ROTARY PLATFORM VEHICLE PASSENGER LOADING SYSTEM

• US 3,865,041 A
• Filed: 04/16/1973
• Issued: 02/11/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vekoma Technology B.V.
• Original Assignee: Karl W. Bacon
• Inventors: Bacon, Karl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Byers, Jr., Nile C.
• Application Number:
  US05/351,509
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 14/1 104/20,21,73 198/167 214/42,58 272/29,48 404/1
• US Class Current: 104/20
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/00 Other railway systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61F 13/00 Rail vehicles characterised by wheel arrangements, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 1/00 Transferring passengers, articles, or freight to and from moving trains; Slipping or coupling vehicles from or to moving trains
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/01 Hydraulic transport of articles B65G51/04 takes precedence; water roundabouts A63G3/00

Abstract

A central stationary platform is surrounded by a rotatable annular platform and a vehicle guiding means surrounds at least a portion of the outside circumference of the rotating platform. Vehicles are guided into frictional engagement with an outside edge of the rotating platform in a manner that there is no relative motion between the vehicle and the rotating platform, thus permitting loading and unloading of people therefrom. In one embodiment, vehicles are boats and in another embodiment are passenger cars riding on rails.

Claims

1. A passenger loading station for passenger carrying vehicles, comprising:

an annular passenger platform rotatable about a fixed axis and having a resilient compressible bumper attached thereto around its outside circumferential edge, a fixed circular vehicle guide segment positioned around the outside of a portion of the platform circumference and guide portions leading toward and away from said circular guide segment, and means for urging said vehicles against said platform bumper in a manner that the frictional engagement of the vehicle with the bumper prevents relative movement therebetween when a vehicle is in said circular guide segment.

2. A passenger loading station and vehicle, comprising:

a movable passenger platform having a bumper attached to one edge thereof, at least one passenger carrying vehicle, a fixed segment cooperatively constructed with said vehicle to guide said vehicle along the bumper carrying edge of said movable passenger platform, and transition guide portions leading toward and away from said segment, and means as part of said vehicle and said guide segment for urging said vehicle tightly against said bumper in a manner to provide only frictional engagement therebetween for causing the platform and vehicles within said segment to move without relative velocity therebetween.

3. The passenger loading station of claim 2 which additionally includes a motor as part of a passenger platform assembly for moving the passenger platform at substantially a uniform speed.

4. A passenger loading station of claim 3 wherein saId at least one vehicle is a boat and said guide segment and transition guide portions include a continuous water carrying trough with upright sides for guiding the path of boats traveling therealong.

5. The passenger loading station of claim 4 wherein said boat vehicle contain a roller means for cooperating with the side of the water channel of the guide segment that is furthest removed from the moving platform, the distance from the moving platform bumper to said furthest removed channel edge and the dimensions of the boat cooperating so that the boat tightly engages said bumper as said rollers roll along said opposite sidewall of said water channel.

6. The passenger loading station of claim 2 wherein said at least one vehicle includes a source of motor power while the platform has no source of motor power, whereby the movement of said vehicle in said guide segment causes movement of said passenger platform without relative velocity with said vehicle.

7. The passenger loading station of claim 2 wherein said bumper includes an elongated strip of resilient material that normally has a smooth outside surface that is depressed upon contact with said vehicle within said guide segment.

8. A passenger loading station and cooperating vehicle, comprising:

an annular passenger platform rotatable about a fixed axis and having a resilient bumper attached to its outside circumferential edge a first radius from the axis of rotation, a fixed water channel segment extending in a circular path around the outside of a portion of the platform circumference and water channel portions leading toward and away from said circular segment, said water channel segment including two sides with an extreme side located a second radius from said axis, and at least one passenger carrying boat having at least a portion of one side inwardly curving with a radius of curvature substantially equal to said first radius, said boat additionally having rollers extending from an opposite side of said boat and pivotally mounted thereon in a manner that the dimension between the extremity of said wheels and said curved portion is slightly less than the difference between said first and second radii, whereby said boat firmly pushes against and compresses said bumper along the curved side region of contact therewith.

9. The passenger loading station of claim 8 which additionally comprises an inward extension within said water channel attached to said water channel extreme side and positioned at an elevation for supporting a weight of the boat under a loaded condition, whereby the boat is stabilized against extreme tipping during passenger loading and unloading.

10. The passenger loading station of claim 8 wherein said boat includes at least one wheel pivotally mounted on the bottom thereof for supporting the boat weight, and wherein said water channel segment includes at least one track upon which the boat bottom wheel rides when the boat is in the loading area, whereby the boat is stabilized for passenger loading and unloading.

11. A passenger loading station and cooperating vehicle, comprising:

an annular passenger platform rotatable about a fixed axis and having a resilient bumper attached to its outside circumferential edge a first radial distance from the axis of rotation, said rotatable platform not having its own internal source of power, a fixed pair of rails extending in a circular path segment around the outside of a portion of the platform circumference and rail portions leading toward and away from the circular rail segment, said pair of rails in the circular segment having second and third radial distances from said axis of rotation, said rails additionally being substantially circular in cross-section, and at least one self-powered passenger carrying rail car having a plurality of load supporting wheels attached to the bottom thereof rotatable about axes that are parallel to a plane of said pair of rails for riding on the tops of said rails and having a Plurality of stabilizing wheels rotatable about axes substantially perpendicular to said rail plane for riding on the inside surfaces of said rails, said rail car additionally having a surface positioned above said wheels for contacting said resilient bumper, said first, second and third radial distances being positioned relative to the bumper contacting surface of the car to provide tight engagement of said bumper contacting surface with said bumper when the car is in the passenger loading area.

12. A station for loading passengers into at least one vehicle, comprising:

a platform in the shape of a circle held to be rotatable about an axis at the center of the circle, a resilient compressible bumper attached completely around the outside circumference of said platform and having a cross-sectional shape that is normally uniform therearound, and means fixed with respect to said axis for guiding said vehicle in a path segment that is a portion of a circle having a center of curvature coincident with said axis and a radius such that when in said path segment said vehicle is firmly urged against and compresses a portion of said bumper contacted by said vehicle, thereby to cause a vehicle traveling along said path segment to be rotatably fixed to said platform.

13. The passenger loading station of claim 12 which additionally includes a motor coupled to the passenger platform assembly for moving the passenger platform at substantially a uniform speed.

14. A passenger loading station of claim 13 wherein said at least one vehicle is a boat and said guiding means include a continuous water carrying trough with upright sides for guiding the path of boats traveling therealong.

15. The passenger loading station of claim 12 wherein said at least one vehicle includes a source of motor power while the platform has no source of motor power, whereby the movement of said vehicle in said guiding path causes movement of said passenger platform without relative velocity with said vehicle.

16. The passenger loading station of claim 15 wherein said guiding path includes a pair of rails upon which said vehicle is adapted to travel.

17. A passenger loading station and cooperating vehicle, comprising:

an annular passenger platform rotatable about a fixed axis and having a resilient bumper attached to its outside circumferential edge a first radial distance from the axis of rotation, said rotatable platform not having its own internal source of power, a fixed pair of rails extending in a circular path segment around the outside of a portion of the platform circumference, said segment being a portion of a longer rail path, said pair of rails in the circular segment having second and third radii of curvature with respect to said axis of rotation, and at least one self-powered passenger carrying rail car having a plurality of load supporting wheels attached to the bottom thereof for riding on the tops of said rails and having means to maintain said wheels on the rails against lateral forces on the vehicle, said rail car additionally having a surface positioned above said wheels for contacting said resilient bumper, said first, second and third radial distances being positioned relative to the bumper contacting surface of the car to provide tight engagement of said bumper contacting surface with said bumper when the car is in said circular path segment.