FLUME BOAT RIDE WITH A DOUBLE DOWNCHUTE

• US 3,830,161 A
• Filed: 07/06/1973
• Issued: 08/20/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vekoma Technology B.V.
• Original Assignee: Karl W. Bacon
• Inventors: Bacon, Karl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Lloyd L.
• Application Number:
  US05/377,145
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 104/70,73
• US Class Current: 104/70
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/14 with driven slideways
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/18 Water-chutes

Abstract

A flume amusement ride wherein passengers ride in boats that float on water flowing in water channels, the boats being guided by the walls of the water channel. A steep downchute portion is provided as part of the ride as a means of providing a thrill to the passengers. The downchute portion includes two adjacent water channels into which boats are alternately directed by a gate that is constructed of two parallel wall members hinged to the walls of the single water channel upstream of the downchute. Hold point brakes are provided in the channel at various locations for blocking passage to boats in order to control the boat movement and spacing.

Claims

1. In a flume amusement boat ride having a water channel with boat guiding walls therealong and a normal downhill slope along a significant portion of the ride that is sufficient to carry water at a velocity to move passenger boats down the water trough, an improvement comprising:

two adjacent alternate channel paths connecting at one end thereof to a single channel for receiving a boat from the single channel into either of said alternate paths, another end of each of the alternate paths being again joined together for directing boats travelling through either of said two alternate paths into a single water channel, each of said two adjacent paths having a steep downchute portion adjacent said one end with a slope significantly greater than said normal downhill slope, said downchute portion of each of the two adjacent paths connecting at their lower ends with a flatter run-out portion for slowing down boats prior to their entry into said common output water channel, whereby the amusement boats are accelerated into the downchute portion and slowed down in the run-out portions of the two adjacent alternate channel paths, and gate means at said one end of the two adjacent paths for controlling the passage of a boat from the entrance water channel into either one of two adjacent alternate channel paths.

2. The improved flume amusement boat ride of claim 1 wherein said gate means includes parallel wall members, one gate wall pivotably attached at one end to one single channel entrance wall while the other gate wall is pivotably attached at one end to an opposite single channel entrance wall, said gate walls being swingable in a parallel manner between side walls of said two adjacent paths.

3. The improved flume amusement boat ride of claim 2 wherein said gate walls are constructed of substantially horizontal members with open spaces therebetween.

4. The improved flume amusement boat ride of claim 1 wherein at least three hold-point brakes are provided for controllably stopping the boats in said channels, a first hold point brake in said single entrance channel upstream from said gate means, and one hold point brake provided in each of said two adjacent channel paths a distance downstream from said gate means sufficient to accommodate and hold one boat while still permitting the gate to operate.

5. The improved flume amusement boat ride of claim 4 wherein at least one of said hold point brakes comprises a pair of gates pivotably mounted to the channel side walls and operable between a brake-off position wherein said gates are held adjacent said channel walls and a brake-on position wherein said gates are pivoted into a position across said channel, thereby to block the path of a boat travelling therealong.

6. The improved flume amusement boat ride according to claim 1 wherein the boats include wheels on the bottom thereof and further wherein the downchute portion of each of said two adjacent channel paths includes parallel tracks for carrying the wheels, the water in each of the channels being carried by the downchute portion into the run-out portion wherein the boats again contact water and are slowed down thereby.

7. The improved flume amusement boat ride according to claim 6 wherein said run-out portion additionally includes the track portions formed into a jump which rise above the lowest level of the end of the downchute and then back down without sufficient water flowing to float a boat until the boat reaches a position downstream of said track jump portion, said amusement boat ride additionally including a channel thereunder for carrying water coming down the downchute and for slowing it down so that the water at the downstream side of the jump portion will be slow enough to slow down a boat which again floats.