USRE2799E - Improvement in elevated railways - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATEs.

PATENT OFFICE.

PETERANDREW; 0E' CINCINNATI, oIIIo; I

IMPROVEMENT iN ELLEVATED RAILWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 32,606, dated June 25, 1861; Reissue No. 2,799, daied November 19, 1867.

. To all whom, t may concern Beit known that I, PETERANDREW, of the city of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful devices in the Construction of Elevated Railways; and I hereby declare that the following is a full and sufficient description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and reference marks thereon, mak-V ing a part of the description.

The nature/of theinvention consists in an elevated quadruple track railway, for city purposes, upon a single row of iron pillars planted firmly in bed-plates or foot-pieces of the same metalguid in propelling the cars by a succession of endless ropes, there being two tracks for cars on the same level, at a suiicient height above the street and .sidewalk not to interfere with the travel, and two other tracks, also -side by side` a little above the lower range of tracks. By this arrangement of the tracks, and by suspending the cars from the lower tracks, the tracks are brought near together and the cars to a convenient distance from the sidewalk.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal elevation of a sin gl'e reach of railway and car; Fig. 2, perspective of the quadruple track; Fig. 3, an elevation of a part of the propelling-gear 5 Fig. et, an end view of the car and part of the propelling-gear; Fig. 5, a guide-pulley to be used for supporting the 4propelling-rope; Fig. 6, an enlarged view of a part of the details of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 the carbrake apparatus for stopping the car; Figs. S, 9, and 10, a modification ofthe framework for sustaining the track in crossing streets, wherein Fig. 8 is a longitudinal elevation, Fig.

9 an end view, and Fig. 10 an end view, of the framework sustaining the track. Fig. 11 is a separate View of the chair.

Engines to operate the propelling machinery are placed in the cellars of the houses or underv the sidewalk, and power is conveyed by H from the shaft ofthe engine to the propelling machinery shown in drawings, Fig. 1. One

yengine propels the ropes for two reaches, be-

ing placed at the point where one reach terminates and the other begins. are placed the stations to receive and discharge passengers. The machinery is automatic, and the cars will stop at'each station,

At these points' 4unless the attendant at the station should depressed by bar R, and the rope is released and the lbrake apparatus is alsoput in operation bythe depression of W, which causes the band toftighten on wheel S. The brake apparatus is controlled by the attendant at the station. By making the brake apparatus at the stations inoperative, the cars will proceed from one terminus of the road without stop-l pIng. l

Supposing the cars to have arrived at the terminus of the road, and to be ready to return( on the continuous track, which is on the same horizontal level, the car is to be transferred from one track to the other by means of a sliding table, well understood by engineers, and need not be described in this place.

In the drawings, let A A represent two of a'row of columns on which the frame-work and cars are sustained. Y

. A A are two 'other columns, erected on the top of the irst one for sustaining the framework of the' tracks.

B B' represent other parts of the frame-work of the track.-

CC, &c., representv the chairs or seats on which rest the several tracks. v

D D are upright posts for sustaining the guides.

E E are guides for keepingthe upper trains of cars on the track. The lower, being suspended, need no guides.

F F are bed-pieces forslistaining the pillars in a vertical position. be used 'for guiding the propelling-ropes.

I represents the pinion-wheel of drisj/ngshaft H. V

K is a lever geared with another lever, L, both used to control the propelling-rope on the pulleys.

J is a pinion geared with pinion I.

Mis a rod geared with and operating levers K and L, to operate the propelling-rope and keep the same to the pulley.

Mis the fulcrum-piece, acting on levers K and L.

N is an upright column extending from the Small pulleys G may I shaft H, or lying horizontally.

ninety degrees.

top of the car,having on its upper end (levices for gearing and ungearing with the propelling-rope. f

, O is the wheel, against the groove of which the rope plays, and is held in place by the bearing-piece P,which bearing-piece. as described below, performs the function of gearing and ungearing the cars with the propellingro e. i

represents afriction-pulley, which is received against the under side of bar R.

q is a crank operated by pulley Q. g

' Q is a shaft to which pulley Q and crank q are attached, it being at right angles with The rollerpiece l is also attached to the other end ofthe shaft (at right-hand end) and at right langles v with the shaft.

. Q" is a sheath in which the shaft Q lies and oscillates, having a vibration through sixtyto q is a crank. n Between Q, and g' is a spring'l to bring the shaft into position when the attachment to the rope is required.

q is a spring for regulating the resistance of pulley O to the rope at the starting of the car.

qw regulates the resistance of the roller P when acting against the rope.

q" is a spiral spring for relieving band T from brakewheel S after the car has passed bar R, arranged n the track frame-work at the end of the reach, and against the under side of which bar pulley Q acts for ungearing the rope. Each end of the bar inclines upward. f

S is a brake-wheel for stopping the cars.

S and S are front and rear carwheels.

s is the attaching part of friction-belt T to the bearing-.block under the axle of wheel S.

Tis a steel friction-belt around the periphery of wheel S.

U is an operating shaft for controlling band T.

W is a plain pulley-whcel on the top of said shaft.

` X is a truss-rod.

X represents braces for sustaining the trussrod.

x is a pinion shaft Q. n

w is the oblique truncation of sheath Q".

a a, represent an extra reach of frame-sup-v port for the cars, showing how the cars described might cross a broad street, as shown hereinafter applied to the sidewalks of a street.

The drawings of this modification introduce no new principle, but mere change of proportions, so that the same truss rods or ropes apply, but span a larger or smaller arch, with a longer or shorter reach.

b is an extra column placed upon the top of column a..

B B represent a cross-piece for sustaining arch f.

d d are wire truss-ropes to sustain the weight of the frame.

re saddles for sustaining the weight of ine-work.

Y v n arch, g g braces, h the outer band of the arch.

k k are nuts and bolts for holding band hin place.

i z" are spurs on ehairsc c.

i t" are legs or downward projections.

't' i are bolts, through which wire ropes d d are passed.

j j are bolts for fastening chairs in place.

If we carefully examine Fig. 2, we find a perspective of an end view, showing four differeut tracks-two above, side Iby side, and two below, side by side.'

. The car, as s-en in Fig. l, is suspended below the. track, while the two pairs of wheels S S" rest upon the track. No cars are provided for thev upper track, the Iarrangement being only for such as are now in use.

Supposing, now, the suspension-cars to be coming in on the left-hand track of the lower level, Fig. 2, and to have passed entirely out, on coming outside the cars run upon a sliding tableso arranged on ways as to traverse from side to side between the space embraced by the two uprights B B', by means of which' the car is transferred from the left-hand to the right-hand track. Reversing the saine movement the car is transferred frfvm the right to the left hand track.

The sliding table and methods of operating it being well known, are not here described, the great object here being to eeonomize street room'over carriage ways, and to bring the cars to a convenient position for foot-passengers on the sidewalk without inconimoding stores and shops in the streets.

The cars are arranged to run directly over the curbstone-onehalf' over the paved carriage-way, the other over the outer edge of the sidewalk. The power is distributed among several stationary engines. One engine 'is adapted for operating two contiguous endless ropes. The cars are designed only for passengers, and may be made very light, carrying but two passengers abreast.

For this suspension railway a row of iron columns, A, is arranged upon the outer portion of the sidewalk, in range with the line of curbstones, resting upon iron sills or foot-pieces F, embedded in stone-work unlerneath the sidewalk. These footpieces extend out on each side, and thus brace and sustain the pillars in an upright position. v

On the top of the columns A is mountedthe iron frame-work to support the tracks, as seen A in Figs. 1 and 2.

The frame-work consists of upright pieces A A', sufficiently far apart to allow room for the tracks. Upon the top and across them rest the arms B B', and on the inner side of the lower ends of these pendent pieces rest chairs C, upon which the rails are fastened. Like projections and for the same purpose are made at the bottom and outer sides of the pieces A A, for the support of the inside rails of the lower tracks. The upper tracks rest uponthe top of arms B B.

U pon all projections for the support of the lower rails, and upon the tops of the arms for the upper rails, are placed the chairs C, asseen in Fig. 11. The chair C is a flat piece of iron the width of the rail, thecenter of which rests upon the projection or arm. Across the upper portion of the chair, and extending from side to side thereof, is the spur i', recessed in a corresponding slot in the under side of the rail, asfseen in Fig. 1. On the lower part of the chair are two pending projections, i i", embracing bearers B B and projections from B B'. The`cl1airs are fastened to the bearers by bolts j j.

Guide-rails E E are fastened to the curved uprightsD D, which guide the cars 'and keep them from running off the track, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The rails between the `chairs are sustained by the truss-rods X, screwed into the ends of the chair and braced by the rods or supports X at sufficient intervals for giving sufficient strength.

The cars Y are wide enough to seat two persons abreast, and are suppliedwith doors on the sides opposite the seats, thus reducing the car to the smallest width, and affording the greatest facility of egress and ingress, each seat being separate and independent of that before and that behind it. The cars are propelled by a succession of endless ropes Z, supported at intervals by guide-pulleys sustained on the frame. (Seen in Fig. 5.) The cars are suspended from the axles of S and S by interposed block-pieces, (not shown in the drawings.) and properly bolted thereto.

Between wheels S, as seen in Fig. 1, is a1'- ranged brake-wheel S, as in Fig. 7. The same being made fast to the axle of the car, controls its motion as follows: Steel band T, being fast to the lower part of the block-piece lying between wheels S', and immediately under S, by the interposed metallic attachments f, and connected at the upper end by means of shaft V to wheel W, by which the shaft and belt are operated by bearing-belt T against the periphery of S, and thus controls the motion of the car. Spiral spring q"" surrounds shaft V, and is used to relieve band T from wheel S when pulley W has passed bar R. This brake can be operated by the conductor of the car or by a person at the station.

The gearing apparatus (seen in Figs. 1, 4, and 6). is supported on the top of column N. It consists of pulley-wheel O, roller P, friction-wheel Q, and shaft Q', and sheath Q". Besides these are crank q of the shaft and spiral spring q", bearing upon the side of Wheel O, to prevent it from turning when the car has attained to the speed of the rope. The spring q' controls the reciprocal rotation of shaft Q.

Letter x represents a pin in shaft Q', and as' the oblique truncation of the end of Q",whieh give an outward motion to the shaft Q'.

Now, keeping the eye on Fig. 6, it is seen that Wheel Q or crank q, being depressed by bar R to give a partial rotation to the shaft Q', and at the same time an outward movement of said shaft, releases the bearing of roller l". actingl against the rope, and causes roller P at the same time to pass under wheels I J, which releases the car from the action of the rope. The wheel Qv continues depressed by the action of bar R until roller P has passed beyond the rope-propelling wheels I andJ. Bar It, having au upward inclination at the end, permits wheel Q to gradually rise and the crank q (upon the end ofwhich the Wheel Q turns) to attain an upright position through the operation of spring q', when the roller P again firmly presses the rope against the wheel O. The wheel O and roller` P are prevented from turning except from a given resistance, which Ais regulated by springs q" and g.

It is found that as considerable strain comes on rope Z in long reaches, and especially when heavy loads are put upon the cars, the driving-pulley I has atendency to be drawn away from pulley J. To obviate this tendency the leverage shown in Fig. 3 has been devised.

K and L are levers, in connection with ful-' Crum-piece M', causing the wheels I and J to be drawn together in proportion to the resistance of the weight drawn.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The construction and arrangement of a quadruple track upon a single row of pillars provided with cross-arms forsuspending and supporting the tracks, substantially as set forth.

2. The arrangement of the guide-rails E E to obviate. the necessity of using flanges 011 the car-wheels, and to prevent the cars being thrown from the track, iu the manner and for the purpose hereinset forth.

3. The arrangement and combination of bars K and L, fulcrum-piece M', connectingrod M, for holding propelling rope rmly against groove of wheel.

4. A succession of endless ropes for propelling street-cars.

5. The combination gear apparatus O P Q Q' Q, as described, for attaching and detaching cars from the propelling-ropes.

6. The arrangement and combination of wheel S and band T, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

7. Supporting the rails of the track by means of truss-rods X, substantially `as set forth; but I do not claim the truss-rods except as a support for the rails of an elevated railway.

P. ANDREW.

Vitnesses:

ROBERT CURRENT, L. D. GALE.

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