Improvements in Drums for Cable Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drums for Cable Railways.
DO
I, JOHN WALKER, of the City of Cleveland, in the County of Cayahoga and State
of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN DRUMS FOR CABLE RAILWAYS" and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention in common with that described in Letters Patent No. 11073, of 1888,
granted to me for certain improvements in Drums for Cable Railways, is to equalize
the strain on the cable, and particularly that portion thereof which is wound around
the drums; or in other words, the invention is to prevent the cable being subjected to
any strain other than that placed thereupon by the cars.
In the invention described in the said Letters Patent, No. 11073, both drums are
alike, that is to say, they are formed with the first of the cable grooves in a part of
the drum which has no independent movement, and the others in loosely turning
rings. In the present invention, the driving drum has one or more of the grooves in
such parts of the drum as do not move independently of the driving shaft, while the
idler drum has all loosely and independently turning rings.
In the further description of the said invention which follows, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of drums for a cable railway united by a cable,
and arranged in accordance with iny invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of a
portion of the driving dram, and Fig. 3 a similar view of the idler.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in the construction of the driving drum, as herein-
after described.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
In the said drawing, A is the driving drum, and B the idler with which the driving
drum is connected by means of the cable represented by D.
In Fig. 2 the driving drum is illustrated as having the grooves cast in the rim, but
any other manner of arranging the same so that the grooves are in a portion of the
drum which has no independent movement circumferentially of the driving shaft
would be the equivalent. In Fig. 4 this drum is shown as having one of the grooved
rings secured to the drum proper, the others being loose, after the manner of one of
the drums shown and described in the said Letters Patent, 11073.
In Fig. 3 which represents the idler drum, all the grooved rings are loose, and when
it is used in connection with a driving drum with no adjustable rings, equalizing of
the strain on the cable on the idler drum only is effected. But when the idler is
employed in connection with a driving drum shown in Fig. 4, which has only a part
of the grooves in adjustable rings, the equalizing movement takes place on both
drums.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is,
In combination with a driving drum, for a cable railway. in which one or more of

page_text: shaft, and idler drum having all the grooves for the cable in rings adapted to turn
independently of the drum proper or the idler shaft, substantially as, and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 9th day of October 1889
JOHN WALKER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.