Patents by Inventor Dexter William Francis

Dexter William Francis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Amusement park ride vehicle including a chassis driven to have heave and sway motions
    Patent number: 9610511
    Abstract: A free-ranging ride vehicle for an amusement park ride. The vehicle includes a vehicle base supporting a passenger compartment. The vehicle includes a drive system with a support platform supporting the vehicle base. The drive system imparts a set of motions including translation, cornering, sway, and heave to the support platform and, in turn, to the vehicle base and passenger compartment. The drive system includes first, second, and third leg assemblies each with a rigid leg pivotally coupled at an inner end to the support platform and supporting a wheel at an outer end. Drive motors are mounted on the legs above the wheels to, independently and concurrently, rotate the wheels and change the directional offset angle of each wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Dexter William Francis, Larry S. McAfee