US545208A - Underground electric railway - Google Patents

Description

{No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. E. MOORE. UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented Aug. 27,1895.

w fi m 7 8 7 0 fil 2 m D a a? i m 7 7 v mm (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. E. MOORE.

UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented Aug. 2

Unrrnn S'rn'rns P...TENT Erica.

EMMA E. MOORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

UNDERGROU N D ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,208, dated August 27, 1895. Application filed November 16, 1394.- Serial No. 529.05% (No model.)

To (@ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EMMA E. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underground Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section showing the arrangement of the conduits. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the conduit-sections. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal vertical section.

My invention relates to underground electrio-railway systems, and particularly to such systems in which the current is derived from a conductor by means of a trolley-wheel carried by a trolley-pole connected to the car, in substantially the same way as is common in overhead systems. Heretofore it has been customary in underground electric-railway systems to arrange the conductor in a conduit located between the rails of a track, the contact being made by a suitable device carried by the car. This form of construction has been objectionable for many reasons, among which may be mentioned the loss of electricity and the expense of installing such systems.

My invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in underground electric-railway systems in which the expense of installation will be greatly reduced, which will be so arranged as to prevent material loss of the current, and which will embody certain other improvements, which will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

I accomplish the objects of my invention as hereinafter specified and as illustrated in the drawings.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 5 6 indicate the inner rails of a double-track street-railway.-

7 indicates a portion of a car running upon one of said tracks.

8 indicates a conduit-section, which is made of vitrified pipe and which is substantially U shaped in cross-section, having at each side conduits 9 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Each of the conduits 9 10 is substantially pearshaped in cross-section, the sides approaching each other near the top, forming slots 11. The slot 11 of each conduit is of sufiicient width to permit of the passage of a trolley-pole 12, which is carried at one side of the car and carries on its lower end a trolley-wheel l3,as shown in Fig. 2. The trolley-pole 12 may be of any approved construction and is provided with suitable means for holding the trolley- Wheel in contact with the conductor. In the drawings I have shown a spring let for such purpose; but I do not wish to be limited to the construction shown. At each side of the slots 11 are angle-irons 15, which are fixedly secured in place and serve to protect the edges of the pipe from wear. As shown in Fig. 1, the conduit-sections 8 are embedded in the ground in the space between the tracks, the space between the conduits 9 10 being filled in with suitable material, so that the sections are firmly set in place. This arrangement is particularly advantageous for the reason that the conduit-sections may be placed in position Without materially interfering with the traffic on the street, as it is well known that the space between street-railway tracks is very seldom used by teams. Furthermore, the conduits for a double-track railway may be installed at the same time and with no more expense than would attend the installation of a conduit for a single track, should such conduit be arranged between the rails of the track, as has heretofore been customary.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the conduitsections are each provided at one end with a flange 16, adapted to receive the end of the adjacent section, substantially in the manner of sewer-pipe, and in installing the sections they are fitted together and cemented, or secured in any other suitable way, the joints being packed or closed in such manner as to prevent the admission of moisture.

17 indicates conductors, one of which is supported within each conduit by brackets 18, which are secured to the sides of the conduit at suitable intervals. The brackets 18 project through suitable openings in the conduits and are held in place by nuts 19, screwed upon them. Legs 20 serve as additional supports for the brackets. The conductor is secured to the brackets by any suitable device. In order to prevent moisture from gaining access to the conduits around the brackets 18, a suitable washer may be placed upon the outer ends of said brackets, between the nuts 19' and the outer surface of theconduit, as indicated in Fig. 1.

21 indicates a drain which extends longi tudinally of the conduit-sections, but on a I lowerlevel, which drain is in communication with the conduits 9 10 by drain-pipes 22 22, such drain-pipes communicating with passages'23 in the conduits, asshown in Figs. 1

. and 3.

In order to collect thedust and dirt which 7 may accumulate in the conduits, each trolleypole is provided with an arm 24, which carries a broom 25, adapted to sweep the lower part of the conduit. In this way all dirt and other refuse is carried along in the conduits until one of the passages 23 is reached, when it falls into the drain 21 and is thence carried to thesewer.

Toperlnitof access to the conduits manholes 26 are provided at suitable intervals,

2 preferably opposite the brackets 18, such manholes being arranged opposite similar manholes in the street between the tracks.

In double-tracked roads having loops at the terminals the conduits will also be looped,

and in roads having switches at the terminals or elsewhere suitable switch connections of the conduits should be provided.

That which Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An underground electric railway'con- I I stantially as described.

duit-section that is U-shaped in cross-section and provided with separate conduits located duit section, consisting of vitrified piping substantially lJ-shaped in cross-section'and provided with passages in the vertical portions thereof, forming, two separate inclosed conduits having slots at the top for passage of a trolley-pole, substantially as described.

4. Au underground electric railway conduit-section substantially U-shaped in crosssection, comprising two separate conduits 9 and 10, located in the vertical side walls of the section and each provided with waste passages 23, in combination with a drain21 in communication with said passages, sub

EMMA E. MOORE. Witnesses:

STEWART H. Moons,

JOHN L. J A'OKSON.

Images