US1166912A - Trolley-wire apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jah. 4, 1916.

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WI H. KEMPTON.

TROLLEY WIRE' APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1912.

Patented J an. 4,1916.

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WILLABD H. KEN1-Bron, or MANsFIELD, OHIO. Assieivon To T Hn Vorujo BItAss COMPANY, or MANSFIELD, 01110, A, oonroItA'lIoN on Aivnvv JERSEY.

TROLLEY-Wma APPARATUS.

paratus and has more particular `reference toV improvements in apparatus of the class known as frogs, crossings and the like.

4@ne of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved device of this character which will be simple vand durable in construction and effective and eicient in operation.

'A further object of my invention 'listo provide an improved trolley wire frog or like device, the parts of which vare inter-V related and 'arranged in such manner that they maybe manufactured as castings ready for assemblage and installation Without any preliminary or preparatory expensive machine work and without the need of bolts, nuts and other separate fastening devices for holding the parts in their assembled relations.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other lnew and useful objects hereinafter appearing, my invention consists in the features of novelty disclosed in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein dscribed and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of my invention and wherein;

Figure l is a top plan view. of a. so-called trolley-wire frog embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the end portion of the frog shown in Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 8 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4: of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the lineeof Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the removable tip and clamping member hereinafter more fully explained.

The device shown inthe vdrawiregs and illustrating one embodiment of my invention is a so-callcd trolley frog used in overhead trolley construction for taking off a branch trolley wire from the main trolley wire, and, while I will describe my inven- Speccation of Letters Patent. lApplication led April 8, 1912-. Serial Np. 689,219.

Patented, Jan. 4, 19,16.

.tion in connection with this frog,it will be obvious to one skilled in the art aftery having obtained an understanding of my invention from the disclosures herein made, that my invention is not limitedor restricted tothe particular structureshown but on the contrary is applicable to other types of trolley wire apparatus, such as crossings, strain plates and vthe like, wherein analogous requirements are tobe met.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that this Yfrog has a peculiarly formed body member A adapted to be positioned at the juncture of a branch` trolley wire B and the main trolley wire v C, and, as is .well known, to serve as means for connecting the branch wire V'to the main trolley wire. Itis generally advisable to guy or. anchor devices of this' character so that the trolley wires will be firmly held yagainst any swinging movement, and for this reason the body member A maybe provided with a number of eyelugs l to Vwhich the usual guy wires may be conveniently attached.' In the structure shown lin the drawings the body mem-` ber has astraight channel or groove 2 running thezfull length thereof for the reception ofthe main. trolleywire C, and it also Y the plate and screwedinto the body memberV A. lIf desired, as'a further precautiona pull-off may bel attached to the end 6yof theibranch trolley wire to take up any longi- .A l

tudinal strains thereon. A central opening 7 may be provided in the body member for the purpose of reducing the weight thereof,

the bridge portion S'which is left serving admirably to preventfthe.. trolley wheel from wedging `in Vbetween the wire lchannel portions of the body member, in the event that 4the wheel leaves the trolley wires. The end portions of the main and branch Wire @hannels are deeper than and drop below the central portion thereof, so as to provide a suitable unde 1rainning portion or surface 9, this surface being rounded off on its underside so as to properly accommodate the trolley wheel (see Figs. 2, 4l and 5.) It will be obseved that in a device of this character, it is desirable that the end portions of the body member where the trolley wires enter or leave their channels, be maintained firmly in contact with the trolley wires, so that there will be no bumps or raised portions in the continuity of the trolley line, but the walls of the trolley wire channels at the extreme ends 10 thereof, must of necessity be of suflicient thickness to withstand the blows to which they are subjected by the trolley wheel.'

l provide simple and durable mechanism which not only relieves the body member or casting of wear but operates to clamp and firmly hold the parts in position on the trolley wire more particularly at the ends thereof. rfhis mechanism may be spoken of as auxiliary clamping mechanism D, and preferably is of tic form shown in Fig. (i. lt is arranged to operate in conjunction with the body member A and is positioned. preferably at the end portions of the trolley wire channels. lt will be seen that this member D has a cam shaped portion 12 at one end which sets into the trolley wire channel at a short distance back from the end thereof. At its other end it has a portion D1 which is formed to embrace the trolley wire immediately adjacent the end of the body member. rlhese parts, as is obvious, may be integrally formed as a single casting. rThe portion D1 constitutes a tip or wear extension which takes up the wear due to the action of the trolley wheel and thereby preserves the body member. rllie members l) are relatively small in comparison with the body member and can be manufactured very cheaply, hence they may be renewed at comparatively little expense. lThe lips 13 are preferably arranged so that they may be formed around orotherwise attached directly to the trolley Wire, and if desired solder may be used in addition. The inner ends 14 of the lips are substantially as thick as the wall of the wire channel in the body member at the end 10 thereof, so that when the lips 13 are bent around the trolley wire, they will lie flush with the underrunning surface 9. The lips 13. as is seen, are gradually thinned or tapered toware their outer ends 15, so that they practically merge into the surface of the trolley wire, and in this way form an easy approach for the trolley wheel.

@n account of the fact that the channels of the body member must be open throughout their length at thetop so as to permit the trolley wires to be laid therein or removed therefrom, the members D are made demountable or removable. |This may be done by the use of pivot bolts or otherwise, but as previously stated, one of the objects of my invention is to avoid machine work. and for thisvreason l extend the walls of the wire channels upwardly so as to form undercut lugs or hooks 16 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and Ll) which as is seen are spaced apart and do not obstruct the entrance to the channels. rThe cam ends of the members D have laterally projecting pivot-studs 17 eccentrically positioned thereon. These studs are adapted to be passed through or into the slots 18 formed by the undercut lugs 16 and seated in pivotal engagement with said lugs. Thus the members D may be quickly andV conveniently placed in position or removed therefrom without the need of handling bolts, nuts and the like. Y

rlhe pivot studs have end collars 19 which lie outside of the lugs 16 and prevent the lugs from bending outwardly when subjected to the clamping strains. That portion fO of the periphery ofthe cam 12 which engages the trolley u ires is grooved to prevent relative lateral disjiilaceinent of the member D and the Wire. lt Awill thus be seen that the members D in conjunction with the body member form rotary wedges or clamps which firmly clamp the trolley wires against the bottom walls 21 of their channels, more particularly at the extreme ends thereof, as is. shown in Fig. 3. 'lhelclamping member' is so proportioned that the wire will always be bent slightly downward \elow its level at the end of the channel or groove and thus insure a firm bearing against the bottom of the groove where it leaves the body casting. rlhe wire does not bear on the bottom of the groove at a point immediately under the cam pivot and thus provision is made for variations in the cast Y parts. rllhe body member may be placed in position from below the wires, as previously mentioned, and the clamping members may then be placed in pivotal engagement with the lugs 16 while they are at about the angle shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 3. ly

rotating the members l) the cam ends there- 'f of clamp the trolley wires firmly in their channels. The rotation of the members ll in this manner brings the wear portions il `down into position on the trolley wires rlChe A adjacent the ends of the body member. lips 13 may then be formed around the wire and soldered, if desired, thus directly locking the rotary clamps to the trolley wires. As a further precaution, the walls of the wire channel adjacent the extreme ends thereof may be extended upwardly to form bendable lugs 23, which may be bent over into engagement (Fig. 5) with the menibers D by the blow of a hammer, thus additionally locking the members D in position.

integra YThe advantages of my improved structure are obvious. The body member may be formed as a single casting ready for use without the need of any machine work eX- cept the drilling and threading of a hole for the main clamping bolt 5. In like manner the renewable members D may be formed as single castings, requiring no machine work to place them in condition for use. The renewable members D are sufficiently large to enable a man to handle them conv veniently without fear of dropping and losing them while he is installing' a frog in position, and the facility with .which the members D may be attached to or detached from the body member is particularly advantageous from av 'manufacturing and installing standpoint. Furthermore, the life of the appartus is materially increased since those parts (the wear members) which are subjected to the greatest wear may be readily and cheaply renewed.

I claimz- Y l. In a device or. the class described, the

combination of a body member adapted for attachment to a trolley wire and having a channel therein for the wire, a separate detachable wear extension adapted to be positioned on the trolley wire on the end or' the said body member, and a rotary wedge formed on said wear member and pivotally mounted on said body member for clamping thel wire in its channel. f

2. In a device of the class described, a body member having a wire receiving channel, in combination with a rotary member pivoted on said body member for clamping the wire in its channel, and having an eX- tension projecting beyond the end of said body member and adapted to be secured to the wire after the rotary member has been rotated to its clamping position.

3. In a device of the class described, a rbody member having 'an open-top, wire-re ceiving channel, vin combination with a rotary clamp detachably mounted on said body member and adapted to clamp the trolley wire in its channel when rotated to a given position, and an extension on said rotary clamp arranged to be secured to the trolley wire and hold said clamp in its clamping position.

i. In a device of the class described, a body member having an open-top, wire-receiving channel, in combination with a rotary clamp detachably mounted on said body member and adapted tovclamp the trolley wire in its channelafter being rotated to a given position, and a wear extension member arranged to embrace and to be secured to the trolley wire adjacent the end of said bodV member for locking said clamping member in its clamping position and for taking up the wear on said device.

5. In a device of the class described, :the

combination of a body member having a wire-receiving channel, a clamping member eccentrically pivoted'on said body member and adaptedto be rotated to clamp the wire firmly in said channel, and means carried by said clamping member for direct attachment to the trolley Wire to lock said clamping member in its clamping position.

z3. In a device of the class described, the combination oi' a body member having a wire-receiving channel, a clamping member eccentrically pivo-ted on said body member and adapted to be rotated to clamp the wire iirmly in said channel, and an integral eX- tension on said clamping member adapted to be formed around the trolley wire after said clamping member has been rotated to its clamping position. I

7. Ina device of the class described, the combination with a body member, a rotary clamp mounted on said body having means adapted to be rotated into position with said clamp and then attached directly to the trolley wire to lock said clamp.

l8. In a device oi the class described, a body member having a relatively deep wirereceiving channel open at its top, a cam'y member pivoted on said body member and adapted to ce rotated to a clamping position, and an integral j extension on said cam 'formed for attachment .directlv to the trol ley wire after said cam has been rotated to its clamping position and constituting an eX- tension of said body member for taking up theV wear.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bodyv member adapted to be positioned on the' trolley wire and having a continuous channel into which the trolley wire may be placed, a demountable extension adapted to be attached directly to the trolley wire adjacent the end of said body member I and having a cam portion pivotedon said body member for clamping the trolley wire in its channel. Y

10. In a device of the class described,'the combination of a body member havin'g an open-top, wire-receiving channel whereby it may be mounted inposition onvthe trolley wire without severing the continuityof the wire, rotary clamps mounted on said body member and positioned adjacent the ends thereof for clamping thetrolley wire against the bottom wall Voit theV channel, extension wearnmembers on said clamps adapted, by rotation of the clampsto clamping position, to be alined with the trolley wire and directly attached thereto, whereby to lock said clamps in position and to protect the body member from the wear incident to the travel of the trolley wheel.

1l. In a device of the class described, the l combination of a body member having an open-top, wire-receiving channel whereby it may be mounted 1n position on the trolley lisc Ele'

wire without severing the continuity of the wire, rotary clamps mounted on said body member and positioned adjacent the ends thereof for clamping the trollev wire against the bottom wall of the channel, extension wear members on said clamps adapted, by rotation of the clamps to clamping position, to be alined with the trolley wire for direct attachment thereto, whereby to loch said clamps in position and to protect the body member from the wear incident to the travel of the trolley wheel, and demountable means intermediate the ends of said body member for clamping said device to the w'ire.

l2. ln a device of the class described, a body plate having an open-top channel into which the wire may be laid, a cam member removably pivoted on said body member for clamping the trolley wire in the bottom oi its channel, and a locking member carried by said cam and rotatable therewith into direct engagement with the trolley wire whereby it may be attached thereto and locl said cam against rotation.

13. ln a device of the class described a body member having a channel for the trolley wire, in combination with undercut lugs on said body member, and a rotary clamp member removably pivoteo in said lugs for clamping;` the trolley wire in its channel, and having an extension member directly attachable to the trolley wire.

le. ln a device of the class described, a body member having a channel for the trolley wire open at its top, in combination with upstanding lugs on said body member disposed on each side of said channel and having undercut slots therein, a renewable clamp having a clamping member rotatably pivoted in said slots andhaving means ydirectly attachable to the trolley wire for locking said clamp and for taking up the wear on said device.

l5. ln a device of the class described, a body member having a channel for the trolley wire open at its top, in combination with upstandingv lugs on said body member disposed on each side of said channel and having undercut slots therein, a renewable clamp having a clamping member rotatably pivoted in said slots, and having a wear extension adapted to be formed around the trolley adjacent the end of body member and preventing said clamp from accidentally unclamping.

1G. ln a device of the class described, a body member having a channel for the trolley wire open at its top, in combination with upstanding lugs on said body member disposed on each side of said channel and having undercut slots therein, and a cam member ia-ving pivot lugs removably mounted in said slots and having an extension adapted to be formed around the wire.

17. A trolley frog or like device of the class described comprising a body member formed as a single casting and having a wire receiving channel open at its upper side, in combination with a cast metal, one-piece clamping member positioned above the wire f and having a portion adapted to be bent around the trolley wire, and a cam-shaped portion positioned in said channel, integral upstanding lugs on said body member having open undercut slots, and integral pivot studs on said cam removably seated in said slots.

18. ln a. device of the class described, a body member having a wire-receiving channel upon the end portion of the bottom wall of whichtvhe vtrolley wire rests, said bottom wall having' a Adepressed portieri removed from the end or the channel, in combination with a rotary clamp removably mounted on said body above said depressed portion and adapted to bear upon and slightly spring the wire into said depressed portion, whereby the v-.ire will be i'irmly clamped against the end portion olf the bottom wall, and a wear extension on said clamp projecting beyond the end oi.I the body and adapted to be directly attached to the trolley wire atter the lamp has been rotated to clamping position.

19. The combination or a body plate having an open-top channel into which the wire may be laid,

cam member removably pivoted to said body member for clamping` the trolley wire in the bottom of its channel, and a locking member carried by said cam yle therewith into direct engagement with the 'trolley wire whereby it may be attach ed thereto and lock said cam against rotation, a removable clamp member on said body member operable in conjunction with said cam member to prevent the relative longitudinal movement of said body plate and trolley wire, and fastenings on said body plate whereto guy wires may be attached.

rEhe combination of a body member having a relatively thin, bottom-walled channel open at its top through which the trolley wire passes, and means for clamping said body member in position on the trolley wire, comprising rotary cams detachably mounted adjacent the side of said channel and adapted to press the wire in firm Contact with the bottom wall of the channel whereby said bottom wall will form practically a continuation ot the trolley wire, and means attachable to the trolley wire adjacent the ends of said channel for locking said cams in their clamping position.

2l. The combination of a trolley wire-receiving member, a removable rotary wedge adapted to clamp the trolley wire in position upon said member, and a bendable member on said receiving member for locking said wedge in position.

rlhe combination of a metal casting having upstanding walls forming a wire-receiving groove therebetween, integral members formed on said walls, a clamping device adapted to be placed in pivotal engagement with said members and rotated to clamp the engagement with said clamping device.

2a. The combination of a metal casting having an open-top wire channel, integral upstanding members formed on said casting on opposite sides of said channel and spaced apart so as not to interfere with the removal or replacement of the trolley wire, saidmembers being undercut, a wire-clamping rotary cam having pivotal studs adapted for detachable engagement with ,said members, and an integral lug on Said casting adapted to be bent into engagement with said cam to lock it in position.

Q5. The combination with a body member, a. rotary clamp mounted on said body having means adapted to be rotated into position with said clamp and then attached directly to the trolley wire, and means integral with said body member for locking said clamp and means in position.

26. The combination with va body member, a rotary cla-mp mounted on said body having means adapted to be rotated into position with said clamp and then attached directly to the trolley wire, and a lug on said body member adapted to be bent over to lock said clamp and means after they have been rotated into position.

27. rlhe combination of a body member, a pivotally mounted lever having a wire clamping cam adjacent its pivotal point for clamping the wire on the body member and having means adjacent its other end for direct attachment to the trolley Wire after the lever has rotated the cam into clamping pov sition, and means integral with said body member for locking said lever in the position to which it has been rotated.

28. The combination of a body member, a pivotally mounted lever having awire clamping cam adjacent its pivotal point for clamping the wire on the body member and having means adjacent its other end for direct attachment to the trolley wire after the lever has rotated the cam into clamping position, and an integral lug on said body member adapted to be bent across the path of movement of said lever to lock it in position.

29. The combination of a body member adapted for attachment to a trolley wire and having a channelV therein for the wire, a separate detachable wear extension adapted to be fastened on the trolleywire at the end of said body member, a rotary cam formed on said wear extension and pivotally mounted on said body member for .clamping the wire in its channel, and an integral lug on the body member adapted to be bent across the path of movement of said wire eXtension to retain it in position.

.In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 5th day of April, A. D. 1912.

WILLARD H. KEMPTON.

Witnesses:

JQRowLAND BROWN, J. C. PAINTER.

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

Washington, D. C.

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