US2131223A - Trolley retriever - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 27, 1938. E RLL 2,131,223

TROLLEY RETRIEVER Filed Nov. 2, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 27, 1938. c. I. EARLL 2,131,223

- TROLLEY RETRIEVER Filed Nov. 2, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 wrZZ,

Mentor.-

Sept. 27, 1938. Q EARLL 2,131,223

' TROLLEY RETRIEVER Filed NOV. 2, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ENTOR .ILE'WZZ,

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1938.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCEI TROLLEY RETRIEVER York, Pa;

Application November 2, 1936, Serial No. 108,889

3 Claims.

My invention relates to trolley retrievers of the type in which a drum adapted to receive the trolley rope is mounted in an enclosed case which also encloses mechanism by which the drum is rotated under light tension to wind up or pay out rope under normal operation of the trolley and encloses mechanism by which the drum is automatically operated to wind up the rope to pull the trolley down when it has jumped the wire.

More specifically my invention relates. to the type above described in which the retrieving spring is located inside the drum.

The retriever of my present invention is particularly adapted to meet the requirements of trackless trolley operation as distinguished from ordinary trolley car operation. These requirements include greater certainty of action and greater retrieving action when the trolley leaves the wire because of the use of two poles and two over-head wires, and because the poles are of much greater length and have a wide lateral movement.

Another requirement is that the retriever shall be as light and compact as possible, and have a streamlined exterior form such as a surface of revolution with a rounded outer end and sides of increasing diameter joined to the dash with an outward flare or fillet of substantial radius.

The object of my invention is to meet these requirements and others hereinafter described in a simple and effective manner.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l. is a longitudinal central sectional vies of a complete trolley retriever embodying my invention on line ll of Fig. 3.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking forward with operating parts in position when the retrieving spring is partially wound up.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view also on line 2-2 of Fig 1 and also looking forward, but showing operating parts in positions which they assume when the retrieving spring is fully wound up.

Figure 4 is a front view of the flange of the intermediate which carries studs for the lock pawl and the set pawl and the bell crank but looking rearward showing operating parts in the same positions in which they are shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a View of the inside of the shell or front member of the case looking forward.

Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a back view and a side view of the back member on a reduced scale compared to Figs. 1 to 5.

Figure 8 is a back view of the bracket'which is carried on the dash of the trolley car,.or

vehicle, to receive and retain the retriever, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary View of a retaining pin for locking the retriever in the bracket.

In the drawings I indicates the back'member and 2 indicates the front member or shell of the case enclosing the winding and retrieving mechanism of the present application. Front-member 2 is cup shaped with the edge of the cup fitting the edge of the back member, the back member being adapted to fit and to be removably held to a bracket 8 which is secured to the dash of a vehicle.

In the cup of the front member is an opening 2 for passage of the trolley rope from the drum within the case to the trolley pole so arranged that when the front member is imposition on the back member this opening will be above the drum. Opening 2 is also so formed inthe front member that when the front member is in position on the back member this opening will be below the drum for escape of any water that may enter through opening 2 In the back member is formed a circular recess 3 of a diameter sufficient to receive the rear portion of the winding and retrieving mechanism and provided in its wall with teeth 4 adapted to be engaged by lock pawl 35, set pawl 31 and the centrifugal pawl M,v hereinafter described. On the front of the back member is formed an outwardly extending flange 5, the

outer edge of which is machined on its periphery and its side to fit an annular recess 13 formed in the edge of the cup of the front member, this recess l3 being also machined. The shell and back are securely held together by the central shaft 18, and the shell is located on the back by means of the inwardly projecting lug 5'5 on the shell which comes between the two lugs 58 on the back.

The back of back member 4 is provided with preferably three segmental annular ribs 6 having grooves l in their outer faces adapted to interlock with segmental annular ribs 9 on the front face of bracket 3, these ribs 9 having inwardly extending portions fitting grooves i so that when the back member is placed against the bracket with its ribs 6 in position between ribs 9 of the bracket and then rotated to cause the segmental ribs to interlock, the back. member will be held firmly in position. To facilitate the entrance of the ribs 9 into the grooves l I provide circular ledges 1 between the ribs 6 concentric with and of the same radius as the bottoms of the grooves I. To prevent rotation of the back member tending to unlock the segmental ribs the bracket is provided with locking pin H] to engage notch l2 in the periphery of the back member. Locking pin ID as shown is carried in a shell I slotted to permit movement of stud ll carried by the pin. In one side of this slot is formed a notch H into which stud I! may be turned to retain the pin against falling down while the retriever is being attached or removed. To prevent the back members from being turned too far in interlocking its ribs 6 with ribs 9 of the bracket a stop 6 is formed at one end of one of segmental ribs 6.

By means of the three grooved ribs 6 of the back member interlocking with the three ribs 9 of the bracket, I provide a construction which has adequate rigidity to prevent injury to the retriever resultingfrom collisions and bumps of considerable severity, which has no rattle even when the clearance in the grooves is greater than that required for the easy attachment and detachment of the retriever, and I avoid the necessity of a tightening mechanism toprevent rattle.

Bracket 8 as shown is ring shaped, and is provided on its rear face with a plurality of inwardly extending lugs 50, each having an opening for a screw or other means for securing it to the dash of the vehicle. The side 59 of one of the lugs serves with lug 6 of the back of the back member to stop the back member from being rotated too far in engaging it with the bracket.

In the bottom of the cup of the front member is a circular chamber 14 adapted to receive tension spring 29 and having lugs l5 extending towards back member I, within which lugs spring is received with its outer end engaging one of these lugs. To hold the tension spring in chamber l4 plate l6 extends. over the spring and is secured by suitable retaining means I6 on the inner surface of the bottom of the cup.

I1 indicates a recess in the front of the front member adapted to receive the head of the shaft N3, the inner end of which is threaded to engage threaded opening I8 in a hub formed at the center of recess 3 in the back member. Shaft l8 thus serves as means forholdingthe front and back members detachably together. 2| indicates a member of the winding and retrieving mechanism which for convenience is termed an intermediate. It comprises a stem 22 havin bearings to fit shaft l8 and has a forwardly extending portion 23 of less diameter than the main portion of the stem. At the rear end of stem 22 is a flange 24 which is adapted to extend into recess 3 of the back member and carries three studs 25, 26 and 21, extending forward from the front of the flange.

Intermediate 2| is mounted to rotate on shaft i8. 28 indicates the drum on which the trolley rope is wound. This drum has a web 29 at its. rear end in the center of which is the rear hearing for the drum on the intermediate, and it has a removable web or drum disc 36 recessed into its front end to provide for assembling the retrieving spring and a bearing for the front end of the intermediate. This drum disc has a forwardly extending hub 3| which fits the forwardly extending portion 2?. of stem 22 and is retained thereon by ring 3l in groove 3! in 23. Hub 3! is provided in the portion extending into the center of the tension spring opening with a notch adapted to engage the inner end of the spring. On the rear face of drum disc 30 near its periphery is a rearwardly extending lug 39 which is adapted to engage a forwardy extending lug 28 in the front end of the drum so that the turning effort of the tension spring will be transmitted to the drum.

The drum disc 30 provides a closure for the opening in the front end of the drum 28 which is necessary for assembling the retrieving spring 33 in the drum, it provides a bearing and support for the front end of the drum and a means for operatively connecting the tension spring with the drum through the hub 3! of the drum disc, and it also reinforces the front end- 23 of the intermediate on which there is a heavy stress due to the action of the retrieving spring.

Retrieving spring 33 occupies substantially the entire space between web 29 and drum disc 30. Its inner end is provided with a hook to engage a groove 22 in stem 22 of intermediate 2!, and the outer end of the retrieving spring is provided with hook 33 to engage notch 33 in the drum so that if the intermediate is held from turning and the rope is pulled out from the drum the rotation of the drum will wind up the retrieving spring.

Under the normal operation of the retriever with the trolley on the wire the retrieving spring is wound up to a predetermined amount and the intermediate is locked to the drum and the intermediate and drum rotate together under the actionrof the tension spring 26 to take in and pay out the rope as may be necessary to keep the trolley in contact with the overhead current supply wire.

When the trolley leaves the wire its sudden and rapid upward movement releases vor unlocks the intermediate from the drum and simultaneously looks it to the back member of the case. The retrieving spring is thus caused to rotate the drum to wind the trolley rope thereon and pull the pole down. The mechanism by means of which, after the retriever has pulled the pole down, the retrieving spring is rewound, and by means of which the retrieving spring is automatically thrown into action to pull the trolley pole down when the trolley leaves the wire is referred to herein as the retrieving spring winding and releasing mechanism. This winding and releasing mechanism comprises the intermediate 2l, lock pawl 35 mounted on stud 25, bell crank 36 mounted on stud 26, set pawl 31 mounted on stud 21, and centrifugal pawl 34 pivotally mounted on lock pawl 35.

The lock pawl 35 engages teeth 38 on the outside of rearwardly extending ring 38 on the drum 28 to prevent unwinding of the retrieving spring. It has pivoted to it centrifugal pawl 34. Centrifugal pawl 34 which is held in its inner position by centrifugal pawl spring 39 is adapted when the intermediate is rotated rapidly to fly out and engage a tooth 4 in the wall of recess 3 of back member I and push lock pawl 35 out of engagement with a tooth 38 on the drum and into engagement with a tooth 4 in the wall of recess 3.

Bell crank 36 has an arm 4! which is adapted to turn into position to come behind a tooth 38 of the drum when the bell crank is moved by the engagement of the lug 43 on the controller ratchet 42 with the arm 4!] of the bell crank. This contact of arm 4! with the back of tooth 38 is for the purpose of stopping or limiting the winding of the retrieving spring.

42 indicates a ratchet wheel which I term the controller ratchet. It has the same number of teeth as the number of teeth 38 on the ring 38 It is rotatably mounted on the hub 59 between the web 29 of the drum and the central front face of the intermediate. The hub 59 is larger than central bearing in the web 29 and provides a shoulder for the web 29 to bear against. The controller ratchet is operated by the controller 44, which is a flat curved spring having a curled end driven into the hole 45 in one of the teeth 38 of the drum. The controller is of such width that its front side extending through the opening 29 of the web 29 rests upon the outer coil of the retrieving spring and its rear edge extends into the plane of the controller ratchet. The free end of the controller presses elastically against the outer coil of the retrieving spring so that as the spring unwinds to turn the drum clockwise and wind in the rope and pull the trolley down its coil enlarges and the controller is carried out of range of the teeth of the controller ratchet, but before the controller has passed out of reach of the ratchet teeth its engagement with the back of a tooth will turn the controller ratchet clockwise carrying the lug 43 away from the bell crank arm 40 and around until the lug 43 encounters the stop lug 48 on the intermediate. After the lug 43 has engaged the stop lug 48 the controller may snap over several teeth before being carried out of range of the ratchet, for spiral springs like the retrieving spring do not unwind in the exact reverse order in which they wind up; in winding up for several turns the fiexure takes place in the inner coils before the outer coils begin to move, and in unwinding the inner coils also flex first.

When the retrieving spring is wound up by turning the drum anti-clockwise a predetermined amount the controller will engage and turn the ratchet until the lug 43 passes from its position against the stop lug 48 around to engagement with arm 40 of the bell crank and then turn the bell crank on its stud 26 until arm 4| comes in the path of a tooth 38 on the drum, and thus positively stop further winding of the retrieving spring. The lock pawl will then drop into engagement with another tooth 38 on the drum and prevent the spring from unwinding. The turning of the ratchet through a substantial angle after the controller first engages it but before lug 43 engages the arm 4! of the bell crank insures a secure engagement.

The set pawl 31 mounted on the stud 21 of the intermediate has attached to it the set pawl spring 46. One end of the spring has a right angled bend which passes through a hole in the pawl whence it leads around the hub of the pawl and passes through a hole in the lug 60' at the end of arm 4| of the bell crank. The lug 60 on the set pawl is adapted to contact the bell crank at a greater radial distance from the center of stud 21 than from the contact of the spring 46 with the lug 60 of the bell crank. The spring 46 tends to press the set pawl and bell crank together and when they are in contact to turn them outwardly to cause the set pawl to engage the teeth 4 of the back, and the bell crank to clear the teeth 38 of the drum, as seen in Fig. 2,'and at the completion of the winding of the retrieving spring it permits the bell crank to be turned by the controller to engage a tooth 38 to stop the drum while the set pawl is still in engagement with a tooth 4 of the back. After the drum has been stopped a slight pull down on the trolley rope will release the pressure on the set pawl and it will drop down to the bell crank where its end will be clear of the teeth 4 of the back.

The shaft l8 has a central hole drilled from its front end back to the chamber 6! in the intermediate and an oiling device such as the well known Zerk fitting is inserted in its front end, by means of which oil for the various bearings may be supplied. r 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: I

1. In a trolley retriever, a casing adapted to be attached at one side to a vehicle, a shaft extending laterally within said casing, an interme diate mounted on said shaft, a drum mounted on said intermediate, a rope connected to said drum and adapted to be wound thereon, a re trieving spring connected between said intermediate and drum, said retrieving spring being mounted within and being substantially as wide I as said drum, automatic means adapted to render said retrieving spring effective upon abnormal movement of said rope, said means including a ratchet mounted on said intermediate, a tension spring connected betweensaidcasing and drum, of less diameter than said drum and mounted on the side of said drum opposite said attaching side of the casing, said casing being of substantially smooth rounded contour and substantially housing the above mentioned elements.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, including a ring on said drum provided with peripheral teeth, a controller having one end secured to the drum and having its free end bearing against the outer coil of the retrieving spring, a controller ratchet having teeth equal in number to the teeth in said ring on said drum rotatably mounted on the intermediate having a laterally projecting lug adapted to be engaged and turned by said controller during the winding of said retrieving spring.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, including a ring on said drum provided with peripheral teeth, a controller having one end secured to the drum and having its free end bearing against the outer coil of the retrieving spring, a controller ratchet having teeth equal in number to the teeth in said ring on said drum rotatably mounted on the intermediate having a laterally projecting lug adapted to be engaged and turned by said controller during the winding of said retrieving spring, means for stopping the rotation of the drum operated by said lug comprising a bell crank having one arm in the path of movement of the lug on the controller ratchet and having its other arm adapted to engage a tooth on the ring of the drum, said teeth of said controller ratchet being so constructed and arranged that the engagement of the teeth during the unwinding of the retrieving spring shall carry said ratchet away from its engaging position with said bell crank to a fixed angular position ratchet will turn through a substantial anglebefore the lug on said ratchet engages the arm of said bell crank lever.

- CHARLES I. EARLL.

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