Improvements in or relating to Switchback Railways and Cars therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Switchback Railways and Cars
therefor.
We, THOMPSON'S PATENT GRAVITY SWITCHBACK RAILWAY COMPANY
LIMITED and ALFRED BARNES PICKARD of No. 5 John Street, Adelphi, in the
County of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to switchback
railways and cars therefor whereby the cars are enabled to attain a level equal to
or above that from which they started, (hereinafter referred to as the starting
point), without the aid of manual power such as has heretofore been necessary for
this purpose.
To this end there is provided at or near the portion of track. that rises to a
height equal to or above the starting point, or at each of such portions where there
are more than one, means whereby the car is hauled or propelled upward and
forward in such a manner as to rise to the desired height.
According to one arrangement there is provided on or near the said portion of
track a travelling cable with which a clutch or gripper on the car can be caused
to engage either in an automatic manner, or by the operation, by hand, of suitable
mechanism when the car reaches the portion of track referred to, so that it will
then be hauled to the required height by the cable, after which the clutch or
gripper is disengaged from the cable either automatically or otherwise as may be
desired.
In another arrangement the portion of track referred to is provided with an
electric conductor connected to one pole of an electric generator, and in or upon
the car is an electric motor having its terminals connected to travelling contacts
one of which is arranged to make contact with the said conductor upon the arrival
of the car over or near to it, whilst another of the contacts makes connection with
a return conductor.
The portion or portions of line that rises or rise to a greater height than the
normal starting point may be at one end of the track or at a point or points between
the ends thereof.
In order to dispense with the sidings and crossings heretofore used at the ends
of the track and to enable the cars to circulate over the track in a continuous
manner, the going and return tracks are connected by curved or loop portions and
are so arranged that in plan the continuous track resembles two or more intersecting
loops, the apparently intersecting portions of which are at different levels.
Dated this 20th day of September 1892.
W. Lloyd Wise,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Switchback Railways and Cars
therefor.
We, THOMPSON'S PATENT GRAVITY SWITCHBACK RAILWAY COMPANY
LIMITED and ALFRED BARNES PICKARD of No. 5 John Street, Adelphi, in the
County of London, Engineer, 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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to switchback
railways and cars therefor whereby the cars are enabled to attain a level equal to
or above that from which they started, (hereinafter referred to as the starting
point), without the aid of manual power such as has heretofore been necessary for
this purpose.
To this end there is provided at or near the portion of track that rises to a
height equal to or above the starting point, or at each of such portions where there
are more than one, means whereby the car is hauled or propelled upward and
forward in such a manner as to rise to the desired height.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and plan of so much of a switch-
back railway as is necessary to illustrate the nature of this invention.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating
one arrangement of car with adjacent portion of track and means for causing the
car to rise to a higher level than the starting level.
Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 illustrating a modified arrangement hereinafter
referred to.
Referring to Figs. 12 and 3 A. A represent a double track which is of undulating
form and over which the cars travel as indicated by the arrows. B B are portions
of the track that rise to a beight above that of the starting portion A* and the
reversing end portion A² of the track. Each of the raised portions B of the track
is provided with an endless chain (or cable) C driven by an engine D, suitable
chain or other pulleys C¹ being provided to carry the said chain or cable flush or
practically so with one side of each of the inclined portions of the track. One of
the chains or cables serves for cars moving in one direction on one portion of the
track and the other for cars moving in the opposite direction on the other portion
of the track. Power is transmitted from the engine to one or other of the chain
wheels or pulleys C₁ of each pair by means of a counter shaft E' and belts E' E³,
one of these belts being open and the other crossed, as shown in order to move the
two chains in opposite directions to suit the direction of movement of the cars
running in the two portions of track.
Each car F is provided at its underside with pivoted tongues or pawls F' adapted
to engage with dogs or teeth C' carried by the chain or cable and moving in the
same direction as the cars, the arrangement being such that the said tongues or
pawls will ride freely over the dogs or teeth as long as the speed of the car exceeds
that of the chain or cable, but when the reverse is the case the dogs or teeth will
engage the tongues or pawls and so propel the car upward. Each chain or cable C¹
is arranged to travel at a convenient speed and its length is such that its lower end
is situated at a point well below that to which the momentum alone would serve to
carry the cars.
It will be evident that as the said cars ascend on one side of each of the raised
portions B and their speed consequently gradually diminishes, the dogs or teeth C
will engage the tongues or pawls F without shock and will carry the cars up to
the summit of the portions B over which they will pass and then descend on the
other side of each raised portion B by gravity, the tongues or pawls then becoming
automatically disengaged from the dogs or teeth C¹.

page_text: In another arrangement of which Fig. 4 is a detail view, each of the raised
portions B of track is provided with an electric conductor G that is connected to
one pole of an electric generator such as a dynamo, and in or upon the car D is an
electric motor H having its terminals connected to travelling contacts one of which I
is arranged to make contact with the said conductor upon the arrival of the car
over or near to it, whilst one or more other contacts, which may be the travelling
wheels of the car are arranged to make connection with a return conductor which
may consist of a portion of the rails over which the cars run as well understood.
When the electric motor is in action rotary motion is transmitted from its armature
shaft to the carrying wheels F' by endless ropes or chains J.
The highest portion or portions B of line provided with the hauling or
propelling devices, instead of being at intermediate parts of the track as shown
may obviously be arranged at or near one or each end portion thereof as may be
required.
In order to dispense with the sidings and crossings heretofore used at the ends
of the track and to enable the cars to circulate over the track in a continuous
manner, the track may be made continuous as shown, the going and return parts
being connected by curved or loop portions A' and the cars being mounted on
bogies or otherwise constructed to easily pass around the said curved or loop
portions; also the track may be arranged as shewn, so that as seen in plan, the
continuous track resembles two or more intersecting loops, the apparently
intersecting portions of which are at different levels as indicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. A switchback railway having a portion or portions thereof provided with
means whereby the cars in conjunction with suitable means carried thereby can be
automatically hauled or propelled upward on reaching such portion or portions
substantially as described.
2. A switchback railway having one or more raised portions provided with means
substantially as described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and in
Fig. 4 of the drawings annexed, for hauling or propelling cars constructed as
described and shown up such raised portion or portions as set forth.
3. The improved continuous switchback railway constructed as described and
shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings annexed.
00.1 1
CL1002
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.