US366119A - Cable road for street-cars - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. G. LEAVITT.

CABLE ROAD FOR STREET CARS. No. 366,119. Patented July 5, 1887.

N. vc'rzus, Pkbmzumgm m. wmimun, o. c.

(No Model.) I O. LEAVITTI 4 sheets slheet 2.

v CABLE ROAD FOR STREET CARS. No. 366,119. Patented July 5, 1887.

WITNESSES I .QM M INVE/VZOH W v R iififfornew I N PETERS. m mwrgmo n fim. Washington. [10.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. LEAVITT.

CABLE ROAD FORSTREET (EARS.

I No. 366,119. Patented July 5, 1887.

WITNESSES cklf.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

0. LEAVITT. CABLE ROAD FOR STREET CARS.

Patented July 5, 18-87.

E WE

m'llllllll ih ii;

WITNESSES 0144 M //v l/E/VTOH c/vrs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

oHAnLns LEAVIT'I}, on CLEVELAND, onto.

CABLE RCAD FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,119, dated July 5. 1887.

Application filed February 4, 1887. Serial No. 226,518. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLns LEAVITT, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gable Roads for Street- Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in cable roads for streetcars in which the cartracks are laid upon the ground in the usual manner, while the cable is elevated, the latter being supported by posts set between the tracks and bearing adjustable lateral arms, with carryingwheels j ournaled at the extremes of the arms. A tilting clutch is so connected with the car that when depressed it passes under the carrying-wheel, and when elevated it is made to lift and grasp the cable, in which latter position the clutch passes above the carrying-wheels, to the end that with such con:

strnction a cheap, durable, and'efficient cable road is hadwith all the parts accessible for adjustment and repairs and Without materially obstructing the View in the street. My invention also relates to details of 0011- struction, hereinafter described and claimed.

The increasing demand for rapid transit in our large cities, other than can be afforded by the ordinary street-cars drawn by horses, has led to the adoption of elevated roads and cable roads, the latter consisting, usually, of tracks laid upon the ground with cables located underground. These respective systems are enormously expensive, and each has other seriously objectionable features-for instance, the elevated roads obstruct the view in the street, thereby greatly reducing the value of property along the line of such roads, and with cables operating under ground the wear is excessive, requiring frequent repairs, and from the inaccessibility of the cable and mechanism such repairs are ordinarily expensive. I have therefore devised the cable-road system illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a view in perspective of my improved cable road. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively an elevation and plan of the top portions of the posts, showing the lateral arms,

carrying-wheels, and the means for adjusting the parts. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a suitable construction for the terminals of the cable,and showing also a turn-table in section. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged elevations of the tilting clutch and connected mechanism, the same being side and end views, the former showing in dotted lines the position of the clutch depressed. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the clutch detached. Fig.8 is an inside elevation of the clutch mechanism. Fig. 9 is a plan of the clutch. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of my improved car-wheels, the samehaving two treads. Fig.1l is a side elevation of a car,showing the position of rope for elevating and depressing the clutch and for operating the clutch in gripping and releasing the cable, andshows, also, the arrangement of stops connected, respectively, with the car and turn-table.

A represents the car-tracks, that are laid upon the ground at suitable distances apart, and B are metal posts set midway of the tracks and at suitable intervals to support the cable F. The upper ends of these posts (shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3) are made cylindrical, and have respectively mounted thereon caps B. These caps have lugs b pierced laterally for receiving the shafts or lateral arms 0, the latter having grooved carrying-wheels Gjournaled at the ends thereeof. The cap may be turned or adjusted vertically on the post, and is held in the desired posi-.

tion by a set-screw, b. The arm 0 may be slid endwise through its bearings and is secured by set-screws c. \Vith these movements of the cap and arm C, the carrying-wheels are readily adjusted in line and at the proper elevation. Of coursekeys or othersuitable mechanism may be substituted in place of the set screws 1) and c.

A suitable, although not an essential, construction for the terminals of the line is shown in Fig. 4.. The cable passes around a large lateral wheel, F, thatseparates the cable tar enough to bring thelatter over the center of the car on the two tracks. The wheelF is mounted on a traveling table, f, that is drawn rearward by a cable, f,and weightf to give the proper tension to the cable F. At the driving end of the line the cable F passes around the lateral wheel 9, and the latter is shown intergeared with the crank-shaft ,G of an upright engine, G. This construction is simple and well adapted to the purpose; but other construe tions can of course be had, according to c1rcumstances. Each ear D has a frame-work,

D, located on top and at the central part of the car for supporting the'tilting clutch. The upper part of the frame has rigidly attached a shaft, d, that projects from one side of the frame and crosswise of the car. On this shaft is journaled a large wheel, (1, the hub of the latter being long to cause the wheel and attached arm (Z to turn true. To the wheel'is attached cord at, leadingdown to the platform of thecar for elevating or depressing the clutch by turning the wheel in the one direction or the other. Upon the free end of the arm (2 and extending from the one side thereof, is at tached the frame-work of the clutch. From the head of the arm (1 extend two parallel rods or studs, E, and on these rods are mounted the side bars, E, the latter being held rigidly in place by nuts on the rods arranged on each side of each side bar. The jaws E of the clutch operate between the side bars, and are mounted and slide on the rods E, the latter serving asguides for the jaws. The jaws have each a threaded hole for receiving the shaft 6,

the threads in the jaws and on the corresponding parts of the shaft being respectively right and left handed, so that by turning this shaft in the one direction or the other the jaws are opened or closed. A wheel, 0, is mounted on the other end of the shaft 6, and cords 0" lead to the platform of the car for turning the wheel 0, and thereby operating the clutch. The shaft 6 isjournaled in the side bars, E, and in the head of the arm d the shaft being located centrally between the rods E and havingsuitable collars to hold the shaft endwise. The side bars and the clutch structure generally are supported by a strong b'race,.d*. Grooved carrying-wheels H have theirtrunnions-journaled in suitable boxes made at the ends of the side bars, E. These wheels supportthe cable at the proper elevation to enter the grooves E made along the inner faces of the jaws-E, when the latter are closed to grip the cable to propel the car. When the jawsare separated, the cable runs on-the wheel H, and the car is allowed to stop. The clutch mechanism is only depressed (by means of the wheel d and cords d") when the car reaches a terminal of the line or in passing around curves, or at a turn-table when the car is to be reversed. Itmay be remarked here that the clutch is turned down in the direction opposite the movement of the cable, and that suitable stops (not shown) are arranged on the wheel d and frame D for mutual engagement when the clutch is in its elevated position, and the draft of the cable when the clutch is closed keeps these stops in contact. \Vhen the clutch is opened, the parts being balanced, the clutch remains upright, except when lowered by means of the cords aforesaid. weights attached at their respective ends over the car-platform to hold the cords taut. In passing curves the cable passes in the usual manner around lateral wheels (not shown) set at the proper points outside the curve to bring the cable in line with the straight portions of The cords d and e have the track on either side of the curve. clutch is lowered in passing the curve, and the car is supposed to run around the curve by its own momentum, and to aid which I have devised the car-wheels shown in Fig. 10. These wheels, in addition to the ordinary treads, I. and flanges t, have treads I on the 1ns1de of the flanges, these latter treads being reduced in size considerably less than the treads I, more or less, according to the radius of the curves used on the road. The common practice has been to cause the rim of the wheel passing the outside of the curve to mount a flat bar, and thus increase for the time being the travel of the wheel. I provide a guard-rail, J, next the inside rail, said guard-rail being high enough to engage the tread I and lift the tread I off of the rail. By reason of the reduced size of the tread I and of the outer wheel traveling on the flange, as aforesaid, the car may be made to travel round the curve with approximately the same friction'had on a straight track, and with such arrangement the momentum of the car is ample to carry the car around a curve.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with a double -track road for streetcars, of a series of posts and pulleys supported by bearings adjustably secured to the posts for supporting a cable for operating the cars, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a double track road for street-cars and posts for supporting a cable, substantially as indicated, of caps adjustabl-y secured on the posts, a lateral arm mounted on each cap and adapted to be adjusted endwise therein, carrying-wheels journaled at the extremes of the lateral arms, and suitable mechanism for holding the caps and lateral arms in the adjusted positions, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination,with tracks, cars mounted on the tracks, post-s carrying cable-supporting pulleys, and cable for operating the cars, substantially as indicated, of tilting clutches mounted on a'shaft on the respective cars, and

The

a pulley and rope for turning said shaft, said clutches in the elevated position being made to elevate the cable and pass above the carryin g-wheels,and adapted when depressed to pass under the carrying-wheels, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with car-and a cable, of a tilting clutch, cable-supporting pulleys mounted on'the clutch-support and adapted to be elevated and lowered simultaneously with the clutch, a shaft with right and left handed screw-threads for engaging the respecte ive jaws, whereby the jaws are opened or closed by turning the said shaft in the one direction or the other, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specificati0n,in the presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of January, 1887.

V CHARLES LEAVITT.

Witnesses:

CHAS. H. DORER, ALBERT E. LYNCH.

Images