US388538A - Traveler or trolley - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet -1.

(No Model.) .8

- L. DAFT.

TRAVELER 0R TROLLEY.

No. 388,538. Patented'Aug. 28, 1888.

II II/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ TRAVELER 0R TROLLEY.

Patented Augzs, 1888;

1 \V WV 7 0 lump-fur UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO DAFT, OF PLAINFIELD, NEWV J ERSESC TRAVELER OR TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,538, dated August 28, 1888.

Application filed January 1887. Serial No. 223,361. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO DAFT, .a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Plaintield, Union county, New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Travelers or Trolleys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a traveler or trolley designed to receive the electrical impulse from a conductor or conductors, generally an overhead conductor, and to properly transmit said impulse to a motor upon the track.

A trolley embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an end View, half in cross-section,illustrating the improved trolley. Fig. 2 is a plan of the trolley, part in cross-section. Fig. 3 is a side elcvation,in part scction,of the trolley.

The frame A of the trolley consists, preferably, of two parts flexibly or jointedly connected-for instance, of two downwardly curved plates, 2 2-each riveted to an intervening stilt spring-blade, 3, and attached to and supporting at its outer end a block, 4, of insulating material-ms, for instance, a block of hard rubber, vuleanite, or other equivalent material OfCOllllJOSltlOl1-LIld to this block are connected the laterally-extending rods or bolts constituting the journals 5 5 of the deeply grooved wheels 6 6, which rest upon the parallel conductors 7.

As the parallel conductors may not always be exactly in line with each other,lavoid friction and binding upon the wheels by making the journals 5 of such length that the wheels can play laterally thereon to accommodate themselves to theirregularities of the conducting-track, and in order to hang the center of gravity of the trolley or traveler as low as possible Iextend the central port-ion of the frame Adownward below the track, as shown, and hang thereto, preferably to one of the plates 2 by means of a pivot,a hollow shield or tube, B, through which extend the flexible conductors 0: ac.

In order to secureastrong attachment of the journals to the non-conducting blocks 4:, I provide each of the latter with two circular side bosses, -9 9, each threaded externally to receive a threaded cap, 10, .through which into a threaded socket in the block extends the screw end of one of the journal-pins, a head at the outer end of said pin limiting the lateral play of the wheel 6 thereon.

To properly lubricate the wheels, I make each of thejournal-pins hollow or with a central channel, 15, provided with lateral outlets e e, occupying a position within the hub 16 of the wheel, which may have a suitable lining,

. 17,and with aninlet-opening,t,below the dripopening of an oilcup, 18, supported by and above the screw-cap 10,as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. By this means a constant supply ofoil is caused to flow to the journal of each wheel. The presence of the lubricant upon the journal has been found to interfere with the free conduction of electricity from the conductingrails to the wheels, frame, andconductorsxm. I therefore provide for a connection between the said conductors and the outer surface of each wheel by means. of contaetpieces hear ing against some portions of the wheels, and electrical connections between said contactpieces and the conductors. For instance,each conductor a: is connected to a binding-post,19, secured to the under side of one of the caps 10, and each of the latter is provided with cars 20, between which are pivoted one or more contact-levers,2l, the outer end of each lever hearing against the hub of the adjacent wheel,and a spring, 22, upon a screw-pin, 23, extending into the cap 10, bears against each contactlever, and by turning the said screw-pin any desired tension is put upon the spring. insure a perfect metallic contact with the wheels when they are in rapid rotation and a passage for the current independent of the axle or journal. It will be evident that the contact-pieces may bear against the sides or ends of the wheels, and instead of being pivoted levers or arms they may consist of springbladcs.

Ithus I have before referred to the fact that the 5 of the central flexible connection shown, one

pair of wheels may be mounted upon a truck constituting a part of the frame and pivotally connected to the other part. In each case each pair of wheels is maintained with the axle sub- 5 stantially at rightanglesto theline ofthetrack.

I have referred to the trolley as having two pairs of wheels; but my improvements may be embodied in a trolley having asingle wheel at each end, so as to run upon a single conducting-wire, the pendentportion of the frame A balancing the wheels, so as to maintain the upright position of the trolley.

The frame and insulating-blocks maybe differently constructed from the forms shown in 1 the drawings without departing from the main features of my invention.

Vithont limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim 1. The eombinatiomwith two substantiallyparallel electric conductors, of grooved eollecting-wheels adapted to travel in contact with said conductors and carried by a frame provided with laterally-extending journals,

upon which said wheels are mounted to have a lateral sliding as well as a rotary motion thereon, substantially as described.

2. An overhead trolley consisting of the frame A, composed of two parts supported by grooved wheels, and having plates 2, projecting downward from said parts and toward each other, and a flexible eonnectingplate, 3, be tween the plates 2, substantially as described.

3. An overhead trolley having a frame, A, eomposedof two parts supported by wheels, and having plates 2 projecting downward from said parts and toward each other, and the flexible spring eonnectingplate 3 between the plates 2, in combination with a hollow shield, LB, pivotally hung from one of said plates 2, and the conductor passingthrough the shield, substantially as described.

4. A trolley provided with a frame support ing an insnlatingblock at each end, journalpins extending from each block and support- 4} ing wheels, and conductors supported by the frame in electrical connection with the wheels, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the insulated blocks and journals of the frame, of wheels 5c turning on the journals, and pivoted contaetpieces bearing upon the wheels and electrically" connected with conductors supported by the frame, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the insulated journals, wheels, pivoted contact pieces, and springs and adjusting devices, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihavesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- 6c scribing witnesses.

LEO DAFT.

\Vi tnesses:

JoI-rN N. BRUNs, FRED H. REED.

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