IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUCKS AND LOCOMOTIVES FOR TELPHER LINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I FLEEMING JENKIN of 3 Great Stuart Street Edinburgh Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUCKS AND
LOCOMOTIVES FOR TELPHER LINES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in so arranging the wheels frame and coupling pins or
eyes that a suspended truck or locomotive shall be fit to follow a Telpher line
when its direction is changing rapidly round curves or corners and shall also be fit
to run on steep inclines these actions taking place with the least friction and the
smallest risk of leaving the line whether at the curves or on striking other trucks
or trains.
My improved truck consists of a frame on two wheels, a skip or bucket a hook
or other contrivance for supporting the useful load, a coupling pin or eye a buffer
and guards.
The frame preferably made of wood to insulate the two wheels from each other
has two bearings for two vertical spindles, placed vertically over the centres of the
two wheels. The spindles carry the horizontal bearing in which or on which the
wheels run, the axes of which are thus free or nearly free to rotate in a horizontal
plane. The wheels are ordinary V pulleys nearly fitting the rod or cable of the
Telpher line. The axles of these wheels are by the above arrangement free to
place themselves perpendicularly across the line at all points however rapid the
curvature may be as the wheels of a bicycle do in going round curves. The wheels
are guided by their flanges but the turning or twisting of the wheel as it follows
the curve is resisted only by the friction on the vertical spindle or in some cases by
a contrivance for giving a small directing force to the spindle tending to keep the
two axles parallel. The simplest mode of doing this is to provide inclined planes
on horizontal collars on the spindle and its bearing but the same object can be
attained by a spring or this directing force may be wholly omitted.
The skip, bucket or other contrivance for carrying the useful load is suspended
to the frame by a pin with a horizontal axis across the line leaving the load free to
swing fore and aft.
The horizontal pin is best placed on a level with the supporting road or rod so
that the swinging of the load does not change the relative weight carried by the
two wheels. By this arrangement no fore and aft pull or push on the swinging
part tends to make the wheels and frame rock or leave the line. The coupling pin
or eye is attached to the swinging part of the truck in a line vertically below or
[Di Q77

page_text: above the supporting rod or road and half way between the two wheels fore and
aft or nearly in that position. By so placing the point of attachment the pull from
the locomotive to the trucks and from truck to truck is transmitted so as to put no
horizontal couple on either the locomotive or the truck tending to twist the frame
and wheels on the line. Moreover as has been already explained the pull is so
transmitted that no vertical couple comes on the frame and wheels tending to lift
the fore or aft wheel off the line and these advantages hold good where the line is
rapidly curved in places and when it lies on an incline-friction is therefore
diminished and safety increased.
These improvements are applicable to the locomotive as follows:-the motor is
carried by a frame supported on two wheels pivoted as described for the truck and
swings on a horizontal pivot as described for the load on the truck-The connection
between the motor and the driving or gripping wheels is made by gearing 80
arranged as to allow of this swinging but for this purpose it will usually be
necessary that the horizontal hinge or pin should be above the line instead of
being level with it.
I complete the truck by a small buffer brought from the frame or from the
swinging part to the centre of the line and by guards so placed that if a truck or
locomotive leaves the line it is caught by these and prevented from falling.
The several parts of my Invention are all required for the perfect action of the
truck but each part of the invention is of use separately.

page_text: I FLEEMING JENKIN of 3 Great Stuart Street Edinburgh Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRUCKS AND
LOCOMOTIVES FOR TELPHER LINES" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
My invention consists in so arranging the wheels frame and coupling pin's or
eyes that a suspended truck or locomotive shall be fit to follow a Telpher line
when its direction is changing rapidly round curves or corners and shall also be fit
to run on steep inclines; these actions taking place with the least friction and the
smallest risk of leaving the line whether at the curves or on striking other trucks
or trains.
My improved truck has a frame carried upon two wheels.
The frame is preferably made of wood to insulate the two wheels. from each
other; it has two bearings for two vertical spindles placed vertically over the
centres of the two wheels. The spindles carry the horizontal bearing in which or
on which the wheels run. The axes of the wheels are thus free or nearly free to
rotate in a horizontal plane. The wheels are ordinary V pullies nearly fitting the
rod or cable of the Telpher line. The axles of these wheels are by the above
arrangement free to place themselves perpendicularly across the line at all points
however rapid the curvature may be as the wheels of a bicycle do in going round
curves. The wheels are guided by their flanges but the turning or twisting of the
wheel as it follows the curve is resisted only by the friction on the vertical spindle
or in some cases by a contrivance for giving a small directing force to the spindle
tending to keep the two axles parallel. The simplest inode of applying a directing
force is to provide inclined planes on horizontal collars on the spindle and its
bearing but the same object can be attained by a spring or this directing force inay
be wholly omitted.
The skip, bucket or other contrivance for carrying the useful load is suspended
to the frame by a pin with a horizontal axis across the line-leaving the load free
to swing fore and aft.
The horizontal pin is best placed on a level with the supporting road or rod so
that the swinging of the load does not change the relative weight carried by the
two wheels. By this arrangement no fore and aft pull or push on the swinging
part tends to make the wheels and frame rock or leave the line. The coupling pin
or eye is attached to the swinging part of the truck in a line vertically below or
above the supporting rod or road and half way between the two wheels fore and
aft or nearly in that position. By so placing the point of attachment the pull from
the locomotive to the trucks and from truck to truck is transmitted so as to put no
horizontal couple on either the locomotive or the truck tending to twist the frame
and wheels on the line. Moreover as has been already explained the pull is so
transmitted that no vertical couple comes on the frame and wheels tending to lift
the fore or aft wheel off the line-and these advantages hold good where the line
is rapidly corved in places and where it lies on an incline-friction is therefore
diminished and safety increased.
These improvements are applicable in part to the locomotive.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation and Figure 2 an end elevation of one form of my
improved truck.
The frame A is made of wood to insulate one wheel from the other and form the
bucket Dt.
The frame carries two vertical spindles at f. f. placed vertically over the centres
of the two wheels F F. These spindles carry the horizontal bearings G. G. on
which the wheels run. The bearings G. G. are thus free to turn in a horizontal
plane. Inclined planes can be placed on the collars at f¹ to give the wheels a slight
tendency to remain in the fore and aft plane but I have not found this device
necessary in practice. The carrier D which supports the skip or bucket D¹ is
suspended to the frame by a pin P. This pin is an horizontal axis perpendicular
to the line. The load is thus free to swing fore and aft. This axis is on a level
with the-supporting road or rod. The pin P has an arm Qat the upper end of
which is the coupling eye Q1. This eye therefore is attached to the swinging part
of the load half way between the two wheels in plan and in the plane of the two
wheels. R R are the coupling rods.
The frame A projects so as to form two buffers. The guards which prevent the
truck falling if the wheels leave the road are not shown on this drawing.
The truck is completed by small buffer plates B brought from the frame down as
close to the road as is consistent with safe clearance.
Another arrangement of the truck is shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
In this design the swivelling of the wheels is omitted. The horizontal axis P is
a little above the road. The bucket is of metal and hung by metal rods or carriers.
The coupling eye Q is on the swinging part of the carrier and half way between
the wheels vertically under the road instead of over it.
This truck is intended for a road in which there are no sharp curves.
If sharp
curves were required the wheels would be made to swivel as in Figures 1 and 2.
A third arrangement of truck is shown in Figures 5 and 6. The continuous
frame is reduced to a mere slight wooden distance piece A the horizontal pin is
replaced by its mechanical equivalent flexible chains f. f. by which the bucket is
hung and the vertical axes are dispensed with by allowing the wheel frames B¹ B*
to rock in the attachment of the distance piece A. This piece A being attached
to B¹ B either by short pieces of chain or by a hook and eye which will allow the
desired freedom of motion.
The coupling eye Q is in this case upon the bow of the bucket.
I prefer to put guards H on the frame which holds the wheels projecting to
right and left. These guards are most easily fixed at H but care inust be taken
that the guards do not foul the supports of the road. In the arrangement
represented by Figures 1 and 2 I provide similar guards on the swinging arm.
It will be seen that this third design is derived from the first by the substitution
of a loose chain connection for the more definite rotation of a pin in a bored eye.
The attachment of the coupling is identical with that of the second design and
the wooden insulation is also maintained.
The result of the first and third designs is the same. The wheels are free to
adapt themselves to the road and the rocking of the load when it is pulled does not
tend to lift either wheel off the line.
Figures 7 and 8 show a locomotive to which some of these improvements are
applied.
The front bearing wheel V has the vertical axle at and the aft bearing wheel U
is carried in a frame which swivels at w vertically over the centre of the frame.
I have not found any advantage to result from allowing the locomotive to swing on
a horizontal pin P as described in respect to the truck.
The propelling parts of this locomotive are a dynamo M driving by gearing an
axis N on which is a chain wheel O. A pitch chain P transmits the movement to

page_text: another wheel Q on an axis which is carried in the bearing R. This axis is geared
with the rod B which forms the road by a system of bevilled nest gearing. On the
axis are two discs S S one moveable along the axis and pressed towards the other
by a spring. The discs S embrace between them the cone rollers T T which are
thus driven and also caused to engage with the rod B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1º. A truck for telpher lines consisting of an insulating frame, swivelled wheels
swinging load carrier and central coupling.
2°. A truck for telpher lines having swivelling wheels and a swinging load
carrier.
3°. A truck or locomotive for telpher lines having swivelling wheels running
upon the road and the load or the motor suspended beneath.
4°. A truck for telpher lines with the carriers so hung that the load may swing
fore and aft without lifting either of the wheels off the road.
5°. In trucks or locomotives for telpher lines attaching the coupling eye or hook
in a central position both fore and aft and cross ways-and this whether the
attachment be above the road or below the road.
6°. In trucks for telpher lines in which the carrier is so hung that the load may
swing fore and aft attaching the coupling eye or hook to the swinging parts.
Deted this 17th day of November 1884
FLEEMING JENKIN.
Carpmael & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.