IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ROPE TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: 16
LETTERS PATENT to James Yate Johnson, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
TRACTION ROPE TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS" communicated to him from
Adolphus Bonzano, a person residing at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, in the
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Yate Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1883.
JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ROPE TRAMWAYS
OR RAILWAYS
"
a communication to me from abroad by Adolphus Bonzano a person residing at
Phoenixville Pennsylvania in the United States of America
The said Invention consists of improvements in traction rope tramways or
railways the principal object of the said improvements being to impart the
necessary lateral strength to the upper portion of the conduit.
The conduit is made in sections each of which is composed of rolled side plates
the upper portions converging towards each other angle iron bars being rivetted
to the plates at the upper edges of the same to form the groove and a bottom plate
extending preferably throughout the entire length of the section and secured to
the side plates by angle irons
The above described parts constitute a self contained girder of which the upper
angle iron bars are the upper chord and the bottom plate and angle irons the lower
chord the girder like section of a Conduit having in the top a continuous slot
large enough to admit the arm which extends from the car to the traction rope
within the conduit the said slot being formed as aforesaid by arranging the upper
angle irons at a suitable distance apart.
In order to strengthen the girder like sections forming the Conduit laterally at the
top so that they will resist the action of crossing Vehicles or other pressure from
the top or side there is secured to the underside of the Conduit a substantial and-
long beam (preferably of channel iron) and to this beam I rivet the lower ends of:

page_text: two inclined braces the former near one end and the latter near the opposite end
of the said beam
Both of these inclined braces extend nearly to the top of the conduit and are
rivetted one brace to an angle iron rib fastened on one side of the conduit and the
other to a similar angle iron rib fastened on the opposite side of the Conduit or the
said inclined braces may be connected in any suitable manner directly to the side
plates of the conduit.
As these braces extend upward past the points where the opposite sides of the
Conduit begin to converge great strength is imparted to the opposite sides of the
conduit
'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Yate Johnson in the Patent Office on the 3rd April
1884.
"
1
JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRACTION ROPE TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS
a communication to me from Adolphus Bonzano a person resident at Phoenixville,
Pennsylvania in the United States of America
The said Invention consists of improvements in traction rope Tramways or
Railways, the principal object of tho said Improvements being to impart the
necessary lateral strength to the upper portion of the conduit-I will explain the
Invention with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 represents
in transverse section a conduit constructed in accordance with this Invention-
Figure 2 being a perspective view of a part of the same.
The conduit is made in sections each of which is composed of rolled side
plates A. A with the upper portions converging towards each other, angle iron
bars B. B¹ being rivetted to the plates at the upper edges of the same to form the
groove and a bottom plate D extending preferably throughout the entire length of
the section and being secured to the side plates by angle irons E E-The above
described parts coustitute a self-contained girder of which the upper angle iron
bars B. B are the upper chord and the bottom plate D and angle irons E E¹ the
lower chord, the girder-like section of this conduit having in the top a continuous
slot large enough to admit the arm which extends from the car to the traction
rope within the conduit, the said slot being formed as aforesaid by arranging the
upper angle irons B. B' at a suitable distance apart.
In order to strengthen the girder like sections forming the conduit laterally at the
top so that they will resist the action of crossing vehicles or other pressure from
the top or side there is secured to the underside of the conduit a substantial and
long beam H (preferably of channel iron) and to this beam the lower ends of two
inclined braces K. K. are rivetted the former near one end and the latter near the
opposite end of the said beam

page_text: Both of these inclined braces extend nearly to the top of the conduit, and are
rivetted one brace to an angle iron rib I fastened on one side of the conduit, and
the other to a similar angle iron rib I' fastened on the opposite side of the conduit
or the said inclined braces may be connected in any suitable manner directly to
the side plates of the conduit.
As these braces extend upward past the points where the opposite sides of the
conduit begin to converge great strength is imparted to the opposite sides of the
conduit.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is.-
The combination of a conduit having a bottom plate D. and sides plates A. A¹
(the upper portions of which converge toward each other) with the transverse
beam H and braces K secured at their lower ends to the said beam and at their
upper ends to the side plates above the points where the latter begin to converge
substantially as hereinboforo described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
In witness whereof I the said James Yate Johnson have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this first day of April One thousand eight hundred and
eighty four.