Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Michael G Kilbert

David Crawford

Mark W Sumner

James H Shull

Larry S McAfee

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

An amusement water ride is provided including a water course for carrying one or more circular water rafts. The water course is provided with at least one downhill section for accelerating the water rafts into a splash point. A spin mechanism is provided near the top of the downhill section for imparting a spin to the water rafts as they move past the spin mechanism. The spin mechanism includes a movement retarding surface along one wall of the water course and a movement expediting surface along an opposite wall of the water course. The movement retarding surface is provided with a high friction coating which retards sliding movement in a downstream direction of the surface of the raft which contacts the movement retarding surface, and induces rotation of the raft and movement towards the opposite wall. As the raft rotates into contact with the movement expediting surface it encounters no frictional resistance, and the spin is accelerated by the force of gravity acting on the mass of the raft as it moves downhill. The spinning raft increases thrill and introduces uncertainty among the passengers regarding who will be in a position to be splashed when the raft hits the splash zone.

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Canyon Country, CA, United States of America

Michael G Kilbert