US550616A - Cable railway mechanism - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Shee-ts-S11eet 1.

L. J. HIRT. CABLE RAILWAY MEGHANISM.

No. 550,616. Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

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ANDREW B GRAKAMJHOTO-LTTMO WASHINGTON!) C (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- L. J. HIRT.

GABLE RAILWAY MEGHANISM- Y Patented Dec. 3,

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M M w \NDREW B GRAHAM,PHOTO-UTHO.WASHINGTON DC.

(No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. J. HIRT. CABLE RAILWAY MECHANISM.

No; 550,616. 3 Patented 1390.6} 1895 44/44 Mna Z1 NITE STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

. LOUIS J. HIRT, OF'BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CABLE-RAILWAY M ECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 550,616, dated December 3, 1895.

Application filed December 13, Serial No. 531,644. (No model-l I To alltuhom it mag concern.-

of the United States, and a resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Railway Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement refers tomechanism technically called a gipsy-wheel for placing the cable within the jaws of a grip in position for engagement therewith; and it consists in a novel construction and operation of the mechanism by which it is greatly simplified and cheapened and rendered more effecttual.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism in position in the pit under the road-bed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly in section, through the line 3 3; and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation through the line 4 4, Fig. 2.

When the car is shunted from one track to the other for the return-trip at the terminus of the road, the grip mustbe disconnected from one cable and then connected with the other or return cable; and the object of the mechanism here described is to place this return-cable in the jaws of the grip, after the car has been shunted, in position to be gripped and connected with the car. This mechanism is situated in a pit or cavity A,constructed in the road-bed under the rails B B. Lengthwise of the pit and at one side of the central slot between the slot-rails C O is a rock-shaft 1, supported in suitable bearings 2; Along the rear end of this rock-shaft and connected to the latter by the arms 3 is a rod 4, extending parallel to the shaft fonsome distance. The location of the shaft 1 and the length of the arms 3 are such that the rod 4 is directly beneath the slot in the slot-rails O O, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus in line with the grip and at such a distance from the surface of the road-bed that the bottom of the grip will strike and press down the bar as it passes over it. On the rock-shaft 1, near its front end, is mounted the arm 5, extending downward toward the bottom of the pit and terminating in the bifurcated jaw 6. The direction of this arm with respect to the bar4is such that as the bar is pressed down, and consequently j the rock-shaft 1 revolved, the arm 5 will be Be it known that I, LOUIS J. HIRT, a citizen turned in a direction away from the line of the central slot and toward the side of the pit. Extending across the pit beneath the rock-shaft 1 is a shaft 7, supported in bearings 8 8, so as to slide therein. This shaft is slid back and forth in its bearings by the arm 5, the lower bifurcated end of which engages with the pin 9 onthe collar 10 on the shaft. As will be seen from Fig. 4, as the rock{shaft 1 is revolved, and thus the arm 5 swung in a direction away from or toward the line of the central slot, the shaft 7 will be moved in a corresponding direction.

, On the shaft 7 is the wheel 11, provided with a deep-grooved periphery, capable of retaining and guiding the cable. The location of the wheel 11 on the shaft is such that when the parts are at rest in their normal position the wheel will be at one side of the central slot between the rails G O and out of line of the grip-jaws, and when the shaft is slid toward the side of the pit by the arm 5 the wheel will be moved toward the central slot and directly in line with jaws of the grip. As shown in Fig. 4, one bearing of the shaft 7 is higher than the other, so that the shaft is inclined; but while this is a preferable construction, as it facilitates the backward movement of the shaft and wheel, it is not absolutely necessary, and the shaft may be level, if desired.

The shaft 7 is slid back to itsnormal position after the pressure is removed from the bar 4, and thus the wheel 11 moved out of line of the grip-jaws by the lever 12 on the rock-shaft 1. On the outer end ofthis lever, which is connected to the rock-shaft in such a position that it is raised by the depression of the bar 4, is a weight 13, by which the lever is pulled down and the rock-shaft revolved when the pressure on the bar is removed.

Connected to the lever 12 is a dash-pot 14, by means of which the return movement of the mechanism is controlled and any sudden jar of the parts prevented.

The extent of the movement of the mechanism, and consequently the position of the bar 4 and wheel 11, is regulated by the adjustable pin 15 on the lever 12, the lower end of which comes in contact with the projection 16 and arrests the further movement of the lever and thus of the bar and wheel. It is always possible, therefore, by adjusting the position of the pin 16 to bring the wheel 11 directly in line with the grip-jaws and thus place the cable in the latter.

On the rock-shaft 1, between the bar 4 and lever 12, is a friction-clutch l7, operated by the hand-lever 18. By means of this clutch it is possible to separate the rear end of the rock-shaft, carrying the bar l, from the front end, to which the lever 12 and arm 5 are connected, and thus to detach the shifting-wheel 11 and its immediate parts from the action of the bar 4 when it is not desired to place the cable in the grip. When thus detached, the weighted lever 12 holds the wheel 11 out of line of the grip-jaws and prevents the cable from entering the latter.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: Then the car is shunted onto the rails B B of the return-track, the several parts of the mechanism are in their normal position, with the wheel 11, over which the cable is running, at one side out of line of the gripjaws, and the cable does not enter between the latter. As the car passes over the rails the grip strikes the bar 4, and, sliding over it, presses it down in the position shown in Fig. 3. The depression of the bar, revolving the rockshaft 1, swings the arm 5, and by means of the latter slides the shaft 7 in the position shown in Fig. 4:, bringing the wheel 11 in direct line with the jaws of the grip and thus placing the cable within the latter in position to be gripped and connected with the car. As the car starts on its return trip and the grip slides clear of the bar 4, releasing the pressure on the latter, the lever 12, which has been raised by the depression of the bar, is pulled down by the weights on its outer end, and revolving the rock-shaft in the opposite direction moves the several parts into their former normal position, thus bringing the wheel 11 out of line of the grip and to one side of the path of the latter as it passes. This mechanism may also be used along the road when the cables are changed or when the grip is disconnected from one cable and afterward connected with the other or second cable.

I claim as my invention 1. In mechanism for cable railways, in com bination, a rock shaft, mechanism attached thereto by which the rock shaft is revolved by the passage of a car over the same, a s1iding shaft having mounted thereon a wheel adapted to carry and guide the cable, and mechanism connecting the rock shaft and sliding shaft, whereby the revolution of the former slides the shaft and wheel, and brings the cable within the jaws of the cable grip, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism for cable railways, in combination, a rock shaft, mechanism attached thereto by which the rock shaft is revolved by the passage of a car over the same, a sliding shaft having mounted thereon a wheel adapted to carry and guide the cable, mechanism connecting the rock shaft and sliding shaft whereby the revolution of the former slides the shaft and wheel and brings the cable Within the jaws of the cable grip, and other mechanism attached to the rock shaft by which the parts are reversed after the passage of the car, substantially as described.

3. In mechanism for cable railways, in combination, the rock shaft 1 having attached thereto the bar 4 adapted to be depressed by the car grip; the sliding shaft 7 having the wheel 11, and the rocker arm 5, by which the revolution of the rock shaft slides the shaft 7 and wheel 11, substantially as described.

4. In mechanism for cable railways, in coinbination, the rock shaft 1 having attached thereto the bar 4 adapted to be depressed by the car grip; the sliding shaft 7 bearing the wheel 11; the rocker arm 5 by which the revolution of the rock shaft slides the shaft 7 and wheel 11; and the lever 12 by which the parts are re versed, substantially as described.

5. In mechanism for cable railways, in combination, the rock shaft 1 having attached thereto the bar 4 adapted to be depressed by the car grip; the sliding shaft 7 bearing the wheel 11; the rocker arm 5 connecting shafts 1 and 7, whereby the revolution of the rock shaft slides the shaft 7 and wheel 11; and the clutch 17 by which therock shaft is divided, substantially as described. Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 11th day of December, A. D. 1894.

LOUIS J IIIRT. \Vitn'csses':

WALTER P. PLUMMER, FRED S. KEMPER.

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