IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Hodgson, of Richmond, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
TRANSPORTING LOADS."
Sealed the 15th January 1869, and dated the 20th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hodgson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1868.
I, CHARLES HODGSON, of Richmond, in the County of Surrey, :lo
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of apparatus for transporting
mineral or other produce or loads which consists in transmitting such
produce or material contained in a suitable vessel or carriage along a
rope or wire stretched between two fixed points, and the improvements
consist in so arranging the supporting points of such rope or wire,
and so constructing the pulleys, sheaves, or wheels which suspend the
vessel or carriage that the said pulleys shall be capable of passing the
[Price 8d.]

page_text: supporting points of the rope or wire without hindrance, thus enabling
the wire to be supported at any required number of points and thus
establishing a continuous communication for any desired distance; and
also in combining with the employment of a pair of fixed wires or ropes
placed side by side the use of a continuous endless rope or wire passing
round pulleys or sheaves placed near the extremities of the fixed wires
or ropes and capable of receiving motion from the revolution of these
pulleys or sheaves, which revolution is to be caused by the application
to them of any suitable power. By this means the distribution of the
material (to be carried in suitable vessels or carriages) is secured at
stated intervals along the line of carrying wire or rope so that no portion
of the wire shall be unduly weighted, but that a continuous stream of
vessels or carriages shall be constantly transmitted in one direction on
one wire, and in the opposite direction on the other, for such distances
as shall be required. This arrangement is also desirable from the fact
that the tractive force required will be thus equalized in respect to
the sag of the supporting wire between its points of suspension. In
mounting the wires for this method of continuous transmission I propose
to secure them on each extremity of a cross bar of any convenient length
fixed to a post or other upright of such height as circumstances shall
require and hold them in a loop of iron fixed to the extremity of the
cross bar, or to pass them through a channel similarly fixed, the sides
of which channel shall fit so closely to the wire that the sheave or
sheaves of each block shall pass over the sides of such channel, or I form
the cross bar of L iron and pass the wire through a hole at its extremity
close to its upper edge, cutting out a slot inside such hole to allow the
flange of the sheave or sheaves to pass. In the case of thus supporting
each wire at the extremity of a cross bar or overhung bracket I construct
the running pulley blocks of the form commonly known as snatch
blocks, the standing part of which blocks passes outside the end of the
cross bar, and their equilibrium is maintained by curving in the standing
part so that the hooks for attaching the running rope and the carrying
vessel shall come vertically under the centre line of the supporting
According to another plan I support the wires on a cross bar carried
between two posts, the points of support in this case not being over-
hung. In order that the running blocks shall pass such points of support
I construct them in two parts, the upper of which parts carries the

page_text: sheave or sheaves and the lower the hooks for the running rope and carry-
ing vessel, and I connect these two parts by means of a series of latches
capable of opening one after another and closing by any convenient
automatic arrangement, the intention being that some of the series shall
always be closed whilst others are open at the instant of passing the
point of support. I further propose to dispense with the carrying wires,
making the running rope also the carrier, supporting it for this purpose
on pulleys fixed to standards of any convenient form and fitting it at
stated intervals with swinging hooks for attaching the carrying vessels,
which hooks shall turn upwards at the supporting standards and thus
clear the sheaves on which the rope runs. In the case of the employ-
ment of the two supporting wires and the endless running rope aforesaid
I propose in the first place to disengage the running blocks from the
endless rope
any convenient arrangement at any desired point, leaving
travel with their burden along the supporting wire or
any branch of it.
Or as an alternative I propose to secure the running
blocks to the endless rope and let them always travel with it, in which
case I disengage the carrying vessels from the blocks or attach them
thereto by the employment for that purpose of slip or catch hooks, or
any other convenient arrangement. With reference to branches from
the main supporting wire as alluded to above I purpose employing such
branches or any continuation of the main supporting wires or ropes in
order to enable me to take up the loading from or deliver it at any
convenient point or distance from the main working line either at its
extremities or along its course.
them still free to
With regard to the construction of this main working line I do not
limit myself to the employment of any particular section or material of
wires or ropes, nor to the number of either that I place in one system so
long as they are used for the purpose of forming a a continuous suspension
transit apparatus which may be formed with one or more than one wire
or rope for the traffic of each set of carrying pulleys, so that the said
pulleys shall be supported by one or between a pair or more such wires
or ropes, and I also propose to sheath such wires or ropes with any metal
covering in order to protect them from the wear of the pulleys or any
other injury, or further, to suspend from the said standing wires or ropes
a bar or bars of any convenient section for the carrying pulleys to run
upon. I do not limit myself to any particular use to which this system
of transmission is to be applied, but propose to employ it generally to

page_text: the purposes for which railways or roads are now used, and also to adapt
it to the landing of cargoes from vessels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Hodgson in the Great Seal Patent Office ou
the 20th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HODGSON, of Richmond, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Hodgson, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Hodgson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Hodgson, 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 termu
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 IMPROVED MEANS OF
AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Hodgson, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Hodgson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say:
My Invention relates to that class of apparatus for transporting
mineral or other produce or loads, which consists in transmitting

page_text: such produce or material contained in a suitable vessel or carriage
along a rope or wire stretched between two fixed points, and the
improvements consist in so arranging the supporting points of such
rope or wire, and so constructing the pulleys, sheaves or wheels, and
pendants which suspend the vessel or carriage that the said pulleys
shall be capable of passing the supporting points of the rope or wire
without hindrance, thus enabling the wire to be supported at any
required number of points, and thus establishing a continuous commu-
nication for any desired distance, and also in combining with the
employment of a pair of fixed wires or ropes placed side by side the
use, as herein described, of a continuous endless rope or wire passing
round pulleys or sheaves placed near the extremities of the fixed wires
or ropes, and capable of receiving motion from the revolution of these
pulleys or sheaves, which revolution is to be caused by the application
to them of any suitable power. By this means the distribution of the
material (to be carried in suitable vessels or carriages) is secured at
stated intervals along the line of carrying wire or rope, so that no portion
of the wire shall be unduly weighted, but that a continuous stream of
vessels or carriages shall be constantly transmitted in one direction on
one wire, and in the opposite direction on the other, for such distances
as shall be required. This arrangement is also desirable from the fact that
the tractive force required will be thus equalized in respect to the sag
of the supporting wire between its points of suspension. In mounting
the wires for this method of continuous transmission I propose to secure
them on each extremity of a cross bar of any convenient length fixed to
a post or other upright of such height as circumstances shall require
and hold then in a loop of iron fixed to the extremity of the cross bar,
or pass them through a channel similarly fixed, the sides of which
channel shall fit so closely to the wire that the sheave or sheaves of each
block shall pass over the sides of such channel, or 1 form the cross bar
of L iron and pass the wire through a hole at its extremity close to its
upper edge cutting out a slot inside such hole to allow the flange of
the sheave or sheaves to pass. In the case of thus supporting each wire
at the extremity of a cross bar or overhung bracket I construct the
running pulley blocks of the form commonly known as snatch blocks,
the standing part of which blocks passes outside the end of the cross
bar, and their equilibrium is maintained by curving in the standing or
pendant part, so that the hooks for attaching the running rope and the

page_text: carrying vessel shall come vertically under the centre line of the sup-
porting wire.
According to another plan I support the wires on a cross bar carried
between two posts, the points of support in this case not being over-
hung; in order that the running blocks shall pass such points of support
I construct them in two parts, the upper of which parts carries the
sheave or sheaves, and the lower the hooks for the running rope and
carrying vessel, and I connect these two parts by means of a series of
latches capable of opening one after another and closing by any con-
venient automatic arrangement, the intention being that some of the
series shall always be closed whilst others are open at the instant of
passing the point of support. In some cases I dispense with the
carrying wires, making the running rope also the carrier, supporting it
for this purpose on pulleys fixed to standards of any convenient form,
and fitting it at stated intervals with swinging hooks for attaching the
carrying vessels, which hooks are turned upwards at the supporting
standards, and thus clear the sheaves on which the rope runs. In the
case of the employment of the two supporting wires and the endless
running rope aforesaid I in the first place disengage the running blocks
from the endless rope by any convenient arrangement at any desired
point, leaving them still free to travel with their burden along the
supporting wire or any branch of it; or as an alternative I secure the
running blocks to the endless rope and let them always travel with
it, in which case I disengage the carrying vessels from the blocks, or
attach them thereto by the employment for that purpose of slip or catch
hooks or other convenient arrangement. With reference to branches
from the main supporting wire, as alluded to above, I employ such
branches, or any continuation of the main supporting wires or ropes in
order to enable me to take up the loading from or deliver it at any
convenient point or distance from the main working line, either at its
extremities or along its course.
With regard to the construction of this main working line I do not
limit myself to the employment of any particular section or material of
wires or ropes, nor to the number of either that I place in one system,
so long as they are used, as herein described, for the purpose of forming
a continuous suspension transit apparatus, which may be formed with
one or more than one wire or rope for the traffic of each set of carrying

page_text: pulleys, so that the said pulleys shall be supported by one or between a
pair cr more such wires or ropes. I also in some cases sheath such
wires or ropes with any metal covering in order to protect them from
the wear of the pulleys or any other injury, or further, I suspend from
the said standing wires or ropes a bar or bars of any convenient section
for the carrying pulleys to run upon, but I do not make any special
claim for such covering or such suspended bar.
I do not limit myself to any particular use to which this system of
transmission is to be applied, but propose to employ it generally for the
purposes for which railways, roads, or canals are now used, and also to
adapt it to the landing of cargoes from vessels.
In carrying out this Invention by my first method I erect posts, pillars,
or frameworks at convenient distances along the line of intended com-
munication, and at the top or at any convenient height on these posts,
each
pillars, or frameworks I place a transverse cross bar having on
extremity a channel or loop suitable for securing a rope or wire of such
size as may be required. Supported or secured in these channels or
loops I stretch wires or ropes from end to end of the proposed line of
communication. Along the wires or ropes thus supported I cause
suitable carriages to travel, each mounted on a wheel or wheels running
along the top of the line or rope, the body of the carriage or receptacle
being suspended vertically under the rope, and its equilibrium being
maintained by so curving in the pendants or suspending bars or frame-
work, by which the receptacles are hung from the wheels, that the centre
of gravity of such receptacle or body of carriage shall be vertically under
the centre of the bearing wire or rope. The wheels of the carriages are
made with flanges, so that they shall hold securely on the wire or rope,
and the loops or channels in which the wires or ropes are held are made
I
of such a form that these flanged wheels shall pass easily over them.
employ any required number of these carriages, and I cause them to be
moved in succession along the lines thus provided by attaching them at
stated intervals to an endless rope or chain passing round sheaves or
drums at each extremity of the line of communication, one or both of
which sheaves or drums is or are driven at any required speed by any
suitable power.
I attach the carriages to this endless rope or chain in
such a manner that it shall be supported either above or below the body
of the carriage or receptacle and shall be grasped in any convenient
clutch, so that by its motion it shall carry forward the before-mentioned

page_text: carriages, or any of them.
If desired I provide at each end of the line
or at any point on its length convenient arrangements for disengaging
these clutches; and also if required at the same points, sidings, or branch
lines, so that the carriages may be run off for loading or discharging at
any point not on the main line. If such arrangements are not required
I so construct the before-mentioned clutches that they shall pass with
facility round the winding drums, and I unite the extremities of the
carrying wires or ropes at each end of the line by a semicircular rail
parallel to and vertically over the winding drum in each case.
In carrying out my second method I dispense with the employment of
the supporting wires or ropes herein-before described, and instead of
them I employ the running endless rope before mentioned as a support
for the loads I propose to carry, as well as a means for propelling them.
In this case I support this running endless rope or chain on pulleys or
sheaves placed at the extremities of elevated transverse bars, similar to
those employed for carrying the fixed wires or ropes in my first-described
system. Upon this endless rope or chain, driven by any convenient power,
I suspend suitably formed boxes or receptacles curving in the pendants or
supporting bars or straps, so that the centre of gravity of the load carried
shall come vertically under the centre of the rope in the same manner as
in the first-described system. That portion of the pendant or supporting
bars which hooks on to the rope I form either with narrow jaws which
shall grasp the rope and
pass within the flanges of the supporting pulleys,
or I form them with wide jaws which shall pass clear outside the said
flanges, and in each case I form the section of the pulley suitably for the
method of passage adopted. In placing these boxes or receptacles on the
running rope I employ an inclined bar laid close to the rope at any point
on the line at which it is desirable to put on or take off the loading. In
putting it on I run the receptacles down this bar till the hooks take on
to the rope, and in taking off I allow the hooks to catch on to this bar
and run up till they are clear off the rope. I extend these bars to any
distance from the line of running rope that may be found convenient for
loading or discharging. In both these instances it will be observed that
I provide an up-and-down line of communication, but I do not confine
myself to carrying both lines on the same range of posts or supports,
but would, if it were desirable, carry them on separate ranges, each
taking its own line of country, thus affording facility of transport to
a larger district.

page_text: In carrying out the details of these two systems of transport I do not con-
ine myself in either to the method of passing the points of support above
described, but in some cases I accomplish this object by the alternative
method of supporting the wires or ropes on a cross bar between two posts,
the points of support in this case not being overhung, and in order that
the running blocks, carriages, or frames of carriages shall pass such points
of support I construct them in two parts, the upper part carries the
running sheave or sheaves on the first or fixed rope system, and in the
second or single rope system the hooks for attachment on to that rope;
the lower part carries the carrying vessel or carriage, and in the fixed
rope system the clutches for the running rope. I connect these two
parts by means of a series of latches, the intention being that some of
the series shall always be closed, whilst others are open at the instant of
passing the point of support.
The two systems will be more fully understood on reference to the
accompanying Drawings, in which Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew the first
system in elevation, section, and plan; Figures 4 and 5 show a carriage
or vessel for carrying loads to be employed in this system.
Figures 6, 7, and 8, represent the second system in elevation, section,
and plan; and Figures 9 and 10 show the boxes or vessels to be
employed in connection with it.
Figures 11, 12, and 13, shows methods of forming the attachment to
the running or propelling rope in the first system. In Figures 14
and 15 are seen the attachments for the second system passing inside
the flanges of the pulleys, and in Figures 16 and 17 are
seen the
method of passing outside the flanges and the methods of tightly
clutching the rope, as illustrated in Figures 18, 19, 20, and 21. The
metal cover or cap is shewn in Figure 22, and the suspended rail in
Figures 23 and 24. The method of passing round curves in the first
system is shewn in Figures 25 and 26, and that on the second system
in Figures 27 to 32. Figures 33 and 34 refer to the methods of allowing
the wheels of carriages to pass the points where the standing ropes in
the first system are secured to the overhung brackets.
I do not confine myself to any special method of attaching the
running rope to the carriages or vessels in the first system, but prefer
to employ the arrangements shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13. In the
second system I employ, as already stated, two forms of hook for attach-

page_text: In
ment on to the rope, one to pass inside and the other outside the flanges
of the sheaves which carry the rope These two forms are shewn in
Figures 14 to 17, and Figures 18 to 21 illustrate methods of clutching
these hooks tightly on the rope in cases where very steep inclines are to
be mounted and the loads would otherwise slide back. Under certain
circumstances in applying the first method I cover or cap the rope with
any metallic coating, as shewn in Figure 22, or I suspend from the rope
a rail for the wheels to run on, as shewn in Figures 23 and 24.
employing either system it is convenient to place the loads on the rope
at such distances as shall be approximately multiples of half the average
distance between the posts or points of support, so that throughout the
entire line one half the carriages shall always be on the ascending side
of the catenaries over which they are travelling and the other half on
the descending side. For the purpose of thus regularly distributing the
load I employ any convenient automatic releasing arrangement which
shall after a given number of turns of the driving drum permit the
carriages in regular series to run on to the rope. To facilitate passing
round curves on the first or standing rope system I arrange that the
clutches for catching the propelling rope or chain shall be below the
body of the carriages, vessels, or receptacles, and so constructed that
they shall pass easily round a roller, which must of necessity be placed
at each point of curve for the purpose of deflecting the said propelling
rope. The general design of this detail is shewn in Figures 25 and 26.
In passing round slight curves on the second or moving rope system I
merely incline the pulleys in the manner usual in the application of the
wire rope to haulage purposes, but where a considerable curve must be
made at one point I employ the arrangement illustrated in Figures 29
to 32 for this purpose, which arrangement is equally applicable for
enabling the boxes or vessels to pass round the terminal sheaves of the
line. In order to facilitate this method of passing curves, and also to
assist generally in moving the boxes or vessels about when not on the
running rope I provide them with small wheels attached to the frame.
In cases where wide sheets of water are to be crossed in which it would
be inconvenient to construct piers I employ vessels, pontoons, rafts, or
floats to carry the posts required for either system. The posts or frame-
work employed in my system may also be made use of for carrying or
supporting ordinary telegraph wires, but I make no claim to Invention
in this particular.

page_text: And having now described the nature my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim.--
First. The employment as herein described of a pair of parallel wires
or ropes supported at intervals and used for the purpose of transmitting
loads from one point to another in the case where several such loads are
suspended below such wires and propelled by an endless rope attached
to each load, and having motion imparted to it by any known motive
power.
Secondly. The methods described herein of causing such loads to pass
such points of support without hindrance by using the self-acting latches
described, or by overhanging the rope and curving in the pendant or
frame of the carriage so as to bring the centre of gravity of the load
under the centre of the rope.
Thirdly. The employment of a single endless rope as herein described,
supported at convenient distances on pulleys, and used for the purpose
of transmitting loads.
Fourthly. The methods herein described of hooking on and supporting
such loads so that they shall pass the said supporting pulleys without
hindrance.
Fifthly. The various methods herein described of enabling each of the
above systems to work round curves by using shunt rails, as described
in one system, and by placing the clutch for driving rope below the
carriage, and employing fend-off rollers in the other system, in which
separate supporting and driving ropes are used.
Sixthly. Generally the use of either system as herein described as a
means of transport between two points too far distant to be spanned
without the employment of intermediate supports.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hodgson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
C. HODGSON.
(L.S.)