Improvements in Overhead Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
Improvements in Overhead Railways.
I, PETER JENSEN, of 77 Chancery Lane London Chartered Patent Agent
do hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad
by Eduard Bock of Bangkok, Siam, Engineer to be as follows:-
Overhead railways have many advantages as compared with the generally used
means of communication but the cost of making them operates against their general
application.
The subject of this invention is an overhead railway which is rendered materially
simpler and cheaper to construct and erect by that the weight of the vehicles
running thereon is as much as possible lightened by air balloons attached to
them.
As such lightened vehicles would be strongly influenced by air currents care
must be taken that this influence is counteracted by sure guiding devices. For
this purpose I apply rope or rail guides which are arranged all round the vehicle
and balloon and guide the same so safely and at the same time admit of sufficient
friction for the driving wheels and drive the vehicle with the greatest possible
speed along the line without hindrances.
It is self evident that no complicated or costly constructions would be required
for such an overhead railway when keeping in view the previous systems.
Between upright poles are fixed cross girders and upon the inner sides of the
poles and upon the cross girders are fixed brackets and standards respectively
which carry the ropes or rails for carrying and guiding the vehicle and balloon.
The ropes or rails are made of such strength and supported at such distances
apart as is required for the strain they are exposed to.
The vehicle is built as light as possible and carries the electric or other motor;
the balloon on the top of the vehicle is cigar-shaped so as to cleave the air easily
and is fastened to the vehicle by means of straps which serve to stiffen the shell
of the balloon and also to carry at the top guide rollers which are guided by ropes
fastened to upper cross girders.
The balloon may suitably be made in two separate parts a front and a rear one
in order that in case of possible injury to one the other may be active.
Besides the ropes which surround and support the balloon there must also be
ropes or rails for carrying the carriage and securing it against lateral oscillations;
for this purpose there are rollers under the vehicle and on each side of same which
rollers run upon the ropes.
The motor arranged in the lower part of the vehicle drives the bottom rollers
by means of friction wheels or tooth wheels.
The rollers upper, lower and lateral are fitted in between arms the free ends of
which are feathering and surround the roller and rope so that the former cannot
jump out. The arms are bent in over the flanged roller and provided with
rounded heads which by means of springs are pressed towards each other and after
easily passing between the flat rope supports close again.
The interior of the vehicle may be variously arranged for passenger transport
for instance with seats on each side, standing room at each end and a platform in
front and behind for the conductor.
The vehicle may be driven by any suitable motor but for this kind of railway

page_text: the electric would seem the best because the electricity can so easily be conducted
by wires through the guide rails or wire ropes and because the vehicle has in such
case to carry the least lond for driving gear.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
improvements in Overnend Railways,
PETER JENSEN of 77, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (n communication to me from
abroad by Eduard Bock of Bangkok, Siam, Engineer) 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 an improved system of overhead railways and rolling
stock and it consists principally of providing the vehicles with balloons to relieve
the structure from practically all live loads except such as is necessary to produce
sufficient friction to propel cars along the supporting and guiding rails or
cables.
The principal objections to elevated railways, heretofore constructed is their
immense cost of building owing to the heavy rolling stock propelled over the
track, which necessitates deep foundations, heavy columns, cross and longitudinal
girders and bracings and besides this obstructing to a large degree the streets
occupied by such railways.
In the improved overhead railway in which the weight of the rolling stock cars,
or other vehicles is principally carried by balloons attached to the same, the
superstructure supporting the guide and carrying rails or cables may be safely
made very light, reducing the cost thereof to a minimum and obstructing streets
very little. Provisions however must be made to safely guide and protect the
vehicles or care against wind pressure.
The invention will be more fully understood taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which:
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of the car, showing the means for attaching the
balloon or balloons to a car, the sails for increasing the driving power, the guide
and supporting cables or rails and the guide wheels engaging the latter.
Fig. 2. is a vertical transverse section of the railway, showing a car in position
on the supporting and guide cables or rails, and also showing the balloon attached
to the top of the car, the special arrangement of the supporting and guide cables
or rails, the means for transmitting power to the cars, and also staircases for
access to the cars.
Fig. 3. is a horizontal section on the line 1-11 of Fig. 2. showing the lower
part of the balloons and the top of the car with the sails taken in on one side and
set on the other.
Fig. 4. shows the detail construction of the mountings in which the guide-wheels
of the vehicle are journalled.
"
Referring now to the drawings for a further description of this invention "M
are the upright poles or posts of the superstructure, firmly held and supported in
the ground and connected in the middle and at the top by cross-girders "d";
corner brackets may be employed to stiffen the posts transversely and tie rods not
shown may be need to brace the posts longitudinally so as to transmit the strains
due to wind pressure, running and braking of cars, to the foundations of the posts
or columns.
..

page_text: To the cross girders "d" are suitably fastened brackets or standards a, to which
the supporting and guide ropes or rails are secured.
"
In the drawings are shown eight of such supporting and guide ropes or rails "ss"
of which one is arranged for the driving wheels below the cars, two marked "1"
on each side of the car and at about the height of the ceiling of the car, and five
guide ropes or rails at the top of the balloon or balloons. It will however be
understood that any other number of ropes or rails may be employed and placed
at positions different from those shown.
Platform-stations may suitably be arranged along a railway of this improved
system and be accessible by stair-cases as shown in Fig. 1.
The cars or vehicles "V" to be propelled electrically over such railway, are
constructed as light as possible and in any desired shape with vestibules for the
motorman and benches for the passengers. Each car "V" is provided with
frictional driving wheels "o" arranged below the bottom of the car and driven
by gear-wheels from suitable electric or other motors " "situated under the
benches; on the sides of the cars, and at about the ceiling thereof are arranged
other wheels "o¹ to further support and guide the car "V" by the ropes "81"
Each car "V" is provided with one or more sections of a balloon "B," to carry
the greater portion of the weight of the car to relieve the superstructure from
most all live load except so much as is necessary to produce sufficient friction for
the propulsion of the car "V" by the motors "e tooth or friction wheel
gearing "e" and driving wheels". 0.
"
"
"
"3
33
The balloon is made in two or more sections or divided into two or more
compartments, so that if one section is injured or rendered useless the other com-
partments are still intact and avoid accidents. The balloon "B" is made of any
suitable material, pointed at both ends to reduce the resistance offered by the air,
and secured to the top of the car "V," by the steel straps or bands " and":
which brace and stiffen the balloon cover. On the steel bands " are provided
guide rollers or wheels "p," engaging the upper guide ropes or rails "s."
These guide wheels "p" as well as the wheels "o are journalled in the spring
secured to the frame of the car or balloon stays "=" as shown in detail
in Fig. 4. The arms
"
m are bent at their free extremities and are provided
with the rounded beads or buttons "k," which normally abut each other and at all
times enclose the respective ropes or rails "s" to insure safety. Whenever in
the propulsion of the car the arms 772 come in contact with the rope or rail
support a," the former yield outward and let the latter pass between, after which
the buttons"&" again abut.
arms 772
"
σε
"
As before stated preference is given to electric motors to propel the cars along
the railway and it may here be remarked, that certain of the ropes or rails"
niny be used as electric cables or conductors.
$ or g¹
For increasing the power of the driving motor the cars may be supplied with
sails ""fastened to the bands "" in such a manner that they may be unrolled
around those bands entirely or partly, when the wind would blow too violently as
to use them.
It will be understood, that modifications may be made in the detail construction
and arrangements of the superstructure as well as of the cars, and I desire it to
be understood, that modifications can be made without departing from the spirit
of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inveo-
tion, and in what manuer the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An overhead railway, comprising stationary structures substantially such as
is described herein, having a plurality of supporting and guide ropes or cables,
and cars provided with balloons adapted to carry the greater portion of the
weight of such cars, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. An overhead railway structure, comprising posts connected by two girders,

page_text: ench of said girders supporting a plurality of ropes or rails for guiding and
supporting the rolling stock, a car provided with wheels adapted to traverse the
said ropes or rails, a compartment balloon attached to said car and adapted to
carry the greater portion of the weight of the car, and means attached to said
car for propelling the same, substantially us and for the purposes set forth.
3. An overhead railway comprising a structure composed of posts connected
by two transversely disposed girders, three ropes carried by the lower girder to
partly support the rolling stock, a car provided with guide and driving wheels
adapted to engage the said ropes, a compartment balloon attached to the car and
serving to carry the greater portion of the weight of the car, and guide wheels
journaled to the frame of the balloon and engaging the ropes suspended from
the upper girder of the structure, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In an overhead railway a car provided with a balloon pointed at both ends,
to carry the greater portion of the weight of the car substantially as and for
the purposes set forth."
5. In overhead railway comprising a structure with guide rails, a car provided
with a balloon having two or more compartments to carry the greater portion
of the weight of the car, said balloon attached to the top of the car, supplied
with sails for increasing the driving power and having its frame provided with
guide wheels engaging the said guide rails of the structure, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 14th day of August. 1896.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.