Year: 1886

page_text: I, RICHARD HERBERT LAPAGE of Bank Chambers, 109 New Oxford Street in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows: —
My invention relates to means of causing a vehicle or a train of vehicles to
ascend steep inclines. For this purpose I fix on the vehicle or on several vehicles
several cylinders having their axes parallel to the rails, each cylinder being fitted
with a piston and piston rod. At the end of the piston rod is a clamp which may ;
be of the kind used as a pawl in silent feed gear, or may consist of parts pressed
together by fluid pressure. When the piston is at the end of its stroke towards
the front, the clamp is made to take firm hold of a rail or stationary rope or chain
and then the piston being subjected to pressure the cylinder and vehicle are
pushed forwards until the piston is at the rear end of the cylinder. At this time
the clamp is released and the piston and clamp are caused by pressure acting at
the rear end of the cylinder to advance until the stroke is completed, whereupon the
clamp is again made to take hold. Thus step by step, by alternately clamping,
pushing forward, unclamping and drawing forward the clamp, the vehicle or the
train of vehicles is propelled up the incline. I prefer to arrange the valves for
admitting the pressure to the several cylinders, to act in rotation so that while the
clamp of one is being withdrawn, that of another of them is keeping hold and.
acting for propulsion. The cylinders may be supplied with steam or with other
fluid or water under pressure. When the clamp operated by pressure I make it
in two parts each connected to a piston in a cylinder, or the one connected to the
piston and the other to the cylinder, I admit the fluid under pressure to act
between the two pistons or between the piston and the cylinder end thus moving
the two parts of the clamp so as to grip between them the rail or the stationary
rope or chain. On relieving the pressure the clamp is released and counterweights
or springs or pressure acting in the opposite direction may be used to assist the
release. When a clamp of this kind is employed, the cylinder in which the
pressure acts on the clamp is preferably connected with the propelling cylinder,
so that the clamping and unclamping take place simultaneously with the alter-
nation of pressure on the propelling piston. These or similar auxiliary clamps
acted on by fluid pressure may be employed as brakes in descending the incline,
the pressure being regulated to give such friction as may be required.

page_text: I, RICHARD HERBERT LAPAGE of Bank Chambers, 109 New Oxford Street in
the County of Middlesex, Civil 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
My invention relates to means of causing a vehicle or a train of vehicles to
ascend steep inclines. For this purpose I fix on the vehicle or on several vehicles
several cylinders having their axes parallel to the rails, each cylinder being fitted
with a piston and piston rod. At the end of the piston rod is a clamp which may
be of the kind used as a pawl in silent feed gear, or may consist of parts pressed
together by fluid pressure.
When the piston is at the end of its stroke towards the front, the clamp is made
to take firm hold of a rail or stationary rope or chain and then the piston being
subjected to pressure the cylinder and vehicle are pushed forwards until the piston
is at the rear end of the cylinder. At this time the clamp is released and the
piston and clamp are caused by pressure acting at the rear end of the cylinder to
advance until the stroke is completed, whereupon the clamp is again made to take
hold. Thus step by step, by alternately clamping, pushing forward, unclamping
and drawing back the clamp, the vehicle or the train of vehicles is propelled up
the incline. I prefer to arrange the valves for admitting the pressure to the
several cylinders, to act in rotation so that while the clamp of one is being
withdrawn, that of another of them is keeping hold and acting for propulsion.
The cylinders may be supplied with steam or with other fluid or water under
pressure. When the clamp is operated by pressure I make it in two parts each
connected to a piston in a cylinder, or the one connected to the piston and the
other to the cylinder, I admit the fluid under pressure to act between the two
pistons or between the piston and the cylinder end thus moving the two parts of
the clamp so as to grip between them the rail or the stationary rope or chain. On
relieving the pressure the clamp is released and counter weights or springs or
pressure acting in the opposite direction may be used to assist the release. When
a clamp of this kind is employed, the cylinder in which the pressure acts on the
clamp is preferably connected with the propelling cylinder, so that the clamping
and unclamping take place simultaneously with the alternation of pressure on the
propelling piston. These or similar auxiliary clamps acted on by fluid pressure
may be employed as brakes in descending the incline, the pressure being regulated
to give such friction as may be required.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal section of a propelling
cylinder and clamp according to my invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse section of
the clamping apparatus and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a modified form
thereof. The cylinder A which may be a hydraulic cylinder as shewn, is fitted with

page_text: a piston B having a tubular trunk stem C which has at its end the clamping
cylinder D. The annular space around the trunk C may be always in communi-
cation with the water or liquid under pressure, which is alternately supplied to
and discharged from the cylinder A by the action of any known slide or other
valve, so that the piston B and with it the clamp cylinder D is caused to reci-
procate, D being guided along a bar or guide L. Within the cylinder D are two
pistons E and F the space between which communicates through the tubular rod C
with the cylinder A, so that when fluid under pressure acts in A pressing the
piston B towards the right, the pressure acts also in D forcing the piston E upwards
and F downwards. The piston E is connected by a rod J with hook jaws I which
catch under a rail G, and the piston F has projecting from it blocks K (as shown
separately in. Figs. 4 and 5) which bear on the upper side of the rail G. The rail
being thus clamped between I and K while the pressure is acting in A tending to
propel B to the right, the head D and piston B are kept stationary, and con-
sequently the cylinder A and the vehicle to which it is attached are propelled
towards the left. When the pressing fluid is discharged from A the clamps I
and K are released, and the piston B makes its back stroke subject to the pressure
on its annular area; The slight back stroke of the pistons E and F to slacken the
clamp may be effected by springs drawing them together, or they might be arranged
as trunk pistons with fluid pressure constantly acting on their annular areas so as
to force them together when the pressure forcing them apart is relieved. When
the clamp is arranged as in Fig. 3, a ring H prevents the jaws I from spreading
apart. This ring can be raised and the jaws I can be folded up when the clamping
action is not required. Fig. 6 is a part longitudinal section and Fig. 7 is a
transverse section of the head D of the piston trunk C provided with a clamp
operating in the manner of a silent feed clamping the rail G between the hook
jaws II and the cam pawl K, which is strained by a spring tending to engage it
when D moves to the right. Figs. 8 and 9 shew a modified arrangement of clamp
operating as silent feed. In this case the hook jaws I jointed by slotted. holes to
the piston rod C which terminates in a wedge piece M that in moving towards the
right advances under the head of the jaws I and strains their hooks tightly up
against the head of the rail G during the forward stroke, releasing them during the
back stroke. In Figs. 10 and 11 are shown in transverse section and in side view
an arrangement of clamp acted on by the fluid pressure to grip the rail G at the
sides of its head. In this case the piston E when subjected to the pressure draws
the jaw N towards D and thus the rail G is firmly held until the pressure is
relieved. The guide L is round so as to allow the cylinder D to accommodate
itself laterally to the rail. Figs. 12 to 15 inclusive shew an arrangement of two
propelling cylinders acting in combination with one clamp, Fig. 12 being a longi-
tudinal section partly in elevation, Fig. 13 a transverse section through the
cylinders, Figs. 14 and 15 respectively a sectional plan and a transverse section of
the clamping cylinder. A A are the two cylinders each having a piston B to
which is spherically jointed a tubular rod Ċ within a trunk. The two rods c
are connected to and communicate with the clamping cylinder D which has
rollers O running on the rail G. In the cylinder D are fitted the two pistons E
and F which when forced apart by the fluid pressure cause the rail head to be
firmly clamped.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The herein described method of effecting locomotion on steep inclines by
giving to and fro movement to a clamp which alternately grips and releases a
stationary rail, rope, or chain, thus advancing step by step the vehicle on which
the clamp is mounted.
2. For effecting locomotion on inclines in the manner referred to in the preceding
claim the construction and use of apparatus substantially as herein described with

page_text: reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, Figs. 10 and 11, and Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15, wherein
the fluid pressure which acts to propel the piston in the cylinder fixed on the
vehicle acts also in a cylinder at the head of the piston rod causing the clamps to
grip the rail or its equivalent.
-
3. For effecting locomotion on inclines in the manner referred to in the first
claim, the construction and use of apparatus substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 6 and 7, and Figs. 8 and 9 wherein the piston rod carries at its
head a clamping device operating as a silent feed to clamp during the forward
stroke and release during the back stroke.
D
154.נ
1000