Amusement ride system

Claim 2

An amusement ride system for conveying passengers by a display, said ride comprising: a support track extending adjacent said scene and including an inclining portion and a declining portion; first and second orienting rails extending longitudinally of said support track and contoured with respect thereto; a truck mounted on said support track and including a joint rotatable about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said support track; a seat mounted on said joint, said seat being pivotablE relative to said truck to orient passengers seated therein for viewing said scene as said seat is passed thereby; orienting means including a first follower coupled with said seat for following the contour of said first orienting rail to progressively pivot seat to face said display as said seat is moved thereby, said orienting means including a second follower coupled with said joint for following the contour of said second orienting rail and mechanically manipulating said joint to position said seat for positively maintaining said passengers seated erect while said seat is conveyed over inclining and declining portions of said support track; and drive means for driving said truck on said support track.

Claim 3

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 1 that includes: a hollow support shaft interposed between said truck and said seat; a swivel shaft projecting upwardly through said hollow support shaft and coupled with said seat and first follower to pivot said seat on said support shaft.

Claim 4

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 1 that includes: a second support track extending longitudinally of said first mentioned support track; wherein said truck includes: a pair of support wheels supported on top of said respective first and second support tracks; and a first pair of horizontally spaced-apart guide wheels for engaging the sides of said first support track, a second pair of horizontally spaced-apart guide wheels for engaging said second support track and cooperating with said first pair of guide wheels to guide said support assembly on said first and second support tracks.

Claim 5

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 1 that includes: a stabilizing rail extending longitudinally of said support track; and a third follower mounted on said seat for following along said stabilizing track to stabilize said seat.

Claim 6

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes: a skirt mounted on said truck and extending longitudinally of said support track; a motor including a drive pulley for engaging said skirt to drive said skirt past said motor.

Claim 7

An amusement ride for automatically loading passengers from a loading area, said ride comprising: a support track; a truck mounted on said support track; a seat supported on said truck; an actuating rail disposed in said passenger-loading area; a safety bar including a horizontal retaining portion and a connecting portion, said bar being pivotal from a retaining position with said retaining portion disposed over the lap of a passenger sitting in said seat to a release position with said portion pivoted forwardly from said retaining position to release passengers from said seat; means for pivotally mounting said connecting portion to said chair; a latching bracket mounted on said connecting portion and including a pivotal element on its projecting end; a latch pivotally mounted, intermediate its ends, on said seat, one end of said latch forming a second pivotal element for cooperatively engaging said first pivotal element; a safety bar actuating mechanism pivotally mounted on said chair, coupled with the extremity of said latch opposite said one end and including a follower for engaging said actuating rail to rotate said latch thereby pivoting said latching bracket to pivot said bar to its release position; and drive means for driving said truck along said support track.

Claim 8

An amusement ride for automatically loading passengers from a loading area, said ride comprising: a support track; a truck mounted on said support track; a seat supported on said truck; an actuating rail disposed in said passenger-loading area; a safety bar including a horizontal retaining portion and a connecting portion, said bar being pivotal from a retaining position with said retaining portion disposed over the lap of a passenger sitting in said seat to a release position with said portion pivoted forwardly from said retaining position to release passengers from said seat; means for pivotally mounting said connecting portion to said chair; a latching bracket mounted on said connecting portion and including a pivotal element on its projecting end; a latch pivotally mounted, intermediate its ends, on said seat, one end of said latch forming a second pivotal element for cooperatively engaging said first pivotal element; a safety bar actuating mechanism pivotally mounted on said chair, coupled with the extremity of said latch opposite said one end and including a follower for engaging said actuating rail to rotate said latch thereby pivoting said latching bracket to pivot said bar to its release position; and drive means for driving said truck along said support track.

Claim 9

A personnel conveyance system as set forth in claim 6 that includes: biasing means for biasing said bar to its closed position.

Claim 10

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 6 that includes: a lock for locking said safety bar in said retaining position.

Claim 11

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 6 that includes: a lock pivotally mounted on one extremity to said seat and including a cam surface normally disposed in the path of said latching bracket to resist movement of said bar from said release positioN; a link connecting said lock with said actuating mechanism for moving said cam surface out of the path of said lever when said follower engages said rail.

Claim 12

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 6 that includes: a lock for locking said safety bar in said release position and responsive to engagement of said follower with said rail to lock said bar in said release position and responsive to disengagement of said follower from said rail to unlock said bar from said release position.

Claim 13

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 6 wherein: said support track includes inclining and declining portions and extends adjacent a display; and wherein said system includes; support means on said truck for mounting said seat for rotation to face said display as said seat is passed thereby, said support means including a joint pivotable about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said track; first and second orienting rails extending longitudinally of said support track and contoured relative thereto; orienting means including a second follower for following said first orienting rail and coupled with said seat to rotate said seat to face said display as said seat is passed thereby and a third follower for following said second orienting rail and coupled with said joint to manipulate said joint and orient said seat to maintain passengers therein erect while said seat is moved up said inclining portions and down said declining portions.

Claim 14

An amusement ride system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said drive means includes: a skirt depending from said trucks and extending longitudinally of said support track; a drive motor mounted adjacent said support track and including a pulley for frictionally engaging said skirt to pull said truck past said motor.