Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
This invention is related to an air-operated apparatus
for raising or lowering a passenger, and more particularly to
a passenger~carrying spherical body seated on a semi-spherical
base, and air operated means for elevating the body on a
cushion of air from the base up through a tube to a pre-
determined height above the base.
Motion simulators employed in amusement devices and
flight simulators usually comprise a hollow body or frame for
receiving a passenger. The body is then moved through a series
of motions to simulate flight through the air. Such devices
are commonly used for training aircraft personnel. Other
devices are used as amusement devices with a video screen that
presents images consis-tent with the simulated flight.
The frame is mounted in a cradle or base and rocked
or otherwise horizontally moved, usually without any substantial
vertical displacement. One device in which the body is
horizontally moved is illustrated in United States Patent No.
2,344,454, issued to Plotner in 1944, and disclosing a spherical
shell floating on a body of water with controls for rotating
the shell about its center.
Summary of the Invention
The broad purpose of the present invention is to
provide apparatus for elevating a passenger in which the
passenger is received into a spherical body and then raised
to a predetermined height.
According to one aspect of the invention -there is
provided apparatus comprising: a base having a seat with an
upper opening and a lower opening; a spherical passenger-holding
body having closure means for receiving a passenger therein,
the body being receivable through the upper opening in -the
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base to a lower position in the seat adjacent said lower
opening; means :Eor delivering a fluid through the lower opening
in the base beneath the body to raise the body above said lower
position such that the body is supported solely by the fluid
being received through the lower opening in the base and
passing out the upper opening; and external control means
and internal control means each having means adapted to be
operated by the passenger to jointly control the universal
attitude of the body when suspended in and by the fluid, the
external control means biasing the body by reaction to the
fluid and the internal control means biasing the body by
imbalance~
According to another aspect of the invention there is
provided apparatus comprising: a base having a hemispherical
seat, an upper opening above the seat, and a lower opening;
a sp.herical passenger-holding body having closure means for
receiving a passenger therein, the body being receivable through
said upper opening to a lower position in the seat; means for
delivering air through the opening in the base beneath the
body to raise the body and the passenger above said lower
position toward said upper opening such that the body is
supported solely by air passing from the lower opening toward
said upper opening; an upright tube mounted on the base to
receive the body as the body is being raised from said lower
position and to guide the body along a predetermined upward
path of motion defined by the tube; at least one louver member
mounted adjacent the exterior surface of the body so as to be
disposed between the body and the tube wall in the path of
air moving adjacent the surface of the body to bias the body
toward ro-tation in said tube; control means mounted in the
body for permitting the passenger to move any louver member
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to adjust the rotation of the body, a controlled member mounted
in the body for adjusting the center of gravity of the body
and passenger whereby the body revolves in the tube from a first
position toward a second position while supported in said
raised position; whereby the passenger is able to control any
louver member and the controlled member from a position within
the body so as to revolve the body to any attitude while
supported in the tube in said raised position.
Description of the Drawings
The description refers to the accompanying drawings
in which like reference characters refer to like parts
throughout the several views, and in which:
Figure 1 is a partially schematic view showing an
amusement device illustrating the preferred embodiment of the
invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the body slightly
raised above the base;
Figure 3 is an fragmentary view illustrating the
internal arrangement of the body;
Figure 4 is another internal view of the body
illustrating the weight operated controls;
Figure 5 is still another internal view of the
body showing the control arrangement and the simulated controls;
Figure 6 is sectional view of the turbine housing;
Figure 7 is a view of the louver used for revolving
the body about the tube's axis;
Figure 8 is a view of the louver in another position;
Figure 9 is a view of the system for controlling the
position of the weight;
Figure 10 is a plan schematic view of the weight
control system;
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FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary view showing the manner
in which the weight is connected to the guide rods; and
FIGURE 12 is a view as seen along lines 12-12 of
Figure 11.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
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Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a
preferred amusement device 10 comprising base means 12.
Base means 12 has a semi-spherical base member 14 supported
by legs 16 above ground 17. Base member 14 has a generally
spherical seat 18, an upper opening 20 and a lower opening
22. A turbine housing 24 is mounted beneath opening 22
ReEerring to Figures 1 and 6, turbine means 26 is
mounted within the housing. A motor 28 is mounted on the
housing and connected by belt means 30 for driving the
turbine to direct a flow of air through opening 22 into base
member 14.
Belt means 30 includes a sheave 31 weighted so as
to form a Elywheel in the event power is terminated for some
reason to motor 28 so that the turbine continues to rotate
for a period of time under the momentum of sheave 31.
Keferring to Figures 1 and 2, a lip 32 is mounted
about the upper edge of opening 20. An upright transparent
tube means 34 is mounted on the lip. Tube means 34 has an
upper open end 36.
A spherical, passenger holding body 40 is
illustrated in Figure 1, mounted on seat 18. Rody 40 has a
slidable closure 42 which may be opened to permit a
passenger 44 to step into the body. The body also has
transparent window means 46 fo~ the passenger to view
objects outside of the body. In addition closure 42 is
preferrably transparent so that the viewer can view external
objects such as a video screen, not shown, which may`be
operated as the passenger is being elevated.
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Body 40 has an external diameter such that it can
be disposed on seat 18 of the base, and which is slightly
less than that of tube means 34 so that air delivered from
the turbine will urge the body upwardly to an elevated
position in which it is suspended by the air. The body can
be raised several feet to an upward position adjacent the
top opening of the tube at "Al' illustrated in Figure l. The
body is raised and lowered by external controls 50 for
controlling the operation of the turbine.
Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, a 6-way chair 52
is mounted on floor 54 in body 40 for receiving passenger
44. Spring means 56 are mounted between the bottom of the
chair and the floor. A rack 58 is carried by the chair and
has a series of teeth 60 engageable with a dog ~2 in such a
manner that when the passenger sits in the chair, the chair
is lowered under the passenger's weight and then locked in
its lowered position by the dog engaging the rack teeth.
Thus the position of the chair and the p~ssenger
accommodates the passenger's weight.
In order to chan~e the position of the body in its
suspended position, two sets of controls are provided.
Referring to ~igures 2, 4, 7, and 8, a pair of louver means
64 and 66 are mounted on opposite sides o~ the body closely
adjacent its surface. The two louvers are identical except
for their positions and each includes a bottom linear
surface 70 which has a thickness suicient to provide a
barrier to air being delivered from beneath the body. An
internally mounted handle 72 is connected to louver 64, and
a second handle 74 is connected to louver 66.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8, each louver can be
disposed in a generally hori20ntal position illustrated in
Figure 7 in which the louver is in an essentially neutral
position. By slightly tilting the louver to a position
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illustrated in Figure 8, the air being delivered from
beneath the body and closely adjacent the surface biases the
body in the direction in which it has been tilted. By
reversin~ the ~ilt of the louver, the bias of the air can be
directed in the opposite direction. The net result is that
the body can be revolved about its vertical axis by tilting
the louvers in either one direction or in the opposite
direction.
The second system of weight controls is
illustrated in Figures 3 5 and 9-12. This means comprises
a pair of "U" shaped rods 80 and 82. Bearing means 84
supports one end of rod 80 and a bearing 86 supports its
opposite end. The two bearings are on opposite sides of
chair 52. A handle 88 provides means for the user to pivot
the rod about the two bearings.
Similarly, a bearing 90 supports one end of rod 82
and a second bearing means 92 supports the opposite end of
rod 82. A handle 94 is connected to the end of rod 82 so
the user can pivot it about its bearing. The two rods are
mounted so that they are closely adjacent one another.
Weight means 96, illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, connect
the two rods together at their closest point. The weight
means include a hollow weight member 98 housing a pair of
rollers 100 and 102 so that weight member 98 can be readily
moved along rod 80. A second weight member 104, having a
predetermined weight, carries a pair of rollers 106 and 108
which ride on rod 82 so that the housing 104 will readily
move along rod 102. The weight members 98 and 104 are
connected by swivel means 110 which permit the weights to
rotate with respect to one another.
Referring to Figure 10~ the two "U" shaped rods
are illustrated with the weight means 96 mounted beneath
chair 52 in a neutral position beneath the center of gravity
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of the body and the passenger. The passenger can move
handle 94 to raise rod 82 toward his left thereby moving
both weight means 96 along rod 80 toward his left. The
displacement of this amount of weIght will cause the ball to
revolve downwardly and toward his left. Similarly, by
moving weiKht means 96 along rod 80 toward the passenger's
right, he can cause the ball to revolve toward the right and
rearwardly.
By moving both of the rods the weight means can be
moved in any horizontal direction so that the direction
of imbalance caused by moving the weight can be precisely
controlled by the user thereby precisely controlling the
direction that the body is revolved. The arrangement is
such that he can completely and easily move the ball to turn
to an upsicle down inverted position as he is being raised.on
a cushion of air.
Reerring to Figure 1, the user can control the
relative position o~ the body within the tube 34 as the body
is raised to the top of the tube. The height of the body is
controlled by control means 50. Should power be suddenly
terminated to motor 28, the body will slowly lower on the
cushion oE air disposed between it and seat 18. The
turbine will continue to rotate because of the inertia of
sheave 31 thereby providing a controlled drop of the ball
so that tne user can safely return to seat 18.
Referring to Figure 5, a series of simulated
gauges and controls 80 and 82 are disposed within the body.
The user can operate a video game in combination with the
body motion to simulate space travel and the like. As an
alternative he can view an externally mounted screen ~not
shown) through transparent closure 42 to experience
simulate~ space travel.
Having described my invention, I claim:
