US554102A - Underground system for electric railways - Google Patents

Description

(N0 M ode l.) 3 Sheet-Shet 1. W. P. ALLEN. UNDERGROUND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 554,102.

. Patented Feb.- 4, 1896.

(No Model.) Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. P. ALLEN. UNDERGROUND SYSTEM FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS. No. 554,102.

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F x s, mW/T. 4 f 7/ m k aw w m u m m M P w L L L w w W a m Q r A. 2% v o UNDERGROUND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM P. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF Tl/VO-THIRDS TO OLIVER S. KELLY AND ALVARO S. KROTZ, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

UNDERGROUND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,102, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed June 22, 1895. Serial No. 553,761. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be vit known that I, WILLIAM P. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underground Systems for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in underground systems for electric railways and conductors therefor.

My invention consists in the various constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating a portion of the street-railway track to which my improved system has been applied. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same with a diagrammatic illustration of the traveling conductors and circuits. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved conductor and connections therefor. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the same, and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a slightlymodified construction.

Like parts are represented by similar-letters of reference in the several views.

In the said drawings, a a represent the track-rails of an ordinary street-railway of any usual construction, preferably supported in the usual manner on cross-ties a. At intervals along the track and preferably midway between the track-rails are supporting yokes or chairs Z), which are preferably cast from a single piece of metal and provided on either side with suitable supporting projections Z), and at the top with bearing supports Z1 to receive the horizontal flanges of angleiron-supporting pieces 0 c. As before stated, the yokes or chairs 1) are placed at intervalssay three or four feet apartwhile the angleiron-supporting pieces 0 c are continuous and are located in the bearing-seats h to which they are bolted or otherwise secured, as shown in Figs. 3 and at, said supporting-pieces c, of which there are two, being located a short distance apart, so as to' form a slotted way, which extends continuously between the track-rails. The sides of the yokes or supporting-chairs Z) are preferably formed at an angle, and plates or blocks 12 are placed against the same to retain back the filling of sand, gravel, or concrete, which forms the road-bed, thus leaving an open space or conduit between said plates or blocks, which is preferably open at the bottom. Below the cross-ties a, and preferably centrally below the supporting-yokes, is a drain-tile a which may have any usual sewer connection, the space between saiddrain-tile and the conduit being preferably filled with loose material, such as sand or broken stone, through which any water or moisture will find a ready passage to the drain-tile (R, which is of the ordinary open construction.

Such, briefly described, is the conduit or inclosing-chamber in which my improved conductors are located, which, owing to the peculiar character of said conductors, may be entirely open, if desired, only such side construction being necessary as will prevent obstructions from getting into the chamber or passage which will interfere with the passage of the traveling contacting devices or trolleys hereinafter more fully described.

The conductors proper are formed in sections, and each consists of an inner metallic bar (:1 of a peculiar shape in cross-sectionthat is, each is provided with a vertical web d and horizontal wings or flanges (1 (1 the lower wing or flange being preferably curved to correspond in shape to the conformation of an outer inclosing sheath or casing 6. This outer casing e is formed of very light flexible metal, such as sheet-steel, phosphorbronze, or similar substance. The outer casing or covering is made in sections of a slightly-greater length than the length of the conductorsections. The conductor d is supported within the casing c by means of suitable bolts (1 preferably of vulcanized rubber or similar insulating material, which bolts extend up through the flanges d thence through an insulating-plate d thence through perforations in the top of the metallic shell e, the plate d of insulating substance, and the angle plate or bar 01 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the anglesupporting pieces 0 c. The outer casings e are supported at each end on insulatingblocks 6', which at one end are formed to fit snugly within said casings, said blocks being beveled slightly at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 3, so that at the inner end they stand flush with and join the lower flange d of the conductor (1. These sections are further supported at each end and connected together by means of a U-shaped non-conducting supporting-block e bolted or otherwise secured to the supporting-pieces 0, connecting-bolts 6 being extended through said supporting-blocks so as to engage with the insulating-blocks e, a gasket 6*, of rubber or other suitable packing material, being preferably placed between the supporting-block e and the insulating-blocks 6, so as to form a tight joint between the same and thus tightly close the ends of the sectional casing 6, thus making a water and air tight joint at the ends of said sectional casing.

Extending longitudinallythrough the conduit or chamber and in proximityto the conductors are the feed wires or feedenmains f, preferablyinsulated in the usual manner and supported in the supporting project-ions 1) formed on the yokes or chairs b.

Each of the conductors (Z is connected to one of the feeder-mains, preferably in the following manner: A rubber-coated conducting-wire d is passed through a suitable opening formed in the angle-plate (l insulatingplate 0", casing e, insulating-strip d, and the conductor-flange (7?. The opening thus formed is internally screw-threaded and is of such a size that the rubber coating on the wire (i may be screwed into the same so as to form a tight joint and completely close the opening around the wire (Z The wire (Z is then connected to the conductor (1, preferably through the medium of one of the bolts (1*, which draws the wire firmly against the upper flange of the conductor and within the casing e. The other end of the wire d is then spliced to the feeder-main f and the joint covered in the usual manner to thoroughly insulate the same. I

In practice two of the sectional conductors thus described are preferably employed, which are connected, respectively, to the positive and negative wires from the source of supply. For each of the sectional conductors there are two traveling contacting devices g g on the motor-car, the distance between these traveling contacting devices being such that one or the other is always in contact with the outer casing of one section of the conductor, so that there is no interruption in the contact in passing over one section of the conductor to the other. These contacting devices consist preferably of trolley-wheels 9 supported in insulated bearings on U-shaped springs 9 and each attached to some suitable form of support extending through the slotted way between the anglesupports 0 c. The supportingsprings g are of sufficient elasticity to cause the trolley-wheels to contact with the metallic casing c and force the same into contact with the conductor (Z, which is normally separated therefrom by a very slight space or distance. The outer metallic casin g thus becomes charged and serves as a conductor to carry the current from the normally-insulated conductor to the trolley-wheels, and thence to the motor or other devices connected therewith.

The sectional conductor (Z, it will be seen, is not only completely insulated from all the other parts of the system, but is also completely inelosed so that no moisture or for eign. substance can come in contact with the same. If desired, the outer casing may be filled with oil as a further protection, and suitable reservoirs h may be supplied between the said casings and the supports 0, said reservoirs being provided at the bottom with a passage h, which extends into said casing, and with a normally-closed passage or filling opening 7L2, which is extended through the plate or support 0, as shown in Fig. 3, so that ready access may be had thereto to keep the casings filled with oil.

The construction as above described, it will be seen, is very' simple, and all of the parts of the conductors maybe made up in sections in the shop, so as to be applied to the supporting-yokes without any change or modification. The connecting-wire (Z may be applied thereto, so that in assembling the conductors it is only necessary to secure the sections together and make the electrical connections with the feeder-heads.

To faciliate the assembling and removal of the conductors I preferably form the supporting-pieces c o of a T shape, so that each has a longitudinally-projecting flange a proj ecting inwardly from the vertical wing 0 so as to form a narrow slotted way, while at the same time an enlarged opening may be left between the upper adjacent sides of the yokes such as will permit the removal or insertion of one of the conductors complete. In assembling the parts when so constructed, one

of the conductors is dropped between the adjacent sides of the supportingyoke, so as to pass completely into the chamber within said yoke. The other conductor is then dropped into position and the supporting-piece o fastened to said yoke. Afterward the first conductor is drawn back, so that the horizontal flange of the supporting-piece 0 shall rest on the bearing support of the yoke and said conductor then bolted firmly to position. It obvious that this same construction may be used with a single conductor and the trackrails used for the return-circuit in the ordinary manner, in which case one of the conductors and the traveling contacting devices therefor will be dispensed with.

The construction above described it willbe seen is simple and need not be expensive. The conduit or chamber which incloses the same may be of the simplest character and no precaution is necessary to be taken against water or moisture, as the sectional conductors are always completely inclosed and insulated except at the moment of contact with the outer casings and the traveling contacting devices. The outer casings being made of metal and ot a tubular form may be made very light and still have ample resiliency to keep them at all times in their proper positions and removed from the conductor. The beveled insulating-blocks 6 permit the trolleys to pass from one sectional conductor to the other without any sudden jerk or jar, and the use of all kinds of switching devices for throwing the sections in and out, other than the outer casing itself, is entirely obviated.

It is obvious that the connecting-wires (Z may extend from one conductor to another so as to connect a number of said sectional conductors in a series, a connection being formed with the feed-wire only at such intervals as is desirable to insure a proper flow of current.

It is obvious that conductors constructed as above described may be used with overhead or other systems as well as with underground.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. An electrical conductor, substantially such as described, which consists essentially of an inner metallic conductor, an outer metallic sheath normally disconnected from said conductor, and insulatingsupports at each end of said sheath, and an electrical connection through said sheath to said inner conductor, substantially as specified.

2. In an electric-railway system, a conductor formed in sections as described, each section consisting essentially of an outer flexible metallic casing and an inner metallic core, i11- sulating-bloeks at each end of said metallic casing adapted to close the same and form a continuation of said metallic core, substantially as specified.

3. In an electric-railway system, a normallycharged electrical conductor, and a normallyinsulated resilient metallic tube for inclosing the same, said tube being closed at each end as described, and means for bringing said flexible metallic tube in contact with said electrical conductor, substantially as specified.

4:. The combination with a moving contact device, of a sectional conductor consisting of a series of flexible metallic tubes each closed at each end, and an inner normally-charged metallic core, an electrical connection between the respective cores of said sections, and an insulating connection between the respective metallic tubes of the respective sections, and means, substantially as described, for bringing the respective flexible metallic tubes in contact with the inner metallic core as the contacting device travels along the same, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a flexible tube,

and the insulating-supports in each end of the same, an inner metallic core having upper and lower flanges as described, and adapted to form a continuation of the said insulating-supports, which are beveled at one side to recede from said metallic casing, and means for supporting said metallic casing, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with an outer metallic casing and an inner metallic core, insulating devices for closing the ends of said casing, a screw-threaded perforation through said casing and core, and an insulated conductor with the insulation screwed into said perforation, and the metallic portion of said conductor secured to said metallic core, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a sectional conductor, the sections of which are each formed with an outer metallic casing and an inner metallic core insulated therefrom, of a traveling conductor having two contacting points, each consisting of atrolley-wheel supported on a spring, substantially as specified.

9. The combination with the conductor-sections each consisting of an outer metallic flexible casing and an inner core, of a connecting-block adapted to join the ends of said sections, said connecting-block being formed of insulating material adapted to close the ends of the respective casings, substantially as specified.

10. The combination with an outer metallic casing and an inner metallic core normally disconnected therefrom, means for closing the ends of said casing, and an oil-reservoir connected to said casing, substantially as specified.

11. The combination with supporting-yokes having bearing-seats therein, the angle-supporting pieces having the laterally-extending fianges,sectional conductors connected to said angle-supporting pieces, each consisting of an outer flexible metallic casing and an inner core normally disconnected therefrom, an electrical connection to each of said sectional cores, said cores and casings being insulated from said angle-supporting pieces, substantially as specifiedl In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of June, A. D. 1895. I25

WILLIAM P. ALLEN. Witnesses:

OLIVER H. MILLER, PAUL. A. STALEY.

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