A vehicular passenger restraint mechanism especially adapted for amusement rides wherein the passenger is subjected to changing forces throughout the ride. A passenger restraint arm is pivotably attached at the head location of each passenger seat. The restraint arm pivots from an extreme upward position, that permits the passenger to move into and out of the seat, to a lower restraint position wherein the bottom of the restraint arm rests on the passenger's lap and the remaining portions of the arm simultaneously restrain the passenger's shoulders against the back of the seat. A hydraulic system controllable from one or more locations on a multi-seat amusement ride vehicle permits each passenger to move his or her associated passenger restraint bar either up or down. A mechanical backup is provided with each hydraulic restraint system.
An amusement track ride system comprises a pair of rails forming a track including a spinning section. A car traveling along the rails includes a chassis, a passenger seat on the chassis, and a plurality of wheel portions situated close to the feet of a passenger in a passenger seat. In the spinning section, the rails extend in a helix along an inner surface of an imaginary cylinder having a central axis, the diameter of the imaginary cylinder being set so that the axis of helical rotation of the car traveling in a spin along the rails passes through the car and is substantially in alignment with the central axis of the imaginary cylinder. The holding device has a shoulder retainer provided at the back rest for holding down the shoulders of the passenger in the passenger seat from above. The retainer is guided by a guide mechanism to be movable in the extending direction of the seat back rest, and locked by a locking mechanism in a position where the retainer abuts against the passenger's shoulders.
An automotive vehicle seat has a portion of its back part or seat part which can be pivoted or slid into a position above the sitting surface of the seat part and in front of the leaning surface of the back part. This portion is U-shaped and constitutes a passive child restraint having a pair of parallel legs extending in the direction of travel and a front cross piece, all padded. When out of use the U-shaped restraint bar may be pushed back level with the front surface of the back part of the seat or the top surface of the seat part of the seat.
A restraining device for a U-shaped lap bar on a bumper car, the ends of which are pivotally mounted to the bumper car, is adapted to rest on the laps of the passengers and is movable to an over-center elevated position. A pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly is pivoted at one of its ends to the U-shaped lap bar and pivoted at its other end to a support bracket at a point thereon spaced with respect to a center line of the lap bar to which it is attached so that movement of the lap bar moves the piston to compress gas in the cylinder whereby pressure in the pneumatic cylinder holds the lap bar in restraint in lower position and in elevated position.
At least one actuator for actuating a guest lap bar locking assembly for releasably positioning a lap bar includes a rotatable actuator hub, a telegraph rod interconnected with the rotatable actuator hub, an operator arm also extending from the actuator hub and a toggle latching assembly interconnected with the actuator hub. The toggle latching assembly provides for rotation of the telegraph rod to actuate the lap bar locking assembly to prevent movement of the lap bar in at least one particular direction.
An amusement ride has an endless path defined by a rail from which the vehicle is suspended by a strut which, at its upper end, is swingable in a deformable frame on a yoke which is likewise pivotal on this frame and carries stirrups by which brackets are pivotally mounted in the carriage. The brackets carry the running and guide rollers. A pair of air springs in the form of bellows cylinders is braced between the strut and the yoke.
