Improvements in or relating to Single Rail Railways, and in Vehicles therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Single Rail Railways, and in
Vehicles therefor.
I FLORIAN TENTSCHERT Engineer of V. Franzensgasse 18, Vienna, in the
Empire of Austria do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The present invention mainly consists in a track having a single line of rails for
the purpose of saving material in construction, which rail however is not placed in
a straight line but is formed in the shape of regular serpentine curves for ensuring
the necessary stability of trucks.
These curves form a wavy line and have the shape indicated in Figs. 2, 3, 4
and 5 of the accompanying drawing, as uniformly as possible to the right and to
the left hand side of the middle-line x y of the track. In Figs. 3 and 4 separate
rails are represented mounted on longitudinal sleepers by means of nails or screws.
The joints of the rails are arranged for the sake of an easier transport at each
third turning point of the line of rail, but if desired any other division may be
made.
In
The sleepers may be made of wood or iron and be either cross- or longitudinal
sleepers, according to the purpose for which the railway is to be used.
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 wooden sleepers are illustrated which are held together at a
and 6 by overlapping each other and by yokes or clamps c fixed from the outside.
The clamps c are secured to the sleepers by means of bolts d which are screwed at
the top into the clamps c.
By placing together separate rails mounted on the longitudinal sleepers in the
above manner, we obtain a line of rails g supported and formed as illustrated in
plan in Fig. 2. The rails may be connected to each other by fish plates or by
shoes.
°
Fig. 5 illustrates schematically a simple set of points in order to enable the truck
to pass from one line to another.
The truck illustrated in Fig. 1 in elevation and in Fig. 2 in plan is provided with
three vertical pins e e e upon the underside of its platform, which pins are
arranged in the longitudinal axis of the truck at equal distances from each other.
In the present case these distances coincide with the distances of outer turning
curves points of the rail measured in the direction parallel to the middle line a y
the track.
of
Each of the three pins e e e carries two arms f' and 2, which are pivotted on
said pins and which are provided at their outer ends with rollers and 92, the
direction of the axis of these rollers coinciding with the direction of the arms f¹
and f.
The rollers g' and g³ are supported in the bifurcated ends and 2 of the arms f¹
and These ends and 2 are provided at their lower ends with vertical pins,
on which are pivotted roller brackets and 2, each carrying two grooved rollers
which travel upon the rail.
The rollers g' and 92 which support. the truck platform run upon the rails or
plates k fixed on the under side of the platform and are in the shape of an arc of
a circle. Projections which come in contact with fixed stops w u limit the
extent of movement of the rollers gl and g².
When the truck moves along the rails, the arms f¹ f' together with the

page_text: rollers gg and with the rail rollers turn alternately from left to right and vice
versa round the pivot pins e e e as far as required by the curves of the rails.
The coupling together of the trucks may be effected in various ways. In the
present case the trucks 1 11 are coupled by means of vertically arranged hinges
and in the coupling chains m² and m² as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the
middle between the two trucks there is a pin which engages loosely in a recess in
the second truck for the purpose of keeping the coupled truck in the right
direction.
In order to enable the truck to be propelled from the platform by a handle or
motor and the brake to be applied, the pin e (Fig. 6) is made tubular.
In this tubular pin e is supported a vertical spindle n, the rotation of which is
transmitted at the arm by means of bevel gearing o, p and q to the three spur
wheels 1, 2 and 3. The latter to transmit the rotary motion to the toothed
wheels 4 and 5 secured to the axles of the rail rollers. Instead of bevel gearing
friction gearing may be employed.
For the purpose of applying a brake there is secured to the upper end of the
vertical spindle ma disc to which a brake band or brake blocks may be applied from
the platform.
The trucks may be made either shorter or longer than the truck illustrated in
Figs. 1 and 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A railway having a single line of rails upon which the vehicles are supported
the rails being laid down in a wavy or serpentine-curve the curvature being such
that at least one of the sets of rollers of the vehicle is situated at the side of and
out of line with the others whereby the vehicle has at least three points of
support.
2. A railway as described in Claim 1 in which separate pieces s forming the
serpentine line are supported upon longitudinal sleepers s' having overlapping ends
which are suitably connected together so that the line may be easily put together
or taken up for transport.
3. A railway vehicle as described in Claim 1 wherein the rail rollers are carried
by arms ff which are vertical to the direction of the axles of these rollers said
arms
being capable of turning in a horizontal plane round vertical pins or
bolts ele e secured to the underside of the platform of the vehicle for the purpose
of enabling the rollers or wheels to follow the curvature of the rails.
4. A railway vehicle as described in Claim 3 in which the ends of the arms f¹ fa
supporting the rail wheels are supplied with support rollers g₁ g² receiving the
weight of the vehicle.
5. A railway vehicle as described in Claim 3 in which through one or each of
the pivots e ees is passed a rotatable spindle n the lower end of which carries a
bevel wheel from which rotary motion is transmitted by means of friction or toothed
wheels to the rail rollers (and preferably provided with brake mechanism) for the
purpose of enabling the vehicle to be propelled and guided from the platform.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete "single
rail" railway substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 4th day of September 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.