US42039A - Improvement in street-railroads - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. E. BEACH.

Street Railroad.

Patented Mar.'22, 1864. Y

Invert/ZUR I Afenw/ LI- Lu 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.l A. E. BEACH.

Street Railroad.

No. 42,039. Patented Mar. 22, 1864,

. Uivfirenl STATES annif' BEACH, 10E s'TnAfrFon'n, "GONNEorion'fr;I

PATENrOrrlcn.

- IMPROVEMENT IN s'TREE-vl.'-RAII noAos.

` Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.: 42,039. dated March 22, 1864. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, A. ELY BEACH, of Stratford,` Fairfield county and State of Gonnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StreetRail'roads'; and I de hereby declare that the following isa full and correct description of my saidjmprovements,

which will enable any yperson skilled in the art to make and use the same. p

Reference is to be made to the accompanyin gdrawings, which form a part of this'specication, and on which- Figure lis a side elevation of my improvement, in. part sectional. Fig. 2 is a plan of the attachments used upon the bottom part vand running-gearof the car. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Figli is aplan o f the propelling'l cable and its driving-drums. Fig. 5 is 'al sectional elevation of one of the rails. Figsr,

j 7, and 8 are views of dii'erent methods o f confstructing the cable.

Similarw letters of The propulsion of railroad- 'ars of stationary steam engines and moving cables is a well-known device, and is extensively .practiced in this country, especially inthe coalregionss Some attempts have been made vto introduce this method in citieswith av view to dispense with the use of horsesin crowded thoroughfares', and also to reducethe cost of moving the cars; but so far as I am aware no practical method for accomplishing these desirable results has as yet been devised.

A patent has been granted for a tube conl taining the propelling-cable, and placed mld.v way in the street between each pair of rails;

Another patent'has been granted in which the propellin g-cable is placed upon p oles above. the car, like a telegraph-wire, with a clutching device upon tho-top of the car.

- Although my invention relates io the propulsion of the cars by means of amoving cable, I disclaim the invention of any of the reference indica-teLcorre-v.l lspending parts in all the figures. v

by 'means that ity (the said arm) may be conveniently made to enter the aforesaid receptacle for the cable and grasp the cable, thus giving motion Ato the car, and so that 'the said arm may be conveniently withdrawn from the said receptacle and cable to permit the stoppage of the car; third, in having the device by which'the car `is Istopped or started so combined with the anlesor wheels ofthe car that it will always maintain' the same plane "of ,action with the said wheels or axles', so that the car-body may sway laterally or rise and fall upon its springs `without interferingwith or disturbing the acl tion of the aforesaid' device forstarting or stopping; fourth, 'inthe employment lfor .the propulsion of streetlcars of a cable composed of a series ofV jointed bars, made A either with l or without'springs between the bars, or in the bars themselves, and Iwith or without frictionrollers between the'bars; fifth, in the combinationiof the-device used to connect and dis! connect thejcar and'cablewith the brake-gear .in.snchamannerS-that theact of turning or operatingthe brake rod-or lever bythedriver ofl the carer train, will also actuate 'the arm.;

orv device bywhichfthe car and cable are'con- 'nected`,'so that when or before `the brakes be- -gintopressupon the car-whe`els the car will be separated from the cable, and when the brakes arefjreleased vfrom lthe 'wheels the car willfbecome connected with the cable.

In carrying lout'my improvement the rails, areto'be laid upon'sleepers and depressed in :g they ground to an even level with the pavement;

v in*the*mannercommon'to all the best street- "railroads'.

The rails are intended to-be of about the same width upon their face or tread as the ordinary rails.; but instead ofv having the groove shallow, as at present constructed, .I

propose to deepen the groove somewhat, and enlarge the bottom of the groove, so as to form a cavity or receptacle for the propelling cable. A shows the rail, and a the receptacle therein for the cable.

The rail may be rolled in one piece, like the ordinary rails, or' it may -be composed of more than one piece, as shown in figure, ortwo rails may be set together so as to form a suit able receptacle for the cable.v

The cable B, l compose of steel bars, having a small body and an enlarged head, the extremity of one bar being jointed by a pivot to the head of its adjoining bar, and inthis man- V nerI construct an endless propelling-cable.

engineer inv chargeV with a view tothe repair -Llhc enlargedheads .serve as. bearers to support the cable as it passes' through the rail, said heads receiving' the friction. YOwing `to the wearing tendency of this friction, vit would not answer to employ a wire rope as thepro peiling medium. t

At each end of the route, or at such intervals asmay -be deemed requisite,`1 have a revolving drum, C, with angular surfaces, to receive and propelthe cable. The drums are to be driven by steam or other convenient motor.' 'The drums C are to be soarranged and located that they can, together with the cable as it passes them, ybe examined by the while they are working.. 4

Instead f having'the links madestraight and'plaimthey may be composed of twisted bars, thinner in one direction than the other,

of-auy defect or4 damage Awhich may occur as indicated at D Dr. This plan of construe-j tion 4would give to them 'theetfect of torsionsprings and prevent' rupture when any great weight 'wassuddenly thrown upon the cable; for, for the same purpose, the heads of the liuksmaybe so constructed ,as -toreceive springs of rubber b b, against whichthe .ends o f-the links may indrelief from' any sudden strain,l as shown at E and F.'

In order to relieve tle cable from friction, 'the links may be provided with friction-rollers,

`as-sliown .at G,a slight groove or depression being inthat case made in the bottom of the cable `receptacle to, `receive the wheel and nideth'e cable. This grooveis not, however,

indispensable Another method of diminish- .ing the friction is to have 'the heads of vthe .links provided with friction-balls, as shown in Fig. 8, which balls project from the-surface. of.

the heads or links.

Atsuitable distances along .the line of the track there areto be openings or separations in the rails to allow ihedischarge of the mud,

dirt, or` other obstructionsthat may enter the cable-receptacle. These openings will connect with thestreet-sewer' or with any suitable `reservoir madein the ground to receive the accumulations from the rails.

In order to a'ord lubrication to the cable= I arrange oil-drips at suitable intervals along the route, said drips being so made as to pass a suitable quantity` of o il upon the cable. Saiddrips are depressed in the ground. Portions of 'the vcable may be lubricated and cleansed by--causing the cable audits receptacle'to pass through pools of 'water arranged at convenient points.

The devicewh'ich connects and disconnects the car and cable is composed of an arm, H,

y which projects fromunderneath the car, and

hasits lower end made of such form as to enter .the 'groove inthe rail and come in contact with the moving cable.

i The upper endfof the arm H swings upon a horizontal bar, I, which is hung between two fixed arms, J J, which are attached to a rock shaft, LK.` The latter extends between the axle-boxes of the car, and has its bearings in the frames which support the axle-boxes, t

When the rock-shaft K is moved. or turned -in one direction,the arm H is depressed, and A presses upon the cable, and .thecar in imepliately begins to move; 'but the starting of the car is done in a gentle or yielding manner in consequence of the actionof the springs L L,

'which are arranged one upon each side of the v'arm H -upon the bar I, upon which bar the army `)EL both swings and slides. springs L L serve lto resist the sliding of the arm H in which ever direction it moves,'and thus relieves the car from the sudden shock or start whichit would rcceivewere said springs not interposed. The said 'springs also serve f t to relieve thecable from `the sudden strain which the connection with it' ofthe carwould otherwise produce. If, however, the cable is provided with springs in its links or bars, as

before: described, the springs L L would become less necessary. The rock-shaft K is connected with the brakegear and operated from the car-platforms by means of an arm,-.M, which rises from the shaft K and bears against the Acurved end of a horizontal pivoted` or swinging'bar, N, whichis pivoted to the bottomv of the car.

' The brake-shoesO- and their connectingbars P are of the usual construction. The brake-bars P are connected by rods or chains Q with the swinging bar'N, and this bar N is connected, by means of rods or chains RR, with the usualflever or ratchet-rod or brakeshaft s s'upon the-platforms of the car.

By so turningthe brake shaft orrod 'S as to wind upthe chain R the barN will be moved laterally and the curved head of the barN will strikefagainst the upper end of the arm M and 'cause it to turn the rock-shaft K, and thereby lift the bottom of the arm H out o f contact with the cable, while the same lateral motion of the bar -K will pull the brake-bar P so as to'pressthe brake-shoes 0 against the car-wheels, and thus check the motionof the car and'Y bring it to a stop. When the brakerod S is uuwound, 'thearm H descends into contact with the cable andthe car starts.

' The respective'lengths of the rods or chains Q R are to be so adjusted that the arm H will be disconnected .from the cable before the brakes begin to press upon the wheels. will enable the driver of the car to bring thev carto a sudden halt if necessary, by a quick working of his brake-shaft S, with his full force, or be may allow the car to diminish its speed slowly by turning the shaft S to so slight an extent that it will disconnect the arm H from the cable without causing 'the brakes to press upon the wheels. Thus the car will run by its own momentum for some distance, or the driver may apply a gentle pressure of the brakesupon the wheels at pleasure.`

The said This It will thus be seen that the stopping and starting of the car can be placed under the complete control ofthe .cardriven The arm H isso arranged or combined with the car-wheels and their ax'les as to operate on the same plane with them. If the arm H, or whatever cableconnectin g device were used, were to operate from the plane of the car-bottom, it is obvious that the surging of the car upon its springs, or the uneven 1oad ing of the car at its ends, would render it very diriicult to place or keep the arm H in the groove ot' the rail or in contact with the cable.

The form of the arm H, ordevice which con-nects the car and cable, is immaterial.- As

shown here, it is forked at its lower end and ts between the linksjot the cable. The lower end of the arm may be made to resemble -a' claw, if preferable.

The intended location ofthe connecting de vice H is near the wheels of the.car, so that in passingaround the corners of streets, or on other short curves, the arms Il will still remain in contact with the cable. rllhe rise and fall of the connecting device H should be lo- .cated or arranged onor near to aline drawn perpendicularly through the car'wheel and axle; but for present convenience I have shown the device H arranged midway between the caraxles.

The rails which-pass around sharp curves are intended to be interiorly enlarged, so as to receive stationary friction-wheels l within them, for the cable to press against, and thus reduce the friction. Y

On double-track roads I propose to vhave two cables, so that when one cableis moving the other may be over-hauled and repaired.

Long trains of cars may be movedin and out of cities by my improvement'by having a connecting device upon one ot' ythe -cars toconnect -with the cable, or by having a special car thus provided to which the whole train may be attached.

Upon the ordinary city passen ger-cars there maybe. one of the cable devices H arranged Vupon each side of the car to connect with either of the cables, it being intended to have a cable arranged in each rail.

Those portions of the rails which pass over the summits of elevations'iu'thc ground, and also those portions at the foot of the descents,

lare intended to be interiorly enlarged and to receive fixed friction-wheels, in order that the cable may ride upon or press upon the said rollers so as to diminish friction. Indeed, if desirable, fixed frictionrollers may be introduced Aat suitable intervals through all the r iils, as shown at T, Fig. 5.

1n order to assist further in the starting of the car, I propose to use one of the patented springdevices by which the momentum of the car, lost by stoppage, is converted into a starting-power or made 'to assist in starting. Thisl will assist in relievingv the cable from undue straining when the car starts.

` Having thus described myinvention, I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Having the rail or track upon which the car-wheels run so grooved, made, or arranged,A -whether in one or more parts, that the said -rail or track shall form a receptacle or protection for the propelling-cable, substantially as herein shown and described.

,2. The combination, withone or both of the rails of a railroad track, of a propelling-cable, inthe manner substantially a's.' herein shown "and described.

3. The employment between the boitim of necting device H, or its equivalent mechanism, operating substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination of the cable-connecting devices, or their equivalent mechanisms, with the axles or .truck parts of the car, so that the said cable-connecting devices will not be att'ected by the movement of the car-body upon its springs, substantially as herein shown and described..A

5. The combination ofthe cable-connecting device withthebrake ofthe car, sot-hat on the movement of the brake the cable-connecting device will be operated, and viceversa, substantially as herein shown. anddescribed. p 6. The combination ot' the cable-connecting device with the ordinary brake lever or -shaft I, whichy operates the brake, so that the said 'shaftgwill serve the double function of oper-i atingthe brakesv and also the cable-connecting device, substantially as set forth.

7.v The employment, for the propulsion tf Streetcars, of a cable composed of jointed body of the bars, substantially as herein shown and described.

A'EELY' BEACH.

Witnesses s LIVINGSTON HENRY MORRISON.

the car and the propelling cable, of the conbars, having heads of larger size than the 8. The arrangement or construction ofthe

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