An Improved Crossing Device for the Cables of Cable Railways and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1894.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Crossing Device for the Cables of Cable Railways and
the like.
We, WILLIAM BOWERS, and RICHARD THOMPSON, both of 531 Cyprus Avenue,
New York, New York State, U.S.A., Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means to provide means for enabling
the cables of cable railways, tramways and the like to cross each other.
The invention comprises a drum suitably mounted in the track of the cable and
rotated thereby.
A sheave is actuated by the drum through a train of gear-wheels, and said sheave
propels a pair of auxiliary cables which run in the same direction as the main
crossing cable. Suitable tensional rolls press the auxiliary cables together, and are
arranged along the length thereof. The tensional rolls may consist of grooved
rollers mounted in brackets which are pressed outwardly from their seating by
spiral springs. The seating may consist of a block of metal arranged along and
parallel to the auxiliary cable, and having recesses to contain the brackets and
springs. The grip has a plate which is adapted to enter between the auxiliary
cables..
Dated this 20th day of Februang 1002
W. H. MUNNS,
Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Crossing Device for the Cables of Cable Railways and
the like.
We WILLIAM BOWERS and RICHARD THOMPSON both of 531 Cyprus Avenue,
New York N.Y., U.S.A. Gentlemen 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in cable crossings, that is apparatus for
enabling a cable-propelled car which is travelling on one street to cross the cables
of an intersecting street line without interruption.
Heretofore, in apparatus designed for that purpose, the momentum of the car
at the time of reaching the crossing has been relied on to carry it over the inter-
secting cable. But the conditions of service may have required the car to stop just
before crossing, so that it has no momentum and horse or man-power is often
Our invention,
necessary to pull or push the car across the intersecting street.
however, provides for continuous application of power to the car derived from the
main cable itself, while crossing, so that the motion of the car is uninterrupted.
Essentially our invention consists in auxilliary cables propelled from the inain
cable which take the car just at the instant it is released from the main cable,
and carry it forward, and these auxillary cables are so arranged with reference
to the main cable, that the freeing of the grip from the main cable causes the
auxillary cables to engage at the same instant with the grip, and so maintain a
continuous force on the car.
In carrying out this invention we have also devised means of converting the

page_text: the auxillary cables into a grip, the cables themselves becoming the clamping
device. Our invention therefore also includes the devices for producing this
operation of the auxillary cables, and the modification of the grip which enables
the cables to clamp it.
Referring to the drawings which accompany the Specification to aid the
description
Fig. 1 is a plan view of two sets of main cables travelling in opposite directions,
and the auxillary cables for each of the crossing cables.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one main cable, its auxillary cables and the operating
mechanism for the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan much enlarged of a portion of the auxillary cables clamping the
plate of the cable grip of a car.
Figs. 4 and 5 are details showing how the auxillary cables are clamped against
the plate of the grip. The grip is partly broken.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the grip and plate, with parts of the main,
auxillary cable.
Fig. 7 is a detail much enlarged of a guide sheave of the auxillary cables,
showing the cables in section and the plate clamped between them.
A, A', are two main cables usually placed in a cable conduit below the street
level, said conduit not being shown in the drawings since it is a well known
construction, one cable at either side of a street, travelling in opposite directions
and crossing the cables, B, B¹.
Our device is to provide for a car on either A or A¹, crossing B and B¹, and
since the apparatus in connection with both A and A' is the same, but simply
reversed in order, we shall hereinafter describe only that in connection with cable A.
Some distance before arriving at the crossing the said cable A is deflected somewhat
laterally from its right line direction so as to clear the plane of the auxillary cables
which continue in that line, and is carried by guide sheaves a, and above other
usual sheaves, u', a', and under sheaves, a³, so as to pass under the cables B, B', and
below the auxillary cables, to some point beyond the crossing, where it passes over
a sheave, a, by a sheave, a, and then turns in gradually again to its original right
line. Between sheaves a aud that right line the cable A, passes by a spring
actuated sheave, a³, carried on the end of a lever, as, as will be hereinafter more
fully explained. Between the cables B B¹, the aforesaid cable, A, is carried as
often as necessary, (usually twice) around a large drum, C, or drums which are
fixed on a shaft, c, and carries gears, d, d'. Said shafts will be supported in bearings
in any suitable frame set in the cable conduit, neither the frame nor the conduit
being shown since they are well known constructions.
Said gear, d meshes with trains, d³, d³, and d', d, respectively and said gear d',
meshes with a train, de, d.
Evidently the preriphiral speed of all these gears will be the same and equal to
the peripheral speed of the gear, d', and in the same direction. Gears, d³, d, and d',
are each fixed on a shaft carrying a cable drum or sheave, e, e', e², all in the
same straight line and. a little above the cables, B, B', (Fig. 2) the periphery of
which between the flauges e³ (Fig. 7) is more than wide enough for two auxillary
cables to lie side by side.
In the middle of said periphery is the groove e, to admit the edge of the
clamping plate as will be hereinafter described.
Two endless auxillary cables, D, D', are stretched over said sheave, e, and a
similar sheave, /, near the point when the cable, A, begins to deflect with one or
more turns around the sheaves as necessary; two other auxillary cables, E, E¹, are
strected in the same manner over the sheaves, e', and another similar sheave 9, near
the point where the cable, A, returns to its original line, and two other auxillary
cables, F, F1, are strected between the inner ends of the first sets, over the
sheave, e, and another similar sheave, h, all three sets of auxillary cables being in
the original line of the main cable, and a little below the said main cable, except
between the aforesaid sheaves, a, a², all said auxillary cables, D, D', E, E¹, F, F¹,

page_text: Along outside each set of
which press
will travel in the same direction as the main cable A.
said auxillary cables from end to end are a series of tension rolls, i, i,
the two auxillary cables of each set together, (Fig. 3).
Said rolls, i, i, are grooved sheaves rotating in the split ends of short horizontal
rods, which are housed in cylindrical sockets, k, in socket bars, K, said socket
bars K being long bars of metal secured horizontally in any suitable manner in the
cable conduit to either side of each pair of auxillary cables, and having the
sockets, k, bored at frequent intervals. In the bottom of these sockets are springs 1,
tending to force out the rods, j', and thereby press the two cables together.
In place of the springs, 1, we might use any other device which would put
tension on the rods, j¹.
The main cable grip is for the most part of any ordinary description, and usually
consists as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, of fixed upper jaws, m, m, and movable lower
jaws, u, n, which latter are bolted on the stem o, leading down from the brakeman's
lever, not shown, and passing freely down through a slot in said upper jaws, m, m.
We have devised the addition to the usual brake shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and which
is a rather long, rectangular plate p, bolted horizontally on the stem, o, below the
jaws, n, n, and having its lower edge, p', and its vertical edges, p³, p³, beveled like
knife edges. Said plate, p, is just wide enough so that when the grip is released
from the main cable A, by lowering the stem, o, said plate will descend down
between the pair of auxillary cables, and be clamped between them as seen in
Fig. 5 In case the plate, p, is pushed down a little farther than necessary the
groove, e in the sheaves e, e¹, e, allows its lower edge to enter freely without
interfering with the motion of the sheave.
I
The sheaves f, g, h, also each have a similar groove and for the same purpose.
As before said, near the point where the cable A returns to its original line, is
the spring actuating sheave, a.
Said sheave is carried at the free end of the lever a, which is pivoted at 5 to
any convenient part of the supports not shown, and the free end of said lever has a
lateral guide rod, 2, curved on au arc struck from 5 as a center which rod recipro-
cates in a socket, 3, being normally forced outward by the spring 4, as seen in
Fig. 1.
When a car is not passing, said sleeve, a, pushes the cable, A, over toward the
auxillary cables, but as a car passes in the direction of the arrow, the grip pushes
the sheave, a, aside so that it can pass by, the spring 4 immediately returning the
sheave to its first position when the car has passed.
The operation is as follows.
Suppose a car coming toward the crossing propelled by the cable A, its grip will
have hold of said cable, and the plate p, will be above the auxillary cables. When
the car comes above the sheave, the grip-man warned by a sign on the street, will
push down the jaw, n, releasing cable, A, and at the same instant pushing the
plate, p, between the auxillary cables D, D', (Figs. 4. 5. 6). The auxillary cables
will now propel the car to the sheave, e, and the plate, p, being long will bridge
the interval between the sheaves, e, h, and its front end will enter the cables F, F',
before its rear part leaves the cables, D, D', so that the car continues across over
the cables, B, B1, without interruption, and in a similar manner the plate p, engages
the cables, E, E', before it leaves cables, F. F, and the car continues on toward the
sheave, a, passing that as described, and the cable, A, now entering the wide open
jaw of the grip.
When the car has come over sheave, y, the gripman warned as before, closes the
grip on the main cable A, thus withdrawing the plate p from the auxillary
cables, E, E, and the car proceeds on its way.
Should it be necessary to stop the car on any part of the crossing the plate, p,
can be withdrawn from between the auxillary cables and brakes applied in the
usual manner.
Evidently the apparatus is as well adapted to switching as to street crossing,
being applicable wherever one cable line crosses or intersects another.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is―
1. A cable crossing consisting of auxillary clamping cables travelling in the
direction of the main crossing cable.
2. A cable crossing consisting of auxillary cables arranged in pairs tensionally
pressed together, & travelling in the direction of the main crossing.
3. A cable crossing consisting of three sets of auxillary cables arranged in pairs
tensionally pressed together, one set approaching the crossing, another set between
the crossed cables, and the third set receding from the crossing, and all travelling
in the same direction as the main crossing cable.
4. A cable crossing consisting of auxillary cables arranged in pairs and travelling
in the same direction as the main crossing cable, and tensional rolls along the
length of said auxillary cables and pressing the cables of the pair together.
5. A cable crossing consisting of a drum actuated by the main crossing cable a
sheave actuated from said drum and propelling a pair of auxillary cables in the
same direction as the main crossing cable, and tensional rolls along the length of
the auxillary cables, pressing the said cable together.
Je is
6. A cable crossing consisting of a laterally and vertically deflected length of
the main crossing cable, and auxillary cables in the main line direction of the
said main crossing cable arranged in pairs tensionally pressed together and travelling
in the same direction as the said main crossing cable.
7. In combination with the auxillary cables in pairs as described, a grip having
a plate and adapted to enter between the auxillary cables.
+
8. In a cable crossing, apparatus and in combination with auxillary cables,
arranged in pairs, tension sheaves to press said cables together set rotatably on rods
reciprocating in housings which contain springs actuating said rods.
9. A cable crossing consisting of one or more sets of auxillary cables, arranged
in pairs tensionally pressed together and all travelling in the same direction as the
main cable.
Dated this 20th day of Novembar 1202
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicants.