Amusement Device for Fairs, Amusement Parks or the Like

Abstract

The invention relates to an amusement device for fairs, amusement parks or the like, having a substantially circular planar base (1) on which a star-shaped drive unit (3, 31) is arranged, which is rotatably mounted on a support bearing (5, 28) of the base (1), and at least one passenger gondola is arranged on each arm of the drive unit (3, 31). According to the invention, one or more of the passenger gondolas arranged on the arms (8, 32) are displaceable in the radial direction of the drive unit (3, 31) by means of pushing devices (15, 24) arranged to be displaceable each in the longitudinal direction of the arms (8, 32), the respective passenger gondolas being coupled to the respective pushing devices (15, 24), and the pushing devices (15, 24) follow a predetermined guide track (7, 14) when the drive unit (3, 31) rotates on the base (1), so that the passenger gondolas follow a circulation path on the base (1) which corresponds to the course of the guide track (7, 14).

Claims

1. An amusement device for fun fairs, amusement parks or the like, comprising a substantially circular plane base (1) on which a star-shaped drive unit (3, 31) is arranged which is rotatably mounted on a support bearing (5, 28) of the base (1), and at least one passenger gondola is arranged on each arm of the drive unit (3, 31), characterized in that one or more of the passenger gondolas arranged on the arms (8, 32) are displaceable in the radial direction of the drive unit (3, 31) by means of respective pushing devices (15, 24) each displaceably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the arms (8, 32),), the respective passenger gondolas being coupled to the respective pushing devices (15, 24) for radial displacement, and in that the pushing devices (15, 24) follow a predetermined guide track (7, 14) during the circulation of the drive unit (3, 31) on the base (1), so that the passenger gondolas follow a circulation path on the base (1) which corresponds to the course of the guide track (7, 14).

2. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide track (7, 14) is concentric with the base (1).

3. An amusement device according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide track (7, 14) is shaped circumferentially circular, oval, triangular or irregular.

4. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit (3, 31) is eccentrically mounted on the base (1).

5. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective passenger gondola is rotatably coupled to the pushing device (15, 24) and that the passenger gondola is pivotable or rotatable during the circulation of the amusement device around the base (1) by actuation of a control device (11).

6. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective pushing device (15) contains a driver (9) which, during the rotation of the drive unit (3), engages in a guide gap (7) designed as a guide track and follows the latter during the rotation of the drive unit (3).

7. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide track is formed as a running rail (14) on the base (1), the pushing devices (15, 24) following the running rail (14) during circulation on the base (1).

8. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pushing devices (15, 24) are displaceable on the respective arm (8) by means of pneumatic, hydraulic, chain, rack and pinion or electric drive.

9. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (1) forms the bottom of a water basin (18) and that the passenger gondolas are formed as floatable boats (19), the passenger gondolas being conveyed to the rim of the basin at the beginning or end of a ride of the amusement device to allow the passengers entrance or exit.

10. An amusement device according to claim 9, characterized in that the arms (32) of the drive unit (31) are vertically pivotally received at their inner end in the support bearing (5).

11. An amusement device according to claim 10, characterized in that the arms (32) of the drive unit (31) are vertically pivotally supported at their inner end such that the outer ends of the arms can follow a vertically up and down path.

12. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more gondolas are attached to a gondola frame (23) which is connected to the pushing device (15, 24) in a horizontally pivotable or rotatable manner.

13. An amusement device according to claim 12, characterized in that the gondola frame (23) is connected via a push rod (35) to a joint (34) on the drive unit (31) in such a way that a pivoting of the gondola frame (23) takes place when the displacement device is displaced.

14. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective passenger gondola (6, 19) is rotatable about a vertical axis.

15. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective passenger gondola (19) is pivotable about a horizontal axis.

16. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit (3) is driven by a friction wheel drive (21) on the outer circumference of a circular support rail (20) to which the outer ends of the arms (8, 32) are attached.

17. An amusement device according to claim 12, characterized in that the pushing device (24) has a rotary drive (27) with radially directed arms (37, 38), in that the gondolas (19) arranged on the gondola frame can be displaced along a rail (29) of the gondola frame (23) by means of a displacement device (39, 40), in each case one arm (37, 38) of the rotary drive (27) being coupled to a displacement device (39, 40) assigned to a gondola (19).

18. An amusement device according to claim 8, characterized in that the base (1) forms the bottom of a water basin (18) and that the passenger gondolas are formed as floatable boats (19), the passenger gondolas being conveyed to the rim of the basin at the beginning or end of a ride of the amusement device to allow the passengers entrance or exit.

19. An amusement device according to claim 9, characterized in that one or more gondolas are attached to a gondola frame (23) which is connected to the pushing device (15, 24) in a horizontally pivotable or rotatable manner.

20. An amusement device according to claim 9, characterized in that the respective passenger gondola (6, 19) is rotatable about a vertical axis.

Description

[0023] The figures show the following:

[0024] FIG. 1 a top view of an amusement device of a first embodiment of the invention, in which the guide track is circular,

[0025] FIG. 2 a sectional view of the representation of FIG. 1,

[0026] FIG. 3 a top view of a vehicle,

[0027] FIG. 4 a perspective view of an amusement device of a second embodiment of the invention,

[0028] FIG. 5 a top view of an amusement device of the second embodiment of the invention in a loading position,

[0029] FIG. 6 a top view of an amusement device of the second embodiment of the invention in an operating position,

[0030] FIG. 7 a view of a gondola frame, and

[0031] FIG. 8 a view of a gondola drive.

[0032] The amusement device according to the invention is a circularly shaped device which is substantially in the form of a revolving ride. Passenger gondolas in the form of vehicles move on a platform or boats in a basin along a course which is substantially circular in its basic shape.

[0033] In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a number of vehicles 6, each provided with two seats 12, are shown travelling in a circle on a platform 2 extending above and parallel to the base 1. Between the base 1 and the platform 2 there is a drive unit 3, which is rotatably mounted eccentrically from the base centre 4 in a support bearing 5. The drive unit 3 has a of radially directed arms 8 extending below the platform 2 from the support bearing 5 to near the outer rim of the base 1. On each arm 8 of the drive unit 3, a pushing device 15 (FIG. 2) is slidably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the arms. Each pushing device 15 is provided with a rod-shaped vertically directed driver 9. All the drivers 9 of the pushing devices 15 arranged on the arms project through a guide gap 7 formed in the platform 2. The pushing devices 15 are coupled above the platform 2 to the individual vehicles 6 via the drivers 9.

[0034] In this case, the guide track is formed by two rails fixed to the platform at a distance from each other, forming a gap 7, so that the respective drivers 9 can follow the course of the gap 7 of the guide track. Although the guide gap 7 shown in FIG. 1 is circular in shape, other shapes of the guide section, such as oval, triangular or irregular, are preferred. Alternatively, the guide track shown in FIG. 2 is formed by a running rail 14 formed on the base 1, on which runs a running wheel 16 connected to the pushing device 15, which follows the running rail 14 as the drive unit 3 rotates. In this case, the guide track extending in the platform 2 is only a guide gap 7 through which the drivers 9 coupled to the vehicles run.

[0035] The vehicles 6 coupled to the drivers 9 have two rear wheels 13, while the front part of each of the vehicles rests on the drivers 9. The drivers 9 also have a vertical extension to which a steering wheel 11 is attached. This allows passengers seated in the vehicles 6 to svivel the vehicle laterally by a pivot angle 10 of, for example, 70° via a rotation of the steering wheel 11 relative to the vehicle while it is moving.

[0036] In the sectional view of FIG. 1 shown in FIG. 2, it is shown that the drive unit 3 is mounted in a support bearing 5 on the base 1. The support bearing 5 is located between the base 1 and the platform 2 and forms the axis of rotation of the drive unit 3. This can be motor-driven on the support bearing 5. In an alternative embodiment, the ends of the arms 8 can be attached to an annular support rail 20 (FIG. 4), via which the rotation of the drive unit 3 is effected by means of a friction wheel drive 21 (FIGS. 5, 6). In this case the support bearing 5 is a free running bearing.

[0037] On each of the radially directed arms 8 a pushing device 15 is displaceably arranged. Depending on the design of the arms 8, the pushing device 15 is in particular a free-running sleeve, sliding rails coupled to the arms or a sliding carriage. The pushing devices 15 are substantially free to move in the longitudinal direction of the arms. The arms 8, which may also have a curved shape, in particular as a crescent, may be U-sections, beams or frameworks.

[0038] The drivers 9 attached to the pushing devices 15 project through guide gaps 7 and are coupled to the vehicles 6 above the platform. When the drive unit 3 rotates, the drivers 9 therefore follow the course of the guide gap 7, and thus the vehicles travel on the platform according to the course of the guide gap.

[0039] To support the pushing devices 15 and the arms 8, running wheels 16 are formed, which either engage in the running rail 14 and thereby form the guide track, or are merely support wheels to relieve the weight of the arms.

[0040] Passengers can enter and exit platform 2 via entrances and exits 30.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a top view of a vehicle 6 with two seats 12 and wheels 13. Facing the seats 12 is a steering wheel 11 which is arcuate in shape and is fixedly coupled to the driver 9. The passengers can thus turn the vehicle sideways up to a predetermined pivot angle 10 by operating the steering wheel 11.

[0042] The operation of the amusement device is as follows: After the passengers have been admitted to the platform, have entered the vehicles and have been secured, the amusement device is set in motion by the drive unit 3 being set in rotation. The individual vehicles 6 follow the gap-shaped guide track 7 or the running rail 14 formed as a support bearing, by means of the drivers 9. If the guide track were concentric about a support bearing 5 arranged centrally on the base, the running path of the vehicles would also be concentric about the support bearing. However, if the support bearing 5 is arranged eccentrically with respect to the base center 4 of the base 1 while the guide track is formed centrically with respect to the base center 4, the pushing devices 15 will move on the respective arms 8 in accordance with the distance between the base center 4 and the support bearing 5 due to the guidance of the drivers on the guide track during the circulation of the drive unit. The circulation path of the vehicles continues to be circular when the guide section is circular, but the distance between successive vehicles changes continuously due to the distance between the support of the driving device and the base center because of shortened or lengthened chordal distances between the respective pushing devices on the arms. Further, if the guide track is not circular in shape but oval, triangular or freeform, the vehicles may follow a path of travel that is unpredictable to passengers and may cover a large area of the platform. If, in addition, the possible swivelling of the vehicles is taken into account and the drive unit is rotated with sufficient speed, strong acceleration and deceleration effects result, which guarantee a great potential for amusement.

[0043] In the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4-8, the amusement device is formed with boats 19 floating in a basin 18. Here, the bottom of the water basin forms the base 1 of the device. In this case, passengers can enter the boats 19 at the rim of the basin after passing through the ticket booth 17, as shown in FIG. 5, and leave the boats 19 again at the rim of the basin after the end of a ride.

[0044] In this case, a drive unit 31 substantially corresponding to the drive unit 3 is provided, by means of which the passenger gondolas formed as boats 19 are moved.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of such a device. The water basin 18 contains the drive unit 31, which is centrally mounted in a pivot bearing 28 and carries three radially outwardly pointing arms 32, each of which consists of two parallel tubes. The ends of the arms 32 are connected to a circumferential support rail 20, on the side of which friction wheel drives 21 arranged on the circumference of the basin 18 press, the support rail 20 being additionally supported by free-running support wheels 26. The arms 32 are further supported by support rollers on an annular support rail 22 arranged at the bottom of the basin. Alternatively, also in this case the drive of the drive unit 31 may be provided by a central drive instead of the drive by friction wheels.

[0046] In this embodiment two boats 19 each are arranged on a triangular-shaped gondola frame 23, which in turn is attached to the respective pushing device 24, which is slidably arranged on the arms 32. In this case, the pushing devices 24 are preferably controlled by pneumatic actuators or alternatively by hydraulic, rack and pinion, chain, cable or electric actuators, whereas the control may be programmed. It is also possible to manually control the displacement of the pushing devices, so that any travel paths can be realized. For a simple operation of the amusement device, predetermined profiles of the movement sequence can be set up for the program-controlled operation, which can control the displacement of the pushing devices in a location-dependent and/or time-dependent manner. A mechanically designed guide via a driver running in a guide track in accordance with the first embodiment is not required in this case. However, even if the amusement device is designed as a water basin, a fixed guide section can be used which is located on the bottom of the water basin.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the device in a position where passengers can enter or leave the boats. Here, all boats 19 are at the rim of the basin 18 so that passengers can enter or leave the boats dry. This position of the boats is achieved by the respective pushing devices 24 having moved the boats to the rim of the basin, and drive rollers 33 having aligned the boats with the rim of the basin.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows the device in a position in which the boats 19 move in the water according to the control by the pushing devices. Since the boats are each arranged in pairs on gondola frames 23 and the gondola frames 23, in addition to being moved on the arms 32 via the pushing devices 24, can also be pivoted or rotated over a large angle in accordance with the travel path 25 by means of rotary actuators 27 located on the pushing devices 24, there are innumerable patterns of movement of the boats in the water.

[0049] The rotation resp. pivoting of the gondola frames is effected by the boats being attached, as shown in FIG. 7, to sleeve-shaped displacement devices 39 and 40 which run, on the one hand, on arms 37 and 38 connected to the rotary device 27 and, on the other hand, on a circumferential rail 29 of the gondola frame 23. When the rotary drive 27 is actuated, the displacement devices 39 and 40 and the boats attached thereto thus move along the rail 29 of the gondola frame 23.

[0050] The gondola frame 23 itself can be rotated or pivoted relative to the arm 32 in a simple manner by inserting a push rod 35 between a joint 34 on the gondola frame and a joint 36 on the arm 32, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. There it is shown that in the condition in which a pushing device 24 has guided a gondola frame 23 to the rim of the basin, the push rod is substantially parallel to the arm 32, whereas in the condition of FIG. 6 the push rod has pivoted the gondola frame by a certain angle.

[0051] It may also be provided that the boats can perform minor vertical movements by the support rails 20 having a vertical profiling, the arms 32 being vertically pivotable in the bearing 28. If the profiling is stepped, the boats can in this way cause a sudden strong displacement of water with splashing effects.

[0052] Finally, the boats 19 may be rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the gondola frame. This can be controlled by the passengers themselves via a steering wheel, if the passenger gondolas are designed such that the passengers sit opposite each other in the gondolas.

[0053] In a further embodiment of the second example, it may also be provided that the boats are pivotable to some extent about one or two horizontal axes to achieve the appearance of actual free floating boats moving freely in the water.

TABLE-US-00001 Reference symbols 1 base 2 platform 3 drive unit 4 base center 5 support bearing 6 vehicle 7 guide gap 8 arms 9 driver 10 pivot angle 11 steering wheel 12 seats 13 wheels 14 running rail 15 pushing device 16 wheel 17 ticket booth 18 basin 19 boats 20 support rail 21 friction wheel drive 22 support rail 23 gondola frame 24 pushing device 25 travel path 26 support wheel 27 rotary actuator 28 pivot bearing 29 rail 30 entrance and exit 31 drive unit 32 arms 33 drive rollers 34 joint 35 push rod 36 joint 37 arm 38 arm 39 displacement device 40 displacement device