US510850A

US510850A - Closed-conduit system for electric railways

Info

Publication number: US510850A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1893-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 1910-12-12

Description

(No Model.)

l '4Sheets-Sheet 1. R, H. ELLIOTT. y CLOSED CONDUIT SYSTEM PORBLBGTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 510,850'.

Patented Deel2, 1893.'

f mlmm@ (-No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. H. ELLIO'N?.

CLOSED GONDUIT SYSTEM POR 'ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 510,850. Y Y Patented Deo. 12, 1893.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. H. ELLIOTT. CLOSED CONDUIT SYSTEM POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 510,850.

Patented Dec. 12, 1893.

I 4 Sheets-Sheet R. H'. EJJIO'IIII.Y ,LSBD GONDUIT YSYSTEM FOR ELETRI RAILWAYS. N0.. 510,850.

(No Model.)

Patented De.l2, 1893.

l tion of the two shoes.

UNITED ROBERT H. ELLIOTT, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CLOSED-CONDUIT SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,850, dated December 12, 1893.

Application filed J'nly 5, 1893. Serial No. 479,603. (No model.)

To all wiz/0771, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, inthe county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Railway Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electric railway systems, and it is especially intended to provide a simple and convenient means by which the tracks ordinarily in use may, with slight additions thereto, become adapted for use with the hereinafter described apparatus.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l represents a sectional elevation of a truck fitted with myimproved electric contact-making device, and shows a sectional View of the trough or conduit with pockets or chambers connected thereto for the Wire carrying the current, and for the contact making device connected to the said wire. Fig. 2 represents a detail View of one of the pockets or chambers containing the circuit-closing device connected to the wire. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged detail View of the packing for one of the projecting pins. Fig. 4 represents a section across the track, andan end view of the truck provided with my improved contact making device. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail View of the trough or conduit for the Wire, and of the metallic shoe projecting into said conduit, and illustrates the method of insulating the said shoe from the body of the car truck. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of a car truck provided with two of the shoes similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to 5, and adapted to travel in parallel grooves or conduits. Fig. 7 represents an end view of the two shoes, and the parts connecting the same, detached from the car. Fig. 8 represents a sectional view across the track, and an end view of the car truck shown in Fig. 6, and illustrates the mode of opera- Fig. 9 represents an enlarged detail view of the pocket or chamber connected to the wire conduit, as shown in Fig. 8.

A represents the car truck, on which one or more electric motors B, are mounted in the usual way. The electrical connections to the same being well understood in the art, are not shown in the drawings.

C represents a metal shoe curved upward at both ends, as at c, and insulated as at C' from the body of the car truck. This shoe is electrically connected to the electric motors B, as by wires c'. The shoes C are yieldi'ngly -mounted beneath the car by means of the springs D, the guide plungers CZ, and the tie bolts D', having shank d adapted to slide vertically in suitable apertures in the longitudinal piece A', forming part of the body of the truck.

E represents the wire carrying the current, which passes along the bottom of the groove or conduit G, in which the shoe O slides, or this wire may be buried in the ground, and run approximately parallel to the track.

At stated intervals along the base of the lconduit G, pockets or boxes F' are provided, having a water-tight cover f. These boxes are placed at a distance from each other somewhat less than the length of the bottom ot' the shoe O, so that the said shoe may be always over at least one of the said boxes, so as to close the electrical circuit, as will hereinafter be described. Mounted in these boxes or pockets is a lever K, pivoted as at 7c to the downwardly projecting arm K'.- One end of this lever is normally held down by means of a stout spring L which causes the other end to push up the pin H into the guide grooveG. Thisv pin H passes through a waterproof packingf' in the coverfot the box F. The other end of the lever K supports a metallic pin H insulated from the spring L, and connected to the live wireE by an insulated wire e. Above this pin H' a similar metallic pin I-l2 is supported by the spring L, and is normally held at a distance from the pin H', thus being insulated from the said pin.. This pin H2 also passes through a water-proof packing f' in the cover f. The pins H and H may be termed a broken pin. These boxes F being thus made water-tight, there is no likelihood of short-circuiting in wet weathenand the various parts contained therein, are kept free from dust, and comparatively free from oxidation.

The operation of the device shown in Figs. l to 5, is as follows: The shoe C passing over the pin H, presses that pin down, and causes the lever K to first move the pin H up against the pin H2, making electrical connection between the two parts, and then pushes the pin H2 upward until itbears against the bottom of the shoe C, when the electric connection is completed between the wire E and the shoe. The shoe being insulated from the body of the truck, carries the current by means of the wires c to the electric motors B, and thence it returns by means of the wheels and the ground circuit, in the usual way.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 6 to 9, two parallel shoes are used insulated as before, and connected together by a frame C2. These two shoes run in parallel guide grooves G and G2 which are arranged parallel with the track rails, and preferably on either side of one of the track rails M, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The lever K is pivoted on an upwardly projecting arm K2 in the water-tight box or pocket F into which the wire E is led and connections made as before.

The advantage of this form of apparatus is that the two shoes must be simultaneously over the pins H and H2 respectively, and that therefore it would be impossible under any ordinary conditions, to have contact accidentally made with both of the pins H and H2 simultaneously, and thus accidents as from passing vehicles or other ordinary causes, would be impossible. In order to insure further safety, the spring L should be made of suiicient strength to prevent the pin H from being readily pushed down except by the superposing of considerable weight, such as a street car. Since it is frequently desirable to lift the shoe or shoes out of the guide groove, and clear of contact with the various pins projecting into said groove, it is proposed to employ some suitable lifting device for this pur pose. One of these is shown in Fig. 6, in which the shoes C are represented as suspended from the chains n and n; and the chains n are connected by means of the bellcrank levers n2 to the sliding rod p, which is operated by the lever p pivoted at p2, and connected by means of the chain o to the hand lever r', which is pivoted at r2. It will be evident that if the right hand lever r be moved in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 6, the shoes C will be lifted, and vice versa. A similar form of lifting device may be used in connection with the shoe shown in Fig. 1; or any other desired form of device for this purpose may be adopted.

The insulation of the various parts while not clearly shown in the drawings,may be readily supplied by anyone skilled in the art.

It will be seen that by the use of the hereindescribed device,the live wire is at all times insulated, and that the dangers from accidental short-circuiting are reduced to a minimum. Moreover it is evident that the various connections herein described, maybe constructed at comparatively small cost, and that the streets are not disigured 4as with poles for overhead wires. Moreover it will be evident that the short-circuiting of the line from flooding, as is common in most underground conduits, is `hereby entirely obviated. These, and the various other advantanges of my improved system, would readily suggest themselves to any one skilled in the art.

It will be obvious that many modifications might be made, which could be used without Adeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated main conductor run ning approximately parallel to the track, a series of broken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said first portion; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connected to one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting from the road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe, and a lever connecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted to bring the two portions of the broken pin into electrical connection with each other and with said shoe, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated main conductor run ning approximately parallel to the track, a series of broken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said first portion; a spring interposed between said portions and insulated from one of said portions, and means operated from the car for bringing these two portions into electrical connection with each other and with an electricity collecting device carried by the car, substantially as described.

8. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel to the track, a series of broken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said first portion; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connected to one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting from the road bed y IOO IIO

4. In an electric railwaysystem, the combination of a guide groove or 'conduit parallel minal of the electric motor or motors, a pinA projecting from the roadbed and adapted to be struck by said shoe, and a lever connecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted to bring the two portions of the broken pin into electrical connection with each other and with said shoe, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In an electric railway system, the combination of a guide groove or conduit parallel to the track and provided with a series of water-tight boxes, an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel to said groove and into said boxes; a series of broken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said rst portion; a spring interposed between said portions and insulated from one of said portions, and means operated from the car for bringing these two portions into electrical connection with each other and with an electricity collecting device carried by the car, substantially as described.

6. In an electric railway system, the combination of a guide groove or conduit parallel to the track and provided with a series of water-tight boxes; an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel to said groove and into said boxes; a series of broken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said first portion; a spring interposed between said portions and insulated from one ot said portions; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connected to one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting from the road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe; and a lever connecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted to bring the two portions of the broken pin into electrical connection with each other and with said shoe, substantially as described.

7. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel to the track; a series'ot broken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected. to said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said rst portion; a lever adapted to connect the parts of said broken pin and to proj ect the connected parts upward; means operated from the car for actuating the said lever and an electricity collecting device carried by the car for collecting electricity from said pin, substantially as described.

8. In an electric railway system, `the combination of an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel to the track, a pin electrically connected to said main conductor but insulated from the ground; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connected to one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting from the road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe; and a lever connecting said latter pin and the Iirst pin, and adapted to bring the -same into electrical connection with said shoe,

substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel to the track, a series of broken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to -said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said-first portion; a lever adapted to connect the parts of said broken pin and to project the connected parts upward; a spring interposed between said portions and insulated from one of said portions; and means operated from the car for actuating said lever; and a device carried by the car for collecting electricity from said broken pin, substantially as described.

10. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel to the track, a series of pins electrically connected to said main conductor but insulated from the ground; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connected to one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting from the road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe, a spring interposed between said portions and insulated from one of said portions; and a lever connecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted to bring the two portions of the broken pin into electrical connection with each other, and with said shoe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

J. B. RoBINsoN, E. LYNN.