US670855A - Safety trolley device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 670,855. Patented nar.26, mm]

c. w. DIAMONI J. SAFETY TROLLEY DEVICE.

(Application July 18, 1900-) (III: Model.)

WITNESS.-

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UNlTED. STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. DIAMOND, OF NEWV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MOISE LEVY, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY TROLLEY DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,855, dated March 26, 1901.

Application filed July 18, 1900.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, CHARLES W. DIAMoND,a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Trolley Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in overhead-trolley devices for electrically-propelled vehicles using the overhead -trolley system; and the object of my invention is to provide means for preventing injury to the trolley-wire supports by the trolley-arm on the car when the latter leaves the wire during the progress of the vehicle.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by certain means for releasing the tension on the spring or springs which cause the trolley-arm to bear upwardly, as hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a side elevation of my improved device for controlling the trolley-arm. The full lines in the drawing represent the normal or substantially normal positions of the various parts that is to say, the positions they occupy while the trolley-wheel is running along the wire. The dotted lines in the drawing indicate the release or safety positions of the various parts, as Will be hereinafter described.

A represents the trolley-arm,provided with the contact-wheel A which engages the wire. The base of the trolley-arm A is pivoted at A upon the standard B, suitably fixed to the top of the car or other vehicle, (indicated by a line.) The trolley-arm is preferably bifurcated at its pivoted end to inclose the top end of the standard B, upon which it is pivoted, and is provided with one or a pair of curved extensions or arms A (only one of which is shown,) and this curved extension or these curved extensions A have each a hook or eye a at its lower end for engagement with a coiled spring B which serves as a yielding means for holding the end of the Serial No. 24,088. (No model.)

trolley-arm which carries the wheel upward. Where but one arm or extension A is used, there may be but one spring B but where two of such arms A are used there would be one spring B connected to either of said arms. The said spring or springs B are connected to a block C by means of an eye 0' on either side of the said block. The said block is mounted upon a horizontal arm B, extending rearwardly from the standard B, and the said block may move freely along the said arm. A link D, pivoted at c to a lug G, extending upwardly from the block C, is pivotally connected to another linkiE, the latter being pivoted at b to the fixed lug I), extending upwardly from the arm B. Thus the pivotal point I) of the link E remains relatively stationary,while the pivotal point a of the link D is relatively movable in a line parallel with the arm B, upon which and along which the sliding block 0 may move, according to the positions of the parts. A short chain or other flexible connection E is connected at one end, as atf, to the trolley-arm near its pivotal point A and is connected at its opposite end, as at e, to a lug E on the upper side of the link Enear its point of pivotal connection D with the link D.

The pivotally-connected ends of the links D and E may move downwardly slightly out of a straight line, such movement being limited by the arm B, with which such ends of the links D and E bear against in this position in the nature of a stop therefor, as shown in full lines in the drawing. When the links D and E are in their extreme downward position, as shown in full lines, the block 0 is forced to its extreme backward limit of movement and is held in this position by the said links, thus extending the spring or springs B- and putting such spring or springs under greatest tension. This greatest tension is the normal tension necessary to hold the trolley-wheel A on the wire X. The trolley-arm A should have a limited amount of free movement to allow for irregularities in the grade and in the height of the trolley-wire, and therefore the chain F or other flexible connection used should have some slack under normal conditions to allow this limited swing to the trolley-arm A.

Should the trolley-wheel A jump the wire X, there will be a consequent sudden upward jerk or pull exerted by the chain F, following the movements of the trolley-arm A upon the pivoted links D and E, and this sudden pull or jerk will be sufficient to throw the pivotally-connected ends of the links D and E upward past their central line. As soon as the pivotal connection D of these links reaches the straight or central line of the two links the tension on the spring or springs B acting upon the sliding block 0, causes the pivotal point D to move upwardly to allow the block 0, which is now released, to respond tothe tension of the spring or springs B This upward sliding of the block 0 relieves the tension upon the spring or springs B and consequently relieves the pull upon the arm or arms A tending to hold the trolleyarm A elevated. Consequently the trolleyarm A, which is only held elevated by the tension upon the spring or springs B falls backward upon the lug E on the link E, which forms a stop therefor, as shown in dotted lines.

- The parts are so proportioned that the forward movement of the block, the consequent upward movement of the pivotal point D of the links D and E, and the tension upon the spring or springs B when the block has moved forward will allow the trolley-arm A to fall backward to such a distance that the trolleyarm A and the wheel A will be entirely free from liability to strike the trolley-supports as the car moves along.

The trolley-arm A is caused to return to its elevated or working position in the following manner: The conductor at the back of the car pulls down on the rope attached to the trolley-arm, and the latter resting upon the lug E, extending from the upper side of the link E, causes the depression of the pivotal point D of the said links, and after being thus depressed the links remain in this position until another sudden pull is exerted thereon through the chain F.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a safety trolley device, the combination with the trolley-arm having a fixed pivotal point, and having an extension from its pivotal point; and a tension-spring connected to the said extension; of a horizontal guide; a block movable along said guide, and to which said tension-spring is connected; a pair of toggle-levers having at one end a fixed pivotal point and at their opposite end pivoted to the said block; a stop for limiting the swing of said toggle-levers downward; a flexible connection between the tro1leyarm and the said toggle-levers; the said levers being arranged to normally lie downward slightly past their central line, and in such position maintain a working tension on the said spring, but arranged to respond to an excessive pull on said connection with the trolley-arm and relieve such tension, substantially as described.

2. In a safety trolley device, the combination with the pivoted trolley-arm having an extension from'its pivotal point; and a tension-spring connected to the said extension; of a horizontal guide; a block movable along said guide, and to which said spring is connected; a pair of toggle-levers having at one end a fixed pivotal point and at their opposite end pivoted to the said block; a stop for arresting the downward swing of said togglelevers at a point slightly below their central line; a flexible connection between the trolley-arm and the said toggle-levers; the said levers being arranged while in their extreme downward limit to maintain a working tension on the said spring, but arranged to respond to an excessive upward pull on the trolley-arm connection and relieve such tension, substantially as described.

3. In a safety trolley device, the combination with an upright support to which the trolley-arm is pivoted; a rigid extension on the said trolley-arm; and a horizontal guidearm; of a sliding block mounted on the said horizontal guide-arm; a tension-spring connected at one end to the said block and at its opposite end to the said extension on the trolley-arm; a rigid lug on the said guide-arm; a pair of toggle-levers pivoted respectively to said fixed lug and to the said sliding block, the said arm serving as a downward stop for the said toggle-levers; and a flexible connection between said toggle-levers and the trolley-arm, substantially as described.

4. In a safety trolley device, the combination with the trolley-arm A having extension A the upright standard B to which said trolley-arm is pivoted; and the horizontal arm B extending rearwardly from the said up right B; of the sliding block or collar 0 mounted upon the said horizontal arm B; the tension-spring 13 connected to the said sliding block or collar (3 and to the said extension A on the trolley-arm; the rigid lug b extending upwardly from said horizontal arm B; the toggle-levers D and E pivoted respectively to the said sliding block or collar 0, and to the said lug b; the chain or other flexible connection F connected to one of said toggle-levers and to the said trolley-arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. DIAMOND.

Witnesses:

FELIX J. DREYFOUS, GEORGE MONTGOMERY.

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