US640439A - Pleasure-canal. - Google Patents

Description

No. 640,439. Patented Ian. 2, i900. P. BOYTGN.

PLEASURE CANAL.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1899.\ 4 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented Jan. 2, I900.

P. BUYTUN.

PLEASURE CANAL.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.

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PAUL BOYTON, OF NE? YORK, N. Y.

PLEASU RE-CANAL,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 640,439, dated January 2, 1900.

Application fi April 15, 1899, Serial No 713,100. (No modeld To (6 whom it may concern- Be it known that 1, PAUL BOYTON, acitizen of the United States, residingin New York, in the borough of Brooklyn and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pleasure-Canals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pleasure waterways, and itcontemplates the employment of a sinuous canal containing a continuous1ymoving body of water,upon the surface whereof may be carried pleasure-craft of any character containing sight-seers, the passage of the canal revealing to them a panorama of views designed according to the taste of the architect, and preferably being a miniature reproduction of notable river scenery.

Myin vention comprises, briefly,in conju 110- tion with a waterway bordered with artificial scenery, means for causing a continuous flow of water therethrough, a boat, a starting-station therefor, a terminus, and means for conveying the boat from the latter to the former.

In the drawings annexed hereto, Figure 1 is a plan view showing a canal and its appurtenances. Fig. 2 is a detail cross-section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of starting and stopping stations with the means for causing the water to flow and the boat-conveying apparatus, and Fig. is a plan view thereof.

In said figures, A indicates the canal or waterway, which, as seen, pursues a tortuous or sinuous path to attain a considerable extent within a comparatively small area. The two ends of the canal, or, rather, its beginning and end, are contiguous, B, we will say, being its beginning, and C its termination. A basin D precedes the beginning of the canal, and the contents of the canal flow into a terminal basin E. The basin D is arranged at a higher elevation than basin E, and the bottom of canal A has a downward gradient from the former to the latter, thereby affording a natural fall and movement of water starting from basin 1) through the canal and to basin E, This movement is rendered continuous by means of a pump or water-elevator of any character indicated at F) and which while the canal is in use continuously forces water from basin E into basin D.

3r indicates an endless belt mounted upon and rotated by horizontal rollers g g, which are operated by an engine H through suitable connections, said belt G serving to convey the boat or other craft, as I, from one basin to the other. For this purpose a suitable frictional contact between the boat and belt is pro vided. To cause the boat to descend onto the surface of the water in basin D in passing thereto from basin E, I preferably provide a roller h intermediate the rollers g g and at an elevation, as seen, forming a haunch in the path of the belt G. The boat is therefore conveyed, first, upwardly from basin E to a sufficient elevation and then downwardly by an easy gradient until it rests upon the water in basin D.

A wharf or starting-station is provided alongside of basin D, whereat the boat is moored while taking on passengers, and when released is steered into the entrance of the canal. \Vhen the journey is completed, the boat enters basin E and is moored at a wharf or landing-s tage alongside of said basin to disembark the passengers, whereupon the empty boat may be directed upon the submerged portion of the endless moving belt,and by frictional contact between the belt and the bottom of the boat the latter is moved over into the adjoining basin.

The scenery along the course of the canal and which may be of any character is indicated by the letter a, and such scenery is bounded by sectional walls I) and by scene portions having a sufficient height to pre clude the vision of the passengers from hav ing a greater range than that covering each individual scene presented through each open ing in the sectional walls.

Tunnels, as 0, may be interspersed along the route and the same fancifullylighted up and rendered effective, the whole idea being to provide as varied and surprising a sight seeing journey as is possible to contrive in the limited distance traversed.

Having now described my invention, I declare that what I claim is A pleasure-canal containing a body of water and having a series of different scenes ar ranged along its sides, the ends of said canal being contiguous, and its course inclosing a given area; an inclined bottom for said canal and its banks having their upper surface in IOU [O at each canal end and an intermediate rollersupport located at a higher point, to permit the beltto move the boat first upwardly and p then downwardly, in its traverse.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing I5 witnesses.

PAUL BOYTON. Witnesses:

LAURQN INGELS, L. T. SULLIVAN.

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