US1500379A

US1500379A - Overhead railway

Info

Publication number: US1500379A
Application number: US685711A
Authority: US
Inventors: Englund Anders Johan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-01-11
Filing date: 1924-01-11
Publication date: 1924-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 1941-07-08

Description

A. J. ENGLUND OVERHEAD RAILWAY July 8 1924.

Filed Jan. 11 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L/PAJ July 8. 1924.

A. J. ENGLUND OVERHEAD RAILWAY Filed Jan. 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Shee'z 2 unlcl Patented July 8, 1924.

' UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDERS JOHAN ENGLUND, F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

OVERHEAD RAILWAY;

Application filed January 11, 1924. Serial No. 685,711. i

To all w/Lom it may concern: v Be it known that I, ANDERS J OHAN ENGLUND, a citizen of Sweden, residing at Spokane, in Spokane County, and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overhead Railways, of which the following is a specification. 7 A

The present invention relates to improve- 10 ments in overhead railways of the single rail type designed" forindustrial use and particularly applicable in logging operations for transporting logs over mountainous or hilly lands where the usual surface railways cannot be built. i

The invention involves the utilization of a train of coupled trucks with suitable propelling mechanism, and each truck is equipped with a pair of'tiltable, outwardly dumping carriers supported below the overhead rail or track. Novel combinations and arrangements of parts are'providedfor retaining the carriers innormal position and for releasing the carriers at the proper time, as well as for retaining the load on the'carriers. Means are employed for shifting the single support for the pair of carriers to properly balance the load on the truck, and other features are provided whereby logs and other materials to be transported may be handled with facility during the necessary operations.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements o-fparts as will be hereinafter more specifically set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein'the parts are combined and arranged in accordance with the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

' Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the railway structure showing, a truck in cross section and a pair of carriers in end elevation. V

Figure 2 is a top plan view illustrating portions of a pair of coupled trucks and the mechanism for laterally shifting the load of the carriers, for counterbalancing.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the shifting mechanism of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a s1de elevation of a portion of the overhead railway with one truck and carrier thereon. A

Figureti is a top plan view of the cross beam forsupporting the dumping carriers at the longitudinal center of a truck and the operating mechanism for releasing the pair of carriers. v H Figure 6 15, an enlarged vertical sectional View of one of the'L-sliaped carriers and its supportlngarm, together with looking and releasing means therefor.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the locking devices for the carriers. The s ngle track of the overhead railway is composed of standard railroad rails as 1,

properly supported on the tops of spaced posts or uprights 2, ,which posts are mortised in and supported from the cross ties 3 having lateraldiagonal braces 4. At a suitable height these posts are provided with side guides or trackways 5 5, one at eachside of the posts, which extend parallel with the single track rail 1.

In Figure 2 portions of a pair of trucks are indicated as A and B, whichare coupled as by a link C, and these trucks are cou pled and, utilized] in suitable numbers to form a train propelled by: suitable power and adapted to transport logs as indicated in Figure 1. The logs (or other material to be transported) are carried by two or more trucks depending upon the length of the logs,- and as the load carried is supported at a suitable position below the overhead track, the center of gravity of the'l oaded'truck is brought to the required point to insure stabilizingof the train or series of coupled trucks while in transit.

,The trucks are supported above'the single trackand each truck, which is rectangular in shape, ismade up of a pair of longitudinally

extendingparallel bolsters

6, 6, preferably, of channel iron, which are tied together with straps or tie'plates 7, and the pair of grooved traction wheels 8 are journaled'in bearings 9-therefor on the top of the truck. The wheels are spaced apart equidistant from the longitudinal center of bolted to thetwo side bolsters to provide a rigid brace and support a transversely arprovided a transverse plate 10 riveted or ranged shaft 11 which is journaled in bearings 12 on the top of the center plate and over the bolsters. This shaft is journaled to oscillate in its bearings, and is also adapted to be shifted laterally of the truck, the truck however remaining at all times in parallelism with the single rail and per pendicular thereto regardless of the location of the longitudinal plane of the rail.

The horizontally disposed shaft 11 is provided with a rigid or integral upright stud shaft or pedestal 13 formed with a shoulder 13, and on this pedestal and its shoulder a cross beam 14 is supported, a block 15 being indicated in dotted lines as forming a rigid member of the beam for engage ment with the pedestal, and resting upon the shoulder 13. The cross beam is thus directly supported above the truck on the pedestal, and a nut 16 on the threaded end 17 of the pedestal retains the beam in position. The beam projects equidistant at the sides of the truck a suitable distance and may be made up of metal shapes to insure strength and rigidity. At the respective ends of the beam are aflixed a pair of depending

arms

18 and 19, preferably of angle irons or channel irons, which arms curve inwardly from the beam ends and then extend straight and downwardly parallel with the vertical axis of the single rail. Vertical braces formed of metal plates 20 are bolted or riveted to the cross beams and to the respective supporting arms to insure rigidity of the structure, and of course these members which constitute a supporting frame depending from but movable relatively to the truck, are counterbalanced as closely as may be, and are provided with guide rollers 21.

For longitudinally shifting the shaft 11 together with this supporting frame transversely of the truck body to equalize the load at the sides of the rail and balance the carriers to be described, I employ the shifting mechanism best shown in Figures 2 and 3. A screw bar 22 disposed trans versely of the truck is journaled in a hearing 23 on one of the bolsters 6 and provided with a hand wheel 24 at the side of the truck. On the screw bar is carried a travelling, nonrotatable nut 25 operatively connected with a shifting lever 26 which is pivoted at 27 on the truck. At the end of the shifting lever a transversely extending link 28 is pivoted which link carries a fork 29 operatively connected with the shaft 11 at one end. It will readily be apparent that by turning the hand wheel in desired direction the shaft may be shifted longitudinally in its bearings, as indicated by dotted lines, which movement results in a lateral shifting of the supporting frame with relation to the truck. In some in stances the wheels 24 may be removed and replaced by sprocket wheels andthese wheels on succeeding trucks will be connected by chains in order that two or more supporting frames may be shifted simultaneously with relation to their trucks.

The supporting frame of the truck carries a pair of opposed carriers 30 and :31, which may be outwardly and downwardly tilted for dumping the load. These carriers are of L-shape and preferably of channel iron construction, each having a horizontally disposed load-bearing arm 32 projecting outwardly from the railway center, and the vertical portions of these carriers when they are in carryingposition embrace the supporting

arms

18 and 19 as shown.

At the lower ends of the supporting

arms

18 and 19 hinges 33rare provided for the .L-shaped carriers to permittilting of the carriers when the load is to be dumped. The L-shaped carriers are locked to the supporting arms by a latch device or turn button 34 in connection witlra slot 35 in" the upright portion of the carriers. A supporting bracket 36 is provided in the supporting arm for the shank 37 of the button, and an angular lever 38 onthe shank located at the innerside of the supporting arm is utilized to turn the shank and button in manner well. understood to lock or unlock the carrier and its supporting arm.

In addition to these devices for locking th carriers in normal position flexible braces or cables 39 are employed, one for each carrier. These braces are permanently anchored as at 40 at the opposite ends of the cross beam 14 and: the free ends of the cables are formed with; loops or eyes 41 adapted to be engaged with the respective hooks 42, one of which is pivoted as at 43 at the outer end of each of the load bearing arms 32 of the carriers. In addition to supporting theload bearing arms and relieving the strain on the carrier locks,

o a u a I carriers as indicated in Figure 1, and prethese braces or cables retain the load: on the vent displacement of the logs;

When. the carrier, is tov be tilted, after unlocking, and the load is to be dumped, the

hooks 42 are turned to permit disengagement therefrom of the cable loops 41 by the following release mechanism. A. short length cable 44 is connected to the hook member 42 at a point in the required align-,

lar relation to the point of attachment of the loop, which cable extends throughout the length of the load bearing arm 32 and is connected to a pivoted plate 45 which may oscillate on its pivot 46 in the carrier."

A longer, upright cable 47 is attached to the pivoted plate, (which plate performs the function of a bell crank lever) at a suitable point and extends. upwardly and is p-ivotally connected with a lever arm 48 which is pivoted at 49 on an upright brace 20. As

seen in Figure 1 the two lever arms 48 are located at the sides of the vertical center of the railway, and the free ends of these arms, when the carriers are in normal position, project up to the topof the cross beam and at one side thereof. On the top of th cross beam is a latch 50 pivoted at 51 and extending parallel with the beam and transversely of the truck. The latch is fashioned with a pair of detents 52, which as shown in Figure 5 project laterally from the beam in position to be engaged at their undersides by the free ends of the lever arms 48. It will be apparent that the load of the carrier sup-ported through the instrumentality of the hook 42 will hold the releasing cables under strain and this strain will hold the free ends of the lever arms up against the detents of the latch. A pull on the releasing cord 53 will withdraw the latch, and the weight of the load of the carrier, when the latter is unlocked, now falls on the released hook 42 which is swung on its pivot 43 allowing the. loop 41 to be disengaged therefrom. The carrier is now released from the supporting cable and may tilt under the weight of the load to dump the latter. The latch 50 may be notched as at 54C to permit its movement with relation to the threaded end 17 of the pedestal 13, as seen in Figure 5.

The carriers may be loaded in any usual manner after they have been locked and are retained in position by the supporting cables 39, and the train of trucks may be propelled on the track by any suitable power.

Having thus fully described my inventio-n, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a railway truck, of a transversely arranged supporting member thereon, means on the truck whereby said member is permitted to ,swing in the direction of'travel with relation to the truck, laterally disposed carriers supported from said member, and means for shifting said member transversely of the truck for counterbalanoing the weight of the carriers.

2. The combination with a truck having a transverse shaft journaled thereon and means for shifting said shaft on its longitudinal axis, a pedestal fixed to said shaft,

a transverse beam supported on the pedestal, supporting arms depending from said beam, and laterally arranged carriers supported from said arms.

3. The combination with an overhead railway truck of a transversely arranged supporting member thereon and means whereby said member may swing in the direction of travel of the truck, laterally disposed depending arms carried by said member, and

outwardly tiltable carriers pivotally supported in said arms.

4. The combination with a railway truck of a transversely arranged beam supported to swing thereabove in the direction of travel, laterally disposed rigid arms depending from said beam, outwardly tiltable carriers supported on said arms, a cable anchored to said beam for each carrier, means for attaching said cables to the carriers, and detaching means for said cables.

5. The combination with a railway truck of a transversely extending beam supported on said truck, laterally disposed rigid arms depending from said beam at opposite sides of the truck, outwardly tiltable carriers pivotally supported on said arms, a cable anchored on the beam at each side of the truck, said cables having a loop at their free ends, a pivoted hook on each carrierfor said loops, and means for actuating said hooks to detach said cables.

6. The combination with a railway truck of a transversely extending beam supported thereon, a lateral arm depending from said beam, .an L-shaped carrier pivoted in said arm, means for locking said carrier to said arm, a cable having a looped end and anchored to said beam, at pivoted hook on the carrier for said looped end, a lever arm pivoted on said lateral arm and a flexible connection between said lever arm and hook, and a releasing latch pivoted on said beam for retaining said lever arm in normal po-' sition.

7. The combination with a truck having 8. The combination Wltll an overhead railway truck, of a transversely arranged supporting member thereon and means whereby said member may swing in the direction of travelof the truck, laterally disposed arms depending from said member, outwardly tiltable carriers pivotally supported in said arms, and means for shifting said member transversely of the truck for counterbalancing the load of the carriers,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ANDERS JOHAN ENGLUND.