action of the rods'abou't the bumper ring as a fulcrum, the sizes of the bumper ring being such as to limit rocking motion in a manner to prevent contact between the rider-ring and the post. A 2. A device of the "class describedcomprising a post, a riding structure rotatably and rockably mounted upon the post including a riding platform and a series ,of resilient suspension rods, and bumper means including a member carried by the post out of reach of the riders and above the platform, and cooperable with the suspension rods to form a, fulcrumabout which resilient lever-like'action of-the rods can take-place when'the structure is rocked. I, 7

3. A device of the class described comprising a post, a riding structure rotatablyand rockably arranged upon the post including a riding platform and a series of resilient suspension rods, bumper means including a ring surrounding the post, means by which the ring is clamped to the rods, the said ring being so placed as to cooperate with the post to form a fulcrum about which resilient lever-like action of the rods can take place, when the device is rocked or when rocked and rotated.

4. A device of the class describedcomprising a post, a riding structure rotatably and. rockably mounted upon the post including a riding platform and a series of resilient suspension roads, and bumper means including a member rotatably mounted on the post out of reach of the riders and above the platform, and cooperating with said suspension rods to form a fulcrum about which resilient lever-like action of the rods can take place when the structure is rocked.

5. A device of the class described comprising; a post, a riding structure rotatably and rock-' ably mounted upon the post including a riding platform and a series of resilient suspension rods, and bumper means including a member rotatable upon the post above the platform and out of reach of the riders, and cooperating with f a ring carried by said suspension rods, in a'man-- ARTHUR O. EDWARDS.

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