Improvements in Pulley Boxes for the Pulleys of Cable-railways.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by TOM LOFTIN JOHNSON, of Cleveland, Ohio, United
States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Pulley Boxes for the Pulleys of Cable-railways.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 is more particularly adapted for that type of cable railway in which
the cable used is double or composed of two cables united at intervals by cross-stops.
The object of the invention is to provide the road-bed with adjustable curve-pulleys
for the cable, which with their journals, boxes, and other attachments, shall embody
greater simplicity of construction, and economy in cost and time, in the street work
of putting in place, particularly in changing road-beds from ordinary horse-car tracks
to the system of cable traction, suitable drainage of said pulley-boxes being also at the
same time provided for.
The invention consists essentially in the arrangement and combination of parts as
hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 shews in plan a pulley-box, containing two curve pulleys, the covers of
said box being removed.
•
Figure 2, shews a pulley-box, in transverse vertical section, taken at the line A, B
of Figure 1, its covers in place and the pulleys and their vertical bearings and adjusting
screws in side elevation.
Figure 3 shews a longitudinal vertical section of the pulley box, taken through the
centre of one of the curve pulleys at the line C, D of Figure 2.
In said figures the several parts are indicated by numbers and letters as follows:-
The number 1 indicates the pulley box containing the pulleys 2, 2 mounted in
vertical bearings 3, 3, adjustable on side flanges 4, 4, under guides g, secured to the
wings or offset-body of the box 1, by the bolts 5. The pulleys 2 are keyed fast to the
vertical shafts 6, running in the vertical bearings 3, provided with metal bushings 7,

page_text: preferably of brass or some other suitable anti-friction alloy or metal. Said bushings are
provided with flanges 8, at their tops, which rest on internal flanges in the bearings 3,
and also with horizontal flanges 9 and 10 which bear against the interiors of the
bearings 3 and prevent the bushings from turning. Said bushings have also bottom
flanges 11, screw-threaded, to which are screwed the caps 12 provided with hexagonal
heads 13, for holding a wrench by which said caps may be screwed up in place or
removed. The bottoms of the shafts 6, have collars 14, formed thereon, which project
under the bottom flanges 11; and between said collars and the bottoms of the caps 12
are placed liners or bearing-plates 15. The hubs of the pulleys 2 are provided with
downwardly projecting flanges 16 which exteriorly lap the top edges of the bearings 3,
and thus form hoods or covers for excluding dirt from the annular oil spaces
between the bearings 3 and bushings 7. It can now be easily observed that by setting
up on the caps 12, the weight of the pulleys 2 can be accurately adjusted to be taken
upon the bearing plate or liners 15. By means of the oil pipes 16 lubrication of the
shaft 6 is amply provided for, the oil flowing first into the annular space between the
hubs of the pulleys and the bearings 3, and thence running down between the shafts 6
and the bushings 7, until the bearing plates 15 are reached, suitable holes in the
bushings 7 for the flow of the oil being provided. The caps 12 are prevented from
turning when adjusted by means of pawls, or keepers 16, which take into teeth or
indentations, as seen at 17 on the caps 12.
The pulley boxes 1, are provided with covers 18, which covers at their inner ends
or sides nearest the cable-slots are made with inclined lugs 19 which fit or abut
matched lugs 20, on the inner sides of the pulley boxes. This fitting of lugs together
prevents the covers from tipping up at any time should any weight, as the wheel of a
waggon or the foot of a horse be brought to hear upon any part of the covers.
covers, however, can he raised with perfect case by simply elevating the outer ends
opposite said lugs by hooks or handles attached thereto for the purpose, said lugs on
their inner ends offering no resistance to such elevation.
Said
The pulley-boxes are provided with front and rear flanges 21, 22 through which
they are secured to the cross-ties of the track, the pulley boxes themselves being
inserted in suitable depressions excavated between the cross-ties and the stringers or
main track-rails. This arrangement forms a very rapid method of road-curve-
construction and saves much street work, in changing roads from horse-power traction
to cable-car propulsion. Said pulley-boxes being situated on a curve, it is evident
that the spaces between the cross-ties, may sometimes be appreciably trapezoidal, the
cross-ties being placed radially from the true centre of the curve. In such cases the
pulley-boxes instead of being made parallelograms may be made trapezoidal in plan,
of cast iron or other suitable material.
The pulleys are adjusted laterally, the side flanges 4 of their bearings 3, sliding
under guides g so as to properly support the cable c by means of turn buckles t and
right and left-handed screw-bolts b respectively secured by pins p to jaws in the
boxes and bearings 3. It is obvious that by the turning of the parts t of the turn-
buckles upon their right and left-handed screw bolts b, that said bolts will tend to be.
either screwed, both together, either into said sleeve or, both together, out of said
sleeve. One of said bolts being fast to the casing and the other fast to the bearings
of the pulleys respectively, each pulley will thus be adjusted to hold the cable between
them, or to drop it, according as each pulley is positively drawn by its respective
turnbuckle, either inward under the cable, or outward and away from its support;
thus is effected the engagement and disengagement of said pulleys and cable.
The keepers or lock pieces i, span hexagonal parts of the turn-buckles t and thus
prevent them from being turned, after the adjustment of the pulleys has been
effected.
That portion of the pulley-box Figure 2, to the right of the drain-pipe d forms a
convenient catch-basin for any sediment or dirt that may pass through the cable
slots into said box, the water overflowing the depression in the bottom and
escaping into said drain-pipe from pulley-box, to any conveniently attached sewer.
The piped therefore acts as a continuous curved pipe connecting the pulley boxes in

page_text: curve, longitudinally under one side of the track. It can be easily seen from the
description above given that upon the removal of the covers 18, the pulleys 2 can be
detached from their bearings 3, and lifted out of their boxes 1. By the removal
of a single pulley, access for clearing out or removing any obstruction in, the drain
pipes d, is easily obtained in either direction, as far as several of such pulley-boxes
may extend, the openings into said pipes being almost directly under the centres of
said pulleys. Said drain-pipes may be made of terra-cotta, cast iron, or other suitable
material, and may be conveniently made of a diameter of about inches.
In Figure 2 a cast-piece is shewn hooked and bolted to the bottom of the pulley-
box 1 in line with the drainage pipes d. This piece is only used as a convenience in
casting the box and has no necessary connection with the drainage pipe d as such.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A curve-pulley-box, for cable railways, of the form substantially as described,
provided with front and rear flanges for securing the same to the cross-ties of the
track and adapted to be inserted between said ties and the main rails of the track, and
to form a drainage and catch-basin for the cable-way substantially as, and for the
purposes set forth.
Second. A pulley-box for cable-railways adapted to fit between the cross-ties and
main rails of the track, provided with curve pulleys mounted on vertical shafts in
bearings as 3, lined with bushings as 7, forming lubricating receptacles for the pulley-
journals substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Third. A pulley-box, for cable-railways, adapted to fit between the cross-ties and
main rails of the track, provided with cable-carrying-pulleys journalled in vertical
bearings adjustable laterally, by means of turn buckles as described; whereby said
pulleys may be engaged with and disengaged from the cable, substantially as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
Fourth. A pulley-box, for cable-railways, adapted to fit between the cross-ties and
main rails of the track, provided with covers having diagonal lugs on one side shaped
to fit corresponding lugs on the inner sides of said box, whereby said covers are held
secure from accidental tipping or tilting up, but are adapted for ready opening or
removal when desired, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fifth. A pulley-box, for cable-railways of the form substantially as described,
provided longitudinally with lateral drainage pipe connections, whereby said pulley-
boxes are drained and access obtained to the drainage-pipes of several contiguous
boxes by the removal of a single pulley, substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Dated this 10th 11007