IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS, GOODS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leonard Cooper, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS, GOODS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.”-
A communication from abroad by Myles Cooper, of Buenos Ayres,
in the Argentine Confederation, in South America.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leonard Cooper at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th April 1872.
I, LEONARD COOPER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS, GOODS, AND OTHER
ARTICLES," being a communication to me from abroad by Myles Cooper,
of Buenos Ayres, in the Argentine Confederation, in South America,
to be as follows:-
This Invention is an improvement upon Letters Patent, No. 2621, 1970,
already granted to me, and has for its special object the transportation of

page_text: cargoes from vessels in those ports destitute of quays, but may be used
with equal advantage for other purposes.
The apparatus comprises two endless wire or other ropes passing
round drums or pulleys, to which motion is imparted by steam or other
power. To the upper and lower parts of the ropes vehicles for carrying
passengers or goods are attached or suspended by clips or other
equivalents, the ropes being supported at intervals by guide pulleys
mounted on suitable piers or scaffolding. Each vehicle is mounted on
four wheels on which it travels on land or on the stage. The vehicles
are disconnected from the ropes by self-acting slide rods fixed to the
ends of the vehicles, which are acted upon by an inclined lever or other
detaching apparatus fixed near each terminus, or the ropes disconnect
themselves from the vehicles as soon as the wheels rest upon the stage
at each terminus.
For facilitating the transit of the vehicles over the piers cach pier is
provided with two pieces of rail bent so as to form a double incline,
over which the wheels of the vehicles pass, thus causing the vehicles
to clear the ropes in ascending without the ropes leaving the pulleys,
and on passing the apex of the incline the vehicles again fall on to the
ropes at the fore end, whilst the hinder parts become free, so that a
continued connection with the ropes is maintained whilst passing the
piers. Adjusting screws or other equivalents are attached to the bearings
of the drums to give suitable tension to the ropes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Leonard Cooper in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEONARD
COOPER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of 3
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Leonard Cooper, Her special licence that I,
the said Leonard Cooper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: J
such others as I, the said Leonard Cooper, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS, GOODS, AND OTHER ARTICLES,"
being a communication to me from abroad by Myles Cooper, of Buenos
Ayres, in the Argentine Confederation, in South America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Leonard Cooper my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Leonard Cooper, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said 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 is an improvement upon Letters Patent No. 2624, 1870,
already granted to me, and has for its special object the transportation
of cargoes from vessels in those ports destitute of
used with equal advantage for other purposes.
4
quays, but
may
be
The apparatus comprises two endless wire or other ropes passing
round drums or pulleys, to which motion is imparted by steam or other
power. To the upper and lower parts of the ropes vehicles for carrying
passengers or goods are attached or suspended by clips or other
equivalents, the ropes being supported at intervals by guide pulleys
mounted on suitable piers or scaffolding. Each vehicle is mounted on
four wheels on which it travels on land or on the stage. .The. vehicles
are disconnected from the ropes by self-acting slide rods fixed to the
ends of the vehicles, which are acted upon by an inclined lever or other
detaching apparatus fixed near each terminus, or the ropes disconnect
themselves from the vehicles as soon as the wheels rest upon the stage
at each terminus.
For facilitating the transit of the vehicles over the piers cach pier is
provided, with two pieces of rail bent so as to form a double incline,

page_text: over which the wheels of the vehicles pass, thus causing the vehicles
to clear the ropes in ascending without. the ropes leaving the pulleys,
and on passing the apex of the incline the vehicles again fall on to tho
ropes at the fore end, whilst the hinder parts become free, so that a
continued connection with the ropes is maintained whilst passing the t
piers. Adjusting screws or other equivalents are attached to the bearings
of the drums to give suitable tension to the ropes.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will now proceed
to describe the manner of carrying the same into practical effect,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, and to 1
the figures and letters marked thereon :—
Sheet 1, Figure 1, is a cross section, and Figure 2 a sido elevation
shewing one method of passing the vehicles over the piers and connection
with the ropes.
Figure 3 is a cross section, and Figure 4 a side elevation shewing a 1
double line of ropes, also another modo of passing the vehicles over the
piers and connection with the ropes.
Figures 5 and 6, end and side views of vehicles used for the rope way
shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 1 and 2, a, a, are two endless ropes passing round drums 2
fixed at at each terminus, to which motion is imparted by steam or other
power, so that the ropes travel in opposite directions as indicated by the
arrows; b, b, guide pulleys fixed on suitable piers C, C, for supporting
ropes; d, d, pieces of rail bent so as to form a double incline, over which
the wheels of the vehicles E, E, pass, thereby causing the vehicles to 2
clear the ropes in ascending without the ropes leaving the pulleys b, b,
and on passing the apex of the incline the vehicles again fall on to the
ropes at the fore end, whilst the hinder ond is free, thus an uninterrupted
connection is maintained between the ropes and the vehicles. The
vehicles E, E, are mounted on four wheels fƒ,ƒ,ƒ, on which they are 3
supported on land or at the termini. On the under side are two V
grooves 9, 9, shewn more distinctly in Fig. 5, into which the ropes a, a,
enter, and thus support the vehicles whilst passing between the
termini.
Figures 3 and 4, a, a, a, a, are four endless ropes passing round drums 3
fixed at each terminus, as described in Figs. 1 and 2; b, b, b, b, guide

page_text: picces of rail bent so as to form a double incline, over which the
wheels ffff of the vehicles E, E, E, E, pass, thereby causing the
vehicles to clear the ropes in ascending without the ropes leaving the
pulleys b, b, b, b, and on passing the apex of the incline the vehicles
again fall on to the ropes at the fore end whilst the hinder ends aro
free, thereby maintaining a continuous connection between the ropes
and the vehicles. In this arrangement the vehicles E, E, E, E, arc
cach mounted on four wheels f, ƒ, f, f, but instead of having the
V grooves I, I, I, 9, underneath, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, they are
above, and thus the vehicles are suspended upon the ropes from the top
whilst passing between the termini.
Sheet 2, Figure 7 is a side clevation, and Figure 8 a plan, shewing
the arrangement for passing the ropes into line of the terminal drums,
also arrangement for vehicles passing on to and off the ropes at the
termini. a, a, are the endless ropes passing round the drums a¹, a¹;
b, b, guide pulleys; E, vehicle passing on to ropes in the direction of
arrow; E', vehicle passing off ropes in the direction of arrow, thus it is
clear that as soon as the supporting wheels f.f.f.f, of the vehicles drop
upon the landing stage II they free themselves from the ropes. The
drums at the opposite end of the driving power are fixed on sliding
beds or carriages, which aro adjusted by screws or other equivalents for
keeping the ropes tight or slack as required.
Figure 9, plan of arrangement for working a double line of ropes. In
this case the drums a³, a¹, and guide pulleys b, b, over which the ropes a, a,
pass, revolve horizontally.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, as communicated to me by the within-named Myles
Cooper, and shewn the mode of carrying the same into practical opera-
tion, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact
details herein set forth, as these may be modified without departure from
the nature of the said Invention; but that which I claim as granted
unto me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The arrangement and combination of machinery and apparatus
for transportation, as herein described and set forth in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4
of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The-mode-of maintaining a continuous connection between
the ropes and the vehicles in passing the piers by means of a double

page_text: incline, as herein described and set forth in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the
Drawings attached.
Thirdly. The mode of suspending the vehicles from the ropes whilst
passing between the termini, as herein described and set forth in Figs. 3
and 4 of the Drawings appended.
Fourthly. The arrangement of drums and pulleys and mode of attaching
and detaching vehicles to and from ropes, as herein described and set
forth in Figs. 7 and 8 of these Drawings.
Fifthly. The arrangement for working a double line of ropes as herein
described and set forth in Fig. 9 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leonard Cooper, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
5
1