Amusement ride

Abstract

An amusement ride, such as a roller coaster or vertical tower track ride, includes an attachment assembly movably connected to a track system. A vehicle assembly is connected to the attachment assembly and includes a seat assembly having at least one rider seat. The vehicle assembly is coupled to the attachment assembly and configured such that the seat assembly is capable of fully rotating about first and second, and preferably even third axes independent of the track system.

1 . An amusement ride, comprising: 
 a track system;    an attachment assembly movably connected to the track system;    a vehicle assembly connected to the attachment assembly and including a seat assembly having at least one rider seat, the vehicle assembly including means for fully rotating the seat assembly about first, second and third axes independent of the track system.    
   
   
       2 . The amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the track system comprises an endless roller coaster track, and wherein the attachment assembly comprises a bogey movably connected to the roller coaster track.  
   
   
       3 . The amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the track system comprises at least one vertical tower track.  
   
   
       4 . The amusement ride of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle assembly includes a first arm extending from the attachment assembly and operably coupled to an actuator such that the first arm is freely or selectively rotatable about the first axis, and wherein the seat assembly is connected to a second arm that is rotatably connected to the first arm by an actuator such that the second arm is freely or selectively rotatable about a second axis independent of the first arm.  
   
   
       5 . The amusement ride of  claim 4 , wherein the first arm comprises a generally semi-circular arm attached to a yaw actuator whereby yaw rotation is imparted to the arm, and wherein the second arm supporting the seat assembly extends generally transverse from an end portion of the semi-circular arm and is connected to a pitch actuator such that pitch rotation is imparted to the second arm.  
   
   
       6 . The amusement ride of  claim 5 , including a roll actuator operably connected to the seat assembly such that roll rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       7 . The amusement ride of  claim 4 , wherein the first arm comprises a shaft extending from the attachment assembly and coupled to a yaw actuator such that yaw rotation is imparted to the seat assembly, and wherein the second arm supporting the at least one seat assembly extends generally transverse from the first arm, the second arm being coupled to a pitch actuator such that pitch rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       8 . The amusement ride of  claim 7 , including a roll actuator operably connected to the at least one seat assembly such that roll rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       9 . The amusement ride of  claim 4 , wherein the first arm comprises a generally circular main ring housing, and wherein the second arm comprises a pitch bar extending between opposing sides of the main ring housing and supporting the rider seat.  
   
   
       10 . The amusement ride of  claim 9 , including a gear assembly interconnected between the attachment assembly and the vehicle assembly, wherein the main ring housing is connected to a rotatable yaw gear of the gear assembly whereby yaw rotation is imparted to the seat assembly, and wherein a gear of the pitch bar mates with a pitch gear of the gear assembly whereby pitch rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       11 . The amusement device of  claim 10 , including a split inner race assembly including rollers disposed within the main ring housing and connected to the pitch bar, the split inner race assembly being operably coupled to a roll gear of the gear assembly whereby roll rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       12 . The amusement device of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle assembly comprises a semi-circular arm extending from the attachment assembly and rotationally coupled to a gyroscope assembly supporting the seat assembly.  
   
   
       13 . The amusement device of  claim 12 , wherein the gyroscope structure comprises a first generally circular ring coupled to the semi-circular arm by an actuator imparting rotation to the seat assembly about a first axis, a second generally circular ring disposed within the first ring and being coupled thereto by an actuator that imparts rotation to the seat assembly about a second axis, and a seat assembly disposed within the second ring and rotatably coupled to the second ring by an actuator that imparts rotation to the seat assembly about a third axis.  
   
   
       14 . An amusement ride, comprising: 
 a track system;    an attachment assembly movably connected to the track system;    a vehicle assembly connected to the attachment assembly and including a first arm extending from the attachment assembly and operably coupled to an actuator such that the first arm is freely or selectively rotatable about a first axis, and a second arm that is rotatably connected to the first arm by an actuator such that the second arm is freely or selectively rotatable about a second axis independent of the first arm, the second arm supporting a seat assembly having at least one rider seat.    
   
   
       15 . The amusement ride of  claim 14 , including a roll actuator operably connected to the seat assembly such that roll rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       16 . The amusement ride of  claim 15 , wherein the first arm comprises a generally semi-circular arm attached to a yaw actuator whereby yaw rotation is imparted to the arm, and wherein the second arm supporting the seat assembly extends generally transverse from an end portion of the semi-circular arm and is connected to a pitch actuator such that pitch rotation is imparted to the second arm.  
   
   
       17 . The amusement ride of  claim 15 , wherein the first arm comprises a shaft extending from the attachment assembly and coupled to a yaw actuator such that yaw rotation is imparted to the seat assembly, and wherein the second arm supporting the at least one seat assembly extends generally transverse from the first arm, the second arm being coupled to a pitch actuator such that pitch rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       18 . The amusement ride of  claim 14 , wherein the track system comprises an endless roller coaster track, and wherein the attachment assembly comprises a bogey movably connected to the roller coaster track.  
   
   
       19 . The amusement ride of  claim 14 , wherein the track system comprises at least one vertical tower track.  
   
   
       20 . An amusement ride, comprising: 
 a track system;    an attachment assembly movably connected to the track system;    a vehicle assembly connected to the attachment assembly, the vehicle assembly comprising a generally circular main ring housing rotatably connected to the attachment assembly along a first axis independent of the track system, and a pitch arm extending between opposing sides of the main ring housing and supporting a seat assembly having at least one rider seat, the pitch arm being rotatable along a second axis independent of the track system.    
   
   
       22 . The amusement device of claim  21 , including a split inner race assembly including rollers disposed within the main ring housing and connected to the pitch bar, the split inner race assembly being operably coupled to an actuator whereby roll rotation is imparted to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       23 . The amusement ride of  claim 22 , including a gear assembly interconnected between the attachment assembly and the vehicle assembly, wherein the main ring housing is connected to a rotatable yaw gear of the gear assembly whereby yaw rotation is imparted to the seat assembly, and wherein a gear of the pitch bar mates with a pitch gear of the gear assembly whereby pitch rotation is imparted to the seat assembly, and a roll gear operably connected to the split inner race for imparting a roll rotation to the seat assembly.  
   
   
       24 . The amusement ride of claim  21 , wherein the track system comprises an endless roller coaster track, and wherein the attachment assembly comprises a bogey movably connected to the roller coaster track.  
   
   
       25 . The amusement ride of claim  21 , wherein the track system comprises at least one vertical tower track.  
   
   
       26 . An amusement ride comprising: 
 a track system;    an attachment assembly movably connected to the track system;    a vehicle assembly connected to the attachment assembly and comprising an arm extending from the attachment assembly and rotationally coupled to a gyroscope assembly supporting a seat assembly having at least one rider seat.    
   
   
       27 . The amusement device of  claim 26 , wherein the gyroscope assembly comprises a first generally circular ring coupled to the semi-circular arm by an actuator imparting rotation to the seat assembly about a first axis, a second generally circular ring disposed within the first ring and being coupled thereto by an actuator that imparts rotation to the seat assembly about a second axis, and a seat assembly disposed within the second ring and rotatably coupled to the second ring by an actuator that imparts rotation to the seat assembly about a third axis.  
   
   
       28 . The amusement ride of  claim 26 , wherein the track system comprises an endless roller coaster track, and wherein the attachment assembly comprises a bogey movably connected to the roller coaster track.  
   
   
       29 . The amusement ride of  claim 26 , wherein the track system comprises at least one vertical tower track.