US1561841A

US1561841A - Tower for suspended railways

Info

Publication number: US1561841A
Application number: US697015A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lewis A Frye
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-03-05
Filing date: 1924-03-05
Publication date: 1925-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1942-11-17

Description

Nov. 17,1925. 1,561,841

| A. FRYE TQWER FOR SUSPENDED RAILWAYS Filed March 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 17 192$ 1,561,841 L. A. FRYE TOWER FdR SUSPENDED RAILWAYS Filed Maid; 5, 9 2 sh ets-sheaf z Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE. j

LEWIS A. FRYE, 011: LOS AIFGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TOWER FOB SUSPENDED RAILWAYS.

Application filed Karch 5, 1924. Serial no. 697,015.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. FRYE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Towers for Suspended Railways, of which the following is a detailed specification.

This invention relates to towers for Suspended railways and while the structure embodying my invention may be advantageously used in many and various situations, it is especially well suited to the purpose of supporting girders or rails used in connection with suspended or elevated railways. In order to more definitely describe the invention, I have chosen to illustrate it in connection with a particular type of railway, namely, a suspended mono-railway,

but this is not to be construed as a limitation on the invention.

In the usual suspended mono-rail sys tom, the load is normally carried beneath and in vertical alinement with the traction rail, :1 goose-neck hanger usually serving to connect the load with a truck or trucks riding on the rail. Therefore, in order to provide the necessary clearance for the load and goose-neck, the traction rail and its underlying girders must be supported from one side only. To comply with this requirement, a supporting. tower must have its column set out of vertical alinement with the rail girders, while cantilever beams extend from the column to provide the necessary girder support.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a tower of the general nature de' scribed above, which will be of minimum weight, occupy a minimum of space and yet have the requisite rigidity and strength. I have devised novel means for fixing the contilever beam against vertical rotation about its point of support on the column,

this means generally consisting ofa ten-.

ricated from standard material and may be quicklyand easily erectedin the field.

I have also combined certain of the struc- I quent starting and stopping of trains are reduced to aminimum, and I therefore prefer to use a wooden tower column having a desirable degree of strength and flexibility and usually easily procu'rable in the field. Inthis connection, I have devised certain novel joints for uniting the metal and wooden elements of the tower to secure a proper bond between them.

Other objects and features of novelty will be set out in the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a. tower showmg a loading platform in connection therewith, and also showing a mono-rail car supported on an associated U-rail.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing one method of supporting a loading platform from certain elements of the tower, proper.

Fig. 3vis an enlarged section on line 33 of Fig. ,1. v v

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

v Fig. 5 is' a top plan view of'a column cap which is shown in section in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the column footing and shoe, as viewed from i the portion of arrow 6'in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line 77 of Fig. 6. 1

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view showing details of the connection between the tower column and cantilever, parts being shown in broken away section.

In the following specification I first generally describe the main elements of the tower and point outtheirfunction and coaction, leaving the details of structural form and connecting elements to be treated later. Column 10, preferably of wood, having a shoe generally indicated at 11, rests on foot top of column 10 and serves as a bearing plate for the cantilever beam 17 which is preferably an I-beam provided with stiffening braces or angles 18 between its flanges. Straps 19 are bolted to column 10 at 20 and thus extend upwardly and in- \var'dly to meet opposite sides of beam web 21 to which they are riveted at 22 (see Figs. 3 and 4.), thus serving to hold the beams to the column and as braces for the beam. Angles 23 form a connection between the end of beam17 and girder 24 which supports the U or traction rail 25. A car 26 is suspended by hanger 27 from truck 28, this showing of truck and car being made merely to illustrate the disposition of load on the column and not as a part of the in.- vention. It will be understood that rail may be used for supporting loads other than cars. For instance, it may be used in conncction with suspended, traveling cranes, etc.

Gantilever 17 has a portion 17 extending from the column on the side opposite to that carrying girder 24, and a T-iron tension member 29 is secured to the end of extension 17" at 30 and thence inclines downwardly and inwardly towards the base of the tower, being secured by splice plates 31 to post 32 which extends downwardly through footing 12 and is clanmed at 33 to the transversely arranged rail or anchor 34,'comnionly known as a dead-man, and which is embedded in a lateral extension of footing 12. It will be noted that the point at which member or element 29 is anchored, lies within footing 12 and approximately in vertical alinement with the longitudinal axis of column 10. Therefore, in later discussion, element 29 may be considered as being anchored at the base of the column.

A strut 35, preferably made up of I- beams 36, cover plates 37 and extension plates 38 and 39, is secured at one end to column 10 by angles 40 and is bolted at 41. to tension members 29.

Corner or knee braces 42 serve to rein force the structure against relative movement between column 10 and beam 17, and H se braces are preferably made up and secured as follows: Gusset plates 43 have outlining

angle iron reinforcements

44, 45 and 49, each riveted to its respective gussetplate. The horizontal leg of each angle describe it in detail.

iron 45 is riveted to the lower flange of beam 17 at 47, while the vertical angle irons 44 are secured to the column by lag screws 48 (see Fig. 9).

An angle iron brace 49 is secured to the tower at approximately the point of junc tion between beam 17 and column 10, preferably by bolts 50 through inner knee brace 42, and hence extends downwardly and out wardly, beingsecured at its lower end to inclined post 51 by splice plates Post 51, in turn is clamped at-53 to anchor 34. Brace 49 preferably crosses member-29 at strut 35 and is secured to member and strut' by bolts 41.

Extending laterally from and secured to column 10 by angles 54, is beam while secured to struts by angles 56 is beamj57, these two beams serving as a support for platform 58 which is thus maintained at a height to enable car 26 to be loaded or unloaded therefrom.

Stairways

59 and 60 lead from the ground to platform 58 and are supported by posts 61 and platform 58.

Now, the imposition of load 26 on the free end of cantilever 17, exerts a compressive force on column 10 and, by reason of the o fi center position of the load with respect to the longitudinal axis of the column, also tends to rotate the beam in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, giving the column a tendency towards lateral fieX- ure, compressing the fibers at the left of the neutral axis, and placing the fibers at the right of the neutral axis under tension. Member 29, however, is placed under tension and has the effect of counter-balancing the load on the cantilever to transform the stress on the column into direct vertical thrust, which the column is best able to withstand. At the same time, considering beam extension 17 as a strut, member 29 has the effect of a truss rod. bracing the beam against flexure.

Brace 49 acts as a wind brace and counteracts the tendency of the column and tower proper to rotate vertically about the column base when a load is placed on the end of the cantilever. Furthermore, that portion of brace 49 which extends from knee brace 42 i to strut 35, combines with the strut and that portion of member 29 which extends from strut 35 to the base of the column to form a vertical truss for the column and thus stiffen it against a fleXure.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 I have illustrated a preferred form of column shoe and will now To bed plate 62 are riveted the opposed angle irons 63, with their vertical legs 64 spaced apart to receive the base of column 10 between them, the end'of the column resting on the bed plate. To complete the column socket, vertical side platestiri are held to the bed plate by angles 66 riveted to bed and side plates. Bolts 67 apertures in bed plates and flanges, nuts 14- being threaded on the anchor bolts and into engagement with the tops of flanges 71'to hold the shoe and column to the footing. Channels 72 serve as stiffening spacers between bed plate 62 and flanges 71, and, preferably, the channels are so located that the anchor bolts extend upwardly between the channel flanges. In this way, structural reinforcement between the bed plate and-shoe flanges is accomplished at the point of greater stress, namely, where compressive effort is exerted by threading nuts 14 on the plate flanges to draw the shoe firmly down to the footing.

' While I have shown and described-apret'erred embodiment of my invention, various changes in structure and design may be made without departing from'the spirit" of my invention, and therefore I do not wish i to be limited to the structural details shown and described except for such limitations as a fair interpretation of the claims may imort. 7 1 Having described a preferred form of my inventionIclaim: f

1. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a Vertical column anchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top. of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured to the cantilever extension and extending downwardly and inwardly towards the base of the column, and means for anchoring the tension member.

2. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical column anchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured to the cantilever extension and extending downwardly and inwardly towards the base of the column, and means for anchoring the tension member at a point substantially in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the column.

3. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a footing, a vertical column anchored to the footing, a cantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of sup- 5 )ort on the column a tension member se- 1. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical column anchored at its base, "a cantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured to the cantilever extension. at a point laterallyspaced from the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardlytowards the column base, means for anchoring the tension member at thebase ofthe column and a horizontal strut carried by the column between its base andthecantilever, said strut extending towards and being secured to the tension member.

, A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical column anchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured to the cantilever extension at a point laterally SPQCGd'fIOIIl the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardly towards the column base,means for anchoring the tension member at the base of the column, a

.brace joined to the structure nearthe junction of the column and beam and thence extending downwardly and outwardly with respect to the base of the column, and means for anchoring the brace at its lowerextremity.-

6. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical column anchored-at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured to the cantilever extension at a point laterally spaced from the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardly towards the column base, means for anchoring the tension member at the base of the column, a brace joined to the structure near the junction of the column and beam and thence extending downwardly and outwardly with respect to the base of the column, and means for anchoring the brace at its lower extremity, the tension member and brace crossing each other and being secured together at their point of crossing.

7. A tower structure for suspended rail ways, embodying a vertical column anchored 41 L nen-s41 means for anchoring the tension member at the base of the column, a brace joined to the structure near the junction of the column and beam and thence extending downwardly and outwardly with respect to the base of the column, means for anchoring the brace at its lower extremity, the tension member and brace crossing each other and being secured together at their point of crossing, a horizontal strut secured to the column and extending to the crossing point at the tension member and brace, and means for uniting the strut, tension member and brace at said point of crossing.

8. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical column anchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured to the antilever extension at a point laterally spaced from the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardly towards the column base, a brace joined to the structure near the junction of the column and beam and thence extending downwardly and outwardly with respect to the base of the column, the tension member and brace crossing each other and being secured together at their oint of crossing, an anchor, and means for attaching the lower extremities oi the tension member and brace to the anchor at laterally spaced points.

9. A tower structure for suspended railways, embodying a vertical column anchored at its base, a cantilever supported by the top of the column and extending oppositely beyond its point of support on the column, a tension member secured to the cantilever extension at a point laterally spaced from the column and thence extending downwardly and inwardly towards the column base,

means for anchoring the tension member at the base of the column, a horizontal strut carried by the column between its base and the cantilever, said strut extending towards and being secured to the tension member, and platform supporting members carried by the beam and strut.

10. In a structure 01 the character described, means for uniting 'a column and a horizontal Ibeam on top thereof, said means comprising" plates secured to the sides of the column and extending upwardly and: inwardly from the top of the column to meet the opposite sides of the I beam web, and

means for securing the plates to the web at their points of meeting.

11. In a structure of the character described, means for uniting :a column and a horizontal I beam on top thereof, said means comprising plates secured to the sides of the column and extending upwardly and inwardly from the top of the column to meet the opposite sides of the I beam web, means for securing the plates to the web at their points of meeting, and knee braces in the meeting angles between the column and beam.

12. In a structure of the character described, a looting of concrete, a column shoe including a bed plate adapted to rest on the footing, lateral flanges on the shoe spaced above the bed plate, vertically channeled spacers between the plate and flanges, and anchor bolts embedded in the concrete and extending upwardly through the bed plate, thence extending vertically through the channels in the spacers and then through the lateral flanges.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of December, 1923.

LEWIS A. FRYE;