IMPROVEMENT IN CABLE RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS
Year: 1885

page_text: WELL way Do
We, OREL DIGHTON ORVIS and NELSON BARON ADAMS, both of 262 Broadway
in the City of New York in the State of New York, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENT IN CABLE
RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS," and in what means the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Our invention is more particularly intended as a substitute for surface or street
railways in which the cars are drawn by horses; and relates to railways along
which the cars are drawn or propelled by an endless cable, moving in a tunnel or
trough laid between the track-rails and communicating with the surface by a
narrow slot or channel in which moves the plate or piece which forms the con-
nection between the moving car above the tunnel or trough, and the grip mechanism
in the tunnel or trough.
In railways of this class the cable is supported by and travels upon supporting
sheaves or pulleys in the tunnel or trough. These cable-supporting sheaves have
to be arranged at short distances apart, say about fifty feet, more or less; and they
have commonly been supported in fixed bearings and have had to be so arranged as
to be readily accessible for the purpose of frequently oiling their bearings.
Ordinarily it has been necessary to construct a deep and expensive tunnel of
iron and concrete, with man-holes leading from the street surface at short distances
apart, for the purpose of gaining access to the cable-supporting sheaves or pulleys
to oil them and to inspect or renew them or their bearings when worn so as to be
unfit for use. Not only is such a structure expensive and the man-holes and covers
along the street surface objectionable, unsightly and dangerous: but when such a
structure is to be built along a street to take the place of a horse-car railway
already in operation, it becomes necessary to construct a temporary side-track along
the line of road for the use of horse cars while the cable railway structure is being
prepared. The cost of laying such temporary track, which must be afterwards torn
up and the street pavement restored to its original condition, is almost as great as
the original cost of laying the permanent horse-car track; and in streets which are
already occupied by elevated and surface railways it is in many cases impossible
to lay a temporary horse-car track while the cable railway structure is being
substituted for the original horse-car track; and in these cases traffic by the
surface roads must be entirely suspended while the cable-railway structure is being
prepared.

page_text: Recognizing these great difficulties in the way of substituting the cable-railway
systems heretofore known, for the old horse-car railways, we have devised a system
of cable-supporting pulleys which renders it unnecessary to have a large, deep and
expensive tunnel and man-holes and covers at short distances apart; and which
enables us to substitute therefor a shallow and narrow trough, requiring an
excavation of only about eighteen inches or two feet deep by one foot wide, and
to bring all the supporting sheaves or pulleys in succession to one or more places
along the line where they may be inspected, oiled and renewed if desired.
In railway structures of this class, as heretofore constructed, it has been
exceedingly difficult to maintain the longitudinal slot whereby the tunnel or
trough communicates with the street surface, at tho uniform and desired width;
and as both this slut and the plates which move therein, are very narrow or thin,
the slot being only about one-half of an inch wide, the plates have been apt to
bind or stick in the slot and entail great difficulty and delay and frequent breakage
in operating cars.
Recognizing this difficulty we have combined with the above described tunnel
or trough, a novel system of struts or braces and tie-rods whereby the two irons
which form the sides of the slot are held forcibly apart by the weight upon the
.rails, and are prevented from coming together or towards each other as the centre
of the street between the sides settles.
For new roads and lines of travel our invention has great advantiges because of
the cheapness of construction, and the dispensing with man-holes and covers in the
street, and the rigidity with which the parts are held in proper position and the
longitudinal slot maintained straight and of uniform width. As a substitute for
horse-car roads already laid and in operation, the invention has the great additional
advantage that it provides for laying the tunnel or trough in sections, using the
original rails, stringers and cross ties (the latter only being cut in two) and permits
of the road being reconstructed and completed, ready for operation by cable,
without discontinuing the running of cars by horses and without laying any
temporary side track.
Our invention consists in the combination with a tunnel or trough and cable
arranged to work therein, of a chain or system of cable-supporting pulleys or
sheaves, separate from and supporting the cable, and capable of movement in the
tunnel or trough independently of the cable. The chain or system of sheaves or
pulleys may consist of a suitable number of little trucks or frames, in each of
which is journalled a cable-supporting sheave, or two cable supporting sheaves, if a
double cable is employed, and each of which is supported on wheels or rollers. The
trucks are connected at suitable distances apart by chains, ropes or other flexible
connections, the whole forming a chain or system which may be moved indepen-
dently of the cable to bring the sheaves or pulleys successively to a position where
they may be oiled or inspected.
The chain or system of supporting sheaves or pulleys may be moved along as
the cable moves, and at a slower or equal speed, or the said chain or system may
remain motionless when the cable is in use and be moved for the purpose above
described only when the cable is at rest.
The invention also consists in the combination with the track-rails and a tunnel
or trough for a cable between them, of struts or braces supporting the rails at their
outer ends and extending inwards and downwards to the tunnel or trough, and
tie-rods or bolts extending from the irons which form the slot at the upper part of
the tunnel or trough to the outer ends of said struts or braces, and provided with
screw threads and nuts, capable of adjustment to put tension on the tie rods to
draw or strain apart the irons forming the slot.
The invention also consists in various other novel combinations of parts herein-
after described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section
of portions of a rail-way structure embodying our invention: Figure 2 is a longi-
tudinal horizontal section thereof: supporting sheaves being provided for a single

page_text: cable only: Figure 3 represents a transverse section upon a larger scale of
a railway structure, illustrating our invention as applied to a new structure, a
single cable only being represented; Figure 4 is a horizontal section similar to
Figure 2, but representing supporting sheaves for two cables: Figure 5 is a
transverse section on the same scale as Figure 3 illustrating our invention as
applied to a horse-railway structure already constructed, and representing ouly one
cable and its supporting sheaves: Figure 6 is a section, similar to Figure 5, repre-
senting two cables and their supporting sheaves, and Figure 7 is a view similar to
Figure 6 showing a modification of our invention.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Referring first to Figures 1. 2 and 3, A, A, Figure 3 designate the two track-rails
which are of considerable depth and have at their bottoms base flanges a whereby
they are supported.
Between the two rails we excavate a trench which need only be about one and
one half or two feet deep by one foot wide, and therein we lay a small tunnel or
trough which communicates with the street surface only by a narrow longitudinal
slot b. This tunnel or trough may be of any suitable construction, but as here
shown it consists of a base-plate or sole-plate B, side plates or pieces B' B' having
at their bottom edges flanges c through which rivets or bolts c* are inserted for
securing them to the plate B, and bars or beams B³ of rolled iron, which aro
riveted or bolted to the pieces B₁, and have at their upper edges inwardly projecting
flanges b¹ forming between them the slot b.
The several parts comprising the tunnel or trough may be made in sections of
suitable length and bolted or riveted together so as to break joints one with
another and in this way a continuous structure of great stiffness will be formned.
The base flanges a of the rails A rest in scats a¹ formed in the outer ends of
struts or braces C which extend from said rails downwards and inwards toward
the trough or tunnel and are secured to the sides B¹ thereby.
At the outer ends of said struts or braces C, and in this example of the invention
passing directly through them, are tie bolts D, which extend to the irons B³ and
serve to prevent the movement of said irons B inwards toward each other as well
as to prevent the spreading of the ends of the struts or braces C on which the
rails A are supported.
By the tie rods D we connect those parts which would be apt to give downwards
and outwards under weight on the rails, i,e, the outer ends of the braces or
struts C, with those parts which would naturally tend to move inward by the
settling of the street under traffic, i,e, the irons Bª; and in this way we form a
strong and simple triangular support for the rails, and at the same time hold the
irons B against movement towards each other and preserve the slot b straight and
uniform in width.
The tie-rods D are provided at their outer ends with screw-threads and nuts,
and by screwing up the nuts the tension on the rods may be increased and the
irons B may be drawn or strained apart to maintain the width of the slot b.
The paving blocks E fit the space between the rails A and the slot irons B³.
F designates the cables which will be endless, one portion thereof extending
through the tunnel or trough shown, and the other and oppositely moving portion
extending through a parallel tunnol and serving for traffic in the other direction.
We have also represented, in part, the grip devices G which are connected with
the car by a thin plate G¹ moving in the slot b, and form no part of our present
invention.
The grip devices G may consist of upper and lower series of rollers or blocks.
The lower series which come under the cable F may be fixed to the plate G₁ but
the upper series over the cable may be attached to a plate or bar G³, (see Figure 1)
which may be moved upwards and downwards by appliances in the car.
H designates the sheaves or pulleys for supporting the cable in its travel, and
which should be about fifty feet apart more or less. These sheaves are not
arranged in stationary or fixed bearings as is usual, but each sheave is journalled

page_text: in a little truck or frame I which has wheels or rollers I¹ adapted to run upon the
sole plate B of the tunnel, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3. The trucks or
frames I for the cable-supporting pulleys or sheaves H may be flexibly connected
by wire ropes, chains or other analogous connections J and they preferably form
an endless chain or system of cable-supporting pulleys or sheaves which properly
support the cable F, but which is capable of movement independently of the
cable.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the trucks I are connected by separate sections of
cable J extending between and connected with them, but in Figure 4 we have
shown the cable J as continuous and the trucks or frames I as secured thereto by
clamps or eye-bolts 8. In lieu of a rectangular frame or truck I the wheels, rollers
or pulleys H, I, might be fitted to studs projecting from opposite sides of a
divided collar or clamp applied to the cable J.
The cable F may be passed around and operated by a driving drum in the usual
way, and the chain or system of cable-supporting pulleys may be carried around
a drum or sheave having cavities or notches in its perimeter to receive the
trucks I, I, and capable of being thrown into gear with the driving engine and
operated thereby, or of being driven by an independent engine when desired. In
any case the cable runs over the supporting sheaves H as over the sheaves in fixed
bearings and is in every respect as independent of said sheaves.
When the cable is in operation the chain or system of sheaves H may be
motionless as regards longitudinal travel and when the cable is stopped this chain
or system of supporting sheaves may be set in motion and moved along to bring
all its sheaves in succession past a point or points where they may be lubricated,
inspected and if necessary repaired or removed.
The chain or system of sheaves H may, if desired, be operated while the
cable is in operation and at a speed slower than or equal to the speed of the
cable.
By the arrangement and combination with the main cable, of an independent
chain or system of supporting sheaves or pulleys, we are enabled to almost entirely
dispense with man-holes and covers in the streets.
To keep the tunnel or trough free from dirt which must enter through the
slot b we may attach brushes d to the trucks or frames I, as is shown in Figure 1,
and as the chain or system of supporting sheaves is moved along, these brushes
sweep the bottom of the tunnel or trough and move the dirt and refuse to a low
place or places in the tunnel or trough where there is an escape aperture or pipe e
for dirt and for water which may drain in through the slot b. The bottom of the
tunnel or the sole plate B is left continuous in the line of travel of the wheels or
rollers I to afford continuous bearing surfaces therefor, as shown in Figure 2.
This tunnel or trough, as is usual in railway structures of this class, follows
closely the grade of the street and consequently at low points in the street the
cable Frises from the sheaves H and has a tendency to crowd up into the slot b.
To prevent this we arrange upper pulleys fat the low points as shown in Figure 1,
which hold the cable out of contact with the top of the tunnel. As the grip G has
the cable, it raises it clear of the sheaves H as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1,
and as the grip passes the stationary upper pulleys f, it depresses the cable below
them.
Figure 4 differs from Figure 2 only in having two cable-supporting sheaves H in
cach truck or frame I, thereby enabling the chain or system of supporting sheaves
to support two parallel cables if two are used in one tunnel.
We will now describe Figures 5 and 6 which illustrate our invention as embodied
in a structure which has been altered from a horse railway, the only difference
between the two Figures being that Figure 6 represents the small trucks I as each
provided with two cable-supporting pulleys H, a double grip mechanism G and the
tunnel or trough as made correspondingly wider.
In this example of our invention we employ the same rails A, stringers K and
cross-ties L which were employed in the original borse railway structure, the whole

page_text: being left intact except that we cut the cross-ties L and support the adjacent ends
upon flanges or brackets g, cast or formed upon the outer sides of the pieces B¹.
The flanges or brackets g, project laterally from the outer sides of the pieces B¹
and their upper surfaces form flat bearings or supports on which the ends of the
sections of the wood cross-tie L are properly supported.
The struts or braces C are here made of wood and at their outer ends they
support the rails A through the stringers K, the ends of said struts or braces Č
being notched at h to fit the under side of the stringers between the cross-ties L.
The tie-rods D here extend through the stringers K and through them are connected
with the outer ends of the struts or braces C.
The paving blocks E are laid between the stringers and irons in the usual way.
In all the examples of our invention the sheaves H may be self-oiling, and are
shown in Figures 5 and 6 as having oil chambers i in their hubs. This form of
our invention is applicable to the reconstruction of street railways without dis-
continuing the use of cars drawn by horses, the tunnel or trough being laid in
sections and the work being continued until the whole line is prepared for operation
by cable. Even then the change from horses to cable for propelling the cars need
not be made universal and all at once, for the running of cars by horses can
continue and the cars be altered gradually to adapt them for operation by cable.
In Figure 7 we have shown a construction which is like that shown in Figure 6
in many particulars and differs therefrom principally in not having the rolled
irons B at the top forming the two sides of the slot b, and in having the side
pieces or plates B¹ continued and having formed integral with them the inwardly
projecting flanges which form the sides of the slot. By this construction we are
enabled to make the tunnel or trough shallower than in the previously described
examples of our invention by a difference about equal to the depth of the pieces B²
before described. The side pieces B¹ may be made wholly of cast iron and the tops
of the flanges 61 may be roughened or serrated to give horses a firm foot hold and
prevent their slipping. With this construction a trench eighteen inches deep will
suffice.
In this example of our invention also the stringers K. which support the rails
have braces or struts C extending from them to the tunnel and tie-rods D
extending from them to the upper part of the side pieces B¹ and the same letters of
reference refer to the same parts in this as in the preceding Figures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination with a tunnel or trough and a cable arranged to work
therein, of a chain or system of cable-supporting sheaves or pulleys, separate from
and supporting the cable and capable of movement in the tunnel or trough
independently of the cable; substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
2. The combination with a tunnel or trough, and a cable arranged to work
therein, of cable-supporting sheaves or pulleys, trucks or frames wherein they are
journalled and flexible connections between the trucks or frames, the whole forming
a chain or system of cable-supporting sheaves movable independently of the cable;
substantially as herein described.
3. The combination with the tunnel or trough and cable F, therein, of the
sheaves H, the frames I and their wheels I' carrying the said sheaves, and flexible
connections J between the frames I, the whole forming a chain or system of cable-
supporting sheaves, movable independently of the cable; substantially as herein
described.
4. The combination with a tunnel or trough and a cable arranged to work
therein, of a chain or system of cable-supporting pulleys or sheaves movable
independently of the cable, and brushes or sweepers attached to and movable with
the chain or system of pulleys or sheaves; substantially as herein described.

page_text: 5. The combination with the track rails and a tunnel between them having at
the top a slot b, of the struts or braces C supporting the rails at their outer ends
and extending inwards and downwards to the tunnel, and the tie-rods D extending
from the side pieces of the tunnel adjacent to the slots and serving to confine the
outer ends of braces C, the said tie-rods being provided with screw threads and
nuts whereby tension may be applied to them to draw or strain apart the side
pieces which form the slot; substantially as herein described.
6. The combination with the track rails A. A and the tunnel between them
having the slot b and the brackets g projecting laterally from its sides, of the
longitudinal stringers K on which the rails are secured, the divided cross-ties L
supporting the stringers and having their inner ends resting and supported on the
lateral brackets g, the braces C supporting the stringers, and_tic-rods D extending
from the side pieces forming the slot b to the stringers K and provided with
screw threads and nuts whereby tension may be applied to them; substantially as
herein described.