Street Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Street Railways.
I, WHITCOMB LEONARD JUDSON, Mechanic, of the City of Minneapolis, County of
Hennepin, State of Minnesota, 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 :-
My invention relates to street, suburban and other railways, whether surface or
elevated roads. It is more particularly designed, however, as a substitute for the
cable and similar systems for street and suburban use.
In carrying out my invention, I use a revoluble shaft or drum extending along the
entire line of the car's travel and convert its rotary motion into a rectilinear motion
on the car, by means of a set of swivelled friction wheels connected with the car
and adapted to engage with the driving drum, at variable angles to its axis. When
the friction wheels are at right angles to the driving drum. the car stands still, when
at an acute angle to the axis of the drum, forward of a right angle, the car will move
in one direction, and when rearward of a right angle, the car will move in the other
direction.
Practically, the converting mechanism is a threadless screw, with variable pitch
lines according to the angle of the friction wheels, frictional contact taking the place
of the screw thread or flange. The frictional wheels may be conceived as travelling
nuts, traversing imaginary thread lines of the screw, at a definite pitch, variable at
the will of the operator. The result is a variable speed and a variable power. If the
wheels approximate a right angle to the axis of the shaft, there is obtained the
equivalent of a fine threaded screw, with corresponding great power. If they are
set at a very acute angle, approximately parallel with the axis of the shaft, there is
obtained high speed, but with less power.
This especially adapts the construction to the necessities of street car propulsion.
In starting the load great power and slow speed is desirable. After the car is
started greater speed is needed and less power is required to carry the load.
The shaft or drum may be driven in sections (of practicable lengths of from five
hundred to one thousand feet) by a series of stationary motors (not shown) arranged
along the line of the cars travel. These motors may be of any suitable kind
adapted to the use of air, steam, water or electricity. Preferably, however, air
engines are used, the air being supplied under pressure from a central station.
If the traffic be heavy and the cars close together, the entire drum may be kept
in continuous motion. If in a suburban district, where the traffic is light, the
construction may be such that only the particular section or sections, over which
a car is travelling need be in motion at the time. Just before leaving the first
section, the car may automatically throw the next section into motion by starting
its driving engine. Just after reaching the second section, the car may stop the
first section. The stationary motors or engines for driving the drum are preferably
located in small pits directly below the drum, at the center of the section and
coupled directly thereto.
The characteristic and distinguishing features of the construction claimed in this

page_text: .
application consists in both supporting and driving the car by the drum from below
the surface of the street. No other rails or wheels are used above the street
surface. The ordinary car trucks and street rails are entirely dispensed with. The
car is of a special design to meet the necessities of the case. The particular feature
of which, is a ball bearing connection with its supporting bolsters so as to allow
the necessary lateral or swinging motion for traversing curves. The car is made to
preserve the horizontal level by lateral pressure rails within the conduit against
which bears a horizontal wheel or roller journalled in the friction wheel blades, or
on some part of the friction wheel supporting trucks.
Flexure and breakage of the blades, at the slot line is prevented by making the
blades of sufficient number and adequate strength. The driving drum is necessarily
made in short sections supported by bearings within the conduit; the sections being
coupled together in any suitable way.
To pass the friction wheels over the coupling space, small bridges are mounted on
the journal bearings and a carrying roller is journalled in a friction truck. The
friction wheels are so distributed that when any one of them is passing a coupling
space, several of the others will be in engagement with the driving drum. The
friction wheels must all take the same angle to the driving drum; otherwise some-
one or other would necessarily slip. To accomplish this result the friction wheels are
all coupled together by suitable connections and operated from a single lever, at
either end of the car. To permit the blades and friction trucks to better adapt
themselves to traversing curves, the blades are all connected by pivoted couplings.
My invention in respect to details may take various forms. I will now give a
specific description of the form which I have shown in the drawings. Like letters
referring to like parts throughout, figure 1 is a vertical cross section or end view of
a car and surface road embodying my invention. Figure 2 is a side elevation and
partial longitudinal section of the same. Figure 3 is a plan view some of the parts
being broken away.
A is the conduit tube. B are the supporting yokes provided with a slot space in
their upper plates. B' is a side backing of oak planks. C is the concrete bed. C¹ is
the street paving. " are ✓ shaped girders uniting the yokes connecting therewith,
at short distances from the slot-spaces. D is the driving drum or shaft mounted in
the bearing D, secured to the conduit yokes preferably in the center of the same. E is
a combined slot-rail and paving-block trough detachably connected to the L shaped
girders C and the yokes B and provided with bearing surfaces e, constituting lateral
pressure rails. E' is a horizontal roller supported on the dependent portion of the
car and bearing against the lateral pressure rails e. D is the friction wheel truck
provided with annular friction wheel bearings d.
F is the carrying roller journalled in the center of the truck D". F¹ is the
coupling space bridge secured to the top box-plate of the drum bearings D¹.
G are vertical bars or blades connecting the friction wheel truck D" with the car
supporting bolster. Of these, I preferably use six, three under each end of the car.
Hare the friction wheels having their journal bearings in heads h, which in turn are
swiveled in the annular bearing d. K are bell crank levers pivoted to the bars G, at
a point above the surface of the street. Of these, there are two, one on each side of
the bar G, on a common shaft. K¹ and K" are links connecting the outer ends of
these levers with the swiveled bearing block h. L is the car body. M M¹ are hori-
zontal rods underneath the car connected respectively to all the bell crank levers K
on the same side of the bars G.
N is an operating lever pivoted to the car and connected above and below its
fulcrum, respectively with the operating rods M and M¹. Hence, on reversing this
lever, these rods will move in opposite directions, and produce corresponding motions
on the bell crank levers K and, through the links K' and K" on the friction wheels H,
thus preserving a certain constant relation of the friction wheels to each other while
uniformly varying their angle or pitch to the driving drum.
P is the car supporting bolster rigidly attached at its center to the top of the blade
or bar G, and further connected therewith by the lateral braces p and p². The

page_text: vertical arms of this bolster are provided with cups Q. Q¹are corresponding cups
on the underside of lateral bars Q. Between the cups Q and Q₁ are placed ball
bearings q. R is an equalizer pivoted to the underside of the car and connected
at its opposite ends through springs S, with the top of the lateral bolster spanning
bar Q This spanning bar is made in two sections r¹ pivoted together at its
center and couples together the bolsters into sets of two or more (three as shown).
TT are sectional couplings pivotally connecting the vertical bars G, so that they
may swing with reference to each other in the horizontal, but not in the vertical
plane. The lateral pressure roller E¹ may be mounted on the pivot pin of the
couplings T.
Every
This construction permits the necessary motion for traversing curves.
bolster is free to turn independent of the other, on its respective ball bearing, while
at the same time, it is rigid with the friction wheel truck. The car body is thus
freely movable being allowed both a forward and backward and a pivotal motion on
its ball bearings.
I have shown the lateral pressure rails e, as formed integral with the slot-rail E.
They might equally well be separated and be directly attached to the conduit
yokes. They might also be placed in any other suitable position within the conduit.
It would even be possible to do the work with a single rail, or guide, located in
the bottom of the conduit with a set of vertical, or horizontal wheels connected to
the friction wheel truck. The general operation of my construction is clear from the
description already given.
It will be ready understood that the two distinctive features of this invention, viz.
both supporting and driving the car from beneath the surface, are not necessarily
united, they are separable features. The car may be supported from a truck movable
within the conduit, whether power be applied below, or above the street surface and
without regard to the character of the power. For example, animals might be used
in the customary way.
If the power be applied within the conduit, it may be com-
municated by any suitable transmitter, for example, a cable or electric conductors.
I especially designed the car, however, and use as my preferred means of applying
power, the revoluble shaft or drum and the friction wheels herein shown and described.
The word "drum," as herein used, whether in the specification or claims is used not
as a term of limitation, but simply as a term of identification. The driving shaft
may be either hollow or solid, as desired. The term "drum as herein used, is
intended to cover any form of driving shaft. In elevated roads, the conduit tube
could be omitted.
Its advantages are evident.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a slotted underground conduit of a car body above the
street surface, a car supporting truck within the conduit movable lengthwise thereof
and a swiveled supporting connection from the truck to the car through the conduit
slot, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a slotted underground conduit of one or more longitudinal
truck guides within said conduit, a car body above the street surface, a car supporting
truck within the conduit movable lengthwise of said guides, and a swiveled supporting
connection from the truck to the car, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a slotted underground conduit of a car body above the
street surface, a truck within the conduit movable lengthwise thereof, a car supporting
bolster having a rigid connection with the truck through the conduit slot and ball
bearings uniting the bolster and car body, substantially as described, for the better
traversing of curves.

page_text: truck within the conduit movable lengthwise of said guides, a car supporting
bolster having a rigid connection with said truck through the conduit slot and ball
bearings uniting the bolster and car body, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a slotted underground conduit of a car body above the street
surface, two or more independent trucks within the conduit movable lengthwise
thereof, corresponding independent supporting bolsters each having a rigid connection
through the conduit slot with its respective truck and ball bearings uniting the bolsters
and the car body, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a slotted underground conduit of a car body above the
street surface, two or more independent car trucks within the conduit movable
lengthwise thereof, two or more independent car supporting bolsters, corresponding
in number to the number of trucks each having a rigid connection, through the
conduit slot, with its respective truck, ball bearings uniting the bolsters and the
car body, and pivoted couplings connecting the trucks, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a movable car of a combined supporting and propelling
drum extending the entire line of the cars travel, adapted of itself to sustain the
car and propel the same, substantially as described.
8. The combination with a movable car of a combined car supporting and propelling
drum and one or more lateral pressure rails or guides for limiting the oscillation of
the car, substantially as described.
9. The combination with a revoluble car supporting and driving drum of a movable
car provided with friction wheels mounted on said drum and engageable therewith at
an angle to its axis and one or more lateral pressure rails or guides for limiting the
oscillation of the car, substantially as described.
10. The combination with a revoluble car supporting and driving drum of a movable
car having friction wheels adjustable to different angles mounted on said drum and
engageable therewith by frictional contact, substantially as described.
11. The combination with a revoluble car supporting and driving drum of a movable
car provided with friction wheels adjustable to different angles mounted on said drum,
engageable therewith by frictional contact at variable angles, and one or more
lateral pressure guides or rails for limiting the oscillation of the car, substantially as
described.
12. The combination with a revoluble car supporting and car driving drum of a
movable car provided with friction wheels mounted on said drum engageable
there with at an angle to its axis, one or more lateral pressure rails or guides, for limiting
the oscillation, and one or more lateral pressure rollers adapted to engage said guides,
substantially as described.
13. The combination with a revoluble car driving drum, made up of sections
coupled together, of a movable car provided with friction wheels engageable with said
drum at an angle to its axis and coupling space bridges for carrying the friction wheels
over the coupling spaces substantially as described.
14. The combination with a revoluble car driving drum, made up of sections coupled
together, of a movable car provided with a friction wheel truck having friction wheels
engageable with said drum at an angle to its axis coupling space bridges, and
carrying or bridging rollers on the friction wheel truck for engaging said bridges
and carrying the friction wheel truck over the coupling spaces, substantially as
described.
15. The combination with a slotted underground conduit, of a revoluble car
supporting and propelling drum within said conduit, a car body above the street surface,
a friction wheel truck provided with friction wheels mounted on said drum and
engageable therewith at an angle to its axis and a supporting connection from the
truck to the car through the conduit slot, substantially as described.
16. The combination with a slotted underground conduit of a revoluble car
supporting and propelling drum within the conduit, a car body above the street
surface, a friction wheel truck having friction wheels mounted on said drum engageable
therewith at an angle to its axis, a supporting connection from the truck to the car

page_text: through the conduit slot, one or more lateral pressure rails or guides within the conduit
and one or more lateral pressure rollers on the trucks or supporting connection for
engaging with said rails or guides, substantially as described.
17. The combination with a slotted underground conduit, of a revoluble car
supporting and driving drum within the conduit, a car body above the street surface,
a friction wheel truck having friction wheels mounted on said drum engageable
therewith at an angle to its axis, a car supporting bolster having a rigid connection
through the conduit slot with the truck and ball bearings uniting the bolster and car
body, substantially as described.
18. The combination with a slotted conduit of a car supporting and driving
drum therein, a car body, independent trucks having angularly adjustable friction
wheels mounted in said drum, independent bolsters rigidly connected to the trucks
extending through the slot in the conduit and provided with laterally extending arms,
spanning bars coupling the bolsters into sets of two or more and ball bearings between
the spanning bars and bolster arms, substantially as described.
19. The combination with a slotted underground conduit of a revoluble car
supporting and driving drum within the conduit, a car body above the street surface,
a friction wheel truck having swiveled friction wheels mounted on said drum
engageable therewith at variable angles to its axis, a car supporting bolster having a
rigid connection with said truck through the conduit slot, ball bearings uniting said
bolster and car body, one or more lateral pressure rails within the conduit and one or
more lateral pressure rollers on said trucks or rigid car connections, substantially as
described.
20. The combination with the slotted conduit, of the car supporting and driving
drum, the car body, the independent trucks with angularly adjustable friction wheels,
the rigid bolsters extending from the trucks and having lateral arms, the pivotally
connected sectional spanning bars coupling the bolster into sets of two or more, the
ball bearings between the spanning bars and bolster arms, the equalizers and springs
between the spanning bars and the car body, the lateral pressure rails within
the conduit and the lateral pressure rollers on the truck frame, substantially as
described.
21. The combination with a car driving drum, of a car body, a truck having friction
wheels engageable with said drum at an angle to its axis, a bolster provided with
laterally extended arms connecting the truck and the car body and ball bearings
between the car body and the bolster arms, substantially as described.
22. The combination with a car driving drum of a car body, two or more independent
trucks having friction wheels engageable with said drum at an angle to its axis,
corresponding independent bolsters provided with laterally extended arms connecting
the respective trucks with the car body and ball bearings interposed between the bolster
arms and the car body, substantially as described.
23. The combination with a car body, of à car driving drum of two or more
independent trucks having friction wheels engageable with said drum at an angle to
its axis, corresponding independent bolsters provided with laterally extended arms,
each bolster connecting its respective truck with the ear body, ball bearings interposed
between the bolster arms and the car body, and pivotal connections coupling together
said independent trucks, substantially as described.
24. The combination with a car body, of a car driving drum, two or more
independent trucks each having friction wheels engageable with said drum at an angle
to its axis, corresponding independent bolsters provided with laterally extended arms,
each bolster adapted to support the car body therefrom, spanning bars interposed
between the bolster arms and the car body and connecting the same together in sets of
two or more and ball bearings interposed between the bolster arms and spanning bars,
substantially as described.
25. The combination with a car body, of a car driving drum, two or more
independent trucks each having friction wheels engageable with said car at an angle
to its axis, corresponding independent bolsters provided with laterally extending arms,
each bolster being connected with its respective truck and adapted to support the car

page_text: body therefrom, spanning bars composed of sections pivotally connected, interposed
between the bolster arms and the car body and ball bearings between the bolster arms
and the spanning bars, substantially as described.
26. The combination with a car body of a car driving drum, two or more
independent trucks having friction wheels engageable with said drum at an angle to
its axis, corresponding independent bolsters provided with laterally extended arins,
each bolster being connected to its respective truck and adapted to support the car
body therefrom, spanning bars connecting the bolster arms into sets of two or more,
ball bearings between the spanning bars and bolster arms and equalizers between the
spanning bars and the car body, substantially as described.
27. The combination with a car body of a car driving drum, two or more
independent trucks having friction wheels engageable with said drum at an angle to
its axis, corresponding independent bolsters having laterally extended arms, each
bolster connected to its respective truck and adapted to support the car body therefrom,
spanning bars connecting the bolster arms into sets of two or more, ball bearings
between the bolster arms and spanning bars, equalizers pivotally connected to
the car body and springs between the spanning bars and the equalizers, substantially
as described.
151
1000
WHITCOMB LEONARD JUDSON.
Abel & Imray,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.