US567690A

US567690A - Trolley-catcher

Info

Publication number: US567690A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1913-09-15

Description

0.R.SACKETT TROLLEY CATGHER.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATEs ATENT OFFICE.

ORVILLE R. SAOKETT, OF N IAGARAFALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RANDOLPH MONUTT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TROLLEY- ,CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentwNo. 567,690, dated September 15, 1896.

Applicata nea Mayi. 1896.

To all whom it may coincer/L.'

Be it known that I, ORVILLE R. SACKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York,l have invented new and useful Improvements in 'ilrolley-Oatehcrs, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to the trolley-controlling devices employed in connection with overhead trolley systems for automatically checking the assent of the trolley-pole above the wire or conductor when the trolley-wheel leaves the latter, so as to prevent the pole from breaking the usual crosswires of the system or becoming entangeled.therewith and being torn from the top of the car.

The invention has Vmore especial reference to a trolley-catcher of this" kind comprising a trolley-wheel yieldingly journaled `on the trolly-pole, a spring drum or take-up device connected with the trolley-pole, a restraining cord or rope wound upon said drum and fastened to the car, and a lock for. the `drum which is operated by the yielding trolleywheel.

My Vinvention has for its object to provide a reliable device of this character which is operative in all of the variouspositions as-` sumed by the trolley-pole, which can be reversed on the pole so as to be applicable to a pole capable of swinging lengthwise of the car on either side of its pivot, and which can be easily applied to the trolley-pole and readily removed and taken apart for making repairs. A In the accompanying drawings, Figure i is a' vertical section of my improved trolleycatcher applied to a trolleypole.` Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections in lines 3 3 and 4 4L,"Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is avertical section of the spring-drum; Fig. Gis a hori-` Zontal section inline f6 6, Fig. l.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures. u

A is the Vtrolley-pole, which may be pivotally attached to the top of the carin any wellknown manner and provided'with the usual spring whereby the trolley-wheel B is yield ingly pressed against the wire or conductor C. l l) is a supporting-frame which is suspended `Serial No. 591,740. (No model-l from the u bifurcated head `of the trolley-pole and which carries the yielding trolley-wheel and `the 'parts of the trolley-catcher. rlhis frame consists of a pair lof upright sidewalls d d, connected by tie-boltsd. These side walls are provided at or near their upper ends avith short inwardly-extending` trunnions e, which are arranged diametrically opposite 1 each other and j ournaled in cylindrical openings or bearings j' formed in the forks A of Q the trolley-pole, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and l), so as to permit the head of the trolley-pole to turn on thetrunnions of said frame for changing its angle with reference to the conductor` infollowing the. variations of the latter and also permit the reversal of thesupportingframe on the trolley-pole.

g is the axle of the trolley-wheel, and ll the bearings` thereof, which slide in vertical or longitudinal guide-slots 72. formed in the trunnions e, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to permit the trolley-wheel to move vertically in the supporting-frame l). The bearings il are provided, respectively, with depending rods, stems, or extensions 71., which slide in upright pockets or guides I, arranged on the outerf sides of the side walls d, and between the lower ends of these rods and the bottom. of the pocketsI are arranged spiral springs J, which tend constantly to force the rods 7L in g-frame D.

g K is thespring drum or take-up device, and L the restraining rope or cord, which is wound thereon and secured at its lower end to the car, whereby the trolley-pole and trolley are prevented from rising above the conductor when the trolley runs off the latter. This spring-drum is supported on the frame D beu low the trolley-wheel and turns upon a stationary axle 7, having a cylindrical body and flat-sided ends, which latter are seated in cor respondingly-shaped sockets or openings 7a', formed in the side walls of the supportingframe, as shown inFig. 2.

m is the coiled spring ofthe drum,which is secured at one end to the fixed axle and at the other tothe periphery of the drum. The re-A straining cord or rope L may be wound directd ly upon the periphery of the drum, but the latter is preferably provided with a reduced and the bearings Il upwardly in the support- IOC lateral extension Je, having a flange k3, between which and the main portion of the spring-drum the rope is confined.

The spring-drum is provided on each side thereof with an annular row of locking teeth or projections it, and the rods or extensions 71, of the movable trolley-wheel bearings are provided with inwardly-extending pins or stops o, which are adapted to interlock with the teeth of the spring-drum when the trolley-wheel rises above its normal position by leaving the conductor, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, so as to arrest the further rotation of the drum. The locking-teeth of the spring-drum preferably consist of gearwheels ad, secured to the sides of the drum, as shown in the drawings, although the teeth may be lcast on the drum if desired.. The pins or stops o of the bearingextensions U, pass through longitudinal slots o formed in the side walls of the supportingframe D, as shown in Fig. 2.

The spring-drum is preferably inclosed by a casing or housing P, which extends to the lower end of the supporting-frame D. This casing is provided in its lower end with a slot ,fn for the passage of the restraining-cord.

In the practical operation of the device, so long as the trolley remains in contact with the conductor the upward pressure of the trolleypole produced by its usual spring causes the trolley-wheel to be depressed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that its yielding bearings are lowered to about the middle of their guide-slots h. The depression of the bearings also causes the stops or pins o to be lowered out of engagement with. the locking-teeth of the spring-drun'i, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, allowing the drum to turn under the in iiuence of its spring for taking up the slack of the restraining-rope, thus keeping the latter taut at all times, while at the same time permitting the trolley-pole to rise and fall for allowing the trolley-wheel to follow the variations of the conductor. As soon as the trolley-wheel leaves the conductor the resistance to its upward movement is removed, and the compressed springs J of the bearing-rods 7L by their reaction force the bearings to the upward extremity of their guide-slots 7L, thereby raising the rods 7i', causing the stop-pins o thereof to interlock with a pair of adjacent teeth of the sprin g-drum and holding the latter against turning. As the restraining-rope is taut and can no longer unwind from the drum, it prevents the trolley from rising above the conductor, thus avoiding injury to the crosswires of the system or the pole.

The trolley-wheel may be drawn down and replaced against the wire by means of the rope L, and as soon as the trolley-wheel is replaced it is depressed, as hereinbefore described, thereby again unlocking the springdrum. The trolley-pole is preferably provided, in addition to the rope L, with the usual rope for lowering and reversing it at either terminus of the line, said rope not being shown in the drawings. When the trolley is against the coiu'lucting-wire,.the spring-drum K is unlocked and the rope L is wound thereon, and if this rope were used for drawing down the trolley-pole preparatory to reversing it, it would be necessary to wholly unwind the rope from the drum before the pole could be lowered, because the resistance of the usual trolley-pole spring is greater than that of the spring-drum K.

In my improved trolley-catcher the guideslots of the movable trolley-wheel bearings maintain a substantially upright position, or a position about at right angles to the conductor, and the wheel will therefore operate freely regardless of the angle which the pole assumes with reference to the conductor.

As the parts of the device are all carried by the su pporting-frame and the latter is suspended from the head of the trolley-pole, the device is very compact and practically selfcontained, enabling the same to be readily applied to the pole, or to be removed therefrom for making repairs, lif necessary. As the carrying-frame is pivotally hung from the trolley-pole, it can be reversed for bringing it on the opposite side of thepole when the car reaches either terminus of the line; This feature renders the device applicable to trolley-poles which have no swiveling connection with the top of the car, but canswing only lengthwise of the car.

All of the parts of the device are inclosed, and are thus protected from the weather.

` ln the drawings, two locking-pins o and two rows of locking-teeth for the drum are shown, but it is obvious that a single locking-pin and a single row of such teeth might be employed.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with a trolley-pole, of a supporting-frame pivoted at its upper end to the trolley-pole so as to be capable of reversal thereon, a spring-drum journaled in said frame, and a rope or cord wound upon said drum., substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a trolley-pole, of a supporting-frame pivotally suspended from the trolley-pole, a spring-drum journaled in said frame, a restraining rope or cord wound on said drum, a trolley-wheel yieldingly j ournaled in said frame, and a lock or stop adapted to engage with said drum, and controlled by the movable trolley-wheel, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the trolley-pole having openings or bearings in its head, of a su p porting-frame h avin g trunnions j ournaled in said bearings, a trolley-whee1 supported in yielding bearings guided on said frame, a spring-drum journaled in said frame a re straining rope or cord wound upon said drum, and a lock or stop for said drum controlled by the movable trolley-wheel, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a trolley-poleh aving openings or bearings in its head, of a supporting-'frame having trunnions journaled in said bearings, and provided with guide-slots,

IOO

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a trolley-wheel having bearings which slide in said slots, a spring-drum journaled in said frame and having a restraining-cord wound thereon, and a lock or stop for said drum controlled by the movable trolley-wheel, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a trolley-pole, and a supporting-frame attached thereto, vof a trolley-wheel mounted in movable bearings guided ou said frame, a spring-drum j ournaled in said frame below the trolley-wheel and having locking teeth, a restraining cord wound upon said drum, and a rod or extension connected with one of the bearings of the trolley-wheel and having a stop or Vprojection adapted to interlock with the teeth of the spring-drum, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination withl a trolley-pole and a supporting-frame attached thereto and provided in opposite sides with upright pockets, of a trolley-wheel journaled in verticallymovable bearings guided in said frame and provided with depending rods or extensions which slide in the pockets of the frame, springs arranged in said pockets and acting to raise said rods and bearings, a spring-drurn journaled in said frame below the trolley-wheel and having locking-teeth, a restraining-cord wound upon the drum, and a locking pin or stop arranged on one of said bearing rods or extensions and adapted to interlock with. the teeth of said drum, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with atrolley-pole and a supporting-frame attached thereto 4and provided in oppositesides with upright pockets, of a trolley-wheel j ournaled in verticallymovable bearings guided in said frame and provided with depending rods or extensions which slide in the pockets ofthe frame, springs arranged in said pockets and acting to raise said rods and bearings, a spring-drum journaled in said frame below the trolley-wheel and having locking-teeth, a restraining-cord wound upon the drum, a casing inclosin g said drum and having a slot for the passage of said cord,and alocking pin or stop arranged on one of said bearing rods'or extensions and adapted to interlock with the teeth of said drum, substantially as set forth.

"Witness my hand this 11th day of May, 1 896.

, ORVILLE R. SACKETT. Witnesses:

C. PHAREs, H. M. RIEGER.