IMPROVE- MENTS IN CABLE RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. Pat. A. of No 6 Lord Street Liverpool
in the county of Lancaster and of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CABLE RAILWAYS," (a communication from abroad by Charles B.
Fairchild of the city county and State of New York in the United States of
America School teacher,) to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to the traction of tram-way cars by means of endless
cables.
It consists primarily in the combination with the endless cable or wire rope laid
and supported in the customary manner upon a series of friction rollers or sheaves
between the rails of a cable railway and driven by a stationary engine, of a
second endless cable superimposed upon the driving cable to travel with it over
the same sheaves either along the entire length of railway or of its main cable or
along a portion thereof but which being wholly free from connection with the
engine or stationary machinery by which the main cable is driven, admits of being
led to run freely and continuously over a loose drum or pulley fitted upon a car
standing upon the rails and to carry the car with it whenever said pulley is made
fast or a grip is applied thereto.
It consists secondly in the combination with the car or cars running upon the
railway to be propelled by the endless cables of a loose drum or pulley mounted
upon the car and adapted to rotate loosely and freely in its bearings thereon, and
over which the secondary cable is led; this drum or pulley being fitted with a
suitable brake and brake lever adapted to lock and prevent its rotation and
thereby couple the car with the secondary cable so that the two shall move
together; and in the use in connection with this coupling drum or pulley of one
or more adjustable guide and tension pulleys around which the cable is led and
which by their approximation under the coupling drum are made to tighten and
take up the slack in the secondary cable and vice-versa.

page_text: It embraces thirdly, novel devices for coupling the secondary cable to the main
cable so that the former shall be propelled by the latter the same consisting of
conical rollers arranged vertically in pairs at suitable intervals along the length of
the main cable the lower portion of the rollers being grooved peripherally to
receive and embrace between them within the grooves and with a constant
frictional pressure said main cable so that the rollers shall be made to rotate by
its longitudinal movement. The secondary cable when dropped into the V-shaped
opening between the rotating rollers will be caught and gripped thereby and
propelled by their rotation in unison with the movement of the main cable.
The main endless wire rope or cable of the railway is laid and supported upon
a series of rollers or sheaves between the rails of the railway by preference in a
continuous sub-way sunken below the surface of the track and it is arranged to
be driven continuously in one direction by a suitable engine or prime motor in the
usual manner.
A second endless wire rope or cable is superimposed upon the first so as to be
carried over and supported upon the same set of sheaves but this secondary cable
instead of being carried with the first into connection with the prime motor is
made to completo. its endless circuit free from connection with any stationary
dovice. It is however made to move in unison with the main cable and to receivo
motion therefrom by being led at suitable intervals between the converging sides.
of vertical conical rollers arranged in pairs or in series of three so that their lower
ends will embrace between them the main cable with a fractional contact and a
pressure sufficient to cause the movement of the cable to produce their rotation.
The weight of the secondary cable will cause it to wedge in between the rollers
closely enough to cause their rotation to propel it in unison with the movement of
the main cable.
This secondary cable is led around a loose coupling drum or pulley fixed to
revolve freely in suitable bearings upon the frame of each of the cars to be moved
over the railway and it is lifted thereby from the conical gear rollers as the car
passes over them but readily drops back between them after passing over the drum
on the car. When this coupling drum on the car is left free to rotate in its
bearings the cable will run freely over it and the car will consequently remain
stationary upon the track. If however the coupling drum be inade fast so that it
may no longer turn upon its axis the car will thereby obtain a firm hold on the
cable so as to be coupled thereto and carried forward with it.
This locking of the loose drum or pulley so as to couple the car to the cable may
be produced by any of the well known mechanical devices for accomplishing such
a result and in a simple manner by means of a friction hand carried about the
periphery of the drum, one end thereof being fixed to the frame of the car and the
opposite free end arranged to be drawn up by means of a lever so as to tightly
clamp the drum when required.
The continuous slot or opening in the subway in which the cables are extended
and within which the friction and gear rollers are situated may be covered and
closed by a series of sliding plates actuated by springs to remain closed, and which
are opened as each car advances and kept open while it is passing by rods or
fingers depending from the car so as to permit the secondary cable to be lifted out
of the sub-way and dropped back therein.
The slack of the main cable is taken up and its proper tension maintained by
means of tension rollers or equivalent devices in connection with the driving drum
of the prime motor. The slack of the secondary cable is taken up and its tension
adjusted at pleasure by means of adjustable guide and tension rollers over which
the cable is led under the coupling drum or pulley upon the car and which will
operate to take up the slack by their approximation and to loosen it by their
separation.
The cars may be fitted with grips or mechanical devices to take hold of the
secondary cable as auxiliary to the use and operation of the loose drum or pulley
for said nurnose

page_text: The guide and tension rollers under the coupling drum on each car are preferably
supported upon suitable hangers so as to depend and move within the longitudinal
slot or opening in the subway and thereby serve to protect the cable from contact
with the edges of said opening as it passes up over the drum.
Dated this 0th day of June 1991
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
Per J. O. O'Brien,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. Pat. A. 6 Lord Street, Liverpool,
Lancashire, and 323 High Holborn, Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABLE RAILWAYS," (a coin-
munication from abroad by Charles B. Fairchild, New York, United States, School
Teacher), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Referring to the drawings annexed hereto, this invention relates to the traction
of tram-way cars by means of endless cables.
It consists primarily in the combination with an endless cable or wire rope A
laid and supported in the customary manner upon a series of friction rollers or
sheaves between the rails of a cable railway and driven by a stationary engine,
of a second endless cable D superimposed upon the driving cable to travel with it
over the same sheaves either along the entire length of railway or of its main
cable or along a portion thereof, as shown in the drawings, but which being wholly
free from connection with the engine or stationary machinery by which the main
cable is driven, admits of being led, to run freely and continuously, over a loose
drum or pulley H fitted upon a car standing upon the rails, and to carry the car
with it whenever said pulley is made fast or a grip is applied thereto.
It consists secondly, in the combination with the car or cars running upon the
railway to be propelled by the endless cables of a loose drum or pulley mounted
upon the car and adapted to rotate loosely and freely in its bearings thereon
and over which the secondary cable is led; this drum or pulloy being fitted
with a suitable brake and brake lever adapted to lock and prevent its rotation
and thereby couple the car with the secondary cable as shown so that the two shall
move together; and in the use in connection with this coupling drum or pulley of
one or more adjustable guide and tension pulleys around which the cable is led and
which by their approximation under the coupling drum are made to tighten and
take up the slack in the secondary cable and vice versa.

page_text: It embraces thirdly novel devices for coupling the secondary cable to the main
cable so that the former shall be propelled by the latter the same consisting of
conical rollers arranged vertically in pairs at suitable intervals along the length
of the main cable the lower portion of the rollers being grooved peripherally to
receive and embrace between them within the grooves and with a constant
frictional pressure said main cable so that the rollers shall be made to rotate
by its longitudinal movement. The secondary cable when dropped into the
V shaped opening between the rotating rollers will be caught and gripped thereby
and propelled by their rotation in unison with the movement of the main cable.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective of a cable railway in which the cars are
propelled by means of a secondary cable.
Figures 2 and 3 are elevations of the friction pulleys over which the two cables
are carried.
Figure 4 illustrates the improved conical gearing pulleys by which the movement
of the driving cable is communicated to the secondary cable.
Figure 5 a frictional roller mounted upon a vertical spindle and specially
adapted to carry the cables around curves.
Figure 6 a side elevation of the traction pulleys and devices by which the car is
coupled to the secondary cable.
Figure 7 a transverse horizontal section in line cx of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a side elevation illustrating a modification in the construction of the
traction and coupling devices.
Figure 9 is a section in line y y of Figure 8.
Similar letters indicate like parts in each and all of the Figures.
A represents the main endless wire rope or cable of the railway. This main
cable is laid and supported upon a series of rollers or sheaves B B between the rails
of the railway by preference in a continuous sub-way C sunken below the surface
of the track and it is arranged to be driven continuously in one direction by a
suitable engine or prime motor in the usual manner.
A second endless wire rope or cable D is superimposed upon the first so as to be
carried over and supported thoreon upon the same set of sheaves but this secondary
cable instead of being carried with the first into connection with the prime motor
is made to complete its endless circuit free from connection with any stationary
device. (See at left hand of Figure 4). It is however made to move in unison
with the main cable and to receive motion therefrom by frictional contact there-
with but preferably and more positively by being led at suitable intervals between
the converging sides of vertical conical rollers E E (see Figure 4) whose lower ends
are formed and properly grooved to embrace between them the main cable with
a frictional contact and a pressure sufficient to cause the movement of the cable to
produce their rotation. The weight of the secondary cable will cause it to wedge
in between the inclined sides of the rollers closely enough to cause their rotation
to propel it in unison with the movement of the main cable. The spindle of one
of the conical rollers in each pair is mounted upon a moveable block F to admit of
being adjusted by means of a set screw F1 to and from the opposite roller (see
Figure 4).
The secondary cable D is led round a loose coupling drum or pulley H (see
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9) fixed to revolve freely in suitable bearings upon the frame of
each of the cars to be moved over the railway and it is lifted thereby from the
conical gear rollers EE as the car passes over them and readily drops back
between them after passing over the pulley H. When the coupling pulley H on
the car is left free to rotate in its bearings the cable will run freely over it and the
car will consequently remain stationary upon the track. If however the coupling
drum be made fast so that it may no longer turn upon its axis the car will thereby
obtain a firm hold on the cable so as to be coupled thereto and carried forward
with it.

page_text: This locking of the loose dram or pulley H so as to couple the car to the cable
may be produced by any of the well known mechanical devices for accomplishing
such a result and in a simple manner by means of a friction band G (sec dotted
lines Figure 6) carried about a portion G¹ (see Figure 7) of the periphery of the
pulley one or both ends of the band G being drawn up by means of a lever or
levers J J actuated by brake wheels J' J' at each end of the car and connecting
chains J* J' so as to tightly clamp the drum when required.
Instead of locking the loose drum or pulley H by means of a frictional band G
actuated by the levers J the bearings of the drum or pulley may be formed iu
a sliding block or pedestal K. (see Figures 8 and 9) which is made to move up to
tighten the cable and press it against brake blocks L L on the frame of the car
by means of an endless screw M engaging a rack on the side of the block K the
shank of the screw being fitted with a double grooved pulley M over which
the chains from the brake wheels J'J' are led so as to effect its rotation as
required.
The slack of the main cable is taken up and its proper tension maintained in the
customary manner by means of tension rollers or equivalent devices in connection
with the driving drum of the prime motor. The slack of the secondary cable is
taken up and its tension adjusted at pleasure by means of guide and tension
rollers II mounted on each side of the coupling drum or pulley in line thero with
and in close proximity thereto (see Figures 6 and 8) and under which the secondary
cable is led. These may be made to operate to take up the slack by their approxi-
mation to the drum and to loosen it by their separation therefrom; or being fixed
the same result is obtained by a movement of the sliding pedestal K upon which
the pulley H is mounted.
The guide and tension rollers under the coupling drum on each car are preferably
BO supported as to depend far enough to allow them to enter and move within the
longitudinal slot or opening W in the sub-way C (see Figure 6) and thereby protect
the cable from contact with the edges of said opening as it passes up to and returns
from the drum or pulley H.
To facilitate the passage of the two cables around the curves in the road friction
pulleys VV (see Figures 1 and 5) are mounted to rotate on vertical pintles these
pulleys being constructed with a groove d (Figure 5) around the base thereof to
receive the main cable and an offset e above the groove to receive the secondary
cable and allow it to be lifted therefrom and returned thereto in the passage of the
car above the same.
In the operation of my invention the endless main cable A being kopt in
constant motion will in passing between the conical rollers EE (Figure 4) which
bear closely thereon cause their rotation. The superimposed endless secondary
cable D led between the converging faces of each pair of these conical rollers will
by its weight so engage said rollers as to be carried continuously forward thereby
in unison with the main cable and as it admits of being readily lifted from
between the rollers which propel it and does not engage any fixed or stationary
mechanism it passes readily over the drum or pulley H fitted under each car of
the railway. So long as said pulley H is left wholly free to rotate loosely in its
bearings the cable running freely over it will have no effect upon the car; but by
locking the pulley through a movement of the brake wheels J actuating the
friction band G (Figure 6) or opering the screws M (Figure 8) to elevate the pulley
the car becomes fastened to the secondary cable and is carried forward thereby.
The movement of the brake wheels to lock the secondary cable may be made to
operate simultaneously to release the ordinary brakes from the car wheels. As in
locking the loose pulley H it becomes tightened very gradually any sudden jerk
of the car in starting is prevented for the pulley will move more or less until the
car has acquired the same rate of movement as the cable. The release of the
secondary cable from the grip of the conical pulleys is greatly facilitated by their
conical form which in their rotation tends so soon as an upward inclination
is given to the cable to work it upward out from between them while the

page_text: '
corresponding inclination of the cable as it drops back from the car tends in
like manner to cause it to work in between the rotating rollers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1st. In a cable railway the combination with an endless main driving rope or
cable geared to the prime motor of a second superimposed endless rope or cable
moving continuously with the main cable independently of any connection with
the prime motor substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.
2nd. In a cable railway the combination with an endless main driving rope or
cable geared to the prime motor a second superimposed endless rope or cable moving
continuously with the main cable independently of any connection with the prime
motor and a car running upon the railway of a mechanical device mounted upon
the car to engage the secondary rope or cable and couple the car thereto or
release it therefrom substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein seb
forth.
3rd. In a cable railway the combination with an endless main driving rope or
cable geared to the prime motor a second superimposed endless rope or cable
moving continuously with the main cable independently of any connection with
the prime motor and a car running upon the railway of a loose pulley mounted
upon the car and over which the secondary cable is led and a brake lever adapted
to lock said pulley substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set
forth,
4th. The combination in a cable railway with a car running upon the railway
and with an endless main driving rope or cable geared to the prime motor and
a second superimposed endless rope or cable moving continuously with the
main cable independently of any connection with the prime motor of a grip or
clamping device mounted upon the car to be operated therefrom to embrace the
two cables and which is adapted when open to allow them to pass freely through
it, and when closed to clamp and bind them firmly together, substantially in the
manner, and for the purpose herein set forth.
5th. In a cable railway, the combination, with the two superimposed cables, of
a series of vertical conical rollers arranged in pairs, each pair being made to embrace
the main cable between them with close frictional contact, so as to be rotated
thereby, and to receive and engage the secondary cable between their inclined
rotating surfaces, substantially in the manner, and for the purpose herein set forth.
6th. In a cable railway, the combination, with its secondary cable superimposed
and driven by the main cable and led over a drum fitted upon a car moving over
the railway, of guide pulleys fitted beneath the drum on either side of its axis and
adapted to engage said cable, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein set forth.