US1481729A - Electrical collector for locomotive cranes and the like - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 22, 1924.

, H. 'r. NAFZIGER ELECTRICAL COLLECTOR FOR LQCOMOTIVE CRANES AND THE LIKE 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 22, 1924.

I H. T. NAFZIGER ELECTRICAL COLLECTOR FOR LOCOMOTIVE CRANES AND mm LIKE Filed Jan. 11. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 22, 1924 rss Parent time ries,

HENRY T. EAFZIGER, OF CHICA GO, ILLINOIS, ASS-IGNOR T LINK BELT COMPANY, OF

v CHICAGO, ILLINQJE, A CORPCRATION OZ ILLINOISI I A ELECTRICAL COLLECTOR F01?) LOCOMOTIV'E CRANES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed January 11, 1922. Serial No. 528,556.

To all whom itmayconcem:

Be it known that, I, HENRY T. NAFZIGER,,

of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electrical- Collectors for Locomotive Cranes and the like, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to an electricacon necting and power transmitting device for locomotive cranes, derricksand the like, wherein a rotating operatingbody is mounted on a fixed platform and wherein means must be provided for maintaining electrical power. orcontact between the rotating body or platform and the fixed platform under all conditions;

My invention relates in general terms to means for accomplishing this purpose and at the. same time protecting the electrical contact members so that they will aways be free from foreign material and so that the possibility of short circuiting or interrupting a circuit by waste,.dust, water, oil and the like is impossible. This is'accomplished by means of shoes in contact with rings justably positioned on the under side of the rotating platform. These rings rotate in engagement with tired yielding supporting shoes on the fixed platform, the shoes being at all times covered by the rings and the contact surfaces of the rings being at all times downwardly opposed and the rings themselvesnormally covered by the rotating platform.

"\Lly invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a detailed section throughthag partof a locomotive .crane necessary to the illustration ,of my invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective of therrings and contact shoes Figure 3 is adetailelevation ofone ofthc collector shoes with-parts in section.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout. i

A is a lower supporting frame. It may be fixed. oizlmounted on'a roller truck or any other suitable supporting mechanism. It is arranged so that it does not normally rotate in operation. A is a pivot post projecting upwardly through the boss A A is the upper rotating or swinging frame or a platform having downwardly projecting hub frame.

roller track on the frame A, andr-i" are roller Wheels ca-rryingthe frame or platformri, on the track A The means for operating or moving the roller truck or frame and the means for rotating the upper rotating frame are not herein shown as they form no part of r y invention. The platform It carries, of course, the usual working mechanism such as a shovel, dipper, crane or the like, but none of these parts are shown.

B is a rigid shoe supporting )ltmte bolted tothe frame A. It has mounted on it a plurality of insulating lugs 13?, B, which, in turn, carry contacting and supporting yokes B B incircuit with electrical powercables B B These yokes are preferably made of steel, but might be made of other material. BT, B, are fiat contact shoes on the shanks B? mounted for, vertical displacement in the yokes B is a guide or stem downwardly projecting from theshank B of the Contact shoe 3*. lower end penetrating through, the lower bend B of the yoke B At its upper end it has mounted upon itthennt 13 between which and the shank B is compressed the upper end of the flexible conductor B B is a spiral spring coiled ahout'the stem E which compressed between the bend of the yoke B and the nut B andthus tends upwardly to thrust the contact shoe 13*.

C, C, area series of adjusting plates, slotted at C mounted on the frame A and so arranged that they may be vertically adjusted on the screws C. Nuts 3 are provided tolock the plates C in position. Each of these plates has one or more downwardly projecting insulating lugs C C and these lugs carry the roller rings C, C one ring being in opposition and in engagement with each of the shoes B. B; j The adjustment of the plate C is provided so that the collectorri'ngs may be t-rued up so that they will alwaysremainin contact with the shoes independent of the rotation. of the upper Conductors C, C, lead from the rings C C7, to the junction box C on the upper frame from which power is taken to operate the various electrical motors on that frame.

Under some conditions a single ring might be used and the return circuit would be through the frame itself. Preferably,

however, for a D. C. job two rings will be used and lore three phase system, three rings might be used or for a two phase sys tem, four might be used.

It will be evident that while I have shown in the drawings an operative device, still many changes might be made in size, shape and arrangement of parts without departing materially from the spirit of my invention, and I wish, therefore, that my drawings be regarded asin a sense diagrammatic.

l claim:

1. In an electrically operated mechanism, a supporting base, a platform rotatably mounted thereon, a fiat surfaced collector ring mounted beneath said platform and adapted to rotate therewith, a flat surfaced shoe mounted upon said frame, and yield ing means for pressing it upwardly against said ring.

2. In an electrically operated crane, a supporting frame, a platform rotatably mounted thereon, a collector ring mounted beneath the platform, a shoe mounted on the frame, yielding means for pressing it upwardly against the ring, and means for adjusting the ring on the platform so as to maintain it in aplane perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

3. In an electrically operated mechanism, a supporting base, a platform rotatably mounted thereon, a flat surfaced collector ring mounted beneath said platform and adapted to rotate therewith, a flat surfaced shoe mounted upon said frame, and yield ing means for pressing it upwardly against said ring, and supporting means therefor comprising a yoke mounted upon the supporting frame and insulated therefrom, a downwardly depending shank passing through said yoke, and a flexible electric connection between said shank and said yoke. .4l- II1 an electrically operated crane, a supporting frame, a yoke mounted thereon, and insulated from the frame, a shoe having a shank slidable in the yoke, yielding means for pressing the shoe and shank upwardly, a platform rotatably mounted on the frame, a collector ring in oppositionto the shoe, the collector-ring being adjustably mounted on the platform.

5. An electrical connection comprising a base, insulating blocks thereon, a closed yoke mounted on the blocks, a collector shoe having a downwardly depending shank slidable in the upper branch of the yoke, a guide bit projecting downwardly from the shank and in slidable engagement with the lower. branch of the yoke, yielding means interposed between the shank and the lower branch of the yoke for thrust-ing the shoe upwardly.

(S. -in electrical connection comprising a base, insulating blocks thereon, a closed yoke mounted on the blocks, a collector shoe having a downwardly dependin shank slidable in the upper branch of tie yoke, a guide bit projecting downwardly from the shank and in slidable engagement withthe lower branch of the yoke, yielding means interposed between the shank and the lower branrh of the yoke for thrusting the shoe upwardly, and a permanent flexible electric connection between the shank and the yoke.

7. In an electrically operated crane, a rotating platform, a flanged supporting element carriedthereby, the flanges having a plurality of guide arms, slotted angular members mounted for vertical adjustment on said arms, insulating blocks on the under sides of said members and a collector ring mounted on said blocks and having con tact surfaces downwardly exposed.

8. The combination with a supporting carriage and a platform mounted for rotation thereon about a vertical axis of a collector ring beneath the platform, supporting members therefor adapted for vertical adjustment, collector shoes mounted on the frame of said supporting carriage and yield ing means for thrusting them upwardly against the rings.

In an electrically operated crane, a supporting frame, a platform rotatably mounted thereon, a collector ring mounted beneath the platform and adapted to rotate therewith, a shoe mounted on the frame and slidable along an axis perpendicular thereto, yielding means for pressing it against the ring and a flexible electric connection between said shoe and the supporting frame.

10. In an electrically operated crane, a fixed element and a rotating element thereupon, adapted to rotate about a substantially vertical axis, a flat surfaced collector ring mounted upon one of said elements, a flat surfaced shoe mounted upon the other and adapted to contact the surface of said ring, said shoe being slidable along an axis substantially perpendicular to said surface, yielding means for pressing said shoe against said ring, and a flexible electric connection between said shoe and the element upon which it is mounted.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook an State of Illinois, this 7th day of January,

HENRY T. NAFZIGER.

Images