US1152914A

US1152914A - Apparatus for actuating conduit-covers and collector-plows for electric railways.

Info

Publication number: US1152914A
Application number: US76201813A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dino Samala
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1913-04-18
Filing date: 1913-04-18
Publication date: 1915-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1932-09-07

Description

D. SAMAIA.

APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING CONDUIT COVERS AND COLLECTOR PLOWS FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18. I913.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

==mEHEEEEED:EEEEEEEEEE Ag l TTfi s rain rann DINO SAMAIA, OF MILAN, ITALY.

APPARATUS FOR ACTUA'IING CONDITIT-COVERS AND COLLECTOR-FLOWS FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1915.

' Application filed April 1s, 1.912. SerialNo. 762,018.

This invention has for its object means enabling the driver of a tram to actuate the covers of the conduit holes and to insert and remove the plow of the tram from the platform of his vehicle the device being'of the type described in my pending application filed September 30th 1911 Serial No. 652,204.

Thepresent device is characterized by the employment of a single cylinder, and accordingly is adapted to be controlled by compressed air as well as by electricity, water under pressure or any other suitable agent. By means of this device it is possi ble by a single operation of a cook or interrupter to open and close axial conduit covers, to lower and raise the plow, to en gage and disengage the switch and finally to lock and unlock the shoe of the plow.

An embodiment of the new device is represented in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a general view of the device and Fig. 2 shows the control of the switch. Operation of the scissors: The piston rod 2 of the cylinder 1 carries at its extremity a pin 3 engaging in the slot4 of a'crank arm 5 pivoted at 6; this crank arm also presents a slot 7 in which the pin 8 carried by the scissors 9 engages. When the rod- 2 of the cylinder 1 advances, the pin 3 fixed at its extremity will move in a horizontal path. As, however, this pin is engaged in the slot 1 in the crank arm 5 it willcause the latter to rotate about its pivot 6 until the right hand portion of the said slot 4 is horizontal. At this moment the slot 7 which is at the extremityof the other arm of the arm 5 will have displaced the pin 8 of the scissors 9 to 8 thus opening the scissors and consequently the leaves of the conduit cover. The pin 3 of the rod 2 will follow its movement as far as the end of the stroke of the piston of the cylinder 1, and will return along the straight portion of the slot A of the crank the position 13.

By means of the slot 7 the pin 8 will also be returned to its initial position thereby closing the scissors and the covers of the conduit; 7

Operation ofv the plow: At the extremity 13 of the bell crank lever 10' which is pivoted at 11 the chain 14 is fixed; this chain is wound around the drum 15 integral with the shaft 16. Upon. this shaft pulleys 17 are mounted and chains 18 which pass over guide pulleys 19 to the plow are wound about these pulleys. The pin 3 of the rod 2 during its forward movement in the straight portion of the slot 4, that is to say when the latter is horizontal, will come into contact with the extremity 12 of the lever 10. The latter pivotingon the shaft 11 when the rod 2 of the cylinder 1 has reached. the end of its travel its extremity 12 will occupy the position 12 and its extremity 13 When the extremity 13 of the bell crank lever is at'18 the chain 14 in unrolling will have caused the drum 15 and consequently the shaft 16 to have effected a complete revolution. The pulleys 17 displaced by this shaft will also efiect a revolution and their peripheries (upon a point on which the chain 18 is fixed) being equal to the travel of the plow the latter will ascend when the pulleys 1i rotate in one direction and descend when they rotate in the opposite direction displaced by the weight of the plow itself and released from the pawl by the combined action of the automatic engaging and disengaging device hereinafter described. I

This device is constructed in such a manner as to permit of utilizing the same period of a regular movement (continuous or intermittent) at one time for disengaging and the next time for not disengaging an ordinary ratchet wheel. With this object a wheel 20 is mounted onthe shaft 21 being constituted by two disks assembled by four pins 22; one of these disks carries at its exterior two sectors 23 arranged symmetrically on a diameter. A pawl 24 subjected to the action of a spring 26 is pivoted at 25; one of the extremities of this pawl engages in the teeth of a ratchet 28 mounted on the shaft 16. Finally a lever 29 is pivoted at 11 and is connected at 30 with the rod 2 of the cylinder 1 and at 31 with a plate 32 inclined between the two disks of the wheel 20 and upon which two

teeth

33 and 34 are cut; one side of these teeth is always in contact with two of the four pins 22. I

When owing to the advance of the rod of the piston 2 the extremity 30 of the lever 29 is displaced to 30 the extremity 31 of the saidangle piece will consequently be displaced to 31 and under the influence of the

teeth

33 and 34 upon the two rods 22 the plate '32 will have caused the wheel 20 to efiect a quarter of a revolution. By the re-' turn movement of the rod 2 the lever 2.9 is caused to occupy its initial position and causes the plate 32 to ascend in such a man'- ner as to prepare the rotation of another quarter turn for the wheel 20. The result of the rotation of this wheel is that at the first quarter .of revolution one of the sectors 23 coming into contact with the extremity 27 of the pa'wl 24 causes it to leave the teeth of the ratchet 28 thereby disengaging this ratchet. As soon as the sector 23 comes out of contact with the extremity 27 of the pawl, the latter, under the influence of'the spring 26, will rub upon the teeth of the ratchet 28 thus automatically engaging this ratchet. Upon the second quarter turn of the wheel 20 the pawl will not move as its extremity 27 is not acted upon by any part. Upon the third quarter turn of the wheel the action described for the first quarter turn is repeated and upon the fourth quarter turn that described for the second is repeated. The duration of the period of engagement or disengagement depends upon the diameter of the wheel 20 and upon the length of the sectors 23 at the periphery.

Automatic operation of the electric switch: A toothed wheel is mounted on the shaft 16 and meshes with a pinion 35 carried by the shaft 36. A set of bevel pinions 37 serves to transmit the movement of the shaft 36 to another shaft 38 ending in a nut 39 (Fig. 2). This nut acts upon a screw 40 connected with the slot 41 of the lever 42 integral with the shaft 43 of the switch 44. The rotation of the shaft 16 produces the rotation of the shaft 36 and consequently of the shaft 38. When this shaft rotates in one direction the screw 40 will shift the lever 42 to 42 thus reversing the switch. When the shaft 38 rotates in the opposite direction the screw 40 will be acted upon by the nut 39 and will return the lever 42 to its initial position, thus reversing the switch 44 again.

Automatic locking of the shoe of the plow: When the point 49 of the scissors 9 during their descent comes into contact with the member 50, the latter will slide on its guide 51 until the point 49 of the scissors reaches the position 49. The member 50 will then be at 50 and being connected by the piece 52 with one of the rods of the bolt of the shoe, will displace it by the necessary amount for freeing the shoe. When the scissors '9 re-ascend the member 50 will be restored to its initial position under the in fiuence of the bolt itself, whichis moved retractively by means of springs.

When it is required to disengage the shaft '16 manually itwill suffice to impart an eighth of a revolution to the shaft 46 by means of the small handle of the controller, this handle'being fitted at 47. This eighth of a revolution is sufficient to displace the lever 45. The shaft 16 being thus disengaged it will be understood that in rotating the shaft 36 in one direction or the other by means of the large handle of the controller fitted at 48, the shaft 16 and consequently the pulleys 17 will be caused to turn in one direction or the other.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic apparatus of the kind referred to herein comprising means to open and close axial conduit covers, means to lower and raise the current collecting plow, means to engage and disengage the electric switch, means to lock and unlock the shoe of the plow, and means for the manual operation of the plow.

2. An automatic apparatus of the kind re ferred to herein comprising meansto open and close axial conduit covers, means to lower and raise the current collecting plow, means to engage and disengage the electric switch, means to lock and unlock the shoe of the plow, and means for the manual operation of the plow, said cover opening and closing means comprising a scissors apparatus.

3. An automatic apparatus of the kind referred to herein comprising means to open and close axial conduit covers, means .to lower and raise the current collecting plow, means to engage and disengage the electric switch, means to lockand unlock the shoe of the plow, means for the manual operation of the plow, a'motor mechanism provided with a piston rod and operatively associated with the first three of said means, and a slotted member mounted on said piston rod in such a manner that in the first half of its travel the member actuatesone of said means, and in the second half another of said means while maintaining the first actuated means in its actuated position. I

4. An automatic apparatus of the kind referred to herein comprising means to open by it is released during every other cycle of the apparatus.

Intestimony whereof I have aifixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DINO

SAMAIA and close axial conduit covers, means to lower and raise the current collecting plow, means to engage and disengage the electric switch, meansto lock and unlock the shoe of the plow, means for the manual operation of the plow, said plow lifting means comprising a shaft, a ratchet on said shaft, and means associated with said ratchet where- Witnesses:

J. P. MILJIPART, CHAs. Ro NAsm'r'rE.

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

Washington, D. 0.