US498932A

US498932A - Trolley-stand

Info

Publication number: US498932A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1893-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1910-06-06

Description

(No Model.)

J. R. GRIFFITHS.

,TROLLEY STAND.

No. 498,932. Patented June 6, 1893...

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. GRIFFITHS, `OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TROLLEY-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,932, dated June 6, 1893.

Application tiled July 2, 1892. Serial No. .Ln'tlih'73/l.I (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES R. GRIrFITHs, re-

siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and i State of Illinois, have invented certain new This invention relates to supports for trolley poles for overhead wire electric railways.

The object of the invention is to produce a jointed support for trolley1 poles in which the pole shall be normally held in vertical position, but may swing down if sufficient resistance is offered.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the base of a trolley pole. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section of same. Fig. 3 is a reduced side elevation of the base, showing broken pole attached. Figl is a reduced end eleva` tion of same.

The numeral l indicates the frame or foundation, which is attached to the top of a car. This frame has a tube or casing 2, firmly attached. The tube or casing 2 is slotted along its upper surface, and serves as a housing for the strong spiral spring 3, which is inclosed in the tube. The spiral spring has its ends inclosed in caps or cups 4, by preference, although any abutment at the end of the spring `which gives an end bearing will serve the same purpose. The casing 2 has a screw cap 8 or other perforated abutment at each end. A rack bar 5 extends lengthwise of the casing `2, and has arms 6 turned down at each end, past the center of the spring inclosed in the casing. A set screw 7 passes through each arm and rests against the cup or abutment 4 of the spring. The caps or covers 8 of the casing have open ends, through which the screws 7 and the arms 6 may pass, but not large enough to pass the spring 3. One of the caps 8 may be solid with tube 2, and the other removable for the insertion of the spring into the tube or casing. Set screws 7 may be turned up to give any desirable pressure on the spring, and this pressure will be the initial tension, which must be increased before the spring can be further compressed. The rack bar 5 has teeth 10, which project into engagement with the teeth 11 of a pivoted Segment 12. The segmental geared piece 12 i is supported on a pivot or pintle 13, passing through the axis of the segment and through upright bars 14, which bars are rigidly connected .to the base. The segment 12 has upright extensions or bars 16 above its pivot or pintle, and the trolley pole is indirectly connected to these bars 16.

The casing 2 and spring 3 extend lengthwise of the car, and the trolley poleAis practrically rigid with the bars 16, so far as lengthwise movement is concerned. When pressure is brought on the pole, as by thewire, when the distance from the top of the cardecreases, the upper end of the trolley pole will be swung toward the front or rear of the car, and at thesame-time swung downward. This movement rocks the segment 12 on its .pintle, and the teeth 1l of the segment, engaging teeth 10 of the rack 5, press the rack endwise relatively to spring 3. One arm 6 of the rack bar, (by its screw 7) bears on the spring, and compresses the spring within its casing. The slot in the casing is wide enough to permit arm 6 to move therein. The other arm will be withdrawn from the end of the spring, so that the entire force of the spring will be brought to bear to restore the trolley pole to its upright position through the rack and its geared segment. It will appear that whichever way the segment l2 is rocked from its normal position, the spring will be compressed between the arm 6 and the rack bar and the opposite end of the casing. Thus one spring serves to restore the segment, and thereby the trolley pole to normal position, and by means of the set screws the initial pressure on the spring may be adjusted. It will also appear, from the construction described, that if the set screws 7 be set up so as to hold the spring compressed between them to a length less than the distance between the caps or abutments 8, there may be a lost motion before the end of the spring will be brought to its bearing, and consequently the pole will be free to rock a little distance without any spring resistance. The same result will follow if the set screws 7 are set so far apart that they do not both bear on the spring at the same time. This lost motion may be utilized to prevent the rise of the pole quite to a perpendicular position.

The set screws 7 may be provided with lock IOO nuts 17, for the usual purpose of such nuts. The bars 16, rigid with the segment, have a rocker 21 pivoted between them. This rocker 21 is supported on pintle 22, and may swing thereon, and rocker 21 has a socket or other extension 23, to which the main trolley pole A is attached.

The bars 16 have a frame 26 rigidly attached thereto, and extending at each side. A spring 27 is connected at each end of the frame, and also connected to the rocker 21 above the pivot thereof. The springs 27 are preferably connected to hooks 29 which extend through the ends of the frame, and are provided with screw threads, and nuts 30 outside the frame may be set up to regu-late the tension of the springs 27. The springs 27 permit the rocker 21, and thus the socket and connected pole A, to swing sidewise, in order that the wheel at the end of the trolley pole may more surely follow the wire. Any usual form of trolley pole and conductor may be used. The pole may be swung down and away from the Wire, and then swung over past the perpendicular and connected in the other direction, as is usual in trolley poles. The frame and casing should be made as light as is consistent with strength. As the rocker 21 is rigid as respectslengthwise movement, that is, will not swing lengthwise ot' the car, its presence does not aiect the rigidity ot' the pole and connections, except as to side movement.

I claim- 1. A base for trolley poles having a coiled spring confined between end abutments, a rack bar with arms which have a bearing on the ends of said spring, and a segmental gear engaging said rack and having the trolley pole connected thereto all combined substantially as described.

2. The base for trolley poles having acoiled spring inclosed in a slotted casing, a rack bar having arms projecting past the ends ot' said spring, in line with the slot, and having adjustable bearing pieces engaging the spring, and a segmental gear engaging the rack and having the socketfor the trolley pole connected thereto, all combined substantially as described.

3. The base for trolley poles having a curved rack attached to the lower part of the pole,a rack engaging the same and movable in the direction of its length, a spring held between abutments at the ends of the rack, and set screws connected to the rack and bearing against said spring, all combined substantially as described.

t. The supporting base for trolley poles having a single spring in closed between end abutments, a rack bar with arms bearing indirectly against the ends of the spring, a pivoted segm ent gear engaging said rack, a swinging piece pivoted transversely of said segment, and the support for the trolley pole counected to said swinging piece, all combined substantially as described.

5. The base for trolley pole having a spring inclosed between abntments, a rack bar having arms embracing said spring, means for confining the spring so that the rack bar may have limited movement before compressing the spring, and a rocking segment gear engaging the rack bar and supporting the trolley pole, all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ax ny-signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. GRIFFITHS.

Witnesses:

W. A. BARTLETT, S. BRAsHEARs.