US469908A - Aerial tramway - Google Patents

Description

(No mnniel.)y s sheensheet 1. A. H. DE CAMP. AERIAL'TRAMWAY.

No. 469,908.l

Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A, H. DE CAMP. AERIAL TRAMWAY.

No. 469,908. 'Patented Mar. 1, '1892.

., muvo-mno., msmunrou, u. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. H. DE CAMP. AERIAL TRAMWAY.

No. 469,908. Patented Mar. l, 1892.w

ALFRED Il. DE CAMP, OF BOONTON, NE W JERSEY.

AERIALl TRAMWAY.

Y SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 469,908, dated March 1, 18.92.

Application led May 6. 1890. Serial No. 350,950. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. DE CAMP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boonton, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Aerial Tramways, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to simplif y the construction and increasethe efficiency of aerial tramways.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure l represents a front elevation of a tramway embodying parts of' my invention. Fig. 2 is -a side elevation and part section of tramway and support, showing the general arrangement ot the parts. Fig. 3 is a side View of the upper part of one of the supportingposts, showing how the track issupported and protected. Fig. 4. is a front view of Fig. 3, showing the rail and its protecting parts in section and a car-wheel passing over the same. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line e cof Fig. 3, showing howA the protecting-pieces are secured to the rails. Fig. 0 is a side view showing how the equalizing-weights are secured to the rails. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on theline Z2 h of Fig. 6, showing method of securing the cqualizing devices to the rails. Fig. 8 is a side view of upper partv of a supporting-post, showing one rail laid upon another in the same supporting-wheel. Fig. 9 is anl elevation showing the general features of a tramway of this sort and the relation of intermediate tension-weights to each other and to the general system.

Any suitable supporting-frame for maintaining the rails of this tramway in an elevated position may be used.Y That shown in Fig. l, consisting of the uprights A A A, braces B B, cross-braces C C', and rollers D D for carrying the drawing-cable, is essentially the same as that shown in my application for United States Letters Patent, dated April 23, 1890. The uprights A A A in this case, however, are provided on their inner sides, near their tops, with the wheels E, upon which wheels or rollers the rails of the tramway rest. These rollers are pivotally mounted upon the short shafts E', which shafts are supported at one end by the posts, which they enter, and at the other end by the bent arms E, securely bolted to the posts below the wheels, as by bolts e e, and extending upward to the opposite side of wheels E sufficiently to receive the inner ends of shafts E', as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The rollers E are flanged to a depth greater than the depth of the rail, as shown in Fig. 4, where the rail F is seen inclosed between the flanges, as well as a like section F beneath the rail, while the section of F is shown as above the flanges. The method of combining these three parts F F F at the supports will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 3, 4, and '5. The piece F, looped at both ends to receive the bolts or rivets g, Figs. 3 and 5, rests directly on the roller E. Upon F rests the rail F of the tramway, and as it bears with considerable weight at all times it will be seen that there willbe no longitudinal slip between the rail and F', provided the wheel E turns t'reely on its shaft, but they will play back and forth upon the wheel as one. As the tramway rail is included between the wheel-flanges, Fig. ,of course lateral displacement of the same is prevented. The piece F lies above the rail and F, and is secured ,to each as follows: rlhe inverted loop G, Figs.

3 and 5, with its upper part and two dependent sides loosely incloses the rail F on three sides. The rivet g, secured transversely in. each dependent side of G, passes loosely through the loop in F. The rivets g g rigidly secure the piece F to the upper side of the loop G. The adjacent ends of F F at both sides of the supporting-rollers are connected together by the loops G G encircling the rail, their respective ends being secured to the loops, as described, and shown in Fig. 3. The loops and the ends of F secured in the loops are not supposed to bind the rail, so that when bent by loads passing over there will be neitherbuckling nor undue strain in either F or F. F is tapered at its ends, as shown in Fig. 3, to afford easy passage of the wheels of the car from the rail to it and from it to the rail, and is also of .sufficient depth or thickness to elevate the flanges of the carwheels K over the flanges of the supportingwheels E, Fig. 4, performing the same oftice, of course, when the car-wheels have to pass over the loops G, Fig. 5.

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The method of attaching what I call the' equalizing-weights to the rails and to the frame will be readily understood by reference to Figs. l, 2, 6, and 7. The ropes H are secured to the rails at some distance from the supports. Leading back to the supports they pass over pulleys H', suitably supported in the frame-work, and have attached to their dependent ends weights or weight-boxes H Figs. l and 2. rlhe pulleys H are mounted Within the fran'le-work, one below each rail, Fig. l. Said pulleys are so mounted as not to interfere with the passage ol" cars K through the ben ts, as seen in Fig. 1. The method preferred for mounting them is also shown-viz., the shaft H passing across the bent from side to side and secured to the upright posts horizontally in any convenient way. sinfallslreaves h for carrying the `hauling-cable may also be mounted 'directly on t-his shaft, if preferred, in bents having this attachment, as shown in Fig. 1. All `the pulleys can of course Irevolve freely on said shaft, and may be prevented :from lateral play `by any lof the Well-known methods.

The dependent ends ofthe chains or ropes H may be secured to the Weight-boxes Hin any convenient way. The method of securing their outward ends to the rails will be understood byreference to Figs. 6 and 7. There it will be seen a bar I, Iof the same width as the rail and having an eye 1 formed in one endfis "bound to the under-side o'f the rail by tire clips J, hav-ing screw-threaded `ends passing-through the cross-bars -J below the eyepiece. It will be readily seen that by setting upthe nuts j, with which the screw-threaded en'ds of the *clips-J are provided, the rail 'and the eye-.piece become clamped together between-tire cross-bars 'and the upper part of the clips. To the upper sides uof the clips, above the rails,the pieces J ",lraving tapered ends, Fig. 6, are riveted to enable the wheels of cars to :pass smoothly over said clips. In the reye I of the piece I the chain or rope H may be readily secured by anyof the Wellknown methods, Fig. 6, thus making the courr'eetion between the rails F and weight-boxes II compl-ete.

By reference to Fig. S it will `beseen that cnerail F may be 'laid above another F, each supposed to be secured at the terminals of the tramway, las `hereinafter described. This arrangement `of the rails will be found of great benefit in linesdesigned to carry very heavy loads, theplacinfg of one rail above the other preserving the advantages lof the-shallow sec tion of each, whilegreat strength of rail may b'e attained without unduly widening it and the tread of car-Wheels.

lItis evident that, if desired, the protectingpieces F F may tbe :applied as well to a double rail of this description and in the-same way :as to a `single rail. It isalso evident, Fig. `8, thata single pieceF above may rbc `applied to the tramway-rail, if desired, and secured thereto at one side of the support by The' the inclosing clip L, which cli p would be similar to that shown fully in section, Fig. 7, and at the other side of the support by a similar clip with the nuts, preferably not set up tight. The clip which would be tightened would be on that side of the support toward which the cars approach. The top piece F", Fig. 8, would have taper ends and be secured to each clip iirmlythe same as to the loops in Fig. 5 or as to clips in Fig. 7. It is also evident that the top and bottom rail can be secured together as often as desired between supports by similar clips bearing top covers, as in Fig. o'.

The operation is as follows: The rails are supposed to be lined immovable at one end (to the left in Figs. 2, 3, and f6) and fat the other to be `connectezlover suitable pulleys to dependent weights, as 'clearly set forth in my application for Letters Patent, *dated April 23, 1890, the composite rail formed `of one rail laid above another similar rail being treated in this regard the same as a rail of only one member. There `are supposed to be a number of supports for `the rails similar t-o the ones shown in Figs. l 'and 2, but not neoessarily having any such equalizing arrangement as here shown. Therewould be naturally some of these supports both to theright and left `of Fig. 2, the `weighted or movable ends of the rails being to the right. If the movable weighted ends of the rails are to the right, it is evident that a car passing `over the rails from 'right to left would each successive span it traversed be `able to raise the weights attached to the rails at the terminal to the right a less height 'each span because of the friction lof mov-ing the `railsover the supports to the right. If the weights H, `attached to the rails F, are 'drawing to the left with a force equal to the resistance due to friction i-n the supports to the right, itlis evident that after the car has passed to the 'left ot' thesupport it will, assisted by ther-weights H, again raise the terminal Weights to the samedegrec it did when passinrgiover the spaunearest the Weighted ends. It is Ialso evident that similar weights can be arranged in separate supports, one set draw-ing toward the right and the other toward the left, as IIFII in Fig. 9, stretching the intervening spans `with greater tension, without in any way interfering with the general movements `of the track. The protecting-pieces F F are shown =as #extending but a short distance to the leftin Fig. 3. That being supposed to be the direction of vthe immovable ends of theraifls, ift ris 'evident that the track cannot travel to the right. While a number of cars to .thelef-t-may'oause the rails to move from right to -left a considerable distance, the piecesF F are extended to the right 'therefor aisuiicient distance, so that the clips by which -theyare `connected may not come in `contact withthe support.

Theadvantage of rollers instead Aof sliding surfaces for the supportslis evident.

The advantage of having the pieces F F ICO below and above the rail at the support is that the rail is-protected from the concussion of the wheels of carspassingthe supports and is also prevented sharp bending, the said pieces being preferably spring-steel.

The rail or rails, if more than one is used, is preferably of the design shown and claimed in myUnited StatesLetters Patent, No. 411,584, dated September 24, 1889, and jointed as set forth in my application, dated April 23, 1890,

already referred to.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In an aerial tramway, a composite rail consisting of several like members laid in the supports one directly over the other, substantially as set forth. Y

2. In an aerial tramway, a composite rail formed of two or more similar rails laid one above the other in the supports, each member consisting of strips of less vertical measurement than any other dimension, substantially as set forth.

3. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with a composite rail formed of two or more similar rails laid in the supports one above the other, of clips encircling and clamping the members, and riders secured tothe upper sides of said clips, substantially as set forth.V

4. In anaerial tramway, the combination, with upright supporting-posts, of shafts E', secured in said posts, rollers E, pivotally mounted on said shafts, and the .tramwayrails resting upon Asaid rollers, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with upright supporting-posts, of the upright arms E", secured to said posts,.the horizontal shafts E', secured in the upright arms and in the posts, the supporting-rollers E, mounted upon said shafts and revolving thereon, and the tramway-rail resting upon said rollers, substantially as set forth.

6. In an aerial tramway havingthe rails so spaced horizontally that the body of the oar may pass between, the combination therewith of slidingsupports for the rails and the rails, substantially as shown and described.

'7. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with a suitable frame having attached to it iianged supports for the tramway-rails, in which the rails may freely slide, of the loopended piece F', resting in and upon said flanged way, the rail F, resting upon said loop-ended piece F and between the flanges ofthe support, the loops G, having the transverse rivets g, secured in their sides and passing through the loops in ends of F', and the piece F", resting above the rail F and secured near its tapered ends to the loops G, substantially as set forth.

8. In an aerial tramway having supports in which ythe rails may freely slide, the coinbination, with said supports, of the rail resting upon the supports between their flanges, and a covering-piece mounted above said rail and support and secured directly to the rail by clips, rivets, clip-bars, and nuts, substantially as set forth. y

9. In an aerial' tramway having rails anchored at one end and stretched by weights or their equivalent attached to the other end, the combination therewith of intermediate weights acting through pulleys and ropes secured to the rails, substantially as set forth.

10. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with the rails forming the track and suitably supported, of the intermediate weights H", suitably supported and secured to the rails, substantially as set forth. y

11. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with the frame and supports for the rails,with the rails resting in said supports, of pulleys H', suitably mounted below the rails, ropes or chains passing over said pulleys and having weights attached to their depending ends and their outward ends secured to the rails, the eye-piece I, to which said ropes are secured, the cross-bars J', the clips J, having screw-threaded ends passing through said cross-bars and provided with the nuts j, and the piece J", with tapered ends, secured to the upper sides of said clips, substantially as set forth.

12. In an aerial tramway, as a means of stretching intermediate portions of the track with greater power, the weights H", secured to ropes H and held dependent by them, the

ALFRED H. DE CAMP. Witnesses:

E. A. DE CAMP, MARY A. DE CAMP.

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