My Story

Who doesn’t enjoy the Dodgem car ride?

I always had a passion for amusement parks and the various rides and excitement that they provided. When I was older I wanted to continue this interest and even looked at purchasing a ride from an auction. Back in the 80’s a carousel was up for auction and made a bid for a couple of the horses but the bids got out of control. Later as I continued to seek an adventure I decided to focus on a ride that I could get further enjoyment from than just having a static display sitting in a room. So that brought me to looking for a bumper car. I realized that in addition to enjoying the beauty of it I could motorize and ride it. Not something outrageous but something that maintained its originality and simplicity. In seeking out a bumper car I came across an opportunity that basically was 2 heavily rusted bodies and a pallet full of parts.

Upon winning the successful bid, my journey began. As I went through all the items on the pallet I soon realized that a few items were missing and the ones that I had were in very rough shape and condition. It would take a lot of work and time to get then into shape.  That took more time than originally planned, but I eventually assemble them into a restored condition and motorized them.

The images on the various pages within this website show the amount of work that went into bringing  these 2 cars back to life. As I discovered, the Dodgem brand is more rare than the Lusse brand of cars. Parts and information for the most part is none excitement. But fortunately because of my passion for amusement parks I had a number of connections within the industry and reached out to them. Chance Manufacturing Company of Wichita Kansas, which eventually became the custodian of the Dodgem Corporation assets was a source that was able to provide the various drawings featured here. My background in woodworking helped in recreating the wood floors for which I had no dimensions to work from. And my experience with design/build projects over the years, provided the understanding and fortitude in getting the cars restored.

The reason for the purchase of the third Dodgem car was to have a working template as this car was fully intact. It provided the template so I could recreate the hood ornament for the 2 original cars which were missing this key feature. It also provided the electric motor and clutch assembly for future project work. Plus I was interested in assembling a fleet of cars if the right ones eventually become available.

The three Dodgem cars featured here were originally build sometime in the early-mid fifties. Dodgem Corporation used this trim package from 1952 to 1956. Approximately 230 cars were produced with this trim package. The Dodgem Corporation used this body style from 1937 to 1957 and used the front wheel drive assembly from 1934 to 1962.

Project Fun Facts

The cars were basically an uni-body constructed design and I converted them to body on frame design. The bodies were originally attached to the wood floor with 3″ wood screws going thru the steel bumper frame, which was hidden under the rubber bumper. I changed it so the wood floor and lower assembly are one element and the body as a separate element. The 2 elements are bolted together using the original 6 bolt hold-down pattern.

Seeing how the cars weigh also 600 pounds assembled I needed to install an electric hoist in my shop to be able to lift the assemblies.

The cars originally ran on 120v or 240v ac. Based on the original design, the patron was within inches of being shocked while seated within the car.

The car speed with the original electric motors was 4.8 mph. My cars with the battery powered dc motor travel at 3.7 mph.

 

Dodgem Story

 

Start

Patents

FILED: December 7, 1920

#1,373,108   March 29, 1921
Amusement Apparatus (ride)

This invention relates to an amusement apparatus including cars of a self~propelled type equipped with novel instrumentalities to render their manipulation and control difficult and uncertain by the occupant/operator.

 

FILED: March 27, 1920

#1,467,959    September 11, 1923
Amusement Device (car)

This invention relates to improvements in amusement dev1ces and has for its special object the providing of an amusement device for parks and beaches and the like places by means of which device a person may be given a ride which ride shall be under control of the rider as to starting and stopping and as to direction in which the device is moved.

 

FILED: October 26, 1923

#1,652,840    December 13, 1927
Amusement Device (car)

This invention relates to amusement apparatus of the type shown in patents granted to Max Stoehrer and‘ Harold‘ Stoehrer Nos.1,378,108, March 29,1921, and 1,467,959‘, September 11, 1923.

More particularly the invention has in view a light and practical car, adapted to travel on a metal floor constituting one terminal of an electric circuit, the other terminal real being formed by an open wire-mesh ceiling or overhead structure which is traversed by a suitable trolley that supplies current to the propelling motor of the car. That is to say, it is proposed to provide a car particularly designed to utilize the general features of the cars in the apparatus above referred to such a way as to reduce manufacturing and assembly costs to a minimum, and yet at the same time incorporate features of construction which safeguard both the occupant and equipment.

To that end, the invention contemplates a car having adequate electrical and mechanical. control devices which. act automatically to insure. the. safety of the occupant and operating mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is to provide. a novel and practical slip clutch. With the above; and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is, better understood, the same consists in the novel. construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein after more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

 

FILED: November 8, 1928

#1,772,220    August 5, 1930
Amusement Device (car) front wheel drive

This invention relates to an improvement in amusement apparatus of the general type illustrated in the Stoehrer Patents Nos. 1,373,108, March 29, 1921; 1,467,959, Sept. 11, 1923; 1,478,979, December 25, 1923; and 1,652,840, December 13, 1927.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and practical combined guiding and driving construction for a car used in amusement devices of the type including an electrically charged floor and ceiling which furnishes power to the driving motor. In that connection the invention contemplates a carrying forward of the idea shown in the Stoehrer Patent No. 1,373,108 wherein the guiding and traction units are combined to provide for the control of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which is simple, practical, reliable and easily manufactured and assembled, and which has the advantage of producing a better traction by locating the traction element- at the front of the platform of the car. Heretofore, it has been the practice to locate the driving or traction means approximately beneath the position of occupants’ seat so that all of the traction effort of the driving unit is concentrated or focused more or less in a restricted zone which imposes unusual load on the driving motor to overcome the inertia of starting.

With the present arrangement, namely, that of locating the combined driving and steering unit at the front of the car, the load or weight will be more equally distributed so that the car will pick up quicker in starting, thereby saving both motor and other equipment from unnecessary wear or strain and also permitting quicker manipulation of the car.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

 

FILED: December 18, 1928

#1,839,981    January 5, 1932
Amusement Device (car)

This invention relates to an improvement, in amusement apparatus of the general type illustrated in the Stoehrer Patents N0. 1,373,108, March 29, 1921; 1,467,959, September 11, 1923; 1,47 8,97 9, December 25,1923 ; and 1,652,840, December 13, 1927, and further illustrated in my co-pending application, Serial No. 317,955, filed Nov. 8th, 1928, now Patent No. 1,772,220, dated Aug. 5, 1930.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and practical combined guiding and driving construction which represents a carrying forward of the idea shown in the Stoehrer Patent No. 1,373,108 wherein the guiding and traction units are combined to provide for the control of the car.

A further object of ‘the invention is to provide a unit located at the front of the car in which the motor rotates with the steering and driving Wheels. In my co-pending application, the motor is mounted on a stationary frame, whereas according to the present embodiment of the invention the motor and the steering wheels are mounted on a common support and the steering from the steering column to the guiding wheels is imparted to the latter-directly through the motor casing. This arrangement has the advantage of simplicity as well as practicability and reliability both from the standpoint of general use and also maintenance and repair.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein after more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

 

FILED: January 25, 1930

#1,853,738     April 12, 1932
Steering wheel drive mechanism for amusement cars

This invention relates to an improved steering wheel drive mechanism for amusement cars of the type illustrated for example in Stoehrer et’ al. Patents Nos. 1,373,108, 1,467,959 and 1,478,979,, and has for its general object to provide a novel combination and arrangement of parts according to which the weight of the drive unit. is concentrated above the combined steering and traction wheel, and the drive unit as an entirety is rotatable for steering purposes.

Another object of, the invention is to provide a front wheel drive mechanism of strong, and durable construction thoroughly capable of withstanding the harsh usage to-which such mechanisms are subjected in use, and which at the same time 1s of exceptionally simple design and involves the employment of a minimum number of parts which are relatively cheap and easy to produce and assemble.

With the additional object in view of providing a front wheel drive mechanism which is compact in assembly and thoroughly reliable and efficient in use, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as be hereinafter more fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing, the figure is a vertical sectional view through a front wheel drive mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention.

Promotional Items

Body Styles Thru The Years

Illustrations by Mark Blumhagen