US2439986A

US2439986A - Overhead railway

Info

Publication number: US2439986A
Application number: US540019A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rennie Robert John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-06-13
Filing date: 1944-06-13
Publication date: 1948-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 1965-04-20

Description

April 20, 194s. R. J. RENNI 2,439,986

OVERHEAD RA ILWAY Filed June 13, 1944 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 In Mentor Byrrma/yimg Hey;

April 20, 1948. R. J. RENNIE' 2,439,986

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OVERHEAD RAILWAY Filed June 13, 1944l s sheets-sheet s I nventor WWW Patented Apr. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OVERHEAD RAILWAY A Robert John Rennie, Flushing, N. Y. Application June 1a, 1944, serial No. 540,019

4 Claims. (Cl. 104--93) This invention relates to overhead railways of that type embodying a stationary monorail supporting structure and cars suspended therefrom.

More particularly, the present invention relates to overhead railways of Vthat type in which the monorail supporting structure includes a row of towers, each carrying an upper cross arm, from the ends of which are suspended a pair of monorails, and wherein monorail cars suspended'from the respective monorails are adapted to travel on the latter in opposite directions.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in an overhead railway of the above kind, an improved monorail supporting structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide, in an overhead railwayof the above kind, improved traction and driving means for suspending the monorail cars from the respective monorails so as t-o effectively guide the cars around curves without undue lateral swaying and without the use of additional guiding means between the towers and the bottoms of the respective cars.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide improved guiding and traction means -of the above kind that includes front and rear swivelled six-wheeled trucks for each monorail car, each truck including v forward horizontal guide wheels engaging opposite sides ofthe monorail above the bottom flanges of the latter, and front and rear suspension or traction wheels riding on the upper surfaces of said bottom flanges of the monorail.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide suspension and driving means for a monorail car wherein theswivelled trucks have laterally swingable mounts for the front guiding and traction wheels and for the rear traction and driving wheels thereof, and wherein `manually operable means is positionable at the outer side of any desired one of the mounts for swinging it laterally outward to facilitate repair or changing of tires and other repair work thereon.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the invention consists in the novel form, combination Iand arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the drawings and claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational Iview of a rail supporting structure and cars suspended therefrom in accordancewith the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view thereof taken substantially on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa fragmentary enlarged side elevational view of the car and adjacent parts of the supporting structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 3, and illustrating one of the wheel mounts of the rear driving and supporting wheels of the rear truck of the car shifted to outwardly swung position for convenient repair or replacement .of the tire of the associated wheel by means of a wheel mount swinging device installed and constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the Wheel mount swinging device per se, drawn on an enlarged scale.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present railway includes a row of towers 5, each carrying an upper cross arm 6, to the ends of which are secured the adjacent portions of longitudinal flexible supporting elements 'I that extend between corresponding endsof the cross arms 6 in downwardly arched or curved shape as shown in Figure 1 from each tower to the next, and that may consist of Aa pair of cables 8 disposed side by side and suitably secured at 9 to the undersides of the ends of the cross arms 6. Cables lll are looped over the supporting elements 8 at suitable intervals along the length of the latter between the towers and attachedy to the elements 8 by welding or the like. The lower ends of the looped cables I0 are suitably anchored to lateral flanges or ears Il provided on the upper edges of monorails I2 that have bottom flanges I3. The monorails arethus eXibly suspended by the cables IIJ from the supportingelements 8, and said cables IB may be suitably interbraced by cross brace elements I4 between adjacent ones of the same to restrain the monorails against longitudinal movement. Lateral swaying of the monorails is prevented by means of rigid arms I5 projecting laterally from the towers 5 and anchored to certain of the ears Il of the monorails. At opposite sides of the vertical webs or members of the monorails I2, the said vertical webs or members are provided with insert strips I6 of hard wear-resisting metal on which horizontal guide wheels of the car suspension means are adapted to ride, as will later be described. Similar inserts Ia are provided in the upper surfaces of the flanges I3 of each monorail on which are adapted to ride the traction and driving wheels of the car suspension and guiding means, as will also be made more clearly apparent.

As illustrated more clearly in Figure 2, a car A is adapted to travel on one of the monorails in one direction at one side of the row of towers, while another car A' is adapted to travel on the other monorail at the opposite side of the row of towers, thereby providing for two-way traliic. Each car includes a body of elongated form suspended from the associated monorail by means of front and rear swivelled trucks T and T', rei spectively, of generally similar form and construction. Each of the trucks includes a longitudinal member I'I having cross members I8 at the opposite ends thereof and provided inter mediate the ends of the same with a hub I9 that is rotatably mounted upon a spindle fixed to andv projecting upwardly from the top of the associated car. The hub I9 turns on the spindle 20 to permit swivelling oi' the truck about a vertical axis so that the trucks may turn for convenience in negotiating curves or turns in the monorail. Rigid with and projecting upwardly from the ends of thevcrossed members I8 of each truck are the lower sections 2| of front and rear wheel mountsk that include laterally swinging upper sections 22 hinged at their lower ends to the lower sections 2| as at 23. The swinging sections 22v have inwardly projecting shafts 24 on the inner end portions of which are mounted the vertical traction wheels 25, and the adjacent ends of the'mount sections 2| and 22 have aligned apertures as at 26 to receive removable pins by means of which the sections are releasably retained in aligned relation, with the `associated wheels engaging the inserts Illiav in the upper surfaces of the bottom flanges I3' ofthe monorail. By removing the pins at 26, the upper sections 22 of the wheel mounts may be swung laterally outwardly to facilitate change of tires of the wheels 25 or repair of parts `of the mounts in an obvious manner.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front wheel mounts of the trucks have forwardly projecting arms 2'If on thefl'aterally swinging'upper sections 22 thereof, and journaled on the forward ends of these arms 21 are horizontal guiding wheels 2S that ride on the inserts I6 of the vertical Webs of the monorails. Also, the shaftsv 24 of the rear laterally swinging wheel mount sections 22 of the rear truck T constitute the drive shafts of electric motors 29 that are fixed on the associated rnc-unt sections 22 and that may be suitably controlled from the driver's seat in the forward end oi the associated car A or A. Thus, the rear wheels 25 of the rear truck T' are utilized to drive the car for eiiecting travel thereof along the monorail, and any suitable: braking means may be provided for bringing the car to a stop wherever desired.

Means is provided for facilitating lateral outward swinging of the upper sections 22 of the respective wheel mounts, and such means consist of a supporting post 33 having a winding drum SI journaled in the upperl end thereof and provided with an operating crank 32, a exible member or cable 33 being adapted to be wound on the drum 3| and provided at its free end with a hook 34 engageable in an aperture 35 of the sections 22' of the Wheel mounts. In order that the means for swingingv the upper sections of the wheel mounts 22 may be selectively utilized with respect to each swinging section 22 of said wheel mounts, the car A or A is provided in the top with a socket as at 36, at the outer side of each wheel mount, adapted to removably receive the lower end portion of the post 30. The upper portion of the post 30 is inclined upwardly and outwardly so as to position the drum 3| outwardly of the associated mount section 22. Thus, when the mount swinging means is positioned outwardly of any mount, the hook 34 may be engaged in the aperture 35 of the section 22 thereof, and

upon rotating the crank 32 in a proper direction,

the cable 33 may be wound on the drum 3| to Y swing the adjacent mount section 22 outwardly to the position shown in Figure 5. When in this section, the desired repairing or tire-changing Yjobs may be readily accomplished.

It will be apparent that the present invention contemplates the provision of guiding and supporting wheels for the cars which are equipped with pneumatic tires so as to provide for shockfree travel, convenient and effective means being provided whereby the tires may be conveniently changed Vor repaired. When any Wheel mount is swung outwardly, as shown 'inA Figure 5, the remaining wheel mounts will serve to effectively suspend the car while tire repairing or changing, and the like, is being accomplished.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as Well as the advantagesv of the present invention, will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art.

It will be apparent that I have provided a simpleand efficient means for carrying out the stated objects of the invention.

e What I claim is:

l. In an overhead railway embodying a suspended monorail having a vertical web and oppositely projecting bottom flanges, a car having an elongated body, vertical spindles fixed to the top of said body near the front and rear ends thereof, a truck swivelled on each spindle, each truck having spaced independent front and rear pairs of upright wheel mounts, the wheel mounts oi each pair being arranged at opposite sides of the monorail, each wheel mount including an upper section hinged to swing laterally toward and from the monorail, a wheel journaled on the upper section of each wheel mount and arranged to ride on the adjacent bottom flange of the monorail when said upper section is swung toward the monorail to a vertical position and to be disengaged from said monorail when said upper section is swung away from the monorail to an inclined position, and'means to releasably secure the upper section of each wheel mount in a vertical position.

2. The construction dened in claim 1, in combination with arms rigid with and projecting forwardly from the upper sections of the forward pair of wheel mounts of each truck, and wheels carried by said arms and arranged to run on opposite sides ofl the monorail web when said lastnamed upper sections are vertically disposed.

3. In an overhead railway embodying a suspended monorail having a vertical web and oppositely projecting bottom flanges, a car having an elongated body, vertical spindles xed to the top of said body near the front and rear ends thereof, a truck swivelled on each spindle, each truck having front and rear pairsV of upright wheel mounts, the wheel mounts of each pair being arranged at opposite sides of the monorail, each wheel mount including an upper secvthe monorail, a wheel journaled on the upper section of each wheel mount and arranged to engage the adjacent bottom flange of the monorail when said upper section is swung toward the monorail to a vertical position and to be disengaged from said monorail when said upper section is swung away from the monorail to an inclined position, and means to releasably secure the upper section of each wheel mount in a vertical position, said car body having sockets in the top thereof, one adjacent and outwardly of each wheel mount to facilitate mounting adjacent each wheel mount of a device for swinging the upper section thereof outwardly to the inclined position.

4. The construction defined in claim 1, in combination with means to selectively swing the upper section of any desired wheel mount outwardly to the inclined position.

ROBERT J'OHN RENNIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ot this patent:

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