| |
| Status | defunct |
| Introduced | 1905 |
| First built | 1906 |
| Cost | $6,000 |
| Statistics | |
| Manufacturer |  |
| Type | steel - wooden |
| Riders per train | 6 |
| Propulsion | chain lift hill |
The Tickler was a product designed, patented, and produced by William F. Mangels starting in 1906 at Coney Island in New York City. It featured two versions, the original, and a later refined version designed to mitigate safety concerns of the original design. Other parks soon followed suit in ordering their own attractions from W.F. Mangel following its success.
Design
Original (1905 - 1906)
The Tickler featured a design in which riders enter a round metal barrel like ride vehicle that contains a specially designed large central rubber ring around the exterior. Riders would board at the base of the chain driven lift hill which would then take them up to the top of the structure. Once at the top, the chain would disengage, allowing for the ride vehicle to enter what resembles a large plinko board with bumping posts all through the course. The ride vehicles would travel down the incline while bumping and thrashing against the singular posts as it made its way down the incline back to the entrance and exit platform. This design proved to be very disconcerting to many riders and was thus refined.[1][2][3]
Refined (1907 +)
Following reports of serious injuries and mechanical issues with the original design, William F. Mangels went back to the drawing board and refined his original 1906 patent for the Tickler alongside Charles N. Brewster. His new patent would now feature the same general principles of the original, however metal guide rails would be attached between each of the bumping posts and take riders on a predetermined path from the top to the bottom of the incline, removing the plinko-like nature of the ride to some extent to allow for a smoother, but still intense ride. The ride vehicles would now traverse through a series of twists and turns arranged in a zig-zag pattern situated on an inclined plane. Gravity would still act as the propulsion method once the ride vehicle exited the lift hill. The ride vehicles would continue to spin freely on their four sets of caster wheels attached to the bottoms. There would also be a slight gap between each of the side rails so that the ride vehicle would be able to also bounce between those rails in addition to the bumping posts. At the end of each row of the zig-zag pattern, a twisting downward section of track would take the ride vehicle down to the next level of the attraction until it reached the bottom entrance and exit platform.[3][4][5]
Trains
Single cars. Riders are arranged 6 across in a single row, for a total of 6 riders per car. Number of cars varies per installation.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mangels, William F. (May 15, 1906). "Patent US820805A". Google Patents. US Patent Office. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ↑ Mangels, William F. (1906). W.F. Mangels Carousel Works Co. Catalog. USA: W.F. Mangels Carousel Works Co. Catalog.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mangels, William F. (1952). The Outdoor Amusement Industry: From Earliest Times to the Present. USA: Vantage Press, Inc. pp. 139–142. LCCN 52-13299.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Mangels, William F.; Brewster, Charles N. (December 10, 1907). "Patent US873570A". Google Patents. US Patent Office. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ↑ Mangels, William F. (1907). W.F. Mangels Co. Catalog. USA: W.F. Mangels Co.