Improvements relating to Cable Tramways, and Tramcars for use therewith.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Cable Tramways, and Tramcars for use
therewith.
I, AUGUSTE DENIS FLORAN DE VILLEPIGUE, of 131, Rue de Rome, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to cable tramways and tramcars for use therewith.
The improved cable tramway which is constructed with two cables and two ways,
differs essentially from the types of tramways hitherto employed as it can be
adapted exactly to any inequalities in the surface of the ground and it does not
require any locomotive to work it.
In this system the engines are fixed, that is to
say, fastened to the ground whereby the whole force of the motor can be utilised for
the purposes of traction.
The tramway consists (1) of light tubes of thin sheet metal formed at one end
with a screw (2) of light rails, (3) of iron girders etc. forming part of the frame-
work of the tramway. These elements may be taken to the required place
previously put together to form sections of the line as in the Decauville system of
railway.
In setting up the tramway the tubes are screwed into the ground until they are
sufficiently firm. They are placed in pairs along the line of the proposed tramway.
The tubes are connected by cross girders and longitudinal girders supported upon
collars on the tubes.
There are two sets of cross girders and two sets of lines arranged one above the
other on the tubes. Twin engines are employed each actuating a section of the
way. Each engine is provided with grooved pullies mounted on axles in pairs;
the grooves of the pullies each receive a steel cable provided throughout its length'
at regular intervals with small sleeves forming projections which convert the cable
into a kind of rack with teeth a long distance apart.
At intervals these sleeves or projections have round iron or steel bars passing
through them which form with the cables a ladder the rungs of which are formed
by the bars and the uprights by the cables.
These bars after having been secured in the sleeves through which they pass are
provided on their two ends with flanged wheels like ordinary railway wheels.
These bars are placed between the two cables in groups of three; the groups being
about 30 meters apart each group of bars forms with the wheels a movable
carriage adapted to run on the rails supported by the longitudinal girders of the
framework, or to roll with the cables which support it around the end pullies
actuated by the engine.
These pullies are provided with recesses to receive the sleeves of the cables; the
drawing along of the cables and of their groups of bars only therefore takes place
by the friction or adherence produced on the periphery of the grooves of the
pulley.
The cables have a movement in opposite directions imparted to them whereby
two directions of travel are obtained.
The carriages bave no wheels at their lower part, neither have they any suspension
springs or buffers; they are however provided with wheels at their upper part.
The passenger carriages are so constructed inside that the alterations in the incline
even when the latter is very considerable, do not affect the seats of the passengers,
in fact these seats, however steep a hill may be, will preserve their vertical position
with relation to the axis of gravity which is also that of the seats.
For this purpose
the sent is provided with a simple and strong arrangement of vertical suspension

page_text: springs which minimise the effects of the slight shocks resulting from the-sudden
changes of inclination or of speed.
Each of the carriages can seat at least 24 persons inside and there are besides two
end platforms on which 16 people can be accommodated but they will be subjected
to the effects of all the irregularities of the way.
When the apparatus is at work movement is communicated through the end
pullies. The carriages are deposited on the cables immediately over one of the sets
of travelling wheels. The operation is effected automatically during the working
of the cable but it can also be effected while it is at rest. Suppose the cable to be
at work, the carriage would be transported to the end of the line, that is to say, to
where the pullies are situated and towards which it is travelling. While travelling
it is supported by the three bars which serve the purpose of axles and of which the
wheels run over the rails. As soon as it has arrived at the end pullies the upper
wheels of the carriage engage upon an upper way without cross girders the carriage
can then easily pass between the longitudinal girders and the rails of this very short
way the ends of which are inclined for facilitating the introduction of the upper
wheels of the carriage. The latter which continues to be drawn by the cable on
which its lower part is hooked rides up the incline which raises it above the bars of
the movable way: it thus arrives at the top of the upper way at this moment the
carriage will have left the way upon which it travelled and will be entirely suspended
on the upper way over which it continues to roll by its momentum.
If a second line succeeds that which has just been travelled over, the carriage
will descend by virtue of its weight over the movable way of this second line which
it reaches without shock owing the slight inclination formed by the rails of the
upper way and to a special mechanism. The carriage may in this manner pass
over as long a line as may be desired without stopping. This railway is therefore
not limited to short lines.
At each station where the carriages for short journeys are to be stopped there is
an upper way similar to that herein before described over this way the carriage
rises automatically owing to its upper wheels and to its momentum; then by a curve
it is brought to a place outside the main line where the passengers can leave or
enter the carriage, and where goods can be loaded or unloaded. The carriages
come back to their point of departure by means identical with those already
described but by the lower cable way.
By this invention all danger of collision is avoided the two ways are superposed
and the carriages can be run in opposite directions at the same time.
The rising and descending carriages set out at the same moment and in opposite
directions; and the vehicles which are travelling on the same line are actuated by
the same movement. "It will therefore be seen that in these conditions a collision
is impossible. The two ends of the cables are connected preferably by 'a link, the
ends of which engage in thimbles secured to the two ends of the cable.
Dated the 10th day of March 1905
1
G. F. REDEERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Cable Tramways, and Tramcars for use.
therewith.
7.1
I, AUGUSTE DENIS FLORAN DE VILLEPIGUE, of 131, Rue de Rome, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:
TT
My invention relates to cable tramways and tramcars for use therewith.
The improved cable tramway, which is constructed with two cables and two
ways, differs essentially from the types of tramways hitherto employed as it can be

page_text: adapted exactly to any inequalities in the surface of the ground and it does not :
require any locomotive to work it. In this system the engines are fixed, that is to
say, fastened to the ground whereby the whole force of the motor can be utilized
for the purposes of traction.
The track or way can be set up without any preliminary survey being necessary
it being fixed' as required without regard to the inequalities of the ground.
The tramway consists (1) of light tubes of thin sheet metal formel at one end
with a screw (2) of light rails, (3) of iron girdlers etc. forming part of the frame-
work of the tramway. These elements may be taken to the required place
previously put together to form sections of the line as in the Decauville system of
railway.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference to
the accompanying drawing.
In setting up the tramway (as shewn in Figure 1 which is a perspective view
of a cable tramway constructed according to my invention) whatever may be the
nature of the ground the tubes a, a are screwed into the ground until they are
sufficiently firm. They are placed in pairs along the line of the proposed tramway.
and form a kind of colonnade. The tubes are connected by cross girders and
longitudinal girders supported upon collars on the tubes a.
way.
There are two sets of cross girders and two sets of lines arranged one above the
other on the tubes. Twin engines are employed each actuating a section of the
Each engine is provided with grooved pulleys a mounted on axles in pairs;
the grooves of the pulleys each receives a steel cable d, provided throughout its
length at regular intervals with small sleeves e forming projections which convert
the cable into a kind of rack with teeth a long distance apart. These sleeves are
advantageously of the form shewn in the detail views Figures 10, 11 and 12, in
which Figure 10 is a cross section and Figure 11 an elevation of one of the sleeves
mounted on the cable and Figure 12 is a view shewing a sleeve with its axle box.
At intervals these sleeves or projections have round iron or steel bars passing
through them which form with the cables a ladder the rungs of which are formed
by the bars and the uprights by the cables.
These bars after having been secured in the sleeves through which they pass are
provided on their two ends with flanged wheels like ordinary railway wheels.
These bars are placed between the two cables in groups of two or three (two are
shewn in the drawing) the groups being about 30 meters apart: each group of bars
forms with the wheels a movable carriage adapted to run on the rails h, h supported
by the longitudinal girders of the framework, or to roll with the cables which
support it around the end pulleys c actuated by the engine.
These pulleys are provided with recesses to receive the sleeves e of the
cables d or d; the drawing along of the cables d, d'and of their groups of bars f
only therefore takes place by the friction or adherence produced on the periphery
of the grooves of the pulley c.
The cables have a movement in opposite directions imparted to them whereby
two directions of travel are obtained.
The carriages, one of which is shewn in longitudinal elevation and cross section
at Figures 2 and 3 respectively, have no wheels at their lower part, neither have
they any suspension springs or buffers; they are however provided with wheels at
their upper part. The passenger carriages are so constructed inside that the
alterations in the incline even when the latter is very considerable, do not affect
the seats s, s of the passengers. For this purpose the seats s are connected together
by two cross bars fixed at the upper part and towards the ends of the back of each
seat. These cross bars pivot in the heads of two pistons which rest upon helical
springs arranged within two vertical tubes. The position of these tubes is fixed
but the cross bars turning with a certain amount of angular movement more or less
great according to the extent of inclination of the track cause the seats to maintain
a horizontal position. The springs minimise the effects of the slight shocks
resulting from the sudden changes of inclination or of speed.

page_text: Each of the carriages can seat at least 24 persons inside and there are besides
two end platforms on which 16 people can be accommodated but they will be
subjected to the effects of all the irregularities of the way.
When the apparatus is at work movement is communicated through the end
pulleys c. The carriages are deposited on the cables immediately over one of the
sets of travelling wheels. This operation is effected automatically during the
working of the cable but it can also be effected while it is at rest. Suppose
the cable to be at work, the carriage would be transported to the end of the line,
that is to say, to where the pulleys are situated and towards which it is travelling.
While travelling it is supported by the two bars which serve the purpose of axles
of which the wheels g run over the rails h. As soon as it has arrived at the end
pulleys the upper wheels of the carriage engage upon an upper way without cross
girders; the carriage can then easily pass between the longitudinal girders and the
rails of this very short way, the ends of which are inclined for facilitating the
introduction of the upper wheels of the carriage. The latter which continues to
be drawn by the cable on which its lower part is hooked rides up the incline which
raises it above the hars of the movable way: it thus arrives at the top of the
upper way at this moment the carriage will have left the way upon which it
travelled and will be entirely suspended on the upper way over which it continues
to roll by its momentum.
If a second line succeeds that which has just been travelled over, the carriage
will descend by virtue of its weight over the movable way of this second line
which it reaches without shock owing to the slight inclination formed by the
rails of the upper way. The carriage may in this manner pass over as long a line
as may be desired without stopping." This railway is therefore not limited to short
lines.
At each station where the carriages for short journeys are to be stopped there is
an upper way similar to that hereinbefore described; over this way the carriage
rises automatically owing to its upper wheels and to its momentum; then by a
curve it is brought to a place outside the main line where the passengers can leave
or enter the carriage, and where goods can be loaded or unloaded. The carriages
come back to their point of departure by means identical with those already
described but by the lower cable way.
By this invention all danger of collision is avoided the two ways are superposed
and the carriages can be run in opposite directions at the same time.
The rising and descending carriages set out at the same moment and in opposite
directions; and the vehicles which are travelling on the same line are actuated by
the same movement. It will therefore be seen that in these conditions a collision is
impossible.
Figures 4 and 5 are details representing the sleeve of the cable dor d' receiving
the end of a cross bar or axle. The two ends of the cables are connected
preferably by a link, the ends of which engage in thimbles secured to the two ends
of the cable as shewn in Figure 6.
When setting up a track or tramway of my improved construction in order to
facilitate the screwing of the tubular uprights into the soil 1 make in their lower
conical part o swellings or projections which are adjusted on a pile o' (Figures 7, 8
and 9). As it is very difficult to maintain the tubular upright in a vertical position
when placing it in position in the ground the pile o' is first driven into the ground
and the tubular upright p is then placed over the pile and is centred and guided by
the projections or swellings of the conical part o; on a rotary movement being then
given to the tubular upright in the required direction it will be screwed into the
ground.
All the tubular uprights are cut off at the same distance from the ground and
are then prolonged by means of the uprights p with which they are firmly connected
by means of a clamping ring 9 and an inner ring g'.
##
The girders
supporting the rails Figure 7 are connected to the tubular
uprights by clamping rings bolted to flanges between which is located the end of

page_text: the girder. A. bracket u placed beneath the girder serves to add strength to the
whole.
The girders support -shaped bars on which the rails are fixed.
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. A cable tramway in which the cables for drawing the vehicles serve at the
same time to carry the said vehicles by means of the described connections,
substantially as set forth and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a cable tramway such as is claimed in Claim 1 the construction of the
track or way in two superposed parts, the cables which constitute the movable way
being actuated by pulleys regularly and continuously rotated by stationary engines,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a cable tramway such as is claimed in Claim 1 the carriages without
wheels and with suspended seats connected with the cables and constructed sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a cable tramway such as is claimed in Claim 1 the method of driving the
tubular uprights supporting the track or way, and the connection, by means of
clamping rings and flanges, of the said uprights with the girders supporting the
rails substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9 of
the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of Doomben 1900
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.