The Walt Disney Company

Disney Enterprises, Inc.

James H Shull

Joseph A Lanzisero

David Crawford

Derek Lee Howard

David Durham

Larry S McAfee

Thomas Fitzgerald

Michael G Kilbert

Rennie M Rau Marquez

Kerry A Gilman

A roller coaster with seats articulated between vertical and reclined positions. The roller coaster includes a track with a load/unload portion and a ride portion. The coaster includes a vehicle with a body supported on the track and a passenger seat positioned in the body mounted for articulation between a first position and a second position. The roller coaster includes a seat positioning mechanism coupled to the passenger seat operating while the vehicle is in the load/unload portion to articulate the seat into the first position and operating, prior to the vehicle traveling into the ride portion of the ride path, to articulate the seat into the second position. The passenger seat includes a seat back that is substantially vertical in the first position and is at an obtuse angle in the second position or horizontal position, such that a passenger has an upward point of view during the ride.

Roller coaster with articulable seat backs

A whip ride is provided for amusement parks. A platform is provided with a guide slot extending through the platform. A drive assembly is positioned beneath the platform and includes a drive member (e.g., drive cable) moving on a constrained path. A track follows a path horizontally offset from the drive path. The drive assembly includes a bogie or drive truck mounted on the track and pivotably linked to the drive member to be driven by the drive member. A passenger whip vehicle is provided on the platform upper surface and pivotably attached via a connector extending through the guide slot to the bogie. The bogie path includes inside and outside curves, and the bogie track is vertically offset from the drive member such that its path may crossover the drive member to vary the horizontal offset and to locate the bogie track on either side of the drive member.

Cable tow whip ride with inside curves

Amusement ride car

Amusement character playhouse

Amusement character boat

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clarita, CA, United States of America

James H Shull