Improvements in and relating to Elevated Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by LORENZO JOSEPH CODY, of Sault, Ste Marie,
Michigan, United States of America.]
Improvements in and relating to Elevated Railways.
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
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement
This invention relates to elevated railways, and the invention consists in the novel
construction of the elevated road-way, and in the peculiar manner of supporting and
operating the cars, all as hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 is a cross-section of the elevated road way with a double two-rail track.
Figure 2 is also a cross-section of my elevated roadway drawn on a larger scale,
and constructed for a single two-rail track.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section through the centre of the track.
Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 1, and
Figures 5 and 6 are sectional details hereinafter referred to.
The road-way is wholly constructed of iron and steel, and preferably of wrought
iron pipe, with screw fittings, and is composed of the following elements.
A are upright posts placed opposite each other on the sides of the street.
B is the base of the post, into which the post is firmly secured, and this base is
firmly secured to a suitable foundation C perferably constructed of masonry, into
which vertical bolts D are imbedded, the upper ends of which pass through the base
plate, and are screw threaded for the purpose of bolting the base thereto.
E are strong bracketing devices, preferably simply brackets, each consisting of
a horizontal member and an inclined member, and they are vertically adjustably secured
to the upper ends of the posts, by means of the fittings E' which are constructed in
halves bolted together.
The brackets project laterally from the posts at such a height above the street as to
afford a clear passage for all kinds of vehicles underneath.
The bracketing devices support the longitudinal girders F, which in turn support
the track rails G, and they are also adjustably connected with the lower ends of the
hangers H of the overhead trusses. To this end, I use suitable fittings I, which
receive the ends of the bracketing devices in screw sockets, and are clamped
adjustably upon the lower end of the hangers H. These fittings have also laterally
projecting screw sockets, into which are secured the screw-threaded shanks of the
bearings J, which have vertical flanges to which the longitudinal girders are
bolted.
These girders are solid beams, preferably so called I-beams, and the track rails are
bolted to the upper flanges thereof, in any suitable manner, such as by means of the
clips K, as shown in Figure 5.
To prevent any outward deflection, the longitudinal girders are preferably trussed
upon their outer sides by..eans of suitable truss rods L; for long spans between
supports the girders are constructed in the form of a truss instead of a solid beam, or
of a trussed beam.
Elevated cross girders are supported upon the upper ends of the posts. To this
end, I preferably secure to the posts the inclined or curved extension N, to which the
hangers H are secured by suitable fittings, such as the fittings O, of similar character
as used in other places. To the lower end of the hangers are connected the inner

page_text: +
ends of the brackets, as before described, and to their upper ends I secure the
intermediate girders M, preferably consisting of a lattice truss contructed of wrought
iron tubing. The hangers H may be upwardly extended, and provided with suitable
cross-trees for the purpose of supporting electric light wires, or other electrical
conductors.
H are intermediate hangers in a two-track construction, to support the intermediate
parallel girders from the cross girders, and these hangers are strongly trussed
together in any suitable manner.
P are tie-rods between the curved extensions N and the bracketing devices, and
Rare other tie-rods from the cross girders to the longitudinal girders. Other
tie rods are applied wherever it is found necessary or advisable to strengthen the
parts or hold them firmly in their fixed relative position, and where circumstances
will permit or necessitate guys or stays to anchor the spans may be used additionally.
S is a propelling carriage adapted to run upon the tracks, and consisting preferably
of two trucks T, pivotally supporting a platform Q; upon this platform is built a
suitable cabin or pilot house V to shelter the engineer in charge of the car, and the
operating devices or levers, by means of which the carriage is propelled or its movement
upon the rails controlled.
For electric propulsion I secure a metallic continuous T-rail to the under side of
the cross-girder, projecting with its stem downward to protect it from snow and ice.
This rail is suitably insulated and carries the propelling current which is taken off to
the motors by a suitable brush or brushes V¹. The carriage may be provided with
one motor only, or with two, one for each truck and supported by such truck. Other
means such as cable propulsion, however, may be equally well applied for propelling the
carriage by means of any of the known constructions for applying the same to elevated
railways.
Vis the car, which is supported by two pairs of hangers W, fore and aft from
the propelling carriage, and the upper ends of these rods rest upon springs and are
screw-threaded and provided with screw-levers, by means of which the cars may be
raised or lowered, from or towards the ground, as contingencies may require for the
free suspension of the car in suitable proximity to the roadway, and to permit of
raising the car to avoid obstacles, such as deep snows in winter.
The hangers W are suitably braced to prevent the swaying of the car, and suitable
safety guards are secured to the trucks to prevent them from jumping the track, and
to the hangers to prevent the car from falling to the ground in case of accident to
the propelling carriage.
The construction of my elevated roadway is especially devised for city streets,
where it is most desirable to avoid such unsightly and massive constructions as are in
present use, and which deprive the streets of such a large proportion of their light
and air as to form a serious obstacle to the more general introduction of this otherwise
preferable method of operating street railways.
The present construction combines the maximum of strength with a minimum of
material, it occupies no unnecessary space, and has an airy and graceful appearance.
The spans can be built in sections without necessitating the interruption of traffic in
the street, and in a minimum of time.
The brackets which support the trucks are independently adjustable up or down,
and the bearings at the ends of the brackets can be adjusted laterally in or out with a
sufficient limit to easily compensate for irregular work in construction, or to adjust
the track, at any time, should a settling or slight deflection take place, as frequently
happens, even with the most perfect workmanship.
By constructing the propelling carriage with independently pivoted trucks, less
liability is incurred of spreading the tracks, and greater facility obtained to make
sharp curves in the track around corners, and the increased safety, room and
convenience to the passengers from having the motor or propelling devices in a
separate carriage, independently housed, and inaccessible to the passengers, will be
readily conceded.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, 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. In an elevated rail-way, a two-rail road way, having each rail independently
adjustably supported above the road-way substantially as described.
Second. In an elevated rail-way the combination of the following elements; the
double row of posts on opposite sides of the road way, the bracketing devices secured
on top thereof, the rail supporting girders secured to the inner ends of the bracketing
devices, the over-head cross-trusses provided with the hangers supporting the bracket-
ing devices, substantially as described.
Third. In an elevated rail-way, the combination of the following elements; the
double row of posts on opposite sides of the road-way, the bracketing devices vertically
adjustably secured on top thereof, the bearings laterally adjustably secured to the
ends of the bracketing devices, the rail supporting girders secured thereto, the track-
rails supported thereon, the overhead cross-trusses and the hangers from said cross-
trusses, adjustably supporting the ends of the bracketing devices, substantially as
described.
Fourth. In an elevated rail-way, the combination of the following elements; the
posts on opposite sides of the roadway, the brackets provided with fittings adjustably
clamped to the posts, the inwardly curved or inclined extensions on the top of the
posts, the hangers secured to said extensions, the cross-trusses connected to the upper
ends of said hangers the fittings adjustably connecting the lower ends of the hangers
to the ends of the brackets, and the bearings adjustably secured to said fittings, and
baving bolting flanges to which rail supporting girders are bolted, substantially as
described.
Fifth. In an elevated railway, the combination of the following elements: the
posts provided with the base B, bolted to the foundation C, the brackets provided
with the fittings adjustably clamped to the posts, the curved extensions N on the
posts, the hangers suspended from said extensions, the fittings adjustably securing
said flanges to said extensions, the cross-trusses vertically adjustably secured to the
hangers, the fittings adjustably connecting the hangers and brackets, the bearings
laterally adjustably supported by the bracketing devices, and the rail-supporting
girders secured to such bearings, substantially as described.
Sixth. In combination with a two-rail elevated road-bed, of a propelling carriage
supported upon said road-bed, the car suspended from said carriage, and propelling
devices supported by said carriage, substantially as described.
Seventh. In combination with a two-rail elevated road-bed, of a propelling
carriage, consisting of two independently pivoted trucks, a platform supported
thereon, a pilot-house supported upon said platform, and of a car adjustably
suspended from said platform in proximity to the road-way, substantially as
described.
Eighth. In combination with a two-rail elevated road-bed, of a propelling carriage
consisting of independently pivoted trucks, to which the motive power is applied,
of a platform supported thereon, and provided with a pilot-house, and a car
adjustably suspended from the platform of said carriage, substantially as described.
Ninth. In an elevated rail-way the combination with an elevated road-way consisting
substantially of a two-rail track supported by two rows of posts connected by cross-
girders, of an insulated T-rail supported by the cross-girders, accross the track, and
with its stem projecting downward, and an independent propelling carriage on said
track carrying the electric motors, and from which the car is suspended, substantially
as described.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.