US400054A - Thirds to charles p - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) v 2 sheets-sheet '1. J. R; CHAPMAN. ELEVATED RAILWAY.

N, PUERS. Wow-lithograp Wmhlnglvm OC.

J. R. CHAPMAN. ELEVATED RAILWAY.

0.400.,054." Patented Manges, 1889.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-'-Sheet 2.

N. PETERS PhMO-Lilhugrnpiur. Washington. D. C

NITED STATES rriicn.

ATENT TIIIRDS TO CHARLES P. BALL A PILZXCE.

ND CHARLES 'r. POLLARD, or sAME' E LEVATE D RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,054, dated March 26, 1889. Application filed November 13, 1888. Serial No. 290,749- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN REID CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevated Railways; and I do 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 appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a carrier system for transporting articles by means of a carriage running upon a suitable track or way and impelled by a traveling rope or cable, and has for its objects to improve the construction and arrangement of parts composing such system as to facilitate the erection and manipulation thereof and increase the efficiency of the structure as a whole; and with such objects in view the invention by which they are accomplished will be hereinafter particularly described, and then sought to be specifically defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Figure l is a side elevation of the way and carriage with the track and tiller ropes broken. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of the carriage and suspending means and a portion of the track and tiller ropes on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2. I ig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, and '7 are respectively side, plan, and end views of the adjustable switch.

In the drawings,- the letter A designates a series of posts erected at suitable distances apart and properly supported, and they may be braced by guy-ropes 13, connected at one end to stakes C, secured in the ground, and at the other end to metal caps D, surmonnting the posts, while cross brace-rods E, extending from one end post to the other, at the same end, will serve to brace the posts between each other. These posts support both the tiller and track or rail ropes.

The track or rail rope F is illustrated as connected at one end to a stake-post, F, thence passed over a pulley or sheave, a, in one of the posts A, thence over a similar pulley in the post at the other end of the structure, thence around a pulley-block, G, connected to a stake-post, F and thence backward over pulleys or sheaves supported in the other two posts A, and thence connected to a stakepost, F by block and tackle G, by which the track may be kept taut.

Instead of making the track in one continuous piece, as described, it is obvious that it may be made in sections and each section provided with the block and tackle G, for drawing it taut, and especially may the same be desirable and necessary where the posts are too far apart to permit the track to be kept taut by a single block and tackle, as illustrated. Such change, however, does not involve invention, and being only the work of the mechanic,.need only be adverted to. It may also be noted that the track-rope will be clamped by suitable means next to each post, so as to assist in holding each post to its proper position-for instance, by a clamp, H.

The tiller-rope, which moves the carriage or carrier along the track, is designated by the letter I, and is suitably supported with reference to the track, it being represented as above the track and passing around pulleys or sheaves b, journaled within the posts A, and also around a shaft, J, driven by connection with steam or any other suitable source of power and transmitting motion to the tiller-rope, which, as shown, is an endless rope, so as to impel the carrier or carriage down one track and back along the other.

In order that the carrier or carriage may be transferred from one track to the other, I provide a movable switch, which can be shifted along the track to the desired point, and over this switch the carriage is moved by hand from one track to the other. The switch may be of any suitable form and construction for the purpose, but the following is con- 5 sidered to be the best construction: -A curved rail, K, rests upon the track and is secured thereto by any suitable form of clamp, c, that will hold it to the track and yet permit it,

when desired, to be shifted. It is braced IOO laterally by a cross-bar, L, preferably made integral with it, and also resting upon the tracks, with its ends extended beyond the track s. This bar, it will be OlJSOl'YQtl, stiffens 5 the switch-rail between the tracks, so that the carriage can be more firmly and steadily transferred from one track to the other. The switch-rail is also connected to the tiller-rope by upright braces L, provided with sheaves o (7, bearing against opposite sides of the tiller- .rope, so that the latter may pass freely between the same, and these upright braces maybe strengthened by the lateral rods c, connecting them to the evtended ends of the crossbar L. :5 It will be observed, too, that the braces L connect the tiller and track ropes, so that where the track-rope, which is below the tiller-rope, is pressed down by the weight of the carriage the tiller-rope is pulled down by the :o depression of the lower t-raclerope. The connection of the braces to the tiller and track ropes by the construction shown and described is also such that in whichever direction either the track or the tiller rope be r 5 moved the other one of the two will be moved in the same directimi, so that whether either one be moved up or down the other will be moved the same way, and so the uniformity of the space between the two ropes be preserved whether the track-rope be located either above orbelow the tiller-rope. .l-ly thus connecting the track and tiller rope at about the point where the carriage is switched from one track to the other the rope and track 55 are held at the same relativedistance from each other, so that the grip of the carriage can readily grasp the tiller-rope over the re turn track when brought into position to travel on that track. It will be observed that to unless some such means are employed the weight of the carriage, after it has passed from one track and its grip released from the tiller-rope, will so bear down the other track as to cz'trry the grip out of line with the tiller- 5 rope, so that there will be difficulty in making the connection; but'when the track and the tiller-rope are held at the same relative distance apart the connection ot the grip to the tiller-rope can be readily and automatically so made as soon as the transfer from one track to the other is completed.

The carriage or carrier is designated by the letter M, and. in the form illustrated consists of the grooved wheels or pulleys N, j ournaled in a frame, Q, and bearing upon the cabletrack h. A vertical moving grip or clampbar, 1, extends across the top of the carrierframe and is designed to clamp the tiller-rope between it and the frame, so that the carriage will be carried along by the rope. The upright arm of the clamping-bar passes through a guide-sleeve, f, attached to the frame, and is formed with an arm, g, to which is attached one end of a suitable spring, Q, the other end being connected to an arm, 11, extending from the frame. This spring serves to lift the clamp from bimling contact on. the tillerrope when the clamp is released, and then the carriage will remain motionless, while the hlllOlf-lUPO continues to travel. The clampinging-bar is also connected by a suitable spring, R, to a chain, S, which is attached to an operating-lever, 'l, by means of which the clamp bar is thrown against the tiller-rope. This lever may be held to its locking position by engaging a ratchet-bar, U, on the bucket or vessel V, or otherwise. The function of the spring R is to overcome the variable distance between the carrier and bucket, and thus relieve the grip or clamping bar of too sudden application.

The bucket or article to be transported may be connected to the carrier by any suitable means, and in the drawings is illustrated as connected thereto by differential pulleys \V. Any other means, however, may be employed, and if the bucket is used it mayhaveahinged bottom provided with a spring, i, for closing it after its contents are discharged, and with a bolt, j, for holding it closed.

It will be noticed that the carrier is applied so as to bring the open end of thegrip on the outside of the track, in order that the grip may slip from off the tiller-rope when the carrier is being switched from one track to the other.

I have described what I consider to be the best construction and arrangement of parts; but still I do not mean to restrict myself to details, except where expressly so claimed, as it is obvious that changes can bemadc therein without departing from the invention. It will also be stated that the length of the road is dependent only on the distance to which it is desired to transport the article to be conveycd. The use which can be made of the road is also almost unlimited, as it can be used for transporting cotton, ores, coal, and

material of almost every other description. It

can also be used under ground, as well as over ground, and while comparatively inexpensive to construct it is substantial when built and all its parts cooperate to give the greatest eiiiciency in a system of this sort.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is- 1. The combination of the upright posts, the tiller-rope passing around sheaves supported by the posts, means for moving said rope, stalce-posts to the rear of the upright posts, the track-rope passed around sheaves supported by the upright posts and connec ted. to the stake-posts, means for keeping said track-rope taut, and a carriage moving over said track-rope and provided with a grip clamping said tiller-rope and adapted to be released therefrom to stop the movement of one carriage while the tiller-rope continues to travel to move another carriage, sul )stantiallyas and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of the ilpright posts, the traveling tiller-rope supported by said posts, means for moving said. rope, StitlC-POSlS to the rear of said u )right posts, 1|lf lt0l(-l'0])( in said upright posts and connected at one end of the structure to a stake-post by block and tackle and at the other end of the struct ure passed around a sheave-block connected to the stake-post, and a carriage moving over said track-rope and provided with a grip clamping said tiller-rope and adapted to be released therefrom to stop the movement of one carriage while the tiller-rope continues to travel to move another carriage, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the double elevated track, the traveling tiller-rope, the carriage running upon said track and provided with a grip connecting it with the tiller-rope, the switch-track connecting the two tracks upon which the carriage runs, for the purpose of shifting the carriage from one track to the return track, and a brace connecting the main track and tiller-rope, said brace clasping the tiller-rope and main track on both their upper and lower faces to insure the movement of one with the other and prevent disconnection of either from the other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the tiller-rope and the main track, of the switch composed of the cross-bar resting upon the main track, the curved track secured to said bar and connecting with the main track, and the upright braces provided with the friction-rolls, between which the tiller-rope passes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of the double elevated track, the traveling tiller-rope, the carriage running upon said track, the vertically-moving grip connected to thecarriage and adapted to clamp the tiller-rope, the lever connected with said grip to clamp and lock .it to the tiller-rope, and the spring connected with the frame and the grip to disconnect the grip from the tiller-rope when the lever is released, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with the carriage and spring-actuated grip and lever, of the second spring interposed between the lever and spring-grip to relieve the grip of too sudden application, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, with the double elevated track, of the switch-track connecting the two tracks and provided with means for connecting the track and tiller-rope, said means embracing bot-l1 the track and tiller rope on their upper and lower faces, to hold them together, and adjustable along the length of the tracks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN REID CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

H. KENNEWORTH, A. HORN.

Images