US398498A - Conductor for electric railways - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. DAHL.

CONDUCTOR FOR BL'EOTRIG RAILWAYS.

Patented Feb. 26, 18 89.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. DAHL.

001111110103 FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 398,498.. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

4F w: 'A

I i I 5 l ZVZneJ eJ I W fizwrdar.

. By 7w at? fww s W 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

0. DAHL.

CONDUCTOR FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

No. 398,498. Patented Feb. 2 1889.

l I I w. Pzrzns Photo-Lithograph". Wauhingian, n.0,

lUNlTFD States PATENT @FPIQEQ OLOF DAllL, OF BROOKLYN, NFAV YORK.

CONDUCTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,498, dated February 26, 1889. Application filed November 22, 1888. Serial No. 291,5L3. (N0 model.)

1.0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, OLOF DAHL, a subject of the Kin g of Sweden, and a resident of brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conductors for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to conductors for electric railways, the objectbeing to provide a construction whereby all leakage of the current is prevented and the danger of shocking persons is obviated.

The invention consists, generally, of a con tinuous metallic conductor thoroughly insulated and embedded in the conduit or road-bed, in combination with asectional conductor which is exposed within the conduit. sections of the latter conductor are placed in electrical connection with the main or continuous conductor by the weight of the vehicle or the current-collector The particular point of novelty lies in the means employed for accomplishing this connection between the main and sectional conductors.

The details of the construction willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in wl1ich-- Figure 1 represents a cross-section of a tional conductor-will have the tendency to road-bed and conduit; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of same; Fig. 3, a plan showing the manner of mounting the sectional conductor; Figs. it and 5, sections taken at right angles to each other of the mechanism connecting the main and sectional conductors; and Figs.

(5 and 7 are similar views of modifications of Q with said posts.

the same device.

The main or continuous comluctor is repre sented by A. It is preferably in the form of a fiat strip of metal, and is properlyinsulated and embedded in a base -board, B, placed within the conduit. At intervalsthroughout the length of the continuous conductor there are provided studs or posts 0, which are securedin the conductor A, as shown in Figs. 5 and '7. This form of connection, however, may be modified at the discretion of the builder. These posts project upward into the conduit and carry sleeves c of insulating material, preferably glass or hard rubber. These sleeves are screwthreaded externally, and

VJlle posts l; project.

connected thereto.

have fitted onto them other sleeves, 0', also of insulating material. Before the sleeves c are adjusted, l1owcver, a collar or nut, is placed upon the sleeves c and rests against a' flange formed upon the upper end of the sleeves c. The construction is such that the posts extend a slight distance above the sleeves c, and the said sleeves rest upon shoulders formed at the lower end of the said posts, as shown Between the collar 0 and sleeves 0 there is gripped a spring-plate, D. This plate is preferably circular and corrugated in the man.- ner shown, and forms the bottom of a dishshaped body, D, the plate D being riveted or otherwise sccurel y fastened to the lower edge of the part D. This construction forms an air and water tight space, E, into which the The part I) is metallic, and is provided with a disk of copper, (Z, within the chamber E, which. is adapted to come into contact with a similar copper disk upon the heads of the posts in order to insure good electrical contact. The parts D are bolted or otherwise secured to the sections G of the sectional conductor. My idea is to connect one of these devices with each section, although of course two or more may be connected with each of the sections.

It is obvious that a weight upon this secforce the conductor and the part I) downward and into contact with the heads of the posts 13, thus closing the electric circuit through that section of the conductor. When the weight is removed, the spring D acts to throw the section upward and out of cont-act The sectional conductors are preferably made rectangular in cross section and smaller at the forward end than at the rear end. This will be seen 011 reference to Fig. 2. If this construction were not provided, the current-collector might strike the ends of the sections and be impeded in its movement. Furthermore, the sections are gradually dc pressed instead of being suddenly driven down, and during this entire gradual. depres sion the circuit through the collector is maintained closed.

The thrust or blow delivered by the sections when they are driven downward is received upon the shoulder at the lower end of the IOC posts, thus making it practic'z'illy impossible to wear out the parts.

The chamber E being both air and water tight, the liability of leakage by reason or moisture is reduced to the minimum. In fact, the whole conduit may become filled with water without losing any part of the current.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the construction is modified for the purpose of providing a different "form of insulation for the posts B. In this case the insulation of the main conductor is extended up and surrounds the posts, while the sleeves upon the same may be made of metal. This construction, however, is not so strong and durable as the one previously described, because in this instance the thrust from the sectional conductors is resisted wholly by the screw-threads on the sleeves, which may in time give out. The first- (le scribed construction is the preferred form.

The operation of the device is obvious. hen the current-collector upon the vehicle strikes a section of the sectional conductor, it drives said section downward, allowing the current to flow from the main conductor through the section and to the motor on the vehicle. When the vehicle has passed on to the next section, the first section operated rises out of contact with its post, and therefore gets none of the current.

It is observed that this construction is very simple and cheap, is not liable to get out of order,'and the road may be repaired with the greatest facility. The parts are only screwed together and may be quickly removed. To repair any part of the conduit, it is only necessary to tear up a small area of the street.

I may also fill the space E with a gassay nitrogenwhich will not corrode the contacts, and then if the chamber is not perfectly airtight it will make no material difference.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In an electric-railway system, a main continuous insulated conductor provided at intervals with posts cl ectrically and rigidly connected thereto, the heads of the posts being inclosed by air and water tight chambers hav ing flexible walls, all in combination with a sectional conductor, the sections of which are movable and rigidly and electrically connected with the walls of said chamber, whereby a weight upon the sectional conductor will establish electrical connection between the main and sectional conductor, as described.

In an electric railway, a continuous elec trical conductor, in combination with a sectional conductor whose sections are movable with respect to each other, the ends of the sections lapping each other and lying side by side, one of each adjacent pair of ends being beveled gradually toward its extremity, so that its contact side at the extreme end will normally be below the contact side of the adjacent lapping end, whereby when the current-collector passes from one section to another it will not be impeded and the flow of current to the collector will not be stopped.

. In witness whereof I have hereunto signed myname in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

()LOF DAHL.

\Vitnesses:

WM. A. ROSENBAUM, C. J. l\lELLIN.

Images