US65909A - Improved elevated railway - Google Patents

Description

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CHARLES T. HARVEY, oE TAREYTOWN, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 65,909, dated June 18, 1867.

IMPROVED ELEVATED RAILWAY.

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TO ALL WH'OM IT MAY CON CERN:

Beit known that I, CHARLES Tnonrson HARVEY, of Tarrytown, in the county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elevated Railways or Railroads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,'clear, and exact descriptionv thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the saune, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, forming part ofthis specification, in which drawing- U Figure 1 is an` elevation of 'one ot' the columns which supports the track, the track being shown in crosssootion. l i

Figure 2 is a side view of the track and of the upperpart of one of the columns.

Figure 3 is aplan view of a portion ofv the track, the portion selected being over a column.

Figure 4 is al top or plan view of the lower division b of a column. v

Figure 5 is an axial section of such lower division, alsoot` the adjusting plates, and of the bottom phi-t? 0f flange of the upper section of the column.

. Figure 6 is a front view,'and a view of a longitudinal section of one of the panels at the front of the column. l Figure-Tis a .horizontal sectionof .said panel. A

The letter A' designates a supporting column, one of a series which sustains the track of the railway. It` is made in divisions a t), an upper one and a lower one, to enable me to adjust the upper division to a vertical position without disturbing the foundation of the column or the position of the lower division. Said divisions are united to each other by means of broad tlanges formed at the bottom of one and at the top of the other. The columns are hollow to admit the ascent or descent through them of a propelling cable or chain, when such a device is used-to propel one or more cars on the track. The upper division a' ofthe column is made in several -longitudinal sections, and I prefer to makethem of wrought iron rolled into proper shape, their ends being flared outwards, as shown in the drawing, so that when the sections are joined together, their upper ends form bearings for the track, and their lower ends forni a wide or expanded support for the said upper division of the column. Said lower flaring ends are properly secured to a fiat base-plate, B, which, in this example, is circular. `The lower division b of the column goes through or is embedded in a massor block of stone or other suitable material, built or placed immovably in' the ground. Its upper end is expanded into a flange of the same size and shape as the base-plate B of the upper division of said column, and they (said ange and plate) are securely fastened together by bolts or other suitable devices. In order to adjust the column to a vertical position without being compelled to .disturb its foundation, I interpose betweenlits divisionsV two rings C- C, which taper or are made thinner at one sidevthan at the other, the decrease in thickness being gradual, so that they form annular wedges. In placing them between the divisions of the column, I set them conversely, so that the thickerpart or Side of one is over the thinner part of the other, when they together form a combined ring of equal thickness throughout. If the upper division a is not then vertical, I make it so by turning one of the rings to the rightor left until the division is brought to the proper position, said division being'irst lifted by jack-screwsor other devices to allow the rings to be turned. The bolts which unite the baser-plateB to the flange of division a go through curved slots in said rings C C, sc that the latter are allowed to be turned and are yet prevented from slipping from between said divisions. The height, also, of the column A can be at anytime increased by inserting below it an annular washer, one`or more. I also pack the joints, o r one of them,between the base-plate B and the adjusting plates, with rubber or other suitable material .to prevent unpleasant jars from the passage of cars thereon, and to secure, as'far as possible, a noiseless movement. The longitudinal sections of divisions'a rare firmly united by bolting togethertlanges formed on .their edges, as shownvin the drawing. The openings which are left at the bottom of division a, between the daring ends otiits sections, are closed by panels D, which are accurately fitted beneath the shoulders or lower ends of the flanges or ribs of the sections, and rest on the base-plate B, so that they contribute 'to the strength ofthe column, andat the same time close up said openings.V Said panels are'fastened by buttons or bolts or other convenient devices. Theupper end of each of the columns of the railway supports a. cross-frame, E, or other suitable platform, which supports the rails and other portions of the track, and also .the cable-guide. One part of the platform E, which is parallel with the track, comes directly-beneath and supports the cable-guide F. The space between the cable-guide and the rails vis occupied by a strong floor or grating, G, of lattice-work, or of glass or other transparent material, extending the whole length of the railway, so as to permit the passageof light and to strengthen and stiften the track. This floor, if made in the form of a grating, may be of metal or of wood, and it serves to sustain the weight of persons walking thereon, and of workmen who may be employed in repairs, and to intercept falling objects, and also to strengthen and stiften the track and prevent the rails both from spreading `apart and from approaching each other, the rails being strongly secured to the outer edges of said grating or iloor in any suitable way, either by rigid fastenings which will compel the grating or-iioor to move up and down`with the rails, or by fastenings which permit the rails to move up and down independently of the grating or floor.

The letters H H designate compound rails, which are the subject of another application for Letters Patent, the rails I being those which come in contact with the car-wheels, and J J being supplementary or side rails that rest on the' supporting platform E. The bottom ange R comes between the side rails J J,'and the lateral flanges rest on their upper edges. Rails M are also combined with the side rails. The side rails J are partly embraced by angle pieces O (having slots P) turned up at the ends of the transverse bars of vplatformE In addition to these provisions I put springs, R, between the track and platform. The two lines of rails that coinpose the track, and the said grating or floor, are partly sustained between the supporting columns by transverse bars S, fastened to the under surface of the cable-guide, and extending as far as the outside of the rails. `The springs R R serve also te sustain the grating or loor wherever they occur. The saidgrating or floor may extend from rail to rail of the track, going beneath the cable-guide if desired. Those columns of the railway which are not used to conduct the propelling cable between the cable-guide and the driving or other drums of the railway are filled up with wood or other suitable material for the purpose of stilfeuing or strengthening them, and to counteract any injurious effect which frost have. on the columns in making them brittle. It is desirable that the propelling cable or chain, in going between the cable-guide and the driving or other drums, be conducted by means of large wheels or by means of curves of" the largest possible radius.

By my invention I avoid the expense and inconvenience of large wheels or pulleys, and accomplish the desired result by slotting one of those flaring upper arms or ends of the columns which is under the cable-guide, and inserting therein small wheels or pulleys T, (three such being shown in this examplc,) whose peripheries project far enough beyond the convex surface of the said flaring arm to keep the cable clear of the said flaring arm and conduct it properly to the cable-guide. By this means I am enabled to use the columns both to obtain bearings for the journals of said wheels or pulleys, and to obtain an easy and suitable curve by which to conduct the cable or chain past angles, both in taking it up to the cable-guide and leading it down therefrom. The line of railway is connected to the line of buildings, or to other means of lateral support along a street, by stayrods U, which may extend from each column A, or from the track itself, at suitable points. These rods are connected to each other by diagonal braces, and4 their outer ends are attached to the columns or to the ends O of the cross-plates E, or also tothe rails H, by extending the rods through the'same, and placing on the rods nuts with rubber or other elastic washers on theirsides next to the cross-plate or column. The outer ends of the rods are securedto the buildings or other side support, and unpleasant vibrations of such buildings from the movements of cars or trains are prevented by means of the elastic washers, and also by placing the nuts a little distance from the sides of the said parts O, or of the column and rails, so that the stay-rods can have 'a little play before the nuts come in contact with the sides of the part or object to which the rods are secured. The rods may also be allowed some play endwise'at the ends which are connected to the buildings. Instead of the mode of connecting the rods to the railway which is here shown, their ends may be attached to elliptic or other springs, so as to give them elastic bearings with the railway, and thereby avoid rigid and unyielding connections. These stay-rods can be used also as frames or as supports for the frames of awnings for stores or sidewalks. The supporting columns A are also used as lamp-posts, the gas pipes through which the lamps are supplied being conducted upwards through the hollow space of the columns, emerging therefrom at a suit-able point, where the lamp and its frame can be supported by suitable brackets extending from the columns. This' arrangement of combining the otice of a lamp-post with a supporting column is shown in iig.' 1. Said supporting columns also sustain water pipes, which conduct to the ground the water collected from the roofs of the cars, and also from the flooring-of the track when glass or other transparent material is used. The water is received in troughs x, of suitable length, which are secured to the columns, to the side ot' one ofthe rails, or to any other part of the elevated railway at or near each station, or other places where they are required, and the water is taken from them by means of pipes fastened to the sides of the columns, as shown in iig. 1, and terminating at or near the gutters of the street. The water from the flooring of the railway (when an open grating is not used) is conducted to the troughs by pipes. or channels, or. it may be lcd into the pipes that go from suoli troughs. The manner of collecting or receiving in said troughs the water from the cars is shown in another application.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the track of an elevated railroad, of an open or transparent door between the rails, so as to allow the transmission of light to thc space beneath the railroad, substantially as set forth and described.

2. I also claim/the panels D in the columns A, for the purpose of closing the openings in the lower part of the said columns, and also to strengthen the columns, substantially'as set forth and described.

3. I also claim the adjustable column A made in two divisions, a b, substantially as described.

v4'. I also claim the wedge-shaped rings C, or their equivalents, in` combination with the adjustable column g A, substantially as described. f-

5. I also claim the hollow supporting column A, in combination with an elevated railroad, substantially as and for the purposes described.

.6. I also claim the pulleys T, in combination with 'the Supporting columns A, substantially as and for tlie purposes described. 4

7. I also claim the combination of the'stayl-rods U with the elevated railway, said stay-rolls connecting said railway to the buildings or Aother supports on tbe street, and, forming also awning-frame supports, substantially as set forth'.

8. I also claim 'a filling of wood, or equivalent materiel, in combination with said eolumns, substantially as and for the purposes described. i v I 9. I also claim' `the water-trough along the track and its discharge pipe in combination with an elevated railway, substantially as and for the purposes described.

The above specification signed by me this sixteenth day'of January, 1867.

CHARLES T. HARVEY.

Witnesses:

HERBT. G. HULL, GEO. F. SOUTHERN.

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