VEHICLE TRANSFER DURING OPERATION OF AN OMNIMOVER RIDE

• Main Authors: CRAWFORD DAVID W, ROSE CHRISTOPHER J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.10.2009
• Subjects: AMUSEMENTS; CHUTES; CONVEYING; GAMES; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MERRY-GO-ROUNDS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; ROCKING-HORSES; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT; SPORTS; STORING; SWINGS; SWITCHBACKS; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

An assembly for transferring passenger-carrying vehicles to and from an amusement park ride conveying a train of vehicles without stopping for passenger loading. The assembly includes a transfer vehicle and a vehicle receiver positioned in the vehicle train. The vehicle receiver includes a connection mechanism, such as an electromagnet selectively operable to capture and release the transfer vehicle. A turntable is positioned adjacent to the track and selectively rotates at a rotation rate. The turntable includes an engagement mechanism, such as an electromagnet, on its periphery operable to capture and release the transfer vehicle (e.g., to capture when the vehicle receiver releases and vice versa). The rotation rate and the ride speed synchronize turntable rotation with travel of the train to mesh placement of the turntable engagement mechanism proximate to the connection mechanism of the vehicle receiver to facilitate hand off of the transfer vehicle without stopping the vehicle train.