US2362082A - Trolley ear - Google Patents

Description

NQV. '7, 1944. i s, s, MATTHEs 2,362,082

TROLLEY EAR Filed May 29, 1943 I, I D U Q 0 51k 9: E 0) O E. O "o\ 0 O,

O \l O O (D 0 C) W 0 1" \O I Snnentor SAMUEL s. MATTHES (Ittorneg Patented Nov. 7, 1944 STATES PATENT orm .Samuel syMatthes, ,Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Thefflhio Brass Company, "Mansfield, Ohio, a. corporation ofNew Jersey Application Mayize, 1943, Serial No.2489,248

eelsims.

Myinventi'on relates-to devices? for supporting conductors and more commonly referred "to as 'trelley ears,

My invention is an improvement" upon :my'-pre vious trolley -ear described: and illustrated in Patent" 25027.,604' issuedJanuary 1936.

Onepbjedthfmyinverition is t'o provide an carer-two parts one of whioh is .of cast metal; and in which the two parts are securely interlockedan'd capable of withstanding thes'tresses thereon, in service-especially strains due to the side pull of the *troller wire and the wear upon thedips.

lmotl'ler*cibziectof my invention is to provide an ear in which "the wire holder m'body for the trolleyw ire may be of different metal from that cr me support "for the holder, and which *maybe prlziduced "economically and which is practical to construct.

In the past the great majority of trolley ears have been entirely of castmetal'in one piece.

These'have and are giving general satisfaotionbut "there are conditions under which such an ear does not give maximum performance, and it "has been 'found that by making the wire holder or 'a diiferent "metal from that of the support, improved resultar'esecure'd. Trolley earshave been made in the past of two different metals, as for instancathe wireholde'r of rolled or drawn sheet metal, "such as copper and the support of a steel. Various metals in sheet form are procurable and are easily formed to various shapes, by ineans offorming dies. While such dies-are initially'expensive, their life is usually great and the-costissoon absorbed in quantity production,

thus producing a relatively economical product andmuch-more uniform than by casting.

I find that the support may behast from a considerably cheaper ialloy when the wire holder is termed from 'sheet metal and secured to'the holder'of sheet metal than whenthe entire ear is cast in one piece "because in the latter -case it is necessary "to use "an alloy which is first'suitable for the hofider and this requires a-more expensiveralloy thannecessa-ry for the support. ear in which both parts-are cast'and one part cast ontdthe dther' isdisclosed inPaterit'1,51-6,8'64 issue'dNovemberQd 1924.

tThe-holders-is :so cconstructed that the support may ::be attached "thereto by casting at" the time the support is cast. i hls produces a secureinterlock ibetween-the wire'holderand'supportpart, especially with properaconstruction Of'tthfihflldfil'.

My invention will be best understood from the following drawing, and the description .thereof, both forming parts :of this application.

In the drawing:

Fig. I .is :a side view' in partial "section of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of Fig.1.

Fig. '3 is an enlarged'rsection on "line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a topview of the'wire holder-portion of Fig. :1 after :forming but before assembling.

Fig. S5 is :a side yiew or the holder of Fig. '1 after .forming butfbefore:assembling.

Fig. .6 is an enlarged zsection =.on the line 8-4 of .Figiiwithaatroller wire dottedin.

Iiirst produce therunner I from sheetmetal and cut "to the proper's'ize to:fitthe-tro'llerwire for which the eerie intended. I :then "drill'the several :holes 2 but which may be produced .by stamping in which case they may be square, oblongzorof other suitable shape.

I'then formybyzsuita'ble dies, the drilled-sheet into ;a .U shaped member having a channel or groove'3 :of proper-size :and shape mm the trolley wire. The dependingrsides or lips Mare adapted to be peened about the wireto hold it inplace.

At the time of forming the metal :sheet and producing the channel :3 gI=;form an up -'struck-portionor elongated portion 5 which forms a second groove'B-epening-into the channel :3with which the "openings :2 communicate.

"The ends of the holder or :body, for a limited distance back from the ends thereof .are formed withpa bight connecting the flips, the :eurvature "of the hight :made to conform to and lit the vtrolley When a '"trolley wire is placed in the-groove "3 of the holder just after forming, the groove '6 forms a receptaelewith the openings '2.

The support 1 for thef'ho'lder is of cast metal and cast to'the-ho'lder at the same'time'thessupport is cast. operation is -.preierably done in dies, the process being knownas'die-casting.

The wire holder as shown inFigs. '2 -and"3 is placed in a proper recess :in *the die and a 'core shape'd' 'to 'theslot3 is inserted in the slot. This provides the receptacle formed by the groove i referre'd'to above.

The openings 2 communicate with the groove 6 and with a recess in the casting die which conforms to the desired shape 'oi" the support =1 Molten metal "isnow forced "into thedle under pressure, .filling the-cavity "for the support l and 7 also flowing through the openings 2 and into the receptacle formed by the groove 6.

When the device is removed from the castin die, it will be found that the two parts I and I are securely interlocked and particularly against sid strain of the trolley wire at curves.

The elongated groove 6 is filled with the cast metal which forms a continuous bar 8 and the cast metal in the openings 2 is integrally united to the portion 8 and to the support I and this construction forms an unusually strong interlock, and any stresses in service are uniformly distributed along the ears.

The inner surface of the portion 8 conforms to the curvature of the trolley wire and offers a backing therefor against upward pressure from a passing current collector.

The boss 9 is usually threaded 'to receiv a hanger support.

After the ear is received from the casting die, the ends of the lips 4 are tapered to ease and make smooth the passage of the current collector onto and oif the ear.

The wire holder may be formed by casting, but

I prefer to make it of drawn or rolled sheet metal.

the body between said bights being raised with respect to the said limited portions whereby the inher surface of said raised portion is spaced from a longitudinal plane coinciding with the inner surface of said bights whereby a continuous channel is formed within said body by said raised portion, a plurality of openings extending through the body along the said raised portion and communicating with the said channel, the openings being of less width than that of the channel opening and a metal support secured to said raised portion by casting the support along the outer surface of said raised portion and throughout the entire length of said channel and integrally united.

by cast metal extending through said openings.

2. A conductor support comprising an elongated metal body having spaced lips forming a two-part groove with one part to receive atrolley Wire and connected at each end by a bight, the bights for a limited distance from each end of the body conforming in shape and size to the trolley Wire, the portion of the body between said limited portions being raised with respect to the said bights whereby the other part of said groove is formed with the inner surface of said raised portion spaced from a plane coinciding with the inner surface of said bights, the said other part comprising an elongated channel within said body, a plurality of openings extending through the body along the said raised portion and communicating with the said channel and a metal support secured to said raised portion by casting the support along the outer surface of said raised portion and throughout the entire length of said longitudinal channel within said body and through said openings, the exposed surface of said cast metal within the channel corresponding in size and curvature to that of the trolley wire. 3. A trolley wire support comprising, in combination, an inverted U shaped body having spaced lips and so shaped as to form a groove therebetween having two parallel portions, one portion to receive a trolley wire, the end of said lips connected by bights, each bight having a surface conforming to the curvature of thetrolley wire, the other portion of said groove extending between the inner ends of the bights and forming a single, continuous longitudinal channel opening into the said one portion of the groove, openings extending through the metal forming the wall of the channel and communicating with the channel, a metal support interlocked with the portion of the body forming the said other part of the groove by casting along the outer surface of said body portion and by filling said channel with said cast metal thereby forming a continuous bar and filling said openings with cast metal whereby said external portion of said support is integrally connected to said continuous bar in said channel.

4. A trolley wire device comprising, in combination, an inverted U shaped body having spaced lips forming a groove therebetween to receive a trolley wire, the ends of said lips connected by bights, each bight having a surface conforming to the curvature of the trolley wire surface, the body portion between the bights upthrust to form a longitudinal channel within the U shaped body and closed at its ends by the said bights and opening into its groove throughout the length, openings through the raised wall of the channel, cast -metal filling the channel throughout its length and forming a support for the body portion, cast metal forming a support for the cast metal support within the channel extending alon the exterior surface of the wall forming the channel and provided with means to attach the device to a support, and cast metal extending through the openings and integralwith the aforesaid cast metal portions whereby the portions are secured to the body.

5. A trolley wire device comprising, in combination, a body member formed from sheet metal and having a pair of spaced bendable lips forming a two part groove, one part extending for the entire length of the body to receive a trolley wire, 'the lips connected at each end by a bight of limited length along the body and conforming to the curvature of the wire, the other part of the groove extending between the inner ends of the bights and opening throughout its length into the said one part of the groove, openings through the wall of the said other part of the groove, a support member for said body interlocked thereto by casting the same with said body to extend along the outer surface of the wall of said second part of the groove and to fill said openings and said second part of the groove whereby the body member is supported by the metal in said second part of the groove which in turn i supported by the exterior portion of the support through the medium of the portions in said openings.

6. A conductor supporting device comprising a conductor holder provided with a two part longi tudinal groove, one part larger than the other part to receive and hold the conductor and means extending through the wall of the holder forming the said other part of the groove, a support member cast with a portion extending along the '7. In combination, a trolley wire, a conductor holder positioned on said wire, the holder provided with lips bent onto the Wire and having upthrust means forming grooved means within the holder disposed along the trolley wire for substantially the entire length of the holder, openings through the Wall of said up-thrust means and opening into said grooved means, a support for said holder formed of cast metal and attached to aid holder by casting said metal along the outer surface of said up-thrust portion, through said openings and within said grooved means, the, metal in said grooved means forming supporting means for said holder and a backing for said trolley wire against the up-thrust of a passing current collector.

8. A conductor supporting device comprising, in combination, a holder provided with a longitudinal channel to receive and hold a trolley wire, auxiliary channel means within the holder and disposed along the holder, cast metal positioned within the said auxiliary channel means to support the holder, a support for the said metal in the channel means within the holder formed of cast metal extending along the outer wall of said holder, openings through the wall of said holder, and cast metal filling said openings and integrally uniting to the aforesaid cast metal parts whereby the cast metal in the channel means is interlocked to the holder.

9. A conductor holder for a conductor support comprising, in combination, an elongated body of sheet metal formed into a channel having a U shaped groove to receive a trolley wire of extended length, the depending sides of the channel forming lips bendable about the wire, the lips for a distance extending back from the ends thereof being connected by a bight shaped and sized to the trolley wire, a second groove paralleling the first groove and extending between the inner end of the bights, the second groove opening for its entire length into the first groove and openings extending through the wall of the body into the said second groove.

SAMUEL S. MAT'I'HES.

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