US371694A - Cable-railway car - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheeti-Sheet 2* (No Model.)

H. W. McNEILL.

CABLE RAILWAY GAR.

Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. W. McNEILL.

CABLE RAILWAY OAR. No. 371,694. Patented Got. 18, 1887.

NirTEn STATES PATENT Fries.

HOBART \V. MONEILL, QSKALOOSA, IOYVA.

CABLEBRAFILWAY CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,694, dated October 18, 1887.

Application filed March 1, 1887. Serial No. 229,354. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, HOBART \V. MONEILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oskaloosa, in the county of Nahaska, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CableRailway Cars, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My present invention has relation more particularly to cable-railway cars of that system wherein the propulsion of the car is effected by means of a traveling cable provided throughout its length with suitable buttons or stops adapted to engage with the arms of a sprocket-wheel projecting from beneath the car into the slot of the cable-tube.

The object of my invention is, first, to provide an improved construction of sprocketwheel for connecting the car with the moving cable and improved means for lifting said sprocket-wheel in such manner that its arms shall be freed from engagement with the cable and passfrom outthe slot ofthe cable tube,and, secondly, to provide improved means for controlling the revolution of the-sprocket-wheel from the platforms of the car when the car is to be started or its movement is to be arrested.

To this end my invention consists in the various novel features of construction hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification. I

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in central "ertical section, of a cahie-railway car embodying my invention, the subjacent tube with its propellingcable being shown in proper position with respect to the sprocket-wheel of the car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section on line xx of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sprocket-wheel and its connections, the body of the car being removed. Fig. 4 is a detail view in cross-section of the sprocket-wheel.

A designates the main body of the car, of which A and A are the platforms, and B denotes thejournalbox frame, of usual or suitable construction.

Beneath the journal-box frame 13 are held, by means of the usual spring-carrying rods,

B, the side bars,C, the inner ends of which are bent into angular shape, as shown at o, and

sustain the cross-bars O, which extend between the side bars, 0, on each side of the car. Between the cross-bars O, and suitably bolted thereto,extend thejournal-bearing bars D, and from the center of these bars rise the journalbrackets d, the bases of which are suitably bolted to the bars.

WVithin the brackets 01 are held, in a manner permitting their movement in upward direction, the journal-boxes E, which serve to sustain the ends of the axle E, whereon is placed the sprocket wheel F. The body of this sprocket-wheel F is provided with a series of projecting arms,f, of substantially the shape illustrated in the drawings, and formed at equal distances around the periphery of the wheel, the outer and larger portion of these arms being provided with flat faces f, adapted to engage with the correspondingly flat faces of the stops WV of the propellingcable. My purpose in thus forming the arms f with the expanded ends having llat facesf is to insure a better bearing of the ends of these arms against the faces of the stops W of the cable, and each armfoftho sprocket-wheel is provided with two flat faccsf, sothat the sprocket-wheel will be properly caught by the stops of the cable when the car is moving in either direction. It will be readily understood, however, that with cars designed to move in one direction only the arms of the sprocketwheel need have but one of the facesf.

It will be observed that the body of the friction-hub F is formed with the annular spacef therein, to lessen its weight, and from this space and through the sprocket-wheel pass the bolts f, which serve to unite the sprocket-wheel and friction-hub, as shown in Fig. 4. The outer portions of the axles E pass through suitable perforations in the ends of the arms G, the inner ends of these arms beingjournaled upon the bar g, sustained by the brackets 9, that are bolted to and rise from the journal-bars D of the sprocket wheel frame. To the side of the sprocketwheel F is bolted the friction-hub F, over which passes the friction-strap F which serves to control the movement of the sprocket-wheel, as will presently appear, and on the axle E, on either side of the sprocl et-wheel F, are placed the lateral movement of the car or any irregulari ties in the slot of the cable-tube. Upon the axle E is fitted the collar E, the ends of which bear respectively against the arm G and the coiled spring H.

Thejournal-boxes E are provided with the flanges e, to secure their accurate movement within thejournal-brackets d, and it will be observed that the bearing-faces of these brackets d are struck on the segment of a circle, the center of which is thebar g,whereby the arms G are carried, the purpose in thus forming the journal-brackets being to allow the journal-boxes to rise freely in vertical direction when the sprocket-wheel is to be lifted from out the slot of the cable-tube, as will be hereinafter set forth; and it will be observed that the arms G, swinging upon the bar gas acenter, can carry thejournal-boxes and the parts sustained thereby in upward direction, such boxes being guided during this movement by the grooved faces of the journal-brackets.

To the bar 9 or other suitable fixed point is attached, by means of the chain c, one'end of the friction-strap F, whiehpasses around the friction-hub F, the opposite end of this strap being connected to asuitable chaimi, that'passes beneath the guide-pulley K, that-is journaled uponthe cross-bar 7c and abovethe guide-pulley K,sustained by thebracket 7c,and is fastened to the main lever L, that is pivotally sustained within thebracket Z, depending from one of the sills of the car-frame. To the outer ends of the leverLare connected, respectively, the rods M and N, which lead to the winding-posts at the oppositeends of the car, the outer ends of these rods M. and N being provided with suitable chains, n, which pass around the lower end of the winding-post. The lower portions of the winding-posts O are also provided with the usual rods and chains, 1? and P, that connect with cross-levers of usual construction, which are united with the brake-bcamsby the chains 19, and serve to set the brake-shoes against the tread of the car-wheels.

It will be seen that the chains n are wound upon the ends ofthe winding-posts O in reverse direction to the chains P, the purpose of this arrangement being to cause the brake shoes of the car to be set when the car is discon-' nected from the running cable and to cause the brake-shoes to be thrown off the wheels when the car is to be moved by the cable.

It will be seen from the construction as thus far defined that if either of the windingposts 0 is turned in such manner as to tighten the frictionstrap F against the surface of the friction-hub F the movement of the sprocketwheel F would be gradually arrested and the arms of the sprocket-wheel will be caught by the buttons W upon the constantly-traveling cable \V in such manner as to gradually move the car forward, and at the same time the chains 1? will be unwound,so as to permit the brake-shoes to swing from off'the running wheels. By connecting the friction-strap with the-winding-pos'ts at the opposite ends of the car through the medium of the cross-lever L enabled to readily arrest the movement (i e sprocket wheel from either platform of t ll?) Cam. v r

In t'iderto permit the sprocket-wheel to be lifted fromthe cable-tube, either for the purpose of allowingthis wheel to pass over obstructions in 'the--1 oadway such as crosstracks orthe like-or when for any reason the caris to be drawn by horses, I have provided the improved n1echanism or lifting the sprocket-wheel from out the slotiof the cabletube. Upon the cross-bang is held one end of the lifting-arm R, the opposite end of such arm passing beneath the axle E, and being slightly upturned and connected by asuitable pivot pin or bolt to the link R, which in turn is pivotally connected to the inner ends of the levers S and S, extending from the center of the car to a point beneath its platforms. The levers S and S are pivoted about their centers to the plates s,depending from the body of the car, and the outer ends of these levers are provided each with a step-rod, T, the upper enlarged portion, t, of which extends in convenient position to be depressed by the foot of the driver. In each of the step-rods T are formed the upper and lower notches, t and t with which engage the pawls V, that serve to sustain the step-rods in elevated or depressed condition.

From the foregoing construction it will be seen that when it is desired to lift the sprocketwheel in order to permit such wheel to pass over an obstruction, or for any other purpose, it is only necessary for the driver to depress the step-rod T or T until this rod is brought in such position that the pawl V can engage with its upper notch, 15, which will serve to hold the step-rod depressed and the sprocketwheel in elevated position.

By my improved mechanism the sprocketwheel can be readily lifted by the driver from his position on the platform of the car, and

all necessity for providing the car-floor with a trap-door'for this purpose is avoided.- It will be seen that, by extending the lifting-arm beneath the axle of the sprocket-wheel this arm is allowed a freedom of movement to compensate for the vertical movement of the carbody upon its springs; hence I am enabled to provide the sprocket-wheel with a means for lifting the same, which, while connected with the body of the car, does not impart the movement of the car in anywise to the sprocketwheel.

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

1. In a cable-railway car, the combination,

with a vertically-movable sprocket-wheel and its friction-drum located between the axles of the car, of a friction-strap for said drum, a cross-lever, L, aflexible connection extending from one end of said strap to said cross-lever, suitable guides for said flexible connection, and suitable connections extending from said cross-lever to the ends of the car, substantially as described.

2. In a cable-railway car, a sprocket-Wheel having arms f, provided with expanded ends [0 f, having one or more fiat faces adapted to ing lifting-arm for said sprocket-wheel, and suitable connections extending from said arm to the platforms of the car, substantially as described.

6. In a cable-railway car, the combination, with the sprocket-Wheel and its axle, of a piv- Woted arm or arms connected with said axle,

and curved journal-bearing brackets for such axle, substantially as described.

7. In a cable-railway car, the combination, with the sprocket-wheel and its axle, of coiled springs mounted upon said axle at the side of the sprocket-wheel, substantially as described.

8. In a cable railway car, the combination, with the sprocket-wheel and its axle, of lifting mechanism for said sprocket wheel,comprising a pivoted arm extending beneath the axle and one or more pivoted levers to which said swinging arm is connected, said pivoted levers extending to the end or ends of the car, substantially as described.

HOBART W. MGNEILL.

Witnesses:

GEO. P. FISHER, Jr., WV. ROssITER.

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