US2161105A - Rapid transit system - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1939. STRAUSS 2,161,105

RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM Filed March 23, 195+ 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E a m ...J

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U Uri? E Q U 2 6 [:1 W as? c0 ZZZ :2; 3" w 1 1 5E? T q I INVENTORZ 8 JOSEPH B. STRAUSS ATTORNEY Julie 1939- J. B. STRAUSS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM Filed March 23, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 INVENTOR: JOSEPH B. STRAUSS ATTORNEY.

June 1939- J. B. STRAUSS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 23, 1937 F I (5v 4.

F I G 5.

0 a o o 0 2 \2 o o o o INVENTOR: JOSEPH B. STRAUSS ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1939 PATENT OFFlCE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM Joseph nette ceased B. Strauss, San Francisco, Calif.; An- Strauss, John Sparks, and Henry Clausen, executors of said Joseph B.

Strauss, de-

Application March 23, 1937, Serial No. 132,509

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in rapid transit systems and more particularly to the construction and arrangement of overhead traffic means with respect to city streets.

The growth of modern cities, necessitating the development of suburban residential sections, taxes transportation facilities to the point where surface congestion at peak periods slows up distribution to an intolerable extent.

Subsurface transportation presents engineering and economic problems that do not justify the financial outlay and the physical disturbances incidental to construction of subways in congested'dis-tricts. Elevated railways'have heretofore been noisy, unsightly and incidentally have encroached upon the very street traffic that they are supposed to relieve.

It is an object of the present invention to increase the traffic capacity of a city street without the many disadvantages set forth above.

Another object is to increase rather than to depreciate the value of adjacent property by installing the present system.

Another object is to facilitate pedestrian as well as vehicular traffic in congested districts.

Another object is to so construct and locate the overhead traffic system, that it may be installed with minimum interference with existing conditions.

Another object is to provide for railway and motor bus traffic on a common right-of-way.

Another object is to provide for overhead pedestrian traflic between the elevated right-of- Way and the second stories of adjacent property, giving added street frontage value to such property.

Another object is to increase the available street area and to increase the speed of surface vehicular traffic by reducing the number of pedestrians on the lower level.

Another object is to reduce the probable accident ratio in city traffic of all forms, by reducing congestion and facilitating distribution 4 during peak periods.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings the invention is disclosed in its preferred form. But it is to be understood that it 0 is not limited to this form because it may be embodied in other forms within the purview of the claim following the description.

In the three sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a conventional city street having elevated traffic means applied thereto in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionof the same, taken on the line IIII, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail in cross section of the upper portion of the elevated right-of-way, taken on the line III-III, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 5 is longitudinal section of the same taken on the line VV in Fig. 3.

In detail the construction illustrated-in Fig. 1 comprises the conventional street pavement i, extending between the curbs 2 and 3, and the usual sidewalks 4 and 5 extending to the building facades 6.

Thejsupporting standards'88 are erected at the curb lines, with the proper set back, and have the sub-pavement footing 9, prefer-ably of reinforced concrete adapted to combine with and form an integral part of the base structure ill of the street pavement to give mass stability to the overhead structure. These standards may be reinforced concrete or built up'of architectural steel shapessuch as the four v'ertical plates II, l2, I3 and joined at the corners by riveted angles as shown in Fig. 3.

These standards have the T shape heads comprising interspaced plates such as [5 riveted to the overlying plates [3, I4 and encircled by the plates l6, ll joined to the head plates by riveted angles in accordance with prevailing practice. These heads are provided with the gaps l8 and I9 to receive the superstructure.

The elevated trafiic lane comprises two plate girders and 2|, see Fig. 3, extending the length of the elevated system. These girders are great enough in depth and cross section to bridge the distances between the supporting standard 8 and carry the traffio loads when properly braced. Intermediate the height of the girders the traction deck is interposed forming a structure substantially H shaped in cross section. It comprises the transverse grid bars 22 having the bent ends 23, 24, riveted at 25, 26 to their respective girders. These ends are preferably bent in opposite directions to prevent the bars turning for greater vertical stability, see Fig. 4. The angle stringers 21, 28 are riveted to the girders to reinforce' the support of the ends 23, 24. The upper and lower edges of the girders are reinforced with the angles and plates 29, 30 and 3|, 32 to prevent buckling of these edges.

The traction plates 33, 34 are laid upon the grid bars 22 and are surmounted by the railway rails 35; 36 respectively, throughout the length of the girders. These traction plates and rails are held in assembly with the grid bars by the yokes 31, 38 see Fig. 3 looped at intervals beneath the bars and passing through the traction plates and rail bases, where they are drawn taut by the nuts 39, 39 on their opposite ends. The combination of elements assembled with the plate girders, form a superstructure substantially H shape in cross section, all mutually cooperating to meet the line of applied load. This is further strengthened by the manner of supporting the superstructure. The lower edges of the H rest within the gaps l8 and I9 formed in the tops of the heads of the standards 8, which in conjunction with the grid bars 22 permits easy seating of the girders and prevents spreading.

As a contribution to architectural refinement the T head of the standards may be enclosed with sheet metal caps such as 38' to hide the rugged structures beneath.

The grid bars 22 supporting the traction deck permit the penetration of light therebetween, also provide for proper drainage for rain water and snow. This is further provided for by the perforations 40 through the traction plates 33, 34, see Fig. 4. These perforations provide improved traction for resilient tires such as 4|. The extension of the girders above the trafiic deck acts as guard rails to keep a disabled or derailed vehicle from plunging into the street below. Besides the simplicity and strength of the solid plate girders 20, 2| they also act to prevent the diffusion of incidental traffic sounds, especially toward the adjacent property frontage.

The rails 35, 36 provide traction for conventional flanged wheel trafiic vehicles such as trains with rubber mounted rolling stock operated with minimum noise for interurban express service to downtown stations.

Fig. schematically illustrates a four wheel pneumatic tired supporting truck of a motor bus having the flanged guide wheels 43 mounted upon the bolster thereof. The interposed spring 42 on each side insures the proper downward pres sure of the wheels on the guide rails 35, 36. These wheels insure the proper alinement of all pneumatic tires 4| with the traction plates 33, 34 for obvious reasons. These rails 35, 36 are thus the conjunctive element in adapting the overhead structure to combined railway and motor bus vehicles; converting the motor bus into a railway coach while operating thereon during which the driver has no independent directional control. When the motor bus leaves the elevated Way at selected points the guide wheels remain elevated above the traction surface of the tires 4|. This is accomplished by inclining the traction plates 33, 34 up to the level of the rails 35, 36 to lift the guide wheel free of the rails, restoring the motor bus to control by its independent steering gear.

Pedestrian trafilc is provided for by the elevated pedestrian walks 44 supported by the inner girder 2B and extending to the adjacent building facades 6 at the second story level; these walks are at the approximate level of the top of the girder to facilitate access to the vehicle floor levels without cutting through the girders. By this arrangement the waiting rooms can be within the ad- J'acent buildings, with advantages to property owners and travelers.

Expansion joints as at 46, 41 are provided at proper points, see Fig. 2, to permit elongation and contraction of the integral structure of the girders 29, 2| due to temperature variations.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

A traflic structure comprising a pair of vertical plate girders; interspaced transverse bars having their opposite ends fixed to the sides of said girders respectively, and forming a deck above the vertical centers of said girders; a pair of traction plates arranged on said deck adjacent said girders; railway rails mounted on the transverse center portions of said plates respectively; and I.

rail-anchoring means comprising yokes looped under said barsand having their opposite ends extending through said traction plates and engaging the bases of said rails respectively.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS.

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