Wheel hub rider conveyance
A rail assembly is built from three parallel cylindrical members, wherein a first rail provides support for a large wheel. The large wheel has an axle protruding from each side, wherein the outbound side has a frame attached to the axle and a seat attached to the frame. The rail side of the axle connects to a second rail acting as a pilot/guide for the travel of the large wheel. A third rail and interconnections provide structural rigidity for the rail assembly. The riders fly through a roller coaster layout sitting only in a seat, facing the passing environment head on at high speeds, thereby experiencing a free flight sensation. A people mover embodiment adds a motor to the wheel to move the wheel along a relatively flat layout. An optional flip means functions to selectively engage the axle with the rotating large wheel (nominally via a reduction gear) to flip the riders 360°. Optionally a group of large wheels can be coupled together to form a train.
1. A roller coaster ride comprising:
a conveyance rail assembly having a conveyance rail and a pilot rail;
a wheel rollable over the conveyance rail;
said wheel having a hub assembly supporting a rider frame on one side of the wheel and a steerage assembly on an opposite side of the wheel;
said rider frame supporting a rider support means functioning to hold a rider during a ride;
said steerage assembly having a connection to the pilot rail;
wherein the wheel is raised to a high point of the conveyance rail assembly and released to ride along the conveyance rail as guided by the pilot rail;
wherein the hub assembly further comprises an axle which provides the exclusive support for the rider frame and the steerage assembly;
wherein the axle is the axle of the wheel;
wherein the rider support means further comprises a seat which is suspended exclusively by the axle and has no support means beneath it;
wherein the steerage assembly further comprises a base with a connection to the hub assembly, said base having a plurality of roller wheels riding on the pilot rail; and
wherein the wheel has a diameter of at least about five feet.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hub assembly has a flip means functioning to selectively engage the wheel to the rider frame, thereby flipping the rider frame around the axle of the hub assembly.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a group of wheels coupled together to form a train, wherein each steerage assembly has a coupler.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the flip means further comprises a magnet assembly interlocking the frame to the wheel, wherein a variable distance mechanism moves the frame toward and away from the wheel.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the magnet assembly further comprises a magnet mounted to the frame and stator mounted to the wheel.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the steerage assembly base connection further comprises a plurality of transverse arms, each arm having a roller assembly at each of its ends, and each roller assembly having a plurality of rollers.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conveyance assembly further comprises a structural support rail and a bracket interconnecting the structural support rail to the conveyance rail and the pilot rail.
8. An amusement ride comprising:
a rail assembly comprising a conveyance rail mounted parallel to a pilot rail;
a large wheel rollable on the conveyance rail;
said large wheel having an axle supporting a rider frame on one side and a steerage assembly on an opposite side;
said axle being the exclusive support for the rider frame;
said steerage assembly having a connection to the pilot rail;
wherein the rider frame supports a holder for a rider;
wherein the steerage assembly further comprises a bracket from the axle to a base which has a plurality of wheels attached to the pilot rail;
wherein the rail assembly has a roller coaster layout with a hoist means functioning to raise the large wheel to a high point and release it to travel down the roller coaster layout; and
the rider frame having a flip means connected to the axle functioning to selectively engage the rider frame to the large wheel, thereby flipping the rider frame around.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a group of large wheels coupled together to form a train.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the rail assembly further comprises a structural rail and an interconnection among the structural rail, the conveyance rail and the pilot rail.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the base further comprises a transverse arm having a roller assembly at each of its ends, said plurality of wheels attached to the roller assemblies.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the flip means further comprises a rider operated controller that moves the frame a variable distance from the large wheel, the large wheel having a first member of a magnetic coupler, and the frame having a second member of the magnetic coupler.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first member is a stator, and the second member is a magnet.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first member of the magnetic coupler further comprises a thrust plate having a cam assembly to move the first member toward and away from the second member of the magnetic coupler, wherein a rider operated controller controls the cam assembly.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the cam assembly further comprises a cam plate affixed to the thrust plate, and the rider operated controller moves an actuator rod through a cam slot in the cam plate.
16. An amusement ride comprising:
a rail assembly means functioning to support a conveyance rail and a pilot rail running parallel to each other;
a large wheel means functioning to run along the conveyance rail and support a rider conveyance on one side thereof and a steerage assembly means on an opposite side thereof;
wherein the steerage assembly means functions to connect the wheel means to the pilot rail to provide guidance and balance for the wheel means;
wherein the large wheel means further comprises an axle which supports the rider conveyance and the steerage assembly means and which is the axle of the large wheel means;
said axle being the exclusive support for the rider conveyance;
wherein the steerage assembly means further comprises a connection from the axle to a base which has a roller connection to the pilot rail; and
wherein the rail assembly means further comprises a roller coaster layout with a hoist means functioning to lift the large wheel means to a high point of the layout and release the wheel means to travel down the layout.
17. An amusement ride comprising:
a rail assembly means functioning to support a conveyance rail and a pilot rail running parallel to each other;
a wheel means functioning to run along the conveyance rail on one side thereof and a steerage assembly means on an opposite side thereof;
wherein the steerage assembly means functions to connect the wheel means to the pilot rail to provide guidance and balance for the wheel means;
wherein the wheel means further comprises an axle which supports the rider conveyance and the steerage assembly means and about which said wheel means rotates;
said axle being the exclusive support for the rider conveyance;
wherein the steerage assembly means further comprises a connection from the axle to a base which has a roller connection to the pilot rail; and
wherein the wheel means further comprises a motive force means functioning to propel the wheel means along the rail assembly.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the rail assembly means has a relatively flat layout.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the wheel means has a diameter of at least about five feet.
20. A conveyance comprising:
a wheel having an axle;
said axle supporting a rider frame means functioning to support a rider thereon on a first end;
said axle being the exclusive support for the rider frame means;
a second end of the axle having a wheel support means on the opposite side of the wheel functioning to stabilize the wheel against the weight of the rider frame means;
wherein the wheel can travel along a path in an upright manner supporting the rider frame means outbound from the wheel;
wherein the path further comprises a support track; and
the track mounted wheel support means further comprises a powered steerage assembly means functioning to propel the conveyance around the circular support track; and
wherein the wheel is in contact with at least a portion of the path.
21. The conveyance of claim 20 , wherein the wheel has a diameter less than or equal to a height of the rider frame means.
22. The conveyance of claim 21 , wherein the wheel further comprises an adjoining wheel sharing the same axle.
23. The conveyance of claim 20 , wherein the support track further comprises a roller coaster layout.
24. The conveyance of claim 23 , wherein the rider frame means further comprises a spin means functioning to controllably spin the rider frame means around in relation to the axle by using a rotational force of the wheel.
25. The conveyance of claim 24 , wherein the spin means further comprises a magnetic coupler between the wheel and the rider frame means.