CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPES AND CARRIAGES EMPLOYED UPON TRAMWAYS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the Firm of Wirth and Company,
Patent Agency, at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, Germany, for the In-
vention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPES AND CARRIAGES EMPLOYED
UPON TRAMWAYS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."-A com-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th December 1873.
I, FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent
Agency, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPES AND
CARRIAGES EMPLOYED UPON TRAMWAYS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH" (a communication from George Sigl, a person resident at Vienna,
Austria), to be as follows:-

page_text: First. In placing on such knotted cable tramways, as therein
described, horizontal guiding pulleys for the endless traversing knotted
rope at points where the tramway takes sharp curves, and also indented
rim guide pulleys for keeping down the rope to the line of way where
greater depths or inclines have to be passed over.
Secondly. The Invention relates more particularly to apparatus in.
connection with the carriages or trucks travelling on such cable tram-
ways, and consists in applying to the same a self-acting brake power that
will prevent them descending or running down the incline should the
rope break or the carriage become detached therefrom. The novelty of
this part of the Invention consists in fixing permanent eccentrics upon
the axles of the carriage or truck which do not revolve; these
eccentrics are embraced by metal straps or rings formed in halves and
connected in the usual manner. The lower halves of these rings are
connected by means of rods with break blocks that act as skids or shoes
to the wheels, and when lowered prevent the wheels revolving. The
upper halves of these rings are connected by means of rods with a draw
bar sliding in bearings underneath the axles, and to which is connected
the forked lever by which the carriage or truck is propelled by the knot
on the traversing cable. This draw bar is provided with a projecting
shoulder, between the surface of which and the axle or other abutment a
strong helical or other spring is placed, which when the carriage is
being pulled or carried forward up the incline of the tramway becomes
compressed by the sliding forward of such draw bar, thereby giving a spring
or yielding resistance to the pull of the rope. This sliding forward of the
draw bar at the time the carriage is being carried forward draws the
brake blocks from the periphery of the wheels through the medium of
the Pods, connecting the same with the upper and lower halves of the
ring or strap encircling the eccentric blocks upon the axles; any back-
ward movement of the carriage releases the draw bar and so moves it in
a contrary direction, thus causing the helical spring to expand and the
brake blocks to be firmly scotched against the rail of the tramway and
the periphery of the wheels. By these means the revolution of the
wheels and the consequent backward movement of the carriage is
prevented.

page_text: When the carriages are being moved along without the rope the
helical spring is slightly compressed by means of a handle and tappet,
the action of which prevents the brake blocks coming into contact with
the wheels; but so soon as the forked lever of the carriage draw bar is
taken hold of by one of the knots of the traversing rope the superior
pressure thus brought to bear throws back the before-mentioned
retaining handle and tappet so as to allow the spring and draw bar full
play.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANK
WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Agency, of
Frankfort-on-the-Maine, Germany, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year of
our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frank Wirth, Her special licence that
I, the said Frank Wirth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Frank Wirth, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPES AND
CARRIAGES EMPLOYED UPON TRAMWAYS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
(a communication from George Sigl, a person resident at Vienna,
Austria), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frank
Wirth, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
WITH
"

page_text: Figs. 4 and 5 represent respectively in elevation and end section one
of the indented guide pullies employed for keeping down and main-
taining the cable in its true position with respect to the line of way; and
Figs. 6 and 7 represents side and end views of the claw bar projecting
from the yielding draw bar.
Fig. 8 represents a lower section of the cable tramway and the lower
platform, shewing the position of the counterbalance pulley around
which the endless cable rope passes.
Fig. 9 represents a transverse section of the lower platform and shed
taken through the line x, x, of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 represents a section of the terminal elevation of the inclined
cable tramway shewing the level platform and position of the driving
gear; and, Fig. 11 represents a transverse section of the same through
the lines y, y, of Fig. 10.
In these Figures A represents the lower shed and platform; B, the
upper shed and platform; C, the line of metals; and D, the rope which
at short distances upon its entire length is supplied with knots or
spheroidal projections or enlargements E; the whole of these parts with
the exception of the knots which formed the subject of a recent Patent,
as herein-before stated are old and well known.
F, in Figs. 4 and 5, is a grooved guide pulley employed for guiding
the knotted cable and keeping it during its traverse at an uniform
distance from the permanent tramway; the flanges of such guide pulleys.
are indented for the purpose of allowing the claw bar a of the carriage
to retain its hold upon the knot of the cable whilst passing under the
same. This form of pulley is employed more particularly in recesses or
hollows on that portion of the tramway where the ground is undulating.
On Sheet 2 the improved arrangement and construction of carriage
employed for travelling on the knotted cable way is shewn, the peculiarity
of which relates more particularly to the adaptation to such carriages
(in the event of their becoming disconnected from the rope) of a break
which is self acting, and which will prevent the carriages descending the
incline up which they were being drawn.
In the Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, e, e, are permanent eccentric blocks
secured to the fixed axle a of the carriage; these eccentrics e, e, are
embraced by metal straps or bands 6 formed in halves and secured
together at their flanges. The lower halves of these straps 6', 6', are

page_text: connected by the radial rods c with the break blocks m which are placed in
a position that they will act as skids or shoes to the wheel when
lowered. The upper halves of these straps b', 6', are connected by the
rods g, g, with the draw bar f of the carriage which is supported by and
slides in the bearings a³, a³, secured to the axles a¹, a¹. To this draw
barf the claw bar f¹ is connected, the lower extremity of which is pro-
vided with a cup-like recess f*, through and by which the knots on the
traversing rope, taking hold of such recess, are enabled to draw the
carriage along the tramway. The draw bar f is provided with a pro-
jecting shoulder f³, between the surface of which and the axle a
a strong helical spring or springs are placed, which when the carriage
is being drawn along up the incline of the cable way is by the
resistance and weight of the carriage and the sliding forward of the draw
bar in the direction of the pull compressed so as to give a yielding
resistance to the pull of the rope. The sliding forward of the draw bar
withdraws the blocks m, m, from the periphery of the wheels through
the medium of the rods c and g, connecting the draw bar with the
upper and lower halves 6 and 6' of the strap encircling the eccentric
block e. Any backward movement of the carriage releases the draw
bar fof the weight of the same, and so causes by an expansion of the
spring ƒ the said bar to move in a contrary direction, the action of
which through the medium of the radial rods c, c, places the blocks m, m,
against the periphery of the wheels, and so prevents any backward
movement of the carriage. When the carriage is being pushed along
without any connection with the rope the handle dis raised which
causes its boss h which has a cam-like formation to press. against an
abutment of the draw bar, and so forces the same in a direction that
slightly compresses the spring f, and so removes the blocks from the
wheels which allows the carriage to be moved about in any direction;
but so soon as the recessed claw f' of the carriage is taken hold of by
one of the knots on the traversing rope the superior pressure brought to
bear upon the helical spring f' throws back the retaining handle a to
its lowest and normal position, thereby allowing clear and uninterrupted
action to the spring and draw bar in the event of the carriage becoming
disconnected from the knotted rope when ascending the incline of the
cable way.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
understood in conclusion that I claim -

page_text: First. The adaptation to the improved knotted cable way of the novel
form of guide pullies arranged and fixed at points along the line of way
according to the surface of the ground or nature of the curve, over and
along which such cable is caused to traverse.
Secondly. The arrangement, construction, and adaptation to the
carriages travelling on such cable ways, of the peculiar form of catch
fork, or clutch, and yielding draw bar, together with the mechanism
connected therewith, whereby the waggon or carriage when placed on
the cable way is automatically caught by the knotted rope and drawn
along, the action of which releases the wheels from pressure of the
breaks, but in the event of such carriage becoming disconnected whilst
ascending the incline of the cable way, or otherwise whilst being drawn
along the breaks are at once applied, and the retrograde movement of
the carriage is arrested.
And, lastly. The means employed for releasing the wheels from the
pressure of the break blocks when it is necessary to move the carriage
without the aid of the cable, together with the general arrangement,
construction, and combination of apparatus forming the subject of these
improvements to be employed, in the manner and for the purpose as
herein-before substantially described, set forth, and fully illustrated in
the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Wirth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.