US2229883A - Switching means for trolley conductors - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1941. CRANE 2,229,883

SWITCHING MEANS FOR TROLLEY CONDUCTORS Filed 001;. 15, 1940 Z kll vemr 55i'1-the right as viewed -in'=Fig.-- 1 and-is directed 23 by conductor 25.

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNIv SfiiY'ES TENT OFFICE EWITCl-HN G MEANS FOR TROLLEY CONDUCTORS i Application October 15, 1940, Serial No. 361,244

Claims.

This invention relates to trolley conductor switches and particularly to switches for trolley coachlines where current is supplied to the trolley coaches from two overhead parallel lines.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for automatically operating the trolley switches from the position of the current collectorson the trolley lines due to the position of the trolley bus relative to the lines.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description.

The invention is exemplified by the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. i l is a, diagrammatic plan of main and branch trolley lines provided with an automatic switch embodying one form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing a slightly modified former the invention.

In Fig. 1 ofthe drawing the numerals Ill and H designate a pair of main trolley conductors and the numerals I2 and I3 designate a pair of branch conductors arranged to be connected with the main conductors by switch tongues l4 and I5 pivotally connected to the main conductors at It and il respectively. Any well known suitable form of trolley switch may be used. The switch tongues I4 and it are connected together and constrain to operate in unison by suitable means such as a cross bar It having an armature i9 connected therewith arranged to be operated to shift the tongues i l-and It in opposite directions by solenoids and 2! respectively. The solenoid 2d when energized moves the switch tongues to the full line or straight away position shown in the drawing, while the solenoid 2i when energized moves the switch tongues to the broken line position so as to direct the collectors onto the branch lines l2 and i3. Contactors 22 and 23 are disposed adjacent the trolley conductors ill and II respectively in such position that they are electrically connected to their respective trolley conductors when a collector shoe passes the contactors. The solenoid!!! is connected to the contactor 22 by conductor 24 and to the contactor The solenoid 20 is connected to the contactor 22 through a resistance 26 and conductor 21 and is connected directly to the trolley conductor I I by the conductor 28.

When-a trolley bus approaches the switch from straight through, the collector on the conductor Ii] will strike the contactor 22 before the collector on the conductor ll engages the contactor 23. With the collectors in this position, the contactor 22 will be connected to the conductor Ill and current will flow through the conductor 24, the conductor 27, the resistance 25, the coil 20, and the conductor 28 to the conductor ll, thus energizing the coil 20 and moving theswitch tongues into theirfull line position if they are. not already so positioned. As the coach. continues toward the switch, the collector will move out of engagement with the contactor 22 before the opposite collector engages the contactor 23 and the switch tongues will remain in their full line position and will not be aiiected by engagement of the collector on the conductor H with the contactor '23 because when this occurs the contactor 22 will be disengaged from the conductor l0 and there is no connection for completing. the circuit between the contactor 23 through the coil 2| to the conductor it. It will thus be seen that when the bus approaches the switch in parallel relation with the trolley conductors, the switch tongues will be moved to their straight through position or will remain in this position if they are already so placed and the collectors will be guided straight through the switch. If, however, when the coach approaches the switch it turns to the right so as to follow the branch lines l2 and iii, the leit-hand current collector or the one in contact with the conductor I I will be moved ahead of the righthand current collector due to the angular position of the coach, so that the two collectors will engage the contactors 22 and 23 simultaneously. The collector in engagement with the contactor 22 will complete the circuit through the coil 23 and resistance 26 in the manner previously described, but at the same time the circuit through the coil 2! will also be completed from the contactor 22 through the conductor 24, the coil 2|, the conductor and the contactor 23 to the conductor ll, so that both coils will be simultaneously energized. The coil 29 is in series with the resistance 26, while the coil H has no series resistance and is so designed that when both coils are simultaneously energizedthe magnetic force exerted by the coil 2| on the armature It will overcome the force exerted by the coil 2t and will move the switch tongues to their broken line position. The contactor 23 is made of sul cient length to insure engagement of the collector shoe with this contactor until after the other shoe has left the contactor 22. Since both coils are energized through the conductor 2d from the contactor 22, both coils will be simultaneously deenergized when the collector shoe leaves the contactor 22 and the switch tongues will remain in their broken line position, so that when the collectors reach the switch, they will be directed onto the branch lines 12 and i3. With the arrangement shown no relays or electric switches of any kind are required and the only movable parts are the switch tongues and the operating mechanism connected therewith.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that of Fig. 1 except that each switch tongue is provided with a pair of coils instead of being connected together and having a single pair of coils for operating both switches. The switch tongue [4, for instance, is operated by the coils 2t and 2|, the coil 20' having a resistance 26 in series therewith. The switch tongue [5 is operated by the coils 20 and 2|, the coil 20 being in series with the resistance 26". The operation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is the same as that in Fig. 1 except that the switch tongues are operated each by its own pair of coils instead of being mechanically joined and operated by a single pair of coils.

I claim:

1. The combination with a main trolley conductor line and a branch line, of a switch for connecting said branch line to said main line, electromagnetic means comprising a pair of opposed windings for operating said switch, one of said windings when energized having greater magnetic force than the other, means for energizing the weaker of said windings independently of the stronger to move said switch to one position and means for energizing both of said windings simultaneously to move said switch, to another position.

2. The combination with a main trolley conductor line and a branch line, of a switch for connecting said branch line to said main line, electromagnetic means comprising a pair of opposed windings for operating said switch, means for energizing one of said windings independently of the other to move said switch to one position of adjustment, and means for connecting said windings in parallel relation with each other, one of said windings having greater resistance in series therewith than the other when said windings are so connected so that the winding having the less resistance in series will dominate the winding having the greater resistance and move said switch to another position of adjustment when said windings are simultaneously energized while connected in parallel relation.

3. The combination with a switch having two positions of adjustment, of electromagnetic means for operating said switch, said means comprising a winding for moving said switch to one of its said positions, a second winding arranged to oppose said first named winding, means for energizing said first named winding independently of said second named winding to move said switch to its one position and means for energizing both of said windings simultaneously, said second named winding having suificient magnetic force to overcome said first named winding and to move said switch to its other position of adjustment when said windings are simultaneously energized.

4. The combination with a switch having two positions of adjustment, of electromagnetic means for operating said switch comprising two windings arranged to oppose each other, one of said windings when energized having greater magnetic force than the other, means for energizing the weaker of said windings independently of the stronger to move said switch to one position of adjustment and means for energizing both of said windings simultaneously to move said switch to its other position of adjustment.

5. The combination with a pair of main trolley line conductors and a pair of branch conductors, of switching means for connecting said branch conductors to said main conductors respectively, electromagnetic means for operating said switching means comprising a pair of opposed windings one of which is magnetically stronger when energized than the other, contactors adjacent said main conductors respectively in position to be electrically connected to said conductors by current collectors passing thereover, said contactors being arranged to be engaged at different times or simultaneously by the collectors of a trolley bus depending upon the angular position of said bus relative to said trolley line conductors, and circuits including said contactors for energizing said windings from said trolley line conductors when said contactors are engaged by current collectors, the weaker of said windings being energized independently of the stronger or both of said windings being energized simultaneously depending upon whether said contactors are engaged separately or simultaneously.

6. The combination with a main trolley line conductor and a branch conductor, of a switch for connecting said branch conductor with said main conductor, a contactor arranged adjacent said main conductor in position to be electrically connected with said main conductor when a current collector passes said contactor along said main conductor, electromagnetic means for operating said switch comprising a pair of opposed windings, means connecting one terminal of each of said windings to said contactor, the circuit of one of said windings having greater resistance than the circuit of the other of said windings, means for completing the circuit of the winding having the greater resistance independently of the circuit of the other winding to move said switch in one direction and means for completing the circuits of both of said windings in parallel relation with each other to move said switch in the other direction.

'7. The combination with a pair of main trolley line conductors and a pair of branch conductors, of switching means for connecting said branch conductors to said main conductors respectively, contactors arranged adjacent said main conductors respectively in position to be connected with said main conductors by current collectors passing said contactors along said main conductors, electromagnetic means for operating said switching means, said electromagnetic means comprising a pair of opposed windings, means connecting one terminal of each of said windings to one of said contactors and means connecting the other terminals of said windings to the other contactor and to the conductor adjacent said other contactor respectively, the winding with one terminal connected to the conductor having greater resistance in circuit therewith than the other winding.

8. The combination with a pair of main trolley line conductors and a pair of branch conductors, of switching means for connecting said branch conductors with said main conductors respectively and electromagnetic means for operating said switching means, said electromagnetic means comprising a pair of opposed windings, one of said windings having greater resistance in circuit therewith than the other and-means for energizing said windings simultaneously or one of said windings independently of the other depending upon the position relative to said conductors of a trolley coach having collectors engaging said conductors.

9. The combination with a pair of main trolley line conductors and a pair of branch conductors, of switching means for connecting said branch conductors with said main conductors respectively, a pair of contactors, one adjacent each of said main conductors in position to be connected with its main conductor by one of the current collectors of a trolley coach propelled from said conductors, said contactors being connected to their respective conductors simultaneously or at difierent times depending upon the position of said coach relative to said conductors and electromagnetic means for operating said switching means comprising a pair of opposed windings each having one terminal thereof connected with the same one of said contactors and one winding having the second terminal thereof connected with the other contactor while the other winding has its second terminal connected with the main conductor associated with said last named contactor, said last mentioned winding having greater resistance in circuit therewith than the other winding so that when the contactor connected to both windings is separately connected to its conductor, the winding having the greater resistance in its circuit will be energized independently of the other winding to move said switching means in one direction and when both contactors are simultaneously connected to their respective conductors both of said windings will be energized simultaneously and the one having the less resistance in circuit therewith will overcome the one having the greater resistance and move the switching means in the other direction.

10. Switching means for trolley conductors comprising a pair of opposed electromagnetic windings having one common terminal, means for completing the circuit of one of said windings independently of the other to move said switching means in one direction and means for completing the circuit of said windings in parallel with each other, the circuits thus completed differing in resistance so that when thus connected the Winding having the less resistance in circuit therewith will overcome the other Winding and move said switching means in the opposite direction.

11. The combination with a pair of trolley conductor lines of different potentials of a pair of contactors one adjacent each of said lines in position to be connected with said lines by current collectors passing :thereover, electromagnetic windings, one connected between one of said contactors and the conductor adjacent the other contactor and the other winding connected between said contactors so that when only the contactor connected with both windings is connected to its conductor only one of said windings will be energized and when both contactors are connected simultaneously with their respective conductors both windings will be energized.

1.); The combination with a conductor having a contactor adjacent thereto in position to be connected therewith by a current collector of a trolley coach passing thereover, of a second conductor oi diiierent potential having a contactor adjacent thereto in position to be connected therewith by the other current collector of said coach, switching means for said conductors, and electromagnetic means for operating said switching means comprising a winding connected between said first named contactor and said second named conductor and a second winding connected between said first named contactor and said second named contactor so that when said coach is in a position in which said first named contactor only is connected with its conductor the first named winding only will be energized but when said coach is in a position in which both contactors are connected simultaneously with their respective conductors both windings will be energized.

13. The combination with a conductor having a contactor adjacent thereto in position to be connected therewith by a current collector of a trolley coach passing thereover, of a second conductor of different potential having a contactor adjacent thereto in position to be connected therewith by the other current collector of said coach, switching means for said conductors, and electromagnetic means for operating said switching means comprising a winding connected between said first named contactor and said second named conductor and a second winding connected between said first named contactor and said second named contactor so that when said coach is in a position in which said first named contactor only is connected with its conductor the first named winding only will be energized but when said coach is in a position in which both contactors are connected simultaneously with their respective conductors both windings. will be energized, said windings being opposed to each other and the circuit of the first named winding having more resistance therein than the circuit of the second named winding so that when said windings are simultaneously energized said first named winding will be dominated by the second named winding.

14. The combination with a conductor having a contactor adjacent thereto in position to be connected therewith by the current collector of a trolley coach passing thereover, of a second conductor of different potential having a contactor in position to be connected therewith by the other current collector of said coach, a plurality of electric circuits connected with said first a named contactor, one of said circuits being connected also with said second named contactor, said contactors being disposed relative to each other so that when a trolley coach passes said contactors the current collector will always move out of engagement with said first named contactor prior to disengagement between the other current collector and said second named contactor to insure simultaneous opening of all the circuits connected with said first named contactor.

15. The combination with a trolley line conductor and a contactor adjacent thereto in position to be connected therewith by a current collector of a trolley coach, of a second trolley line conductor of different potential having a contactor in position to be connected therewith by the other current collector of said coach, said contactors being disposed in position to be connected either successively or simultaneously with their conductors as a coach passes thereby depending on the angular position of said coach relative to said conductors, switching means for said conductors, and electromagnetic means for operating said switching means, said electromagnetic means comprising a winding connected between said first named contactor and said second named conductor for moving said switching means in one direction when said first named contactor only is connected with its conductor, a second winding connected between said contactors and opposed to said first winding and having sufiicient magnetic force to dominate said first named winding and move said switching means 10 in the opposite direction when both contactors are simultaneously connected with their respective conductors to energize both windings, said second named contactor extending along its conductor beyond the extreme position of simultaneous contact of both contactors by said current collectors to insure disconnection of said first named contactor from its conductor in advance of disconnection of said second named contactor from its conductor.

ALPHEUS J. CRANE.

Images