The invention relates to a Ferris wheel, comprising base means, a supporting structure consisting of two pairs of nets, which are erected on the base means and at their top end bear a head, and also a wheel that is rotatably supported on the head, which masts can be folded down on the base means.
Such a Ferris wheel is known from EP-A-389008. One mast of each pair of masts is hingedly connected to the top side of a container. The other mast of each pair is movably supported on the container. This means that the masts can be folded down into the container. The components of the Ferris wheel can then be transported in the containers.
The disadvantage of this Ferris wheel is that its height is limited by the dimensions of the container, Since the masts have to fit into the container, they cannot be selected in a length that is greater than the internal length measurement of the container.
The object of the invention is to disclose a Ferris wheel of the abovementioned type which does not have this limitation. That object is achieved by the fact that at least one mast of each pair of masts is articulated, in such a way that in the erected state of the supporting structure the articulations of a mast are aligned in each case, and in the folded-down state of the supporting structure the articulations of a mast are in each case rotated relative to each other out of the aligned state about axes of rotation that are essentially parallel to the axis of rotation about which the wheel is rotatably supported on the head.
The articulated design of the supporting structure makes it possible to use relatively long masts, which can still be folded down to relatively small dimensions. This makes it possible to use a fairly tall Ferris wheel, which is still transportable, in view of the limited dimensions when it is folded down.
According to a special embodiment, one mast of each pair of masts can have a mast part that is rotatably connected to the base means, and the other mast can have a mast part that is immovably connected to the base means. The mast part that is rotatably connected to the base means is approximately the same length as the other mast part belonging to the same mast, while the mast part that is immovably connected to the base means is shorter in length than the other mast part belonging to the same mast.
Furthermore, the head from which the wheel is rotatably suspended can be rigidly connected to one of the masts. The head in this case is hingedly connected to the other mast.
For purposes of the transportability of the Ferris wheel, each pair of masts is accommodated on its own separate base. In particular, each pair of masts can be accommodated on its own separate mobile undercarriage such as a trailer.
In that case the head comprises two head halves which are detachably connected to each other, each head half being connected to a pair of masts. For the assembly of the Ferris wheel, the trailers are disposed side by side parallel to each other and stabilized in the correct way. The head halves can then be connected to each other, after which the masts can be erected, which means that the supporting structure is ready, and the wheel can be suspended from it.