Year: 1898

page_text: We, CHARLES COMSTOCK, Inventor, and WILLIAM HENRY SCOTT, Promoter, both of
Richmond, in the County of Henrico and State of Virginia, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic railway systems, and pertains
to a system in which a tube is laid in the roadway, carrying a piston for each
train.
'
The object of this invention is to propel the several cars or trains by atmospheric
pressure, and its kinetic energy and with or without the aid of compressed air, by
exhausting air from or admitting air to the propelling tube in front of or behind the
piston to be driven according to the direction in which the car is to travel.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1, is a vertical cross sectional view of the propelling and auxiliary tubes
which embodies my invention.
Figure 2, is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the piston and its appurtenances,
the piston being shown in position in the propelling tube.
Figure 3, is a sectional view transverse the auxiliary tube and a portion of
the propelling tube, showing one form of closing the opening between the two
tubes.
Figure 4 is a top sectional view of the propelling tube and its auxiliary tube, a
plurality of pistons being shown in the propelling tube.
Figure 5, is a separate longitudinal vertical sectional view of the piston and its
extension for connecting it to a car.
Figure 6, is a vertical transverse sectional view of the propelling tube and
its auxiliary tube, showing another form of closing the slot or opening between
the two tubes.
Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of the propelling tube, showing a plurality
of auxiliary tubes.
Figure 8, is a separate view of the piston within the propelling tube, showing a
spring supported roller for pressing into position the closing flap between the two
tubes.
Figure 9, is a diagrammatic view showing the propelling tube and a series of
auxiliary tubes of different lengths connected with the sections of the propelling
tube.
Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view showing the propelling tube and the ball
valve for dividing the tube into sections.
Figure 11 is a cross sectional view on line 11-11 of Figure 10, showing the ball
valve closing the propelling tube.
Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the propelling tube, showing a car, and a
motor upon the car for exhausting air from the propelling tube at either side of the

page_text: Figure 13 is a similar view showing the piston connected to one end of
the car.
Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the piston extension passing through the
slot and in position to be connected to a carriage, car or other vehicle.
Figure 15 is an enlarged perspective view of a vehicle attached to the extension
shown in Figure 14.
Fig. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the propelling tube, showing the ball
valve in position for dividing the propelling tube into sections, and a piston in the
act of moving one of the balls out of the way as it passes through the propelling
tube.
Figure 17 is an enlarged view of the ball valve, similar to Figure 11.
Figure 18 is a detached view of the piston with the means for moving the ball
valve.
Figure 19 is an enlarged sectional view of the standards passing from the piston
when used to be connected with a carriage or other vehicle.
Figure 20, is a sectional view at right angles to Figure 19, and including the
propelling tube.
Figure 21, is a detached enlarged perspective view of the valve in the upper end of
the standards shown in Figure 19.
Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a propelling tube which is buried in the road-
way, or in some instances may be placed upon the ties of a road-bed, and 2 is an
auxiliary tube extending parallel the propelling tube, and 3 is a slot or opening
extending from end to end of the tubes and forming a communication throughout
both the auxiliary and propelling tubes.
4 is a piston which is preferably provided with two heads as clearly illustrated in
Figure 2, and these heads are connected by means of a tube 5. The ends of this
tube 5 project through the heads of the piston 4 and are provided with the rearwardly
extending exit tubes 6. Extending upward from the tube 5 of the piston 4 is a
standard 7 which is adapted to be connected with the car truck for propelling the
car, and this standard is provided with two openings or passages 8 which communicate
respectively with the exit tubes 6 at each end of the piston as clearly illustrated in
Figure 5. The upper ends of these passages 8 are provided with suitable valves 9,
whereby the passages may be opened or closed as desired by the driver.
The propelling tube 1 is divided into a plurality of sections as illustrated in
Figure 4, either by means of gates 10 as shown in Figure 4, or by means of ball
valves 11 as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 16. These balls, or the gates when used,
are adapted to divide the several sections so that one section does not have atmos-
pheric communication with the other sections, so that a car being propelled by a
piston in one section is not effected by the propelling of the piston in another section
as will be readily understood.
The opening between the auxiliary tube 2 and the propelling tube 1 is closed by
two flexible flaps 12 as shown in Figure 1, or by a single flap 13 as shown in
Figures 6 and 7, as may be desired. The piston 4 carries an arm 14, adapted to open
or remove the flaps from the openings thus affording communication between the
auxiliary tube and the propelling tube at either side of the piston as may be desired,
and this arm is adapted to be operated by means of a lever on the car.
In operation, a pump or pumps 17 (see Figure 4) are connected with the auxiliary
tube 2 and exhausts the air therefrom. The driver through the medium of the
arm 14 opens the flap in front of the piston if it is desired to move the car forward,
and opens the valve 9 of the standard 7 to admit air behind the piston, whereby the
atmospheric pressure of the air behind the piston drives it forward with great force
and power owing to the increased velocity of the air and the kinetic energy thereof.
Should it be desired to drive the car backwards, this operation is reversed, that is
the flap is opened in rear of the car and the valve 9 is opened to admit air in the
front end of the piston which will drive the piston backwards and consequently the
car or train. By means of this simple arrangement the driver can regulate the speed
of the car, and can move it either forward or backward, and can also regulate the

page_text: speed of the car in going down grate without the use of any brake whion is a great
improvement in street or other railways.
The great power and velocity of air rushing into a vacuum is well known, and it is
this power which applicants use by exhausting air from the propelling tube at one
side of the piston and admitting air at the other side.
Instead of using an auxiliary tube 2 throughout the length of the propelling tube,
a plurality of auxiliary tubes 18 may be used, which will be connected with pumps
for exhausting air therefrom and the tubes 18 will be connected with different
sections of the propelling tube 1, and in this way air exhausted from the different
sections, and the operator enabled to drive his car in either direction desired in the
manner before described.
Instead of having an auxiliary tube heretofore described, the propelling tube alone
may be used, and in this instance the car or vehicle being driven is provided with a
small gasoline or other engine 20 which drives an exhausting air pump 21, which is
in communication at opposite sides or ends of the piston through the passages 22 as
shown in Figure 12. In this instance the standard 7 is provided with transverse
valve 23 operated by means of a lever 24, and this valve is provided with the
passages 26 and 27, the passages being so arranged that when air is being exhausted
froin one side of the piston air is admitted at the opposite side. In this way the
driver is enabled to admit the atmospheric pressure to either side of the piston
desired, and to at the same time cause a vacuum at the opposite side or end of the
piston thus driving the car in either direction desired; stopping the car entirely,
either suddenly or slowly, or regulating the speed of the car in moving down grade
which will enable him as in the other construction described to prevent accident
without the use of a brake. The construction of this valve is clearly shown in
Figures 19, 20, and 21.
In either form of system, whether air is exhausted from the propelling tube by the
auxiliary tube, or by an engine placed upon the vehicle, opposite ends of the piston
will be provided with a tapered projection 28, which as the piston moves in either
direction will force the ball valves out of the propelling tube and into their pockets 29,
so that the piston may move along into the next section of the propelling tube.
In Figure 15, the standard 7 is shown detachably connected with a vehicle, and
in this instance the standard carries the operating, lever as in Figure 12, and the
operating lever 24 extends up ready to be actuated by the driver. By means of this
construction any vehicle whether a draft or pleasure vehicle can be attached to or
detached from the standard, as will be readily understood. This may likewise be
true in respect to the standard which is used in connection with the construction
shown in Figure 1 where an auxiliary tube is being used for exhausting air from the
propelling tube.
In Figure 13, the same construction described in Figure 12 is used, but in this
instance the standard is attached to one end of a car instead of to the centre of the
car as in Figure 12.
Figure 14, shows a road-bed and a propelling tube with the standard projecting
through the slot of the tube, and ready to be attached to any desired vehicle which
is provided with a motor and a pump.
The propelling tube is provided with a longitudinal slot 30, through which the
standard projects, and this slot is closed by the flexible flaps 31, the flaps being
moved as the standard passes along and immediately closed after the standard passes,
and the standard being between the two heads of the piston, external communication
with the tube is prevented at opposite ends of the piston as will be readily understood
thus making the propelling tube air tight.
A railroad systein operated as above described is simple and cheap to construct,
easily handled, and enables great power to he obtained through the medium of a
vacuum. The maintenance of a system of this character is small, and the necessary
power of the engine required to exhaust air from the tube is small as compared with
the power required for electric and other railways now in common use.
We can use
either compressed air with this system or atmospheric pressure or both together, we

page_text: simply have to remove the air from the tubes at one side of the piston and admit the
air at the opposite side, whereby we get the atmospheric pressure plus the velocity
and kinetic energy thereof caused by a vacuum at one side of the piston. This
arrangement enables us to secure great power at a small expense of force required to
create the vacuum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A railway system substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A pneumatic railway comprising a propelling tube and air exhauster com-
municating with the propeller tube, a piston within the tube adapted to be connected
to a vehicle and means of regulating the direction of the piston within the tube,
substantially as described.
3. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, an auxiliary tube
parallel therewith, communication between the auxiliary tube and the propelling
tube, a pump in communication with the auxiliary tube, a piston within the
propelling tube and means for regulating the admission of air, and the creating of a
vacuum at either side of the piston, substantially as described.
4. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, an auxiliary
two tubes having a registering
tube extending parallel therewith, the
longitudinal opening forming communication between them, and a flexible closing
means for said opening.
5. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, an auxiliary tube
extending parallel therewith, the two tubes having a registering longitudinal
opening forming communication between them, a flexible closing means for said
opening, a piston within the propelling tube, the piston carrying a member for
operating the flexible casing means for the purpose described.
6. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, an auxiliary tube,
valves or gates for dividing the propelling tube into sections, a piston within the
propelling tube constructed to operate the valve or gate, and a standard extending
from the piston and adapted to be connected to a vehicle, substantially as
described.
7. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, an auxiliary tube
extending longitudinal thereof, the tubes having a longitudinal opening effecting
communication between them, a closing member or members for said openings, a
piston adapted to fit entirely within said tube a pump connected with the auxiliary
tube for withdrawing the air therefrom, means in advance of the piston for effecting
communication between the two tubes just in advance of the piston, and a com-
munication between the atmosphere and the propelling tube in the rear of the piston,
substantially as described.
8. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, an auxiliary tube
extending parallel the same, a longitudinal communication between the tubes, a
member for closing the said opening, a means for effecting communication between
the atmosphere and the propelling tube both ahead of and behind the piston,
substantially as described.
9. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, a piston within the
tube, and means for creating a vacuum at either or both sides of the piston,
substantially as described.
10. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube formed into a series
of sections, closing members for adjacent ends of the sections, and a piston adapted
by contact with the closing members to open them as it moves in the propelling tube,
substantially as described.
11. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, a plurality of ball
valves adapted to move across and divide the propelling tube into sections, and a
piston within the propelling tube adapted to be attached to a vehicle or car and the

page_text: piston adapted to move the ball valves out of the propelling tube as the piston moves
therethrough, substantially as described.
12. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, a piston therein,
a vehicle provided with an air pump, the air pump having communication with the
propelling tube, substantially as described.
13. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, a piston therein, a
vehicle having an air pump, the air pump having communication with the propelling
tube at opposite ends of the piston and a controlling member for said communication,
substantially as described.
14. A pneumatic system comprising a propelling tube, a piston therein provided
with a projecting standard having passage-ways communicating with the propelling
tube, the upper end of the standard adapted to be connected with a vehicle,
substantially as described.
15. A pneumatic railway system comprising a propelling tube, a piston therein
having two heads, a hollow tube connecting them, a standard projecting from the
hollow tube and having communication with the propelling tube at opposite sides of
the piston, a vehicle having a pump and an engine and a valve mechanism situated
between the propelling tube and the engine and adapted to admit air to either end
of the piston and exhaust air from the opposite end of the piston, substantially as
described.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.