Improvements in Elevated Railways.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elevated Railways.
2
I, HENRY LLOYD NORCROSS, of 12 Pearl Street in the City of Boston, County of
Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America Note Broker, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATED RAILWAYS
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 elevated railroad that will be light and
cheap in construction, and will not interfere with street travel, and obscure very little
if any light.
The invention consists in various details of construction, as hereinafter fully
described, and pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of an elevated railroad and car embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the road, drawn to a smaller scale.
Fig. 4 shows a transverse vertical section of two roadways arranged one above the
other.
:
Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the method of securing the rails to the longitudinal
girders.
Fig. 6 is a view of the rollers that are arranged in front of the car-wheels.
Fig. 7 shows, respectively, a side view and a front view of the rollers that are
secured to the side of the car.
A A represent columns or posts arranged in a single row on each side of the road-
way, each pair supporting a box-girder B.
Care I-girders that extend from one box-girder B to the one next adjacent.
These I-girders are arranged in pairs at a suitable distance apart, each pair supporting
a plank B, to which the rails E are secured by spikes e (see Fig. 5) in the usual
manner.
The planks D are secured at suitable intervals by means of bolts F, that pass between
the I-girders and are secured underneath by nuts f, a plate F* being interposed
between the girders and nuts.
GG are channel-irons, supported by standards EI, that are braced by bars J. Each
pair of channel-irons is of a width apart to just allow a car to pass between them. The
inner ones are continuous, but in the outer ones a space is left at each station R for
the passengers to pass to or from the car. The stations R are reached from the side-
walk by a flight of steps L.
M represents a car, to the under side of which at each end is secured a frame N, in
which are mounted two rollers P, that stand a short distance above the rails E, so that
should a wheel of the car break or the car be derailed the rollers will come into contact
with the rails and support the car. To the sides of the car are secured two or more
frames Q, each carrying a vertical roller S and a horizontal roller S. These frames
are arranged upon the sides of the car so that the rollers are a few inches away from
the channel-irons G, and are intended as a safeguard in case the rollers P are not
sufficient or should become disarranged by any accident.
In Fig. 41 have shown two double tracks arranged one above the other. It will
be seen that by this construction the sidewalks are left clear, only a narrow space being
required where the stations are arranged, the roadway is not obstructed, and very
little if any light will be obscured, and the cars can be run by steam-power or
electricity, as may be desired.

page_text: 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 elevated railroad consisting of box-girders B, extending transversely
across the roadway, and supported by posts or columns A, longitudinal I-girders
arranged in pairs between the box-girders, the planks D, secured to the I-girders,
and the rails E, substantially as set forth.
2. In combination with an elevated railroad having a roadway supported by two
rows of posts or columns and having rails E E upon which the cars run, channel-
irons G, arranged on each side of said rails and supported above the track by
standards at or about a height equal to half the height of the car, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In an elevated railroad, rollers S S¹, mounted at right angles to each other
in a frame Q. secured to the side of the car, in combination with longitudinal
channel-irons G, supported so as to be nearly in contact with said rollers, substantially
as and for the purposes set forthi.
D
aul 1
1900
HENRY LLOYD NORCROSS..
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.