Twist

The Scrambler, Twist (in the UK), Twister, Cha Cha (in Australia), Sizzler, or Merry Mixer, is an amusement ride in which suspended riders spinning in cars experience centrifugal 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 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. 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, where it grossed $1,700 (at 25 cents a ride) in a single day and interested many additional buyers.