Frank Hrubetz & Co., Inc. was an American manufacturer of

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

flat ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

s. Established in 1939, the company was located near the Salem, Oregon airport. It sold both trailer-mounted and permanent model rides to theme parks throughout the world. Models included the Meteor,

Paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Wor ...

, Round Up, and Tip Top. In 1968, the company's estimated business brought in over $1.5 million and its plant space was 25,000 square feet. By the early 1970s, Hrubetz was selling 60 rides each year, making it the second largest manufacturer of amusement rides in the United States. They closed their manufacturing doors in 1992.

History

The company was founded by Frank Hrubetz, a 1930 graduate of

Oregon State College Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...

with a degree in

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, ...

. Hrubetz worked for the

Eyerly Aircraft Company Eyerly Aircraft Company was an amusement ride manufacturing company in Salem, Oregon, founded by Lee Eyerly in 1930. The company originally intended to design flight simulators for the aircraft industry but shifted to amusement rides after an ear ...

which developed a 10-foot airplane on a fixed base for training pilots. Called the Orientator, it used a small electric propeller and could climb, dive and turn. The company discovered it was more profitable as entertainment after one buyer placed the trainer on the corner of Hollywood and Vine in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

as an amusement ride. While working for

Lee Eyerly Lee Ulrich Eyerly (February 22, 1892 – March 23, 1963) was an American civil aviation pioneer and amusement ride manufacturer. Early life Eyerly was born February 22, 1892 in Cuba, Illinois, and raised in Canton. In 1909, his family moved to ...

, Hrubetz helped develop other rides including the Loop-O-Plane and later Roll-O-Plane—two small bullet-shaped cars that spun rapidly on a vertical axis. In 1939, Hrubetz left Eyerly to become a competitive manufacturer with Frank Hrubetz & Co.

Flat rides

—Ten double-seat gondolas spinning on a hanging arm. * Round Up—Oval-shaped cages rotating on an angled platform *

Meteor A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as mic ...

—3 oval-shaped cages rotating on an angled platform * Hi-Ball—Tower with a gondola that raised to the top and spun *

Screwball A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...

—Only one ever built and never sold to the public. No images ever taken. Very little is known about this ride... Capell Brother's Shows owned one in late 1950s.-early 1960s. *Spitfire *Tip Top - Ten 2-person spinning tubs on a rotating platform *Fireball

References

Gallery

File:Paratrooper.jpg,

by Frank Hrubetz & Co., permanent installation at

Kennywood Park Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just southeast of Pittsburgh. The park opened on May 30, 1899, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family's Monongahela Street Railway. It was purchased in ...

File:Roundupride.jpg, Round up by Frank Hrubetz & Co., permanent installation at Stricker's Grove File:Round-Up Antrieb.jpg, Electric motor, belt, hydraulic pump, and belt to final drive tire propulsion of a mobile Round up by Frank Hrubetz & Co. at a funfair in Germany

External links

The Flat Joint - Amusement, Fair and Carnival Rides
Rides, by manufacturer. {{DEFAULTSORT:Frank Hrubetz and Company Manufacturing companies based in Oregon Amusement ride manufacturers Companies based in Salem, Oregon Manufacturing companies established in 1939 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1992 1939 establishments in Oregon 1992 disestablishments in Oregon