US1050643A - Overhead construction for electric railways. - Google Patents

Description

E. E. GILMORE.

OVERHEAD CONSTRUCTION FOR ELEOTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, 1909.

Patented Jan. 14,1913,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANonRAPH 120., WASHINGTON. D. c.

E. E. GILMORE.

OVERHEAD CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.21, 1909.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Qttomut COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (IO-,WASHINGTON, D. c.

EDWARD E. GILMORE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

OVERHEAD CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Original application filed July 18, 1907, Serial No. 384,449. Divided and this application filed December To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD E. GILMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overhead Construction for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to overhead construction for electric railways, and especially to the apparatus employed for overhead switching and guying.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a certain system of arranging switches and wires so that there shall be a balance of strains as long as the trolley wires are in normal condition, the system being moreover protected from derangement in the event of their becoming broken.

Heretofore it has been difficult to bring in branch trilley wires and connect them to a line wire, without producing irregular. or lateral strains on the latter. According to my present system and arrangement, a branch trolley wire throws no strain on the main wire and in no wise disturbs the balance of the system, while being itself securely anchored. This condition is brought about by head-guying the branch trolley wire itself, and instead of making the switch a support therefor, reversing this procedure and making the branch wire steady and support the switch. All terminal strain due to the branch wire is taken up by its own steel cable, which serves as part of the system of guys for the switch and the main trolley wire.

The various component parts of the system of guying being combined so as to produce the desired resultant effect on the trolley wires, in the event of the rupture of the latter the balance would be destroyed; and to prevent this I provide a safety tie wire which connects the various curve members outside of their insulated connections with the branch trolley wire. The same tie wire scheme can be employed elsewhere than on a curve, and in fact the method of head guying and the special apparatus employed canalso be applied elsewhere than to switches, for example, in overhead crossings and the like.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 384,449, filed July 18, 1907, in which certain features of the head guying switch are claimed. 1

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 'is a diagram showing a portion of a-main line with a single turnout arranged according to my invention. Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are views of my switch employed for this turnout, being respectively a top plan view, a cross section on the line a"-w, a bottom plan view, and a cross section on the line y-3 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a main line with its rails dotted, and its trolley wire marked 10. The turnout also has its rails dotted and its trolley wire marked 8. At the intersection of the wires 8 and 10, I employ the switch 1, which is shown in the succeeding figures of the drawings. This switch is supported in such a manner as to decrease vibration, and increase the steadiness of both trolley wires at the point of junction, while itself being held level. The branch wire 8 crosses over the main wire 10 and is held so that it produces no lateral strain on the latter, its principal supports being the poles 13 and 27, with supplemental connections to the poles 16 and 22. The longitudinal pull on the straight part of the wire 8 is transmitted around the curve and then in a straight line to the pole 13 through a 5/16 inch steel cable 11. Thecables 21,20, 29, 28 and 23 all act in conjunction with the cable 11 to maintain the branch wire 8, and to take up their respective proportions of the strain, as will more particularly appear hereinafter.

The method employed for carrying and supporting the switch 1, and attaching the .trolley wires thereto is of some importance,

being indicated in a general way in Fig. 1.

' The switch itself is best shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, in which 1 represents the body of the device which is relatively large and is provided with extended arms 2, 3 and 4 cast as a part of the body and provided with lugs 5 one of which receives the guy wire 21, as indicated in Fig. 1. The arms 2 and 3 diverge from a point near the center of the body 1 and are connected near their ends by a bridge 6 which, should the trolley jump the wire, prevents the pole from jamming between the arms. On the arm 4 I provide a hook A extending outwardly and downwardly over the branch trolley wire 8 which passes through the body of the switch, over the arm 2, and is clamped thereto by the clamping member 9. The main trolley wire passes over the arm 3 and the body 1 and is secured in a similar manner by the clamping member 9. It passes out over the arm 4, the wire 8 crossing over or under it at the junction of the arm 4 with the body. The wire 8 after passing under the hook A extends for a short distance beyond the switch where it is secured to the cable 11, preferably through a globe strain insulator 12. The guying cable 11 is secured to the pole 13, with an insulator 14 interposed. Poles 15 and 16 are located on either side of the streetv adjacent the curb line and are connected together by the wire or cable 17 through pull-01f castings, a globe strain insulator 18, and a double giant insulator 19, the latter being used on the side of greater strain. Guy wires 20 and 21 extend from the insulator 19, to the insulator and to a lug on the switch body respectively. At a point on the cross street where the curve of. the branch line starts, I support and take up the strain of the curve wire 8 by guying it to the pole 22 through the wire 23 and the double giant insulator 24. This insulator also connects to the pole 22 a supporting cable 25 stretched across the street to a pole 26. The curve wire 8 is connected to this cable 25 by a double pull-off casting secured to the ear on the trolley wire and having two globe strain insulators. At approximately the middle of the curve and at V the three quarter point I guy the curve wire to the supporting pole 27 by cables 28 and 29. These are both connected to a safety tie wire 32 which runs parallel with the curve wire and is connected also to the insulators 30 of wires 23, 28, 29, 20 and 17. The wires 20, 28 and 29 are also attached to the main trolley wire 10 by straight line hanger insulators. In case the branch wire 8 should part, at any point on the curve, the tie wire 32 will immediately take its place in transmitting a pull from the straight part of the wire 8 around the curve soas to prevent further disarrangementof the line. I believe that I am the first to devise a satisfactory scheme for head guying an overhead curve so as to produce the results stated, also that I am the first to devise a practical form of switch wherein and whereby the strain on the branch wire is independently carried while the means for transmitting this strain serve to steady and support the switch, and keep it level. Regarding the mechanical features of the switch only, it constitutes a valuable improvement over those heretofore in use. The hook A which maintains it level and steady, enables the device to be put in position and the trolley wires attached to it with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

I am aware that some changes and modifications may be made in matters of detail in this system and apparatus, and I wish it distinctly understood that all non-essential changes and modifications are within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an electric railway, a main line trolley wire and a curve wire, said curve wire carried across the main wire at their junction and secured to a pole in the line of strain, lateral guys for the curve wire extending therefrom to outside anchorages, and a guard or reinforcing wire extending parallel to the curve wire and connecting all the outside guys on the curve, whereby in case of a break in the curve wire the system will remain balanced.

2. In an electric railway, a main line trolley wire and a curve wire, said curve wire carried across the main wire at their junction and secured to a pole in the line of strain, lateral guys for the curve wire extending therefrom to outside anchorages, and an overhead switch having a body with grooves for the passage of the main and curve wires, and a lateral depending hook, said curve wire passing through its groove over the main wire, under said hook, and to its guy pole or anchorage, thereby serving at once to head guy the curve and to steady and support the switch.

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD E. GILMORE.

IVitnesses:

J AMES B. McGoUGH, FREDERICK W. PULsH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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