US315555A - Elevated railroad - Google Patents

Description

No ModeL) L. O. -ROOT. ELEVATED RAILROAD.

N PETERS, Plwminhugrapnen washmgm. D. C.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

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.L. 0. ROOT. BLBVATED RAILROAD.

No. 315,555. Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

(N0 ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. o. ROOT.

ELEVATED RAILROAD. V No. 315,555. ,Patented Ap1-.14, 1885..

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(No Model.)

L. 0. ROOT.

ELEVATED RAILROAD.

Patented Apr.l 14

UNITEDSTATES] PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE oDELL Boor, 0E MINNEAroLIs, 'MINNEso'rA ELEvATL-:o RAILROAD.

A SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,555. dated April 14, 1885.

Application filed September 30,'184. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, V may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE O. Boor, a

useful Improvement in Elevated Railroads, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs. A

My invention relates to an elevated railroad designed for use as a source of amusement and i pleasure; and it consists in the constructiony and combinations of parts hereinafter jfully y f the point where the track enters the station,

described, and pointed out in the claims.h

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing my improved track and the means for operating the cars thereon. Fig. 2 is a view ofthe car employed, showing the means for drawing the same to the top of the incline. Fig. 3 is a plan view taken at one end of the line; and Fig. 4 isa rear elevation of a car.A Y

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate correspond-V ing parts in all the figures, A Afrepresents two towers or stations, one of which, A,is shown arranged upon a hill or height of ground,`

while the other is supported at an elevation on uprights. These stations are located any desired distance apart, and the one supported onl uprights is provided with steps leading to the There are two tracks, B B', connecting said stations,said tracks being sup-` ported upon a trestle-work, C, and are pro-H vided with beams or guard-rails running their top of the same.

entire'y length to prevent the cars while in transit from jumping the track; The tracks B B are provided withl two veryusteep descents, a, from the point where they leave the towers A A. At the end of these descents or inclines they reach a short level, and from4 this point the tracks gradually incline in oppo-L site directionsvtoward the'opposite stations. At each station A A is arranged a turntable, D, by which a car may be shifted fromV one track to the other. rlhese turn-tables D are pivotedV to the door of the stations y by means of a bolt, b, upon which is awasher, c, said washer being arranged between the under side of the turn-table and the door to which it is pivoted. `Upon theunder side of the turntable are arranged rollers e, a portion of each of which bear or rest in recesses on the under side of the turn-tables D, the ends of the shafts of said rollers bearing in bracketssecured upon the under side of the turn-tables.

lever, g, is secured to each of the turn-tables at any suitable point. It will thus Abeseen that by the arrangement shown and described the tables may be turned with but little power 6o or exertion.

I have mentioned that there were guardrails to prevent the cars from jumpingthe track. These guard-rails are arranged between the two rails composing the track. At

which point is adjacent to the turn-table, is provided a drum, E, the shaft of lwhich has bearing in the guard rails or beams. One end of this shaft of the drum E extends through 7o and beyond the outer track, and is provided at its end, which is squared, with a crank or operating-handle, f.

Upon the shaft of the drum E, just outside 1 A short distance down the track toward the 8 5 oppsite station is an arm or lever, Z, whichis pivoted to the inner side:` of the outer guardrail.` A The lower end of this arm or lever extends below the track-bed, while the otheror upper end extends a slight distance above the 9o top of the rails. A rod, m, connects the lower end of this arm or lever with the lower end of the pivotedpawl. It will thus be seen that should the upper end of the pivoted lever be pushed toward the said pawl it will, through the medium of the connecting-rod, raise the lower end of the pawl from engagement with the ratchet-disk;` Between the`.guardrails,` about sixty-five feet from the fdrumE, is mounted a drum, n.

the drum E, and isfwoundt` "around *thesama The end of this rope is" then passed under the road to the drum n, where it passes over the same, and is carried over the drum E.

Arople,r0, ismsecurdto roo Under track B, at the point where it leaves the station A, isa track, p, which has a very steep incline. At the bottom of this track is arranged a bumper, q.

Grepresents a weighted car, which is adapted to travel on the track p. This car has a spring-bumper, fr, at its end, which strikes against the bumper q, thus preventing the car from being damaged by striking against the bumper g. The end of the rope ois shown secured to this car, and said car is shown in position at the top of the incline for a descent.

Just in rear of the drum E are secured to the road-bed two uprights or posts, s, while just in front of the drum a are arranged similar uprights or posts, s.

Secured to the rope o is a loop, t, which is held in an upright or vertical position by means of a weight, a, which is cast integral therewith. The loop tis rigidly secured to the rope o, and when said rope is in its normal position the said loop occupies a position `just in front of the uprights s, and bears against the same with its rear side. Upon the under rear side of the car is a hook, w, which is bolted to a cross or tie beam, x, about midway between the ends of the same, said hook being substantially V shape in form.

Apparatus of the same construction as that already described is arranged at station A upon the track B.

In operation, supposing the car to be at station A', ready for a start, the car is moved forward and strikes the incline and rapidly descends upon the track B', and in its descent gathers sufficient force or momentum to carry it up the incline. The hook upon the under side of the car strikes the loop upon the rope o, and the instant that the hook has passed the loop and the said loop has regained its normal position the forward axle of the car has struck the pivoted arm or lever Z, which, through the medium of the rod m, raises the lower end of the pawl k from engagement with the ratchetdisk j. The weighted ear now starts, and in so doing brings the loopinto engagement with the hook fw. Thus, as the weighted car descends, it unwinds the rope from the drum and draws the car forward through the agency of the hook on the car and the loop engaging the same. The instant that the weighted car has arrived at the bottom of the incline the loop on the rope o will have arrived at the uprights s, adjacent to the drum E, and will stop at that point. The passenger-car, however, will have gathered sufficient momentum to have carried it into station A/'and upon the turn-table, and is then turned half around and is ready to make a descent on track B.

I have mentioned that the shaft of the drum E was squared and provided with a crank or handle. By the use of this handle the drum may be turned to draw the car to the top of the hill. The pawl is then set and the apparatus is in readiness for the car on its return trip.

Changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I wish to have it understood that I do not limitmyself to the exact construction and precise arrangement of parts shown and described, but reserve to myself the right to make all such slight changes and alterations as may properly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with two stations located any suitable distance apart, of tracks B B, each having a steep descent and ascendingincline, and inclined tracks G, as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination,with two stations, of tracks B B,con

necting the same, each of said tracks having a steep descent and an ascending incline at their opposite ends, and a track, G, located at eac-h station, said tracks each having a steep incline, and running beneath the tracks B B', as set forth.

3. In aninclined elevated railroad, the combination,with two stations, of a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end oi.'

said track, a rope connecting said drums, a weight attached to one end of said rope, and a loop adapted to engage a hook on the car, rigidly attached to said rope, substantially as set forth.

4. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with two stations, of a track con-v necting the same, drums arranged at one end of said track, a rope connecting saidA drums,

IOS

a weight attached to one end of said rope,

and means,'substantially as described, for efl fecting the release of the weight, for the purpose set forth.

5. In an inclined elevated railroad, the coinbination, with two stations, of a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end of said track, a rope connecting said drums, a weighted car attached to one end of said rope and adapted to travel on a steep incline, a loop rigidly secured to said rope, a hook on the rear under side of a car, and means, substantially as described, to effect the releaseof the weighted car, for the purpose set forth.

6. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with two stations, of v a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end of said track, a rope connecting said drums, a weight attached to one end of said rope, a ratchet-disk on the drum E, a pivoted pawl to engage the same, an arm or lever, l, a rod connecting. the pawl and lever, a loop rigidly attached to said rope, and means, substantially IIO as described, carried by the car for engaging said loop.

7. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with two stations,'of a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end of said track, a rope connecting said drums,

a weight attached to one end of said rope,

aratchetdisk on the drum E, a pivoted pawl to engage thesame, an arm or lever, Z, a rod v In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 1o connecting the pawl and lever, a loop rigidly my own I have hereto affixed my signature attached to said rope, a hook secured to the in presence of two witnesses. l

rear end of the car, and uprights s s', sub` t stantially as and for the purpose set forth. LAWRENCE ODELL ROOT.

8. The combination, with the traction-rope,

kof a loop secured thereto, said loop having a y Witnesses: weighted end, whereby it is held in a vertical R. W. CUMMINGS,

' position, as set forth.

C. E. SCHAFFER.

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