US 11,918,924 B2
Carousel ride systems
Jerrell Andrew Loudon, Orlando, FL (US); Rick A Dias, Saint Cloud, FL (US); David Wayne Komives, Rockledge, FL (US); and William Dale Mason, Camano Island, WA (US)
Assigned to Universal City Studios LLC, Universal City, CA (US)
Filed by Universal City Studios LLC, Universal City, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/111,757.
Application 18/111,757 is a division of application No. 17/366,411, filed on Jul. 2, 2021, granted, now 11,583,780.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/050,908, filed on Jul. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0191266 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. A63G 1/08 (2006.01); A63G 1/26 (2006.01); A63H 13/20 (2006.01)
CPC A63G 1/08 (2013.01) [A63G 1/26 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drive system for a carousel ride system, the drive system comprising:
a plurality of figure drive assemblies configured to independently lift and rotate a plurality of figures of the carousel ride system, wherein each figure drive assembly of the plurality of figure drive assemblies comprises:
a rotation assembly comprising a rotation motor supported on a rotation base, a bracket coupled to the rotation base and slidingly coupled to a support post, and a sleeve coupled to the bracket and configured to couple to a pole of a respective figure of the plurality of figures; and
a lift assembly comprising a lift motor supported on a lift base, a threaded shaft coupled to the lift base and extending through a threaded opening of the bracket, wherein operation of the rotation motor is configured to drive rotation of the sleeve, and wherein operation of the lift motor is configured to lift the rotation assembly.