US1090309A

US1090309A - Electric railway-signal.

Info

Publication number: US1090309A
Application number: US57975810A
Authority: US
Inventors: John B Howell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1910-08-30
Filing date: 1910-08-30
Publication date: 1914-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1931-03-17

Description

J. B. HOWELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1910.

1,090,309. Patented Mar.17,1914

FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

WITNESSES 1N VEN TOR, M J 15. Howell,

n17. mfi/ p/w -v 7212/1 ATTORNEY.

TTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. HOWELL, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN B. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in signal controlling devices for electric railways, and particularly to switches of that character operated by the trolley of a car at a turn-out or station, to close an electric circuit controlling the signal mechanism.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive switch of this character which may be readily applied to existing railways and in which provision is made for reliably holding the switch in either of the positions in which it is left by the trolley-wheel whereby it is actuated.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the signal controlling device with its supporting parts and housing in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line IIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a housing to protect the controlling device.

1 designates a trolley-wire adapted to be traversed in either direction by a trolleywheel 32.

12 designates a switch lever fulcrumed midway between its ends upon a bolt 13 and provided at each end with a pair of resilient contact fingers 14, adapted to alternately grip the trolley-wire 1 and bring in circuit therewith either of the flexible conductors 16 to control the circuit from the trolleywire to the signals, not shown. The resilient fingers 16 comprising the contacts 14-, also firmly grip the trolley-wire and thus reliably hold the switch-lever 12 in the posi tion left by the trolley-wheel 32. Contacts 14: are insulated from the lever, if the same be made of metal, by tappets 31 having longitudinal grooves 33 to straddle the trolleywire, as shown, and thus prevent lateral displacement of the contacts 1-1. Bolt 13 is secured to the vertical members of a U-shaped lug 27, which vertical members are drawn into frictional contact with the opposite sides of the switch-lever 12 to prevent the same from rebounding when the contacts 1 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 30, 1910.

Patented Mar. 17, 19141.

Serial No. 579,758.

are alternately brought into engagement with the trolley wire 1. Lug 27 is supported by an insulating block 26, which in turn is supported by a clamp 25 secured to a transverse supporting wire 24.

The switch-lever 12 and its supporting parts are protected from the weather by a housing 28, secured by rivets 29 to the vertical members of the lug 27, said housing having vertical slots 30 to receive the supporting wire 24.

The operation of the device is very simple, and is substantially as follows: \Vhen the trolleyqvheel 32 travels to the right, it passes beneath the tappet 31 at the left of the switch-lever 12 and strikes tappet 31 at the right of said switch, lifting said tappet and causing the switch to rock on its fulcrum until the fingers forming the contact 14 at the left of said switch engage the trolleywire 1. When the trolley-wheel 32 returns from the right, it strikes the tappet 31 at the left of the switch-lever 12 and throws said switch back to its original position, see Fig. 1.

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

1. A signal controller for electric trolley railways, comprising, in combination with the trolley wire, a supporting wire extending across and above the trolley wire, an insulating block mounted on said supporting wire, a lever fulcrum mounted on said block, a switch lever pivoted on said fulcrum above the trolley wire, said switch lever having at each end thereof a portion adapted to be elevated by the passage of a trolley wheel therebeneath, an insulated contact device carried by each end of said lever, each of said devices being adapted to form electrical connection with the trolley wire when depressed, and flexible conductors connected to said contact devices respectively.

2. A signal controller for electric trolley railways, comprising, in combination with the trolley wire, a supporting wire extending across and above the trolley wire, an insulating block mounted on said supporting wire, a lever fulcrum mounted on said block, a switch lever pivoted on said fulcrum above the trolley wire, said, switch lever having at each end thereof a portion adapted to be elevated by the passage of a trolley wheel therebeneath, an insulated contact device carried by each end of said lever, each of Gil said devices being adapted to form electrical connection with the trolley Wire when depressed, flexible conductors connected to said cont-act devices respectively, and a housing inclosing the top and sides of the switch lever and secured to the lever fulcrum.

3. A signal controller for electric trolley railways, comprising, in combination with the trolley wire, a supporting wire extending across and above the trolley wire, an sulating block mounted onsaid supporting wire, a lever fulcrum mounted on said block, a switch lever pivoted on said fulcrum above the trolley wire, said switch lever having at each end thereof a portion adapted to be elevated by the passage of a trolley wheel therebeneath, an insulated contact device carried by each end of said lever, each of said devices being adapted to form electrical connection with the trolley wire 'when de pressed, and flexible conductors connected to said contact devices respectively, either of said trolleyactuated portions being clear of a trolley wheel when in elevated position.

4. In combination, a trolley wire clamp, an insulating block mounted on said clamp, a lever fulcrum mounted on said block, a switch lever pivoted on said fulcrum above said clamp, tappet pieces secured to the ends of said lever, insulated trolley wire contact devices mounted on the lower sides of said tappet pieces, and flexible conductors connected to the respective contact devices.

5. A signal controller for electric trolley wires, comprising, in combination with the trolley-wire, a supporting wire extending across and above said trolley-wire, an insulating block mounted on'said supporting wire, a switch lever fulcrumed midway between its ends on said block, tappet pieces at the terminals of said switch-lever, said pieces having longitudinal grooves to alternately-straddle the trolleywire so that the trolley-wheel may alternately strike said tappet pieces and operate the lever, resilient contact fingers fixed in said grooves and adapted to alternately grip the trolley-wire, flexible conductors communicating with said fingers, and-a housing to cover the switchlever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. HOWELL. Witnesses:

CHAs. E. HAYLAND. H. F. LUDOLPI-I.

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