US666267A

US666267A - Tramway-terminal.

Info

Publication number: US666267A
Application number: US73497999A
Authority: US
Inventors: Christopher T Finlayson
Original assignee: Leschen & Sons Rope Co A
Current assignee: A Leschen & Sons Rope Co; Leschen & Sons Rope Co A
Priority date: 1899-10-27
Filing date: 1899-10-27
Publication date: 1901-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 1918-01-22

Description

Y Patented lan. 22, I90I.

C. T. FINLA'YSUN. TR'AMWAY TERMINAL.

(Application ma ont. 27, 1899.)

6 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

6 Sheet-Sheet 2.

Patentd lan. 22, |`90|L C. TL FINLAYSON. TRAMWAY TERMINAL. (Application tiled Oct. 27, 1899.)4

(No Model.)

No. 666,267. Patented 1an. 22, |90I. C. T. FINLAYSUN.

TRAmwAv TERMINAL.

A l' t' fx1 d 0 t. 27, 1899,) (No Model.) mmm e c s sheets-sheet 3.

1HE Nunms :Urns co. Pnoroumo., wAsMmnToN. D. c.

No. 666.267, Patented 1an. 22, lso'l.

c. T. FINLAY-soN. TBMWAY TERMINAL.

WZJJQS: am@ f @W 22,222 7752/727 y@ sf/far ey No. 666,267. Patented Ian. 22, |90l.

C. T. FINLAYSDN.

TRAMWAY TERMINAL.

(Application med ccf. 27, m99.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Modal.)

No. 666,267. Patented 1an. 22, Ism.

c. T. FmLAvsoN. TRAMWY TERMINAL (Application leddt. 27. 1899.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(Nn Model.)

Elven/Z5?? @Nimes Stearns ATnNT rricii.

CHRISTOPHER T. FINLAYSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. LESCHEN da SONS ROPE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TRAlVIWAY-TERMINAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,267, dated January 22, 1901.

Application iiled October 27l 1899. serial No. 734,979. illo model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER T. FIN- LAYSON, a citizen oi' the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ot' Colorado, have in- Vented certain new and useful Improvements in Tramway-Terminals; 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 ligures ot' reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wire-rope tramways; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide an endless double-rope buckettramway with loading and dumping terminals, one rope of which is a stationary bucket-supporting rope on which the bucket runs and the other is a tract-ion and bucket-movingrope which automatically picks up a standing bucket at a predetermined poiut at each terminal and carries it to the opposite terminal and leaves it ata predetermined point and picks up the standing bucket which is at a short distance from the one it leaves when the one it has just left is moved to the standing position and is either loaded or dumped as the buckets are at the loading or dumping terminal; second, to provide terminals for Wire-rope tramways having means for releasing the buckets from the traction-rope and for catching and holding to them and successively retarding their movement until they stop at a predetermined point; third, to provide positive operating mechanism for stopping and holding a bucket at a predetermined point as it runs oii 'the standing rope onto the tracks of the terminals; fourth, to provide means for automatically grasping the rope-clip of each bucket at the predetermined point at which they are stopped and held on entering the terminals and for holding the clip until it is automatically locked to the standingloaded or dumped bucket, as the case may be; fifth, to provide positively-operating mechanism forgrasping, holding, and moving said buckets and for positively relarding the movement of the bucket coming onto the terminal tracks to be loaded or dumped during its movement from its irst stopping position to its Iinal stand-- ing or loading and du mping position and for positively and automatically accelerating the movement of the loaded or dumped bucket from its standing position until it attains the speed of the traction-rope and is locked to the rope-clip that leaves the incoming bucket, thereby insuring the positive releasing of the rope-clips from each bucket as it enters each terminal, positive stopping of each bucket at a predetermined point until the clip just released from it registers in the lock of the bucket at the loading or dumping station, positive movement of both buckets at each terminal, the one at the loading or dumping station on its way out and the one just in to the standing-point to be loaded or dumped, positive accelerating movement of the loaded or dumped bucket from the standing, loading, or dumping point and positive holding to it and movement of it until it is locked to the rope-clip, and positive holding and moving of the bucket just in independent of the traction-rope from its first stopping position, and a positive retarding movement of this bucket to the standing, loading, or dumping position in order that the standing bucket may be out of its way and that both may move in relative unison While the rope-clips are unlocked from and leaving one and engage with and are locked to the other while the traction-rope is moving continuously and the buckets are loaded and dumped, and, sixth, to provide' means for dumping the buckets automatically. I accomplish these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the unloadingterminal with some minor parts of the buckets broken away and some other parts left o to avoid confusion at the dumping and cliprelease stations. Fig; 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an end elevation with the frame of the terminal and the bucket-pendant shown partially in section. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the dogs and their supporting-slides that engage the ropeclip when it enters either terminal and that keep in engagement with the clips while they leave one bucket and pick up another andasend of the terminal. In the opposite sides of this slide 241 form two

slots

26 and 27, into which projects from each dog` 22 and 23, respectively, a pin formed on the ends of the dogs. The object of these slots is to positively lock the said dogs in the channel on each side of the head of the clip and to release first one dog and then the other, so that the clips can enter and leave the channel-piece 2O of the buckets at the proper times and places. 0f these two slots 26 receives the pin of the spring-controlled dog 2 This slot is enough wider at its lower end to allow the pin of this dog 22 and the dog itself full freedom to move back out of the clipgrips channel when the head ot' a clip enters the channel and comes in contact with it, as seen in Fig. 1G, in which the slide is repre sented as raised to its fullest height, in which position the dog is unlocked. The slide is raised automatically, as will be explained hereinafter. Now when the head of a clip enters the clip-grips channel it collides or strikes the dog 22, and as the slide is at the 'top of its movement the pin of this dog is in the wide portion of the slot 2G, and it can move back, and it is pushed back by the head of the clip as it strikes it and passes it, compressing the spring of the dog as it moves the dog, when it immediately springs into the channel again into its normal position, as shown in Fig. 16. The slot 26, however, is narrow at itstop, and whenthe slide is down the narrow part of the slot registers over the pin of the dog and the dog is locked against backward movement out of the channel. The slot 27 on the other side of the slide, which is seen in Fig. l0 through the slot 26, is a narrow slot and is just wide enough throughout its length tor the pin of the dog 23 to move freely in. This slot is straight from its top lo just below the center of the leilgth of the movement of the slide, from which point it detlects away from the dog 23. Now when the slide is down in its normal position this dog 23 is locked and cannot be moved out of the channel, but when the slide is raised the pin follows the slot, which at its lower end is deiiected away from the channel, and the pin and dog are moved back out ot' the channel and out of the path of the head of the clip-that is, the slide, through the medium of the slot 27, moves the dog 23 out of the channel and consequently out of the path of the head of the rope-clip; but the dog 22 is engaged by and is moved back out of the channel by the head of the rope-clip as it passes through the channel, and when the slide is down both dogs are locked by their respective slots against any backward movement whatsoever. Consequently when the head of a clip gets into the channel between these two dogs and the slide is down it is locked tothe clip-grip and when the slide is up as far as it will go both dogs are released, and when it is onlj,7 half-way up the dog 22 is released, but the dog 23 is locked.

This slide, the dogs, and the channel I term the clip-grip of the buckets.

My invention contemplates the automatic releasing of a clip from each bucket as the bucket moves along the side of the terminals as it comes into each terminal and the locking of each bucket to the next clip on the traction-rope as it comes along without stoppingl or diminishing the speed of the rope. I preferably carry out this fea-ture of my invention in the following manner:

Along that side of each terminal the buckets come in on I arrange two rods 2S and 29, spacing them a short distance apart and far enough from the tracks to allow the buckets to pass between them and the rods. The ends of these rods are bent at right angles and eX- tend to and are bolted to the curved trusses 30 and 3l. Each truss consists of two plate members bolted together at one end, and their free ends are bolted to the opposite sides of the adjacent tie-beam. A pin 32 projects from the back of the vertical slide 24 and is arranged to move freely between the rods as the buckets enter the terminals. The end of the lower rod is separated from the end of the upper rod and is bent downward from the upper rod to form an upward-inclined plane at the end the pins of the buckets enter between them. The rods then are parallel with each other for a short distance, when they both deliect down a distance sufcient to move the slide down about one-half of its travel. rlhey again extend horizontally a short distance parallel with one another, and then again deiiect downward enough to move the slide down the rest of its downward travel. Oonsequently when the pin of the slide first enters between the rods and travels up the incline of the lower rod the slide is raised to its full height and both dogs are released, and the dog 23 is drawn back out of the path of the clip, allowing the clip to pass out of the grip and the bucket to slow up with the slide at its highest limit. Its piu is then on the level portion between the rods and with the dog` 23 out of the channel ot' the grip and the spring-controlled dog 22 free to be moved back by the next clip comingalong. At the point where the buckets come to rest there are two

slides

33 and 34. These slides are both arranged to slide on the vertical member of the Z member of the clip-guide. Each of IOO IIO

the said slides comprises a block-shaped member having a slot through it, which tits over the vertical portion of the top of the clipgnide lt. These slides extend down on the back side of the Z member, and a bar 32A is secured to each and lies up under the edge of the horizontal portion of the Z member. The slide has a projection 33A on the rear end extending over the top of the clip-guide, to which are pivoted two

levers

3 and 36, (shown plainly in Figs 3, 9, 10, l2, and 13,) one lever being pivoted over the other, the pivotal screw 36A of the outer lever being threaded to the pivotal screw 37 of the inside ISO ` the clip-guide.

lever. The lever 3G extends beyond the end of the lever' 35 and' comprises a thin blade with a head portion 38, that extends laterally from the body of the lever over the edge of the clip-guide. The extreme end of this lever is beveled upward and is adapted to engage and slide up the inclined block 38", which is secured to thc top member 14A ot A square recess 39 is formed in the under side of the head of this lever, commencing from the point where the head joins the body. This recess is large enough to receive and tit loosely over the top of a projection 40, formed on the top of the grip members of the bucket. The lever 35 comprises a thin blade having at its end a laterally-extending blade 35, which projects over the edge of the clip-guide and which extends up backward from the end of the leverat an angle and forms a backwardsloping inclined plane. The projection 40 engages the under side otl this inclined blade and raises it as the projection of the grip passes under it. After the projection 40 of the bucket has passed under the lever the lever drops down behind it. The projection is thus confined between the two heads ol these two levers, and the bucketis held by them and must move as they move. 'lhe slide 34 lies in front oi' the slide 33, but close up to it. The slide 34 contains a recess, in which are pivoted by a pin 4l two clip-engaging

dogs

42 and 43. These dogs are placed side by side and project through the open back ot' the clip-guide over the rope and clip and have at their free ends a thin depending portion 43A, which has an open space at the central portion of each to allow a space between the opposite ends of the two dogs large enough for the rope-clips 13 to rest loosely in, which permits the dependingend portions to drop down by each side of the clip, thus attaching the slide 34 to the clip, The depending portions ot' the dogs project parallel with their pivotal pin beyond the body of the dogs, and their .lower edges are beveled upward to form inclined planes,which allows the clip as it comes along to raise the first dog and pass under it and allows the other to vbe raised by contact with the pin 44, secured to the member 14, at the end of the movement of the slide, as shown in Fig. l5, which releases the clip after it has been locked to a bucket, as will be explained hereinafter.

Each ot' the two

dogs

42 and 43 has an upward extending projection 45, that abuts against the back ot' the slide 34, and thereby acts as a stop to define the downward movement of the dogs. A bifurcated spring 46 is secured to the slide, and its ends bear on the two dogs and hold them down in position to receive the clips, as shown in Figs. 4, 7, S, 9, and lO. These two slides, with their levers and dogs, constitute the bucket-receiving and positive moving' and operating mechanism while the clips are changing from one bucket to another and while the buckets are being loaded and dumped. There is always one bucket standing at the d umping-station 47, and when a bucket comes in its clip is released at the clip-releasing station 47, and at the same time it becomes attached to the dogs of the clip-slide 34, and at the same time the

levers

36 and 35 engage the projection 40 on the bucket, these three events taking place at substantially the same moment, and as the clip and rope move continuously the bucket slows up, and the clip moves on and carries the clip-slide along with it along the top edge of the clip-guide. As the clip-slide 34 moves it carries the lever 49 with it also, as this lever is pivoted by a pin 50 at one end to ears 5l, formed on the edge of the clip next to the bucket-slide. (See Figs. l and 3.) This lever 49 extends to the opposite side of the terminal, where it is pivoted to a lever 52, which extends back to the clip-guide side ofthe terminal, where it is pivotally attached to supports 53 and 54 by a vertical crossshaft 55, forming part of itsv end. The supports 53 and 54 are secured to the longitudinal ties 3.

About midway of the lever 52 there is a lateral extension 56, to which is pivoted a lever 57, which has at its end that pivots to the extension 56 a curved portion 58, that curves away from the extension 56. In this curved portion and up the lever a short distance there is a curved slot 59, through which the pin GO loosely depends from the end ol' the extension 56, to which it is secured. At a short distance above this slot a level' (il is pivotally attached to the lever 57 by a pin 62. This lever 6l extends to and is pivolally secured at its opposite end by a pin 63 to the lever 52 at a point opposite the extension. The opposite end of the lever 57 is pivot-ally secured by a pin G4 to the ears 65, which are formed on the bucket-slide 33 directly above the ears 5l on thc clip-slide, thetwo pairs of ears being arranged on their respective slides to stand vertically over each other, as shown in Figs. l and 8. A rope o5A is attached at one end to the lever 57 and passes over a sheave 65B, which is pivotally secured in a bracket (C, attached to the guide-frame 15C, and then passes over a sheave which is pivotally secured to a bracket 651" on a crossbar of the terminal. A weight 65E is secured to the opposite end of the rope. The movement of the clip-slide and lever 49 along the guide moves the

levers

52 and 57 to the positions assumed by these levers in the dotted lines in Fig. l, the clip-slide not stopping until it reaches the opposite end of the clipguide and the bucket-slide and the incoming bucket not stopping until it reaches the standing or dumping position 47 of the buckets. The levers work as follows: The lever 49 draws the

levers

52 and 57 after it. The lever 49 and its slide travel at the same speed as the clip that is held by its dogs; but the lengths, forms, and relations of these levers` are such that while the clip is unlocked from IOO IIO

the incoming bucket an d the bucket is caught bythe levers ol the bucket-clip withoutits being stopped or slowed down by the bucketslide, which starts to move at substantially the same speed the incoming bucket is moving at and starts at the same instant the bucket enters between its levers,as it is moved instantly by the clip-slide, which is itself moved at the same instant thc rope-cli p leaves the incoming` bucket. As the releasing ot' the rope-clip from the bucket, the catching or grasping of the incoming bucket, and the locking of the rope-clip to the clip-slide take place at substantially the same instant, and consequently both slides commence to move at the saine instant; but the movement of the incoming bucket from the time the bucketslide gets well under way is successively retarded until it is brought to a standstill at the dumping station. The movement of the bucket-slide is much slower than that of the clip-slide, which moves along the guide at the same speed as the rope. The clip-slide, as it moves along the guide, engages the camlever ot' the accelerator, which starts the accelerating-arm and moves the standing bucket along, but so slow at rst that the clip-slide overtakes it, and then the head of the rope-clip enters the clip-grip channel of the bucket by pushing aside the dog 22, which is still unlocked, as the slide 24 has moved down only one-half of its travel at the central deflection of the unlocking-rods 28 and The dog 23 is, however, locked in the channel in the path of the clip, as the slide 24 has been moved down by its pin 32 moving from the first deflection in the

rods

28 and 29, as the bucket now in the standing position was previously moved up to its standing position by a previous action of the clip and bucket slides. This downward movementy of the slide 24 is about one-half of its full downward movement; but it is sufficient to move the stein of the positive moving dog 23 into the vertical portion of its slot 27, which moves it into the path of the clip and holds it there. At this time the bucket and rope clip and the clip-slide are traveling together and pass the ends of the deflectingrods 28 and 2S), the downward deflection of which at the end moves the pin 32 and the slide 2lof the bucket-clip-gripping device down to its lowest position, which brings the pin of the dog 22 in the narrow part of the slot 26 of the slide 24 and locks it against backward movement, which locks the head of the rope-clip securely to the bucket. A second or two later the clip-slide reaches the ieleasiug-pin et and is detached from the rope-clip and is drawn back, together with the bucket-slide, to its starting-point by the weight 65E.

The wicket-accelerating device comprises the actuating-lever 68, the bucket-carrying arm 69, the supporting-bucket 70, and the horizontal support 71. The bucket extends across the terminal and is secured to the outside longitudinal ties. On each end ot' the bracket

vertical bearings

72 and 73 are .forined. To the bearing 72 one end ofthe carrying-arm is bolted pivotally by a bolt 74, and one end of the lever 68 is .bolted to the bearing 723 by a bolt 74A. The carrying-arm rests on the horizontal bar 75, which is secured to supporting-bars 76 by the screws 7 6A. The bars 76 extend downward and are bolted to the adjacent tie-beam. The segmental supporting-bar 7l is secured to the top of the bar by screws 77, but is raised enough above it bycollars 78 to allow the bucketcarrying arm to slide freely under it. The cam-actuating lever 68 rests and slides on this segmental support. Upon the bucket-carrying arm back of the lever 68 a vertical shoulder 79 is formed either by attaching an angled iron to the top of this arm or by forming the shoulder as au integral portion ot' it. A rope 8O is secured to the arm 69 and extends over a pulley 8l, secured to a bracket 81A, which is attached to the adjacent cross-tie. A weight 82 is fastened to the end of the rope 80. The cam portion ofthe lever 68 is formed with an outward curved portion 80A, that starts with an abrupt curve B at its pivotal end and blends into a straight portion 80C, that terminates near the end of the lever. This curved portion 8OA rests against the vertical shoulder 79. Adjacent to the free end of this lever a spring-buffer composed of the rod 83 projects loosely through lugs 8l and 84A, which project vertically from the top of the support. A head 85 is formed on the end of the rod 83 that bears on the farthest side of the lug 84A from the lever 68. The opposite end of the rod bears against the front edge ot' the lever. A spring 85A surrounds the said rod 83 and bears at one end on the inside of the lug 85A and is secured at the opposite end to the rod. The weight 82 draws the carrying-arm 69 and lever 68 toward the buffer-rod, and the vertical shoulder 79 bears against the curved portion of the actuatinglever 68, while the free end ofthe latter bears against the bufferrod which receives the shock of the return movement of the accelerating device. 'lhe buffer also defines the stationary position of the bucket-carrying arm.

The bucket-carrying arm 69 has on its end a head 86, that is provided with a sleeve 86A,

which is fitted to slide a short distance back and forth on the arm. A slot 87 is made centrally in the head wide enough to receive loosely a depending lugl 88, formed on the underside ofthe channel-piece 2O of the clipgrip of the bucket. The head extends laterally from each side of the slot in backwardlycurved portions, which allows the lug on the bucket to slide along them and push the head back until it drops into the slot. A lug 87A depends from the under side of the sleeve portion ofthe head, and a similar lug 89 depends from the under side of the carrying-arm. A rod 90, having a head portion 91, extends loosely through the lug 87, with its head por- IOO IIO

tion normally bearing on the outside of said lug. This rod extends to and is secured to the lug 89. An expansion-spring 92 surrounds the rod between the two lugs and constantly presses the head of the carrying-arm against the head of the rod.

The pin 67 on the under side of the clipslide when it engages the lever 68 moves the bucket-carrying gripping-arm 68 a short segment of a circle by forcing it against the shoulder 69 as it is pushed back by the pin. This starts the bucket along, gradually increasing its speed as the increased size of the curved portion of the lever 67 comes in contact with the shoulder as the lever is pushed back until the bucket is moving about as fast as the clip and rope, which enables the clip to take itfrom the accelerator without any shock on the rope. The clip-slide 34 travels on with the bucket until it reaches the pin 44 in the end of the clip-guide, when the inclined end of the dog 43 runs up on the pin and raises the dog above the clip, thus releasing the clip from the slide. Meanwhile the arm 49 has drawn the arm 57 along after it and caused the arm 57 to move the bucketslide and its levers, which are locked to the incoming bucket, to move it to the standing, loading, ordumping position. When the accelerator leaves the outgoing bucket, the former swings back under the influenceof the weightagainstthe bumper to the center of the standing position, and the incoming bucket pushes back the head on the carrying-arm until the depending lug of the bucket registers with the slot in the head, which then springs forward and is attached to it. Just before this action takes place the lever 36 runs up the inclined plane 38A and moves along its top, and the bucket is released from the bucket-slide and stops, but is now in the grasp of the accelerator. The movement of the bucket just before it reaches the standing, loading, or dumping position and just before the accelerator swings back in that position to receive and catch the incoming bucket is very slow, as the curved end and curved slot of lthe lever causes it to swing slowly on its pivot with but little forward movement. The outgoing bucket is released from the clip-slide at substantially the same time that the incoming bucket is brought to and-released at the standing, loading, or u'nloading position.

The buckets are not connected to the slide 34; but they are connected to the slide 33 from the time they enter the terminal and run to the point where the

levers

35 and 36 of the slide engage the member 40 of the buckets. The slide 33, to which the buckets lock when they run into the terminal, is not attached or secured to orin any way connectedto the moving rope ll. It is connected to the lever 57 and to no other lever and is moved solely by the lever 57 through the medium of the

levers

49 and 52 and the lateral extension 56 of the lever 52. Consequently the running rope has nothingl to do with the bucket-slide 33. The clip-slide 34, however, is the slide that becomes attached to the running rope by means of its two dogs, one of which is raised up as the rope-clip passes under it and then drops down behind it, while the other dog lies in its path and the clip runs against it and moves the clip-slide with it without in the slightest degree slowing up the speed of the running rope, as the slide is very lightin comparison with the load of buckets` and material that moves the running rope. Consequently the clip-slide is picked up quick and starts olf across its slideway and continues throughout the whole of its travel at the same speed as the running rope, and as it moves along its slideway it drags the lever 49 after it, and the lever 49 drags the end of the lever 52 that is pivoted to it after it, and lever 52, through its extension 56, pushes the lever 57, and consequently the bucket-slide which is attached to the lever 57, also along the slideway after the clipslide which scooted on. ahead of it when the clip picked it up; but the relation between the movements of these said levers is such that the lever 57 is moved in such a path that it starts the bucket-slide and the bucket it is locked to at about the same speed and at the same time that the bucket runs into the bucket-slideand islocked to it, and also starts it out with the momentum, so that the bucket when it runs into the bucket-slide does not stop, and the bucketslide does not stop them. The buckets are lfilled with ore when they run in 01T the line,

and their momentum carries them along after the rope-clip is disengaged from them. The arrangement of the bucket-slide is such, however, that they cannot pass it without locking toit; but as the bucket-slide is started along the guideway by the rope-clip at the same moment the bucket runs into it the iucoming buckets are notstopped by the bucketslide or slowed down until the bucket-slide has moved a little way, when its actuatinglevers gradually retard its speed until it is brought to a stop, and this is the function of these two slides and the system of levers. The instant the rope-clip is released from a bucket it moves away from it as the bucket commences to slow up, and at the same instant it is released from the bucket it becomes attached to the ropeclip and moves away from the bucket and takes the clip-slide with it, and the instant the clip-slide moves the levers lengthen or straighten out and move the bucket-slide, and the levers move in such paths that the movement of t-he bucket and the bucket-slide to which it is attached is continuously retarded or slowed up, and by the time the clip-slide has arrived at its releasing-pin 44 the bucket-slide has arrived at the dumping-station and with the bucket, but slowed up to a dead-stop by gradual and constant retarding movement, which is produced by the running rope, the rope-clip, and the clip-slide through the medium of IIO IZO

these levers and the bucket-slide. The instant the clip-slide strikes its releasing-pin the weight and rope-pulley on the lever 49 pulls it and the clip-slide back on the slide way, and the levers simply fold up again and both slides move back in the same relative order they moved forward in. There is always a bucket at the dumping-station; but the clipslide instead of avoiding it engages the bucketaccelerating cam-lever and moves the accelerating-arm. The accelerating-arm attaches to and holds every bucket at the standing station before the clip-side-is started on a forward movement by a rope-clip by means of the depending pin G7 on the clip-slide, which strikes against the cam-lever. The cam-lever moves the accelerating-arm ,'which, having hold of the bucket, starts and carries it along and accelerates its movement until it is moving at neat ly the same speed as the rope-clip, the running rope, and the clip-slide, during which time the clip is locked to it. Consequently the empty buckets standing at the du mping-station are not engaged by the clip-slide, but are carried along by the bucketaccelerator, which is moved through the radius of its sweep by the pin 67 on the clip-side, and the minute the clip-slide is released from the rope-clip by the pin 44 the acceleratingarm swings back and catches the loaded bucket that has just been brought to rest at the d umping-station by the bucket-slide.

The clip-slide 34 is fastto the rope through the medium of its

dogs

42 and 43 locking the rope-clips between them as they enter the terminus; but this clip-slide does not move any bucket or pick up any bucket. When a rope-clip picks up this clip-side 34, the clipslide starts along the guide all alone andljust before it reaches the bucket standing at the dumiiing-station the pin 67, that depends from this clip-slide, strikes the lever (i8. (See Fig. i4.) It must be remembered that the accelerating-arm has the standing bucket locked in its recess S7, and when the pin 67 strikes the lever G8 its cam portion bearing against the accelerating-arm starts the standing bucket along very slow at rst, but increasing in speed until it is going at about the same speed as the rope. Meanwhile the clip-slide gains on it and catches up with it, and the head of the rope-clip enters the clipgrip of the bucket and the

inclined rods

28 and 29 push down the vertical slide of the bucket and lock it to the rope-clip. All of this is accomplished before the clip slide reaches the releasing-pin 44. Consequently the clip-slide does not touch the bucket at the dumping-station or anywhere else, but actuates the cam-lever GS, which moves the accelerating-arm, and this arm starts and accelerates the standing bucket, and the other buckets or the running-rope are not in the least affected. f

The buckets are successively retarded after the bucket'slide gets control of them by the peculiar unfolding movement of the levers 49,

57, 52, and 6l, which are normally folded together. These levers are so positioned and connected to one another and so arranged in relation to the running rope that they uniformly retard and slow up the forward movementof the free end of the lever 57, its bucketslide, and the bucket it has control of. The lever 49 is connected to each rope-clip as it passes through the terminals by means of the clip-slide, to which it is pivotally secured at oneend, and this end is carried along the clipguideway with and by the clip-slide. The lever 49 pulls the lever 52 afterit until when the lever 49 reaches the end of its stroke they are unfolded and stand approximately in nearly a straight line with each other. This movement o f this lever 49 is made at exactly the same speed as the rope and its clip is traveling at throughout its entire stroke, because it is moved directly by and with the rope; but the lever 57, which is pushed along bythe levers 49, 52, and 6l, is so pivotally connected to these levers 52 and 6l and is so arranged at one end that its opposite free end, to which the bucket-slide is pivotally connected, is pushed along the clip-guideway after the clip-slide, but its opposite end, which is attached to these levers, makes a curved sweep toward the point from which its free end and bucket-slide started from, the extension of the lever 52, to which its outer end is pivoted, carrying it up close to the clips guideway that the bucket and clip slides reciprocate on, or close to the line of movement of its free end and bucket-slide. This curved movement of the outer end of the lever 57, which connects to the

levers

52 and 61 toward an d to near the point from which its free end started and to a point a little Way in front of the starting-point of its free end and of the bucket slide, moves its free end and the bucket-slide along the guidevray after the clipslide; but at the same time that its free end and bucket-slide are being moved forward it is successively, evenly, and uniformly retarded and slowed up to a stop at the dumping-station, at which it arrives at the same time the lever 49, which moves the

levers

52 and 57, arrives at the end of its stroke.

Figs. l and 2 represent the lower dischargeterminal. It differs from the upper or loading terminal only by its having a bucketdumping mechanism. The upper terminal has a loading-hopper at one side of it, which is not, however, operated by any device connected to the bucket-operating mechanism of the tramway. The standing rope l() extends up from the lower terminal and down from the upper terminal, as shown at the point where the standing rope enters the terminal in Fig. 2. The dumping mechanism comprises a system of levers and rods arranged along in front of the bucket-du mping station for turning the bucket upside down while it is standing at the said dumping-station 47, waiting for the next clip on the rope to come along and pick it up. 95 designates the IOO IOS

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bucket guard-rail. The ends of this rail are curved away from the terminal in order that if a bucket is swinging as it enters the terminal the pin 96, which depends from the bottom of it, will strike the curved end and be guided between the rail and the terminal. This rail is integrally connected near its opposite ends to depending rods 97, which are pivoted by a rod Q7A about midway of their length to one of the ends of a pair of levers 98, the opposite ends of which are pivotally secured to a rod 99, that is supported in bearings 90A, that are secured to a cross-tie 100, which rests on one of the sills of the terminal. The lower ends of the rods 97 are pivotally attached to a rod. 101,which joins them together. Two levers 102 are pivoted at one of their ends to the rod 101 and at their opposite ends are pivoted to a rod 103, that is journaled to bracket-bearings 104, that are bolted to the under sideof the adjacentlower tie-beam of the terminal. The levers 102 are bent downward from their pivoted ends at their central portion. One end of a rope 10-1tA is secured to the rod 101, and the rope eX- tends up over a sheave 104B, that is pivoted in an oblique `plane to a bracket 105, which is secured to one of the cross-ties. The op posite end of the rope is secured to the end of an arm 106, that extends from a combined clutch and cam disk 107, that is loosely mounted on the top ot' the shaft 8^* of the grip-wheel 8. This cam and clutch contain a notched clutch in its lower peripheral edge that is adapted to register loosely in a similar clutch-surface formed in the top edge of a disk 108, secured just below it on the shaft. A horizontal cam-surface is formed on the disk 107 by a laterally-projecting portion 107, that is beveled downward from the lever portion 106 to about one-quarter of the diameter of the disk and is then straight for about another quarter of the diameter, forminga cam of the disk. A pin 110 is journaled reciprocatively in bearings 111 at a height that will allow it to register with the top of the inclined portion of the cam, so that when the disk is rotated by the shaft the cam and disk will ride up on top of the pin, thereby raising the cani and disk and separating the opposing parts of the clutch. The opposite end ot' the pin 111 is pivoted to one end of a rockarm 112, that is pivoted at its center by a bolt 113 to the frame of the terminal. The opposite end of the rock-arm is pivoted to one end of a lever 114, which extends toward the rear side of the terminal and is pivotally connected to a spring 115. This spring extends from the lever 114C into the path of the trolleywheels and across the track ot' the buckets, so that they will engage it and move it back away from the track as they pass it. The spring is then bent inward from the track and wheels and is secured to a beam 116, that is secured to the top of the terminal.

The operation of the dumping is as follows: The grip-wheel, its shaft, and the part of the clutch that is secured to the clutch is continuously rotating when the tramway is running. The weight of the levers of the dumping device holds the rope taut and normally holds the arm of the cam and clutch disk parallel with the longitudinal ties and pointing toward the lay of the rope. New as each bucket rounds the end of the terminal to go out on the line its forward trolley-wheel runs into the spring and moves it back in the direction of the arrow 110, which rocks the rock-arm 112 on its center and moves the pin 111 back in the direction of the arrow 117 from under the cam of the clutch, allowing the disk and cam to drop onto the disk below and the two clutch-surfaces to mesh together and swing the disk and its arm around with the grip-wheel in the direction of the arrow 118, its arm drawing the rope withit, raising the dumping-levers, and as they swing upon the rods 103 and 08 they turn the bucket upside down, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, by the time the lever has made a half-revolution, and lowers it again after it passes the center noiselessly and without allowing it to drop. As soon as the trolley passes the spring 115 the said spring moves by its elastic tension out into its normal position and in doing so moves the pin back into the path of the cam, which engages the pin at the last quarter of the revolution of the arm and disk, and as the cam rides up on the pin the two clutch-surfaces are separated and the disk and its arm stop at the end of its revolution.

Some of the elements of the bucket-dumping mechanism and also some of the other parts, notably the rods for raising the slide of the bucket, the bucket, and the ropes and clip-gunde,- were patented to me September 19, 1893.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the clipguide, the bucket and the rope-clip of a slide arranged to reciproca e along one side of said terminal, two levers pivoted to said slide and arranged side by side, having a space or recess between the ends thereof, a projecting lug on said bucket adapted to move under one leverinto said recess as the bucket moves along the terminal, and means including levers operated by said rope-clip for moving said slide and bucket a predetermined distance along said terminal, substantially as described.

2. In a tramway-terminal the combination with the traction-rope, the clip and its guideway, of a slide mounted to reciprocate along the side of said terminal parallel with said clip, two dogs pivoted side by side in said slide and extending into the path of said rope-"clip and arranged so that when a clip enters said terminal it will raise one dog and pass under it, which will drop behind it and so that the two dogs will rest one on each IOO IIO

side of it, and a spring for normally holding said dogs in the path of said clips, substantially as described.

3. In a continuously-running wire-ropetramway terminal, the combination with the traction-rope, the rope-clip and the bucket, of means for positively grasping and moving the buckets while the bucket-holding ropeclips are changing from the incoming` bucket to the loading or dumping outgoing bucket comprising a rope and clip-guide, a slide reciprocally mounted on a guideway parallel with said rope, levers secured thereto arranged and adapted to grasp the incoming bucket as the clip leaves it, a second slide reciprocally mounted on said slide-guideway, spring-controlled dogs pivotally attached to said slide and projecting into the path of said clip, one of which is adapted to be raised by said clip as it passes by it and to drop down behind it, and the other is adapted to be pressed against it by said dog and said slide moved along by it 011 said guideway, a pin inthe path of said dog at the end of its travel arranged to be engaged by and to raise said dog and to release said slide from said clip, a lever pivotally attached to said slide at one end and at its opposite end to one end of a second lever, the opposite end of which is pivot-ally secured to a bearing secured to the terminal, a third lever pivotally attached to said last-named lever at one end and at its other end to said bucket-slide and means connected with said lever whereby when said clip moves said clip-slide and its lever the bucket-slide moves the incoming bucket at a retarded rate of speed to the loading or d umping station, and means including a rope and weight for returning said slides to their normal positions, substantially as described.

4. In a wire-rope tramway having a bucket normally standing at the loading and dumping station and a continuously-running traction-rope, the combination with the terminal frame, the traction-rope, the rope-clips and the buckets, of means for moving the incoming bucket after the clip leaves it to the loading` or du mpiug station, comprising a clip-receiving channel on said bucket adapted to receive said clip, dogs pivoted in said channel on each side of said clip and adapted to confine said clip in said channel, means including a slide for manipulating said dogs to release said clip from said channel, a pin projecting from said slide, guide-rods arranged to engage said pin and to raise and lower said slide to admit and release said clip to and from said channel and to lock it therein, a guideway for said clip and traction-rope, a clip slide mounted to reciprocate on said slideway, spring-controlled dogs pivotally secured to said clip-slide and arranged to project normally into the path of said clips and arranged to receive the clip between them and to loosely attach said clip to said clip-slide as the clip enters the terminal, a bucket-operating slide mounted on the said clip and rope guideway, levers arranged thereon to be engaged by and to grasp each bucket loosely as it enters each terminal, a-nd means including a bucket-accelerating device and a series of levers pivotally attached to said clip and bucket slides and to each other for starting and gradually accelerating the standing, loading or dumping bucket on its trip from one terminal to the other and for locking t-he ropeclip to it and for positively retarding the movement of the incoming bucket until the outgoing hucketis outof the loading or dumping station and for moving the incoming buckets to the loading-station and for attaching the accelerator to it, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the terminals, of the traction and stationary ropes, buckets adapted to run on said stationary rope, means for automatically attaching and detaching said buckets to said traction-rope comprising clips on said rope, a channel memberon said bucket adapted to receive said clips, dogs arranged to confine said clips in said recess, a vertically-movable slide arranged to lock and to release said dogs to and from said clips by a predeterminated movement of said slide, means for automatically moving said vertical slide to lock and to release said dogs as the bucketmoves around a terminal, comprising rods arranged to first move at a predetermined point on the terminal, said vertical slide to unlock said dogs and thereby release said clip from said bucket, and at another point to move said vertical slide to lock one dog and to leave the other released so that said clip can enter said recess, and at another point to lock both dogs after said clip has entered said recess, a guideway for said clip and rope, a slideway arranged parallel with said traction-rope a bucket-slide, slidably mounted on said slideway, means including a projection on the buckets for detachably securing the buckets to the bucket-slide at the point on the terminal where the clips are released from them, a second slide on said clip-slideway, means including spring-controlled dogs for detachably securing said slide to each clip at the time it is released from each incoming bucket and a system of levers pivoted to said bucket and clip slides and terminal so arranged and adapted that as each continuously-moving clip engages and is attached to the clip-slide it will be carried along said slideway and its lever will draw the other levers connected to it after it, thereby causing the lever pivoted to said bucketholding slide to move said slide and bucket toward and to the loading or dumping station but at a much slower movement than said traction-rope is moving at, thus retarding its movement while the clip picks up and starts the bucket at the loading or dumping station out on the line, substantially as described.

6. In Wire-rope-tramwayterminals the combination with the bucket and clip, of the pendant pivoted thereto, the clip-locking IOO IIO

mechanism and the guideway adapted to operate said slide to lock and unlock said clip from the buckets, wit-h the bucket-slide, the bucket-grippinglevers, and means connected with said clip for moving said bucket and slide to the standing position and means for releasing said levers and slide from said bucket, substantially as described.

7. In wire-rope-tramway terminals having a bucket loading or dumping station at each terminal, the combination of the frame,tracks around said frame, one above the other, a stationary and a continuously-running traction-rope cooperating with said frame and tracks, a grip-wheel carrying said. tractionrope operatively mounted in each terminal, clips attached to said traction-rope, buckets adapted to run on said stationary rope and said tracks, means including a moving slide and cooperating dogs and a guideway arranged to move said slide reciprocatively to lock and release said buckets to said clips at predetermined points in said terminal, with means including a clip gripping and releasing device, and a coporating bucket gripping and releasing device, and a bucket-accelerating device operatively mounted on said terminal for positively starting the stationary loading or dumping bucket out of the terminals onto the ropeway and for positively moving the incoming loaded or empty bucket into the loading or dumping position, substantially as described.

In Wire-rope tramways the combination with the terminals, the stationary and traction rope, of a clip secured to said traction,- rope, buckets adapted to run on said stationary rope, means for attaching said buckets to said traction rope, means for releasing each incoming bucket from said traction-rope at a suitable point in each terminal and for attaching a stationary loaded or empty bucket to said traction-rope at another suitable point of each terminal, and means including suitable slides and gripping devices for positively gripping and moving the incoming buckets in relative operative unison to the movement of the outgoing buckets, substantially as described.

9. In tramway-terminals the combination of the traction-rope and the bucket-holding clip, the clip and rope guideway, with the clip-slide reciprocatively mounted on said guideway, the spring-controlled dogs adapted to secure said slide to said clip and the pin for releasing said slide from said clip substantially as described.

l0. In tram way-terminals having a loading and dumping station and an incoming bucket-v clip-releasing station, the combination of the frame, the tracks and the traction-rope and clip, with a trolley engaging said tracks, a pendant suspended from said trolley, a bucket pivoted to said pendant, a clip gripping'and locking device secured to said pendant, projections on said pendant, means for releasing said clips from said buckets as they enter said terminal, a mechanism for gripping said buckets at the time said clips are released from them, a device for gripping said clips as they are released from said buckets and mechanism connected with said clip-gripping device and said bucket gripping device whereby said clip moves said incoming buckets with a positive bucket-controlling movement from the clip-releasing station to the loading or dumping station in relative unison with the movement of the outgoing bucket, substantially as described.

l1. In wire-rope-tramway terminals having a bucket and clip releasingstation and aloading and dumping station, the combination with the traction-rope, the clips andthe buckets, of a guideway for said rope and clip; a slideway on said guideway, a slide mounted on said slideway at the clip-releasing station and provided with levers arranged to operatively grasp an incoming bucket, and means including incline planes for releasing said levers at the loading or dumping station, a second slide mounted on said slideway also at said clip-releasing station and provided with dogs arranged to grasp said clip, means for releasing said ciip-slideat the end of said guideway, a lever pivoted to said clip-slide at one end and pivoted at its opposite end to one end of a second lever havingits opposite end pivoted to a bearing attached to the terminal frame; a third lever pivoted at one end to said bucket-grasping slide and having its opposite end curved, a curved slot in said curved end, a lateral extension on said second-named lever toward the first-named lever, a pin loosely extending through said curved slot of the curved end of said third lever and secured to the end of the extension of said second lever a fourth lever pivotally attached at one end to said third lever just above its curved end and pivotally attached to said second lever opposite said extension, and means including a weight for returning said levers and slides to the clip-releasing stations whereby said clip and clip-slide as'they move through and along said guideway, carry the First-named lever with them and this lirst lever moves the second and third and fourth levers to impart a positive but a slower and a retarding movement to the said bucket-slide and the buckets from said clip-releasing station to said loading or dumping station, substantially as described.

12. The combination in tramway-terminals havingabncket standingloading ord umping station` of the frame, the traction-rope, the clips and the buckets, of a bucket-gripping and positive bucket-accelerating device comprising an arm pivoted at one end to a snitable bearing attached to said frame opposite said station, and havingits opposite end free to swing in a segment of a circle and extending to the bucket at said station, a support for the frere end of said arms, a head portion on the free end of said arm adapted to slide axially on it and provided with a slot therein,

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means including a spring for holding said head at the outward end of its movement on said arm, a projection on said bucket adapted to fit loosely in said slot, backwardly-curved, laterally-extending slides on said head and means including a cam-shaped lever for imparting a gradually-accelerating speed to said arm thro ughoutits segmental movement, substantially as described.

13. 1n wire-rope tramways the combination of terminals comprising a frame structure, an upper and a lower track a stationary and a traction rope, a grilli-wheel supporting' said traction-rope, with a bucket and pendant arranged to operatively engage said tracks and stationary rope, means including a slide-locking device attached to the pendant portion of said bucket and a clip attached to said traction rope for detach-ably securing said buckets to said rope, means including a diiferential guideway operatively arranged to engage said locking device for releasing and locking said buckets to said clips at predetermined points on said terminals, an accelerating device comprising a pivotal arm arranged to swing in a segment of a circle, a head on the tree end of said arm arranged and adapted to loosely engage and hold said buckets and to move them with said arm throughout said arms segment-ary movement, a cam-lever arranged and adapted to move said arm and to gradually start and accelerate its movement throughout the radius of its segmental movement, means including said traction-rope and clip for operating said cam-lever to operate said arm in the operative direction of its movement, means including a gravity device for returning said arm to its normal position and a buffer device adapted and arranged to receive and cushion the return movement of said arm, substantially as described..

14. In tramway-terminals the combination with the traction-rope and clip, of the accelerating device comprising` a segmentally-swinging arm having a resiliently-movable bucketengaging head, a cam member operatively arranged to start and gradually accelerate said arm, the supports for said arm and camlever, the buffer, and means connected with said clip whereby said accelerating device is caused to start and to gradually accelerate the movement of each bucket until it has attained substantially the speed of said traction-rope while said clip is being attached to said buckets and before it takes it from the accelerator, and means for returning said accelerating device to its normal position, substantially as described.

15. The combinationintramway-terminals, of the traction-rope, the clip and slide arranged to engage said clip, the traction-rope, the clip-guideway, and the slide mounted to reciprocate on said guideway, with the accelerati ng device com prising the bucket-carrying arm, the cam-lever arranged to start and accelerate said device, the buier, the weight for returning said arm to its normal position and the pin in said slide arranged to engage said cam-lever, substantially as described.

16. The combination in wire-rope-tramway terminals having a clip-releasing station and a loading and dumping station at each terminal, of the traction-rope, the clips and the buckets operatively arranged and adapted to automatically and intermittently engage and separate from said clips at said clip-releasing station and to engage said buckets at said loading or dumping station at predetermined points on said terminals, with means including an automatic gripping and releasing device and an automatic bucket gripping, holding and releasing device and intermediate mechanism between said clip-gripping and said bucket-gripping device w hereby said clip-gripping` device operates said bucketgripping device t-o move said incoming bucket from the clip-releasing station to said bucket loading or dumping station, and a bucket starting and accelerating device coperatively arranged and adapted to be operated by said clip and clip-gripping device, and comprising a swinging arm arranged to en gage and hold said bucket at the loading or dumping station, a cam member arranged to engage said swinging arm and to start and gradually accelerate its movement and the movement of the buckets throughout the radius of its movement until said bucket is moving substantially as fast as said tractionrope, and while said clip is being locked to said bucket substantially as described.

17. In tramway-terminals the combination with the traction-rope and buckets having a depending pin, of the dumping device comprising a rod arranged to' be engaged by said pin at said dumping-station, levers pivoted to said rod and arranged to move said rod to turn said buckets to discharge their contents, a rope secured at one end to said dumpinglevers, a shaft arranged vertically in said frame, a grip-wheel operatively supporting said traction-rope and mounted on said shaft, a disk loosely mounted 011 the top of said shaft, an arm extending from said disk and secured to the opposite end of said rope a notched clutch-surface on the lower periphery of said disk, a second disk having a notched clutch-surface registering opposite said notched clutch-surface of said iirstnamed disk and secured to said shaft, a cam formed on said disk, mechanism adapted to normally hold said disk and cam out of engagement with said clutch-disk and arranged to be intermittently engaged by the passing buckets to cause engagement of said clutchsurface and a revolution of said disk and cam to dump said buckets substantially as described.

18. The combination in tram Way-terminals of the frame, the upper and lower tracks, the stationary and traction ropes, the gripwheel and its shaft, the clip, the buckets and the clip and the bucket engaging, locking, releasing and moving mechanism, with the IOO IIC

bucket-dumping mechanism comprising the bucket-tilting rods and levers, the combined clutch a nd cam disk and act uating-arm loosely mounted on said shaft, the clutch-disk secured to said shaft in operative relation to said clutch and cam disk, the pin reciprocally arranged to engage said cam, a lever member arranged to extend normally over the said tracks and into the path of said buckets, intermediate mechanism between said lever member and said pin and a flexible connection between said arm of said combined diskand cam and said bucket-tilting members, substantially as described.

19. In tramway-terminals having a dumping-station the w combination with the frame and the traction-rope, the clip the tracks and the buckets, of the grip-wheel and its shaft operatively supporting said traction-rope, a clutch-disk loosely mounted on said shaft, an opposing clutch member secured to said shaft and revoluble with it and arranged' in operative relation to said clutch-disk, an arm extending from said clutch-disk, a series of levers and rods arranged on the base of said frame, a-suitable connection between said series of rods and levers and the arm of said clutch disk whereby when said arm moves said system of levers are moved to tilt said buckets at said dumping-station, an inclined cam on a portion of the diameter of said clutch-disk, a pin arranged to engage said cam portion and to normally hold said clutchdisk out of engagement with said clutch member, a reciprocating lever arranged to project normally into the path ot' the outgoing buckets and intermediate mechanism between said pin and reciprocating` lever, substantially as described.

20. In tramway-terminals the combination with the tracks, the buckets, the tractionrope, the clip, the grip-wheel and its supporting-rope, of the disk-clutch secured to said shaft, the combined clutch and cam disk loosely mounted on said shaft in operative relation to said disk-clutch, the pin engaging said cam, the rock-arm pivoted at one end to said pin, the lever pivoted to the opposite end of said rock-arm and the spring-lever secured at one end to said lever and at its opposite end to said terminal and arranged to extend over said tracks into the path of the passing buckets and be engaged by said buckets and moved to withdraw said pin from said clutchcam and allow it to engage said disk-clutch whereby said clutch-disk and its arm are rotated by said disk-clutch and grip-wheel a partial revolution and said clutch-disk is disengaged from said disk-clutch by said cam and pin at the end of its revolution, substantially as described.

21. The combination of a traction-rope, the clips and the buckets, with the bucket-gripping device, the clip-gripping device and the levers pivotally connected together and to said clip and bucket gripping device and arrenged and adapted to actuate said clip and bucket gripping devices, substantially as described.

22. The combination of a Wire-rope-tramway-terminal frame having a clip-releasing and a bucket loading and dumping station, with a traction-rope, clips attached to said traction-rope, a bucket engaging and gripping device adapted to engage and grip loosely the buckets at the clip-releasing station, and means detachably secured to said clip for actuating said bucket gripping device to move said buckets from the said clip-releasing to the loading or dumping' station, substantially as described.

23. The combination in a wire-rope-tramway-terminal frame having a clip-releasing and a bucket loading or dumping station, of the traction-rope, the clips and the buckets, with a reciprocating, bucket-gripping device arranged to engage and grip loosely the buckcts at the clip-releasing station, a reciprocating clip-engaging device arranged and adapted to engage cach clip at the clip-releasing station and intermediate mechanism between said clip-engaging device and said bucketengaging device whereby said buckets are moved from said clip-releasing station to said loading or dumping station by said clip-engaging device, substantially as described.

24. In wire-rope-tramway termin als having a clip-releasing station, a bucket loading and unloading station and a bucket gripping and accelerating device, the combination with the terminal frame, the traction-rope, the clips, the buckets and the bucket and clip 'locking and unlocking mechanism, ot a bucket gripping and releasing device arranged and adapted to reciprocate along said terminal, and a clip gripping and releasingr device arranged and adapted to reciprocate along said terminal, means connected with said clips and bucket-gripping devices whereby said clips and traction-rope move said buckets from said clip-releasing station to said loading or dumping station, and an accelerating device adapted to grip and hold to a bucket at said dumping-station, and means connected with said clip for actuating said accelerating device to start said' buckets and accelerate their speed to substantially that of said tractionrope, substantially as described.

25. The combination with the frame, the traction-rope, the clips, andthe buckets, of the bucket gripping, moving and releasing mechanism and the accelerator comprising the swinging arm, the cam-lever, and the buffer, and means connected with said clip and bucket gripping, moving and releasing mechanism for actuating said bucket-accelerator, substantially as described.

26. The combination with the traction-rope and the clip, of a device for accelerating the buckets, comprising means including a bucket-gripping device for holding the buckets, a cam-lever for moving said bucket-grip- IOO IIO

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ping device and means connected With said clip for actuating said cam-lever, substantially as described. Y

27. In Wire-rope-tralnWay terminals having a clip-releasing and a bucket loading and dumping station, the combination With the terminal frame, the tracks, the traction-rope, the clips, the buckets and the bucket and clip locking and unlocking mechanism, of a bucket-gripping device for gripping a bucket at the clip-releasing station, a clip-gripping device for gripping the clips at the clipre leasing station, means for operating said bucket-gripping device to move said buckets from said clip-releasing station to said load-