1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



447 



CURTISS PATENT RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS. 



GROUND-ROPE APPARATUS. 



Fig. 1 



Ground-rope Apparatus. 



A machine or apparatus for connecting or disconnecting a train 

 with a ground-rope whilst the rope is in motion. Figure 1 is a side 

 view, and Figure 2 a front view. C is the cable or rope. A, the 

 forewheels of the leading carriage, B, the framing of the carriage. A 

 stage is fixed to the front of the carriage, upon which is erected the 

 standard or frame//, a vertical bar of iron D is connected with the 

 train by the link g, and suspended to the frame by the chain g', which 

 coils round the barrel / ; the lower part of the bar is formed into a 

 kind of broad hook, the under side being formed like a latch, and the 

 face rounded longitudinally, and hollowed to receive the rope ; when 

 the rope is detached, it occupies the position shown by the dotted 

 lines, and the bar D, when about to hook up the rope, occupies the 

 position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1 ; then by turning the 

 handle /;, the bar is lifted up, and brings the rope with it, which is 

 then tightly held or jammed, as in clams, between the broad hook of 

 the bar, and the pieces e fixed to the framing; at first the rope slides 

 through the clams and prevents concussion, but as the train gets into 

 motion, the sliding is less and less, until the train attains the full 

 velocity of the rope ; a ratchet is placed upon the axle of the windlass, 

 so as to hold up the bar, but in order instantaneously to disengage the 

 rope, a bar K is provided, which works on a joint /, so that at any 

 inoment the bar D may be thrown on on^. side, as shown by the dotted 

 lines in Figure 2, when the rope drops down, and the velocity of the 

 train is checked by the drags or brake in the usual way ; the fingers 

 p,p, are placed in order that Uhe rope may be prevented following 

 the hook of the bar D, when the rope is required to be thrown down ; 

 the upper part of the standard F is formed rounding in such way as to 

 allow full play to the upper end of the bar D. 



Fig. 2. 



No. 27.— Vol. U.— DiiCEMUEa, 1S3J 



