IMPROVEMENTS IN WIRE ROPE TRAMWAYS AND IN " for and METHODS OF KEEPING THE TUBE AND ROAD CLEAR OF ICE AND SNOW during
Year: 1879

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I ANDREW
SMITH HALLIDIE of the City and County of San Francisco State of California one
of the United States of America Merchant send greeting WHEREAS Her Most
Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great
Seal of Great Britain and Ireland bearing date at Westminster the Fifteenth day
November in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine
in the 43rd year of Her reign did for Herself Her heirs and successors give and
grant unto me the said Andrew Smith Hallidie my executors administrators or
assigns Her special license full power sole privilege and authority that I the said
Andrew Smith Hallidie my executors administrators or assigns or such others as I
the said Andrew Smith Hallidie my executors administrators or assigns should at
any time agree with and no others from time to time and at all times 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIRE ROPE TRAMWAYS AND IN
" for and
METHODS OF KEEPING THE TUBE AND ROAD CLEAR OF ICE AND SNOW
during the term of Fourteen years thence next ensuing And whereas I the said
Andrew Smith Hallidie did on the said Fifteenth day of November in the year of
Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine with my Petition for the
granting of the said Letters Patent cause a complete Specification in writing under
my hand and seal purporting to particularly describe the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same was to be performed to be duly filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office And whereas since the filing of the said Specification
and Grant of Letters Patent as aforesaid I the said Andrew Smith Hallidie have
been advised that the third claiming clause in the said Specification contained might
be held to be capable of too broad or general a construction and I am therefore
desirous of amending the said Specification by striking out the said third claiming
Clause NOW KNOW YE that I the said Andrew Smith Hallidie by and with
the leave of Her Majesty's Solicitor General and for reason aforesaid do amend
the said Specification by striking out the said third claiming Clause being the
Paragraph commencing with the words "3rd The method" which occur at line 39
the

page_text: of page 2 of the Queens Printers Copy of the said Specification published at the
Great Seal Patent Office in One thousand eight hundred and eighty and ending
with the words "substantially as described" which occur at line 42 of the said
page 2.
And in order that the effect of the said Disclaimer may be clearly
understood I annex hereunto a copy of the said Specification as it will appear
when so amended the Preamble and testing Clause being omitted.
My Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of traction railways
in which an endless rope or cable is propelled within a tube or channel below the
surface of the Street or road by means of a suitable apparatus fixed at some point
along the line. A slot is made in the upper part of the tube and a gripping device
is attached to the car or dummy to be propelled along the track and extends down
through the slot into the tube, where it is caused to grip a rope so as to be drawn
along by it and thus propel the car. This method is well known and much of the
apparatus is now in use.
My present Invention is designed to protect the tube, slot, and the permanent
way from the action of snow and ice in winter and to prevent any water which
may enter the tube from becoming frozen, or any accumulation of ice or snow
upon the permanent way. It consists in the employment of pipes which are
connected with a steam boiler, hot air or gas apparatus whereby the interior of the
tube may be kept warm and the formation of ice within the tube or around the
slot can be prevented, and the surface of the permanent way kept in such a
condition that snow and ice may be easily removed by the employment of a plow
or scraper in combination with the travelling endless rope and a suitable bearing
device and grip whereby the plow may be moved along and the track cleared.
Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my
Invention.
Figure 1 is a view of my apparatus showing its application. Figure 2 is a
longitudinal section of the tube.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the tube.
A is the permanent roadway; B. the tracks upon which the cars run; and C is
the tube within which the endless rope D is driven by suitable machinery pulleys
etc, in the usual manner. Within this tube I fix the pipe or pipes E which may
extend in the direction of its length and be suitably secured to the sides so as to
be out of the way of the rope or moving grip. These pipes are connected with a
boiler or boilers F so that hot air gas vapour or liquid as may be found most
desirable, can be passed through the pipes and the interior of the tube will thus be
kept at such a temperature as to melt any ice or snow which may find its way in
through the slot, and it will also prevent the freezing of water which may flow in
the tube. It will keep the lubricants employed upon pulleys and other moving
parts from becoming thick by reason of the cold and the whole apparatus in good
working condition
The warm air will escape through the slot and will thus always keep it clear
in cold weather and any ice or snow which accumulates upon the rails will be kept
in such a condition that the plow or scraper G will easily remove it without too
much strain upon the driving rope. This plow or scraper is suitably supported
preferably upon a truck H which runs upon the rails B and is provided with a
gripping apparatus I of any suitable or well known form connected with an
actuating lever J or hand wheel and screw so that when desired the grip may be
made to seize the grip or cable and thus the plow or scraper is driven along the
track which can be kept clear at all times. By this construction I am enabled to
employ the endless cable within an underground tube for the propulsion of cars
in cold as well as warm climates without danger of stoppage by ice or snow.
Having thus described my Invention what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is-
First The slotted tube C having the endless travelling rope D moving within
it for the purpose of propelling a line of cars in combination with the hot air gas
or vapour pipes E substantially as herein described.

page_text: Second-In combination with the endless travelling rope or chain moving within
an underground tube I claim the plough or scraper G and a gripping apparatus I
whereby the scraper may be connected with and propelled by the rope substantially
as herein described
In witness whereof I the said Andrew Smith Hallidie have hereunto set
my hand and seal this thirtieth day of October in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
To The Commissioners of Patents for Inventions.
Notice of the application for leave to file this Disclaimer and Memorandum of
Alteration having been advertized in accordance with my direction, I hereby grant
my Fiat giving leave to the above named Andrew Smith Hallidie to file in the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with the Specification to which the same
relates, the above written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration.
Dated this 25th day of November 1882.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Smith Hallidie, of the City and County of San
Francisco, State of California, one of the United States of America, Merchant,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIRE ROPE TRAMWAYS, AND IN
METHODS OF KEEPING THE TUBE AND ROAD CLEAR OF ICE AND SNOW."
aled the 23rd January 1880, and dated the 15th November 1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Andrew Smith Hallidie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1879.
ANDREW SMITH HALLIDIE, of the City and County of San Francisco, State of
California, one of the United States of America, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WIRE ROPE TRAMWAYS, AND IN METHODS OF KEEPING THE TUBE AND ROAD CLEAR
OF ICE AND SNOW."
My Invention relates to certain improvements in that class of traction railways
in which an endless rope or cable is propelled within a tube or channel below the
surface of the street or road by means of a suitable apparatus fixed at some point
along the line. A slot is made in the upper part of the tube and a gripping device
is attached to the car or dummy to be propelled along the track and extends down
through the slot into the tube, where it is caused to grip the rope so as to be drawn
along by it and thus propel the car. This method is well know and much of the
apparatus is now in use.
My present Invention is designed to protect the tube, slot, and the permanent
way from the action of snow and ice in winter, and to prevent any water which
may enter the tube from becoming frozen, or any accumulation of ice or snow upon
the permanent way. It consists in the employment of pipes which are connected
with a steam boiler, hot air, or gas apparatus, whereby the interior of the tube may
be kept warm and the formation of ice within the tube or around the slot can be
prevented, and the surface of the permanent way kept in such a condition that snow
and ice may be easily removed by the employment of a plow or scraper in com-
bination with the travelling endless rope and a suitable bearing device and grip,
whereby the plow may be moved along and the track cleared.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying Drawings for a more complete explanation of my
Invention,
Fig. 1 is a view of my apparatus showing its application. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
section of the tube.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the tube.
A is the permanent roadway; B, the tracks upon which the cars run; and C is
the tube within which the endless rope D is driven by suitable machinery, pulleys,
etc., in the usual manner. Within this tube I fix the pipe or pipes E, which may
extend in the direction of its length and be suitably secured to the sides so as to be out
of the way of the rope or moving grip. These pipes are connected with a boiler or
boilers F so that hot air, gas, vapor, or liquid, as may be found most desirable, can
be passed through the pipes, and the interior of the tube will thus be kept at such
a temperature as to melt any ice or snow which may find its way in through the
slot, and it will also prevent the freezing of water which may flow in the tube. It
will keep the lubricants employed upon pulleys and other moving parts from
becoming thick by reason of the cold and the whole apparatus in good working
condition.
1"
The warm air will escape through the slot and will thus always keep it clear in
cold weather, and any ice or snow which accumulates upon the rails will be kept in
such a condition that the plow or scraper G will easily remove it without too
much strain upon the driving rope. This plow or scraper is suitably supported
preferably upon a truck H, which runs upon the rails B and is provided with a
gripping apparatus I, of any suitable or well known form, connected with an
actuating lever J or hand wheel and screw, so that, when desired, the grip may be
made to seize the grip or cable and thus the plow or scraper is driven along the
track, which can be kept clear at all times. By this construction I am enabled to
employ the endless cable within an underground tube for the propulsion of cars in
cold as well as warm climates without danger of stoppage or damage by ice or
snow.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is,―
1st. The slotted tube C having the endless travelling rope D moving within it
for the purpose of propelling a line of cars, in combination with the hot air, gas, or
vapor pipes E, substantially as herein described.
2nd. In combination with the endless travelling rope or chain moving within an
underground tube, I claim the plough or scraper G and a gripping apparatus I
whereby the scraper may be connected with and propelled by the rope, substantially
as herein described.
3rd. The method herein described of protecting wire or cable tramways, consisting
in introducing into the tube within which the endless rope travels currents of hot
air, gas, or vapor, whereby the formation of ice within the tube is prevented and
the surface accumulations are rendered easy of removal, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Smith Hallidie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witnesses,
S. H NOURSE,
FRANK A. BROOKS.
ANDREW SMITH HALLIDIE. (L.S.)