Improvements in and connected with Elevated Rope Ways.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1891-Accepted, 6th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Elevated Rope Ways.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
from abroad by Frederick Richard Simms, of 32, Gerhofstrasse, Hamburg, in the
Empire of Germany, Engineer,) to be as follows:-
My invention relates to aërial locomotion by means of a cable line, the chicf
object of my invention being to provide means for ensuring the safety of
passengers.
According to my invention I employ duplicate lines or cables each of which is
capable of supporting the whole weight of a car or vehicle running thereon and the
car is suspended from a series of pulleys running upon the said ropes so that in
case one rope is broken the car can still run on the remaining rope.
To prevent the car from leaving the track each series of wheels is embraced in
a metal strap which, in case the wheel axles break, will retain the car suspended.
To prevent the wheels running off the track a pivotted spring guide is arranged,
which guide is normally closed, it only opening when the car passes the supports
upon which the rope or cable track is carried.
Dated the 5th day of August 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Elevated Rope Ways.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office, No. 4 South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Frederick Richard Simms, of 32, Gerhofstrasse Hamburg, in the Empire
of Germany, Engineer,) 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 aërial locomotion by means of a cable line, the chief
object of my invention being to provide means for ensuring the safety of
passengers.
According to my invention I employ two or more lines or cables parallel to
each other, each of which is separately anchored and capable of supporting the
whole weight of the car or vehicle, and the car is suspended from a series of
pulleys forming a traveller running upon the said ropes, so that in case one rope
breaks the car can still run on the remaining rope or ropes.
To prevent the car from leaving the track, each series of wheels is embraced
in a metal strap which, in case the wheel axles break, will retain the car suspended.
To prevent the wheels running off the track a pivotted spring-guide is arranged,
which guide is normally closed, it only opening when the car passes the supports
upon which the rope or cable track is carried.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure is an end view of so much of an aërial railway and traveller as is
necessary to illustrate my invention; and,
Figure 2 is a side view of part of the same;

page_text: Figure 3 is the view of a traveller adapted to run backwards and forwards
between two supports; and,
Figure 4 is a side view of the same.
a indicates a trestle, a cross-bar thereon, and c, c the ropes constituting the
track, the said ropes being carried upon the ends of a series of cross-bars, such
as b, at suitable distances apart. d, are the pulley's running upon the said ropes,
and e is the frame or casing of the traveller carrying the same.
f is a hanger or bracket secured to the frame e and having connected to it the
suspension bars or rods which support the car, the said bars being duplicated so
that should one set break the safety of the car will not be endangered. is an
arm pivotted to the frame e and forming with the connected parts a strap, the said
bar having at its free end an eye i engaging with a pinj upon the car suspension
rods 9: and is an arm pivotted to the hanger and having at its free end an eye m
engaging with a pin a upon the pivotted arm h.
o is a double inclined plane carried upon the cross-bar band so arranged that,
when the traveller is moving, it will cause the pivotted arm to rise to allow the
traveller to pass the said cross-bar; and is an inclined plane arranged
P
on the end
of the cross-barb and serving to disengage the eye m from the pin n upon the
pivotted arm. The arrangement of the inclined plane p is such that the bar
will be disengaged from the bar h before the latter commences to move upward
under the action of the inclined plane o.
Springs, such as 7, serve to return the arms into their normal positions so that
the eyes engage with their respective pins, in which positions the said arms handl
serve as guards to prevent the traveller from falling from the track in case the
axles break.
When the traveller is only intended to run between fixed points without passing
a cross-bar, such as b, it is only necessary to fix the guard between the car
suspension rods g, g, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
The car may be moved by a rope as shewn in the drawing or by means of a
belt driven by a motor in the car.
The use of two or more cables as herein before described not only ensures
safety but enables the cars to run more steadily than when only a single cable is
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improvements in aërial locomotion consisting in the employment of two
or more lines or cables parallel to each other, each of which is capable of supporting
independently the whole weight of a car or vehicle running thereon, substantially
as described.
2. The combination with a traveller running upon duplicate lines or cables
substantially as described, of a strap for preventing the traveller from leaving
the track, a bar of such strap, when the traveller has to pass the supports for the
lines or cables, being moved out of the path of the said supports, substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.
3. The combination with a traveller running upon duplicate lines or cables of
duplicate exchangeable suspension rods, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 5th day of May 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant..