A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Establishing Com- munication between Distant Points (such as Mounting Overhead Wires over Streets, Rivers, and other Places) by Means of Existing Wires or the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Establishing Com-
munication between Distant Points (such as Mounting Overhead
Wires over Streets, Rivers, and other Places) by Means of
Existing Wires or the like.
I THOMAS ATKINS of 33 Bouveric Street in the City of London, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to a new or improved apparatus or machine to act as a
traveller for aiding the laying of overhead telegraph, telephone, or other wires,
ropes &c., by establishing by means of existing wires, rails ropes, &c., communication
between any two points, either to carry over a line and so establish communication, or
to carry over the wire itself which it is desired to lay, or to convey light articles over
or across streets, rivers, or the like openings or spaces which it is desired to span.
This machine or apparatus consists of a suitable frame consisting of two sides
connected together by studs so that they are held a certain distance apart.
Mounted on this said frame is a drum on which is coiled a telegraph, telephone or
other wire, rope or other line. To this drum is geared one or more spindles suitably
mounted so as to be free to revolve in the frame and on which are rigidly mounted
one or more grooved wheels the diameter of which may be one half, or less, the
diameter of the drum aforesaid. The spindles are so mounted that they can be readily
taken out in order to place or suspend the machine on an existing wire &c. or in the
grooves of the one or more grooved wheels aforesaid and if the drum line already
wound on the drum be pulled in an opposite direction to that in which the traveller
is required to travel, the effect of the pulling of the said drum line will be to cause
the drum to revolve and unwind the said line and in so doing the drum will by means
of the gearing provided cause the one or more grooved wheels to revolve in an opposite
direction to that in which the drum line travels, thus causing the whole machine to
travel away from the point at which the drum line is being actuated, because the grooved
wheel or wheels being on the existing line, wire, rail &c. grip it, and their forward
motion carries with it the whole machine. The traveller having reached the point
which was required to be communicated with, has left behind in its track its drum
line which can be utilised as a means of further communication, or it may be the
permanent line itself desired to be laid or mounted for telegraphic telephonic or other
purposes.
1000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Establishing Com-
munication between Distant Points (such as Mounting Overhead
Wires over Streets, Rivers, and other Places) by Means of
Existing Wires or the like.
I THOMAS ATKINS of 33 Bouverie Street Fleet Street in the City of London
Engineer 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 a new or improved apparatus or machine to act as a
traveller for aiding the laying of overhead telegraph telephone or other wires ropes

page_text: enera or for any other purposes to which it is applicable by establishing by means o
existing wires rails ropes etcetera communication between any two points either to carry
over a line and so establish communication or to carry over the wire itself which it is
desired to lay or to convey articles and thus act as a carrier over alongside or across
buildings streets rivers or the like openings or spaces which it is desired to span or to
communicate along and to effect other like objects as above.
This machine or apparatus consists of a suitable frame consisting of two sides
connected together by studs so that they are held a certain distance apart. Mounted
on this said frame is a drum on which is coiled a telegraph telephone or other wire
rope or other line. To this drum is geared one or more spindles or hollow axes
suitably mounted so as to be free to revolve in the frame and on which are rigidly
mounted one or more grooved wheels the diameter of which may be one half or less
the diameter of the drum aforesaid. The spindles are so mounted when arranged
between the two sides that they can be readily taken out in order to place or suspend
the machine on an existing wire etcetera on or in the grooves of the one, or more
grooved wheels aforesaid (when such grooved wheels are mounted outside of the
framework instead of between the two sides thereof such removable spindles are not
necessary) and if the drum line already wound on the drum be pulled in an
opposite direction to that in which the traveller is required to travel the effect of the
pulling of the said drum line will be to cause the drum to revolve and unwind the
said line and in so doing the drum will by means of the gearing provided cause
the one or more grooved wheels to revolve in an opposite direction to that in which
the drum line travels thus causing the whole machine to travel away from the point
at which the drum line is being actuated because the grooved wheel or wheels
being on the existing line wire rail etcetera grip it and their forward motion carries
with it the whole machine. The traveller having reached the point which was
required to be communicated with has left behind in its track its drum line which
can be utilised as a means of further communication or it may be the permanent line
itself desired to be laid or mounted for telegraphic telephonic or other purposes.
A small wheel may be mounted at either end to ride under the track wire or line
etcetera so as to ensure the friction of said line upon the track wheels and also as a
safeguard to prevent the machine jerking or falling off the track line.
And in order that my present invention may be the more easily understood and
readily carried into practice I will proceed to fully describe same with reference to
the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows an exterior side view of the machine or apparatus placed upon an
existing wire or line H and having front plate removed.
Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1 half in section.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1 in which the motion is transmitted from the drum
wheel B to the traction wheels or track wheels E' E' by cog or toothed wheels gearing
together.
Figure 4 shows an exterior side view in elevation of another arrangement of the
machine in which the motion from the drum wheel C is transmitted through bands
or helts to the track wheels E' E'.
Figure 5 is an end view (half in section) of Figure 4.
Figure 6 shows an exterior side view in elevation of another modification of the
arrangements of the parts of the apparatus so that said machine can be readily placed
on the desired track line or wire H without having to first remove the spindles or
other parts of the apparatus.
Figure 7 is an end view of Figure 6.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
The machine or apparatus consists of a suitable fraine A (referring to Figures 1, 2,
and 3) mounted in or on which and free to revolve is a drum B on which is coiled a
telegraph telephone or other wire rope tape or other line hereinafter called the drum 5
line. To this drum B is geared by suitable cog band or chain gearing G one or

page_text: more hollow axes d¹ª suitably mounted so as to be free to revolve in or on the
frame A and on which are rigidly mounted one or more grooved or other wheels E¹E'
hereinafter called the track wheels of such a diameter that their periphery speed is as
one to three and upwards that of the drum line when this line is being unwound off
the drum B or it may be a grooved wheel Cas bereinafter explained that is to say for
every three feet of line drawn off or round the drum B (or grooved wheel C Figures 4
5, 6 and 7) the track wheels to be of such diameter to cause them to travel one foot
or less.
The bollow axes are so mounted that they can be readily taken out in order to
place or suspend the machine or apparatus on an existing wire rail rope etcetera H by
means of the one or more grooved or other track wheels E' E' aforesaid or these track
wheels can be mounted outside as in Figures 6 and 7 and if the drum line F already
wound on the drum B be pulled in an opposite direction to that in which the traveller
is required to travel the effect of the pulling of the said drum line F will be to cause
the drum B to revolve and unwind the said drum line F and in so doing the
drum B will by means of the cog band or other gearing G provided cause the one
or more grooved or other track wheels E' E to revolve in an opposite direction
to that in which the drum line F travels thus causing the whole machine to travel
away from the point at which the drum line F is being actuated because the grooved
or other track wheel or wheels E' E being on the existing wire rail rope etcetera H
grip it and their forward motion carries with it the whole machine. The traveller
having reached the point which was required to be communicated with has left
behind in its track its drum line F which can be utilised as a means of further
communication or it may be the permanent line itself desired to be laid or mounted
for telegraphic telephonic or other purposes.
In place of actuating the machine by unwinding a line previously wound on the
travelling drum B as hereinbefore described-it may be advantageous to actuate the
imachine or apparatus in the following manner :-
of
The machine being placed on the track line wire rail rope etcetera H the end (or
ends) of one (or more) line wire tape etcetera fis passed once or more round the
drum B or it may be a grooved wheel such as C (Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings
annexed) and back to the point of actuation J and if the end of the said drum line
wire tape etcetera f' so passed round the drum B or grooved wheel aforesaid bo
pulled or wound up on a reel K' at the point of actuation J and the other end
this line wire tape etcetera paid out from off a second reel K² also at the point of
actuation the effect of the pulling or winding in of the one end f² and the paying
out from the other end of the said line wire tape etcetera so passed round the
drum B or grooved wheel C will be to cause the said drum B or grooved wheel C to
revolve and in so doing will by means of the cog belt chain or other gearing G
provided cause the one or more track wheel or wheels E1 E2 to revolve in an opposite
direction to that in which the drum line wire tape etcetera aforesaid is being wound in
at K¹ thus causing the whole machine to travel away from the point-at which the said
line wire tape etcetera is being actuated―J*.
The machine or apparatus having reached any particular point can be caused to
travel back to the point of actuation by reversing the order in which the drum line
wire tape etcetera f f was previously actuated that is to say on the end of the
line wire tape etcetera which was previously being paid out now being wound in and
the end of the line etcetera which was previously being wound in now being paid
out the machine can thus he caused to travel forward or backward as desired. The
machine having reached the point to be communicated with has left in its track its
line which can be utilised for the purposes as aforesaid.
To ensure giving the grooved or other track wheels E E a better grip on the
track wire etcetera H grooved wheels L L may be provided running on a spindle or
spindles mounted on one or more levers M whose fulcrums are on the frame A of the
traveller. These levers M are connected at their top ends by a spring N to enable
them to exert pressure through their fulcrums MI and wheels L L to the underside of
the track wire etcetera H.

page_text: These levers and grooved wheels L L are not shown in Figures 2, 5 and 7..
The grooved wheels in contact with the track wire etcetera H are or may be properly
insulated if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion an in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A machine or apparatus for establishing communication or conveying articles
between distant points such as in mounting overhead wires over streets rivers and
other spaces by means of existing wires such machine or apparatus consisting of a
drum B mounted in a framework A off which a line is pulled and so revolves the
drum B which being geared by the toothed wheel G G with spindles or hollow
axes dd upon which are fixed the track wheels E' and E2 respectively the latter are
caused to revolve and carry the apparatus along the track line H in the opposite
direction to the pull of the line substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings here-
unto annexed.
2. In a machine or apparatus for the hereinbefore described purposes I claim the
combination of the track wheels E E with a drum such as B with a line wound
thereon and so geared or connected by toothed wheel chain band or belt with the
track wheels that the latter are revolved in the opposite direction to that in which the
said drum line is pulled off the drum substantially in the manner herein before set
forth.-
3. A machine or apparatus for the herein before described purposes consisting of a
grooved wheel or drum C mounted on a frame A with the actuating line f¹ få
passing round said wheel C to revolve said wheel or drum and one or more pulley
wheels which are rigidly fixed on the same axis as the wheel C endless bands G G
which revolve other pulley wheels fixed on the hollow axes or spindles d¹ and d²
respectively and track wheels E and E² respectively fixed on said spindles arranged
and acting substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and represented in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
4. A machine or apparatus for the hereinbefore described purposes consisting of a
grooved wheel or drum Cand track wheels E¹ E with the endless bands G Garranged
and acting substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described
and represented in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
5. In a machine or apparatus for the hereinbefore described purposes I claim the
track wheels E E in combination with a grooved drum or wheel such as C round
.which the line f¹f passes and revolves same thereby revolving the respective track
wheels EE on the track line H in the opposite direction to that in which such
wheel is revolved substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set
forth.
6. The improved machine or apparatus for the hereinbefore described purposes
constructed arranged and combined substantially in the manner and for the purposes
.herein before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 28th der of June 1980
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.