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
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
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
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
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] 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 6485372
6527646 3/2003    Briggs   Competition water slide 6527646
6561914 5/2003    Henry/ NBGS   Water amusement system and method 6561914
6629501 10/2003    McKoy   Watercraft amusement ride 6629501
6729963 5/2004    Hlynka/ Whitewater West   Undulating amusement slide 6729963
6743107 6/2004    Dubeta/ Water Fun   Slide apparatus [waterslide with switchbacks]6743107
6743108 6/2004    Hunter/ Proslide   Random path flume ride 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 6857964
6860209 3/2005    McKoy   Watercraft amusement ride 6860209
6945873 7/2004    Hlynka/ Whitewater West   Undulating amusement slide 6945873
6957662 7/2004    Lochtefeld & Henry/ Light Wave   Redundant array control system for water rides 6957662
6971317 12/2004    McKoy   Watercraft amusement ride 6971317
7004847 2/2006    Henry/ NBGS   Water amusement system and method [interactive water play modules including water-propelled rides; 449 claims of published application reduced to 81 claims] 7004847
7008329 3/2006    Hunter/ Proslide   Random path flume ride 7008329
7040994 5/2006    Lochtefeld & Henry/ Light Wave   Redundant array water delivery system for water rides 7040994
7066821 6/2006    Langford   Waterslide with level equalization conduits coupling between run-out lanes7066821
7229359 6/2007    Henry & Schooley   Continuous water ride 7229359
D548810 8/2007    Hunter   Water ride corkscrew feature D548810
7285053 10/2007    Henry & Schooley/ NBGS International   Water amusement system and method  
7367894 5/2008    Lochtefeld/ Lightwavel   Contoured variably tensionable soft membrane ride surface for ride attraction  
7371182 5/2008    Henry & Schooley/ NBGS International   Conveyor control system and method for water amusement parks  
7371183 5/2008    Henry & Schooley   Water amusement park conveyors  

Water Ride Patent Applications

application number publication date    inventor/ assignee   patent title [comment]
2001/0015148 8/2001    McKoy   Watercraft amusement ride [patent 6354223]
2001/0029206 10/2001    Henry/ NBGS   Water amusement system and method [patent 6561914]
2002/0077187 6/2002    Stuart & Cuttell   Waterslide bowl [patent 6485372]
2002/0082097 6/2002    Henry & Schooley   Water amusement system and method [patent 7285053]
2002/0129731 9/2002    McKoy   Watercraft amusement ride [patent 6629501]
2002/0142851 10/2002    Hunter   Random path flume ride [patent 6743108]
2002/0193169 12/2002    Dubeta   Slide apparatus [patent 6743107]
2003/0027648 2/2003    Hunter   Multiple-reversing water slide
2003/0139218 7/2003    Hlynka/ Whitewater West   Undulating amusement slide [patent 6729963]
2003/0190967 10/2003    Henry/ NBGS   Water amusement system and method [patent 7004847]
2004/0065223 4/2004    McKoy   Watercraft amusement ride [patent 6860209]
2004/0077426 4/2004    Hunter   Reducing radius slide feature [patent 6857964]
2004/0198520 10/2004    Hlynka/ Whitewater West   Undulating amusement slide [patent 6945873]
2005/0075180 4/2005    Dubeta/ Water Fun   Slide apparatus
2005/0085306 4/2005    Henry & Schooley/ NBGS   Conveyor system and method for water amusement parks
2005/0090318 4/2005    Henry & Schooley  Continuous water ride [patent 7229359]
2005/0090319 4/2005    Henry & Schooley   Method and system of positionable screens for water amusement parks