US1658945A - Bus-line connecter - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 14, 1928. 1,658,945

s. B. SCHENCK BUS LINE CONNECTER Filed June 5, 1922 Fig. I.

Fig.2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Samuel B. Sahemk.

W I BY AT'I ORNEY Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. SCHENCK, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELEC'IRIQ &: MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

BUS-LIN E CONNECTER.

Application filed June 5, 1922. Serial No. 566,196.

My invention relates to bus-line connecters for trains, more especially to a. device for connecting up the power line between cars in an electrical railway train.

It is amongthe objects of this invention to provide an improved type of connector which utilizes the power drawn therethrough to securely lock the connecting parts and to provide an eflicient electrical connection therebetween.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of the above-designated type which shall be of simple compact structure, inexpensive to manufacture and adapted for application to general bus-line conneeters on railway cars.

Various means of securing bus-line connecters have been devised and generally comprise mechanical latching devices for securing the jumper heads in their sockets. Frequently, trouble occurs from the connecter 0r jumper head coming loose in its socket and, when power is drawn through the contacts, the loose joint causes arcing and severe burning of the contact members.

My present invention is designed to pro vide a magnetic device utilizing the power drawn through the connecter to attract the jumper head and securely hold it in its receptacle or socket, thereby preventing breaking of the contact therebetween.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts,

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a busline connector embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, of the device shown in Fig. 1, with the jumper head or plunger separated from the socket connection.

As shown in the Fig. 1, the device consists of a hollow cylinder 1 provided with a mounting bracket 2 which is secured to the end of a railway car in alignment with a similar device on another car, their respective positions being located from the coupler heads. One end of the cylinder 1 is provided with a flange 3 on which a disc shaped cover 4 is mounted and secured by bolts 5. The cylinder 1 is adapted to receive a jumper head or plunger 6 havin an extension 7 on one end thereof which is provided with a. constricted opening 8 adapted to receive a cured to the cable 9, is disposed in the bushing 13 and constitutes one side of the busline connection.

The jumper head or plunger 6 is insulated from the cylinder 1 by an insulating bushim 15 of suitable, preferably fibrous, materia and a hardened binder of the well-known phenolic-condensation-product type which is secured thereto in a suitable manner, as by a press fit. An iron core 16, having a central opening 17 extending therethrough, is

mounted on an insulating base 18 which is provided with a central opening 19, and an insulating spacer 20 having an opening 21 is disposed on the other end thereof.

Another iron block 22 is secured between the insulating base 18 and cover 4 in align ment with the core member 16, and a conductor 23 having an enlarged end 24 is disposed in the contact terminal 14 and is projected through the openings 19 and 21 of the insulators 18 and 20, respectively. The other end of the conductor 23 is wound around the core 16 to form a coil 25 and is then inserted through the insulating base 18 and an opening 26 provided in the cover 4: to establish the other bus-line connection.

My device operates briefly as follows: The jumper head 6 is plugged into the cylinder 1 until it rests against the insulating spacer 20, causing the terminal 24: of the conductor 23 to make contact with the bus-line terminal 13, as illustrated in the Fig. l. lVhen the circuit is energized, the current will flow through the coil 25, causing a magnetic field to be established in the iron core 16, block 22, cover 4 a portion of the cylinder 1 and the contacting end of the plunger 6, thus causing strong magnetic attraction on the jumper head to hold it firmly against the spacer 20.

The strength of the magnet varies with the amount of current passing through the conductor so that, when the mechanism is subjected to the greatest strain, the magnet will be at its greatest capacity.

It will be readily understood from the above description of my invention that a connecter device formed 1naccordance therewith provides a mechanically simple and electrically etiieient connection which is easy to manipulate and may be readily mounted upon any accessible part of the car unit.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction.. For instance, the jumper head or plunger may be of any suitable shape designed to facilitate forming of the busline connection and the arrangement of the contact terminal and the magnet may be of a suitable design to accommodate the size of wire or cable mounted thereon and to obtain the capacity required. The general design of the housing and mounting bracket may be modified to adapt them for specific application. These and other changes may be made in the details of construction with out departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bus-line connecter comprising a hollow cylinder having a mounting bracket formed integrally therewith and adapted to receive a plunger having an insulating bushing disposed therearound, a terminal bushing adapted to secure a bus-line on one end and a contact member on the other centrally disposed in said plunger and magnetic means for securing said plunger in said cylinder, said means comprising a solenoid secured to said cylinder and insulated therefrom and having one of its leads secured in said terminal bushing.

2. A bus-line eonnecter comprising a hollow cylinder provided with a mounting bracket which is adapted to receive a plunger, an insulating bushing disposed around said plunger, a terminal bushing centrally disposed therein, a bus-line terminal provided with a recess which is adapted to receive a terminal head secured in said bushing, an iron core centrally disposed in one end of said cylinder and secured therein by an insulating spacing disc, a coil Wound on said core, one end of which is disposed in said terminal and an insulating spacer disposed between said plunger and core.

3. A busl1ne connector comprising a hollow body member, a contact member mounted in said body member, a plunger. a second contact member attached to the plunger and adapted to co-operate with the first named contact member, and an clectromagnet mounted in the body member and adapted to secure the plunger in the body member.

4. A bus-line connecter comprising a. hollow body member, a contact member mounted in said body member, a plunger. a second contact member attached to the plunger and adapted to cooperate with the firstnamed contact member, and an electromagnetmounted in the body member and adapted to secure the plunger in the body member, said electromagnet having one of its leads secured to said first named contact- SAMUEL B. SCHENCK

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