US474351A - Coasting-railway - Google Patents

Description

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W. E. SMITH. .GOASTING RAILWAY. No. 474,351. Patented May 3. 1892.

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No. 474,351. Patented May 3, 1892. Y

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILL E. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COASTI NG-RAI LWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,351, dated May 3, 1892.

Applicationflledugust 1,1891. seriaINo. 401,358. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.- y

Beit known that I, WILL E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in have the county of Cook and State oi Illinois, invented certain new and useful Improvements in @casting-Railways, which are fully set forth in the following specification, referp ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure l shows mynew and improved coasting-railway in side elevation. Fig. 2 shows the surface of Fig. l in plan view. Fig. 3 shows the construction of the switches and frogs made to side tracks. Fig. 4E shows the details of construction in side elevation on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 shows the construction of Fig. et in cross -section on a transverse plane at x of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a modified form ot my turn-table in plan view. Fig. 7 shows a transverse central vertical section of Fig. 6.

Like letters refer to like parts.

The object of my invention is to cheapen and improve the details of construction of coasting-railways, whereby greater advantages in both safety and pleasure may be attained, as will appear from the following specifcation. i

I construct mysaid railway in substantially the following manner, namely: I construct bents c, which I unite at and place upon the same base and spread apart at the top, so as to form V-shaped structures when lseen at their ends. Said structures are set apart suitable distances and connected at a proper elevation by chords b. From the junction of said chords b and bents a rise smaller bents c, which again form V-shaped Iigures with the bents a. The bents care heldin their proper places by and support blocks don a level with the tops of the bents a. The distances between the bents d are divided into three substantially equal spaces by said blocks d. On the top of said bents are laid stringere c, composed of a series of plates laid on top of each other, which break joints and which are spiked or bolted, and thus connect the tops of said bents and blocks. On said stringers are laid ties f, upon ,which are laid T-rails g. Said bents are braced with braces h, inclined from their base to the side on which the` opposite track runs, and the trestles on which the opposite track runs are braced with braces h', which oppose the braces 7L.

In Iny said coasting-railwaythere are always two tracks A B, of which one is the outgoing and the other the return track. VVEach of said tracks is provided with the same style ot bents as those above described, and each set of bents for both tracks rests upon a single sill it', and said sets of bents are made of varying heights, so as to make an undulatory or wave-like surface for the rails. This latter point is only desirable, but not necessary, as the tracks may be made of one uniform straight inclination from the starting-point to the iinal terminus, with the turn-table at or near the middle of the grade and of its length. Through this construction of the trestle-work or substructure a very light and comparatively inexpensive, yet very tirIn, structure is obtained, upon which my improved coastingrailway proper is laid. Said railway consists of two tracks A B vertically parallel with each other, though as to that the tracks might be curved laterally also and need not at all be parallel. The starting-point is, however, the highest and the terminal point the lowest part of t-he entire track irrespective of all the intermediate undulations. Both tracks are at about the saine level at the turn-table j. Said turn-table is pivoted midway between the two tracks, and upon it are two or more tracks so placed as to receive the car from the outgoing track and, after turning, again discharge the car onto the return track. Where there are three sets of tracks on the turn-table, some curvature of the main tracks will be required; but in that case it will not be necessary to turn the table around so far to again discharge the car. The terminal point of the return track B is lower by a height sufficient for the length of tracks to give the loaded car a desired velocity, but so as to avoid making a greater distance than really necessaryin height between the initial and Iinal ends of said tracks.

To avoid all possible danger of the car running ott the turn-table while being turned around, I build alow stout wall 7c just beyond the circumference of the turn-table,` through which are cut notches to pass the car-wheels. By means of this arrangement the car cannot run oft the turn-table at any other point than loo that at which the tracks on the turn-table coincide with the outside tracks. Beyond the turn-table is a short piece of track Z, which rises somewhat abruptly above the turn-table for the purpose ot' gradually, yet shortly, stopping the car should it happen to have momentum enough to carry it beyond the turntable. n

Between the starting and and terminal ends of the .tracks A B there is a series ot connected frogs, switches, and a short track by means of which the empty car maybe both raised and transferred to the starting-point of the track A. Vhen the car has arrived at the end of the track B and beyond the frogs and switches, it is relieved of its load and then pushed by hand upon the short side track n, on which it passes along upon the short trackv n', parallel with or midway between the tracks A B. Ihen the car is fully on said track n', its motion is reversed and through the proper arrangement of the frogs and switches the ear will pass upon the track n2 and from it through yet other frogs and switches upon the main track A, and thus it will be returned to its starting-point. The detailed construction of the saidtracks n n n2 is shown in Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale. The side track n ascends from the track B into the track n', and from it the track n2 ascends intothe track A. A

Staircase 0 leads to a platform p on a level near .the end of the outgoing track and intermediate tracks near the terminal point of the return track, which by a both upward and lateral course connect with the main track near its starting-point, substantially as specified.

2. In a coasting-railway, the combination, With outgoing andl return tracks, of a turntable surrounded bya fixed and notched wall wherein the notches fit said main tracks, substantially as specified.

3. In a coasting-railway, the combination,

with outgoing and return tracks, of intermediate tracks near the terminal end of the return track, Which by a both upward and lateral course connect with the main track near its starting-point, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with outgoing and rel turn tracks, of separate bents rising and spreading from the samesillinto V-shaped supports connected by chords b, and intermediate smaller bents rising from the inner sides ot' said main bents and carrying blocks d, and stringers to connect the tops of said bents and blocks, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the outgoing and return tracks, of` separate bents resting on a single sill and oppositely braced and spread at their upper ends, so as to form V-shaped` supports connected by chords b, and intermediate. smaller bents rising from the inner sides of the main bents and carrying blocks d, and stringers composed of several overlapping members to connect the tops ot' said bents and blocks, substantially as specified.

WILL E. SMITH. Witnesses:

' W. O. BLACK,

E. I. BRINEGAR.

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