US338080A - Waltbe h - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. H. KNIGHT.

ELEOTRIG RAILWAY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

WITNESSES A Horn 6%) N. PETERS, Pnowulho m nur. Washington, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VALIER H. KNIGHT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,080, dated March 16, 1885.

Application filed Jnly]0,1885. Serial No. 171,186. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ALTER H. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, N. Y., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Rail ways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in certain devices by means of which an electric locomotive may be turned from a main lineinto either one of two branches.

The invention pertains to that class of electric railways in which one or both of the main conductors are inclosed in a slotted conduit.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 rep resents a plan of a road at the point of branching; and Fig. 2 representsasection ofthe roadway, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, A B are the two main conductors, and are shown in dotted lines, as they are supposed to be inclosed in the conduitiu the usual manner, the slot of the conduit being represented by S. A B are the corresponding main conductors in one branch, and A B" are the corresponding main conductors in the other branch. At the meeting-point of the conductors B and A is pivoted a conductor switching-point G. This conductor-point is electrically independent of any of the main conductors; but it is adapted to be turned in one direction or the other, so as to form a continuation of either of the branch conductors B and A", and leading from said branch conductor to its corresponding main conductor. In Fig. 1 this point is shown turned to the position whereit forms a continuation of A and leads to the corresponding main conductor A. Two conductors are adapted to extend through the slot of the conduit and terminate in two contact shoes or brushes which rest against the positive and negative conductors,respectively. A device of this character is well known, one such being shown in a patent granted to me September 23, 1884, and numbered 305,731. In Fig. 1 these two contact-shoes are represented by m m, and the two conductors extending through the slot and protected by a plow, as describedin my said patent, are shown in section. As this contact device moves in the direction of the arrow 70, it will be seen that the two contact-shoes will be guided by the conductor switch-point Oalong the branch conductors A B", and the plow will be pressed over so as to follow the contact-shoes, and will enter the slot of the corresponding branch. By means of this arrangement I am enabled to do away with any switching-point upon the slot, relying entirely for guidance of the contact device upon the conductor switching-point C. In order that this conductor-point may be readily turned from one side to the other, I make a connection between it and the trackswitching point 0, so that they may be moved simultaneously, and the plow never be turned into one branch while the vehicle is turned onto the other branch, as might occur if the two points were not connected together.

The arrangement for moving the points is shown in Fig. 2. A and B are the main conductors supported from the side walls of the conduit in the manner described in my said patent. G is the switching-point, F being the supporting insulating-block, andf and f being the two conducting parts of the point. M is a bar connecting the two points. It isbent down so as to not interfere with the contactshoes in their passage from the maininto either branch conduit. N is a connecting-rod pivoted to M at one end, and at the other end pivoted to lever L. This lever L is pivoted at the point P, and is adapted to be turned from one side to the other, and thereby throw the two points into the desired position.

The points and the lever are shown in Fig. 2 in their middle position. In Fig. 1 they are shown thrown to one side, so as to direct the vehicle and the plow into the lower branch. \Vhen in its extreme position, thelever L lies horizontally and flush with the surface of the roadway.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, in an electric railway, of a branching slotted conduit having the edges of the slot fixed at the branching-point, an electric conductor in the main and in each branch conduit, a contact device extending into the conduit and adapted to move along said conductors, and a movable conductor-section in said conduit at the branching-point for guiding said contact device.

2. The combination, in an electric railway,of a branching slotted conduithaving the edges of the slot fixed at the branching-point, an electric conductor in the main and in each branch conduit, a contact device extending into the conduit and adapted to slide along said conductors, a movable conductor-section at the branchingpoint for guiding said contact device, and means for actuating said section from without the conduit.

3. The combination, in an electric railway,

of a branching slotted conduit having the edges of the slot fixed at the branching-point, an electric conductor in the main and in each branch conduit, a contact device extending into the conduit and adapted to slide along said conductors, a movable conductor-section at the branching-point, a movable switching trackrail, and connection between saidtrack-rail and said conductor-section whereby they may be moved together.

4. The combination, in a branching electric railway, of two conductors on the main and on each branch railway, and a single movable 2o conductor-section at the point of branching. 5. .The combination, in an electric railway,

of a main and branch track, an electric con-- doctor in the main and in each branch, and a;

movable conductor-section at the place of 25 branching pivoted at the. branches.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 30th day of June, 1885.

WALTER H; KNIGHT.

point between the WVitnesses: v

G. RENAULT, HERBERT KNIGHT.

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