IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CONDUITS FOR THE CABLES OF CABLE-RAILWAYS
Year: 1885

page_text: Cat-Talways.
«
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CONDUITS FOR THE
CABLES OF CABLE-RAILWAYS." and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by. the following
statement:-
This invention relates to conduits for cable railways, and to their appendages,
but more specifically to the conduit described in the specification of former Letters
Patent, Dated October 24th A.D. 1883, N° 5054 and consists in certain improve-
ments by which the slot through which the grip passes, may be prevented from
becoming closed or partly closed; all as fully set forth in the following
specification.
In cable railways, in which metallic tubes, such as set forth in the specification
hereinbefore referred to, are used, when the pavements between the tracks are
imperfectly laid down, as for instance, when the blocks forming the pavements are
larger on the upper surface than on the lower, forming wedges; or when the joints
between the pavement stones are not properly filled with an elastic and water-
proof cement, there is a tendency to wedging and expansion, due to frost; which
action has the effect of causing the slot to be contracted.
The object of this invention is to overcome this difficulty, by providing suitable
means by which the angle irons forming the slot are bolted or otherwise secured
to the vertical bracers from the transverse beams; or if desired, to the stringers
or rails; and also by providing suitable supporting braces in the form of angle
irons or struts connecting the vertical braces, stringers, or rails with the lower
part of the tube or the ribs thereon, or the lower transverse beams. If desired,
these struts and the cross braces may be made adjustable by which the width of
the slot may be varied to compensate for any decrease in its width due to the
cause above specified.
In the accompanying drawings,.
Figure 1 is a cross section of a cable railway conduit tube and railway, showing
bracing embodying my invention. .

page_text: Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified construction in which the horizontal or
upper braces are made adjustable.
Figure 3 is a view substantially similar to Figure 2, and showing a slight
modification in the bracing; and
Figure 4 is also a similar view in which both the horizontal and oblique braces
are made adjustable.
A is the tube or conduit, of which B B represent the angle iron secured to the
upper edges of the side walls and forming the slot C, D D are the reinforcing side
ribs formed of angle iron; E is the lower transverse beam, commonly made of
channel beams; and F F are oblique struts connecting the upper part of the angle
irons or braces D with the transverse beam E. So far, this construction is similar
to that described in the said former specification.
Hare the rails resting upon the stringers G. These stringers may be connected
if desired with the bottom of the conduit tube by oblique braces I, as shown in
Figure 1; or to the transverse beam E as shown in Figure 3. The upper parts of
the conduit, or the irons D thereof, are connected, by angle irons or ties J, to the
stringers or to the upper edges of the struts I, or to both. As shown in Figure 1,
these ties are made of angle iron, but in Figure 2, they are shown as being formed
of rods which pass through the upper ends of the vertical braces or through the
stringers, and are made adjustable by nut.
The vertical braces or ties P are secured at the lower ends to the transverse
beams E, and extend up, preferably on the inner sides of the stringers and rails,
and are rigidly secured to the oblique braces I, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The
ties J may be put through the upper ends of the vertical ties or braces P, or, if
desired, they may be put through the oblique strut I at or about their junction
with the ties P, and may be rigidly secured thereto or made adjustable by nuts K.
The stringers and their rails may be loosely supported upon the brackets L, or, if
desired, the stringers may be rigidly secured to the bracing.
In the modification shown in Figure 4, both the oblique struts and horizontal
ties are made adjustable and formed of rods; the struts being supported upon
shoes N and rendered adjustable by nuts M working thereon. The upper ends of
the struts I, may be provided with supports L as indicated in Figure 2 or as
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 and Figure 3. It is immaterial to my
invention, what the particular construction of these struts or vertical ties or
braces may be; and the conduit or tube may be of any suitable design or
construction, though that shown is what I prefer.
By this construction of bracing and struts, any downward pressure of the
stringers and the rails will tend to cause the slot to become enlarged in place of
being closed; and by forming struts I of angle iron, they expose a large surface to
the material above; which, when forced down, acts thereon and prevents the
stringers being drawn towards the conduit; and these, through the agency of the
ties J, prevent the conduit slot from becoming closed. The ties J also prevent
any wedge action of the paving stones forcing the angle irons B toward each
other; thus the distance between said angle irons and the rails, or their stringers,
may be practically fixed.
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
First. The combination of a sheet metal conduit, with the lower transverse
beams;
vertical ties or braces secured thereto and to oblique or inclined struts
extending from the lower part of the conduit, or the transverse beams thereof, and
secured at their tops to the vertical ties or braces; and horizontal ties connecting
the upper edges of the conduit with the upper ends of the struts and vertical ties
to prevent the closing of the slot; substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second. The combination of a sheet metal conduit with the lower transverse
beans; vertical ties or braces secured thereto; oblique or inclined struts extending

page_text: from the lower part of the conduit, or the transverse beams thereof, and secured at
their tops to the said vertical ties or struts; and horizontal adjustable ties con-
necting the upper edges of the conduit with the upper ends of the struts or vertical
ties, or both, to prevent the closing of the slot; substantially as, and for the
purpose, specified.
Third. The combination of a sheet metal conduit with the lower transverse
beams; vertical ties or beams secured thereto, oblique or inclined struts extending
from the lower part of the conduit, or the transverse beams thereof, and secured at
their tops to the vertical ties and horizontal ties connecting the upper edges of the
conduit with the upper ends of the struts, or to the vertical ties, to prevent the
closing of the slot, the said ties and struts both being adjustable; substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination of a sheet metal conduit with the oblique struts
extending from the lower part of the conduit or from the transverse beams thereof;
horizontal ties connecting the tops of said oblique struts with the conduit near its
top and rails loosely supported upon the upper ends of said struts but arranged
so that they cannot approach the conduit by reason of the intervention of the
extending ends of said struts; substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Fifth. The conduit A, having angle irons B B forming the slot C, and reinforcing
ribs D, the stringers G, the rails H, the struts and ties, arranged substantially as,
and for the purpose, specified.
Sixth. The conduit A, having angle irons B B, forming the slot C, and reinforcing
ribs D, the stringers G, the rails E, the ties, and transverse beams, struts and ties
arranged substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.