Motorized roller-coaster car

Claim 2

A vehicle for a roller coaster provided with a pair of rails forming a guidetrack, comprising: a vehicular body; a front axle and a rear axle each provided with a pair of railengaging wheels; an individual bearing plate for each axle provided with two outrigger arms pivotally connected thereto forwardly and rearwardly of the respective axle and generally paralleling same; a pair of shock absorbers carried on opposite ends of each outrigger arm inwardly of said rail-engaging wheels for yieldably anchoring each bearing plate to said body to facilitate relative universal movement therebetween, each of said shock absorbers including a dashpot and resilient means in combination therewith; and a swivel mounting linking each axle with the respective bearing plate for enabling each axle to rotate freely about a vertical axis with reference to said body.

Claim 3

A vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein the outrigger arms of the bearing plate associated with the front axle are pivotally mounted thereon for swinging about a central longitudinal axis with reference thereto.

Claim 4

A vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said swivel mounting comprises a first ring rigid with the respective axle, a second ring rigid with said bearing plate coaxially engaging said first ring, and antifriction means inserted between said rings.

Claim 5

A vehicle as defined in claim 3 wherein said rings form a pair of ball races, said antifriction means comprising a set of balls received in said races.

Claim 6

A vehicle as defined in claim 3, further comprising an axle housing rigid with said first ring, each axle including a pair of spaced-apart stubs interconnected at the bottom by said axle housing and at the top by said first ring, each of said stubs supporting one of the wheels of the associated pair.

Claim 7

A vehicle as defined in claim 5, further comprising a traction wheel between said stubs passing through a cutout in said axle housing for frictional engagement with a track member paralleling said rails along at least part of said guidetrack, drive means for said traction wheel on said body, and transmission means linking said drive means with said traction wheel.

Claim 8

A vehicle as defined in claim 6 wherein said drive means comprises an electric motor, further comprising contact means on said axle housing conductively connected with said motor and positioned for engagement with conductor means extending alongside said track member.

Claim 9

A vehicle as defined in claim 6 wherein said transmission means comprises a power shaft journaled on said axle housing and extending parallel to said stubs, gear means supported by said power shaft, and flexible link means coupling said drive means with said gear means.

Claim 10

A vehicle as defined in claim 8 wherein said gear means is provided with a support anchored directly to said axle housing.

Claim 11

A vehicle as defined in claim 8 wherein said power shaft is provided with bearing means resiliently suppported on said axle housing.

Claim 12

A vehicle as defined in claim 8 wherein said transmission means further includes an overrunning clutch between said power shaft and said traction wheel enabling the vehicle to coast with said traction wheel rotating faster than said power shaft.

Claim 13

A vehicle as defined in claim 8, further comprising releasable brake means on said body and a unidirectional coupling between said brake means and said drive means preventing reverse rotation of the latter.

Claim 14

A vehicle for a roller coaster provided with a pair of rails forming a guidetrack, comprising: a vehicular body; a front axle and a rear axle each provided with a pair of wheels riding said rails, at least one of said axles being constituted by a pair of spaced-apart stubs respectively supporting the wheels of the associated pair; mounting means securing each of said axles to said body, said mounting means including an axle housing rigidly interconnecting said sTubs, a bearing member, swivel means supporting said bearing member on said axle housing with freedom of relative rotation about a vertical axis, a pair of outrigger arms pivotally connected to said bearing member forwardly and rearwardly of said one of said axles and generally paralleling same, and a pair of shock absorbers carried on opposite ends of each outrigger arm for yieldably anchoring said bearing member to said body, each of said shock absorber including a dashpot and resilient means in combination therewith; a traction wheel between said stubs passing through a clearance in said axle housing for frictional engagement with a track member paralleling said rails along at least part of said guidetrack, said traction wheel being provided with a power shaft disposed parallel to said stubs and journaled in said housing, said traction wheel extending downwardly through a cutout in said axle housing; drive means for said traction wheel on said body; and transmission means linking said drive means with said power shaft, said transmission means being at least partly supported on said axle housing.

Claim 15

A vehicle for a roller coaster provided with a pair of rails forming a guidetrack, comprising: a vehicular body; a front axle and a rear axle each provided with a pair of wheels riding said rails, at least one of said axles being constituted by a pair of spaced-apart stubs respectively supporting the wheels of the associated pair; mounting means securing each of said axles to said body, said mounting means including an axle housing rigidly interconnecting said sTubs, a bearing member, swivel means supporting said bearing member on said axle housing with freedom of relative rotation about a vertical axis, a pair of outrigger arms pivotally connected to said bearing member forwardly and rearwardly of said one of said axles and generally paralleling same, and a pair of shock absorbers carried on opposite ends of each outrigger arm for yieldably anchoring said bearing member to said body, each of said shock absorber including a dashpot and resilient means in combination therewith; a traction wheel between said stubs passing through a clearance in said axle housing for frictional engagement with a track member paralleling said rails along at least part of said guidetrack, said traction wheel being provided with a power shaft disposed parallel to said stubs and journaled in said housing, said traction wheel extending downwardly through a cutout in said axle housing; drive means for said traction wheel on said body; and transmission means linking said drive means with said power shaft, said transmission means being at least partly supported on said axle housing.

Claim 16

A vehicle as defined in claim 13 wherein said transmission means includes an overrunning clutch between said power shaft and said traction wheel enabling the latter to rotate freely at a higher speed than said power shaft.

Claim 17

A vehicle as defined in claim 14, further comprising stationary brake means on said body and a unidirectional coupling between said brake means and said drive means preventing reverse rotation of the latter.

Claim 18

A vehicle as defined in claim 15 wherein said brake means is controlledly releasable for enabling backward motion of the vehicle in the inactive condition of said drive means.