U.S. Patents for Water Rides

Links on the left provide access to roller coaster-related patents on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) server. This content is provided by the USPTO. Links on the right provide access via Google Patents, which may provide easier image viewing as well as serving patent pdfs. For more information, return to the patent home page.

This page contains water rides not included on the roller coaster patent page. Flume rides, shoot-the-chutes rides, raft rides, and water slides are here, as well as powered aquatic rides. Some water slides may also be in the gravity ride table on the other rides page.

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patent applications

Water Rides

patent number issue date inventor/ assignee patent title [comment] google link
419860 1/1890 Libbey Water chute or flume and water basin 419860
435227 8/1890 Inglis Water slide 435227
448072 3/1891 Pickard Construction of canals 448072
536441 3/1895 Morris Inclined railway and water tobogganing apparatus 536441
540715 6/1895 Butler Coasting apparatus [shoot-the-chutes] 540715
548256 10/1895 Idler Pleasure lake and slide course and conveyor therefor 548256
552713 1/1896 Lenox Inclined railway water chute
555049 2/1896 Ogilbe Pleasure railway [shoot-the-chutes] 555049
566182 8/1896 Jackman Inclined railway and water tobogganing apparatus 566182
570016 10/1896 Harman Amusement apparatus [marine gravity cableway] 570016
572426 12/1896 Idler Artificial slide and lake and conveyor therefor 572426
576704 2/1897 Urch Pleasure railway [shoot-the-chutes] 576704
640439 1/1900 Boyton Pleasure canal 640439
664179 12/1900 Schofield Pleasure canal [Old Mill] 664179
665765 1/1901 Thompson Canal boat operating mechanism 665765
689114 12/1901 Pape Pleasure canal 689114
691353 1/1902 Carpenter & Mahoney Submarine boat 691353
697891 4/1902 Schrader Amusement apparatus [windmill and canal] 697891
714717 12/1902 LaPorte Exhibition and amusement apparatus [boat ride] 714717
720014 2/1903 Folks Amusement apparatus [flume] 720014
724040 3/1903 Pusterla Pleasure waterway 724040
724757 4/1903 Symonds Amusement device [boat ride] 724757
728303 5/1903 Roltair Pleasure waterway 728303
728894 5/1903 Folks Amusement apparatus [flume] 728894
743968 11/1903 Wilson Recreation device [tracked submarine] 743968
744880 11/1903 Smith Illusion boat [submarine ride] 744880
753311 3/1904 Pusterla Pleasure waterway 753311
753449 3/1904 Thompson Amusement apparatus [rapids for flume ride] 753449
754698 3/1904 Reed Amusement apparatus [submarine splashdown ride] 754698
757286 4/1904 Du Clos Amusement apparatus [canal ride] 757286
760503 5/1904 Welsh Wonderland scenic waterway 760503
762566 6/1904 Webster & Hyde Amusement device 762566
764675 7/1904 Pfeiffer Amusement device [submarine railway] 764675
774274 11/1904 Pusterla Pleasure waterway 774274
774917 11/1904 Maguire Amusement apparatus [multi-part] 774917
776936 12/1904 Pusterla Pleasure waterway 776936
779464 1/1905 Bruce Whirlpool for public amusement 779464
783425 2/1905 Folks Water chute 783425
792422 6/1905 Kelly Pleasure railway [suspended boat ride] 792422
801945 10/1905 Welsh Amusement apparatus [flume] 801945
808487 12/1905 Stahl Pleasure railway [submarine] 808487
824436 6/1906 Pester Exhibition and amusement apparatus [shoot-the-chutes] 824436
828689 8/1906 Thompson Amusement apparatus [flume] 828689
831149 9/1906 Faller Amusement device 831149
849970 4/1907 Boyton Amusement device [shoot-the-chutes] 849970
867432 10/1907 Smith Pleasure railway 867432
868736 10/1907 Washington Submarine amusement device 868736
879283 2/1908 Mayberry & Mayberry Pleasure railway [submarine] 879283
883441 3/1908 Andrews Amusement device [submarine car] 883441
891388 6/1908 Visser & Grote Amusement device [spiral watercourse] 891388
896940 8/1908 Rosen Pleasure canal 896940
904848 11/1907 DeVore Artificial whirlpool 904848
929972 8/1909 M'Giehan Pleasure railway [submarine shoot-the-chutes] 929972
931863 8/1909 Haight Amusement apparatus [submerged scenic railway] 931863
952673 3/1910 Karr/Aero Plunge Amusement apparatus 952673
995945 6/1911 Berhold Amusement device 995945
1004174 9/1911 Kavakos Amusement device [lift for flume rides] 1004174
1056929 3/1913 Navarro Amusement device [submarine cableway] 1056929
1062838 5/1913 Miller Pleasure waterway 1062838
1063949 6/1913 Bedient Amusement device [railway & boat combination] 1063949
1095965 5/1914 Glazier Amusement apparatus 1095965
1159519 11/1915 Minier Floating electric trolleyway and a floating passenger car 1159519
1167993 1/1916 Gunzendorfer Amusement apparatus [submarine rail ride] 1167993
1198749 9/1916 Myers Amusement device [submarine vehicle] 1198749
1230559 6/1917 Burke Coaster diving apparatus 1230559
1249455 12/1917 Myers Aquatic amusement apparatus [cable-driven boats] 1249455
1320124 10/1919 Chrul Amusement device 1320124
1378635 5/1921 Unger Amusement apparatus 1378635
1399469 12/1921 Cucullu Water toboggan 1399469
1438800 12/1922 Wheeler Bathing pool [rotating water] 1438800
1440661 1/1923 Dickinson Amusement device [propelled boat ride] 1440661
1441126 1/1923 Sherman et al Water toboggan 1441126
1448306 3/1923 Lezert Amusement device [powered boat] 1448306
1497754 6/1924 Howard Aquatic toboggan slide 1497754
1520217 12/1924 Auperl Amusement slide 1520217
1540635 6/1925 Kohl Toboggan [shoot-the-chutes] 1540635
1551249 8/1925 Held Slide 1551249
1563855 12/1925 Held Water coaster or toboggan 1563855
1591566 7/1926 Schmidt & Schmidt Amusement device [powered boat] 1591566
1601483 9/1926 Vaszin/ Dayton Fun House Amusement apparatus [shoot-the-chutes] 1601483
1606024 11/1926 Gorhum et al Submarine amusement device 1606024
1606854 11/1926 Vaszin Water toboggan 1606854
1607771 11/1926 Miller Water chute structure 1607771
D77360 1/1929 Jacobs Amusement boat D77360
1763976 6/1930 Lippincott Endless water course 1763976
1849226 3/1932 Erban Submarine amusement device 1849226
1859267 5/1932 Kurz Water amusement device 1859267
1926780 9/1933 Lippincott Endless water course 1926780
2064035 12/1936 Rynearson Amusement apparatus [railed submarine ride] 2064035
D190127 4/1961 Fowler/ Disney Amusement ride car [submarine ride] D190127
2991726 7/1961 Miller Water-borne carrier and glider [water slide with vehicle] 2991726
3003430 10/1961 Hamel/ Disney Boat guiding apparatus 3003430
3030895 4/1962 Hamel/ Disney Boat guiding apparatus 3030895
3113528 12/1963 Morgan & Bacon/ Arrow Boat ride apparatus 3113528
3114333 12/1963 Fowler et al/ Disney Submarine amusement ride 3114333
D204282 5/1966 Morgan/ Disney Passenger-carrying amusement boat D204282
3390640 7/1968 Couttet et al Submarine cable transporter system 3390640
3404635 10/1968 Bacon & Morgan/ Disney Boat amusement ride 3404635
3508405 4/1970 Koch Sectional flume and means to support the same 3508405
3690265 9/1972 Horibata Aquatic sled and shooting apparatus thereof 3690265
D229354 11/1973 Morgan/ Arrow Amusement park boat [circular] D229354
3827387 8/1974 Morgan/ Arrow Boat construction for amusement park use 3827387
3830161 8/1974 Bacon/ Arrow Flume boat ride with a double downchute 3830161
3853067 12/1974 Bacon/ Arrow Boat amusement ride with a spillway 3853067
3865041 2/1975 Bacon Rotary platform vehicle passenger loading system 3865041
3923301 12/1975 Myers/ Water-Boggan Amusement water slide and method 3923301
3930450 1/1976 Symons/ Krofft Boat ride for amusement park 3930450
4149469 4/1979 Bigler/ Six Flags Log braking and stabilizing system for log flume ride 4149469
4149710 4/1979 Rouchard Waterslide amusement device 4149710
4194733 3/1980 Whitehouse Water slide system 4194733
4198043 4/1980 Timbes & Price/ Plexa Water slide with modular, sectional flume construction 4198043
D256827 9/1980 Allen/ Ramagosa Water slide or similar article D256827
D256828 9/1980 Allen/ Ramagosa Water slide or similar article D256828
D256940 9/1980 Allen/ Ramagosa Water slide or similar article D256940
D257591 12/1980 Brown Exit pool for an amusement water slide D257591
D257618 12/1980 Brown Entry pool for an amusement water slide D257618
4278247 7/1981 Joppe et al Water slide 4278247
4299171 11/1981 Larson/ Arrow Huss Demountable flume amusement ride 4299171
4337704 7/1982 Becker et al/ Mannesmann Turbulent-water way 4337704
D266346 9/1982 Millay & Harper/ Wet 'N Wild Water slide D266346
4391201 5/1983 Bailey Aquatic toboggan slide 4391201
D269082 5/1983 Spieldiener/ Intamin Circular boat [for raft ride] D269082
D269104 5/1983 Brown Amusement waterslide D269104
D269105 5/1983 Brown Amusement waterslide D269105
D269106 5/1983 Brown Amusement waterslide D269106
D269107 5/1983 Brown Amusement waterslide D269107
4392434 7/1983 Durwald & Kaufmann/ Mannesmann Turbulent waterway 4392434
4429867 2/1984 Barber Flotation amusement device [portable modular flume channel; Venture River] 4429867
4484739 11/1984 Kreinbihl et al Plastic slide for sleds 4484739
4516943 5/1985 Spieldiener et al Amusement ride raft 4516943
4543886 10/1985 Spieldiener et al/ Intamin Amusement ride including a rotating loading terminal 4543886
4583479 4/1986 Lehmann/ APEC Freizeitanlagen Linked vehicle 4583479
4696251 9/1987 Spieldiener et al Rapid river ride boat [with outward facing seats] 4696251
4805896 2/1989 Moody Low rise water ride 4805896
4805897 2/1989 Dubeta Water slide systems 4805897
4836521 6/1989 Barber Whirlpool amusement ride 4836521
4984783 1/1991 Fujimaki/ Shiratori Water sliders with turning toboggans 4984783
5011134 4/1991 Langford Waterslide with uphill run and flotation device therefor 5011134
5033392 7/1991 Schemitsch/ Waagner-Biro Apparatus for loading and unloading passengers from watercraft 5033392
5069443 12/1991 Shiratori Water slider lane [method for spinning raft] 5069443
5137497 8/1992 Dubeta Slide apparatus 5137497
5167321 12/1992 Brodrick Hook and loop conveyer system [lift for water rides] 5167321
5183437 2/1993 Millay & Powell/ Wet 'N Wild Method and apparatus for initiating a water ride 5183437
5197923 3/1993 Barber Floating and disembarking platform 5197923
5213547 5/1993 Lochtefeld/ Light Wave Method and apparatus for improved water rides by water injection and flume design 5213547
5230662 7/1993 Langford Waterslide with uphill run and flotation device therefor 5230662
5253864 10/1993 Heege et al/ Weber Karussell Water jump course [for wheeled boat ride] 5253864
5299964 3/1994 Hopkins/ Hopkins Amusement raft ride 5299964
5433671 7/1995 Davis Water amusement ride [lift for lazy river] 5433671
5453054 9/1995 Langford/ Waterworld Controllable waterslide weir 5453054
5536210 7/1996 Barber Amusement apparatus [flume] 5536210
5540622 7/1996 Gold & Sumner/ Disney Water slide 5540622
5564984 10/1996 Mirabella et al/ Disney Double hull amusement ride vehicle 5564984
5613443 3/1997 Ariga et al/ Disney Amusement ride for traveling down a water chute with reduced splash 5613443
5704294 1/1998 Van Winkle et al/ Universal Waterfall ride attraction [raft flume] 5704294
5716282 2/1998 Ring & Heke/ Bay Boats & White Water West Spinning water ride apparatus and method [raft ride] 5716282
5732635 3/1998 McKoy Amusement power-cable-propelled and channel-guided boat ride structure 5732635
5779553 7/1998 Langford Waterslide with uphill runs and progressive gravity feed 5779553
5860364 1/1999 McKoy Amusement boat ride featuring linear induction motor drive integrated with guide channel structure 5860364
5989126 11/1999 Kilbert & Sumner/ Disney Water raft amusement ride including a device for spinning a circular water raft 5989126
6006672 12/1999 Newfarmer et al/ Hopkins Boat reversing waterway 6006672
6045449 4/2000 Aragona et al Water pinball ride with spectator interaction 6045449
6146282 11/2000 McReady & McReady Water slide system 6146282
6237499 5/2001 McKoy Watercraft amusement ride [LIM boats] 6237499
6261186 7/2001 Henry/ NBGS Water amusement system and method [multiple rides] 6261186
6280342 8/2001 Tod Slide apparatus and method [cabled tarp water slide] 6280342
6354223 3/2002 McKoy Watercraft amusement ride [LIM boats]
[application 2001/0015148]
6354223
6354955 3/2002 Stuart & Cuttell/ Whitewater West Waterslide bowl [Super Bowl] 6354955
6450891 9/2002 Dubeta Slide apparatus [water slide with switchbacks] 6450891
6475095 11/2002 Henry/ NBGS Amusement park water lock system and method of use 6475095
6485372 11/2002 Stuart & Cuttell/ Whitewater West Waterslide and waterslide bowl
[application 2002/0077187]
6485372
6527646 3/2003 Briggs Competition water slide 6527646
6561914 5/2003 Henry/ NBGS Water amusement system and method
[application 2001/0029206]
6561914
6629501 10/2003 McKoy Watercraft amusement ride
[application 2002/0129731]
6629501
6729963 5/2004 Hlynka/ Whitewater West Undulating amusement slide
[application 2003/0139218]
6729963
6743107 6/2004 Dubeta/ Water Fun Slide apparatus [waterslide with switchbacks]
[application 2002/0193169]
6743107
6743108 6/2004 Hunter/ Proslide Random path flume ride
[application 2002/0142851]
6743108
6758231 7/2004 Lochtefeld & Henry/ Light Wave Redundant array control system for water rides 6758231
6857964 2/2005 Hunter/ Proslide Reducing radius slide feature
[application 2004/0077426]
6857964
6860209 3/2005 McKoy Watercraft amusement ride
[application 2004/0065223]
6860209
6945873 9/2005 Hlynka/ Whitewater West Undulating amusement slide
[application 2004/0198520]
6945873
6957662 10/2005 Lochtefeld & Henry/ Light Wave Redundant array control system for water rides
[application 2005/0034768]
6957662
6971317 12/2005 McKoy Watercraft amusement ride
[application 2005/0098057]
6971317
7004847 2/2006 Henry/ NBGS Water amusement system and method [interactive water play modules including water-propelled rides]
[449 claims of published application 2003/0190967 reduced to 81 claims]
7004847
7008329 3/2006 Hunter/ Proslide Random path flume ride
[application 2005/0288112]
7008329
7040994 5/2006 Lochtefeld & Henry/ Light Wave Redundant array water delivery system for water rides
[application 2005/0274420]
7040994
7056220 6/2006 Hunter/ ProSlide Reducing radius slide feature
[application 2005/0192108]
7056220
7066821 6/2006 Langford Waterslide with level equalization conduits coupling between run-out lanes
[application 2005/0288113]
7066821
7229359 6/2007 Henry & Schooley Continuous water ride
[application 2005/0090318]
7229359
D548810 8/2007 Hunter Water ride corkscrew feature D548810
7285053 10/2007 Henry & Schooley/ NBGS International Water amusement system and method
[application 2002/0082097]
7285053
7367894 5/2008 Lochtefeld/ Lightwave Contoured variably tensionable soft membrane ride surface for ride attraction [withdrawn, see patent 7547255]
7371182 5/2008 Henry & Schooley/ NBGS International Conveyor control system and method for water amusement parks
[application 2005/0090321]
7371182
7371183 5/2008 Henry & Schooley Water amusement park conveyors
[application 2007/0060403]
7371183
7437998 10/2008 Burger et al/ Mack Water-ride facility [constrained boat ride]
[application 2006/0130698]
7437998
7491128 2/2009 Henry & Schooley/ NBGS International Conveyor system and method for water amusement parks
[application 2005/0085306]
7491128
7497784 2/2009 Henry/ Water Ride Concepts Rollable carrier ride
[application 2006/0111196]
7547255 6/2009 Lochtefeld/ Light Wave Contoured variably tensionable soft membrane ride surface for ride attraction
[application 2005/0148398]
7597630 10/2009 Henry/ Water Ride Concepts Water amusement park conveyors
[application 2006/0111195]

Water Ride Patent Applications

application number publication date inventor/ assignee document title [comment]
2003/0027648 2/2003 Hunter Multiple-reversing water slide
2005/0075180 4/2005 Dubeta/ Water Fun Slide apparatus
2005/0090319 4/2005 Henry & Schooley Method and system of positionable screens for water amusement parks
2005/0090320 4/2005 Henry & Schooley/ NBGS Water amusement method
2005/0090322 4/2005 Henry & Schooley Method and system of participant identifiers for water amusement parks
2005/0282643 12/2005 Hlynka/ Whitewater West Waterslide amusement device
2006/0052171 3/2006 Henry & Schooley/ NBGS Methods and systems for amusement park conveyor belt systems
2006/0135274 6/2006 Henry/ Henry, Schooley & Associates Water amusement park conveyor roller belts
2006/0142090 6/2006 Henry/ Henry, Schooley & Associates Water amusement park multiple path conveyors
2006/0178222 8/2006 Henry & Schooley Methods and systems for water amusement conveyor
2006/0194638 8/2006 Hunter Reducing radius slide feature
2006/0252563 11/2006 Werner Water slide audio visual entertainment system [interactive water slide]
2007/0049385 3/2007 Henry & Schooley Water amusement park conveyor barriers
2007/0049386 3/2007 Henry & Schooley Adjusting participant flow rate in water amusement parks
2007/0049387 3/2007 Henry & Schooley Water amusement park water channel flow system
2007/0049388 3/2007 Henry & Schooley Water amusement park water channel and adjustable flow controller
2007/0060402 3/2007 Henry & Schooley Modular water amusement park conveyors
2007/0066410 3/2007 Henry & Schooley Water amusement park conveyor support elements
2007/0197304 8/2007 Henry & Schooley Continuous water ride method and system for water amusement parks
2007/0204759 9/2007 Hunter/ HM Attractions Reaction component for linear induction motor
2007/0207866 9/2007 Hunter/ HM Attractions Linear motor driven system and method
2007/0207867 9/2007 Hunter/ HM Attractions Linear motor driven amusement ride and method
2007/0207869 9/2007 Hunter/ HM Attractions Linear motor driven waterslide ride and method
2007/0219004 9/2007 Henry & Schooley Method and system of positionable covers for water amusement parks
2008/0149017 6/2008 Blum et al Guest positioning assembly [lap bar system for flume ride]
2008/0150344 6/2008 Blum et al Guest positioning assembly [lap bar system for flume ride]
2008/0150345 6/2008 Blum et al Guest positioning assembly [lap bar system for flume ride]
2008/0153610 6/2008 Braun & Schudermayer Water slide [looping]
2009/0017927 1/2009 Shozi & Lunde Amusement ride with mechanical lift, slides, sequenced ejections, and show system
2009/0062025 3/2009 Hlynka/ Whitewater West Waterslide run-out bowl
2009/0105003 4/2009 Alexander & Murphy Revolving water ride and method of moving ride participants between pools of different height [Archimedes screw]
2009/0111592 4/2009 Lunde & Folckemer Amusement slide with lighting effect
2009/0118024 5/2009 Yule/ Starflight Amusement ride system
2009/0143155 6/2009 Werner Water slide audio visual entertainment system
2009/0221377 9/2009 Hlynka/ Whitewater West Waterslide bowl structure and method of construction
2009/0239671 9/2009 Brassard & Hlynka/ Whitewater West Waterslide bowl with troughs
2009/0264211 10/2009 Smythe Ride
2010/0016090 1/2010 Brassard/ Whitewater West Twisted waterslide flume
2010/0016091 1/2010 Brassard/ Whitewater West Waterslide with angled transition

Last revised 21-Jan-2010

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