US558110A - Electric railway - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES yPATni-vr OFFICE.

LEMIN VALLACE REID, OE MOUND, TEXAS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,110, dated April 14, 1896.

Application iled August 8, 1895.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMIN WALLACE REID, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mound, in the county of Ooryell and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in electric railways, and particularly to such railways as are adapted to use underground conduits, and has for its object to so construct such conduit and the line-wire connections therefor as to insure a constant connection between the line-wire and the motor of the car, and, further, to greatly simplify and increase the eiiiciency of such systems.

With these ends in View the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction and operation in detail, referring by number to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

Referring t-o the drawing, which is a crosssection of my improved conduit and theconnections between the line-wire and the car, 1 represents a conduit, one side of which is formed by the rail 2, which is of ordinary construction and rests on the timber 3. The other side of the conduit is a timber 4, to the top of which :is fastened a plate 5, which is secured by the spikes 6 or other suitable fastenings. To this plate 5 is fastened an insulating-strip 7, which is secured by the bolts 8.`

senti No. 558,628. .da man.)

the bolts 17. The rod is pivoted iu thebracket at 1S, so as to have a limited lateral movement, and is held in position by the springs 19. These springs are fastened to the truck-frame 16 at 20, and press against opposite sides of the trolley-rod at 2l, and are secured to the insulating-strips 22 by the bolts 23.

24 are blocks bolted on opposite sides of the trolley-rod and have attached thereto the insulating-strips 22.

The rod 12 is adapted to run in the slot 25, and to preventshort circuits that part of said rod that is adjacent to the conduit-top is covered with gutta-percha or other non-conducting material 26, which is fastened to the top by a band 27, and at the bottom it is held by thecollar 28. Between the collar 28 and the piece 29 is a sliding collar 30. To this collar 30 is secured an extension 31, having an enlarged head upon which runs the trolleywheel 43 upon suitable ball-bearings and is kept in its proper relative position by the cone-collar 32 and spring 33,interposed between said collar and the flange 34. By this arrangement the trolley is kept in constant and sure contact with its bearing.

Secured to the hub of the collar 30 are the brackets 35, in the lower ends of which is journaled the trundle-roll 36, adapted to run in a groove 37, formed in the timber 3.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that a trolley built in accordance with my improvement will be caused to maintain a sure contact with the line-wire in that the trundle-roll prevents the trolley-wheel from being withdrawn from such contact and the springs 38 and 39 permit the rod 12 to rise and fall within the collar 30 without interfering with the transmission of the electric current from the feed-wire tothe motor of the car. So that any up-and-down movement of said car will not eifect the contact of the trolley-wheel with the line-wire, and this is very essential, as in the constructions heretofore used the contact of the trolley with the linewire is often broken on account of the vertical movements of the car during its" rapid IOO pound movement caused by a car turning a curve, since the springs 19 will give suiTiciently to permit said rod to swing upon the pivot 18 Without affecting the contact between the line-wire and the trolley-wheel.

At given intervals I prefer to provide sinks or catch-receptacles 40, whereby the conduit may be drained, and these sinks may be connected with proper drain-pipes and sewerage systems, so as to carry off any surplus water that may accumula te therein; also, the holes 4l, formed in the timber 3 and communicating with the groove therein in which the trundle-roll 3G travels, will relieve said groove of accumulated moisture, thus preventing freezing, wherebyL the working of my device might be retarded. p

42 represents the conducting-wire, which is led to the proper motor, as is usual in such devices. I am aware that slight modifications might be made in my device withoutl departing from the spirit of my invention7 and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- In an underground trolley, a rodl2 pivoted to a block beneath the car, a collar 30 slidable on the lower end of said rod, a guidewheel 36 journaled to arms of the collar, an arm 3l attached to the side of the collar, a trolley-Wheel 43 on the arm 3l, a springpressed collar 32 bearing against said trolleywheel, a feed-Wire IO attached to and insulated from the top of the conduit, a rail 2 forming one wall of the conduit, a foundation for the rail 2 extending within the conduit and having a slot forming a way for the guide-wheel and means for draining said slot, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEMIN WALLACE REID.

\Vitnesses:

A. D. IIoNEYcUT, L. T. REID.

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