US364393A - Cable-railway car - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. BREEN.

CABLE RAILWAY GAR.

No. 364,393. Patented June 7, 1887.

(No Model.)

I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. BREEN;

CABLE BAILWAYOAIL No. 364,393.

Patented June 7,'18 87.

WETHEEEEE- (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet' 3.. T. BR-EEN.

CABLE RAILWAY CAR. 7 Q No. 364.393. Patented June 7,1887.

WIT'HES,EI JE N. PETERS. Phulo-Lxlhoyzplur. W: .inflnn. 0.6.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 T. BREEN.

CABLE RAILWAY GAR.

No. 364,393. I r Patented June 7, 1887 UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

THOMAS BREEN, OF KNOWLTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CABLE-RAI LWAY CA R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 364,393, dated June 7, 1887.

Application filed April 1'1, 1856. Serial No. 199,199. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS BREEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Knowlton, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CableRailway Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the ac companyin g drawings.

This invention pertains to improvements in cable-railway cars, having for its object, principally, to effect the ready starting and stopping of the car; to resist or overcome the sudden jar or concussion heretofore experienced upon starting the car; to effect simultaneously or at one operation the application ofthe brakes and the retraction or removal from the cable of the dog in permitting the stopping of the car, while the said dog is also adapted to be operated independently of the brakes, andin ascending ortraveling an upgrade or ascent to resist or prevent, in starting the car after a stoppage, the rearward or reverse movement of the car, upon taking off the brakes, before again making connection between the dog and the cable. I

A further object is to supplement the action of the car-springs by additional spring action and to compensate for inequalities of pressure upon the springs,-according to the weight ofthe load or as to whether the car be wholly or more or less filled.

The invention, with a viewto the above ends, consists of the sundry combinations of parts, including their construction, substantially as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation of a passenger-car with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the car. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the crank and its attachments connected to the rear axle, and showing the position of portions of the samein dotted lines, when the car is not in motion, and also showing the pawl whenin this position in full lines to indicate more fully its object. Fig. 4 is a plan view of said crank and attachments. Fig. 5 is a detailed view in side elevation of the cardog, in position, and showing the auto matic dog-elevatingdevice in position in connection therewith] Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modification of my invention. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the car. Fig. Sis a detail view of 'thefront central wheel and its parts, and Fig. 9 is a similar view ofthe windlass and itsdrums. v

In the embodiment of my invention 1 mount the car body A at its rear and middle portions upon the truck B and at its forward end upon the single swiveled wheel I), which latter will be more fully treated farther on. The truck B is suitably supported about centrally of its length upon the single-wheel axle a. Said truck is connected, as shown, at its ends by suitable bolts, b, to the car-body A.

Interposed between and secured to the carhody and the truck are two series of springs, O G, the series 0 first receiving the weight and offering resistance thereto, while the series 0 supplement the action of the aforesaid series when subjected to additional pressure or weight, and also compensate for inequalities of pressure or weight, according to the weight of theload or as to whether the car be wholly or more or less filled. The frame of the carbody, which is made as shown in' Fig. 7, or any other analogous form, is preferably of iron, and has depending from its bottom at the sides cases e, to receive the car-windows when lowercd or down.

The single wheel b has trunnions 1) formed upon its ends, which trunnions bear in the arms I) of a spindle, bflwhich is swiveled in a plate set in the bottom of the front platform of the car,which permits the wheel to readily conform to the curvatures in the conduit. (See Fig. 8.) The spindle b is braced in position by rods or braces d d, each being formed of two parts swiveled or coupled together, as shown, to permit the free swiveling movement of the spindle, one part being connected to an arm, I), of thespindle and the other part connected to the said platform of car. The wheel b has a broad face or periphery',which rests or rolls upon the upper outer surface of conduit B, while centrally upon said face or periphery is formed a flange, D which runs in the central opening, 6", of the conduit, which is level with the surface earth and contains the cable D.

E is the dog,which projects up through the front car-platform, and which is held in a sus pended position, having its upper end connected to a chain, f, passed over a pulley, f, suitably hung from the front overhanging part of the car-roof, which chain is then passed to and around a Windlass, G,which will be more fully referred to farther on. The lower end of the dog E is adapted to engage upon its rear side with the links of the cable D when it is placed in a lowered position,and thus to put the car in motion. The front side of this dog at its lower end is beveled, as at e, the purpose of which is to enable (should the operator or attendant inadvertently fail to elevate the dog upon approaching a crossing cable) the dog to automatically or readily be elevated from its cable and ride over a bridge, 6', partly encompassing said crossing cable, and thus prevent the breaking of the dog or cable, or both, or other parts, as previously experienced. The elevation of the dog from its cable is effected by the striking of the beveled portion thereof against the crossing cable, (or its protecting-plates or bridges, if the same are employed,)which,as is obvious, will cause said dog to be carried over said crossing cable, aided, of course, by the movement of the car; also, in order to automatically elevate the dog E upon approaching and just before reaching the cable of acrossing track, Iprovide a cam, E,whieh consists of a cylindric hub-like portion hung or pivoted by a rod or shaft, 6, projecting into the inner surface of the sides of the conduit, said cam also having a curved arm, E", up and over which travels a lateral stud or projection, E of the dog E, said projection also passing over the hub-like portion of the cam. Simultaneously with this action or movement of the projection E upon the arm of the dog E the dog will ascend, and thus be carried upon and over the cable of the crossing road, the dog dropping by gravity to its working position or again into engagement with its cable. The cam E has also two additional shorter arms, 6' 0 disposed upon or projecting from its normally upper surface, with one of which, 6, the dog first comes in contact, thereby bringing the arm E of the cam in contact with the stud or projection E" of the dog E, and the arm 6 is designed to come in contact with a pendent projection, e, on the under side ofthe top surface of the conduit, and serves to hold the longer arm E of the cam out of frictional contactwith the moving cable. This dog E is connected intermediately of its end to a pitman, H, inserted a portion of its length into and cushioned upon an encircling spring, g,(preferably helical,) in a sleeve or arm, H, of a crank, H, said sleeve being pivoted to the latter at its outer end.

The connection between the pitman and the crank-arm will be understood from the following: The crank-arm 'H is composed of two parts put together in pairs, with meeting flanges H at the outer sides, which are bolted together. In the inner sides of the connecting part-s H of the crank-arm H at their emcee outer ends, are meeting recesses or half-sockets, forming coincident sockets H. The sleeve H is composed of two bolted-together parts or halves, with their headed meeting ends disposed intermediately of and within the parts of the crank-arm H while the bolted-together halves, or parts of the sleeve are half socketed or recessed, as at H, to receive the ends of a pin or pivot, H passed through an eye, h, of the sleeve, thus pivoting the latter to said crank-arm. To accomplish this result, the pin or pivot is first inserted in the eye h, and, after being placed between the half sockets or recesses, H, is retainedin position therein by bolting together the meeting flanges H of the crank-arm.

Between the side pieces of the crank-arm H is arranged a ratchet, H, connected to the car axle or shaft by means of a set-key, 71 said shaft bearing in the lower ends of said side pieces of the crank-arm, while hung from said erankarm and between the side pieces is a pawl, H which engages with the ratchet H. The crank-arm H has at its front side, spanning the intermediate space between its side pieces, an outwardly-curved stop or plate, h,

with its lower end inwardly curved or projected, the object of which is to prevent the displacement of the pawl. Vhen at rest, the sleeve with the crank-arm occupies the position indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3, and is thus held under the action of a spring, I1 This contrivance, whilepermittingoi'the transmission of the action or movement of the cable bodily to the car, also allows, as the dog is brought into engagement with the cable in effecting the starting of the car, the pitman H to have a limited independent movement of the car axle, whereby "it is obvious that the suddenjerking motion and consequent concussion that would otherwise occur are avoided, thus permitting of the gentle easy starting of the car.

I is one of a pair of brakes, which is hung in rear of and contiguously to the wheels of the rear truck, and is automatically held,when unapplied, away from the wheels by the action of aspring, (or spr,ings,) 71, as clearly shown. The brakes are each connected to a loose drum, G, on the shaft of the drum G by a chain, 2', con neeted to the lower end of the brake and carried forward under a pulley or rol1,j, hung on the front car-platform, and thence around the said drum G.

The chain f of the dog E is passed around its drum G, whereby upon turning the windlass fixed to the shaft of said drum G in the required direction, the drums G G having been put into engagement with each other, as will be explained hereinafter, the two chains f and z'will be simultaneously wound upon their drums, which will effect atone operation the disengagement of the dog from the cable and the application of the brakes, effectively stopping the car. The windlass-shaft on which said drums are secured is supported in any suitable manner from the front earplatform.

ISO

As above intimated, upon the windlassshaft are arranged two drums, G G, the drum G being fixed and the drum G being loose or capable of sliding on said shaft. The opposite ends of said drums are provided with segmental projections k, which are so disposed as that when the movable drum is slid up to the other drum and the Windlass-shaft with its fixed drum is turned they (the projections) will abut one against the other, and thus permit of thejoint turning of both drums, for the purpose before stated. By separating the drums it is obvious that the dog can be actuated without affecting or applying the brakes, while upon lowering or engaging the dog with its cable, although the drums be in engagement with each other, the brakes will be automatically taken off the wheels by the slackening or unwinding of their chains and the action of their springs.

Hung or pivoted to the car, near its rear end,

are levers'or props J, one arranged upon each side, and to which, about their mid lengths, are connected chains J, passed over pulleys I, hung on the sides of the cars, said chains be ing thence carried forward and connected to the loose drum G, in common with but in counter direction to the brake applying chains 'i. By means of these props or levers it will be seen that in ascending an upgrade or ascent, (the props depending from the opposite rear ends of the car,) upon stopping the car for the exit or reception of apassengcr, they will, upon the winding of the chains in applying the brakes to the wheels, be caused to drop and rest against the ground or soil, and upon restarting the car rearward or reverse movement will be prevented, as the brakes are released and before time has been had to effect a connection between the dog Eand the cable, thus avoiding great difficulties heretofore endured from this quarter. The props or levers may be elevated from contact with the ground by actuating the Windlass so as to tighten their lines or chains.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 I c onnect the pitman-sleeve of the dog E directly to the car axle or shaft, instead of to the crankarm, ratchet, and paw], as above described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters. Patent, is

1. The eombination,with the raising andlowering contrivances, substanlially as described,

3. The combination, with the dog connected to the car-axle and adapted to engage with the cable, of the windlass and the raising and lowering chain, (or its equivalent,) the same passing over an intermediate pulley, substantially as shown and described.

4.. The combination, with the suspended dog adapted to engage with the cable, of the pitman connected to said dog and spring-cushioned in a sleeve connected to the car-axle,

substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the dog adapted to engage with the cable and connected to the car-axle and the brakes, of the windlass, with its shaft provided with a fixed and a loose drum having engagement with. each other, and the chains, (or their equivalents,) one connected to said dog and a drum and passing over an intermediate pulley, and the other connected to said brakes and the other drum, substantiall y as shown and described.

6. The combination, with the dog, its pitman, and sleeve, of the crank-arm hung on the axle and connected to said sleeve, a ratchet on i the car-axle, and a pawl hung upon said craukarm and engaging with said ratchet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the cable engaging dog having a lateral projection or stud, of the cam having an arm engaging with said p rojection or stud, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The cable-doghavingalateral projection, in combination with the cam having an engaging arm and additional arms, one engaging a pendent projection on the conduit to limit the movement of the cam, and holding the cam out of frictional contact with the cable, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS .BREEN.

Witnesses:

J. Nora MoGILL, HOWARD J. SCHNEIDER.

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