Improvements in Vehicles for Elevated Railways.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vehicles for Elevated Railways.
I, ERNST ROST, of Rosenstrasse No. 103, Dresden-Altstadt, in the Kingdom
of Saxony, Empire of Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to aërial or suspension railways for passenger traffic.
at great elevations upon fixed supports connected by cable which have the appear-
ance of chain-lines and the essential feature is the arrangement by which the
upper portion of the truck while always running parallel to the inclination of the
lines causes the lower movable portion to which the passenger carriage is attached,
to be compelled to remain in or to assume a strictly horizontal position by posi-
tive means.
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings which show several convenient forms of the mechanism.
In Figure 1 the suspension beam B which carries the passenger carriage
(see K Figure 8) is pivotally connected to the upper portion or truck W.
The line is designated by the letter F, and the two wheels R of the truck being
adapted to run thereon. On the wheel axles are worms arranged to act upon a
conimon shaft a furnished with two drums to each of which is attached a rope,
one such rope being wound on and the other off its drum according to the
direction of rotation of the shaft. Thus when the carriage travels a certain
distance a corresponding portion of rope is wound upon one drum and the same
amount unwound from the other drum. The ends of the ropes are secured to
the ends of the suspension-beam B. If now the carriage travels from left to right
to the further end of the line section the angle of the line and consequently
that of the truck with the horizontal decreases the front wheel rises until finally
it is at the same level above the left or rear wheel as it was below it at starting.
During the journey the rotation of the drums causes the right hand rope to be
unwound and lengthened while at the same time the left hand rope is shortened
by the same amount and thus the supporting beam B is constantly kept in a
horizontal position.
Figure 2 shows an arrangement in which the connection between the beam B
and truck W is the same as in Figure and the truck wheels also cause the
rotation by worm gear, of a common shaft which latter by means of bevelled
wheels drives another shaft b fitted with a drum c. On this drum are two ropes
so arranged that while the one winds up the other pays out and thus causes
the beam B to which the ends of the ropes are fastened to be constantly in a
horizontal position, same as is the case with the arrangement shown in Figure 1,
and independent of the angular position of the truck.
The truck shown in Figure 3 is provided with a third wheel d disposed between
the ordinary truck-wheels R and serving to provide motion for the regulation of
the suspension-beam. To this end the axle of this intermediate wheel d is pro-
vided with a pinion e gearing with a toothened wheel f, this latter being rigidly

page_text: connected with the drum on which is wound a wire rope. One end of the
suspension beam B is pivotted at / to the truck W and the other end is connected
to the rope wound upon the drum g. During the journey from right to left the
rotation of the drum g causes the rope to be shortened to exactly such an amount
as to ensure that the beam B and with it also the passenger-car (see K, Fig. 8)
is in a horizontal position when arriving at the other end of the line-section.
During the journey from left to right the rope is paid out in the proper manner
to keep the passenger-car horizontal.
In the modification shown in Figure 4 the axles of the truck wheels R are
provided with sprocket wheels and endless chain giving motion to an intermediate
chain wheel i, guide rollers k, k being used to keep chain in engagement with
the wheel i.
On the shaft of the wheel i is keyed a small chain wheel 7 for driving a
wheel m in connection with a drum n. The gear is so calculated that during
the journey the drum n always draws in, or pays out the exact amount of
rope to keep the beam B horizontal, the latter being suspended from the truck
in the same manner as shown at Figures 1 and 2.
In the construction shown in Figure 5 both truck wheels running on the line F
communicate the movement to a shaft provided centrally with a worm .
The
beam B for carrying the passenger-car is formed at top with a segmental rack
which is in gear with the worm o. During the journey from left to right the
upper portion W turns upon the pivot of suspension of the beam B in an opposite
direction to that of the hand of a clock while the worm o driven from the truck
wheels acts upon the beam B in such a manner as to prevent the latter from
deviating to any perceptible extent from the horizontal either in its initial or
in its intermediate or in its end position.
In Figure 6 an electrical arrangement is shown for positively keeping the
passenger-car in a horizontal position, this arrangement being also effective for
keeping the passenger-car in its horizontal position while travelling over irregular
inclines in the line, such as travelling over suspension pillars or columns. The
armature A of an electro-motor is adapted to revolve in both directions and the
beam B is provided with an endless rectangular shaped tubular body p fitted
to a certain height with mercury and furnished at its upper portion with a
throttle valve which permits only a slow raising and falling motion of the mercury
in the vertical portions of the body p. At the level of the mercury in the vertical
glass portions of p are inserted platinum wires and a third wire is provided at
The lowest portion of p. The two upper wires in the vertical portion are not
in contact with the mercury when the beam B and the passenger-car are in a
correct horizontal position. But directly the passenger-car (K, Figure 8) inclines
slightly one or other direction the platinum wire at the lower side is brought
into contact with the mercury thereby closing the circuit from the accumulator
battery B to the motor which thereupon regulates towards the left or the right
until the intervening mechanism has returned the beam B and passenger-car to
its normal horizontal position, when the circuit becomes again interrupted.
The mechanical device for transmitting the motion to the suspension beam B
comprises a worm o¹ fast on the armature shaft, the worm gearing with a worm
wheel provided at one end of a shaft a¹ which at its other end has a worm.
This second worm gears with a worm wheel which drives the drum f¹ and
so effects the relative adjustment between the beam B and truck W similarly to
Figure 4. Obviously the electrical device may be used in conjunction with any
other mechanical mechanism for regulating the position of the beam B.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 7, similarly to Figure 3 three truck-wheels
are used while in like manner the beam B is suspended by one end from a bolt h
in the truck W. The other end of the beam is carried by means of two screw-
spindles with screw-nuts attached to the truck W in such a manner as to
enable them to revolve but not move endwise. On turning the nuts by means
of worm wheels 2 in one or other direction the screws connected to the beam B

page_text: will be raised or lowered. The rotary motion for the worm wheels and nuts s¹
connected therewith is obtained through the intervention of two worms s. These
wheels as also the screw-spindles s are arranged at the two sides of the parts W
and B and they are driven by the middle truck wheel through the intervening
of chain and chain wheel and spur wheel mechanism, in such a manner as to
keep the suspension beam B with the passenger-car horizontal in any position
of the truck W.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 8 a third truck wheel is also used and by
means of a worm o drives the shaft a¹ which by means of its own worm actuates
a worm wheel 2 fast with the drum f. This drum is wound similarly to those
shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 6 i.e. the one end of the rope is drawn in, or shortens,
while the other end pays out and so effects the adjustment of the beam B and
passenger-car relatively to the truck W. This construction also, like all the pre-
vious ones, is so geared as to provide for the passenger-car being in a horizontal
position when arriving at the other end of the line section, while in intermediate
position the deviation from the horizontal is insignificant.
In the arrangement Figure 9 there are provided four suspension screw-spindles
adapted to be raised or lowered by rotary nuts s cast integral with worm wheels s
and rotated by intermediate gear, chain and toothed-gear, from the middle truck
wheel after the manner indicated in Figure 7.
Figure 10 as compared with Figure 7 shows the difference that the motion for the
adjusting mechanism is obtained from the ordinary running wheels of the truck W.
To this end the wheels of the truck are coupled together by chain and chain
wheel mechanism and thus assist both in driving by means of a second chain the
adjusting mechanism as shown.
If after the passenger-car should no longer hang strictly horizontal its position
may be re-adjusted by the arrangement shown for example in Figure 7. This
arrangement consists of worm wheels q,. at each side of the suspension-beam which
are actuated by worms and crank-handles t; the latter when operated by hand
while the car is kept stationary enable the screw-spindles to be moved up or
down in the nuts as may be required for either raising or lowering that end
of the car.
Dated this 23rd day of Anonst 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
CRICIES TO Pted always.
I, ERNST ROST, of 103, Rosenstrasse, Dresden, in the Kingdom of Saxony,
German Empire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to aërial or suspension railways for passenger traffic
at great elevations upon fixed supports connected by cable which have the appear-
ance of chain-lines and the essential feature is the arrangement by which the
upper portion of the truck while always running parallel to the inclination of the
lines causes the lower movable portion to which the passenger carriage is attached,
to be compelled to remain in or to assume a strictly horizontal position by posi-
tive means.
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the drawings accom-

page_text: panying my Provisional Specification which show several convenient forms of
The mechanism.
In Fig. 1 the suspension beam B which carries the passenger carriage (see K
Fig. 8) is pivotally connected to the upper portion or truck W.
The line is designed by the letter F, and the two wheels R of the truck being
adapted to run thereon. On the wheel axles are worms arranged to act upon a
common shaft a furnished with two drums to each of which is attached a rope,
one such rope being wound on and the other off its drum according to the
direction of rotation of the shaft. Thus when the carriage travels a certain
distance a corresponding portion of rope is wound upon one drum and the same
amount unwound from the other drum. The ends of the ropes are secured to
the ends of the suspension-beam B. If now the carriage travels from left to right
to the further end of the line section the angle of the line and consequently
that of the truck with the horizontal decreases the front wheel rises until finally
it is at the same level above the left or rear wheel as it was below it at starting.
During the journey the rotation of the drums causes the right hand rope to be
unwound and lengthened while at the same time the left hand rope is shortened
by the same amount and thus the supporting beam B is constantly kept in a
horizontal position.
Fig. 2 shows an arrangement in which the connection between the beam B
and truck W is the same as in Fig. 1 and the truck wheels also cause the
rotation by worm gear, of a common shaft which latter by means of bevelled
wheels drives another shaft, b fitted with a drum c. On this drum are two ropes
so arranged that while the one winds up the other pays out and thus causes
the beam B to which the ends of the ropes are fastened to be constantly in a
horizontal position, same as is the case with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1,
and independent of the angular position of the truck.
The truck shown in Fig. 3 is provided with a third wheel d disposed between
the ordinary truck wheels R and serving to provide motion for the regulation of
the suspension-beam. To this end the axle of this intermediate wheel d is pro-
vided with a pinion e gearing with a toothed wheel f, this latter being rigidly
connected with the drum g on which is wound a wire rope. One end of the
suspension beam B is pivotted at h to the truck W and the other end is connected
to the rope wound upon the drum g. During the journey from right to left the
rotation of the drum g causes the rope to be shortened to exactly such an amount
as to ensure that the beam B and with it also the passenger car (see K, Fig. 8)
is in a horizontal position when arriving at the other end of the line-section.
During the journey from left to right the rope is paid out in the proper manner
to keep the passenger car horizontal.
In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the axles of the truck wheels Rare
provided with sprocket wheels and endless chain giving motion to an intermediate
chain wheel i, guide rollers k, k being used to keep the chain in engagement with
the wheel i.
On the shaft of the wheel i is keyed a small chain wheel 7 for driving a
wheel m in connection with a drum n. The gear is so calculated that during
the journey the drum n always draws in, or pays out the exact amount of
rope to keep the beam B horizontal, the latter being suspended from the truck
in the same manner as shown at Fig. 1 and 2.
The
In the construction shown in Fig. 5 both truck wheels running on the line F
communicate the movement to a shaft provided centrally with a worm o.
beam B for carrying the passenger car is formed at top with a segmental rack
which is in gear with the worm o. During the journey from left to right the
upper portion W turns upon the pivot or suspension of the beam B in an opposite
direction to that of the hands of a clock while the worm o driven from the truck
wheels acts upon the beam B in such a manner as to prevent the latter from
deviating to any perceptible extent from the horizontal either in its initial or
in its intermediate or in its end position.

page_text: In Fig. 6 an electrical arrangement is shown for positively keeping the
passenger car in a horizontal position, this arrangement being also effective for
keeping the passenger car in its horizontal position while travelling over irregular
inclines in the line, such as travelling over suspension pillars or columns. The
armature A of an electro-motor is adapted to revolve in both directions and the
beam B is provided with an endless rectangular shaped tubular body p fitted
to a certain height with mercury and furnished at its upper portion with a
throttle valve which permits only a slow raising and falling motion of the mercury
in the vertical portions of the body p. At the level of the mercury in the vertical
glass portions of pare inserted platinum wires and a third wire is provided at
the lowest portion of p. The two upper wires in the vertical portion are not
in contact with the mercury when the beam B and passenger car are in a
correct horizontal position. But directly the passenger car (K, Fig. 8) inclines
slightly one or other direction the platinum wire at the lower side is brought
into contact with the mercury thereby closing the circuit from the accumulator
battery B to the motor which thereupon regulates towards the left or the right
until the intervening mechanism has returned the beam B and passenger-car to
its normal horizontal position, when the circuit becomes again interrupted.
The mechanism device for transmitting the motion to the suspension beam B
comprises a worm o' fast on the armature shaft, the worm gearing with a worm
wheel provided at one end of a shaft a¹ which at its other end has a worm.
This second worm gears with a worm wheel o² which drives the drum f¹ and
so effects the relative adjustment between the beam B and truck W similarly to
Fig. 4. Obviously the electrical device may be used in conjunction with any
other mechanical mechanism for regulating the position of the beam B.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, similarly to Fig. 3 three truck wheels
are used while in like manner the beam B is suspended by one end from a bolt /
in the truck W. The other end of the beam is carried by means of two screw-
spindless with screw-nuts attached to the truck W in such a manner as to
enable them to revolve but not move endwise. On turning the nuts s¹ by means
of worm wheels 2 in one or other direction the screws connected to the beam B
will be raised or lowered. The rotary motion for the worm wheels 2 and nuts si
connected therewith is obtained through the intervention of two worms. These
wheels as also the screw-spindles s are arranged at the two sides of the parts W
and B and they are driven by the middle truck-wheel through the intervention
of chain and chain wheel and spur wheel mechanism, in such a manner as to
keep the suspension beam B with the passenger car horizontal in any position
of the truck W.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 a third truck wheel is also used and by
means of a worm o¹ drives the shaft a¹ which by means of its own worm actuates
a worm wheel o² fast with the drum f. This drum is wound similarly to those
shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6 i.c. the one end of the rope is drawn in, or shortens,
while the other end pays out and so effects the adjustment of the beam B and
passenger car relatively to the truck W. This construction also, like all the pre-
vious ones, is so geared as to provide for the passenger car being in a horizontal
position when arriving at the other end of the line section, while in any intermediate
position the deviation from the horizontal is insignificant.
In the arrangement Fig. 9 there are provided four suspension screw-spindles
adapted to be raised or lowered by rotary nuts &¹ cast integral with worm wheels >²
and rotated by intermediate gear, chain and toothed-gear, from the middle truck
wheel after the manner indicated in Fig. 7.
1
Fig. 10 as compared with Fig. 7 shows the difference that the motion for the
adjusting mechanism is obtained from the ordinary running wheels of the truck W.
To this end the wheels of the truck are coupled together by chain and chain
wheel mechanism and thus assist both in driving by means of a second chain the
adjusting mechanism as shown.
If after time the passenger-car should no longer hang strictly horizontal its posi

page_text: tion may be re-adjusted by the arrangement shown for example in Fig. 7. This
arrangement consists of worm wheels 7, at each side of the suspension-beam which
are actuated by worms r and crank-handles t; the latter when operated by hand
while the car is kept stationary enable the screw-spindles to be moved up or
down in the nuts st as may be required for either raising or lowering that end
of the car.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
A passenger aerial railway for sectional suspension traffic characterized by the
passenger-car being always kept in a horizontal position by positive means, such
means being operated from the wheels and by the change in the incline of the
line-section, essentially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1900.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant,
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant,