US152625A - Improvement in elevated railways - Google Patents

Description

2Sheets--Sheetl. R. H. GILBERT.

Elevated Railways. 910,152,625, Patented June 30,1874.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT- Orrron RUFUS H. GILBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATED RAILWAVS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,625, dated June 30, 1874 application tiled October 15, 1872.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUFUs H. GILBERT, of the city and county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevated Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a transverse section of an elevated railway constructed in accordance with my improvements; and Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings indicate the same parts.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of elevated railways, for the purpose of producing a strong and durable structure which shall unite beauty and symmetry of architectural design with the most approved principles of en gineerin The general features of the railway consist in arched girders supported at suitable distances upon ornamental columns, so as to span a street from curb to curb, a series of trusses connecting the girders, and the rails of the road supported byboth girders and trusses.

The invention consists, first, in constructing the girders in the form of an arch, having a str. ight chord, and with tension-rods, suspensionrods, and braces, so arranged as to leave a clear space in the center of the girders for the passage of the cars, and which shall enable the girders to sustain the weight of a train without sagging upon one side the center, and without hipping the girder upon the opposite side. It consists, secondly, in connecting the arched girders with the top chords of the intermediate trusses by means of tie-beams, to prevent the longitudinal swing or rack of the railway. It consists, thirdly, in the combination of safety-guards with the railway, so arranged, in connection with other parts, as to dispose of rain and snow most advantageously, to secure the safety of passengers in case of derailment of a car, and to screen the movements of trains from the view of horses in the streets below.

In the accompanying drawings, A A are ornamental columns, set in a street at suitable distances apart along the line of the curb. B is the transversearched girder, spanning the street from column to column, and constructed in the following manner: (J is the chord of the girder, composed of two I-beams bolted together with a shorter beam, D, between them, as shown, and so laid as to extend across the street from the tops of two opposite columns, to which it is firmly secured. E E are braces, extending from the inside of the columns upward to the chord at about the point 1 f, where they abut against the ends of the short beam 1), and are bolted between the I beams of the chord. G is the arch of the girder, resting upon the tops of the columns, and securely fastened between the beams of the chord. It is composed of two parallel I- beams fastened together with intermediate blocks 9 arranged at suitable intervals to hold them a short distance apart. h h are vertical suspension-rods, connecting the arch with the chord beneath it, and arranged as shown so as to leave the central portion of the girder clear for the rails and the movement of cars. t t are intermediate tension-rods, connecting the arch with the chord, to which they are se cured, so as to radiate at suitable angles from a common center near the feet of the rods h.

As a convenient method of attachment, I prefer to construct the outer ends of the rods h i fork-shaped, to embrace the arch and blocks 9, so that single rods may be used, and but one bolt at the outer end of each.

By this construction and arrangement of the parts a clear center is left through the girder, and the weight of metal so disposed as best to resist the compressive and tensile forces resulting from the unequal distribution of weight in the movement of trains.

For the purpose of symmetry, I carry the braces to a point where they meet the lower surface of the beam D, so as to form an unbroken line extending from column to column. The angle above the braces may be filled with any ornamental scroll-work, as well as the space above the crown of the arch, or pneu' matic dispatch-tubes may occupy the spaces therein.

J J are the trusses, connecting the transverse arched girders in line with their central passages. They are supported by the girders,

and constructed in the usual manner. L L are the tie-beams, extending from the top chords of the trusses directly to or through the arches of the girders between the suspension-rods h, for the purpose of stiffening the structure, and preventing its longitudinal swing in stopping; or starting trains.

At certain intervals along the line of road the trusses are inverted, as shown at M, for the purpose of forming a suitable platform or station for passengers and freight. When so employed the truss is made considerably stronger and of less depth vertically. N are the longitudinal sleepers, extending through the girders and trusses; and O are the crossties, which support the rails P, and which may be laid to form a continuous flooring. Q are the curved or inclined guards, extending along the road outside the rails, with their upper edges secured 'to the trusses and girders, and their lower edges to longitudinal strips 1' fastened to the ties.

The guards are of sufficient height to pre vent objects from falling off the road to the street below, and their inclined position directs snow and rain downward upon the flooring of the road, from. whence they can be carried off to the ground by suitable pipes or other conduits.

The strips 4* project to a sufficient height above the rails, to prevent a derailed car from being thrown oif the road, or even against the sides of the trusses. The safety of the pas sengers is therefore assured under all circumstances, and the trusses and girders protected from injury. The inclined portions of the guards also act as screens, to prevent horses upon the streets below from seeing the moving trains, and becoming frightened thereby.

I propose to arrange one or more pneumatic dispatch tubes, T, along the girders and trusses, in positions where they shall not in- V terfere with the movements or working of the trains. I also propose to place suitable heating-pipes at one or more convenient points between or near the rails, for the purpose of melting the snow and ice as they accumulate upon the road.

If desired, suitable packing-strips of rubber, compressed wool, or other material, may be placed at the joints of the structure to deaden the sound and relieve concussion.

To allow for contraction and expansion of metal, I leave alternate sections of the railway free to slide upon saddle-plates placed upon the chords of the girders.

I do not claim forming the ends of iron trusses on a curve with radial tension-rods; but

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an elevated railway, a transversearched girder supported upon columns, and having a clear center for the passage of trains, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

2. The transverse-arched girders, supported upon columns, and consisting of the chord O D and arch G, combined with the suspensionrods h, tension-rods i, and braces E, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

3. In combination with the transverse-arched girders B, supported upon two columns, the intermediate trusses J upon each side of the railway, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with the transverse-arched girders B and the trusses J, the tie-beams L, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. The guards Q 1', in combination with the elevated railway, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

6.An elevated railway, consisting of the transverse-arched girders B, the connectingtrusses J, and the inverted trusses M, the whole sustained by suitable supports, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

Witnesses: RUFUS II. GILBERT.

WM. FOSTER, Jr., (J. II. MARTIN.

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