U.S. Patents for Other Ride-Related Patents

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 patents for rides and almost-rides not included elsewhere on this site. The following lists include simulators and illusions, cable swings, and funhouse appliances. The patents are grouped by types. A few fun house patents are also included. Most gravity rides are on the Roller Coaster Patent page. Water rides are on the water ride page. Lists of carousels and related rides are on the carousel page, ferris wheels are on the ferris wheel page, and other swinging or rotating rides are on the other rotating rides page. Other miscellaneous rides are on the other rides page.

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on this page

cable swings ... applications
suspension fans ... applications
illusion rides ... applications
park camera systems ... applications
wave generators ... applications
funhouses (etc.) ... applications

Cable Swings and Bungee Rides

patent number issue date    inventor/ assignee   patent title [comment] google link
1482554 2/1924    Gundlach   Amusement device [cable-attached jumping tower] 1482554
5094448 3/1992    Hackett/ Carolan   Jumping apparatus 5094448
5203744 4/1993    Checketts   Device for vertically oscillating participants 5203744
5224425 7/1993    Remington   Cable skydiving 5224425
5267906 12/1993    Kitchen & Bird/ Sky Fun 1   Amusement ride [Sky Coaster] 5267906
5303695 4/1994    Shopsowitz   Human free-flight launcher 5303695
5421783 6/1995    Kockelman & Kockelman/ Bungee Adventures   Human slingshot machine [Ejection Seat] 5421783
5427576 6/1995    Pfeiffer/ Redara   Bungy jumping tower 5427576
5527223 6/1996    Kitchen & Bird   Swing type amusement ride [Sky Coaster] 5527223
5649866 7/1997    Balwanz   Amusement ride system [bungee chair] 5649866
5665002 9/1997    Balwanz   Chair assembly for an amusement ride 5665002
5769724 6/1998    Wiegel   Human free-flight catapult 5769724
5810671 9/1998    Balwanz & Kleimeyer   Amusement ride system [bungee chair] 5810671
5842928 12/1998    McGinnis   Amusement park swing ride 5842928
5931740 8/1999    Kitchen   Module-type amusement ride [Sky Coaster] 5931740
5984792 11/1999    Clark   Bungee swing 5984792
6319140 11/2001    Mirfin & Pondorfer   Amusement device [reverse bungee variant] 6319140
6416418 7/2002    Kleimeyer   Pivoting-arm giant swing amusement ride 6416418
6440002 8/2002    Jackson/ Skycoaster   Top loading swing type amusement ride 6440002
6497623 12/2002    Mirfin & Pondorfer   Amusement device [reverse bungee] 6497623
6511381 1/2003    Cochron   Multidirectional amusement device 6511381
6569024 5/2003    Kleimeyer   Giant swing amusement ride with oppositely pivoting boom arm and cam arm 6569024
6699135 3/3004    Cochron   Multidirectional amusement device 6699135
6808459 10/3004    Checketts   Amusement ride with cable-launched carrier [ThrillShot & Sky Sling]6808459
6875115 4/2005    Fea/ Queenstown Property   Apparatus for an amusement ride and fall [rail-launched bungee drop] 6875115
7008328 3/2006    Checketts   Controllably rotatable seat [ThrillShot & Sky Sling]7008328
7066822 6/2006    Cochron   Multidirectional amusement device 7066822

Cable Swing and Bungee Patent Applications

application number publication date    inventor/ assignee   patent title [comment]
2002/0061784 5/2002    Mirfin & Pondorfer  Amusement device [patent 6497623]
2003/0017880 1/2003    Kleimeyer   Giant swing amusement ride with oppositely pivoting boom arm and cam arm [patent 6569024]
2003/0027646 2/2003    Checketts   Amusement ride with cable-launched carrier [patent 6808459]
2003/0025368 2/2003    Checketts   Controllably rotatable seat [patent 7008328]
2003/0083137 5/2003    Checketts   Oscillatory amusement ride
2003/0087706 5/2003    Cochron   Multidirectional amusement device [patent 6699135]
2003/0144063 7/2003    Cochron   Multidirectional amusement device [patent 7066822]
2004/0092322 5/2004    Fea   Apparatus for an amusement ride and fall [patent 6875115]
2007/0259726 11/2007    Evans   Combined human catapult and safety landing apparatus

Suspension Fans

patent number issue date    inventor/ assignee   patent title [comment] google link
3484953 12/1969    Norheim   Apparatus for simulating free fall through the air 3484953
4578037 3/1986    Macangus & Dickson   Skydiving simulator 4578037
4700565 10/1987    Albuschkat/ Rodenhurst   Device for artificially producing air flow 4700565
5209702 5/1993    Arenas   Freefall simulator 5209702
5593352 1/1997    Methfessel & Langston   Mobile ground level skydiving apparatus 5593352
5655909 8/1997    Kitchen & Bird   Skydiving trainer windtunnel 5655909
5753811 5/1998    Consolini/ Inversiones Bernoulli   Aerodynamic tunnel particularly suited for entertainment purposes 5753811
6083110 7/2000    Kitchen & Palmer/ Sky Venture   Vertical wind tunnel training device 6083110
6805558 10/2004    Carl & Gershon   Free fall and game simulator 6805558
7156744 1/2007    Metni et al/ Skyventure   Recirculating vertical wind tunnel skydiving simulator 7156744

Suspension Ride Patent Applications

application number publication date    inventor/ assignee   patent title [comment]
2004/0077419 4/2004    Chengzhen & Shapero   Amusement air pool and riding devices therefor
2006/0025227 4/2004    Metni et al   Recirculating vertical wind tunnel skydiving simulator [patent 7156744]
2007/0129157 6/2007    Gentile & Galigani   Structure for raising persons by means of an air flow

Illusions and Simulators

The following list includes rides in which limited passenger motion and visual stimuli combine to produce illusory sensations of motion. Stationary simulators and those intended for pilot training are excluded.

patent number issue date    inventor/ assignee   patent title [comment] google link
508227 11/1893    Lake   Illusion apparatus [Haunted Swing] 508227
510803 12/1893    Lake   Illusion apparatus [Haunted Swing] 510803
520236 5/1894    Lake   Theater appliance 520236
523357 7/1894    Lake   Illusory apparatus 523357
530128 12/1894    Rosenzwey   Illusion apparatus 530128
590783 9/1897    Williams   Amusement apparatus 590783
715958 12/1902    Booraem & Howard   Illusion apparatus 715958
767281 8/1904    Keefe   Amusement device [travel illusion] 767281
788886 5/1905    Citron   Device for illusory entertainment 788886
797372 8/1905    Rice   Illusory elevator device 797372
800100 9/1905    Hale   Pleasure railway 800100
800297 9/1905    Havenstrite  Amusement apparatus 800297
809589 1/1906    Timmons   Amusement apparatus 809589
809956 1/1906    Jaeger   Amusement device 809956
812848 2/1906    Hurst  Amusement device [automobile simulator]812848
828791 8/1906    White   Marine illusion apparatus 828791
836708 11/1906    Ridgway   Amusement device 836708
838137 12/1906    Plummer   Amusement apparatus 838137
838989 12/1906    Hart  Amusement apparatus838989
845524 2/1907    Citron/ Scenic Novelty  Pleasure railway 845524
847724 3/1907    Biondi   Illusion device 847724
847725 3/1907    Biondi   Illusion apparatus 847725
848796 4/1907    Winderborne   Illusion car 848796
856951 6/1907    Hafner/ Atlantic Coast Amusement Company   Illusion apparatus 856951
859604 7/1907    Jossenberger   Illusion boat 859604
865035 9/1907    Hartley & Bishop/ Avernus Wheel   Switchback apparatus 865035
865882 9/1907    Garrette l   Combination amusement vehicle and boat 865882
872627 12/1907    Keen   Amusement device 872627
874169 12/1907    Darcy & Lubin  Illusion apparatus for amusement [simulated balloon voyage] 874169
887803 5/1908    Henzi   Amusement apparatus [boat illusion] 887803
892070 6/1908    Murphy  Amusement device 892070
922628 5/1909    Pitzer   Amusement apparatus [Haunted Swing] 922628
924068 6/1909    Hicks & Wigan  Illusion amusement device924068
949532 2/1910    Farrell   Amusement device [cyclorama-like airship illusion] 949532
981672 1/1911    Napp   Amusement device 981672
987859 3/1911    Corneliussen   Amusement device 987859
1005061 10/1911    Murie   Amusement apparatus 1005061
1017526 2/1912    Fishback   Amusement apparatus 1017526
1018645 2/1912    Walters   Apparatus for teaching the art of aeroplaning, applicable also for amusement purposes [flight simulator] 1018645
1037474 9/1912    Gunzendorfer   Amusement apparatus [submarine ride/simulator] 1037474
1100725 6/1914    Gibson   Amusement apparatus [earthquake simulator] 1100725
1112307 11/1914    Manterola   Amusement device 1112307
1127094 2/1915    Salsbury   Recreation device 1127094
1232407 7/1917    Thome   Amusement device 1232407
1238151 8/1917    Keefe   Amusement apparatus [automobile race illusion; phantom racer] 1238151
1340570 5/1920    Smith   Scenic amusement apparatus 1340570
1388130 8/1921    F. W. Thompson   Amusement apparatus [airplane trip illusion] 1388130
1580460 4/1926    Willeford   Amusement apparatus 1580460
1686315 10/1928    Edwards   Amusement apparatus for inducing sensations of aviation 1686315
1732597 10/1929    Faber   Amusement apparatus [airplane simulator] 1732597
1789680 1/1931    Gwinnett   Amusement device 1789680
1825462 9/1931    Link   Combination training device for student aviators and entertainment apparatus 1825462
1844852 2/1932    Harvey   Amusement device 1844852
1909573 5/1933    Custer   Amusement apparatus 1909573
1925180 9/1933    Eyerly   Orientator [Acroplane] 1925180
1945698 2/1934    Mallon   Aircraft training and sport apparatus 1945698
1947962 2/1934    Alfaro   Aeronautic training apparatus [simulator] 1947962
1947982 2/1934    Gerhardt & Brock/ Devon   Amusement apparatus [flight simulator] 1947982
2031310 2/1936    Hall   Flight apparatus 2031310
2032708 3/1936    Mallon   Aircraft training and amusement apparatus 2032708
2069664 2/1937    Bartlett   Amusement ride [airplane simulation illusion] 2069664
2485435 10/1949    Dehmal   Aircraft navigating and training device [also for amusement] 2485435
2526371 10/1950    Laughead & Anderson   Airplane flight instruction device [as ride, toy, or trainer] 2526371
2661211 12/1953    Campbell   Rocket ship amusement apparatus 2661211
2719715 10/1955    Leahan   Combination device for theater auditorium 2719715
2861806 11/1958    Disney   Rocket ship amusement apparatus 2861806
2912244 11/1959    Carr   Amusement device [flying saucer simulation] 2912244
2915311 12/1959    Delano   Operating mechanism for amusement devices [horse riding simulator] 2915311
3137500 6/1964    Stensagor/ Norstan   Aviation type amusement device [helicopter simulator] 3137500
3295224 1/1967    Cappel/ Franklin Institute   Motion simulator 3295224
3542934 11/1970    Wyener et al
  [Warhurst et al]
  Submarine simulator 3542934
3602499 8/1971    Kojima/ Sansei Yusoki  Sea animation apparatus including eccentrically moving seats and scene projections 3602499
3606328 9/1971    Delphia   Vehicle drag racing simulator assembly 3606328
3628829 12/1971    Heilig   Experience theater 3628829
3865430 2/1975    Tanus   Theater chair automatically movable by remote control 3865430
3868107 2/1975    Ichida   Simulated viewing apparatus 3868107
3923300 12/1975    Tanus   Theater chair automatically movable by remote control 3923300
4066256 1/1978    Trumbull/ Future General   Amusement ride 4066256
4162582 7/1979    McGraw et al   Flight trainer and entertainment device for simulating aerial acrobatics 4162582
4251140 2/1981    Fogerty   Ride assembly for simulating travel 4251140
4276030 6/1981    Radice/ Doron   Pivotable vehicle simulator 4276030
4303236 12/1981    Czarnecki/ Kinop   Trip motion simulator 4303236
4431183 2/1984    Reimann   Motion simulator 4431183
4477069 10/1984    Crudgington   Electronic amusement center 4477069
4492372 1/1985    Lorence et al/ Rawson Control   Amusement helicopter 4492372
4505472 3/1985    Lorenc & Maring/ Rawson Control   Astro capsule 4505472
4642945 2/1987    Browning et al/ Cinemotion   Entertainment structure 4642945
4752065 6/1988    Trumbull et al/ Showscan & Intamin   Motion picture amusement ride 4752065
4798376 1/1989    Trumbull et al/ Showscan & Intamin   Amusement ride apparatus with a plurality of individually tiltable frames 4798376
4830381 5/1989    Sellner   Simulated laser weapon and amusement application therefore 4830381
4856771 8/1989    Nelson & Berg   Video simulation apparatus 4856771
4874162 10/1989    Trumbull et al/ Showscan   Motion picture amusement ride 4874162
4879849 11/1989    Hollingsworth & Angus/ Omni Films   Point-of-view motion simulator system 4879849
5004225 4/1991    Krukovsky   Simulated observation flight apparatus 5004225
5009412 4/1991    Roodenburg & Roodenburg   Eathquake [sic] simulator for a theme park 5009412
5015933 5/1991    Watkins et al/ Ridewerks   Seat base motion controller 5015933
5052932 10/1991    Trani   Spherical simulator 5052932
5192247 3/1993    Barr & Alexander/ Universal   Ride attraction 5192247
5199875 4/1993    Trumball/ Ridefilm   Method and apparatus for generating supplemental motion in a simulator 5199875
5219315 6/1993    Fuller & Robinson   Water effects enhanced motion base simulator ride 5219315
5282772 1/1994    Ninomiya et al   Simulator for shooting down the rapids 5282772
5316480 5/1994    Ellsworth   Portable multiple module simulator apparatus 5316480
5336132 8/1994    Murakami   Multisensation creation apparatus employing stereoscopic imagery 5336132
5388991 2/1995    Morris/ Magic Edge   Simulation device and system 5388991
5403238 4/1995    Baxter et al/ Disney   Amusement park attraction 5403238
5433670 6/1995    Trumbull/ Ridefilm   Compact simulator system theater 5433670
5453011 9/1995    Feuer & Brown   Flight simulator 5453011
5482510 1/1996    Ishii et al   Amusement device passing within tube 5482510
5489212 2/1996    Yoshimoto & Ishibashi/ Sega   Rotating simulator and body holding apparatus therefor 5489212
5490784 2/1996    Carmein   Virtual reality system with enhanced sensory apparatus 5490784
5499920 3/1996    Trumbull/ Ridefilm   Method of generating an event simulation 5499920
5507647 4/1996    Morris/ Magic Edge   Simulation device and system 5507647
5509631 4/1996    De Salvo/ Ridefilm   Three axis motion platform 5509631
5509806 4/1996    Ellsworth/ Crusade for Kids   Portable multiple module simulator aparatus and method of use 5509806
5513990 6/1996    Gluck   Realistic motion ride simulator 5513990
5527184 6/1996    Trumbull/ Ridefilm   Simulator system having an orthogonal motion base 5527184
5533933 7/1996    Garnjost & Stegner/ Moog   Arcade amusement ride motion simulator system 5533933
5556340 9/1996    Bohn et al/ Disney   Amusement ride assembly with rotating tube synchronized with an image 5556340
5558582 9/1996    Swensen & Neville/ Enhanced Simulation   Rotating motion simulator 5558582
5560256 10/1996    Tines   Base support for movable objects 5560256
5567157 10/1996    Salmon et al/ Ridefilm   Compliant orthogonal motion base and simulator system 5567157
5584697 10/1996    Trumbull/ Ridefilm   Simulator system having a suspended passenger platform 5584697
5597359 1/1997    Byerly/ Doron   Audience motion platform 5597359
5685718 11/1997    McClintic/ MaxFlight   Motion simulator 5685718
5702307 12/1997    Moran   Pivotal, spherically shaped, motion simulator-with shifting means for controlling its' [sic] center of gravity 5702307
5711670 1/1998    Barr   Motion-base ride simulator with improved passenger loading and unloading method and apparatus 5711670
5725435 3/1998    De Castro Faria   Electro-mechanical amusement simulator with gravitational effects 5725435
5791903 8/1998    Feuer et al/ Fir Ride & Show Engineering   Flight simulator with full roll rotation capability 5791903
5827065 10/1998    McClintic   Motion simulator operating system and method 5827065
5857917 1/1999    Francis & Packman   3-D simulator ride 5857917
5865624 2/1999    Hayashigawa   Reactive ride simulator method and apparatus 5865624
5885080 3/1999    Letovsky   Mechanically actuated motion platform 5885080
5911634 6/1999    Nidata & Nidata   Tiltable platform 5911634
5931739 8/1999    Layer et al/ Moog   Fail-safe ride simulator 5931739
5951018 9/1999    Mamitsu/ Konami   Simulative driving game machine 5951018
5954508 9/1999    Ko & Dietrich/ Interactive Motion Systems   Portable and compact motion simulator 5954508
5964666 10/1999    Uemura/ SEGA   Falling amusement ride 5964666
5997303 12/1999    Yoshida et al/ Namco   Rotary sliding device and a simulator using the same 5997303
6007338 12/1999    DiNunzio et al/ Disney   Roller coaster simulator 6007338
6017276 1/2000    Elson & Holmberg   Location based entertainment device 6017276
6027342 2/2000    Brown/ Stricor   Motion platform assembly for flight and vehicle simulation 6027342
6039653 3/2000    Engstrand   Apparatus, system and method for experiencing motion 6039653
6042382 3/2000    Halfhill   Sustained G-force centripetal acceleration apparatus and method 6042382
6050823 4/2000    McClintic   Motion simulator operating system and method 6050823
6053576 4/2000    Jessee   Bank of seats for amusement ride 6053576
6077078 6/2000    Alet & Jezequel/ Thomson-CSF   Motion simulator device with at least three degrees of freedom 6077078
6079982 6/2000    Meader   Interactive simulator ride 6079982
6098549 8/2000    Mares/ Meteoro   Modularized amusement ride and training simulation device 6098549
6113500 9/2000    Francis & Packman/ Cinema Ride   3-D simulator ride 6113500
6162058 12/2000    Yang/ Kumyang   Motion base device for simulators 6162058
6224491 5/2001    Hiromi et al/ Kabushiki Kaisha Sega   Ride-type game machine 6224491
6227121 5/2001    Mares/ Meteoro   Modularized amusement ride and training simulation device 6227121