Improvements in Elevated or Over-head Railways and Railway Cars.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elevated or Over-head Railways and Railway Cars.
I, JOHN BRADY, Engineer, residing at Blackwells Island, New York, in the
County and State of New York, United States of America, 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 relates to improvements in elevated or over-head railways and
railway cars, and the object thereof is to provide a structure adapted to take up
but small space in the width of a street or road and at the same time carry a
double line of cars one above the other.
The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the
annexed claims.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification; Figure 1 is
a side elevation of a section of my improved railway; and Figure 2 is a cross
sectional elevation, taken on a line of Figure 1.
To
In the practice of my invention, I mount a double series of longitudinal angle-
iron supports A on uprights B, these said uprights being of any suitable or
adapted form and being strengthened by braces and cross beams B¹.
further strengthen the structure, angle iron braces b₁ are placed beneath the longi-
tudinal supports A. Resting upon the supports A is a series of cross-ties C, sup-
porting longitudinal traction rails D upon which the car 1 is adapted to run.
The longitudinal rails or supports A are supplied interiorly with projected
arms a, and these said arms carry traction rails D¹, upon which the car is carried
when it is used in its suspended position.
The cars are provided respectively with double sets of trucks 2 and 3, the
trucks 2 being mounted upon the bottom of the car and the trucks 3 on the top
thereof. To these trucks are secured by any suitable and adapted means, traction.
wheels 4 and 5. The wheels 4 are adapted for engagement with the rails D and
the wheels 5 for engagement with the rails D¹.
At suitable intervals along the length of the railway, stations are placed
adapted for communication with the cars. These stations comprise, respectively,
an upper platform E, and a lower platform E, the upper platform being on a
line with the car when it is running upon the upper rail and the lower platform
on a line therewith when it is running upon the lower rail. These said plat-
forms are reached by means of stairways e and e¹, and the whole structure is sup-
ported by any suitable means such as uprights ², and e
At the end of the road or preferably at each end thereof, is placed an elevator
or lift F, which is adapted for carrying the cars either in an upward or down-
ward direction, and rails f are placed upon the floors of the elevator car for en-
gagement with the traction wheels 4 of the railway cars. The elevator car is
suspended from a suitable operating cable G, and it is operated by any suitable
and well known method and guided within a framework H.
In the operation of this road, it is evident that two sets of cars can be run
upon the same vertical line one below the other and in opposite directions with-

page_text: out in any way interfering with the same, for instance, the upper set of cars may
travel in the direction of the arrow 1, and.the lower set of cars in the direction
of the arrow 2, and one set will be boarded from the upper platform and the
other from the lower.
It is obvious by this method that it is-only- necessary to place stairways upon
one side of the track and the stations may alternate upon different sides of the
track if desirable. It is also obvious that a double track may be used, whereby
four sets of railway cars are operated within the same width of the street or road
as is usually required by two.
By the use of the elevator, it will be seen that the car can be transferred
from one set of rails to the other at will, whereby, they may be alternately sus-
pended from the lower rails by means of their trucks 3 carried upon the upper
rails by means of trucks 2.
Having now particularly. described. and ascertained the nature of my. said
invention, and in what manner the same. is to be performed, I déclare that what.
I'claim, is
1. An elevated railway, comprising a double set. of: rails: one above the other;
and elevators at the ends of the road adapted for engagement respectively with
the upper and lower rails, whereby cars may be carried to and from said 'road,
substantially.as shown and described.
2. In an elevated railway structure, the combination of two sets of rails situated:
one above the other, and double platforms communicating with stairways leading-
to and from the street, and means for supporting the structure; with elevators
located at the ends of the road for raising and lowering cars, whereby they may
be placed either upon the upper or lower set of trucks, substantially as shown and
described.
3. The combination of an elevated railway structure, comprising an upper and
a lower set of rails and double platforms and stairways leading to said structure,
and elevators located at each end of the railway with cars having traction wheels
secured respectively to their top and bottom surfaces, the top set of traction
wheels adapted for engagement with the lower set of rails for suspending the car
and the lower set of traction wheels adapted for engaging the upper set of rails, for
supporting the car, whereby the car may be alternately supported upon the upper
rails or suspended from the lower rails, substantially as shown and described.
4. A railway car having a set of traction wheels secured to its lower surface
and a set of traction wheels secured to its upper surface, whereby it may be alter-
nately carried upon one set of rails and suspended from another, substantially as
shown and described.
0
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,.
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.