Improvements in Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1895-Accepted 8th June, 1895
[Communicated from abroad by INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION Co.,
a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New
Jersey, and located at 26, Cortlandt Street, New York, United States
of America]
Improvements in Railways.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 improvements in railways, and particularly in the
propelling mechanism for diving railway cars The object of my invention is to
produce a simple, practical and powerful mechanism, which may be conveniently
applied to either surface, overhead or underground systems of railways, which
employs a screw as the main driver of the cars, which has a convenient gear
mechanism carried by the cars to engage the screw, which has means of automatically
raising a portion of the gear mechanism on the car to enable it to successfully pass
the couplings of the screw, which has means for placing the speed of the car under
easy control, and which, in general, is adapted to provide a comparatively cheap
and easily controlled means of propelling all kinds of rolling stock
To these ends my invention consists of curtain features of construction and
combination of parts, which will be hereinafiei described and claimed
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views
Figme is a broken plan view of a railroad, showing my improvements,
and illustrating also a curve which shows the means of connecting adjoining sections
of the driving screw;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of Figure 4, and shows
the driving mechanism which is carried by the can track and is driven by the screw
on the track,
Figure 4 is a bioken sectional plan of the mechanism shown in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation of the hanger which is suspended.
from the car truck, the worm gears connected with the hanger and engaging the
diving screw on the track, the carriage for raising the worm gears, and the
swinging shaft which forms a part of the driving gear of the truck;
Figure 6 is a detail cross section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5,
Figure 7.18 a detail cross section on the line 7-7 of. Figure
Figure 8 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of the gear coupling connecting
adjoining sections of the main driving screw on the track; and
Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation of one part of the gear coupling shown in
Figure 8.
The mechanism-embodying any, invention as used in connection with the ordinary
rack rails 10, which, as illustrated, are supported on customary sleepers or ties 11,
and which may be arranged in any usual way, whether on the surface of the ground,

page_text: or overhead, or underground. Between the track rails, and parallel therewith, 18
the main driving sciew 12, which is supported in suitable hangers 13, and which is
turned by any suitable means, this means not being illustrated, as it is obvious that
the screw may be turned in many ways.
Figure 1 shows the manner in which the screw is carried around a curve, and
as it is evident that the screw cannot be bent to the curve, the adjoining sections at
such a point are connected by bevel gears 14. To provide for additional strength,
and to hung the tops of the gears as low as possible, the gear coupling shown in
Figures 8 and 9 is preferably employed to connect adjoining sections of the
screw 12, when the sections are at an angle to each other This construction showing
gears 15 on the adjacent ends of the screws, which gears are preferably of about the
same dimineter as the screw sections, and each gear 15 meshes with a gear wheel 16
beneath it, the axle of which is journaled in a bearing 17 and carries a bevel gear
wheel 18, meshing with a gumlar wheel of the adjacent screw section
coull
It is obvious that the mechanism carited by a car and diren by the screw,
not, under normal conditions, pass the gear coupling just described, and to
automatically raise the said driving gear so that it may pass the coupling, guide rails 19
are used, which are arranged on opposite sides of the gem coupling and which are
hent upward in the center, as shown clearly in Figure 5. These guide rails
are adapted to engage the wheels 20 of the carriage 21, which is pivoted m
the center, as shown at 22, on the reduced end 23 of the shading section 24
of the hanger which carries the gear driven by the screw 12, and, consequently,
when the wheels 20 strike the guide rails 19 they lift the carriage and slide 24 and
the gearing caned thereby, so that the said geating passes safely over the
gear coupling and then drops into engagement with the sciow. The object of
having the carriage 21 pivoted in the center is to enable it to ride easily over the
guide rails 19
The reduced end 23 of the slide 24, which forms a part of the hanger-to be more
specifically alluded to presently-is at the bottom formed into a hood or
shield 25, which fits closely over the top of the screw 12 without touching the same,
however, and this hood or shield has near the ends and on opposite sides, lug 26
on
which are pivoted the hanger armis 27, which extend upward and carry
shafts 28, to each of which is secured a worm wheel 30, which engages and is driven
by the screw 12 The hanger aims 27 are also pivoted to the cariiage 21, and have
bottom flanges 27ª (see Figme 6), which extend beneath the hood or shield 25, so
that when the carriage 21 is raised the flanges have a tendency to lift on
the shield 25, and so steady the movement of the shield, while the flanges also serve
to prevent the hanger aims from tipping forward or backward
The shafts 28 enly gear wheels 30, which mesh with a gear wheel 31 arranged
between the two gear wheels 30, as shown best in Figure 5, and this central gear
wheel 31 is secured to a shaft 32, which is hung in a bearing box 33 on the lower
end of the slide 2+.
The shaft 32 cuiries a bevol gear wheel 34 which meshes with a horizontally
turning bevel gear wheel 35 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 36, which extends
through sleeve 37 on the slide 24 and is stepped at its lower end in a socket 38,
while its upper end extends through the top section 39 of the hanger 39", which
hanger is formed of the top section 39 just referred to and the slide 24 already
described. The slide 24 forming the lower sa tion of the hanger te cut away in the
center, as shown at 40, to provide for the turning of the gear wheel 35, and the said
slide is movable up and down in the depending arins 41 of the top section 39, and to
provide for any necessary lateral turning of the hanger, the top section 39 is provided
with curved ends having ribs 42 which turn in grooves 43 of a turn-table 44 which
turns or oscillates in grooves 46 of the cross bars 47, which are rigidly attached to
a frame 48, which is journaled on the axles 49 of the car wheels 50.
It will be seen from the above description, that when a cuive in the track is
reached the carnage 21 will ride easily over the guide rails 19, thus lifting the
worm wheels out of engagement with the screw 12, the slide 24 moving meanwhile

page_text: upward in the arms 41 of the top section 39 of the hanger 39, while in rounding
the curve the car truck will not interfere with the hanger, because the said
section 39 turns freely in the table 44, and the latter is also free to slide from side
to side in its supporting cross bars 47, and consequently the car swings around
the cui ve without in any way straining the gearing, and without bringing any
part of the machinery into injurious contact with the gear coupling of the driving
Bcrew 12.
The upper end of the shaft 36 extends through the bevel gear wheel 51, which
is held beneath the arm 52, which is secuted to the top section 39 of the
langet 39, and the shaft 36 is geared to the gear wheel 51 so that it may slide
upward through the same, but both shaft and gear wheel always turn together.
The gear wheel 51 meshes with and drives a bevel gear wheel 53 on one end of a
shaft 54, which is hung in a long bearing 55 on the table 44, and the opposite end
of the shaft 54 cutes a bevel gear wheel 56, which meshes with and dives a
two-laced bevel gear wheel, which is secured to a vertical shaft 58, which is
hung on a spider 59, this being supported on one of the car axles 49 and on a
countershaft 60, which is journaled in the frame 48. The lowe face of the geal
wheel 58 dives a bevel gear wheel 61, which 18 fast on the countershaft 60, just
refered to.
The shaft 60 is provided with a series of graduated gear wheels 62, 63, 64
and 65, which are loose on the shaft and connected therewith by means of
clutches 66, which are operated by levers 67, shown by dotted lines in Figure 4,
but these clutches and levers are not shown in detail because they form no part of
my invention and any well-known form of clutch may be used to connect the
said gear wheel igidly with the shaft. The gear wheels aforesaid drive gen
wheels 62, 63, 64 and 65, on one of the car axles 49, and it will be seen that by
thowing the gear wheel 62 into gear it will dive the gear wheel 62, and thus
move the car at a comparatively slow speed, because the gear wheel 62 is relatively
small and the gear wheel 62 relatively large, but, by throwing the gear wheel 63
into gear the speed will be somewhat increased, and the speed may be still more
accelerated by throwing the goar wheel 64 or 65 into gear. I have shown a set
of four gear wheels to graduate the speed, but it will, of course, be understood
that any desired number from one up may be used without affecting the principle
of the invention.
The operation of the system is as follows: The screw 12 18 hept in constant
motion, and by engaging the worm wheels 29 turns them, and these turn the
gear wheels 30 which transmit the motion to the gear wheel 31 and shaft 32,
which transmits its power by means of the gear wheels 34 and 35 to the vertical
shaft 36, and this through the medium of the gear wheels 51 and 53 drives
the shalt 54, and the latter through the gear wheels 56 and 58 drive the counter-
shaft 60, but the motion will not be tran-mitted to the car axle, and so to the
car, until one of the gear wheels 62, 63, 64 or 65 is thrown into gear, after
which the motion is transmitted to the car axle, as specified above.
The table 44 swings on a center struck from the shalt 58, so that the gear
wheel 56 will always be m engagement without regard to the position of the
table 44, and so the mechanism is adapted to work without regard to the relative
height of the two rails 10 of the track.
When rounding a cuive the woun wheels 30 will ride over the coupling which
connects the adjoining sciew sections, and the motion of the car will be kept up
by other sets of mechanism, similar to that described, which are in engagement
with the screw at points in front of or behind the coupling.
I do not limit my invention to the anangement of parts set forth and described,
although these are particularly adapted to propelling the cat from a sciew, but
clam broadly any screw driven mechanisin foi diving a car, in combination
with means for automatically throwing the diven mechanism out of gear; and
also claim broadly any means which provides for fiee oscillation of the car
without disturbing its gear connection with the driving screw.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said men-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign corespondents I declare that what I claim 18-
1. An improved railway system, comprising suitable track rails, a diving screw
parallel with the rails, a car, gear mechanism canied by the car to engage the
screw, and means for automatically throwing the gear mechanism out of gear at
the couplings of the screw, substantially as described.
2 In a railway system, the combination, with the revoluble diving screw, of
worm wheels carried by a car and engaging the screw, an operative connection
between the worm wheels and the cai wheels, and a device for automatically
removing the worn wheels from the screw at points opposite the screw couplings,
substantially as described
3 In a away system, the combination, with the driving screw of a car, a
vertically movable hanger on the car, worm wheels carried by the hanger and
engaging the screw, and guides on the track near the screw couplings to lift the
banger, substantially as described.
4 na ailway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
a vertically movable hanger on the car, a gear mechanism cared by the hanger
and driven by the screw, an operative connection between the said gear mechanism
and the car wheels, and means for raising the gear mechanism from the screw,
substantially as described.
5. In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
a horizontally turning and vertically movable hanger on the cat, the gear
mechanism carried by the hanger and adapted to engage the screw, and an
operative diving connection between the said gear mechanism and the wheels of
the car, substantially as described
6 In a railway system, the combination, with the diving serow and the car, of
the vertically movable hanget on the cnt, the cauage pivoted on the hanger, the
worm wheels Journaled on the carriage, an operative driving connection between
the worm wheels and the car wheels, and guides near the screw to engage and iuise
the catage, substantially as described.
7. In a railway system, the combination, with the diving screw and the car, of
a horizontally turning and vertically movable hanger on the car, a sliding table
supporting the said langet, a gear mechanism caned by the hanger and engaging
the screw,
and an operative diising connection between the said gent mechi.mism
and the wheels of the cat, substantially as described.
8. In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the can, of
the vertically movable hanger on the car, the guides on the track near the
couplings of the screw, the carriage pivoted on the hanger and provided with
wheels to engage the guides, the gear mechanism carried by the hanger und
carriage, and an operative diving connection between the said geat mechanism
and the wheels of the car, substantially as described.
9. In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
the houzontally turning and vertically movable hanger on the car, the gear
mechanism carried by the hanger and driven by the screw, a vertical shaft on the
hanger connected with the said gear mechanism, a gear wheel keyed to the vortical
shaft, and an operative driving connection between the gear wheel and the wheels
of the car, substantially as described.
10. In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
a differential gear connection between the diving screw and the wheels of the car,
and means for automatically throwing the mechanism out of gear at points near
the screw couplings, substantially as described.
11 In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
the hanger on the car compusing a horizontally turning top section, a bottom
section slidable vertically in the top section, a gear mechanisin carned by the
Lottom section and engaging the screw, and means for raising the hottom section
of the hanger and throwing the mechanism out of gear, substantially as described.

page_text: 12. In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw, of the verti-
cally movable hanger on the car, the shield or hood at the lower end of the hanger
extending over the top of the sciew, the carriage pivoted on the lower end of the
hauger, the gear mechanism carried by the carriage and hanger and engaging
the screw, an operative driving connection between the gear mechanism and the
wheels of the car, and guides near the screw couplings to engage and lift
the carriage, substantially as described.
13 In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
the vertically movable hanger on the rat, the shaft journaled in the hanger and
operatively connected with the wheels of the car, the cartage pivoted on the lower
end of the hanger, worm wheels mounted on the earriage and engaging the screw,
a geal connection between the worm wheels and the shaft in the hanger, and guides
near the screw to engage and raise the carriage, substantially as described
14 In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
the vertically movable hanger on the car, the shafts journaled near the lower end
of the hanger and operatively connected with the car wheels to turn them, the
curriage pivoted at the foot of the haugen, the banger aims pivoted on the carriage
and hanger, the worm wheels journaled in the hauger aims and engaging the screw,
and a gear connection between the worm wheels and the shaft in the hanger,
substantially as described.
15. In a railway system, the combination, with the screw and the cat, of the
laterally sliding table on the cat, the hanget suspended from the table, the gear
mechanism carried by the hanger and engaging the screw, and a driving connection
between the said goar mechanism and the wheels of the car, substantially ag
described
16 In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
the laterally sliding table on the car, the hanger carried by the table, a gear
mechanisin supported by the hanger and engaging the screw, and a shaft carried by
the table and having one and geared to the gear mechanism of the banger, and the
other end geared to an axle of the car, substantially as described
17. In nailway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
the laterally sliding table on the car, the gear mechanism supported from the table
and engaging the screw, and a shaft carried by the table and driven at one end by
the gear mechanism of the hanger and connecting at the other end by a differential
gear mechanism with the axle of the car, substantially as described.
18. In a railway system, the combination, with the car and the diving screw, of
a countershaft on the car, an operative diving connection between the screw and
the countershait, and a differential gear connection between the countershaft and
one of the car axles, substantially as described
19. In a railway system, the combination, with the driving screw and the car, of
the countersbaft on the car, a gear mechanism connecting the screw with the
countershaft, and a clutch-controlled system of graduated gears connecting
the countershaft with one of the car axles, substantially as described
Dated this 7th day of May 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant