Watercraft amusement ride

• US 6,237,499 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Errol W. Mckoy
• Original Assignee: Errol W. Mckoy
• Inventors: McKoy, Errol W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US09/281,740
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 104/23.1, 104/23.2, 104/59, 104/70, 104/71, 104/72, 104/73, 104/281, 104/282, 104/290, 104/292
• US Class Current: 104/59
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 3/00 Water roundabouts, e.g. freely floating
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 33/00 Devices allowing competitions between several persons, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/12 Systems with propulsion devices between or alongside the rails, e.g. pneumatic systems cable traction B61B9/00; car shunting devices B61J
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 9/00 Tramway or funicular systems with rigid track and cable traction haulage clips B61B12/12
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/16 deriving additional lift from hydrodynamic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 19/00 Marine propulsion not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Passenger boats are mounted on an undercarriage assembly that includes rail-mounted centering wheels. The passenger boats are accelerated by linear induction drive motors mounted on a guide rail structure. Thrust is applied to the racing boats by magnetically conductive reaction plates that are attached to the undercarriage assembly and are movable through linear flux slots formed in the induction stators of the linear induction motors. The submerged guide track structure is arranged in various closed loop courses, including “Figure-Eight,” an hour-glass, serpentine and oval patterns, as well as parallel guide track structures that extend between a launch station and a return station. A dual “Figure-Eight” watercourse includes a simulated jump ramp and an underground tunnel arrangement. In the continuous loop guide structure, two or more boats are launched and separation is maintained by a safety block arrangement.

Claims

1. An amusement boat ride for transporting passengers through a watercourse comprising, in combination:

a guide channel structure submerged in the watercourse;

a passenger boat movably coupled to the guide channel structure for travel through the watercourse; and

,

linear induction motor drive means including a stator component and a reaction component coupled to the passenger boat and to the guide channel structure for propelling the passenger boat through the watercourse.

2. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the submerged guide channel structure includes one or more guide rails extending in a closed loop.

3. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide channel structure includes one or more guide rails arranged in a “

Figure-Eight”

closed loop.

4. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide channel structure comprises one or more guide rails arranged in an hour-glass pattern.

5. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide channel structure comprises one or more guide rails arranged in a curved pattern.

6. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide channel structure includes dual guide tracks, each guide track including one or more rails arranged in a “

Figure-Eight”

pattern and extending generally in alignment with each other.

7. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide channel structure comprises a ramp portion elevated above the watercourse for simulating travel over a jump ramp.

8. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide channel structure comprises an underground tunnel that extends beneath the floor of the watercourse.

9. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide channel structure includes one or more guide rails extending in a closed loop, serpentine pattern.

10. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, wherein the submerged guide channel structure includes one or more guide rails extending in a closed loop, and including multiple linear induction motors mounted on the guide rails for propelling one or more passenger boats through the watercourse.

11. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, including:

a safety release system coupled to the linear induction motor drive means for controlling movement of the passenger boat.

12. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 1, including:

a first launch station disposed adjacent the guide channel structure;

a second launch station disposed adjacent the guide channel structure at a location remote from the first launch station;

a first turntable disposed at the first launch station;

a second turntable disposed at the second launch station;

whereby the passenger boat can be rotated and launched from and returned to the first and second launch stations.

13. An amusement boat ride for carrying passengers across a watercourse comprising, in combination:

a submerged guide channel structure extending through the watercourse;

multiple linear induction motors attached to the guide channel structure, each linear induction motor including a linear stator and a longitudinal flux slot;

a carriage assembly including a passenger boat movably coupled to the guide channel structure for travel through the watercourse; and

,

a magnetically responsive reaction plate attached to the carriage assembly and projecting radially from the carriage assembly for linear travel through the flux slots of the linear induction motors.

14. An amusement boat ride as set forth in claim 13, wherein the guide channel structure comprises first and second laterally spaced guide rails, further including:

at least first and second centering wheels mounted beneath the passenger boat for rolling engagement against the first and second guide rails, respectively.

15. An amusement boat ride for transporting passengers across a watercourse comprising, in combination:

a first launch station disposed adjacent one end of the watercourse;

a second launch station disposed adjacent an opposite end of the watercourse;

a guide structure submerged in the watercourse and extending from the first launch station to the second launch station;

a passenger boat including an undercarriage assembly movably coupled to the guide structure for forward and return travel through the watercourse;

linear induction motor drive means including multiple linear induction stators mounted on the guide structure, each stator having a longitudinal flux slot disposed in alignment with the direction of travel; and

,

a magnetically responsive reaction plate coupled to the passenger boat, the reaction plate projecting beneath the passenger boat for longitudinal travel through the flux slot and for electromagnetic coupling with magnetic flux produced by the induction stator as the passenger boat moves along the guide structure.

16. An amusement boat ride apparatus comprising, in combination:

a pair of first launch stations disposed adjacent one end of a watercourse;

a pair of second launch stations disposed adjacent an opposite end of the watercourse;

a pair of parallel guide structures submerged in the watercourse and extending from the first launch stations to the second launch stations;

a pair of passenger boats movably coupled to the guide structures for forward and return travel through the watercourse;

power drive means disposed adjacent the parallel guide structures for propelling the passenger boats across the watercourse, the power drive means including multiple linear induction motors mounted on the guide structure, each linear induction motor including a linear stator and a linear flux slot extending in alignment with the direction of travel; and

,

a magnetically responsive reaction plate coupled to each passenger boat and projecting therefrom for travel through the linear flux slots.

17. An amusement boat ride for transporting passengers across a watercourse comprising, in combination:

a guide structure submerged in the watercourse;

a passenger boat movably coupled to the guide structure for travel across the watercourse; and

,

power drive means including a linear induction stator mounted on the guide structure and a reaction plate coupled to the passenger boat for propelling the passenger boat across the watercourse.