Improvements in and relating to Aerial Wire Railways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 14th May, 1897.
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897.
Improvements in and relating to Aerial Wire Railways.
W GERALD BUTLER BEERE of the Thames in the Provincial District of Auckland
and Colony of New Zealand Civil and Mining Engineer and DENNIS GILMORE
MACDONNELL of the City of Auckland in the said Provincial District of Auckland
and Colony of New Zealand Gentleman do herby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
―
The Skeleton Drum is held in position by top and foot bearings attached to
trestle work or such other supports as may be found most convenient and it can be
made any size from eight inches in diameter to any larger diameter required for
the character of the country over which the wire tramway passes, and for inside
tunnel work it may be reduced to a diameter of six inches. It can be fixed vertically
to carry the cable round any angle required or horizontally for the purpose of
guiding the cable up and down any incline. It revolves with the cable and its
skeleton nature and construction admits of the suspension rods attached to the
buckets and their clips on the cable passing it on all sides easily and with but little
friction and it enables the buckets so attached to the cable to be carried around
any sharp or other turn and up and down any incline. A vertical drum has two
runners placed near it one on each side held in position by such supports as may
be found most convenient to prevent the cable being pulled off the drum by the
weight of the load carried in the bucket. A horizontal drum does not require
runners to keep the cable in position on the drum. The terminal Drums are
supplied with breaks and the buckets discharge their contents into the hopper
or other receptacle at the discharging end by an automatic action righting them-
selves when empty or they can be righted at the supplying end before being again
filled. Angle Drums can be placed where required.
The space between the cable moving in a given direction and returning in the
opposite direction is set sufficiently wide to allow the buckets to pass one another
without coming into contact throughout the entire, length of the wire tramway
The buckets have a capacity equal to one and a half hundred-weight of material
to be carried and they may be attached to the cable at distances of fifty yards. The
trestle work supporting the cable and drums owing to its proximity to the surface
of the country can be erected at as short intervals as may be thought necessary
thus giving greater support to the cable and taking off the strain that would other-
wise accrue to it. In a line constructed on this principle the cable need not be as

page_text: thick as for longer intermediate distances but can be reduced in size and weight
to suit the altered circumstances or if thought advisable the buckets can be in-
creased in number. To meet ordinary demands a distance of about one hundred
and fifty yards should intervene between the sets of trestle work. Friction on the
drum will be reduced to a minimum owing to its action of revolving with the cable
and its system of revolving pipes.
If the line of tramway has a fall from the mines mouth to the battery or between
any two or more fixed points the cable will work by gravitation and return the
empty buckets to be refilled but if the intervening country is level or other causes
exist to prevent gravitation then such power wil be used as may be found most
suitable for the purpose of moving the buckets along the cable.
The accompanying drawings with the figures and details shown thereon more
201 explain this invention.
Figure 1 shows a continuous line of wire tramway (or cable) constructed to run
round head or terminal drums U¹ and U2 and round angle drums T starting at
terminal drum U₁ and returning thereto after having passed round other terminal
drum U2 and all intermediate or angle drums .T.
Figure 2 shows elevation of a line of wire tramway running up and down in-
clined ground with sets of trestle work for supporting the cable and drums at an
average height of not more than fifteen feet from the ground.
Figure 3 is a plan or horizontal view of the Skeleton Drum having half inch
punctured iron or five eighths of an inch castings plates A for head and foot of
Drum. Strengthening iron plates B above and below A plates. Top of shaft or
axle C. Tops of ribs D. The wire cable E, clip G and top of rods H are also
shown.
Figure 4 gives a vertical view of Skeleton Drum showing its different parts
namely: Punctured iron plates A. Strengthening iron plates B. Shaft or axle C
two and a half inches in diameter turned at both ends to one and half inch in
diameter and encased by an iron pipe F within the drum bolted to plates A
and B top and bottom. Ribs D being three quarters of an inch iron rods bolted to
plates A and encased in iron piping N (loosely fitted) which revolves round each
rod as the cable passes over its surface. As many of these ribs can be used as may
be found necessary. The cable E is shown passing round the drum having the
clip G attached to cable, the clip is connected by the joint O with the suspension
rods H and they support the bucket L and M as shown with one of the runners R
placed near clip G. L represents front view and M end view of the bucket with a
plan of tip lever. The object of the joint O is to permit the rods to maintain
a vertical line on descending or ascending steep inclines and thereby to retain the
buckets in true horizontal suspension. The ends of the shaft or axle C are turned
to one and a half inch in diameter and reach sufficiently beyond drum to extend
to and enter the head and foot bearings J and K respectively as shown. The heads
or punctured plates A when fitted on the shaft or axle C will stand two feet six inches
apart in the case of a drum having a diameter of two feet (as in this figure) and
the distance will increase or decrease in proportion to the increase or decrease in
the diameter of the Drum. Vertical drums for angles will require a cast foot
bearing K and a head bearing-J-solid-at the upper side to prevent the axle being
pumped (by the action of the cable) out of the foot bearing. For horizontal drums,
bearings similar to head bearing J will answer for both ends of the shaft or axle C.
Figure 5 shows a section of shaft or axle C.
·
Figure 6 shows a section of ribs D.
The Skeleton Drum constructed as above described is held in position by the
head and foot bearings already referred to and acts in the manner indicated and its
effect is to lessen the cost of construction of wire tramways by reason of the low set
trestles and to provide for a greater number of buckets being used. The chief
advantages however which the Skeleton Drum gives this system over others is that
quartz stone or any material can be carried over the roughest and most
precipitous country around angles headlands and curves of every description and

page_text: up and down inclines no matter how abrupt they may be and from and into tunnels
and drives, and that the cable can be retained at a fair tension throughout its entire
length avoiding abrupt sagging when a bucket is approaching or leaving the
runners on the supports and reducing the strain and friction that would otherwise
accrue.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
up and down inclines no matter how abrupt they may be and from and into tunnels
and drives, and that the cable can be retained at a fair tension throughout its entire
length avoiding abrupt sagging when a bucket is approaching or leaving the
runners on the supports and reducing the strain and friction that would otherwise
accrue.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
:-
First. The Skeleton Drum and the combination of its different parts as before
described.
Second. The method of applying the Skeleton Drum to the working of wire
tramways as before described and illustrated by the drawings herewith.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.