Improvements in Overhead Rope Railways with Supporting and Traction Ropes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
COBIT DID DIDULTIVATION.
Improvements in Overhead Rope Railways with Supporting and
Traction Ropes.
I. BIRGER ISIDOR RYDBERG, Engineer, of Fagersta near Westanfors, Sweden,
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:
The arrangements of overhead railways or ropeways which form the object of
this invention for which I have applied for patent in Sweden the 30th May 1892
have chiefly for purpose partly the simplest possible connecting and disconnecting
gear between the wagon and the traction rope partly the conducting of the wagon
round curves in such manner that the wagon need not be disconnected from the
traction rope when rounding said curves.
The part serving for connection which consists of a clutch actuated by a lever
is represented on the annexed drawings in Figure 1 in side elevation partly in
section, in Figure 2 in plan and in Figure 3 in cross section.
Figure 4 Sheet 2 is an end elevation, Figure 5 a front elevation and Figure 6 a
plan representing the arrangement for carrying, the wagons round curves without
requiring the disconnection of the traction rope.
Figure 7 Sheet 3 is an end elevation and Figure
a side elevation of a modified
arrangement of overhead rope-railway and Figures 9 are detail views.
Figures 10 to 12 Sheet 4 are respectively end elevation plan and side elevation
showing an arrangement for permitting of varying the height and inclination of
the railway and Figures 13 and 14 are respectively end elevation and plan of detail
views.
a designates the body loop by means of which the body of the wagon is
suspended on the supporting rope, Figure 8. To the body loop are fixed two side
plates bb, between the ends of which the clutch is guided while their other ends
together with a pawl have for purpose to determine the position of the clutch.
The clutch is suspended directly over the traction rope A, so that the latter at
the lowering of the clutch will come between the opened jaws c c. The levers d
of the clutch are connected by means of links a' a', working on the same pivot a²
the ends of which pass through a slot 6 in both sides of the bow or clamp a' and
by means of forked links at a. The said pivot a is connected with the lever e f.
The parts connecting the levers d d. with the lever ef form a knee-jointed lever
serving to open and to close the clutch. The clamp as, the downwardly directed
ends of which clasp the clutch and support it, can move up and down between the
guides a fixed on the side-plates. The clamp moves with sufficient friction so that
the pivot a*, when the lever moves, first displaces itself along the clamp so as to
open or close the clutch and then the clamp participates in the motion so as to
raise or to lower the clutch. The friction of the clamp a³ is effected by means of
a spring a fixed between the legs of the clamp and exercising pressure against one
of the side plates.
The lever consists of two parts e and
of two rivets or bolts g and h of which
part while the other, traversing a slot g'
motion with respect to the part e.
and these parts are connected by means
serves as a pivot for the motion of the
in the part f determines the amount of
The part has for purpose to disengage the pawl 2, which with the one end
penetrates under the inner end of the part and with the other end engages
itself in the corresponding notch in the side plates bb thus maintaining the lever
depressed.
In this way
The disconnection is thus effected by raising the lever somewhat.

page_text: the pawl is disengaged after which the clutch is opened by the pivot a³ being
moved downwards in the slot in the clamp. The rope is then disengaged and
drops down in the supporting pulley situated immediately below. If the the wagon
is to be connected, the lever is raised a little more so that the opened clutch is
lowered and clasps the rope with its jaws.
an automatic
The lever being then returned, the clutch will first be closed after which it is
brought up into the position shown in Figure 1 with the rope pinched in the clutch.
With this mode of connection it will thus be easy to effect
disconnection as for this purpose it is only necessary to apply a fixed obstacle at
any desired place on the way which obstacle forms an inclined plane upon which
the lever fend is caused to slide up. The obstacle which must thus be placed in
the way of the lever end along the ropeway is indicated in Figure 8 in the shape
of a wedge d. The connection is made by hand or similarly it may be made
automatically as is the disconnection. In order to adjust the pressure of the clutch
upon the rope there is an adjusting screw d' above the clamp a' against which the
latter takes and which thus determines the distance between the pivot a³ and the
shaft of the clutch when the lever is pressed down as shown in Figure 1.
In lieu of a lever with pawl a lever without pawl may also be used which lever
is then provided with a counter weight applied at the outer end.
a rail k.
The arrangement for conducting the wagon round curves without requiring the
disconnection of the traction rope is represented in Figs. 4-6. The wagon when
passing round a curve is as usual supported not by the supporting rope A' but by
Close to that rail there is another rail k provided with rollers or
sheaves constituting guides for the traction-rope A. The before mentioned
clutch passes by the rollers and brings when passing a roller the rope from the
latter and when the clutch has passed the roller the rope again falls into the
same. The wagon being provided with two side rollers 'm m, Fig. 2, is then
supported by the rail as its side rollers run along the side of the rail.
shown on the drawing the rail k¹ consists of a lower flat plate and an upper angle-
iron which plate and angle iron are located at some distance from each other and
are united by bolts or rivets going through short tubes or intermediate distance
pieces. The rollers or pulleys supporting the traction rope are mounted in the
said rail and have their spindles or axles fixed to these, the upright flange k³ of
the angle iron constituting a path for the side rollers m m, see the dotted lines Fig. 1.
The rail may however evidently be formed in various other ways without departing
from the invention.
As
At the terminal station the arrangements are the same, that is to say the rail k¹
forms part of a circle just as the main rail and its rollers directed outwardly
constitute guides for the traction rope. The wagon runs with its side rollers m m
against the rail as described above while passing the part of the circle. If the
radius of the latter be not too great there may be used in lieu of a fixed rail a
horizontal pulley, around which the traction rope is caused to run. Against a
vertical flange of this pulley the wagon is caused to rest with its side rollers m m
while following a part of the circumference of the pulley, the rail k' is supported
by brackets m', on which are also mounted the rollers m³ of the supporting rope
Figure 4. Above rollers m² are fixed the rails k.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8 Sheet 3 the suspended bearings n of the rollers n¹
supporting the traction rope A along the line resemble the brackets m¹ and support
at the same time the supporting rope A' on the top.
The trestles consist of two crossed posts n³ n², two oblique stays n' n' and a cross
bar n. In order to avoid halving the posts into another at their intersection which
would weaken them and cause a waste of time and labour in their manufacture
there is an intermediate piece p between the posts and through this and the posts is
passed a bolt n². This intermediate piece is shown in Fig. 9 in plan and side
elevation. The same consists of two connected gutters or troughs which are
turned with their backs to one another and are crossed in the same way as the
posts n² n².
This piece is applied between the posts in such a way that one post is

page_text: placed in each gutter, after which the bolt n' is passed through the whole; the
posts will thus be solidly united to each other.
At the driving station or at such a station where the wagons are disconnected
from the rope and run out upon the inclined rails, these rails are with the view of
being given the inclination, placed in brackets moving vertically in guides, see
Figs. 10-14. Some of these brackets also support supporting rollers to the
traction rope Figs. 10-12. The vertical motion is effected by a screw n¹º actuated
by a handle n* and mounted in the guides n³ and held therein by means of two
collars n n. The screw works in a nut n' fixed on the bracket n as in an ordinary
lathe slide-rest but the adjustment may also be effected in many other ways as for
instance by a lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
First. In connection with over head rope railways provided with supporting and
traction ropes, a device for connecting and disconnecting the wagon to and from
the traction rope, consisting of a clutch fixed to the wagon and directed with the
opening of the jaws towards the rope, the clutch being secured to a sliding piece or
clamp moving with friction between guides and by means of a system of links,
constituting toggle levers, serving to open and to close the clutch connected with a
lever, the sliding piece being within certain limits independent of the motion of the
toggle levers and the lever all with the view that by raising the lever the clutch
may be opened for disconnecting the traction rope or be opened, brought to the
said rope closed and retired for catching the rope substantially as described and
shown with reference to Figs. 1. 2 and 3.
Second. In connection with overhead rope railways a lever consisting of two
parts e and of which the outer one f which can move a little with respect to the
other part on a pivot fixed to the latter has for purpose to disconnect a pawl fixed
to the part e which pawl gears into the frame b of the wagon and retains the lever
in position substantially as described and shown.
Third. In connection with overhead rope railways the arrangement of adjusting
screw d fixed in the frame of the sliding piece or clamp for determining the
position of the sliding piece with regard to the lever thus limiting the pressure of
the clutch on the traction rope.
Fourth. The modified arrangement of lever as secondly claimed consisting therein
that the same is not in two parts e and fand in lieu of a pawl 6 is at its outer end
provided with a counterweight.
Fifth. In over head rope railways provided with the mode of connection as
firstly claimed the arrangement for conducting the wagon round curves without.
necessitating the disconnection of the traction rope consisting of two side rollers m m
fixed to the wagon and of an extra rail in addition to the supporting rail which
extra rail is provided with rollers for guiding the traction rope and a flange k*
against which the above mentioned rollers m run substantially as described and
shown.
Sixth. The modification of the arrangement as fifthly claimed consisting therein
that at the terminal station in lieu of a fixed rail k' with pulleys k there is a hori-
zontal pulley around which the traction rope runs and at the circumference of
which there is a vertical flange against which the rollers m fixed to the wagon rest
when the wagon passes round the pulley.
Seventh. In overhead rope railways the arrangement of brackets n carrying
bearings for the rollers n' serving to support the traction rope which suspended
bearings constitute at the top supports to the supporting rope substantially as
described and shown.
Eighth. In overhead rope-railways an intermediate piece p for fixing the inter-
secting posts of the trestles together having two crossed gutters or troughs turned
back to back and fixed between the posts so as to place one post into each gutter

page_text: after which a bolt is passed through the posts and such intern:ediate piece
substantially as described and shown.
Ninth. For mounting inclined supporting rails used on overhead rope railways a
bracket vertically movable in a guide by means of a screw or a lever so as to admit
of the inclining the rail more or less to adjust it according to the incline required
and to which the supporting rollers n' of the traction rope are fixed substantially as
described and shown.
Tenth. The constructions of overhead rope railways and parts relating thereto
as shown on the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of August 1892.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.