US441764A - Trolley-covering for electric railways - Google Patents

Description

No. 441,764. Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES ATENT fFFicE.

HIRAM JONES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TROLLEY -COVERING FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,764, dated December 2, 1890. Application filed september 13, 1390. Serial No. 364,894. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IIIRAM JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in 'lrolley-Coverings for Electric Railways; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing my trolley-covering in section.

Heretofore in electric-railway constructions, and especially where a ground or underground trolley is employed, great difficulty has been experienced in preventing rain, snow, or ice from accumulating upon the trolley, thereby at this point of accumulation interrupting the circuit through the motor. So, also, even where fairly protected, difficulty has been experieneed,clue to water collecting about the trolley-rail, whereby the circuit has been grounded. Again, where ground trolley-rails have been employed, they have been a source of great danger to persons and animals coming into contact with them.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a covering for a trolley-rail, and a trolley adapted to operate in connection with the rail without disturbing the said covering, the covering serving simultaneously to shield the rail from snow or rain, and likewise to preserve dry the timbers or other supports upon which the trolley-rail is laid.

My invention is designed for all kinds of trolley-rails where they are subjected to the foregoing difficulties, but is more particularly designed for use in connection with elevated electric railways, or railways in which the trolley-rail is laid above the usual cross-ties.

To this end A represents the usual crossties of a railway. B may, in the ease of an elevated railway, represent longitudinal girders.

C represents the trolley-rail, which maybe laid upon the ties direct, but which I prefer to lay upon an independent longitudinal girder D, in order that it may be raised above the level of the ties, and for the further reason that it affords a much better insulation for the rails. So, also, instead of laying the rail upon a longitudinal girder, it might be located on blocks D, located at intervals upon. the ties. Both forms are shown in Fig. 1, and both accomplish the same purpose of supporting a rail clear from the ties and affording means for thoroughly insulating it.

E represents my trolley-covering, lt consists of frames or supports E, having imperforate top and side walls, and located at in tervals along the rail and fastened to the girders or blocks D or D. To these supports is connected the shield, of any suitable material, preferably sheet metal, formed in the manner substantially as shown, to cover the top of the rail and to comewell down upon both sides of the same to thoroughly shield it from Water, snow, ice, &c., and forming, also, a perfect prevention against contact with falling telegraph, telephone, or other wires, as well as a safeguard against persons or animals coming into contact with the said electric circuit. This trolley-covering E may be made, if desired, in sections, so that one section will slip past the adjacent section, as shown at e, thus greatly facilitating the construction of the work and readiness with which repairs may be made, since the removal of any section is readily accomplished and access had at that point to the trolley-rail.

The trolley-support may be of any usual character. No special support is shown in the drawings.

F represents a suitable sup port of this character. It is curved at f so as to reach in beneath the covering E, and is then carried up,

as shown at f, and provided with the usual trolley-wheel f By so constructing it the wheel can be maintained in contact with the trolley-rail without coming into contact with the covering.

C represents any suitable insulating material, Which may or may not be employed between the rail and the girder or blocks D D. If said blocks or girder are of dry wood, such an insulation might not be required; but if required I would locate the same as shown,

and I would also provide sections of rubber hose or equivalent washers of rubber, vitreous fiber, or other insulating material, as shown at C through which the track-spikes or retaining-bolts might be passed and insulated from the rail.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination, in an electric railway, of an electrical-conducting rail located above the ties for the travel of a trolley-wheel, and a shield having imperforate top and side walls and supported over and continuously covering the rail, said side walls extending down past the rail at opposite sides thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail located above the ties and preferably between the tracks, and a trolley-covering consisting of sections E, of sheet metal or equivalent, said sections lapping past each other at e and having imperforate top and side walls, the said side walls depending past the rail at opposite sides thereof, substantially as and for the purposes de scribed.

3. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail located above the ties and preferably between the tracks, a cover E, of sheet metal or equivalent, extending over the said rail and having its side walls depending past the rail at opposite sides thereof, and a trolley F, curved at f to pass beneath the edge of the cover and provided with an upwardly-projecting supporting-arm f, and a trolley-wheel or contact resting upon the rail beneath the cover, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail located above the ties and preferably between the tracks, a supporting medium on the ties for sustaining the rail D D, and a covering E, supported at intervals and having imperforate top and side walls, said side walls depending past the rail at opposite sides thereof,substantially as described.

5. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail located above the ties IIIRAM JONES. lVitnesses:

M. A. REEvn, W. W. Lnocn'rr.

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