This page contains the first division of rotating rides, including tracked roundabouts, in which the path of motion is approximately horizontal and circular. Carousels, circular swings, and himalaya-type rides are included. Occupant-propelled roundabouts are placed in a separate table on this page. Playground-scale rides are largely excluded.
Other rotating and swinging rides are on the following pages:
Ferris wheels
Other flat rides (possibly including carousel-like rides not identified here)
Miscellaneous rides are on the other rides page or the other amusement devices page.
Each patent link will open in a new window.
| patent number | issue date | inventor/ assignee | patent title [comment] | google link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 333448 | 12/1885 | Crispin | Centricycle or bicycle | 333448 |
| 457619 | 8/1891 | Peter | Roundabout [bicycle roundabout] | 457619 |
| 475256 | 5/1892 | Stutzman | Roundabout [bicycle roundabout] | 475256 |
| 480477 | 8/1892 | Schäfer | Roundabout [bicycle roundabout] | 480477 |
| 498484 | 5/1893 | Noonan & Schmill | Polycycle | 498484 |
| 533838 | 2/1895 | Brannan | Circle cycle | 533838 |
| 570739 | 11/1896 | Sustins et al | Roundabout [bicycle roundabout] | 570739 |
| 589408 | 9/1897 | Brannan | Circle cycle | 589408 |
| 605629 | 6/1898 | Brannan | Circle cycle | 605629 |
| 634857 | 10/1899 | Smith | Bicycle whirl | 634857 |
| 665393 | 1/1901 | Barto | Cycle merry-go-round | 665393 |
| 819580 | 5/1906 | McKinney | Merry-go-round | 819580 |
| 832459 | 10/1906 | Cruz | Merry-go-round [bicycle roundabout] | 832459 |
| 832902 | 10/1906 | Hambright & Powell | Merry-go-round [bicycle roundabout] | 832902 |
| 840299 | 1/1907 | Cisco | Amusement device | 840299 |
| 857605 | 6/1907 | Dayton | Amusement apparatus | 857605 |
| 965644 | 7/1910 | Mendenhall | Roundabout amusement apparatus | 965644 |
| 1011984 | 12/1911 | Menges | Roundabout | 1011984 |
| 1269988 | 6/1918 | Westerfield/ Cycle-Flyer | Cycle flier [occupant propelled cicular swing] | 1269988 |
| 1275834 | 8/1918 | Bolyki | Carousel | 1275834 |
| 1318986 | 10/1919 | Gadecki | Carousel | 1318986 |
| 1325374 | 12/1919 | Pilushczak | Carousel | 1325374 |
| 1334727 | 3/1920 | Wilkens | Pleasure machine [bicycle roundabout] | 1334727 |
| 1393629 | 10/1921 | Lewandowski & Katafiasz | Merry-go-round [muscle-powered] | 1393629 |
| 1397939 | 11/1921 | Unger | Amusement device [racing bicycle roundabout] | 1397939 |
| 1435648 | 11/1922 | Maxwell | Merry-go-round | 1435648 |
| 1439765 | 12/1922 | Seawell | Swinging carousel | 1439765 |
| 1466845 | 9/1923 | Maxwell | Merry-go-round | 1466845 |
| 1479737 | 1/1924 | Prencel & Hoffman | Merry-go-round | 1479737 |
| 1503548 | 8/1924 | Moyer | Amusement device | 1503548 |
| 1521498 | 12/1924 | Armstrong | Merry-go-round | 1521498 |
| 1538647 | 5/1925 | Newsbaum | Amusement device [racing bicycle roundabout] | 1538647 |
| 1543020 | 6/1925 | Lombard | Merry-go-round | 1543020 |
| 1567010 | 12/1925 | Speck | Swing | 1567010 |
| D174173 | 8/1955 | Fowler | Pedal actuated roundabout | D174173 |
| 2730366 | 1/1956 | Etherington | Occupant propelled amusement device | 2730366 |
| 2797099 | 6/1957 | Somers | Amusement ride | 2797099 |
| 3749399 | 7/1973 | Fedor & Polo | Occupant propelled round-about devices | 3749399 |
| patent number | issue date | inventor/ assignee | patent title [comment] | google link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 442 | 10/1837 | Rowe | Circular railway and car [hand-cranked roundabout] | 442 |
| 7419 | 6/1850 | Scripture | Roundabout/ Flying-Horse [Mechanical Galloping Horses] | 7419 |
| 78043 | 5/1868 | Belknap | Roundabout/Device for propelling pleasure-boats [horse power] | 78043 |
| 89700 | 5/1869 | Sturdy & Young | Velocipede/ Circular velocipede | 89700 |
| 94234 | 8/1869 | Newhall & Cummings | Flying horse machine [circular swing] | 94234 |
| 101609 | 4/1870 | Graves | Revolving swing [wind or hand power] | 101609 |
| 117336 | 7/1871 | Schneider | Carrousel/Improvement in carrousels | |
| 127174 | 5/1872 | Lansing | Improvement in whirligigs [railed horse roundabout] | 127174 |
| 148141 | 3/1874 | Reynolds | Circular swing/Improvement in circular swings | 148141 |
| 148891 | 3/1874 | Lowery et al | Revolving swings/Improvement in revolving swings [horse power] | 148891 |
| 151197 | 5/1874 | Bolton | Roundabouts/Improvement in roundabouts [aquatic] | |
| 167941 | 9/1875 | Schaeffer | Roundabout/Improvement in roundabouts | 167941 |
| 171878 | 1/1876 | Steel | Carousal or roundabout/Improvement in carousals or roundabouts | 171878 |
| 176590 | 4/1876 | Brigham | Improvement in merry-go-rounds | 176590 |
| 235669 | 12/1880 | Coloney | Swimming apparatus | 235669 |
| 239601 | 4/1881 | Carl | Carrousel | 239601 |
| 240061 | 4/1881 | Wellard | Carrousel [wind powered] | 240061 |
| 244376 | 7/1881 | Carl | Carrousel | 244376 |
| 247858 | 10/1881 | Thöni | Roundabout | 247858 |
| 261290 | 7/1882 | Wyke & Bancroft | Flying velocipede [bicycle roundabout] | 261290 |
| 261734 | 7/1882 | Larson | Rotary swing [horse or human power] | 261734 |
| 263243 | 8/1882 | Sturm | Circular railroad or round about | 263243 |
| 266907 | 10/1882 | Silabon | Roundabout | 266907 |
| 274228 | 3/1883 | Schulze | Roundabout | 274228 |
| 288018 | 11/1883 | Clifford | Merry-go-round | 288018 |
| 288898 | 11/1883 | West | Roundabout | 288898 |
| 291621 | 1/1884 | Oldroyd | Roundabout | |
| 314881 | 3/1885 | Sassack | Roundabout [rotating observation tower] | 314881 |
| 325386 | 9/1885 | Bliven | Circular traveling device [for carrying passengers] | 325386 |
| 340977 | 5/1886 | Campi | Swing | 340977 |
| 345414 | 7/1886 | Coudyser | Polycycle | 345414 |
| 345787 | 7/1886 | Jennings | Merry-go-round | 345787 |
| 356037 | 1/1887 | Goodwin | Roundabout | 356037 |
| 371412 | 10/1887 | Blinkhorn & Key | Roundabout | 371412 |
| 372296 | 11/1887 | Blinkhorn | Roundabout | 372296 |
| 384393 | 6/1888 | Sassack | Roundabout | 384393 |
| 386358 | 7/1888 | Simpson | Wind propelled swing [roundabout] | 386358 |
| 392155 | 10/1888 | Kennett | Marine and land merry-go-round | 392155 |
| 396472 | 1/1889 | Duncan | Circular coaster | 396472 |
| 409898 | 8/1889 | Applegate | Merry-go-round | 409898 |
| 409972 | 8/1889 | Johnson | Merry-go-round [noncircular, for roller-skaters] | 409972 |
| 410301 | 8/1889 | Tyler | Merry-go-round | 410301 |
| 418833 | 1/1890 | Allchin | Merry-go-round, &c | 418833 |
| 420758 | 2/1890 | Allchin | Roundabout | 420758 |
| 437909 | 10/1890 | Seymour | Roundabout | 437909 |
| 443492 | 12/1890 | Bentley | Merry-go-round | 443492 |
| 445134 | 1/1891 | Cronin & Adams | Merry-go-round | 445134 |
| 446182 | 2/1891 | Frueh | Roundabout | 446182 |
| 448241 | 3/1891 | Kay et al | Roundabout | 448241 |
| 451373 | 4/1891 | Fowler | Roundabout [walzing merry-go-round] | 451373 |
| 461629 | 10/1891 | Garland | Roundabout [aquatic] | 461629 |
| 473177 | 4/1892 | Meissner | Roundabout [ornamental attachment] | 473177 |
| 474220 | 5/1892 | Crowe | Rotary observatory | 474220 |
| 474658 | 5/1892 | Hollingsworth | Roundabout | 474658 |
| 474659 | 5/1892 | Hollingsworth | Rotary pavillion | 474659 |
| 475742 | 5/1892 | Palmer | Merry-go-round | 475742 |
| 476597 | 6/1892 | Baldwin | Roundabout | 476597 |
| 483530 | 10/1892 | Buford | Roundabout | 483530 |
| 484409 | 10/1892 | Criss | Marine roundabout | 484409 |
| 487490 | 12/1892 | Motte | Panorama [rotary] | 487490 |
| 488686 | 12/1892 | Batt | Merry-go-round [free ride indicator] | 488686 |
| 491087 | 2/1893 | Cuplin | Grand stand [rotating] | 491087 |
| 496889 | 5/1893 | Mott & Fearon | Carrousel | 496889 |
| 508994 | 11/1893 | Sprague | Merry-go-round | 508994 |
| 512710 | 1/1894 | Kay et al | Roundabout | 512710 |
| 514756 | 2/1894 | Kennedy | Platform railway | 514756 |
| 515088 | 2/1894 | Mumbrauer | Merry-go-round [opposite rotations] | 515088 |
| 516616 | 3/1894 | Somers | Merry-go-round [opposite rotations] | 516616 |
| 527962 | 10/1894 | Gardy | Roundabout [aquatic] | 527962 |
| 533393 | 1/1895 | MacKenzie | Amusement apparatus | |
| 535272 | 3/1895 | Baldwin | Roundabout | 535272 |
| 536853 | 4/1895 | Darling | Carrousel and panoramic apparatus | 536853 |
| 540127 | 5/1895 | Weston/ Halcyon Cycle | Carrousel | 540127 |
| 542690 | 7/1895 | Steel | Merry-go-round | 542690 |
| 544230 | 8/1895 | Kidder | Merry-go-round | 544230 |
| 555325 | 2/1896 | Meissner | Merry-go-round | 555325 |
| 558114 | 4/1896 | Rolland & Rolland | Merry-go-round | 558114 |
| 564409 | 7/1896 | Howard | Merry-go-round | 564409 |
| 566945 | 9/1896 | Talbot | Merry-go-round | 566945 |
| 572712 | 12/1896 | Olson & Johanson | Merry-go-round | 572712 |
| 573577 | 12/1896 | Dentzel | Carousel [double decker] | 573577 |
| 578354 | 3/1897 | Newton & Bell | Marine merry-go-round | 578354 |
| 582756 | 5/1897 | Meissner | Roundabout [ornament for ride] | 582756 |
| 583109 | 5/1897 | Daniels | Electric race horse carousel | 583109 |
| 586699 | 7/1897 | Soderberg | Marine merry-go-round | 586699 |
| 589390 | 8/1897 | Hunter | Carousel [two level] | 589390 |
| 592870 | 11/1897 | Holcomb | Carousel [aquatic] | 592870 |
| 593177 | 11/1897 | Koehler | Carousel [opposite rotations] | 593177 |
| 598750 | 2/1898 | Shoettle | Merry-go-round and mechanical race track | 598750 |
| 603099 | 4/1898 | Ashton | Roundabout | 603099 |
| 603432 | 5/1898 | Prescott | Carousel | 603432 |
| 603589 | 5/1898 | Meissner | Merry-go-round [attachment] | 603589 |
| 604164 | 5/1898 | Wilde & Hinchcliffe | Roundabout [swan-boat carousel] | 604164 |
| 604998 | 5/1898 | Mangels | Bicycle railway | 604998 |
| 608081 | 7/1898 | Sebolt | Marine mery-go-round | 608081 |
| 616041 | 12/1898 | Vollmer | Roundabout [kaleidoscopic effect] | 616041 |
| 616923 | 1/1899 | Hauskey | Merry-go-round | 616923 |
| 621726 | 3/1899 | Wiemer & Wiemer | Floating carousel | 621726 |
| 623667 | 4/1899 | Holloway | Centrifugal merry-go-round | 623667 |
| 628679 | 7/1899 | Simmons | Marine merry-go-round | 628679 |
| 630003 | 8/1899 | Olson & Johanson | Merry-go-round [opposite rotations] | 630003 |
| 637508 | 11/1899 | Grimoin-Sanson & Allard | Roundabout [jointed horse] | 637508 |
| 643675 | 2/1900 | Murdy | Merry-go-round [circle swing] | 643675 |
| 644478 | 2/1900 | Tinney | Bicycle carousel | 644478 |
| 648266 | 4/1900 | Johnson | Merry-go-round [gear and crank mechanism] | 648266 |
| 648792 | 5/1900 | Redfern | Aquatic carousel | 648792 |
| 658927 | 10/1900 | Ridgway | Aquatic carousel | 658927 |
| 661435 | 11/1900 | Anderson/ Ariel Electric | Pleasure railway or carousel [horse motion via additional rail] | 661435 |
| 663948 | 12/1900 | Weil | System of roundabouts | 663948 |
| 667466 | 2/1901 | Sellers | Merry-go-round | 667466 |
| 669842 | 3/1901 | Mangels | Merry-go-round [paired gear mechanism for cranks] | 669842 |
| 682440 | 9/1901 | Weber | Pleasure wheel | 682440 |
| 689180 | 12/1901 | Good/ Bollinger | Merry-go-round [portable] | 689180 |
| 693153 | 2/1902 | Richardson | Marine carousel | 693153 |
| 693295 | 2/1902 | Mangels | Merry-go-round [telescoping mount mechanism] | 693295 |
| 693968 | 2/1902 | Hinchcliffe | Roundabout [flying bird vehicles] | 693968 |
| 697254 | 4/1902 | Johnson | Carousel | 697254 |
| 703801 | 7/1902 | Looff | Merry-go-round | 703801 |
| 708835 | 9/1902 | Schofield | Merry-go-round | 708835 |
| 708873 | 9/1902 | Doner | Roundabout [suspended cars] | 708873 |
| 709462 | 9/1902 | Bollinger | Merry-go-round [portable] | 709462 |
| 710043 | 9/1902 | Davidson | Land, marine, or submarine merry-go-round | 710043 |
| 716700 | 12/1902 | Fromm | Merry-go-round | 716700 |
| 716755 | 12/1902 | Porter | Amusement apparatus [fan-propelled circular swing] | 716755 |
| 723162 | 3/1903 | Kitterman | Roundabout sailing apparatus | 723162 |
| 723759 | 3/1903 | Thompson | Bathing machine [aquatic roundabout] | 723759 |
| 728062 | 5/1903 | Wilson | Recreation device [submarine roundabout] | 728062 |
| 728514 | 5/1903 | Taylor | Roundabout or pleasure railway | 728514 |
| 730521 | 6/1903 | Doner | Pleasure tower [circular swing] | 730521 |
| 740206 | 9/1903 | Voris | Pleasure seeking or merrymaking device [marine merry go round] | 740206 |
| 749941 | 1/1904 | A. F. Mueller | Amusement apparatus [carousel variant] | 749941 |
| 750472 | 1/1904 | Meffert | Water carousel | 750472 |
| 754532 | 3/1904 | Austen & Bradwell | Scenographic apparatus [illusion with rotating seating area] | 754532 |
| 754533 | 3/1904 | Austen | Scenographic apparatus | 754533 |
| 758341 | 4/1904 | Traver & Nichols/ Traver Circle Swing | Amusement apparatus [circle swing] | 758341 |
| 760469 | 5/1904 | Mueller | Amusement apparatus | 760469 |
| 762531 | 6/1904 | Holtman | Merry-go-round | 762531 |
| 765093 | 7/1904 | Miller | Aquatic carousel | 765093 |
| 765952 | 7/1904 | Armitage/ Armitage-Herschell Company | Roundabout | 765952 |
| 766107 | 7/1904 | Francovich | Moving platform [circle race] | 766107 |
| 768084 | 8/1904 | Smith | Combined wind wheel and carousel | 768084 |
| 769045 | 8/1904 | Appleby | Carousel | 769045 |
| 767124 | 9/1904 | Randolph | Hygienic amusement bath and swimming school [aquatic equestrian merry-go-round] | 767124 |
| 769690 | 9/1904 | Daniels & Yourtee | Roundabout | 769690 |
| 771382 | 10/1904 | Morgenthau | Pleasure Boat | |
| 773292 | 10/1904 | MacDonald & Veale | Portable street or road carousel | 773292 |
| 774757 | 11/1904 | Keen | Circle Swing | 774757 |
| 786290 | 4/1905 | Hosse & McEwen | Roundabout | 786290 |
| 788258 | 4/1905 | Goodfellow | Pleasure railway [travelling carousel] | 788258 |
| 791046 | 5/1905 | Praul | Merry-go-round or carousel | 791046 |
| 793236 | 6/1905 | Schlueter | Revolving amusement apparatus | 793236 |
| 794148 | 7/1905 | Garvey | Circle swing | 794148 |
| 797347 | 8/1905 | Degenhardt | Carousel | 797347 |
| 800386 | 9/1905 | Milligan | Amusement apparatus [top-shaped roundabout] | 800386 |
| 801669 | 10/1905 | Maxim | Device for producing illusionary effects | 801669 |
| 803171 | 10/1905 | Koppel | Amusement device [tracked carousel] | 803171 |
| 804147 | 11/1905 | Maxim | Roundabout [Flying Machine] | 804147 |
| 807802 | 12/1905 | Auld | Bathing apparatus [aquatic roundabout] | 807802 |
| 808796 | 1/1906 | Wirth | Amusement device [portable carousel] | 808796 |
| 812577 | 2/1906 | Maloney | Amusement device [circle swing] | 812577 |
| 813953 | 2/1906 | Dalton | Amusement device [undulatory; may be wind-powered] | 813953 |
| 815503 | 3/1906 | Armitage/ Armitage-Herschell | Riding gallery | 815503 |
| 816689 | 4/1906 | Stevenson | Merry-go-round | 816689 |
| 817156 | 4/1906 | Carlson & Haywood | Amusement apparatus [railed roundabout] | 817156 |
| 817402 | 4/1906 | Strickler/ Federal Construction | Amusement apparatus [circle swing] | 817402 |
| 820111 | 5/1906 | Hermann | Roundabout | 820111 |
| 820118 | 5/1906 | Johnston | Amusement apparatus | 820118 |
| 820901 | 5/1906 | Ariztia | Merry-go-round | 820901 |
| 821409 | 5/1906 | Fulton & Fulton | Amusement apparatus [circle swing] | 821409 |
| 822852 | 6/1906 | Caswell/ Bushby | Centrifugal swing | 822852 |
| 824107 | 6/1906 | Fowden | Aquatic amusement apparatus | 824107 |
| 826383 | 7/1906 | Stein | Merry-go-round | 826383 |
| 826738 | 7/1906 | Pattee | Amusement device | 826738 |
| 828073 | 8/1906 | Tice | Merry-go-round | 828073 |
| 828636 | 8/1906 | Bevington | Carousel or merry-go-round | <