US350168A - Means of operating railroads by cables - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

J. STEWART.. MEANS FOR OPERATING RAILROADS BY CABLES.

Patented Oct. 5, 1886.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.A

J. STEWART.

MEANS POR OPERATING RAILROADS BY CABLES.

No. 350,168. Patented Oct. 5, 1886.,

N. PETERS, Pnawukhngmphu. washington. D, c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. STEWART.

MEANS FOB. OPERATING RAILROADS BY CABLES.

(No Model.) 4 vSheets-Sheet 4.

J. STEWART.

MEANS FDR OPERATING RAILROADS BY CABLES. No. 350,168. Patented Oct. 5, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JOHN STElVAItT, OF N EVAItK, NFV JERSEY.

MEANS OF OPERATINGYRAILROADS BY CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,168, dated October 5,1886.

Application filed February G, 1986.

To all w27/.0721, it 71mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Means of Operating Railroads by Cables; and I do hereby dcclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My improvements relate to what is known as the cable 7 system of operating railroads, in which the cars are propelled by endless traveling cables actuated by means of'a stationary engine or other source of power.

Heretot'ore the cars while stationary have been attached to the cable while the latter traveled continuously, as is usually the case, at a speed of about ten miles an hour. Consequently the. severe andsudden strain and the resulting wear and friction upon both cable and gripping device have formed a serious obstacle to the practicability of such system.

I obviate this difficulty entirely by, and the main feature of my invention consists in, the use of an auxiliary cable at or between each station or terminus, to which the car may be attached while both car and cable are stationary. and which is adapted to then impart to the cara speed equal to that of the main cable, or cable between stations, preparatory to the transferof the car to and its connection with the said main orintermediate cable or to the next succeedingintermediate cable. It is obvious that by this means the friction and wear occasionedheretofore by reason of the slipping ofthe cable through the gripping device upon the car during the process of gripping, and which continued until the car had acquired the same speed asthat of the cable, is avoided.

Attempts have been made to mitigate the friction and sudden strain consequent upon attachinga stationary car to a moving cable by providing the gripping device with bearing-surtaces in the form of rollers which would revolve with the cable until the car had acquired the same speed as the cable but such gripping devices are expensive and complicated and liable to derangement and breakage, and while I do not confine myself to any Serial No. 191,010. (No model.)

particular form of grip, since the above designated grip with rotatable bearing surfaces may be used, as might any other form, in connection with my system, still a resulting feature of my method of connecting the car and cable when they are relatively at or near the same speed is that a comparatively simple ri gi d forni of cla-mp orgrip which is cheap and dura- 6o ble may be employed without injury to the cable, a result not heretofore attained.

I am also aware that a comparatively slowmoving cable has been utilized to give motion to a car preparatory to its transfer to a cable moving still faster; butin such case both cables have a continuous uniform motion with relation to each other, and the shock and strain of starting are simply divided between the two cables, whereas by myinventiou the cars are 7o attached to the starting-cable while the latter is at rest, the power is gradually but quickly applied until both car and cable attain the full speed of the main eable,when the transfer is effected withoutjar or strain.

I am aware that a somewhat similar result has been attained bythe use ofsteam-locomotives, by which motion equal to that of the carrying-cable is imparted to the cars before they are attached thereto, and I do not claim, So broadly, equalizing the speed of the car and cable before attachment, but confine myself to the special means hereinafter described, consisting, essentially, in the use, with the main cable, olf an auxiliary or starting cable provided with suitable mechanism, substantially such as described, for stopping and starting it independent of the main cable, and causing it to attain a speed equal to the latter for the purpose of gradually starting and imparting a 9o prescribed speed to cars provided with suitable cable-gripping mechanism.

By the use of my auxiliary cables at the terminus of the line I am also enabled to dispense with the use of locomotives or other similar contrivances for shifting and transferring the cars, te., from one track to the other, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In conjunction with the auxiliary starting or transfer cables above referred to myinven- 10o tion also includes a method of bringing the gripping device into or out of positionwith relation to the cable at prescribed positions by mea-ns of suitable curves formed in the track coinciding with the positionsof the drivingpulleys, in such manner as to cause the said gripping device to pass to one side of the upper portion of the latter during the transfer of the car from one cable to another. the grip under such conditions being released from the cable and reclamped thereto either automatically or byhand. In this connection [ny-invention also includes means fora utomatically stopping one cable and starting the next succeeding intermediate cable by means of thel passage of the car over the -line when desired, as in the case of a through-train, vand in like means for stopping and starting a particular cable with which the car may be traveling while the latter is passing around a comparatively sharp curve in. the road, the grip being in such case temporarily loosened from the cable, -either automatically or by hand, before mentioned. It is to be understood in this connection that by my system it is not necessary will clear them while the car is passing.

to raise the cable into position with relation to the grip in order to permit of the latter being secured thereto, the grip itself instead moving laterally andhorizontally into or out Vof position with relation thereto, and being controlled in this respect by curves or variations in the positions ofthe tracks as compared with the uniform and prescribed position of the cable. This is an important and distinguishing feature of my invention asi compared with all other systems of which I am aware, in which latter the cable has invariably to be elevated vertically into position within the grip preparatory to the operation of attachment, necessitating the use of sp ecial mech-` anism for this purpose, which I dispense with entirely. Where the curves in the road occurring between stations or termini are cimparatively slight and long, so that the car can safely travel at full speed around them without disconnecting for the purpose of slowing up, .as is necessary in the ease of the shorter and sharper curves above referred to, I place theidler-pulleys, in which the cable runs, horizontally and in positions nearer the shorter side of the curve, sov that the grip and cable In providing thus for passing around curves with out loosening the grip, if desirable the particular section of cable passing over t-he curve may be made to run permanently at a lower speed-than those constituting the main portion of the line by means of suitable variations in the size of the pulleys or by intermediate gearinv.

'luy improved system of operation may be adapted, with but slight and unimportant variations, to either surface, elevated, or bridge railroad traffic, and it is to be understood that I do not confine myself to either, neither do I confine myself to the special form of meehanisms herein shown for the purpose of illustrating the operation of my invention, since other forms of grip, friction-clutches, stop-V ping and starting devices, 83e., may be substituted therefor without materially deviating" cars. Fig. 3 is a similar diagram of a section of a cable road with intermediate stations, illustrating a method-of applying my system where the the main `or Apower cables are arranged between the up and down tracks in such manner as to operate cables upv on each track which are intermediate between the stations, and which aresuecessi'vel y brought into operation as the car proceeds upon its way and then stopped after the car has been transferred to the next succeeding cable. Fi g.

Ltis a diagram illustrating the method of reversing the direction of motion of the intermediate transfer-cables upon one side of the road when arranged as illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagram of a section ol' a single track of a cable road with. intermediate stations, showing a modification of the plan illustrated in Fig.A 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram of a section of a cable road with intermediate stations,

showing a modification of the plan illustrated.'

in 3 and 4. '.Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of idler-pulleys for the cable in order to allow a car to pass around a curve without disconnecting from the cable.

Fig. 8 is a' side elevation of the Vlower portion;

ofa car and adjoining portions of the cable system, illustrating the slight inclination of -the `upper strand of the cable near the pulle \,'s,

which enables the sustaining-idlers and the lowerportion of the gripping device upon the car to pass horizontally underneath the cable into position with relation thereto. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a car attached to one of either the auxiliary or intermediate cables. Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the car, &c., shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 1l is a plan ofa portion of a4 track illustrating means for automatically starting and stopping the cabl es and for automatically tightening or loosening the grip upon the car, and also showing one of the lateral deviations in the track for the purpose of shunting the sustaining-idlers and gripping IKO device upon vthe car around the upper portion of the pulleys and returning the same into position with relation to the next succeeding cable. Fig. 12l is an. end View of the lower portion of a car when the latter is passing over one of the lateral deviations in the track, showing the grip disconnected and its relation under such conditions to the upper portion'of the cable-pulleys; Fig. 13, a similar view illus- `trating a means for automatically tightening the grip. Fig. 14 is a view showing a side elevation of means for automatically stopping and starting the cables and tightening the grip. Figs. 15 and 16 respectively an elevation and plan of a form of cable gripping which might be used in connection with my improved system of operation; Fig. 17, aside elevation ofasustaining-idler and supportingbracket. Fig. 18 is a transverse section ot' one of the driving shafts, showing the rock-lever, &c., of the friction-clutch; Fig. 19, a transverse section of the friction-clutch, hub of drivingpulley, and shaft.

In the practical use of my improved system of operating cable roads, either one of the plans illustrated in the tirst si\Y iigures maybe adopted, according to circumstances, all said plans, as well as other moditications that may be made, embodying the essential feature of the use of auxiliary or intermediate cables, to which the cars are attached while both car and cable are at rest. i

The power cables P C, which transmit throughout the system the motive force derived from a stationary steam-engine or other source of power, may consist of a single endless cable mounted upon suitable pulleys, &c., in the usual manner, as we will suppose to be the case in Fig. 1, in which such power cable P C also acts as the traction-cable, to which the cars are attached direct. This plan answers very well in the case of a bridge or other comparativelyY short lines of road having only terminal stations, in which case the latter are provided each with one or more auxiliary cables, A C. The main or power cable P C' is run continuously, while the auxiliary cables A G are set in motion only for the purpose of imparting the proper momentum to the cars preparatory to and for effecting their transfer to the main or traction cable l) C. The auxiliary cables A C are supported upon suitable pulleys, a n', with intermediate idlervs, at', between, when necessary. One ofthe pulleys a, is frce to revolve upon its shaft under all circumstauces, while the other, a', is provided with a friction-clutch, F, or vother means for coupling it to its shaft b in such manner that it will partake of the motion ofthe latter, and thereby impart motion to the cable A C. The cable is allowed to sag slightly, so as to incline sufficiently near each pulley a a to allow the idlers yi upon the under side of the carto pass under the cable horizontally, (as will be understood by reference to Figs. 8, 11, and 12,) while the car is entering or leaving any ot' the lateral deviations D, formed in the rails at prescribed positions, for the double purpose otl carrying the gripping device G and sustaining idlers z' fi around the pulleys a a', and of obviating the necessity of raising the cable mechanically into position within the grip. This feature of feeding the grip to the cable iu contradstinction to the old method of feeding the cable to the grip is a novel and valuable feature of my invention, since it not only enables me to dispense with all cable-elevating mechanism, but

also to render automatic the operations of uncoupling a car from oneV cable and recoupling it to another succeeding cable by the use of suitable tripping devices for loosening the grip at prescribed positions in conjunction with the lateral deviations D in the track. As before stated, the grip G may be of any snitable form` that shown in the drawings being used simply by way of illustration, affording an example of a simple and effective construction of parts,consisting, cssentially,of the rigid jaws g g@ pivotally suspended from a bracket or hanger, H, upon the under side of the car. These jaws are forced together to grip the cable by means of acani or eccentric, i., which is operatedby a cani-rod, L, provided with a hand-lever, It, or equivalent device for controlling the position ol' the cam 7i from the car-platform. The cam-rod Il is connected by a short crank arm, hwhile a bell-crank lever, j, pivoted to the hanger J, is attached to the bottom of the car, the lower end of which bell-crank is preferably provided with a friction-roller, j, for contact with the inclined trippingsurthces K K.' These latter are arranged between the rails at points at which itis designed to tighten or loosen the grip automatically, and they effect either result bytheir inclination either to the rightor tothe left, as may be required. They may be iliade so as to be adjusted into or out of position, so that the grip may be either operated automatically or from the car-platform by hand. Thus when the cnr is transferred to the portion of track coinciding with one of. the auxiliary cables A l in the drawings, the lateral deviation (similar to l) in Fig. ll) in the track carries, the idlcrs L' i and the lower jaw, g, of the grip G under the higher part of the cable just beyond IOS the upper periphery ofthe pulley (L, as illustrated in Fig. S, and the jaws f/ f/ are subsequently closed upon the cable, either by reason of thelower end, j', of the bell-crank lever j coming in contact with an inclinedsurface, K, and thereby tripping the eccentric, or the same result is effected through the medium of the hand-lever 71%' fronrthe platform of the car. In like manner after the auxiliary cable A C has been started, and just before the wheels of the car have reached the lateral deviation D, that is to sluit the grip, &c., around the pulleys n a', the lower end of theleverj comesin contact with an oppositely-iuclincd trippingpiece, l, by which the grip is released,to bein turn applied, after the car-wheels have passed over the lateral deviation l), by means ot' another inclined tripping-surface, K. eral deviations l) in the tracks are not shown in the first six figures, owing to the smallness ofthe scale. Si nce as the deviations need never The lat- IIO exceed three or four inches in any case/,it will the positions of the -rails with relation to the frictional band or clutch, o, is tightened or cable situated between them is in all cases prescribed by the position ofthe latter. For instance, the cable A C, Fig. 1l, is central between the preceding portion d d of the rails, andthe curves l 1 to the parallel portions 2 2 are slight, while the curves 3 3, which connect the deviations D D with the succeeding portions d d of the line, are sutticicnt to compensate for the difference in position between the first-named cable, A G, and the next succeeding cable, I C, andthus the same relative positions between cables, tracks, grips, ne., is maintained throughout the system. As before stated, the intermediate traction-cables, I

C, may also constitute the power-transmitting' cables I C, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and` 5, in which. case the auxiliary cable A C at each station remains stationary when not in use,

while the combined traction and power cables I C P C travel continuously. In such case the. auxiliary cables A C, after the carhas been gripped thereto, are set in motion by means of a lever or similar device, L, situated l upon' the station-platform or other convenient y place by which the -friction-clutch F is connected with the driving-pulley a', thereby causing the latter to revolve with the shaft b. As this latter pulley, a', is preferably of the same diameter as those supporting and actuating the power and intermediate tractioncables, P C I C, the momentum acquired by the lcar before its transfer to the next adjoining cable will be equal thereto, and the grip having been loosened prior to the passage of the car over the lateral devia-tion D, in order to clear the pulleys, as before set forth, the subsequent rctightcning of the gripping device upon the traction-cable I G or P C will not be attended by anyjar or sudden strain ot' the car. The auxiliary cable A C after the departure is stopped by throwing the friction-clutch out of engagement with the pulley a by means of the lever i; or otherwise. 4By way. of illustration, a form ol friction-clutch which might be used in carrying out my improved system of operation is shown in Figs. 18 and 19, although other forms of clutch may be substitut-ed without deviating from my invention. In the construction referred to, a

^ loosenedaround the hub of a driving-pulley, a', by means of a cam or eccentric, w, attached to one end of the lever w', the oppositeend of which is heldin engagement with the laterallysliding cone u by means of a spring, u', in such manner that the movement of the said conc along the shaft b rocks the cam w in one direction 'or the other, as the case may be. The

Aadjustment of the amount of friction exerted When it is desired to run a car past certain .may also be provided with a frictional contact- .though other forms of apparatus may be eniployed for effecting the result without deviating from `my invention. As shown, a T-lever, t, is pivoted in such relation to the clutch that its central arm, if, engages with and controls the position ot' the clutching mechanism u. The arm t3 of this T-lever is connected with a bell-crank lever, B,which is situated between the tracks in such position as to be acted upon by a projection, C, upon the bottom ofthe car in such manner as to throw the friction-clutch into connection with the wheel a', thereby starting the cable I O orP C. The bell-crank lever B should be placed'in such relation to the grip-tightening trip or incline surface K as to fully start the cable I C previous to the application of the grip thereto; or the latter operation may be effected by hand from the platform. At the other end of the intermediate traction-cable, I C, or I) C I C, as the case may be, I arrangeasimilar bell-crank lever, B', connected with the other arm, t?, of the T-lever t, p inhsuch. manner that the projection C upon the under side ot' the car, by coming in 'contact therewith, will reverse the T-lever t, .and disconnect the friction-clutch u from the pulley a', thereby stopping the cable. It is to be understood that this latter bellcrank B is arranged to act after the grip has been loosened from 4 the cable, either automatically or otherwise,so that the car is free to pass over the lateral deviation D at that point. The bell-cranks B B" are preferably provided with friction-rollers for contact with the projection C, which latter I IO roller. As before stated, the clutch F may be operated from the platform of astation by ,a suitable lever, L, and link I, and when the bell-cranks B B areused in connection with the same clutch the link Z may be attached to an extension, t, of the lever t. Since-the action of'starting the cable by means of the lever L will thus lower -the bell-crank B, the projections C will pass over the said bell-crank withoutinterference, while the next bell-crank, B', at the succeeding station will be in position to be operated upon by said projection C. This plan of stopping and starting the cable may be used in conjunction with the auxiliary cables when it is not desired to stop at a sta` tion,as in the plans Fig`s.2 and 5,0rin like manner in conjunction with the series of intermediate traction-cables, I O, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, and it is alsoadapted to the purpose of disconnecting the driving-pulley preparatory to the passage of the car around a curvey in the road, and again connecting it after the car IOC has reached the straight portion of track beyond the curve. Inproviding for thus disconnecting and reconnecting the driving-pulley with its shaft, provision is also made for simultancously loosening and retightening the grip, as has heretofore been set forth, the object being in each case to permit ol' the slowing up of the car while passing over comparatively short abrupt curves 5 but it is not invariably necessary to resort to such means at curves in the road, since the particular intermediate traction-cable covering that section of the road may, by suitable and well-known mechanical expedients that need not herein be specifically described, be made to travel at a comparatively slow and safe speed, the idlerpulleys 7s 7a situated within the curve being horizontal and near the `shorter side of the curve in cach case, as indicated in Fig. 7, so that the grip G and idlers t' z' will clear them in passing. It is to be not-iced that by the use of the idlers 'i i upon either side of the grip, I am enabled to loosen the latter and stop the car,when necessary, at any point-upon the line Without loosening the cable, since the latter will pass freely over and be supported by the idlers and between the open jaws of the grip in such manner that the grip can be reapplied, when desired. lVhere the power-cables P C are arranged between the tracks and so as to operate the traction-cables I C upon each track, the direction of motion of the cables upon one side may be reversed from that upon the other by crossing each intermediate pulley,P C,over a supplementary pulley, S, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

In the modified plan shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the intermediate traction-cables, I C,Which are practically the auxiliary cables extended to the next station, are mounted upon pulleys a and a', and may be operated intermittently in precisely the same manner and by the same means as the said auxiliary cables, excepting that whereas the latter transfer the carto a moving cable the intermediate cables in such ease transfer the car to a succeeding cable which is stationary for the time being.

It is to be understood that While I have thus set forth a practicable means of carrying out my improved system sufficient to enable others skilled in such matters to construct and operate a railroad according to my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the special forms or construction of apparatus herein shown.

"What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a system of operating railroads by means of cables, substantially in the manner set forth, the combination, with cars provided with suitable eablegripping mechanism and with a main or carrier cable, of an auxiliary or starting cable, provided with means, substantially such as described, for stopping and starting it and causing it to attain a speed equal to that of the said main or carrying cable, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. In a system of operating railroads by means ol" cables, substantially as set forth, one or more intermediate conveying-cables between stations or termini, in combination with auxiliary start i ng-cables arranged at the intermediate stations or termini, substantiallyiu the manner and for the purpose described.

3. In a system of operating railroads by means of cables, substantially in' the manner set forth, the means hereinshown and described for stopping and starting the cables, in combination with the lateral deviations'in the track, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

et. In a system 01' operating railroads by means of cables, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described, the means herein shown and described for automatically loosening or tightening the cable-gripping device upon the car, in combination with the lateral deviation in .the track, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. In a system of operating railroads by means of cables, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described, the means, substantially such as described, for automatically bringing the parts into proper relative position for engaging and disengaging the cable, consisting of the grip and idlers upon the car in combination with the lateral deviations in the track and the elevated and inclined portion of the cable, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

G. In a system of operating railroads by ICO means of cables, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described, the combination, with the gripping mechanism, of the cable-supporting idlers upon the car, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

JOHN SFEWAR". Vitnesscs:

\VM. GARDNER, Guo. XV. Mm'r'r.

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