Improvements in and connected with Elevated Railways and Tramways, and in Vehicles therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification 1 eft. 3rd Nov 1800 40cented
Oth Don
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Elevated Railways and
Tramways, and in Vehicles therefor.
I, CHARLES ANTOINE MARY, of 58, Chausseé d'Antin, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an economical apparatus for rapid
and easy overhead traction. The apparatus is arranged so that the up and down
lines are one below the other so as to use the same supports for each. The vehicles
can be propelled by any suitable motor such as an electric motor carried by the
train or rope traction. I will presume in the following description that the
latter is used. The vehicles according to this invention consist of balloons or
equivalent hollow vessels arranged tandem and of flat elongated figure they
being connected together by framework. A car is connected to the framework
between the balloons by gymballing or otherwise in such a manner as to be kept
level and steady. Each balloon is strengthened by cross rods and stays some
of which may form the axles of the vehicles and carry runners which run in
guideways constituting the railway lines on either side of the vehicles and sup-
ported by posts or the like the up and down pairs of guideways being one above
the other and carried by the same posts. In one of these guideways of each line
is the traction cable driven by a motor at one of the extremities of the railway.
The guideways constituting the lines preferably consist of square section tubes
in which the runners of the vehicle or train travel the said tubes being supported
by brackets fixed to the posts. The said tubes have longitudinal slots for the
passage of the axles or pieces projecting from the vehicle and carrying the
runners. The parts which carry the runners preferably consist each of a flat piece
bolted to the axle, the rollers being arranged to fit the tube one or more hori-
zontally and the other or others vertically. The traction cable is situated in the
guideway and one of the parts projecting from the vehicle into the guideway
carries a gripper extending outwards so as to be capable of being operated by
the conductor to grip the cable or loosen its hold on it for traction or stopping.
The passage from the vehicles from one line to the other is effected by means of
properly adjusted inclined pieces arranged between the guideways at the requisite
places so as to allow the vehicles to pass from one line to the other. Means may
De provided at a suitable point or points on the line for refilling the balloons.
The weights are so distributed as to give as nearly as possible equipoise of the
vehicles.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Elevated Railways and
Tramways, and in Vehicles therefor.
I, CHARLES ANTOINE MARY, of 58bis, Chausseé d'Antin, Paris, in the Republic
of France, 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:---
The object of this invention is to provide an economicat apparatus for rapid
and easy overhead traction. The apparatus is arranged so that the up and down
lines are one below the other so as to use the same supports for each. The vehicles
can be propelled by any suitable motor such as an electric motor carried by the
train or by rope traction. I will presume in the following description with
reference to the accompanying drawings that the latter is used.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a portion of an elevated railway and of a
vehicle or train constructed according to my invention. Figure 2 is a plan of
the same, and Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan
of a portion of the line and of a vehicle, drawn to a larger scale.
h
Each vehicle A consists of two balloons or equivalent hollow vessels ab
arranged tandem and of flat elongated figure the said hollow vessels being con-
nected together by framework B. A car c, which may be constructed to accom-
modate any desired number of passengers; is connected to the framework between
the balloons, it being suspended, by gymballs as at d, or otherwise, in such a
manner as to be kept level and steady. Each balloon or hollow vessel is
strengthened by diagonal stays ², and by transverse rods e f which form the axles
of the vehicles and carry runners mando which run in guideways y constituting
the railway lines on either side of the vehicles. These guideways are supported
by posts or the like, arranged at suitable distances apart, the up and down pairs of
guideways being carried one above the other by the same posts. In one of these
guideways of each line is the traction cable driven by a motor at one of the
extremities of the railway. The guideways constituting the lines preferably
consist of tubes of square section as shewn in Figure 3 in which the runners m n
and of the vehicle or train travel the said tubes being supported by brackets i
fixed to the posts 4. The guideways or tubes have longitudinal slots in their
inner sides for the passage of the axles, for pieces projecting from the vehicle
and carrying the runners and o. The parts which carry the runners prefer-
ably consist each of a flat piece k bolted at to the axle e, the said runners being
arranged to fit the tube so that the runners 10tate horizontally and the runners m
and rotate vertically. The traction cable p is situated in the guideway and
a part projecting from the vehicle into the guideway carries a gripping device
capable of being operated by the conductor to grip the cable or loosen its hold
on it for traction or stopping. The passage from the vehicles from one line to
the other is effected by means of properly adjusted inclined pieces arranged
between the guideways at the requisite places so as to allow the vehicles to pass
from one line to the other. Means may be provided at a suitable point or points
on the line for refilling the balloons or hollow vessels. The weights are so dis-
tributed or arranged as to give as nearly as possible equality of weight at all
times.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is

page_text: constituting the up and down lines for the vehicles, the pairs of guides being
supported one above the other on pillars or columns, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. For use on elevated railways such as herein before described a vehicle com-
prising two balloons or hollow vessels of flat and elongated shape and rigidly
bound to each other by means of a framework and having arranged between the
two balloons a car or compartment for containing passengers substantially as
herein before described.
3. The combination of parts constituting the improvements in connection with
elevated railways, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
T
D
C
1200
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.