US637775A

US637775A - Pleasure-railway.

Info

Publication number: US637775A
Application number: US72182199A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry Funk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1899-06-26
Filing date: 1899-06-26
Publication date: 1899-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1916-11-28

Description

Patented Nov. 28, |899. H. FUNK.

PLEASURE RAILWAY.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY FUNK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PLEASU RE-RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,775, dated November 28, 1899.

Appie-nn nea me 26,1899. see-1 Nn 791 ,R91

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY FUNK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, (Brooklym) county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pleasure-Railways,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved pleasure-railwayin which an overhead rail is suspended from acable that constitutes a yielding support for the rail and insures great safety with a minimum amount of framing or supporting-timbers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of my improved pleasure-railway; Fig. 2, a plan thereof; Fig. 3, an end View; Fig. 4, a detail of the end portion of one of the rails Fig. 5, a cross-section through the rails; Fig. 6, a longitudinal section of a modication of one of the terminals; Fig. 7, across-section thereof; and Fig. 8, a detail of a terminal, showingapair of cables and tracks arranged side by side.

The railway, brieiiy stated, is composed of an inclined track suspended from cables and engaged by the overhead pulley of the carriage, which is moved along the track by gravity.

d and l) represent the terminal uprights connected by cross-timbers a b to constitute frames over which extend two'cables c c', the ends of which are anchored in suitable manner. To the outer side of each frame or o.' and b b' there is connected by braces d d2 an arched rigid end beam d and da, such beams constituting in effect a connection between the upper ends of the cables c c', so that in this way a continuous overhead supporting structure is formed. From this structure there are suspended by hangers e a pair of endless parallel rails f, placed side by side, Fig. 5, and so arranged that the startingpoint f of the track is in a higher vertical plane than the stopping-point f2, so that the carriage g will be propelled by gravity. Between the points f f2 the track should be alternately raised and lowered to produce a corresponding pleasant undulating motion of the carriage. The latter is suspended from the rails f by the yoke g', that projects upwardly between the rails and forms the bearing for (Nn 'mnriell the axle of a pair of hanged rollers g2 engaging such rails. When the carriage has arrived at the end of its run, it is drawn from point f2 to point f and there held by indentations f3 in rails f, that engage rollers g2, Fig. 4..

The passengers reach the carriage by an upper platform h and after having finished the ride leave it by a lower platform h'.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the pulley g4 of the carriage is guided directly upon the cable c2 in lieu of being supported upon the rail. Here the terminal station c' is provided with a longitudinal groove i', adapted to receive the cable, and with a shoulder i2 at each side of the groove. As the pulley g4 arrives upon the station z' its groove will clear the cable and its flan ges will engage the shoulders 2, so that a rigid support for the carriage while loading is obtained.

In Fig. 8 a number of rails f f are arranged side by side, each pair of such rails being suspen'ded from a separate cable c. Thus any number of concentric tracks may be formed, each of which serves for the propulsion of a carriage.

It will be seen that my improved pleasurerailway is constructed with a minimum amount of framework and that as the rails are suspended from cables an agreeable yielding support is given to the carriage.

Vhat I claim is- 1. A pleasure-railway composed of a pair of end frames, cables supported thereby, rigid curved end beams connecting the cables, a rail suspended from the cables and beams, and a carriage adapted to engage the rail, substantially as specified.

2. A pleasure-railway composed of a pair of end frames, cables supported thereby, rigid curved end beams connecting the cables, a pair of parallel grooved rails suspended from the cables and beams, and a carriage having an upwardly-projecting yoke, and a pair of wheels that are adapted to engage the rails, substantially as specified.

HENRY FUNK.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM SCHULZ, F. v. BEIESEN.