Improvements in Elevated Railway Systems.
Year: 1893

page_text: ate of Application, 14th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elevated Railway Systems.
I, HOSEA WAITE LIBBEY of No. 55 Rutland Square in the City of Boston, and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America Physician, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to produce an automatic aerial rail road for
carrying passengers, nail, merchandise and the like, and in cars therefor.
The invention consists of two sets of tracks, an upper and lower one of undulating
form, and a car mounted upon wheels and having a bar secured to the roof, the
upper end of which bar is attached to an axle upon which wheels are secured so that
when the car is in operation it is alternately carried by the upper wheels running
down an incline on the upper track and then by the lower wheel running up an incline
on the lower track from which it swung off at the moment that the upper wheels
are upon the downward incline on the upper track, the momentum thus obtained by
the swinging off and running down the incline being sufficient to carry the car up
the incline on the lower track and over its highest point when it is again supported
by the upper track.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a side view of an automatic aerial rail road embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line x, x, of Fig. 1, looking in the direction
of the arrow.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a passenger car.
A, A, represent standards which may be of any desired design, and of the
required height, these standards are continued or connected at the top to form an
arch A, to prevent the upper ends from spreading.
B, B, are arched girders that extend from one standard to another, and C, C, are
stays or braces for keeping the upper ends of the standards A, the proper distance
apart.
D, is the lower track of the form shown, that is to say, it is formed with a starting
place, and stations slightly on the incline as shown at 1, from the end of which
it curves suddenly down as shown at 2, and then rises on an incline 3, from the
upper part of which it again curves down as at 2, and again rises on an incline 3,
and so on until the next station or stopping place 1, is reached; the lower portion
of this track rests upon the top of the arches B, and its highest portions are
supported by cross beams secured to standards E, resting upon the arches B.
F, is the upper track and consists of a series of downward and upward inclines 4, 5,
connected by a curved portion 6, at their lower ends and rounded at their apex 7,
as shown, these tracks are supported at their apex by brackets F', projecting
inwardly from the standards A, and the lower portion by bracket G, extending
inwardly from standards H, carried by the arched beams B.
I, represents a car by which passengers, mail, merchandise and the like may be
transported; this car is at each end formed wedge shaped, as will be best seen in
Fig. 3, and slightly rounded up at the bottom and down at the top as shown
in Fig. 1, whereby the car is enabled to cut the air so as to reduce the resistance to
a minimum. To the under side of the car are secured wheels J, preferably four
pair as shown (but of course the number would depend upon the length of the car)
and at the rear of the car is secured a roller K, that extends entirely across the car
n case the rear end of the car should at any time come into contact with the
point 8, of the lower track D, as the car swings off the same. To the upper portion
of the car are secured bars or rods L, the outer ends of which are secured to a
Price & I

page_text: block M, to which a rod or bar N, is fulcrumed, this bar is furcated or spread open
at its upper end as will be seen in Fig. 2, and through its upper ends is passed an
axle P, upon the outer ends of which are mounted flanged wheels Q. A spring R
secured at one end of the top of the car and at its other end to the rod N,
draws the latter forward when the wheels Q, are off the upper track. T, are the
brakes.
The operation is as follows:-
:-
Supposing a car is at or upon a station as at 1, upon the attendant releasing the
brakes T, the car runs down the incline and as soon as the centre of the car
is beyond the point 8, it will tilt forward thus throwing the wheels Q, over the
apex 7, of the upper track, the car then drops from the lower track and is supported
from the upper track by the wheels Q, axle P, and rod N, but the moment the car
leaves the lower track there is a swinging movement imparted to it as the axle P,
forms the fulcrum upon which it swings, and at the same time the wheels Q, running
down the upper track gives a momentum to the car sufficient to cause it to travel up
the incline 3, and over the point 8, when the operation is repeated until the car
comes to another station when the attendant applies the brake and the momentum
of the car will be retarded when it reaches the incline 1, and the car will be
stopped.
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. An automatic aerial rail road having two sets of tracks, an upper and lower
one of undulating form, said tracks being supported at a proper distance apart
substantially as set forth.
2. An automatic aerial rail road consisting of a lower track D, having inclined
surfaces 3, in combination with an upper track F, having inclined surfaces 4, and
suitable supports, all arranged substantially as set forth.
3. An automatic aerial rail road consisting of a track D, having stopping places 1,
and inclined surfaces 3, up which the cars are caused to run, and an upper track F,
having inclined surfaces 4, from which the cars are suspended when they leave the
lower incline 3, substantially as set forth.
4. An automatic rail road consisting of a lower track D, having stopping places 1,
and inclined surfaces 3, and an upper track having inclined surfaces 4, in combi-
nation with a car I, having wedge shaped ends, and fitted with wheels to adapt it
to run up the inclines 3, and a rod or bar N, attached to the roof, the upper end of
said rod embracing an axle P, to which wheels Q, are secured, and means for
drawing said bar forward when the wheels Q, are off the incline 4, substantially as
Bet forth.
1 1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.