The Orbiter is a fairground ride invented by Richard Woolls in 1976.
History[]
Richard Wools invented the Orbiter in 1976, with showman Henry Frederick Smith investing in the blueprints and consequently being the first owner, taking delivery in 1976 of the OB-1, making its debut at Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, Kent. The Orbiter is made by Tivoli Manufacturing, a British company. In the U.S. their representative is Amtech.
Description[]
It has a number of articulated arms radiating from a central rotating vertical axis. Each arm supports a cluster of cars, which are lifted through 90° into the horizontal position once the ride is spinning. At the same time, each cluster of cars rotates around its arm's axis.
The Orbiter/Typhoon/Predator arms don't always tilt at the same height (90%). Some might tilt all the way while others don't tilt a lot. Most Orbiters consist of six arms and have three cars for each arm with up to two people sitting in each car. There is a metal lap bar that comes down on the car for the restraint.