Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1800
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1900 -Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1900 -Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
[Communicated from abroad by CHRISTIAN VON THAL, of 32, Moika, St. Peters-
burg, in the Empire of Russia, Civil Engineer, and ROMAIN WEISS, of 58,.
Rue Mont Valerien, Suresnes, near Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer]
therefor.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the Firm of D. Young and Co., 11 & 12,
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to suspension-railways and to cars or carriages therefor,
and is chiefly designed to improve the construction of such railways and cars or
carriages, and to increase their efficiency and safety and the speed at which the
cars or carriages can be driven.
An important feature of the said invention consists in an improved method of
connecting the car-trucks or bogies to the upper part of the car or carriage. For
this purpose the central pivot-rod whereby the car or carriage is suspended from
each car-truck or bogie, is extended downward completely through the car-body
and engages with the platform or underframe thereof by means of a strong
bolt-head or locked nut beneath the same, a ball or block of suitable elastic
material such, for example, as india-rubber or gutta-percha, being interposed
between the said bolt-head or nut and the underframe of the car, to deaden or
diminish any shocks or jars that may occur during the motion of the vehicle. The
upper end of the said pivot-rod is similarly connected to the bottom part or base
of the bogie-frame by means of a locked nut or a bolt-head. a ball or block of
india-rubber or other suitable elastic material being interposed between these
parts. At or near each angle of the bogie-frame there are fixed in the upper part
of the car, bolts or studs which serve to consolidate the attachment of the carriage
to the bogie; these bolts or studs extend through arc-shaped slots in the base of
the bogie-frame sufficient travel of the bolts or studs in the said slots being
allowed to permit the bogie to turn relatively to the car-body, without difficulty,
when the vehicle is passing around a curve of the minimum radius desired. Or
these bolts or studs may be fixed in the bogie and move in curved slots in the
upper part of the car or carriage. The upper ends; and also, if desired, the
lower ends of the said bolts or studs bear locked nuts, and between these nuts and
the base of the bogie-frame, or the upper part of the carriage-body, as the case
may be, are arranged balls or blocks of india-rubber or other suitable elastic
material so as to provide resilient connections between the body of the carriage
and the corners of the bogie-frame, which will prevent lateral swinging of the
vehicle, whilst permitting sufficient elasticity to deaden any shocks which may
be produced during motion.
The narrow overhead track, which is supported by pillars or posts placed at

page_text: suitable distances apart according to the nature of the ground, comprises rails
supported on transverse girders or sleepers firmly secured to a longitudinal girder,
which is suspended by means of cables from the said pillars. or posts, pairs of
pillars or posts being provided for a single track and triple pillars for a double
track.
The horizontal or longitudinal cables are so stretched or strained so that they
gradually approach each other as they extend away from the pillars or posts, and
the said pillars or posts are connected at the top by transverse girders or cross-
pieces rigidly secured so as to maintain the cables at the desired distances apart
where they are attached to the said pillars or posts. At the top of these pillars
or posts are provided rings or hook-shaped pieces through which the horizontal or
longitudinal cables are passed.
To the horizontal or longitudinal cables, are attached vertical or oblique cables,
which are thinner and support the longitudinal girder, at the bottom of which are
the transverse girders or sleepers bearing the rails.
:
The disposition of the cables strained towards the interior is designed to..pre-
vent, inclinations. The track, whilst preserving the necessary elasticity, is fixed
and maintains the centre of gravity of the carriage in the middle beneath the
rails, in such a manner that, if the load in the vehicle is all on one side, or there
is a breakage of the axles, the inclination taking place at the interior of the
wheels, the carriage can neither fall nor even be inclined, the angle of the vertical
line remaining practically the same.
However slight it may be, the inclination counterbalances the separation of the
cables at the passage of the pillars or posts, and affords, in conjunction with this
separation, a stability almost equal to that of an ordinary carriage on a railway-
line on the ground.
It will be seen, from the foregoing description, that, in this system of suspended
railway, all complications are removed, even to the springs usually indispensable
for the proper suspension of any vehicle, and this result is brought about by the
construction and combination of the car or carriage, the track and the means for
supporting the same as hereinbefore mentioned. The cables arranged as above
described, although very rigid, possess sufficient resiliency or elasticity in order,
with the balls or blocks of india-rubber or the like with which the pivots or sup-
ports of the carriage are provided, to afford a perfect smoothness of suspension
to the vehicle when travelling along the track.
The bogie can turn independently of the car or carriage, that is to say, there
is left thereto all the play necessary for the passage of curves of small radius with-
out having to pay attention to the speed acquired.
The connection and arrangement of the whole ensure the security of the rail-
way. The equilibrium of the carriage remains perfect notwithstanding all speeds,
which may be very high without fear of accidents or derailment.
The rails, as well as the wheels of the bogie, are sometimes inclined slightly
inwards, thus adding to the security of the system.
The axles of the wheels are preferably mounted in ball-bearings on the bogie.
The motor, if it is electric, can be placed in the interior of the vehicle, or exter-
nally on the bogie for example, in the wheel-frame. If it is a steam-motor, a
place in the carriage should. be reserved for the boiler and fuel; but electric driving
power is preferable, because, it requires less room, the electric current can be
supplied from conductors arranged parallel to the track, and a higher speed can
he easily obtained.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suspension-railways and in Cars or Carriages
therefor.
I, MARY JANET YOUNG, of "Glen Agnes," Chapter Road, Willesden, Executrix
of the late David Young, Patent Agent, of the Firm of D. Young & Co., 11 & 12,.
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention 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 suspension-railways and to cars or carriages therefor,.
and is chiefly designed to improve the construction of such railways and cars or
carriages, and to increase their efficiency and safety and the speed at which the
cars or carriages can be driven.
An important feature of the said invention consists in an improved method of
connecting the car-trucks or bogies to the upper part of the car or carriage. For
this purpose, I provide a central pivot-rod or king-bolt which extends through
the car-truck or bogie and through the car-body, its ends engaging with the
upper surface of the car-truck or bogie and with the under side of the car-body,
through balls or blocks of elastic material such, for example, as india-rubber or
gutta-percha, or through spiral or other springs. Around the said pivot-rod or
king-bolt, preferably near the angles of the bogie-frame, there are arranged
auxiliary bolts or studs which connect the car-body and bogie-frame through balls
or blocks of elastic material, or through spiral or other springs, and are mounted
in slots so as to enable the bogie to turn relatively to the car-body. These bolts
or studs control or prevent lateral swinging of the vehicle whilst permitting
sufficient elasticity to deaden any shocks that may be produced during motion.
By these means, moreover, the attachment of the car-body to the bogie-frame is
consolidated so that, in the event of the pivot-rod or king-bolt breaking, the car-
body will be suspended by the auxiliary bolts or studs and damage to the car-body
and its occupants will be prevented.
According to another part of the said invention, the overhead track is made
by suspending a girder by cables or chains from suitable supports as hereinafter
described so that, whilst preserving the necessary elasticity, the track maintains
the centre of gravity of the carriage in the middle between the rails.
The said invention moreover comprises other improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how the said invention can be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice:
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a section of track and car constructed
according to the said invention, and
Figure 2 a transverse vertical section on the line A-B, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view, drawn to an enlarged scale, illustrating details of the
chain supporting the track.
Figure 4 is an end elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating the
construction of the car.
Figure 5 is a partial plan view of the car drawn to the same scale as Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a side elevation showing a modified form of car adapted for use in
carrying parcels, messages and the like.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
'
a is the car-body or carriage which is suspended from two bogie-frames by
means of central pivot-rods or king-bolts c. These king-bolts extend downward
completely through the car-body and engage with transverse girders d forming
part of the platform or under-frame of the said car-body by means of strong bolt-
heads or locked nuts e beneath the same, balls or blocks f of suitable elastic

page_text: material such, for example, as india-rubber or gutta-percha, or spiral springs,
being interposed between the bolt-heads or nuts e and the girders d in the under-
frame of the car, to deaden or diminish any shocks or jars that may occur during
the motion of the vehicle. The upper ends of the pivot-rods c are similarly con-
nected to the bottom part-or base of the bogie-frames by means of locked nuts
or bolt-heads e and balls or blocks. of india-rubber or other suitable elastic
material, or spiral springs, are interposed between these parts, provision being also
made, in this case, for lateral or oscillating motion of the king-bolts and of the
car, by arranging a hemispherical block of metal or other suitable material.
below the block-f, this block engaging with a correspondingly-shaped recess in the
frame 6 so as to form a ball-and-socket connection. The king-bolts e are, in some,
cases, divided as shown, and the ends provided with right and left-handed screw-
threads respectively, engaging with a nut c¹ so as to enable the tension on the
blocks to be varied as required.
a curve
At or near each angle of the bogie-frame b, there are fixed, in the upper part
of the car, bolts or studs g which serve to consolidate the attachment of the car-
riage to the bogie; these bolts or studs extend through arc-shaped slots h in the
base of the bogie-frame, sufficient travel of the bolts or studs in the
said slots being allowed to permit the bogie b to turn relatively to'
the car-body c, without difficulty, when the vehicle is passing around
the
of the minimum radius desired, The upper ends of
bolts or studs g bear locked nuts g¹ and between these nuts and the base of
the bogie-frame, are arranged balls or blocks fof india-rubber or other suitable
elastic material, or spiral springs, so as to provide resilient connections between
the body of the carriage and the corners of the bogie-frame which will control or
prevent lateral swinging of the vehicle, whilst permitting sufficient elasticity to
deaden any shocks which may be produced during motion. Or, if desired, the
bolts or studs g may be fixed in the bogie and moved in curved slots in the upper
part of the car or carriage. Or, they can be provided with elastic balls or blocks
or springs at both their upper and their lower ends.
The shafts of the wheels s are mounted in suitable bearings in the bogie-
frames b, and the wheels which are used for driving the car are mounted on or
combined with the armature-shafts of driving motors 1 also mounted in the bogie-
frames b. If desired, the motors can be connected to the driving wheels s through
friction, belt, spur or other suitable gearing. Electric motors are shown to which
electric current is supplied in any suitable manner, e.g., by means of balls y
mounted on spring arms y' and engaging with conductors z extending along the
track, Figures 1 and 4.
The motor can also be placed in the interior of the vehicle. If a steam-motor
is used, a place in the carriage should be reserved for the boiler and fuel; but
electric driving power is preferable, because it requires less room, the electric
current can be supplied from conductors arranged parallel to the track, and a
higher speed can be easily obtained.
The narrow overhead track, comprises rails & supported on transverse girders
or sleepers which form part of a longitudinal girder m. The said girder m is
suspended, by means of tie-rods n, to plate-chains p which are preferably con-
structed as shown in Figure 3, and pass through and are bolted to rings or hook-
shaped pieces on the top of pillars or posts j. . These posts, in the example
shown, are triple, i.e., for a double track, and are arranged at suitable distances
apart according to the nature of the ground. In the case of a single track, pairs
only of pillars or posts are required. In order to provide for varying the tension
in the tie-rods n, the said ties are divided and the ends provided with right- and
left-handed screw-threads engaging with a nut », Figure 4.
The horizontal or longitudinal chains p are so stretched or strained, by means
of the vertical or oblique rods n and their nuts », that they gradually approach
each other as they extend away from the pillars or posts j, and the said pillars
or posts are connected at the top by transverse girders or cross-pieces q rigidly

page_text: secured so as to maintain the chains p at the desired distances apart where
they are attached to the said pillars or posts.
The great advantage of the suspended railway, consists in the centre of gravity
being below the level of the rails on which the wheels run and each wheel having
a separate axle, so that, if one wheel or axle become disabled, the safe running of
the carriage would not be interfered with as it would be impossible for the car-
riage to be turned over as would otherwise be the case where the centre of gravity
is above the rail bed.
It will be seen, from the foregoing description, that, in this system of sus-
pended railway, all complications are avoided even to the springs usually indis-
pensable for the proper mounting or suspension of any vehicle, and this result
is brought about by the construction and combination of the car or carriage, the
track and the means for supporting the same as herein before mentioned. The
cables or chains arranged as above described, although very rigid, possess sufficient
resiliency or elasticity to afford, in combination with the balls or blocks f of india-
rubber or the spiral springs with which the pivots or supports of the carriage are
provided, perfect smoothness of suspension to the vehicle when travelling along
the track.
•
The bogie can turn to a limited degree independently of the car or carriage,
that is to say, there is left thereto all the play necessary for the passage of curves
without having to pay attention to the speed acquired.
The connection and arrangement of the whole ensures the security of the rail-
way. The equilibrium of the carriage remains perfect whatever the speed, which
may be very high without fear of accident or derailment.
In Figure 5, there is shown a modified form of car adapted for use in the trans-
ports of mails, goods, and the like. This car is made with pointed ends 2 so as to
reduce the resistance which it offers to motion, and with doors 3 for the intro-
duction and removal of the contents. It can moreover be made of small size.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
my by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The improved car for suspended railways wherein the car-body is attached to
the bogie-trucks by means of central pivot-rods or king-bolts acting in conjunction
with auxiliary bolts or studs arranged around the said pivot-rods or king-bolts,
substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore described.
2. The combination, in a car for a suspended railway, of a king-bolt extending
through the bogie-frame and car-body and engaging with these parts by means of
blocks of elastic material, or springs, and auxiliary bolts or studs connecting the
said parts through elastic blocks, or springs, substantially as described.
3. The improved car constructed substantially as described with reference to
either of the forms or modifications shown in the accompanying drawings, for the
purposes specified.
4. The improved track suspended, by means of oblique or vertical ties, from
longitudinal cables or chains carried by posts, substantially as,
and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
5. The improved suspension railway wherein part of the elasticity or resiliency
is provided by the car or vehicle and part by the track, substantially as, and for
the purposes, hereinbefore described.
6. The improved suspension railway, constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the drawings, for the purposes specified.
Dated thin th
1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.