The Zipper is a carnival ride designed in 1968 by Chance Rides Manufacturing, Inc., an American manufacturer of amusement rides based in Wichita, Kansas. This ride is noted for the extreme g-forces felt by its riders. The Zipper is still a very popular attraction at many fairs and carnivals.
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Description
The Zipper is a huge oval frame (boom) that spins like a ferris wheel, with free-flipping cars attached to it that move around the frame via pulleys. Each car has a built-in seat, that sits two people, and a covered compartment for the riders' legs. The ride, in effect, looks like a zipper with parallel rows of interlocking teeth. The ride along the frame is not particularly fast, but when the cars get to the edge and change direction, there is a sudden burst of speed which almost always flips the car over. Coupled with the movement of the frame, which moves considerably faster and in the same direction as the cars, the effect can be very terrifying. For the most part, Zippers are run going clockwise, and then counter clockwise.
Like all carnival equipment, the Zipper is also portable. It can be disassembled onto a truck and transported from carnival to carnival. Some of the first Zippers spun much faster than the ones manufactured today. The older Zippers spun so fast that when you got to an end of the boom you were still flipping over and over from the last time you went over the boom.
Safety Issues
On September 7, 1977, the CPSC issued a warning, urging carnival-goers not to ride the Zipper after four deaths occurred when the doors opened and the riders fell out. The accidents were due to spring latches wearing out and not being replaced. Every Zipper is now closed using the original latch, a secondary latch approved by the CPSC, and a large R-Key pin as the final lock. Despite these safety features, two teenage girls were ejected from the ride in July of 2006 in Hinckley, Minnesota when their compartment's door swung open. Their door apparently was never closed by the operator who admitted to local law enforcement that he had not inserted the safety pin (R-Key) before starting the ride. On November 2, 2006, the girls were interviewed. Both of the victims, Erica Matrious and Breanna Larsen, survived the incident despite facing some serious injuries.[1] Another issue has been that of riders small enough to slip out from under the bar that rests across the lap. Plus when riding always hold on to the bars in front of you to avoid head crashing, or any other kind of injury.
New Tubs
There are some Zippers that have different tubs than the original. They don't need the pin that the original Zipper had. In fact, they have two locks on the doors, and there is a Z on the cars. The newer tubs don't seem to go upside down as much as the older tubs. The reason is because of the older tubs being heavier than the newer ones.
Trivia
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- This ride has three types of movements: the entire beam-like structure revolves on a central motor-driven axis (which can be driven in forward and reverse), the cars are continuously drawn around the track by a chain-driven motor all the while (which can also drive both ways), and each car can spin freely on its own axis -- thereby making every ride completely unpredictable.
- Another offering by Chance Rides, named "Chaos", also features independent cars which each flip end-over-end on their own axis, similar to the way the Zipper's cars spin. Six Flags Mexico has a permanent park model of Chaos. This ride is no longer being manufactured due to safety issues with the restraint devices.
- The Zipper is similar to an earlier Chance Rides offering, the larger Skydiver, which was produced from 1965 to 1979 and requires 2 trailers to transport. Skydiver cars are mounted on a circular frame (like a Ferris Wheel), and spin on a front-back axis like a barrel roll.[2]
- This ride is not featured on Chance Morgan's website; therefore it can be assumed that the Zipper is no longer manufactured.
- The manufacturer recommends a No Single Riders policy on the Zipper, based on Chance Rides bulletin B090R1169-A. Safety announcements including No Single Riders are also mentioned in Chance Rides bulletin B106R1116-0.
- The Zipper is mentioned in Dane Cooks comedy bit "Benson's Animal Farm" on his 2007 album Rough Around the Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden.
Technical specifications
- Seats
- Number of Seats:12 or 16, Depending on brand and model.
- Maximum Number of Passengers Per Seat: 2 Adults or 3 Children
- Maximum Total Number of Passengers: 24 Adults or 36 Children
- Passenger Weight
- Maximum Passenger Weight per Seat: (155 kg (340 lb)
- Maximum Total Passenger Weight: 1,855 kg (4,090 lb)
- Dimensions
- Maximum Height: 25.5 m (56 ft)
- Minimum Passenger Height: 48 inches (1.22 m)
- Direction of Travel:
- Boom: clockwise or counterclockwise
- Cable: clockwise or counterclockwise
- Ride Speed:
- Boom: 7.5 RPM
- Cable: 4 RPM
- Ride Duration (maximum): 2.5 minutes
- Ride Duration (Recommended): 2 minutes
- Total Weight: 43,000 lb (19,500 kg)
- Power Requirements:
- Boom Drive: Electro-hydraulic
- Cable Drive: Electric
- Power Rating: 25 hp (19 kW)
- Suspension Type: Air Ride
External links
- A comprehensive Zipper website with descriptions and pictures
- A rather humorous report of someone's first ride
- The Zipper Description
- Zipper Accident News Report
