is ENGINEERING \% LIBRARY )f Californ Regional Facility la K*4 ty^^ri"' ■ "'-},■ 3i-^ Ay "'' '^ ""V' " ' .I'vTi la raiiiA^^iiys l^^i^:^:."^-. ?^% '■i\-!vi American Steel & Wire Company ,'7W THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES mst^ \r^ ^'->'-yi/'^^=^ ,. ,^ . . , , '".'r ■ ;'^.^■'i•;>;^>.^^-:■1v■■'>^::■^^•■v'■ v^ ■ ' ■.. ■/■ •0...vs^V-'^•?.•■ - *■ ■•■'. ' . . ''■■>'■ ,. > Aerial TraniM^ays American Steel & Wire Company Sales Offices CHICAGO 208 S. LaSalle Street NEW YORK 30 Church Street WORCESTER 04 Grove Street BOSTON ]20 Franklin Street CLEVELAND Western Reserve Building PITTSBURGH Frick Building PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania Building BALTIMORE 32 South Charles Street BUFFALO 337 Washington Street WILKES-BARRE, PA Miners Bank Building DETROIT Foot of First Street CINCINNATI Union Trust Building BIRMINGHAM, ALA Brown-Marx Building OKLAHOMA CITY State National Bank Building ST. LOUIS Third National Bank Building ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS .... Pioneer Building, St. Paul DENVER First National Bank Building SALT LAKE CITY Walker Bank Building ITnited States Steel Products Company EXPORT DEPARTMENT: New York . . . 30 Church Street PACIFIC COAST DEP'T: San Francisco . . Rialto Building Portland, Sixth and Alder Streets Seattle, 4th Ave. So. and Conn. St. Los Angeles, Jackson and Cent. Aves. American Steel & Wire Company's Trenton-Bleichert System of Aerial Tram\^ays Reversible Aerial Tram\^ays and Aerial Tram^vays of Special Design r American Steel & Wire Company Manufacturers and Sole Licensees in America under the Bleichert Patents Copyrighted by the American Steel & Wire Company of N. J., 1914 Length of line, li-yi' tect. Trenton-Bleichert Tramway of the Eureka Slate Co.. Slatington, Cal. View of 2,400-foot span across the American River Canyon. 7 J American Steel & Wire Company's Tram\^ays — Trenton-Bleichert System THIS system of aerial tramways is one whereby the material is carried in receptacles suspended from carriages on stationary track cables of special construction, supported at varying eleva- tions above the ground. The carriers move in a continuous circuit, at definite intervals, determined by the individual loads and the amount of material to be transported in a given time, and at dis- tances apart varying in accordance with the speed; the loaded carriers traveling along a line of cable graduated in size to the weight it has to support, and the empties returning along a lighter line of cable parallel with the loaded line. Motion is imparted to the carriers by means of a comparatively light endless wire rope, of the ordinary or Lang lay, commonly known as the traction rope, to which the carriers are gripped. These Tramways belong to that class of aerial tramways known to many as the "Double-rope," in contradistinction to the "Single-rope" class, wherein one rope per- forms both the functions of support and propulsion. This system is especially adapted to the transportation of ores, coal, crushed stone, slate, clay, sand, and all kinds of raw materials. It is also well adapted to the conveyance of fruits, cereals and other plantation produce, cordwood and sawmill products, manu- facturers' supplies, refuse, materials in process of manufacture, merchandise of all kinds, and particularly products requiring care- ful manipulation, such as explosives, liquids, glassware, and, in fact, all materials that admit of being carried in moderate loads. The materials are carried in bee lines, directly from the loading stations to the places of delivery, without rehandling, at costs per mile varying from 2 cents to 5 cents per ton. These Tramways are especially adapted to mountainous local- ities, and are recommended for heavy service. The ruggedness of contour, steepness of grades, and width of valleys or rivers, are no bar to the successfid operation of such a line. The costly grading of circuitous routes, and the building of expensive bridges or viaducts, requisite in the construction of mountain railways, are entirely avoided. In fact, this system of tramway often affords a means of communication with points inaccessible by any kind of a surface road. More than 3,000 lines have been built, aggregating over 1,800 miles in length, and about 200 million tons annual capacity. One 7125Ei. American Steel & Wire Company line, carrying 40 tons hourly of ore a distance oj 21 miles, the longest aerial tramzvay ever built, has a vertical descent of 11,000 feet. Spans occur in this line exceeding half a mile in the clear. Even in cases where the ground favors the construction of a rail- way, a Trenton-Bleichert tramway will often be fotrnd the more economical installation, owing to the additional cost of loading and unloading the railway cars, due to the fact that such cars cannot be brought close to the places where the material is obtained or delivered, and this additional cost may exceed the entire cost of operating a Trenton-Bleichert tramway. Every detail has been thoroughly worked out to meet the varying conditions incident to the construction and operation of our instal- lations, and particular attention is invited in the folloiving pages to our LocKED-CoiL Track Cable axd our Patent Compression Grips, the merits of which have contributed so largely to the economy, durability and superior efficiency of otir tramways. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tram>vays Track Cables THE Track Cables used exclusively in the aerial tramways built by the American Steel & Wire Company, known as the Trenton locked-coil cables, are so named from the fact that the outer wires, which are drawn to shape, interlock one with the other, as illustrated in Fig. I. The smooth surface of this cable re- sults in a uniform distrib- ution of wear not obtained in any other kind of cable, which adds to the life not only of the cable itself, but also of the carriage wheels that traverse it. No other track cables Fig- i- Trenton Locked-Coil Track Cable. made can compare with the Trenton locked-coil cable in durability. This cable is made in lengths varying from 800 to 1,500 feet, and owing to its peculiar construction is quite stiff, but sufficiently flexible to be shipped in coils from 5 feet to 6 feet in diameter. Wire cable of the ordinary construction, composed of round wire strands, laid about a hemp or wire strand core, is not at all adapted to the purpose, on account of the rapid wearing out and fracturing of the comparatively small wires under the constant traction of the carriage wheels. The special forms of cables with approximately cylindrical surfaces, composed of strands made of round wires wrapped about triangular or other shaped core wires, are little better. In the effort to obtain from such cables a reasonable service. Fig. 2. Ordinary Wire Cable after 4 months' service as a Track Cable. Fig. 3. Trenton Locked-Coil Track Cable {1% inch diam.), from the Highland Boy Tramway, Bingham, Utah, after carrying two million tons of ore in a period of 6 years. (From photographs.) American Steel & Wire Company larger sizes have been used than actually required as far as strength is concerned, but these large cables are cumbersome, and experience has shown that the additional service obtained is hardly commen- surate with the difference in cost, nor anything like equal to the ser\'ice obtained from the smaller sizes of the locked-coil cables. With the locked-coil cable, in event of any of the outer wires breaking — which rarely happens until after years of service — the ends of the wires do not protrude and result in a ragged surface of tangled wires as with the ordinary or special forms of cables referred to, but alwa)'S present a smooth surface. The superintendent of a concern operating one of our tramways, after having tried various kinds of track cables, writes as follows: "Your locked-coil cables have unquestionably given us better service than any of the different designs we have tried so far. As a matter of busi- ness courtesy we would not care to specify the different types of cables we have tried for carrying cables. We believe it is quite sufficient to state that for our purpose, and based on our experience, the locked-coil cable is the best, and we are so far satisfied of this fact that we shall make no further experiments along this line." When a lower-priced equipment is desired, and the conditions are favorable, we oft'er what is known as the smooth-coil cable, illus- trated in Fig. 4. This cable is composed simply of a number of com- paratively large round wires coiled in concentric layers about a core wire, the number of layers and size of the wires varying according to the size of the cable, which is in reality simply a large strand, the surface of which, when new, resembles that of a spirally-fluted cylin- der, and when worn approximates that of a smooth round bar. The smooth-coil cable is more durable than the track cables offered by other makers at the same price, made of smaller wires, and barring Fig. 4. Smooth-Coil Track Cable. the locked-coil cable, is unsurpassed as a track cable in its wear- ing qualifications. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tram^iv^ays Track Cable Oiler. — We manufacture a special carrier, illus- trated in Fig. 1 8, for coating the track cables with oil, or with any standard cable coating sufficiently fluid to pass through the pump. The oil or standard compound is carried in a cylindrical tank, to which is attached a small rotary pump, driven from the carriage wheels by a belt and gears, that forces the material up through a small pipe to the cable at a point just under the middle of the carriage. Couplings. — Particular attention is invited to the facility with which the locked-coil and the smooth-coil track cables can be installed, renewed, or extended from time to time as occasion may require, owing to the comparatively short lengths, varying, as already stated, from 800 to 1,500 feet, which are joined by patented steel couplings, illustrated in Fig. 5. Each coupling consists of three pieces, two taper sockets of nickel steel which are attached, by means of a press, specially designed for the purpose, illustrated in Fig 5. Patent Coupling. Fig. 6, to the respective ends of the cables to be joined, and a central plug, which has a right and left hand thread corresponding to the threads in the coupling sockets. By inserting the plug and turning it, the sockets are drawn to- gether against the central collar of the plug, forming a perfectly Fig. 6. Press for attaching Coupling Sockets to Track Cable secure and serviceable joint possessing the same tensile strength as the cables, and offering no obstruction to the free passage over them of the carriages from which the buckets are suspended. This Ill American Steel & Wire Company not only facilitates the handling of the cables, but if at any time any one section or portion of a section becomes worn in service, or is in any way injured, the worn place — whether it be a few feet or more — can be cut out, and a new piece of cable of the required length inserted by means of the coupling's. An opportunity is thus afforded of renewing the cable as occasion requires, which cannot be done with cables made of twisted strands, since the splices that would have to be made do not give good resuhs, and the operation of making such a splice is generally a very difficuh and expensive undertaking. Advantages of Statioxary Tr.\ck Cables. — The track cables are graduated to the loads and pressure they have to sustain, and, being stationary, possess the great advantage of relieving the trac- tion rope of the weight of the loads, so that on comparatively level lines the tension upon the traction rope is but little more than the tractive force required to move the loads. Upon slopes, however, the weight of the loads is shared, to a certain extent, by both the track cable and traction rope, the amount borne by each depending on the inclination ; the steeper the inclination the greater the weight on the traction rope and the less on the track cable, and rice versa. The stress upon the track cable, however, varies little with differ- ences in the inclinations, since it is weighted to a maximum safe tension so that such differences result only in corresponding varia- tions in the deflections, but the stress upon the traction rope will depend on the slope, and it is important, therefore, in estimating upon any line, to know what the grades are. A further advantage derived from the use of stationary track cables is the decreased wear and tear due to the high tension to which these are stretched, thus securing to the loads a comparatively direct path ; in other words, they are subject to less fluctuations of rise and fall, or wave motion, than in single rope lines, since, in the latter, the deflections for similar loads must necessarily be greater to correspond with a prac- tical safe working tension, and the double duty the rope has to per- form of supporting and moving the loads. For this reason, also, and owing to the greater strength of the track cables, the Trenton- Bleichert System is adapted to the transportation of much hea\der loads than is practicable in any kind of single-rope tramway. The curves of the track cables are carefully plotted to the con- tour of the ground for a safe working tension, and the heights of the supports determined accordingly. For this purpose a profile of the ground made from an accurate survey is required in any case. The cables, however, when the Hne is erected, are actually stretched to a somewhat lower tension, so that there may be no Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Trani>vays 11 bX) American Steel & Wire Company possibility of their lifting out of the saddles upon which they rest. Transporting Track Cables Over Mountain Trails — Track cables that have to be transported over mountain trails are gen- erally cut in lengths of 5oo to 800 feet, vi^hich are most conveniently carried on the shoulders of men, as shown in the picture on the preceding page. Loading Terminal, Trenton-Bleichert Tramway of the United States Mining Company, Bingham, Utah. Showing Detacher and Loaded Carrier in position for attaching to the Traction Rope. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tram^vays 13 Traction Rope THE traction rope is made of six strands coiled about a hemp core in the usual way, each strand being- composed of selected steel wires, varying in number and grade according to the size of the rope and the duty it has to perform. Our lines are generally equipped with the style of rope illustrated in Fig. 7, commonly known as the "Lang-lay." The peculiarity of this rope is that the strands and the wires of which they are composed are both twisted in the same relative direction, whereas in the ordinary rope they are twisted reversely one to the other. In the Lang-lay rope the wires of one strand are approximatel}' parallel with the wires in the ad- joining strands, which renders it somewhat more flexible than ordinary wire rope of the same diameter and the same size of wires. The chief advantage, however, is due to the diagonal lav of the Fig. 7. Lang-Lay Traction Kope as it appeared after having transported over 660,000 tons of ore. exposed surfaces of the wires with respect to the axis of the rope, which makes the surface contact with any particular wire much greater than in ropes of the ordinary lay, in which the exposed wires are parallel with the axis, and the wires of one strand cross those of the adjoining strands at nearly right angles. The above illustration is from a photograph of a piece of a ^-incli rope taken from the Highland Boy tramway of the LTtah Consolidated Mining Co., after it had been in constant service 4 years and 9 months, during which time 661,125 tons of ore were transported. With the rope replacing this over a million tons of ore was transported. The following from the general manager of the Camp Bird Ltd., Ouray, Col., relates to a ?^8-iiich cast steel traction rope of the Lang-lay : "We are to-day changing the traction rope on our tramway, and it may interest you to know that this rope was installed November 8, 1898, has been in constant use until January 25, 1905, and during that period 387,050 tons of ore have been conveyed from the mine to the mills, a distance of about 8,800 feet. We have no accurate record of the tonnage delivered back from mills to mine, but it is approximately 8,000 tons-" 14 American Steel & Wire Company Traction Rope Coatixg Device. — The traction rope should be coated occasionally with some standard cable coating, especially in cases where the line remains idle at times, to protect it from rust. A convenient device for coating or varnishing the traction rope is illustrated in Fig. 8. This consists of a U-shaped receptacle containing the oil or coating, which is suspended near one of the terminal guide sheaves. The rope passes over a small roller in this receptacle, which in revoh-ing slushes it with the coating material, and then between some brushes that wipe off the drip. Traxsportixg Tractiox Rope Over ^Mountain Trails. — With equipments that have to be packed over mountain trails on the backs of mules, the traction rope is put up in coils weighing about 150 pounds each, which are arranged in pairs so as to be con- veniently carried astride the animals" backs, leaving a space between each pair of coils of about 25 feet. In this manner a very long rope can be carried unbroken over a narrow trail by a train of mules, as shown in the picture on the opposite page. Fig. 8. Coating Device for Traction Rope. Trenton- HI eichert Aerial Tramw^ays 15 > o o c o 16 American Steel & Wire Company Rolling Stock THE ordinary carrier, such as used for transporting ore and like material, illustrated in Fig. 9, consists of a carriage that traverses the track cables, from which is pivoted in suspension a hanger that supports a bucket or other receptacle, and above which is a grip by means of which attachment to the traction rope is effected. The carriers move in a continuous circuit at definite intervals, the loaded carriers traveling along one line of track cable, and the empties returning by the companion cable, which in the ordinary constructions is parallel with the loaded line, as already stated. When the carriers arrive at either terminal, or other loading or discharge stations, the grips detach automatically and the carriages are shunted to overhead rails, supported by the structure of the station, and by means of which they are conveyed to the various points of loading or discharge as the case may be. Carriages. — The carriages each consist of two steel side plates, between which are mounted two cast steel wheels, fitted with phos- phor-bronze pins, so designed that as the upper surfaces become worn, they can be turned around underside up. The hanger pins are made of the best machinery steel. Grips. — The Webber Patent Compressiox Grip zvith zvhich the ordinary carriers are equipped can be used on the steepest grades. With this grip no buttons, lugs or knots of any ki)id are required on the traction rope, and the troubles incident to the slipping of such contrivances are entirely avoided. A great economy is also effected in the life of the rope, ozcing to the fact that the icear is not confined to certain spots, but is distributed over the entire rope. The gripping of the traction rope is also effected zcith certainty, and automatically, by means of a patented device shozcn in Fig. 9, the operation of zchich is such that the jazi's take hold of the rope zcith- out the slightest jerk as the carrier is pushed out from the station. The wearing parts are all of cast steel. This grip has given such universal satisfaction that it has entirely superseded the old friction and lug grips formerly used. At angle and terminal stations, where the buckets are not dis- charged, but merely have to pass around the sheaves, it is reason- able to look for an economy of labor in the passage of the carriers without detaching from the traction rope. This is more especially the case with lines equipped with self-dumping buckets, such as illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14, page 19. which are discharged at various points along the line. With the ordinary carrier equipped Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tram-ways 17 with an underhung grip attached to the hanger between the carriage and the bucket, it is obvious that this is impossible, not necessarily because the grip must come in contact with the flanges of the sheaves, but because on the angle side of the bend the hangers would come between the rope and the sheaves, which would be objectionable, to say the least, if not altogether infeasible. This difficulty is readily overcome by running the traction rope just above the track cables, and making the grip an integral part of the carriage mechanism, as in Figs. lo and ii. The construction of the Trenton-Bleichert Patent Automatic Overhead Grip illustrated in Fig. lo is such that the weight of the carrier acts as the gripping force, which varies with the inclination of the cable, but this construction possesses the advantage of being independent of any nice adjustment of the grip jaws, so that the grip automatically accommodates itself to irregularities in the wear of the traction rope. The overhead grip illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14, page 19, is similar in its action to the Webber grip, the bite of the jaws being self -locking under a positive invariable pressure, determined by adjusting screws. It is not practicable, however, to run the traction rope above the track cables in cases where the line crosses mountain ridges, or other points where sharp vertical angles or sudden changes of grade occur, owing to the downward pressure of the rope which would throw the empty carriers out of plumb. The Trenton-Bleichert Patent Auto- matic Underhung Grip illustrated in Fig. 1 2 may be used in such cases. This grip is similar in its action to the Trenton-Bleichert Overhead Grip illustrated in Fig. 10 — the gripping force being exerted by the weight of the carrier — and possesses the same advantage in not requiring any adjustment of the jaws to the wear of the traction rope. Since the grip forms an integral part of the carriage, it also possesses the advantage of accommodating itself to varying inclinations of the cable, without pulling the bucket out of plumb, as it does with an underhung grip attached to the hanger. Receptacles. — The ordinary buckets and other receptacles are shown in the illustrations. Self -dumping buckets are furnished when required, which may be both self-dumping and self-righting, as illustrated in Fig. 2 1 , page 2 1 , or simply self-dumping as illus- trated in Figs. 13 and 14, page 19. The latter, which are somewhat lighter and cheaper than the self-righting buckets, are generally used, since it requires little or no eiTort on the part of the operator in loading to right and latch the bucket. Self-righting buckets are only required in cases where the construction is such that it is IS American Sieel & Wire Company ^::^v Fig. 9. Carrier, with Webber Patent Compression Grip, showing Pat- ent Automatic Attacher Fig. 10. Carrier, with Bleichert Patent Automatic Overhead Grip. Fig. II. Bale Carrier, with Over- head Grip. Fig. 12. Carrier, with Bleichert Patent Automatic Underhung Grip. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tramvays 19 Fig. 13. Carrier, with Self- Dumping Bucket loaded, show- ing arrangement of Automatic Attacher and Detacher as used with Single-Cable Reversible Tramways. Fig. 14. Carrier, with Self-Dump- ing Bucket empty, passing support on return trip after dumping. American Steel & Wire Company Fig. 15. Platform Carrier, for bar- rels, boxes, etc. Fis;. 16. Cordwood Carrier. Fig. 17. Banana Carrier. Fig. iS. Track-Cable Oiler. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tramw^ays 21 Fig. 19. Log Carrier Fig. 20. Liquid Carrier. Fig. 21. Carrier, with Self-Dump- ing and Self-Righting Bucket, for Reversible Tramways. American Steel & Wire Company inconvenient for the operator to attend to both righting and loading the buckets, or where the empty bucket in returnmg enters the loading station close to the ground or floor, and there would be insufficient clearance for the ordinary bucket to come in as it does upside down. In either case the latch that secures the bucket is disengaged at the desired point of dumping by a specially designed tripping bar attached to the track cable or station rail as the case mav be, the bucket being so hung that it instantly turns over and discharges its contents. In dumping along the line at a high eleva- tion between supports at a considerable distance apart, this tripping bar is generally attached to a frame, guyed to the ground by wire ropes, in order to prevent the rebounding of the cable in dumping and consequent possibility of the carrier being thrown off. This construction is shown in Fig. 22. Special receptacles are made to suit the material to be carried, a few of which are illustrated on pages 1 8 to 21 inclusive. Fig. 22. Self-Dumping Buckets, showing Tripper and Cable Hold- Down Frame, on line of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co., Sopris, Col. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tram>vavs Supports THE supports may be of wood or steel, as preferred, and the accompanying views, Figs. 23, 25 and 26, show the ordinary constructions of wooden supports. Other designs, however, are made to correspond with the weight they have to sustain and to meet the special conditions involved, as shown in the views on pages 24 and 26, Figs. 24 and 2I . Fig. 23. Support on line of The Nevada Gypsum Co., Mound House, Nev. The spacing of the supports is governed by the contour of the ground and the capacity of the line. Over level ground the dis- tance apart will vary from 200 to 300 feet. In mountainous locali- ties, where the contour is rugged (see profile sheet at back of book), the distances between the supports will vary greatly, being closer on the ridges and wider apart in the valleys. Trestles. — Where much of a vertical angle occurs in passing 24 American Steel & Wire Company Fig. 24. Steel Support, 100 feet high, on line of the Carbon Coal and Coke Co., Trinidad. Col. Fig. 25. Support 90 feet high, on line of The Yampa Smelting Co., Bingham, Utah. over a ridge or bluff, structures are erected, consisting of a series of bents, from 15 to 20 feet apart, that usually support lines of rails overlapng the track cables, although where the traffic is light, ordinary saddles are sometimes used in place of the rails. The rails, which are the same as used at the terminal and other stations, relieve the cables of the undue wear to which they would otherwise be subjected. A structure of this kind in the line of the San Toy Mining Co. is illustrated on page 26. Long Spans. — In crossing ravines, valleys and rivers, on the other hand, spans have been made exceeding half a mile in the clear. The frontispiece shows a 2,400-foot span across the American River Canyon, in the line of the Eureka Slate Co., Slatington, Cali- fornia. Spans over 1,000 feet are common. Long spans are not Trenton-Bleichert Aerial TramM^avs Fig. 26. Support on line of The Eureka Slate Co., Slatington, Cal. Length of line, 900 feet. Hourly capacity, 50 tons. Trenton-Bleichert Tramway, Great Scott Coal Co., Star City, W. Va. 2H American Steel & Wire Company Fig. 27. 1 ; Support un line 1 if the Old Hundred Mining Co., Howardsville, Col. LenRth oi line, 2o,!^oo feet. Hourly capacity, 50 tons. Trenton-Bleichert Tramway Rail Station. San Toy Mining Co.. Chihuahua, Mexico. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Train^vays 27 objectionable provided the loads are not so great as to produce too sharp an angle at either support. Special saddles known as "protec- tion saddles" are used on such supports (illustrated in Fig. 28). These saddles are provided with hinged steel hoods, that cover a certain portion of the cable on both sides of the saddle, and protect it from undue wear. They are also used on supports where there may occur occasionally, with certain positions of the carriers, such a tension as to cause the cables to lift out of the saddle s'rooves. Fig. 28. Protection Saddle. Tension Stations. — In lines of considerable length it is neces- sary to apply tension to the track cables at intermediate points on account of the saddle friction. Special structures known as "ten- sion stations" are erected for this purpose, at which the track cables are parted, the ends of which are either rigidly anchored or coun- terweighted. The carriers pass from one section of cable to the next by means of intervening rails, such as used at the terminal and other stations, without being detached from the traction rope, so that no interruption occurs in the continuity of the track, and the so-called station therefore is in reality only a special type of support. The cable ends of each section may be anchored, or one section may be anchored and the other counterweighted, or both sections may be counterweighted, according to the exigencies of the location, and such stations therefore are respectively designated as double anchorage, anchorage tension, and double tension stations. The views of anchorage tension stations on the next page illustrate the ordinary timber and steel constructions. Guard Nets and Bridges. — In crossing public highways or rail- roads, wdiere it is desired to guard against the risk of accident from the premature discharge of a bucket or other cause, wire nets cire usually suspended between supports on either side, or structures. specially erected for the purpose. Illustrations of such nets are shown on page 29. These nets are supported by wire ropes stretched between the supports and firmly secured at each end to ground anchorages or braced bents. Accidents, however, are of very rare occurrence, and unless the traffic is considerable, a guard net is unnecessary. A possibility of such construction is 2S American Steel & Wire Company Fig. 29. Tension Station. Steel Structure. Fig. 30. Tension Station. Timber Structure. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tramways 20 Guard Net on line of The Farnam-Cheshire Lime Co., Cheshire, Mass. Guard Net on line of The Solvay Process Co., Solvay, N. Y, :io American Steel & Wire Company illustrated in the \dew on page 31, showing an aerial tramway crossing a number of railroad tracks over a suspension bridge, which not only serves as a protection to the railroad, but also as a supporting structure for the track cables and traction rope of the tramway. A steel bridge covered with sheet iron spans the main tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad near Johnstown, Pa., where the aerial tramway of the Cambria Steel Co. crosses, and a similar bridge at Plymouth, Mass., protects some tracks under the line of the Plymouth Cordage Co. Such structures, however, are only required where extreme precaution is necessary. Along the line of the Utah Consolidated Mining Co.'s Trenton-Bleichert Tramway, Bingham Canyon, Utah. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tramwav! 31 32 American Steel & Wire Company Stations THE Trextox-Bleichert System of aerial tramways is more especially adapted to long hauls between definite points of loading and discharge, and finds its widest application as a means of communication with mines or quarries in mountainous or other localities where a surface line of any kind would be impracticable or could only be built at great expense. The stations are so designed and equipped as to make the operation of the tramway as nearly automatic as practicable, so that but little labor is required. Terminals axd Intermediate Stations. — Ordinarily the only stations required are the terminals, one where the receptacles are loaded and the other where they are discharged, designated respec- tively as the loading and discharge terminals. It is often desired, however, to load or discharge at intermediate points, in which case stations are erected, so designed that the car- riers may be detached from the traction rope and switched ofif along shunt rails for such purposes, or may be run through without detaching, as circumstances may require. Lines of great length or very heavy capacity sometimes have to be divided in sections, owing to bends in the line, or on account of the stress in the traction rope, which if operated in one length would be so great as to preclude the ordinary sizes of rope such as the grips are constructed for. In such cases the connecting stations of course are located where the division of the line can be made to best advantage. If angles happen to occur in such a line, the connecting stations are most advantageously located at such points, but in any event due allowance must be made for the stress in the traction rope. Shunt Rails. Switches, Etc. — The carriers upon arriving at any station are automatically detached and shunted to overhead rails of our double-head pattern, made especially for this purpose, by means of which they are taken to the various points of loading or discharge, as the case may be, and thence to the opposite cable where they are attached mechanically to the traction rope, and again sent out over the line, loaded or empty, as the case may be. At the points where the carriers enter or depart from a station, the shunt rails terminate in what are known as "terminal shoes" — a special form of saddle so designed that the transition of carriers to and from the cables is without jar. These shoes are provided with hinged steel hoods, similar to those used on the "protection saddles" described and illustrated on page 27, which save the cables from luidue w^ear. Trentoii-Bleichert Aerial Tram^vays 33 Length of line, 5,300 feet. Hourly capacity, 62j< tons. Loading Terminal. Parley's Canon Lime and Stone Co., Parley's Canon, Utah. Length of line, 12, 27^ feet. Hourly capacity, 60 tons. Discharge Terminal. Yampa Smelting Co., Bingham, Utah. 34 American Steel & Wire Company The diagrams on the inset sheet opposite this page ilhistrate the usual constructions of the terminal stations in a line operated by g'ravity. The ordinary shunt rails for taking the carriers around the terminal sheaves are shown in the plans by the full lines. These shunt rails ma}^ be extended by means of switches, so as to reach distant points of discharge as indicated by the dotted lines; so also at the loading terminal where the material is taken from several bins or various points of loading. Turntables are used where angles have to be turned and the space will not admit of a switch. With such switches or turntables it is practicable to operate a system of shunt rails whereby a large area may be covered for purposes of loading or discharge. The views of stations on page 38 show carriers in position about to be attached to the traction rope. AxGLE Stations. — In selecting the route for any line it should be distinctly borne in mind that it is impracticable to operate along curves, and that differences in vertical elevations, no matter Jiozu rugged the ground, are seldom considered, from a practical point of viezv, as obstacles to a perfectly straight course. It is not always possible, however, to obtain the right of way for a straight course, and bends are made in such cases, but it should be clearly under- stood that such bends are only practicable by angles, and that every angle requires a station for supporting the necessary deflecting sheaves and shunt rails. \Mth overhead grips the carriers if de- sired may be passed around the sheaves without detaching from the traction rope, but it is necessary in such cases to use sheaves of large diameter, requiring expensive structures. It is not always practicable, however, to use overhead grips. With underhung Length of line. Angle vStation. Plymouth Cordage Co.. Plymouth. Mass. Treiitoii-Bleichert Aerial Tram^vays DISCHARGE TERMINAL FOR TRENTON-liLEICHERT TRAMWAY Treii .06385 cent per ton. During year 1913, 172,413 tons carried C4 tons hourly capacity, built for B. Laughon, of Pulaski, Va., is used for conveying sand from an island in a river to railroad cars. .'/A line 800 feet long, built for the New York Juvenile Asylum, Chauncey, N. Y., is used for conveying coal; and a line 135 feet long, built for the Hamilton Manufacturing Co., of Lowell, Mass., is used for conveying rolls of cloth. A line 640 feet long built for the Nevada United Mines Co., Ely, Nev., used to carry ore at the rate of 30 tons hourly. A Hne for the American Optical Co., Southbridge, Mass., 500 feet long, to carry spectacle lenses. From this list, picked at random, it will be seen that there are many uses for aerial tramways, and every installation has been a factor in reducing the cost of transportation. I i h^1 I Mechanism tdr transferring Buckets to and from Surface Cars at Loading Terminal of line built for The Farnam-Cheshire Lime Co., Cheshire, Mass. 56 American Steel & Wire Company Trenton-Bleicliert Aerial Tram>vays of Special Design CONDITIONS sometimes occur when an aerial tramway can be used to advantage for conveying materials to and from points in a triangular, quadrilateral, or irregular shaped circuit. This can readily be done by means of angle stations and other struc- tures specially designed to meet the conditions of loading and discharge. Length of line, 1,500 feci in circuit. Hourly capacity, 70 tons. Tramway, with Self -Dumping Buckets, used for Stocking Warehouse, Keystone Plaster Co., Chester, Pa. In a line at Chester, Pa., built for the Keystone Plaster Co., for stocking gypsum, illustrated on this page, the track cables diverge at an angle from the loading terminal on the dock, spanning a basin between this and the warehouse, close under the roof of which the carriers, equipped with self-dumping buckets, move continuously in four parallel lines above the stock piles, and can be discharged automatically at any desired point. The carriages in the warehouse travel on rails suspended from the roof bents, pass- ing around seven angles without detaching from the traction rope. The sheaves at the angles about which the traction rope runs are 12 feet in diameter, and the total length of the circuit, including the cable lines, is about 1,500 feet. Overhead grips are used as in other lines with angle stations. The following letter was received in response to an inquiry as to the service rendered by this line: Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tramw^ays 57 "In reply to your favor of the i6th,would say that the Trenton-Bleichert tramway you installed for us is highly satisfactory. We handled 65,000 tons of rock over it last season with practically no cost for repairs. As it does not require more than 6 H. P. to handle from 60 to 70 tons per hour, its operation is very economical. It is a great labor saver, and situated as we are, we could not do business without it." Suspended Rail Tramways are used with economy for trans- porting materials in factories, warehouses and other locations, where a perfectly straight track is desired. These are so named from the fact that the entire track is composed of suspended rails, along which the carriers are moved as in other lines by means of a light endless traction rope to which they are gripped. A line of this kind, 5,700 feet in circuit, having a capacity of 100 tons hourly, with 4 angle stations, was used at Aspinwall, Pa., for transporting materials in the construction of the filter beds there, from which the water supply of Pittsburg is drawn. Short lines of this kind without angles, are operated very satis- factorily for moving materials in the manufacture of explosives at powder works — one at Ashburn, Mo., built for the Du Pont Company being used for carrying "dope." We have also furnished a number of special design tramways, with automatic turnout stations, at various points along the line, for the transportation of explosives, and these are all giving very satisfactory service, which is proven by the repeat orders we re- ceive for duplicate plants for other works. Fifteen different installations for one company is a good criterion as to the satisfaction our tramway equipments give our customers. Passenger Tramways We are prepared to make estimates and furnish equipments for aerial tramways for the transportation of passengers. In our pas- senger equipments we have reached the acme of perfection in tram- way design. Our passenger tramways are equipped with special patented safety devices, and the materials used in manufacture are of the highest grade only, the designs providing for a very large factor of safety, thereby reducing the possibilities of accident to a minimum. There are a number of Bleichert passenger tramways in operation, one notable installation being that pictured on the following page. 58 American Steel & M'ire Company Passenger tramway in the Alps from the Eisack Valley to the summit of the Kohlererberg, in the Tyrol. Length, 5,4-0 feet. Difference in elevation between lower and upper terminal is 2,736 feet. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tram-wavs 59 Stackin;^ Tramways While transportation has an important bearing on valuable prod- ucts, it also is quite an item in connection with the disposal of such matter as cannot be sold, such as waste products. Of course, where the waste product is only a very small percentage of the output, it is not very seriously considered. But when the percentage of waste approaches or exceeds the main product, the means of disposal should be very carefully considered. Such is the case in mining, metallurgy, etc. In many cases a regular wire rope tramwa\^ will answer the re- quirements of disposing of waste product, provided there is suffi- cient ground room to distribute the material. It sometimes develops, however, that the available space for piling this waste product is somewhat limited as to its area, and to provide for this contingency we have developed the stacking tram- way, which can be arranged to transport the material any distance Fig- 35 Details of Stacking Tramways and stack it in piles as high as 250 to 300 feet, and higher if occa- sion requires. As seen from Fig. 35, this installation consists mainly of a bridge installed at an inclination adapted as closel}^ as possible to the natural gradient of the heap. This bridge consists of two lateral latticed trusses with connected upper and lower ties (so as to leave the inner space free) , and is provided with an endless wire-rope 60 American Steel & Wire Company railwa}", the charging station of which lies at the foot of the heap or at any distance from the same. The bridge itself is made from a number of short sections, so as to be capable of continuous exten- sion as the waste heap grows. After the upper end of the last sec- tion is covered and is thus furnished with sufficient support, a now link, freely suspended, is fitted according to the cantilever principle, as seen from the diagram, while the terminal pulley is shifted to this link and tipping started from the extension. As the main connections are made by bolts, dismounting can be carried out readily and cheaply. In order to simplify the extension work and to accelerate the mounting, the final pulley, together with the corresponding suspension rail section, is located in a frame suspended from rollers. As the latter run in guides, rigidly connected to the longitudinal girder, the whole frame can, after the addition of a new section, be Fig. 36. Slag Heap and Railway at Marchienne au Pont, Belgium advanced bodily as far as the new terminal of the bridge. With this arrangement, the tightening device of the hauling rope will obviously have to be given a corresponding increase in stroke, so as to render the addition of a further bridge section possible without inserting a further wire-rope section. An automatic tripping device enables buckets to be unloaded with- out the aid of a workman, and to return empty to the loading station. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Tram-ways 61 The economical advantages of the new system are self-evident. In fact, the consumption of power is extremely low, the superin- tendence or lighting-up of the plant on the waste-heap is entirely avoided and extension work will only be found necessary at com- paratively long intervals. The following calculation illustrates the advantage of the new type of railway : Supposing the waste heap to be stowed at an angle of 35 degrees, and in the shape of a cone, the following table will give the volume of the waste heap and the time at which extensions are to be added if 200 cu. yds. as an average be stowed per day. Let h be the height of the heap and a the tipping angle, the vol- ume of the cone will be : h J={h cot a) ttX-^ {d is the maximum breadth at the foot of the waste heap.) /in Cubic Yards Time Required for Stowing n in Yards a in Yards Days^Years Months 30 86 58,100 290= I — 35 100 91,630 460= I 5/2 40 115 138,500 700= 2 s'A 45 129 197,000 1,000= 3 3^/2 50 143 267,700 1,350= 4 5 55 158 359'5oo 1,800= 6 — 60 172 464,700 2,350= 7 9'/^ 65 186 588,730 2,950=10 — 70 200 733.100 3,700=12 3/2 75 215 907,625 4,550=15 2 100 286 2,150,000 10,800=36 — 125 358 4,200,000 21,000 = 70 — 62 American Steel & Wire Company Information for Estimating The following information is necessan- to enable us to make estimates on tramway equipments : I. — What is the length of the proposed tramway between loading and discharge points ? The line should be perfectly straight if possible. Steep grades do not add to the expense, but angles render stations necessan.-, with attendants to pass the carriers around the deflecting sheaves, which adds to the cost of construction and operation. If angles cannot be avoided, state the number. Curves arc impracticable. 2.- — Describe the ground over which the proposed tramway will be erected. Also give difference of level between loading and discharge points, and state if loads go up or down grade, so that the amount of power required or developed may be determined, and all data, as to rivers, roads, railroads or buildings over which the line passes, stating width and necessary clearance in height. If possible, send a profile of the ground. 3. — At what elcA-ation above ground must material be delivered to or discharged from the carriers at the terminal stations ? Information desired as to height of bins, or other means of loading or discharge. 4. — If power is required to operate the tramway, at which end can it be obtained "" 5. — What is the material to be carried ? About how much does it weigh per cubic foot in the form that it will be carried in the buckets, or other receptacles ? 6. — At how many hours do you reckon the day's work ? 7. — What quantity do you require to transport per hour"' 8. — In what manner is the transportation now carried on, and at what cost per ton ? This information is necessary' if estimates are required showing economy of tramway transportation over existing methods. Preliminary estimates of cost will be furnished in response to applications made out on question sheet to be found in the back of this catalog, or upon receipt of information as outlined above. Definite estimates can be furnished only after laying out the line on a profile of the ground made from an actual survey. If pre- ferred, we will have these surveys and profiles made by our own engineers, who are acquainted with the special requirements of our methods. Trenton-Bleichert Aerial Train^^'ays <>3 Contents Page American Aerial Tramways — Trenton-Bleichert System . . 5 Adaptations of the Trenton-Bleichert System 6 Track Cables 7 Advantages of stationary track cables 10 Couplings for track cables 9 Locked-coil track cable 7 Oiler for track cables 9 Smooth-coil track cable 8 Transporting track cables over mountain trails 12 Traction Rope 13 Traction rope coating device 14 Transporting traction rope over mountain trails 15 Rolling Stock 16 Buckets 18, 19, 21 Carriages 16 Grips 16 Receptacles 17 Supports 23 Guard nets and bridges 27 Long spans 24 Rail stations 24 Tension stations 27 Trestles 23 Stations 32 Angle stations 34 Automatic loaders 37 Counters 43 Dock hoists 41 Elevators 43 Scales 43 Shunt rails, switches, etc 32 Speed controllers 35 Terminals and intermediate stations 32 Transfer of buckets to and from surface cars 41 Advantages of the Trenton-Bleichert System 44 Cost of Operation and Maintenance 45 Reversible Aerial Tramways 4S Double cable reversible tramways 4^ Single cable reversible tramways 50 Aerial Tramways of Special Design 56 Suspended rail tramways 57 Passenger tramways 57 Stacking tramways 59 Information Reouired for Estimating 62 The Read Printing Co., New York I o American Steel & Wire Company c,ti,4ddr,„ 30 CHDKCH ST., NEW YORK "STEELMAKER NEWYORK." In/ot-mation desired to obtain an approximate Eilimale for I. — What is the length of the proposed tramway between loading and discharge points? I 2. — Describe the ground over which the proposed tramway will be erected. 3. — At what elevation above ground must mate- rial be delivered to or discharged from the at the terminal stations? ^oa 5. — What is the material to be carried? About how much does it weigh per cubic foot in the form that it will be carried in the buckets, or other receptacles? 6. — At how many hours do you reckon the day's work? 7. — What quantity do you require to transport per hour? I 8. — In what manner is the transportatic carried, on, and at what cost per ton? Preliminary estimates of cost will be furnished in response to applications made out on this sheet or upon receipt of information which this sheet calls for. Definite estimates can be furnished only after laying out the line on a profile of the ground made from an actual survey. If preferred, we will have these surveys and profiles made by our own engineers who are acquainted with the special requirements of our methods. ■>'-.^' "■ ■ >*' • T uu OCT 2 9 NOV UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Las Aneeles University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 305 De Neve Drive - Parking Lot 17 • Box 951388 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. ..(■J- ■: