US2013355A - Trolley wire support - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1935. s. s. MATTHES TROLLEY WIRE SUPPORT Filed March 16, 1954 VII Inventor SAMUEL SM/177 Patented Sept. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES smear OFFICE TROLLEY WIRE SUPPORT Application March 16, 1934, Serial No. 715,935

15 Claims. (Cl. 1914Il) My invention relates to supports for trolley conductors and particularly to that class of support known as strain ears or clamps and particularly for use with grooved or figure 8 trolley wire.

One object of my invention is to provide a clamping device which can be applied to grooved or figure 8 trolley wire which does not encircle the wire to an extent that it will interfere with the smooth and uninterrupted passage of the current collector as such collectors are often used upon vehicles of high speed and any obstruction or interference with the smooth passage of the current collector along the wire may result in damage.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clamp which will grip and interlock with the trolley wire in such a manner as to prevent relative slippage between the wire and clamp without affecting the mechanical strength of the trolley wire, nor tending to force the wire from the clamp.

Another object of my invention is to incorporate in a single device the above objects in combination with other features whereby the device maybe used for anchoring or dead-ending the trolley wire.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:-

Fig. l is a side view in elevation of my invention as applied to a grooved trolley wire- Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a face view in elevation of the interior face of the strain member of my invention.

Fig. 61s a top View of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a view in elevation of the interior face of the clamping member of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a top view of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1. r

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I employ a strain member I and a clamping member 2, each provided with lips 3 to engage with the groove 4 in the trolley wire 5. One of the members as, 'for instance, the member I, has along its upper edge a longitudinally disposed and projecting tongue 6 which enters a longitudinally disposed groove 1 along the upper edge of the other member 2. These cooperating grooves andtongues'hold'themembersland 2 against relative transverse movement thus maintaining the lips in proper alignment.

The member I is shown with a plurality of counterbored oblong openings 8 to loosely receive the threaded screw 9.

The member 2 has a corresponding number of threaded openings I6 which receive the threaded screw 9. These screws hold the members I and 2 in clamping position upon the trolley wire 5.

The screws 9 have an opening therethru and a transverse slot- I2 and by means of which the screws may be operated by a special tool.

The openings 8 in the clamping member I are somewhat larger than the screw 9 thus permitting slight adjustment of the members I and 2.

The member I is shown as provided with a projecting strain eye I3 having an opening I4 to receive a rod, pull-01f wire or support, etc.

The member I is also provided with the upwardly and inwardly projecting threaded bosses I5 having their axes a-a obliquely disposed to the line c--c of the lips 3, also to the axis bb of the trolley wire 5.

Mounted in the threaded bosses I5 are set screws I6 having cup-shaped points, one edge of which will bite into the upper surface of the trolley wire 5 as shown in the broken-away portion of Fig. 1. This provides a sure and positive grip of the device upon the trolley wire and it is found that by properly positioning the axis of the screw It with respect to the axis b-b of the trolley wire that there is no tendency to push the trolley wire out from between the lips 3 of the members I and 2 when strain is brought upon the clamp tending to move it along the trolley wire in the direction of the arrow A.

As the distance between the point of the screw and the boss I5 is considerable, I form the inside face of the members I and 2 so as to provide flanges i? which form a backing in close proximity to the screws I 6 thus supporting the screw and preventing undue yielding thereof.

The clamping member 2 is provided with notches I8 along its upper edge into which fit the bosses I5 when the parts are assembled.

The parts I and 2 are provided with grooves I9 axially aligned with the set screws I6 and when the parts are in assembled position the grooves I9 form a passage almost encircling the screw.

In order to install my invention the screws 9 are loosened sufiiciently to permit the device to be placed upon the trolley wire with the lips 3' positioned in the groove 4. The screws 9 are then tightened up so that the members I and 2 will clamp the trolley wire securely. The set screws iii are then run down and as soon as the edge of the cupped end engages with the trolley wire 5 it will cut its way into the wire but with very little tendency to push the wire out oi the jaws for the reason that the resultant force at right angles to the axis 17-1) of the trolley wire will not be suficient. I find that it is not necessary to enter the cupped end of the screw into the wire to a very great extent.

Strain or pull-off wires are then passed.

through the opening M and secured in position. The strain upon the pull-off wire will be in the direction of the arrow A and the tendency will be to move the entire clamp along the trolley wire in the direction of the arrow A.

This movement will be resisted not only by the frictional engagement of the clamping members with the trolley wire but particularly by the interlock of the screws it with the trolley wire. As the tendency for the clamp to move along the trolley wire increases there will also be an everincreasing tendency for the metal of the trolley wire immediately ahead of the cupped end of the screw 16 to turn upwardly and thus actually increase the interlock between the wire and screw.

The force between the wire and screws 96 tending to resist movement of the device relative to the wire will be practically parallel to the axis b-b for the reason that I prefer to make the axis of the screw it so inclined to the axis of the trolley wire that the front face iii of the screw 16 will be substantially at right angles to the axis bb. of the wire 6, thus the resistance between the screw and the trolley wire will practically be absorbed in resisting movement of the clamp relative to the wire as the stress tending to force the trolley wire out of the groove in a transverse or vertical direction will be very small. This feature of my invention is clearly set forth in U. S. Patent 1,912,177.

It will be noted that the strain tending to move the device along the trolley wire is all applied to the member I and that the member 5 has seourely attached thereto the screws in and the screws 16 are the parts which are interlocked with the trolley wire, thus the force from the pull-off wire to the trolley wire is transmitted through practically the single member 9 as far as possible.

' The member 2 in combination with the member I provides through the medium of the grooves 19 the passage for the screws 55 and which is backed up by the parts ll forming a substantially complete stop to be engaged by the screw if there is any tendency for the screwto bendunder strain.

'While I have shown the'screw it placed at such angle as will practicallyeliminate any force component transverse to the axis of the trolley wire, this may be altered by changing the angle between the axes of the screws and the trolley wire.

It is quite apparent that if it is desired to anchor the clamp in both directions that it is only necessary to increase the length of the member I and provide strain lugs H3 at each end and provide for one or more additional set screws, the axes of which will be inclined in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 5.

While 'I have shown and described my invention as applied to grooved or figure 8 trolley wire, it may also be applied to round wire by causing the lips or jaws to substantially encircle the wire.

If desired, the lug l5 orany number of a plurality of lugs I5 may form a part of the clamping member 2.

The lower face 2| of the lug 15 will engage with the upper face 22 of the notch l8 if there is a tendency for the member I to move relative to the member 2 under stress and thus the members will act more as a unit, the lug i5 being in'effect interlocked with the member 2. I

There will be modifications to the disclosure herein made which will be evident to those skilled in the art, therefore, I wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:

1. A trolley wire support comprising a pair of clamping members each having a lip to engage and grip the trolley wire, means to move the members into and hold them in engagement with the wire, a part groove obliquely disposed along the inner surface of each member and the said part groove cooperating to form apassage to receive a set screw, a transverse notch in the edge of one member into which the part groove in that member opens and an overhanging lug on the other member which enters the said notch, the lug having a threaded opening with its axis corresponding to the oblique axis of the said passage and a cup pointed set screw mounted in the opening and passage to engage and interlock with the trolley wire and a strain attachment on the member provided with the lug.

2. A trolley wire support comprising a pair of elongated members each having a lip along its lower edge to engage and grip the trolley wire, means to hold the members in secure engagement with the wire, a groove along the inner face of each member and cooperating to form a passage, the axis of the passage being obliquely disposed to the line of the lips, one member having a lug projecting over the said passage and having a threaded opening the axis of which corresponds to the axis of the passage, a threaded fasteningdevice mounted in the passageand opening and movable into locking engagement with the trolley wire and means at one end of the member provided with the lug to secure the support to an attachment.

3. A trolley wire. device comprising a pair of elongated members each having a lip along its lower longitudinal edge to engage and grip the wire, means to hold the members in position on the wire, a groove in the inner face of each member cooperating to form a passage having an axis obliquely disposed to theline of the lips, a.

notch in one member at the upper. endo-i the passage and a lug on theother member projecting into the notch, a threaded opening in the lug and its axis coinciding with that of the 'passage and a set sore-w mounted in the opening to engage and lock with the wire to oppose the device moving on the wirein one direction.

4. A trolley wire device comprising a pair of clamping members having lips forming a longi tudinal groove to receive and grip the trolley wire, threaded means to hold the members in position on the wire, a plurality of pairs of 00- operating grooves in the inner faceof each memher and each pair forminga passage to receive a set screw with its axis obliquely disposed to the longitudinal axis of said longitudinal groove, a

projecting lug from either of themembers over-' hanging each passage and a threaded opening in the lug with its axis corresponding to that of the passage, a set screw'mounted in each opening and extending through the passage and adapted to interlock with the trolley wire to prevent relative movement of the device and wire in one direction and means to make an attachment to one member.

5. A trolley wire device comprising a pair of elongated members each having a lip forming a groove to receive and grip a trolley wire, means to clamp the members on the wire, a groove in the inner face of each member cooperating to form a passage with an axis obliquely disposed to the line of said lips, a lug on one member projecting over the other member and having a threaded opening in line with the oblique axis of the passage, a set screw mounted in the opening and extending through the passage to engage with the trolley wire, the walls on one side of the passage forming a support to prevent the set screw bending when a stress is applied to the screw tending to move it along the wire and means to form a connection to one of the members.

6. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of elongated members and each having a lip cooperating together to grip the trolley wire, means to move the members into clamping engagement with the wire, a transverse passage through the center of the clamp and part of the passage formed by a groove in the inner faces of each member, means forming part of one member overlapping the other member and a threaded opening through the said means and disposed opposite one end of the passage, a set screw mounted in the opening and extending into the passage and arranged to have its inner end engage with and lock with the trolley wire to resist the clamp slipping over the wire in a longitudinal direction and means on one member to receive attachments to the clamp.

'7. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of clamping members each having a lip cooperating to grip the trolley wire, means to hold the members in clamping engagement with the wire, a passage through the clamp and part of the passage formed by a groove in the inner face of each member, means forming part of one of the members positioned at one end of the passage and having a threaded opening, a set screw positioned in the opening and extending into the passage and arranged to have one end interlock with the trolley wire to resist slipping of the clamp on the wire and means for attachment to the clamp.

8. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of elongated clamping members and lips along the lower edge of the members to form a groove to receive a trolley wire, means to move the members into clamping engagement with the wire, means on one member interlocked with means on the other member to resist longitudinal relative movement of the members, one of said means provided with a threaded opening, a set screw mounted in said opening and extending through the clamp and between the inner faces of the members and arranged to have its end interlock with the wire to resist slippage of the clamp along the wire and means to receive an attachment to the clamp.

9. A trolley wire clamp comprising a pair of elongated clamping members and lips along the lower edge of the members to form a groove to receive a trolley wire, means to move the members into clamping engagement with the wire, means on one member interlocked with means on the other member to resist longitudinal relative movement of the members, one of said means provided with a threaded opening, a set screw mounted in said opening and extending through the clamp and between the inner faces of the members and arranged to have its end interlock with the wire to resist slippage of the clamp along the wire, an elongated passage between the members and formed by a groove in the inner face of each member and in which passage a part of the set screw is positioned.

10. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings to receive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, each having a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage a trolley wire, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip the same.

11. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings to receive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, each having a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage a trolley wire, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip the same and a groove in one face of the body forming part of a passage into which the set screw extends.

12. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings to receive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, each having a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage a trolley wire, a lip along one edge of engage the wire to grip the same, the axis of the opening being obliquely disposed to the line of the lip.

13. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings to receive clamping means, one or more laterally projecting lugs, each having a threaded opening to receive a set screw arranged to engage a trolley wire, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip the same and means by which an attachment may be made to the member.

14. A clamping member comprising a body having one or more openings to receive clamping means, one or more out out portions to receive a lug on a companion body, a lip along one edge to engage the wire to grip the same and a groove in one face of the body forming a part of a passage for a set screw secured to the companion body, the groove being obliquely disposed to the said lip.

15. A trolley wire device comprising a'pair of clamping members having means to grip a wire in slidable relation thereto, means to hold the members clamped to the wire, a cupped set screw with a cutting edge and having its cupped end arranged to interlock with the wire, the inner surface of the cup adjacent the said edge being substantially normal to the axis of the wire and a lug projecting from one member in overlapping relation to the other member and having a threaded opening in which the set screw is mounted and means for attachment to the device.

SAMUEL S. MATTHES.

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