US627495A - Overhead-trolley system. - Google Patents

Description

No. 627,495. Patented June 27, I899.

E. FRISCHMUTH.

OVERHEAD TROLLEY SYSTEM.

(Application filed Feb. 17, 1899.)

(No Model.)

m: No'ams PETERS co, moroumm wAsmNeTcm, D. c.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE;

EMMERICI-I FRISCHMUTH, BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIEMENS & HALSKE ELECTRIC COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

OVERHEAD-TROLLEY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,495, dated June 27, 1899.

Application filed February 17, 1899. Serial No. 705,799. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: with two trolley-arms, one of which prefer- Beit known thatLEMMERIoH FrnscHMUTH, ably carries the well-known contact-wheel a subject of the German Emperor, residing at and the other a contact shoe or brush, which' Berlin, Germany, have inventedacertain new are adapted, respectively, to engage the two and useful Improvement in Current-Supply conductors extending in different planes. Apparatus for Electrically-Propelled Vehi- The accompanying drawing illustrates this cles, (Case No. 185,) of which the following is construction, the same indicating two intera full, clear, concise, and exact description. secting lines of electric railway, upon one of My invention relates to improvements in which a car equipped with two trolley contact to current-supply apparatus for electrically-proarms is about to pass the crossing. 6o pelled vehicles, and has for its object the pro- Upon the car a are mounted two trolleyvision of means for furnishing to a moving arms b c, the former being provided with a car or vehicle its propelling current without diagonally-extending contact-shoe b and the involving any material interruption in the latter with the ordinary form of trolley-wheel 15 circuit at crossings and switches and avoid 0. These trolley-armsare of different lengths, ing, as well, the danger of connecting lines of being adapted to be forced into engagement unlike polarity. with the corresponding trolley-conductors d e In practice it has been found extremely or d e, which are connected with different diflicult to effect a crossing for trolley-lines poles of the dynamo-electric machine supply- 2:) Where conductors of difierent potential intering power to the system. This dynamo may, sect, and with the apparatus employed frefor example, be a direct-currentmachine, in quent displacement of the trolley contactwhich instance dwouldbe connectedwith the arms is liable to occur, thereby interrupting positive and c with the negative terminal of the operating-current. Practically the same the dynamo; or, again, said dynamo-electric 25 problems are also met with at points along machine may be of the multiphase type, in an electric railway at which switches are emwhich case the rails f would be utilized as a ployed. By employing the apparatus herein third conductor. The trolley-conductors (2 described, constructed in accordance-with my and e are carried upon insulating-supports invention, I am enabled not only to provide in the usual manner to one side and in a 0 a satisfactory crossing for trolley-conductors plane above that of the trolley-conductors carrying different potentials, but in addition 01 d. At the intersections supporting-arches the car issupplied practically with an ung are provided, which carry the conductors interrupted current and the crossing is not 6 or e by means of insulating-supports g, liable to displace the trolley-arms from their while the conductors d or d are connected 35 position of engagement with the snpply-conwith and open beneath the arches to permit ductors. the passage of the trolley arms and wheels I may briefly describe the current-supply c c. The crossing shown in the drawing is apparatus shown in the annexed drawing, in made at an acute angle, and the ends of the connection with which I will explain my inconductors d d beneath the arches are bent 4o vention as consisting of intersecting trolleyin opposite directions parallel to the conduco conductors which are disposed in diiferent tors e or e, thus insuring the continued enplanes along the length of track, according to gagement of the contact-shoe b at the point the potential carried. The conductors lying of intersection, since it will be seen that the in the lower plane are broken at the points of said shoe will come into engagement with the 45 intersection and maintained in their relative receiving end 01 of conductor (1 before it is positions by' means of insulating arches disengaged from the portion 61 upon the opadapted to permit the passage of the trolley- ,posite side of the arch g. The arches are cararm when in engagement with the conductors ried by supporting-wires g in the usual manof opposite polarity. The car or vehicle operner. In constructing the apparatus the trol- 50 ated by the systeminquestion is provided ley-arm b is preferably made of such length that it will not come into contact with the conductors e or 6 when in a vertical position. Especially is this desirable at crossings or switches, and the height at which the trolleyconductors are carried at these points preferably is sufiicient to insure this result.

It will be seen from the above description that there is no tendency for the trolley-wheel c to become disengaged from its corresponding conductor, since the arches g readily permit its passage, and the upper trolley-conductors are carried over the crossing in the usual manner. By reason of providing upon the trolley-arm Z) the diagonally-extending contact-shoe b it will be seen that at all acuteangled crossings the circuit will not be interrupted, since the contact shoe is of such length as to prevent any disengagement from its corresponding trolley-conductor, and at the intersections the receiving end of the trolley-conductor beneath the arch will be engaged by said contact-shoe previous to its disengagement from the other end. It is also apparent that by duplicating the contactshoes 1) upon trolley-arm b and separating them by the width of the arch, or more, the circuit will be constantly maintained, even at crossings where the tracks meet at right angles to each other, or, if desired, the simpler apparatus herein shown may be employed, since it is not necessary that the angles at which the tracks and trolley-wires, respectively, meet shall be equal.

By employing the arrangement of apparatus of my invention it will be seen that the likelihood of disconnecting a car from the power-supply circuit at points of intersection with other lines isreduced to a minimum, and, moreover, there is no opportunity for accidentally causing a short circuit between conductors of different potential.

It will be understood that modifications of the apparatus hereinspecifically shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and

I therefore claim, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, the following: I

1. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with a trolley-conductor connected with the source of electrical current, of a supporting device 1 beneath which the said trolley-conductor is opened, a trolley-arm provided upon a car or vehicle operated by the said system, and a contact-making appliance mounted upon the trolley-arm adapted continuousl y to engage the trolley-conductor, the said conductor being provided with laterallyextending terminals or parts at the supporting device, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the trolley-conductor d, of the supporting-arch g beneath which the said trolley-conductor is opened and its ends d d laterally extended, of a contact device I) carried upon a moving car or vehicle operated by current from the conductor d, the said contact device being adapted to maintain continuous contact with the conductor 01, substantially as described.

3. In a system of electrical traction, the combination with intersecting trolley-conductors disposed in diiferent planes according to their polarity, of supporting-arches g beneath which the conductors of one polarity are maintained open or discontinuous, and trolley-arms b 0 provided upon a car or vehicle operated by the said system, thesaid trolleyarms respectively carrying contact-making parts adapted to maintain continuous engagement with their respective trolley-conductors, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination with intersecting couductors d d and e e of dilferent polarity, of supporting-arches g beneath which the said conductors d and d are maintained open, and trolley-arms b a carrying contact parts adapted to maintain continuous engagement with the respective conductors (Z and e or d and e, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The herein-described means for continuously supplying current to a moving car or vehicle consisting of a trolley-conductor (1 connected with a source of electrical energy, of a supporting-arch g disposed at an intersection or switch, beneath which arch the said trolley-conductor is discontinuous and at which the ends of said conductor are laterally extended, a diagonally-disposed contact part b carried upon the moving car or vehiroo cle, the same being adapted continuously to engage the conductor d and to supply current to the propelling-motorprovided upon the car, substantially as described.

6. Inasystem of electrical distribution, the combination with intersecting conductors d e, of a supporting-arch g beneath which conductor d is maintained .open, a tro1ley arm b,

and a contact part I) provided thereon, the said conductor (1' being provided with angu- 11o larly-extending terminals d d beneath the arch 9 adapted to maintain continuous electrical connection with contact part b.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of January, A. D. 1899.

EMMERICH FRISCIIMUTII.

Witnesses:

WALDEMAR IIAUPT, HENRY lIAsPER.

Images