IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE TRAMWAYS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Herbert Montague Smith of 9 Fenchurch Street
in the City of London for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE
TRAMWAYS" A communication to him from abroad by Andrew Smith
Hallidie of San Francisco, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION-left-by-the said Henry Herbert Montague
Smith-at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October
1882.
HENRY HERBERT MONTAGUE SMITH of 9 Fenchurch Street in the City of London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE TRAMWAYS" A communication to me from abroad by
Andrew Smith Hallidie of San Francisco California United States of America
This Invention relates to rope tramways where an endless moving rope in an
underground tube is employed to move tramcars and consists as follows:-
For the purpose of carrying the gripper there is attached to the passenger Car
a frame containing the gripper and having a wheel with a flange fitted to run in
the groove, or slot of the tube just in advance of the shank of the gripper thus
dispensing with the ordinary Car wheels and at the same time keeping the shank
of the gripper from coming into contact with the side of the slot of the tube, the
connection between the passenger Car and grip carrier being so arranged as to
permit of the necessary motion for passing curves and changing from levels to
grades,
In order to give additional strength to the tubes which contain the rope in
tramways where there are two tracks the tie or sleeper on which the rails rest, if
a tie or sleeper is so employed is extended across the space between the two tubes
and secured thereto, by this means the inclination of the slot of the tube to close is
impeded and the structure stiffened.
In constructing the tube and the road bed there are placed on the upper part or
top of the tube cellular iron pieces the cells of which are filled with concrete
Asphalte wood or similar material and which form a covering for the tube or rope
channel, provide a good footing for horses, connect the yokes or frames of the tube
LP 1

page_text: together, and form the side of the slot through which the shank of the gripper
passes down into the tube these cellular pieces being secured to the frames or
yokes of the tube in such a manner as to be easily removed and permit access to
the tube.
For the purpose of reducing the wear of the rope caused by its running between
the rollers of the gripper when the speed of the rope is greater than that of the Car
and in order to enable the speed of the Car to be decreased four or more guide rollers
are used at the lower end of the gripper, and over or around them is passed an
endless chain the links of which conform to the shape and size of the rope employed
to propel the Tramcars The guide rollers may be placed opposite each other or
not as desired but by this means the objectionable feature of bringing the points
of the guide rollers in direct contact with the travelling rope is avoided.
In passing around curves of small radius or in going off the main road on to a
branch track or siding and in other circumstances it is desirable to reduce the
speed of the tramcars and this is effected by using a wire rope that is driven at
a slower speed than the main driving rope by means of a horizontal sheave which
is keyed onto the same shaft which is driven by the horizontal sheave of the main
rope the sheave of the main rope being larger in diameter than the sheave which
drives the second or slow running rope
In steep grades as additional security the gripper is so arranged that it can be
turned from its true position in the slot and twisted out of line until the edges of
the shank of the gripper are brought in contact with the sides of the slot and thus
form an effective brake or a wedge shaped guard is used which surrounds the front
edge of the gripper shank just above the level of the slot and being forced down
between the sides of the gripper shank and the slot effects the same result.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Herbert Montague Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th April 1883.
86
HENRY HERBERT MONTAGUE SMITH of 9 Fenchurch Street in the City of London
IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE TRAMWAYS" A communication to me from abroad from
Andrew Smith Hallidie of San Francisco California United States of America.
This Invention relates to Rope Tramways where an endless moving rope or cable
in an underground tube is employed to move tramcars and consists as follows-
For the purpose of carrying the gripper there is attached, to the passenger Car
a frame containing the gripper and having a wheel with a flange fitted to run in
the groove or slot of the tube just in advance of the shank of the gripper thus
dispensing with the ordinary car wheels and at the same time keeping the shank
of the gripper from coming into contact with the side of the slot of the tube the
connection between the passenger car and grip carrier being so arranged as to
permit of the necessary motion for passing curves and changing from levels to
grades.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that. purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
This part of the Invention is illustrated in Figures 1. 2 and 3 of the accom-
panying drawings which respectively represent a longitudinal section of-a-portion-
of the track with a section of-the-frame at the fore part of the Car, a transverse
section of the same, and a sectional plan of the same.
:
The gripper is carried on a frame which is coupled to and precedes the passenger
car A A represent the main beams of the frame which are securely fastened
together by cross pieces as shown-On the rear end (below the passenger car) they
each carry a cast iron bearing B and B in which is mounted the axle C secured to
the casting D which latter turns around the centre pivot E contained in the
channel iron F fixed to the frame of the passenger Car-The said Casting at its
front part may have a groove therein formed like an arc of a circle struck from the
centre of the pivot E and the bottom of the car may carry a similar formed rib to
engage with and run in the said groove-When the track makes a turn in the
horizontal plane the frame A moves around the pivot E and when there is a change
in a vertical plane it moves around the axle C To compensate the pressure
upwards which takes place as soon as the moving cable is attached to the gripper
the springs G and G' are provided which are compressed when the track makes an
angle upwards and expanded when it makes an angle downwards. The said
springs bear at their lower ends on plates supported by a pair of angle irons g
carried by the links H and H' which move around a pivot fastened in the frame
to enable them to move vertically up and down in spite of the circular motion of
the frame around the axle C The upper ends of the springs bear upon plates
carried by the frame A..
The shank K of the gripper is enveloped by a casting J which has on its face
the shape of a fork and contains the bearings for the wheel L which runs in the
slot of the tube and keeps the said shank K from coming in contact with the sides
of the slot The brackets M and N serve to hold up the frame and to keep the
casting J in a vertical position.
The rods O and P transmit the traction from the shank K to the axle Cand

page_text: .:
"
release the frame from any considerable strain-Owing to the connection of the
casting J to the frame and the casting D to the passenger car the said car is drawn
along with the frame.
That part of the shank K between the slot in the tube and the casting J is
enveloped in a wedge shaped guard Q which is bolted or secured to the links R R¹
hung from the levers T T¹ which are centred at t the said levers being provided
with a foot plate S which connects the ends of the said levers-By depressing the
levers by means of this foot plate the wedge Q is pressed into the slot and acts
as a brake.
The spring U brings the levers and wedge back in the former position when the
pressure on S ceases-The bracket N relieves the shank K from the strain when
the brake is put in action.
Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation. Figure 5 a transverse section. Figure 6 a
sectional plan drawn to an enlarged scale illustrating these parts first described
more clearly the parts are marked with the same letters of reference as are used
..for the same parts in Figures 1. 2 and 3.
In order to give additional strength to the tubes which contain the rope in
tramways where there are two tracks the tie or sleeper on which the rails rest (if
a tie or sleeper is so employed) is extended across the space between the two tubes
and secured thereto or to the supports for the same.. By this means the inclination
of the slot of the tube to close is impeded and the structure stiffened. This is
illustrated by Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings which represent
respectively a transverse section and plan of a double tube line-V is the tie or
sleeper connecting the two tubes as before described. These ties or sleepers may
occur at any suitable intervals in the length of the line.
In constructing the tube and the road bed the upper part or top of the tube is
formed by cellular iron pieces W, the cells of which are filled with concrete asphalte
wood or similar material W₁ and which form a covering for the tube or rope.
channel, provide a good footing for horses and form the side of the slot through
which the shank of the gripper passes down into the tube. The said cellular pieces
being formed in lengths and secured to the adjacent frames or yokes of the tube
by bolts w or in such other manner as to connect the yokes or frames X together
and to be easily removed to permit access to the tube.
For the purpose of reducing the wear on the rope caused by its running between
the rollers of the gripper when the speed of the rope is greater than that of the
Car and in order to enable the speed of the Car to be decreased four or more guide
rollers Y Y¹ are used at the lower end of the gripper as shewn in Figures 4 and 5
and over or around each set or pair of them is passed an endless chain Z the links
of which conform to the shape and size of the rope employed to propel the
tramcars. The guide rollers Y Y may be placed opposite each other or not as
desired but by means of the said chains the objectionable feature of bringing the
points of the guide rollers in direct contact with the travelling rope is avoided.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is :-
First. In rope tramways the combination with the passenger car of a gripper
carrying frame and guide wheel which are connected to the passenger car and so
constructed and arranged as to be capable of turning in a horizontal or vertical
direction all substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In rope tramways the combination with a gripper carrying frame as
herein set forth of a wedge shaped guard capable of being brought into action by
being pressed into the groove of the rope tube and of operating as a brake
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.

page_text: Third In rope tramways forming the top of the tubes of cellular plates
arranged and combined with the said tubes and their yokes or supports sub-
stantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Herbert Montague Smith have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal this fifth day of April One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
HENRY, HERBERT MONTAGUE SMITH (LS.)