US670380A - Current-interrupter in conducting-rail-contact systems. - Google Patents

Description

- J. F; BJURLUND..

CURRENT INTERRUPTER IN CDNDUCTING B AIL CONTACT SYSTEMS.

Patented Mar. l9, I901.

(Application fil ed Sept. 26, 1900.)

0f INVENTOR WITNESSES ywuzlfi I 1 ITE STATES.

PATENT FFICE.

JOHN F. BJURLUND, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOSEPH S. MORISON, OF SAME PLACE.

CURRENT-INTERRUPTER IN CONDUCTING-RAlL-CONTACT SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 670,380, dated March 19, 1901. Application filed September 26, 1900. Serial No. 31,139- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. BJURLUND, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Richmond Hill, borough of 5 Queens, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Interrupters in Oonducting-Rail Contact Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of improved means for interrupting the electric current between the conducting-rail and the contact-shoe and preventing the current from following the shoe through space when lifted for breaking the circuit, as. hereinafter described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure l is a plan View of a car inverted and equipped for taking the electric current by the third-rail system and provided with current-iut-errupters in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail in side elevation of the contact-shoe and interrupting apparatus with the shoe in contact with the conductingrail. Fig. 4. is a detail in side elevation of the contact-shoe and interrupting apparatus with the shoe lifted out of contact and the interrupter in the position for cutting off the current.

A represents the conducting-rail, and acoutact-shoes for gliding along the rail as the car runs to take the electric current from the rail for transmission to the motors, as usual. Said motors and the conducting wires are not shown, being unnecessary-to a proper understanding of the invention to be hereinafter claimed.

The contact-shoes are suspended from the car over the rail A for making and breaking contact, as usualfor example, by a staff 1), arranged to slide in a guideway c, mounted on a part of the car, as bracket-arm d, to the lower ends of which stafi the shoe is pivoted at e in any suitable insulated joint, said staff being jointed at the upper end to an armf of a rock-shaft g, to an arm h of which a rod 7: is connected, said rod being connected to a lever j, with which hand-levers 7c are con- 5o nected by rods Z, suitably arranged for enabling the motorman to control the contactshoes at will.

, The staffs b are connected to armsf by a stud m of each arm and a slot 02 of the staff, allowing the stafi to rise and fall asthe rails may vary on the surface without obstruction by the armsf, as would be the case if the joints were rigid. The slots 4?. are enlarged at the lower end to admit the heads of the studsm in a well-known contrivance for ready 6o connection and disconnection. With the shoes thus or in any other way mounted I provide a current-interrupter of non-cond ucting material, as o, in any suitable contrivance for being automatically and quickly thrust into the space between the rail and the shoe .when the shoe is lifted, and thus positively interrupt the current and prevent the present objectionable continuation of the current throhgh space into the shoe even when raised to a considerable height, and thus materially interfering with the prompt control of the car.

The means which I have thus represented in this case for so operating the interrupters consists of an interrupter-supporting stafi p, suspended by parallel bars (1 .9, one of which is pivoted to bracket-arm d and the other is keyed to rock-shaft g, so as to swing toward shoea when said shaft is operated to lift the shoe, said bars being pivot-jointed with stafi 8o 19. The relation of the interrupter apparatus to the shoe is such that the interrupter normally rests with its free end in close proximity to oneend of the shoe and in a slightly higher level than the shoe when the shoe is in contact with the rail. The parallel bars q s are longer than the arm f, so that the range of movement of the interrupter is greater than the movement of the shoe. Therefore when the shoe is raised a suitable height to clear the interrupter the latter is thrust forward between the shoe and the rail a distance sufficient to out the field of current between the rail and shoe and promptly and totally interrupt the current.

The bars 3 and q will consist wholly or partly of non-conducting material to prevent comm unication of the current with the metallic parts of the car structure. 7

It is manifest that various contrivancesof 10o apparatus may be employed for thus operating the interrupter, and I do not limit myself to the special contrivances represented for the purpose.

and the rock-shaft and lover mechanism for operating it, of an interrupter for the electric current, and means for thrusting it between the shoe and the rail and withdrawing it therefrom connected with the rock-shaft, and being operative through the instrulnentality of the shoe-operating lever.

Signed at Richmond Hill, New York, this 21st day of August, 1900.

JOHN F. BJURLUND. Witnesses:

JOHN W. MAGEE, ERNST FRIEDRICH.

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