Track rail acquisition, carrying, and transfer systems and methods
AssigneeUniversal City Studios LLC
InventorsEric Alan Vance, Clarisse Marie Vamos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein are systems that include bogie systems configured to travel along track members that define a ride path, to detach certain track members from adjacent track members, and to re-attach the detached track members to other track members that may not be orthogonal or coplanar. By employing the embodiments described herein, the system may be able to seamlessly change the direction of travel of a ride vehicle from a lateral direction to a longitudinal direction, from a lateral direction to a vertical direction, or from a vertical direction to the longitudinal direction, to name but a few.
Claims20
An apparatus of an amusement park, comprising:
- a bogie system configured to be positioned on a track system comprising a plurality of track members that define a ride path, wherein the bogie system comprises one or more bogies, each bogie comprising a track engagement mechanism configured to facilitate motion of the bogie along the plurality of track members, to detach a moveable track member of the plurality of track members from a first stationary track member of the plurality of track members, to move the moveable track member to a new location along the track system, and to attach the moveable track member to a second stationary track member of the plurality of track members at the new location along the track system.
An amusement park track system, comprising:
- a plurality of track members that define a ride path, wherein the plurality of track members comprises:
- a first set of stationary track members that remain fixed relative to the ride path;
- and
- a second set of moveable track members members, wherein each moveable track member of the second set of moveable track members is detached configured to be detached from a first stationary track member of the first set of stationary track members, to be moved to a new location along the first set of stationary track members, and to be attached to the first set of stationary track members at the new location.
A method comprising:
- detaching a moveable track member of an amusement park track system from a first stationary track member of the amusement park track system using a bogie system;
- moving the moveable track member to a new location along the amusement park track system using the bogie system;
- and
- attaching the moveable track member to a second stationary track member of the amusement park track system at the new location using the bogie system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.