Improvements in or appertaining to Elevated Tracks, Tramways, or Wire-ways.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Elevated Tracks, Tramways, or
Wire-ways.
A communication from WILLIAM PITT WALLING, Machinist, of Santa Monica,
and THOMAS LEYS MARTIN, Carpenter, of Los Gatos, both in the State of
California, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I. Mech. E., & Chartered Patent Agent, 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 the construction of elevated tracks,
tramways, or wire-ways in which a car or other vehicle or conveyance is run over a
stationary wire or track by means of an endless rope passing round pulleys and
drivon by an engine or other motive power.
The objects of tho herein-described improvements are, first to provide substantial
terminii for the road; second to afford facilities for maintaining a proper tension of
the track-wires; third, to procure means for supporting the track-wires or
tramway at points intermediate betweon the main supports; and fourth, to ensure
the adhesion of the car vehicle or conveyance to the track and prevent its swaying
while in transit. These objects are attained, as will be explained in detail further
below, by building an endless track composed of a double row of separately
anchored and closely-abutted sections united by semi-circular bands and supported
from posts or uprights by brackets, and an under track which serves both as a
support for the main track and a guide for the cars, vehicles or conveyances running
thereon.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,-
Figure is a broken perspective view presenting a general outline of the
invention and showing how it may be utilized for carrying buckets filled with water,
sand, or similar things;
Figure 2 is a like view showing how the invention may be used to carry
passenger-cars or coaches; and
Figure 3 is a similar view showing how it may be used to carry freight cars.
In these figures
"
A Aare the end supports, which may be made of iron, wood or any other
suitable material. Both these supports are set up on suitable timbers and properly
braced, and may be given any desirable inclination to conform to that of the track.
By preferenco, the support A is made tubular to enclose a vertical shaft A', which
is rotatable and may be provided with a driving pulley A' or a turning-bar A', or
any other convenient means for the application of steam or horse power or any
other motive force.
BB represent intermediate posts, the number of which depends both on the
length of the track and tho nature of the loads to be carried over it..
From each of the supports A. A' project brackets C C', to which are secured
semi-circular bars or bands D D' of wood or metal, which stand out at the ends of
the track-that is to say at the points where the track makes the turn back and
which are called the "terminii."
The track or road proper consists preferably of different sections of wire E E¹
stretched on, over, or through brackets, timbers, or cross-pieces F secured to the
line of posts and projecting from both sides thereof. Both ends of the wires are
preferably brought down and firmly anchored to the ground, as at a b, so that each
wire, taken in connection with its supports, constitutes a different section of the
track. As many sections are provided as are found convenient, and their length

page_text: is regulated according to the exigencies of each case, a section being made to
include several posts or merely to fill the space intervening between each post, at
option. All the sections, whatever their length may be are closely joined so as to
form practically, a continuous track, which may be dono by passing the ends of the
adjacent wires over or through the same brackets, as shown at Fig. 1. The end
wires may be either passed around the upper edge of the bands D D or secured to
the ends thorcof as preferred.
Gropresents a secondary track or way consisting of one or more wires laid
below and following the double line of wires E E. The track G is supported
substantially in the same way as the track E E' passing through or resting on
brackets, timbers or cross-pieces F and ending at the lower edge of the bands D D',
When composed of different sections of wire, their ends may also be brought down
to anchorage, if it be deemed best.
Besides the common supports above mentioned, the upper and lower track aro
braced to each other by ties H provided at various intervals between the
supporte A A' and the posts B B'. They are thus prevented from sagging at
points between the main supports.
B
I is a bucket which may be used to carry sand or similar matter over the track
above described. This bucket is provided with a stiff or fixed bail and hold up on
the end of a weighted lever J, which is pivotted to a connecting bar K pivotally
secured to a truck or carriage L running over the track E E. The bail of the
bucket is caught between the small end of the levor J and a spring M. The
weighted end of the lever is normally held in a horizontal position by means of a
pivotted weighted stop N, to which is secured by toggle-joint a pivotted lever P.
The lever Pis so placed as to meet a bar or cross-arm Q located at any convenient
spot where it is desired to drop the bucket. Upon encountering the arm Q, the
lever P displaces the stop N and releases the weighted ond of the lever J, thereby
allowing the bucket to slide down the opposite end of said lever. The bucket
being off, the weighted end of the lover again brings its opposite ond up to the
spring M in position to pick up other buokots whon coming to the points where
these are Alled or loaded. When hauling water over the track, buckets having the
ordinary bail are used aud the spring, stop and levers dispensed with. In that case,
the bucket is directly secured to the connecting bar K and a suitable tripping
device whereby to tilt or upset it is provided at the plate where it is desired to have
it emptied.
R represents a car or coach adapted to carry passengers along an elevated track
such as is described heroin. This car or coach may be suspended from a truck or
carriage L' similar to the one previously mentioned by means of a connecting bar K'
pivotally secured to it. An arched piece S provided with a central slots engaged by
a bolt T may also be used to guide and liniit the movement of the car at the points
where the track runs on an incline.
U represents a freight-car that may be used for carrying limestone, rock, ores,
and various kinds of earth. Such a car may be suspended from a truck or
carriage L through the medium of n connecting bar K pivotally secured to a
central beam V. A hinged trap-door W normally held closed by a pivotted latch
or bar X adapted to meet any suitable trip-bar furuishes a convenient means for
unloading the car U.
The connecting bars K K K are preferably provided with an upwardly-
projecting side-piece & adapted to embraco loosely the lower track G. By this
means the buckets, coaches, or cara are steadied and guided and the trucks or
wheels thereof prevented from jumping or running off the upper track while in
motion.
The several trucks or carriages travelling on the track are moved by a running
rope or cable Y which passes round pulleys Z Z mounted on or over tho end
supports A A' and is driven by any suitable motor or agency. The pulley Z is
secured to the vertical shaft A³ and revolves therewith. The pulloy 2¹ turns on
the upper end of the stationary support A'. Small pulleys, sheaves or rollers care
L
:

page_text: used to support and guide the running rope. These may be placed either above or
below the rope to make it conform to the curves of the track.
A brake is used in connection with the vertical shaft A' to arrest its movement
and therefore that of the rope Y, when desired. This brake is applied to a wheel A
on the shaft A' and consists of a semi-circular shoe d worked by spring-controlled
leverse connected by a link e. A track-brake pivotally secured to the bar K¹
may also be used in connection with passonger-cars, as shown at Fig. 2.
Any suitable menus may be used to connect the various trucks or carriages with
the running cable, such for instance as chains and clamps g. In the case of
passenger-car trucks, a cable-gripping device or clutch h is preferably employed.
It will be observed that the improved track, tramway, or wire-way herein shown
and described possesses many advantages not to be found in other constructions of
the same type. The joining of the upper track and the supporting-way with the
semi-circular bands, for instance, affords more complete and substantial terminii
than are usually met with. The separate anchorage of the track sectious eneuros
perfect control over the tension of the track wires, which, though independent,
present a substantially continuous road, over which the carriages travel as smoothly
as if over a single wire. The line in all the firmer for having more places where
to tighten the wires, and it is easier to keep it in good condition on this account.
The ties H materially help in this respect by consolidating the tracks at points
intermediate between the main supports. The side piece & secured to the con-
necting-bars is also very useful in that it effectually prevents the displacement of
the trucks or carriages by causing them to follow both the main track and the
supporting way thereby securing for them an even and steady motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,—
1. In an elevated track tramway or wire-way the combination of a single line of
posts brackets timbers or cross-pieces projecting from each side thereof end-
supports semicircular bands or bars about said end-supports and wires or ways hold
by said brackets timbers or cross-pieces and bands substantially as set forth.
2. The combination in an elevated track tramway or wire-way of a line of posts
suitably-supported semi-circular bands or bara at the ends of said line brackets
timbers or cross-picces laterally projecting from said posts upper and lower wires
or ways supported by said brackets timbers or cross-pieces and said bands and ties
uniting both said wires or ways substantially as shown and described.
3. The use of the ties in connection with the upper track and the secondary track
or supporting-way substantially as set forth.
4. Providing pulleys sheaves or rollers over and under the running rope or cable
to have it conform to the curves of the track substantially as sot forth.
5. The brake for arresting the movement of the vertical shaft and of the running
rope the same consisting of a shoe worked by spring-controlled lovers connected by
link substantially as shown and described.
6. The conucution of the frame of the track to the running gear by means of the
hollow shaft or support that surrounds the upright rotatable shaft aubstantially as
shown and described.
7. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming the
improved elevated track tramway or wire-way made preferably in separately
anchored sections substantially as set forth.
Dated this and do of Rab 1902
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.