Rapid-winding winch power plant and associated amusement rides
AssigneeMark Kleimeyer
InventorsMark Kleimeyer, Michael J. Mehrman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A winch 10 has a drum 26 that winds and unwinds a cable 28 in response to winding and unwinding of tethers 30 about an axle 24. The tethers 30 are connected to telescopic spring devices 46 with staged concentric springs 48 that store energy, and a brake 45 is releasable to permit the drum 26 to rotate under the force of the stored energy. The drum 26 has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the axle 24, thereby producing a mechanical advantage. The cable 28 is also connected to a passenger carriage 201 of an amusement ride 200 that travels under the force of the stored energy.
Claims29
An amusement ride having a rapid-winding winch and a cable coupled to the rapid-winding winch and a passenger carriage, the rapid-winding winch comprising:
- a) an energy storage mechanism comprising one or more elastic devices;
- b) one or more tethers coupled directly or indirectly to the elastic devices;
- c) an axle having a winding surface with a diameter, wherein the tethers are windable and unwindable about the winding surface of the axle;
- and
- d) a winding mechanism comprising at least one drum coupled directly or indirectly to the axle and having a winding surface with a diameter, wherein the cable is windable and unwindable about the winding surface of the drum, the drum winding surface diameter being greater than the axle winding surface diameter to provide a mechanical advantage when winding and unwinding the cable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.