Non-U.S. Roller Coaster Patents

Not all interesting technology gets patented in the United States. Here are links to some additional patents and applications for which I have not found U.S. equivalents. Only patents related to roller coaster technology are included. For the most part, only recent patents are included. This list is extremely incomplete and is likely to stay that way. My annotations are very sketchy, since I do not read the languages in which many of these patents were published. I have only shown a single patent from each class of equivalents, giving preference to those in English even if other versions are earlier.

These patents are provided via the European Patent Office's esp@cenet server. The links provided below are to pages containing summary information, usually including an English abstract. Links from those pages lead to pdf images of most patents.

In addition to the patents in the table below, many additional patents can be located on the EPO server, including U.S. patents issued since about 1920. Unlike on the USPTO server, U.S. patents can be searched using title words, although the short and uninformative titles of many U.S. patents substantially negate the utility of this approach. However, some patents accessible through the EPO server lack the bibliographic information necessary for their retrieval.

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Non-U.S. Roller Coaster-Related Patents and Patent Applications

patent or application number publication date    inventor/ assignee   translated title [comment]
GB1894/24045 5/1895    Pitt   A new railway for recreation [pyramidical railway]
GB1902/03634 3/1902    Crist   A novel arrangement of railway for recreation [vertical loop; patent not granted]
GB1906/14159 4/1907    Bishop & Down   An improved tobogganing apparatus
GB1907/11130 1/1908    Bishop & Down   Improvements in amusement apparatus of the gravity railway type
GB1909/03676 12/1909    Zimmer   An improved railway for recreation
GB1910/14424 2/1911    Butler   A new or improved aerial railway for recreation or amusement purposes [spiral suspended]
GB820380 9/1959    Baudrier & Drouet   Improvements in or relating to fairground roundabouts [portable steel roller coaster track in the form of a triangular monorail]
GB2109252 6/1983    Okamoto/ Meisho   Roller coaster apparatus
WO8400899 3/1984    Okamoto/ Meisho   Loop-the-loop roller coaster [Moonsault Scramble]
NL8902224 4/1991    --/ Vekoma   Amusement device [parallel corkscrews]
SU1725747 4/1992    Gnezdilov   Attraction [roller coaster: track and support system]
WO9213617 8/1992    Gnezdilov   Attraction [roller coaster with loop]
SU1831361 7/1993    Gnezdilov   Side-show [roller coaster]
SU1837921 8/1993    Gnezdilov   Attraction [roller coaster]
JP6000254 1/1994    Terasawa/ NKK   Suspension type roller coaster facility
JP7155474 6/1995    Nishikawa/ Denki Koji Nishikawagumi   Roller coaster [structure in form of dinosaur skeleton]
NL9401360 4/1996    Houben/ Vekoma   Amusement device
NL9401366 4/1996    Houben/ Vekoma   Amusement device
JP9117570 5/1997    Sagara & Tsuruta/ Kajima   Roller coaster [suspended and conventional coasters sharing common track structure]
JP9248385 9/1997    Yanase & Tamura/ Kajima   Tractor for test run for roller coaster
WO9825678 6/1998    Morgan & George/ Skytrak   Transport apparatus
WO9836811 8/1998    Proske/ Giovanola   Installation for public amusement of the roller coaster type
NL1006651C 1/1999    Houben/ Vekoma   Amusement device with at least one carriage movable over elongated track [linear motor lauch]
WO9904875 2/1999    Houben/ Vekoma   Amusement device [Hammerhead Stall]
WO9922831 5/1999    Clerx & Peeters/ Vekoma   An amusement device [Flying coaster]
WO9934890 7/1999    Wiegand   Leisure sports equipment [Alpine Coaster]
DE19809641 9/1999    Walser/ ABC Engineering   Pleasure railway, especially for fun-fairs and amusement parks [shuttle with vertical spikes]
DE19816768 11/1999    Behringer/ Mack   Pleasure park or fun fair roller-coaster car transport system [vertical lift]
CH689857 12/1999    Bolliger/ Bolliger & Mabillard   Funfair roller coaster circuit [vertical drop into tunnel]
JP2000061147 2/2000    Kano/ Hitachi   Checking vehicle for roller coaster and check system using the same
WO0006274 2/2000    Wilhelmus/ Vekoma   An amusement device as well as a luggage handling device suitable for being used with such an amusement device
JP2000168553 6/2000    Morimoto/ Senyo   Braking device for roller coaster
WO0035723 6/2000    Peeters & Van Ophoven/ Vekoma   A restraining device as well as a vehicle fitted with such a restraining device
GB2348376 10/2000    Eiraku/ Hoei Sangyo   A roller coaster with freely rotating seats
JP2001000750 1/2001    Eiraku/ Hoei Sangyo   Roller coaster [hoisting loop]
RU2162038 1/2001    Gnezdilov   Vehicle stop [anti-rollback?]
WO0108769 2/2001    Saiko et al   Amusement device similar to a roller-coaster
RU2165365 4/2001    Gnezdilov   Device for fastening passenger on vehicle seat; device for fastening two passengers on vehicle seats
JP2001120842 5/2001    Matsumoto/ Masago Kogyo   Roller coaster [vertical lift]
RU2169091 6/2001    Gnezdilov   Vehicle bogie [for coaster]
RU2170131 7/2001    Gnezdilov   Entertainment hill [inverted coaster]
WO0168209 9/2001    Clerx/ Vekoma   Amusement device [improved prone or supine restraint system]
JP2002018145 1/2002    Amamiya & Eiraku/ Fuji Kyuoko & Hoei Sangyo   Suspension type roller coaster [Birdmen]
RU2179124 2/2002    Gnezdilov   Vehicle guide track (versions)
RU2179937 2/2002    Gnezdilov   Vehicle guide track
RU2181087 4/2002    Gnezdilov   Vehicle guide track
EP1201280 5/2002    Bolliger & Mabillard   Installation for amusement park, known as roller-coaster [mechanism for loading flying-type coaster]
FR2815908 5/2002    Trouve/ Parc Asterix   Shock absorbing wheel e.g. for roller coaster
RU2182199 5/2002    Gnezdilov   Guide track for vehicle [track construction]
RU2182836 5/2002    Gnezdilov   Gravity hump [shuttle loop]
RU2183976 6/2002    Gnezdilov   Rolling hillock [support construction for vertical loop]
WO02085478 10/2002    Shepherd et al   Amusement ride
WO02088469 11/2002    Gnezdilov   Guideway for transport means [track structures]
DE10135365 1/2003    Stückl et al/ Maurer   Rollercoaster with jack
DE10135366 1/2003    Fehsenmayr et al/ Maurer   Rollercoaster with drop rail
DE10135367 1/2003    Stollwerck et al/ Maurer   Rollercoaster with folding rail
DE10135368 1/2003    Fehsenmayr et al/ Maurer   Rollercoaster with tilting rail
WO03009914 2/2003    Distelrath et al/ Maurer   Amusement device [trick track features such as dropping or tilting rail]
RU2198713 2/2003    Gnezdilov   Rolling hill [track construction for roller coaster]
RU2204641 5/2003    Gnezdilov   Guide track for vehicle
RU2205113 5/2003    Gnezdilov et al  Magnetic brake
WO03047711 6/2003    Walser   Roller coaster
RU2209649 8/2003    Gnezdilov   Rolling switchback [roller coaster]
RU2211069 8/2003    Gnezdilov   Switchback (versions) [loop elements]
WO03082421 10/2003    Threlkel   Amusement ride [seats rotatable about multiple axes]
RU2216376 10/2003    Gnezdilov   Switchback [shuttle loop with vertical spike]
RU2218200 12/2003    Gnezdilov   Attractions (modifications) [shuttle loop]
RU2218965 12/2003    Gnezdilov   Seat for attraction
RU2218966 12/2003    Gnezdilov  Switchback, attraction drive [for shuttle loop]
DE10245060 4/2004    Beutler & Stollwerk/ Maurer   Variable amusement apparatus
DE10245148 4/2004    Müller & Stollwerck/ Maurer   Discontinuous track for amusement device
DE10245150 4/2004    Beutler et al/ Maurer   Interactive amusement device
DE20300534U 5/2004    --/ Raw Tex   Amusement device
DE10256340 6/2004    Wiegand   Amusement device with closed-circuit track [coaster with multiple lift regions]
WO2004073818 9/2004    Roodenburg & Clerx/ Vekoma   Amusement device [Motorbike Coaster]
RU2236274 9/2004    Gnezdilov   Rolling hill
NL1023253C 10/2004    Roodenburg & Holtman/ Vekoma   Amusement ride with track construction
DE10321696 12/2004    Mueller & Beutler/ Maurer   Modular trackway with elevated station
RU2292226 1/2005    Gnezdilov   Method for manufacture and mounting of guiding path and guiding path section
RU2243806 1/2005    Gnezdilov   Switchback (versions) [movable seats]
RU2248830 1/2005    Gnezdilov   Rolling switchback
DE20314975U 2/2005    --/ Raw Tex   Support device for amusement devices
RU2282474 2/2005    Gnezdilov   Attraction
RU2248829 3/2005    Gnezdilov   Seat for attraction
CH694800 7/2005    Bolliger & Mabillard   Device for restraining passengers, seats comprising such a device, and park attraction comprising such a seat
WO2005099847 10/2005    Cummins   Amusement ride
EP1593415 11/2005    Mueller & Beutler/ Maurer   Amusement ride and method for operating the same
EP1607122 12/2005    Löwenthal   Vehicle for fairground rides [enclosed]
EP1618933 1/2006    Müller & Gettert/ Maurer   Security system for a passenger transportation means and amusement rides
EP1676609 7/2006    Bolliger/ Bolliger & Mabillard   Roller coaster installation, vehicle and a hydrodynamic brake therefor
RU2282475 8/2006    Gnezdilov   Rolling switchback [pivoting seat]
RU2282476 8/2006    Gnezdilov   Rolling switchback (versions) [compact layout]
RU2283157 9/2006    Gnezdilov   Rolling switchback [seat arrangement facilitating passenger photos]
EP1721647 11/2006    Roodenburg & Clerx/ Vekoma   Amusement device [rescue carriage]
WO2006114070 11/2006    Boeijen/ Bosch Rexroth   Hydraulic catapult drive
WO2007004904 1/2007    Heaslip & Cummins   Drag racing roller coaster amusement ride and launch system
RU2293586 2/2007    Gnezdilov   Switchback [rotating seats]
DE202007001485U 3/2007    --/ Zierer   Passenger restraint device for amusement rides
WO2007055572 5/2007    Roodenburg & Clerx/ Vekoma   Vehicule for an amusement device [inclined swinging axis]
RO121412 5/2007    Buse   Roller coaster [in form of mobius strip]
WO2007136245 11/2007    Blonk & Roodenburg/ Vekoma   Amusement ride device [standup restraint system]

Last revised 26-June-2008

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