Scrambler (ride)
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The Scrambler, Twist (in the UK), Twister, Cha Cha (in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
), Sizzler, or Merry Mixer, is an
amusement ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...
in which suspended riders spinning in cars experience
centrifugal Centrifugal (a key concept in rotating systems) may refer to: *Centrifugal casting (industrial), Centrifugal casting (silversmithing), and Spin casting (centrifugal rubber mold casting), forms of centrifigual casting *Centrifugal clutch *Centrifug ...
force, while spinning along two separate axes. Riders are seated in small carriages clustered together and connected by beams at the top to a central point. The clustered vehicles are spun in one direction, while the ride as a whole spins in the opposite direction. There are a number of variations of the design.


Early history

The first scrambler was invented by Richard Harris of Georgia and installed at
Lakewood Fairgrounds Lakewood Fairgrounds, established in 1916 in Lakewood Heights, Atlanta, was built to be the home of the Southeastern Fair. The Lakewood Fairgrounds was located on of former Creek Indian land, which was situated around a lake. The Southeaster ...
in 1938. Two additional rides were built and sold in the following two years. In 1941, Harris was granted a U.S. patent for the design, which was then acquired or licensed by the
Eli Bridge Company Eli Bridge Company is a family-owned amusement ride manufacturer headquartered in Jacksonville, Illinois, U.S. History W. E. Sullivan, owner of Eli Bridge Company in Illinois, rode the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel at the World's Columbi ...
. In late 1953, the Eli Bridge Company road-tested its Scrambler ride, and sold the first five by the end 1954. The original ride had a total of 12 cars distributed among its three arms with a capacity of 24 adults or 36 children. The entire ride rotated clockwise at 9–12 revolutions per minute. The Eli Bridge Scrambler had one of its first major showings at the 1955
Florida State Fair The Florida State Fair is held annually at the Florida State Fairgrounds in East Lake-Orient Park, Florida. The official state fair of Florida, it includes indoor and outdoor exhibits, rides and shows. It is a chance for the state to showcase its ...
, where it grossed $1,700 (at 25 cents a ride) in a single day and interested many additional buyers. The rides first appeared in the UK in 1959, when they were manufactured by Edwin Hall under license from the Eli Bridge Company. Eli Bridge rides were first imported in 1979.


Variants


Grasscutter

A grasscutter scrambler has a basic frame shape and no platform and is driven by a lower arm assembly. This type of ride is extremely popular in the United States. * Scrambler—These rides usually have a circular structure near the top of the ride. There are vertical bars that go around the top along with lights on them. For the most part, these rides are made by the
Eli Bridge Eli Bridge Company is a family-owned amusement ride manufacturer headquartered in Jacksonville, Illinois, U.S. History W. E. Sullivan, owner of Eli Bridge Company in Illinois, rode the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel at the World's Columbi ...
Company. * Wisdom's Sizzler—This ride does not have a platform, but it still has thick arms at the top and bottom of each seating assembly. The top of the ride has 3 twisted metal structures. There are also lights all over the ride including the cars. These are popular in the US, but are no longer made by Wisdom.


Sizzler

A Sizzler is a ride which has thicker arms and a platform. It was when these type started being manufactured, the manufacturers concentrated on the ride aesthetics. Concerns have been raised about its safety, as the ride has been involved in at least six fatalities since 1997. * Bennett & Pollards—These rides have a smaller circumference from the center of the ride to the seats. They are similar to Eli Bridge Scrambler rides because they also have cylinder structures on top of the ride. * PWS Sizzler, Sonacase Twister, & Twist—These rides each have a platform, but they do not have objects near the top of the ride such as a cylinder structure. There are lights all around the center structure of the ride. Thus, these rides look similar. * Wisdom's Family Sizzler—this ride has thick arms and a platform, along with a central structure with dazzling lights. It has wheels to guide the three pods along underneath, and is quite fast when compared to a Grasscutter-type ride. They are found mostly at indoor fun centers and are the only type of Sizzler being made by Wisdom. * Wisdom's Super Sizzler—This ride has a platform, and it looks similar to the Sizzler. Another difference is that it goes backwards, and this ride also has a backdrop with some colorful art.


Gee Whizzer

The 'Gee Whizzer' derivative was constructed and commissioned by the operators King Carnival amusements of Tasmania, Australia during the 1950s. The project was carried out by rail engineers who utilised rail and tram parts which were common for the era. This machine is currently the largest and fastest of the variants utilising a unique fully suspended balanced single sweep arm design, driven from the top resulting in no lower arm assembly. The centre support core is fully independent and does not require a support deck, instead eight extended stabilisers are fitted to the core during assembly. Only one of these machines are known to be in existence.


Cyclone

A Cyclone, also known as a Lifting Twist, manufactured by ARM UK, has very much the same function and appearance as a normal Sizzler, except that the centre structure begins to lift with the cars once it reaches up to normal speed until it reaches above the fence level, where it remains for the duration of the ride. They are considerably fast when they reach full speed, although they normally slow down first so riders can brace for the full speed. After the full speed part is over, the centre structure begins to lower back to platform level as the ride slows down to a stop. Only two of these Cyclones currently exist in the world.


Installations

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See also

*
Troika (ride) The Troika is an amusement park ride designed and manufactured by HUSS Park Attractions in the mid-1970s. The name Troika means "group of three" in Russian, a reference to its three armed design. There are several variations on the design. Desi ...


References

{{Amusement rides Amusement rides