Improvements in Motor Vehicles for Single Rail Elevated Railways.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Vehicles for Single Rail Elevated Railways.
I, FRITZ BERNHARD BEHR, of No. 6 Old Jewry, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the Specification to my Patent No. 16643 of 1895 I described a construction
of motor vehicles for single rail elevated railways, in which the framing con-
sisted of two separate parts, one of which was carried by the driving and running
wheels, and was stayed laterally by guide rollers, while the other part or body
was carried by springs on the first part, and had downward extensions on each
side in which were situated the motor engines.
My present invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construc-
tion of the motor vehicles described in my said Specification. For this purpose,
instead of forming the downward extensions of the body of the vehicle that
contain the motor engines in one with the upper part of the body, I make them
separate therefrom and connect them rigidly with the part of the frame that is
carried by the driving wheels. This may be effected in various ways, but by
preference I construct such lower body as follows:-
Two strong vertical side cheeks extend down on either side of the supports for
the elevated single rail, and they have horn plates extending upwards and con-
taining the inner axle boxes for the axles of the driving and running wheels.
To these side cheeks are firmly fixed strong horizontal transverse girders which
are carried by the wheel axles, and which in their turn support the entire lower
body. The two parts of the latter are each made of the full width from the side
cheeks to the outside of the car, at the points where the motor engines are con-
tained therein, while at the intermediate parts, a space intervenes between the
side cheeks and the inner side of the downward extensions. To these inner sides
are fixed strong brackets to which are pivotted horizontal sway beams the ends
of which carry the vertical pivotted double ended arms that carry an upper and
a lower guide roller arranged in a similar manner to that described in the said
Specification 16643 of 1895, for bearing with automatic adjustment upon an
upper and a lower guide rail on each side of the supports. By this arrangement
I obtain not only the said vertical automatic adjustment of the guide rollers, but
also a horizontal automatic adjustment of the two pairs of such rollers carried
by each sway beam. The outer sides of the downward extensions are carried by
longitudinal girders fixed to the before mentioned transverse girders and on such
longitudinal girders are fixed upward extending horn plates or brackets con-
taining the outer axle boxes of the wheel axles and these axle boxes have saddle
pieces or whipples resting upon them to which are connected the upper ends of
adjustable suspension rods the lower ends of which are attached to the said
downward extensions through the medium of suitable springs.
The upper body which contains the passengers and is situated at a certain
distance above the before mentioned transverse and longitudinal girders that carry
the lower body, are supported from these girders by springs arranged in any

page_text: suitable manner; according to one arrangement I connect the middle of ordinary
bow springs arranged longitudinally at the sides to the underframing of the
upper body while the two ends of the spring are provided with loops or eyes
fitted on a strong longitudinal bar passing through holes in the transverse girders
carrying the lower body.
Other bow springs arranged transversely may also be provided at convenient
points under the middle part of the upper body.
The motors are arranged in the lower body, preferably opposite each other,
between two driving wheels, the one motor being made to drive the axle of the one
driving wheel, while the other drives the other one.
The motor frames are rigidly connected to their driving axles by means of
upward extending brackets through which the axles pass, and they are also either
suspended by strong links from the transverse girders carrying the lower body
or they may be otherwise connected to the framing of the lower body.
They are supported against centrifugal action in passing round curves, by
lateral guide wheels bearing against the framing of the lower body. The car
may either be constructed of two separate parts connected together by a flexible
connection as described in the Specification No. 16643 of 1895 or only the lower
body may be made in two separate parts coupled together each part having by
preference two driving wheels with two motors, and two running wheels so that
each part can adapt itself to moderate curves as a bogie, in turning on a central
swivel pin, while the upper body is made continuous over both the lower bodies,
in which case the connections of the upper body with the two lower bodies are so
made as to allow of a certain amount of lateral shifting of the one relatively to
the other. When it is required that the car shall be capable of passing round
curves of smaller radius, I arrange the running wheels upon a bogie in a similar
manner to that described in the Specification No. 16643 of 1895.
With motor vehicles constructed as above described, which are intended to
run at very high speeds, such as 100 miles an hour, there would be considerable
difficulty in stopping them by means of ordinary frictional brake gear, as owing
to the high surface velocity of the wheels etc. any application of brake blocks
would cause heating to so high a temperature us to destroy the parts. According
to my present invention I obviate this disadvantage by first producing very con-
siderable atmospheric resistance to the motion of the vehicle, so as to rapidly
reduce the speed to that at which ordinary brake gear can be applied after which
the motion is stopped by means of the latter.
For the above purpose, the front end of the vehicle being made of a pointed
or wedge shape similar to that described in the Specification to Patent No. 16643
of 1895, I construct the sloping outer surface of such wedge shaped part of a
number of vertical louvre blades capable of turning outwards on vertical pivots.
When the motor vehicle is travelling, these blades are closed down so as to form
collectively a smooth sloping surface offering comparatively little resistance to
the atmosphere.
When however it is desired to stop or slacken speed, the conductor by suitable
gear worked either by power or by hand gradually turns the said louvre blades
outwards either consecutively or simultaneously that each one presents its surface
more or less at right angles to the direction of the motion, and thus the air
impinging upon such surfaces will offer such a resistance to the motion as will
rapidly reduce the speed to one at which the ordinary brakes can be safely applied.
For opening all the blades simultaneously as described, their axes may carry
worm wheels, gearing with worms on a horizontal shaft that is rotated at a slow
speed either by hand or by power, for effecting the very gradual opening of the
blades.
For opening the blades consecutively, I arrange an endless band or chain
passing round pitch wheels or rollers and carrying a projecting striker which
on the chain being made to travel is made to strike consecutively against tumbler
levers mounted loose on transverse shafts of which there is one to each pair of

page_text: blades; the lever on being moved to one side by the striker, is made to bear
against a stud carried by the shaft, thus turning this through a certain angle.
On the ends of each shaft are cams, which, on the shaft being turned, are made
to bear against projections on the lower parts of the blades so as to turn these
slightly outward on their axes, whereupon the pressure of the air will press them
entirely open.
The blades can be made either only to extend outwards as described or to
extent both inwards and outwards so as to offer double the amount of resisting
surface.
The sides of the vehicle can be so constructed that when the blades are turned
outwards these uncover spaces or pockets in the sides into which the wind strikes
and thus offers a still greater resistance to the motion.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, FRITZ BERNHARD BEHR, of No. 6 Old Jewry, in the City of London, Engineer,
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:-
In the Specification to my Patent No. 16643 of 1895 I described a construction
of motor vehicles for single rail elevated railways, in which the framing con-
sisted of two separate parts, one of which was carried by the driving and running
wheels, and was stayed laterally by guide rollers, while the other part or body
was carried by springs on the first part, and had downward extensions on each
side in which were situated the motor engines.
My present invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construc-
tion of the motor vehicles described in my said Specification. For this purpose,
instead of forming the downward extensions of the body of the vehicle that
contain the motor engines in one with the upper part of the body, I make them
separate therefrom and connect them rigidly with the part of the frame that is
carried by the driving wheels.
I will describe the said improved construction with reference to the accom-
panying drawings, in which Figure 1 shews a plan of the lower body. Figure 2
shews a side elevation with the covering plates removed. Figure 3 shews a
longitudinal section on line X X of the lower body, Figure 4 shews, on the right
hand side a part cross-section on line Y Y, Figure 1, and on the left hand a part
cross-section on line Z Z, Figure 1. Figure 5 shews a part cross-section on
line W W, Figure 3; Figures 6 to 9 shew enlarged details of the apparatus for
retarding the speed of the carriage. The carriage is divided into two separate
parts namely an upper body A which contains the passengers, and a lower body B,
which is carried by the four driving and running wheels C C C C¹; and which
contains the two motors L L imparting motion to the driving wheels.
The framing of the lower body consists of strong transverse girders E con-
nected together by longitudinal girders E¹ on the outside and near the middle
by the longitudinal side cheeks F extending down on each side of the standards G¹
carrying the rail G of the permanent way. These inner side cheeks have horn
plates F extending upward therefrom and similar horn plates extend upward
from the longitudinal girders E and in these horn plates are situated the axle

page_text: boxes H H of the axles I of the wheels C C C C The axles of the driving
wheels C C extend only partly across the carriage, the one on the one side and
the other on the other side, in a similar manner to that described in my before
mentioned former patent, and they carry the lower body B by means of whipples J
on top of the axle boxes, which are connected by adjustable rods J to the ends
of springs K, the middles of which are connected by bolts to the framing of the
lower body, so that the latter is hung with spring-action from the wheel axles,
the spring and suspension rods being so adjusted that the weight is almost
entirely taken by the two middle axle boxes. In the case of the running wheels C,
the axles do not extend beyond the two middle axle boxes.
Centrally in the lower body B are arranged the two electro motors L L, the
armature shaft of which is connected by cranks and connecting rods to cranks
on the axles I, as shewn; they may however drive the latter by means of any
other suitable gearing. The motor casings are suspended by strong links L
from the transverse girders and they are also connected by a rigid arm L with
their respective axles, so that when, in travelling, the lower body has a slight
vertical motion relatively to the wheel axles, the motors will always be maintained
by the arms L at a uniform distance from the axles, in swinging to a slight
extent on their pivotal connection with the transverse girders,
The motors are stayed laterally by means of guide wheels L³ against the sides
of the body.
Between the inner cheeks and strongly stayed vertical plates M of the lower
body are fixed brackets N in which are pivoted sway beams O, to each end of
which are pivoted double ended arms P carrying two guide rollers Q, the arms
and rollers being arranged as described in the Specification to my said patent, so
as to be self adjusting in bearing against the two lateral guide rails 1 of the
permanent way.
By mounting two pairs of these rollers on each end of a sway beam O accord-
ing to my present invention I obtain the advantage that each pair is also self
adjusting in a horizontal direction as well as in a vertical one, so that they will
allow of running round moderate curves. The beams O might also be acted
upon by strong springs pressing the rollers against the guide rails, so as to afford
a slight spring yielding power when passing round curves.
By preference however I insure the correct action of the guide rollers by the
arrangement shewn by front view, side view, plan and enlarged section respec-
tively at Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings. I connect together the sway
beams O on each side of the trestle supports G¹ by means of a saddle or bridge-
shaped connecting piece of steel O formed so as to pass over the line rail Gand
rigidly fixed to the beams O. These are mounted with a certain amount of elastic
yielding action upon the swivel pins O³ carried by the brackets N by providing
between the pin and the tubular boss of the beam a sleeve 03 of caoutchouc as
shewn clearly at the section Figure 13. By thus tying the two opposite beams O
rigidly together at the exact required distance apart relatively to the guide
rails R, it will be seen that when in running on a curve the beam and its guide
rollers on the outer or convex side of the curve, tends to shift slightly outwards
relatively to the centre line of the vehicle as allowed by the caoutchouc sleeve
the saddle connection O¹ will cause the beam 0 on the inner side to shift inwards
to the same extent and thus the guide rollers on both sides will still maintain
their correct positions relatively to the guide rails.
The upper body A is carried by springs S upon the lower body B, the ends of
these springs being mounted with slotted links S' upon strong longitudinal rods T
fixed to the framing of B. At the ends the upper body is also supported on the
lower body by means of springs S that are carried by a roller S bearing on a
transverse rail on the lower frame. In the arrangement shewn there are two
such lower bodies B, carrying a single continuous upper body A, to which each
lower body is connected at the middle by a swivel pin U, so that the two lower
bodies with their wheels constitute a bogie to the upper body, being capable of

page_text: a slight lateral adjustment relatively thereto on the swivel pin, owing to the
manner in which the springs S are connected to the lower body.
In the case of railways with sharp curves, the upper body might however also
he divided into two parts corresponding to the lower body, and connected together
by a flexible middle part as described in the before mentioned patent.
With motor vehicles constructed as above described, which are intended to
run at very high speeds, such as 100 miles an hour, there would be considerable
difficulty in stopping them by means of ordinary frictional brake gear, as owing
to the high surface speed of the wheels, any application of brake blocks would
cause heating to so high a temperature as to destroy the parts. According to my
present invention I obviate this disadvantage by first producing very considerable
atmospheric resistance to the motion of the vehicle, so as to rapidly reduce the
speed to that at which ordinary brake gear can be applied with safety.
For this purpose, the front part of the vehicle, which is of pointed shape as
in the former patent, has its outer surfaces constructed of a number of vertical
blades or wings capable of being projected outwards, more or less at right angles
to the direction of motion.
When the motor vehicle is travelling, these blades are closed down so as to
form collectively a smooth sloping surface. When it is desired to stop or slacken
speed, the conductor by suitable gear worked either by power or by hand gradually
moves the blades or wings outwards, either consecutively or simultaneously so
that each one presents its surface more or less at right angles to the direction
of motion, and thus the air in impinging upon such surfaces will offer such a
collective resistance to the motion as will rapidly reduce the speed.
Various arrangements of mechanism may be employed for effecting the said
operation; Figures 6 and 7 are a part elevation and plan shewing one arrange-
ment in which the blades a mounted on pivots 6 at top and bottom are all turned
simultaneously and very gradually into the open position, by means of worms e
on a shaft d, turned either by hand or by a small motor, which worms gear with
toothed segments e fixed on the lower ends of the spindles b carrying the louvre
blades a. Thus on turning the shaft d the spindles b and blades a will be
gradually turned from the closed position shewn in full into the position shewn
in dotted lines.
The blades a are strengthened to withstand the air pressure to which they are
subjected by Z iron ribs f, which also have the effect of preventing the full air
pressure being exerted all over the enclosed space behind each blade the moment
the blades are slightly opened, and thus to prevent too sudden a shock, as the
inner part of the Z iron keeps that space closed until the blade has been opened
so far that the Z iron is clear of the angle iron ribs y fixed to the inner enclosure
of the side of the car and consequently until the speed has been slackened to some
extent.
Figures 8 and 9 shew a part elevation and sectional plan of another arrange-
ment in which each pair of blades is successively opened to their full width until
the desired slackening of speed has been obtained, so that the increase of resist-
ance will be correspondingly gradual.
For this purpose, a transverse shaft i is provided for each pair of opposite
blades a, which shafts have cams at their ends that bear with inclines against
the inner face of the lower ends of the blades, so that by the partial rotation of
the shaft and cams, these push the blades open to a certain extent, as indicated
by the dotted position, after which the pressure of the air will throw them full
open.
Each shaft i carries a loose tumbler lover k with fingers that can bear against
a stud on a disc fixed on the shaft. The levers ordinarily hang down as
shewn at Figure 8, in which position they lie in the path of a finger / fixed on
an endless chain stretched round two chain wheels m, one of which can be
rotated by suitable gearing n. The front shaft i has its tumbler lever k
mounted on a separate pivot o, and is geared to i by bevil gear p. It will be

page_text: seen that, the finger 7 being in the position shewn, it will on the rotation of the
chain wheels, first move the front lever k so as to open the front blade, and being
then carried round to the second lever k, it will effect the opening of the second
pair, and so on in succession.
The blades can afterwards be all closed simultaneously by connecting them all
by a light chain passing over a guide pulley to a central rod pulled by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Constructing motor vehicles for single rail elevated railways of an upper
body A and two lower bodies B connected to the upper body by pivot pins, so
as to allow of a certain amount of angling motion between the two, the lower
body B being suspended from the axles of the driving and running wheels by
springs K and rods J, and supported against lateral motion by means of guide
wheels Qrunning on lateral rails, while the upper body A is carried on the lower
body B by means of springs S the ends of which are pivoted to longitudinal bars T
fixed to the lower body, substantially as described.
2. In a motor vehicle such as is referred to in the first claim, mounting the
guide wheels Q on axes pivoted to each end of a sway beam O carried in a yield-
ing manner by the lower body B, each sway beam on the one side of the rail
supports being connected to the opposite sway beam on the other side by means
of saddle or bridge shaped connections 01 arranged and operating as herein
described.
3. In a motor vehicle constructed as set forth in the first claim, arranging
two motors L centrally in the lower body, and suspended by pivoted links L¹
from the top girders thereof while the casings of the motors are connected by
rigid arms Ĺ respectively to the crank axle to which the motor is coupled, so
that on the occurrence of a slight vertical motion of the axles relatively to the
body B, the arms will always maintain the same distance between the motor shaft
and axle, in causing the motor to oscillate slightly upon its suspending link.
4. In a motor vehicle constructed as set forth in the first claim, the use for
reducing the velocity of the carriage when running at a very high speed of a
series of vertical blades or wings a caused to project out beyond the sides of the
carriage at a greater or less angle to the direction of motion, by means of worm
and worm wheel mechanism arranged and operating substantially as described
with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings.
5. The modified arrangement of mechanism for actuating the vertical blades a
referred to in the fourth claim, herein described with reference to Figures 8
and 9 of the drawings.
Dated thi ovih 1
1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.