US1608297A - Trolley - Google Patents

Description

Lam 'A 7, QC;

w. BOWER TROLLEY Nov. 23,1926. 1,608,297

Original Filed ov-.18, 1921 ni dr' I eorge Bower,

His Attok- Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

' UNITED STATES :rAT Nrorr cE.

snonenw. Bowen, or SCI-IENECTADY, NEW YORK, Assierron To GENERAL nLnora-Ie' COMPANY, aconroRA'rIoN or New YORK. v

TROLLEY.

Original application filed November 18, 1921, Serial No. 516,094, now Patent 1,487,311, dated March 18;

1924. Divided and this application filed January 8, 1924 Serial No. 685,064.

The present invention is a division of the subject-matter of my Patent No. 1,487,311, March 18, 1924, and relates to electric propulsion of street vehicles and more especially to trackless trolley systems in which the collector makes simultaneous contact with two overhead wires, constituting the supply and return sides of the electric circuit.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved trolley structure which will maintain operative relation with a pair of overhead wires quite irrespective of the swaying or jolting of the vehicle or its somewhat wide departure from the vertical plane of the wires, and also capable of ready adaptation for operation in conjunction with a single overhead wire.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the trolley head, and Fig. 2 is a similar View of a detachable contact shoe.

The trolley pole 1 is, for the sake of lightness and flexibility, made of wood, either in one piece or in strips, with an axial channel for the passage therethrough of the insulated conductors or lead wires 11 and 12 from the head 13 to-the base. The head 13 is made in the shape of a triangular frame having diagonal braces 14 and a horizontal bar 15 of wood or other insulating material, the latter of which has a length somewhat less than twice the space between the pair of trolley wires (not shown) suspended along the highway. The horizontal bar 15 carries on its upper surface two independent metal collector plates or shoes 16 and 17 with pockets 18 therein for thereception'of solid lubricating matter such as tallowand graphite, and between their adjacent ends is disposed an insulating barrier orspacer bracket 19 which operates to prevent both trolley wires coming in contact with either shoe at the same time and becoming short circuited thereby. By reason of the trolley head having no metal part long enough to bridge the space between the trolley wires,

the matter of maneuvering the trolley into place and operating it even at an obtuse angle to the wires is rendered safe. At the outer ends of the collector plates or shoes 16 and 17 are formed brackets 20 with fender loops 21 extending above and beyond the operative surface of the shoes. To

the lower ends of the brackets 20 the insulated conductor wires 11 and 12 are attached. In order that the collector head 13 may readily respond to variations in the elevations of the trolley wires independent of the inertia of the pole, the former is hinged to the latter at 21 a short distance below its outer end and at its end a guard bracket 22 is attached and having pivoted thereto two transverse bell cranks 23 with their short arms connected by a tension,

spring 24: while their long arms are respectively pivoted to theinner sides of the divergent braces 14.

lVhile the normal field of operation of a trackless trolley car is on streets not equipped with track rails but with the common single trolley wire, it is often necessary to provide such cars with means whereby they may operate in the customary manner of street cars running on tracks and receiving current from a single overhead Wire, as in the case of getting the car to and from a car barn located at some distance from the point of juncture of the two systems. I accordingly provide a detachable contact shoe 93 adapted to be seated astride the insulating spacer bracket 19 and comprising a metal casting with its upper surface provided with a groove 94 adapted to make sliding engagement in well known manner with a single trolley wire and its frogs and crossovers,

and with its lower side provided with claws and 96 adapted to rest upon and make good contact with both collector shoes'16 and 17 and with two ears 97 for the reception of a bolt adapted to pass through the spacer bracket 19 to secure the shoe thereon.

While I have shown and described the best embodiment of the invention known to tween said pole and said head, two sliding contact plates supported on said head, and an insulating barrier between and projecting abovevthe adjacent ends of said plates.

2. The combination with a trolley pole, of a head comprising a frame of insulating material pivoted to said pole, means for yieldingly maintaining alignment of said pole and head comprising levers pivoted to the pole and head and a spring connecting said levers, and contact means carried by said 5 head.

3. The combination with a trolley pole, of

tWo independent collector shoes secured thereto and adapted to contact simultane- GEORGE W. Bowen.

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