A chassis for rail-bound amusement vehicles including a vehicle frame with a bearing block connected to the frame and a bearing bracket elastically mounted on the bearing block via a ball-and-socket joint. Wheel shoes are provided for hinges with supporting pairs wheels such that the wheels may be adjusted against a rail in a hinged manner from the top and bottom as well as from the side. The bearing bracket is also connected to the vehicle frame by a ball-and-socket joint, connecting the bearing bracket to the connecting rod which extends at right angles to the direction of travel and which is connected to the vehicle frame.
A camera supporting chassis has attached clamp wheel assemblies. The clamp wheel assemblies secure opposing supports, and a camera is attached to the chassis. The chassis carries a brake capable of securing the chassis in place. The clamp wheel assemblies not only secure the chassis to the supports but also permit rollered movement of the chassis along the supports, allowing panning camera shots with the camera attached to the chassis.
A skate for a stairlift chair assembly (10) comprises two spaced-apart pairs of rollers, the two rollers (e.g., 27, 28) of each pair being arranged to run respectively above and below a circular section support rail (12) of the stairlift. The two rollers of each pair are rotatable about respective axes (C, D) transverse of the skate, and each roller is able to turn about a further axis (E) which intersects and is orthogonal to the rotary axes (C, D) of the pair of rollers. Each roller is constrained so that its rotary axis (C or D) remains substantially in a plane to which said further axis (E) is perpendicular.
A tripper/hopper car rides on a conveyor via four wheel tires running on T-section rails, with respective hold down wheels riding adjacent the underside of the rails and respective caster side wheels riding adjacent the vertical edges of the T-rails. Each wheel tire is driven by a motor drive unit employing a shaft-mount gearbox with a motor brake that utilizes the reduction of the drive gearbox to increase the effective braking torque developed. A pair of caliper-type brakes is further provided for redundancy.
A guide wheel assembly, which can be pre-assembled as a single unit, is configured to be connectable to a guide frame of a rail guided vehicle. The guide wheel assembly generally includes a fixed component connectable to the guide frame and a rotating component rotatably supported on the fixed component by a bearing assembly. The elements of the fixed component, the rotating component and the bearing assembly are assembled on a shaft of the fixed component from a top or first end of the shaft. The shaft includes a support member secured at a second end of the shaft and configured to prevent the rotating component from detaching from the fixed component in the event of bearing failure.
A novel truss track assembly for use in transporting passenger vehicles provides two sets of tracks for supporting two passenger vehicles concurrently. The truss track assembly includes four running rails for mounting passenger vehicles and a central support rail. A series of frame elements are periodically secured to the running rails and the central support rail to support and maintain the parallel relationship of the running rails and the central support rail. The truss track assembly may be "split" into two individual truss track assemblies wherein the individual truss track assemblies each accommodate a passenger vehicle or a train of passenger vehicles. The present invention further provides a novel side-mount vehicle suitable for mounting of the present invention on the truss track assembly. The side-mount vehicle improves sight line feature by locating the passengers off to the side of the track; rather than locating them above the track as with conventional designs, or below the track as with suspended designs. A side-mount passenger vehicle travels along a pair of parallel rails fixed in space. The rails of the present invention remain oriented in an essentially vertical plane with respect to a seated passenger, as opposed to the horizontal orientation associated with more conventional roller coaster rides. Seats are positioned on a cantilevered beam which is affixed at one end to a main chassis beam. The main chassis beam is secured to the parallel rails through two sets of wheel assemblages. The side-mount feature of the present invention enhances and intensifies passenger thrill and excitement because of substantially unrestricted passenger view in all directions, resulting in a "free flying" experience.