US685575A - Electric-railway trolley. - Google Patents

Description

m w 2 .L c 0 d e n e a P N 0 0 C R .L 5 7 5 8 6 0 N ELECTRIC RAILWAY TROLLEY.

(Application filed May 25, 1901,)

(N0 M odel.)

PETERS co. PNOTO LIT UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD R. OOON, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

ELECTRlC-RAI LWAY TRO LLEY.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,575, dated October 29, 1901.

Application filed May 25, 1901. Serial No- 61.86(). (No model.)

ful Improvements in Electric-Railway Tr0lleys; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the l v and hereindescribe my construction of trolley in connectionwith an overhead Wire,'it

art to which it appertains to-make and use the same, reference being had to the aecom pan ying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which forrn a part of this specification. p

This invention relatesto electric-railway trolleys.

The object of the invention is to provide a trolley of such construction as to furnish a perfect contact between a trolley and a trolley-wire and at the same time to avoid friction between the two,'which usually results in wear on the trolleywire and the separation of the trolley and wire, resulting in breaking the current and causing sparking and interruption to the power of the motor to which the current is conveyed through the trolley.

With this object in view the invention consists of a trolley comprising a sphere of conducting material mounted in a holder or frame capable of rotating freely in all directions and adapted to be retained in contact witl a trolley-wire.

Further, the invention consists of a trolley comprising a sphere of conducting material mounted in sockets in a holder or frame, the

sockets being provided with antifriction-bear ings and the sphere being adapted to be re tained in contact with a trolley-wire.

Further, the invention consists of a trolley comprising a sphere mounted in a holder or frame and capable of rotating in all directions and rotating guides arranged above the sphere and adapted to keep a trolley-wire in contact with the sphere.

Further, the invention consists of various novel details of construction wherebythe object of the invention is attained and the effectiveness of the device insured.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which a form adapted for use in connection with an overhead wire is shown.

ing my improved head attached thereto. Fig. 2 isa side view of the trolley-head. Fig. 3 is a view showing the inner face of one of the sides ofthe trolley-head, and Fig. 4 is a ver- %tical transverse sectional view of the trolleyhead. i I 7 1 .While I have illustrated in the drawings will easily be seen from an understanding of the invention that the same may with slight modification be adapted to an underground electric-railway system.

In the drawings, A represents a trolley-pole, which may be of any desired construction and provided with the usual adjuncts, adapting it to serve as part of the means for conducting a current of electricity from a wire to a motor on the car'to which the pole is attached. Attached to the pole, preferably in a manner to allow a limited movement toward or away from each other, are the two plates B B, each having on its inner face the sockets or hear ings, (designated, respectively, by the letters 0 and d.) The plates thus formed constitute the frame of the trolley-head.

Mounted between the plates B B, in a position to have its upper surface a short distance below the upper ends of the plates B B, is

a sphere C, of conducting substance or material, the sphere being capable of rotating in any direction. The sphere enters and is retained in place by the sockets, andin order that it may move freely in all directions with out friction thesockets have a short distance within their inner edges a groove 0, in which are arranged a series ofballs 0 thus providing a ball-bearing on each side of the sphere.

In the use of the trolley the sphere is held in contact witha conductor-wire and passes along the undersurface of the latter.' In order that no impediment to the freepassage of the trolley along the wire may be offered by the contacting of the wire with the inner faces of the plates B B, rising above the sphere O, I provide each plate above the sphere with aball D, mounted in sockets d,-which con-' are connected on each side by braces B, in each of which is a turnbuckle b. By this means the plates may be drawn toward each other or moved apart and held in any desired position in relation to each other in order to allow the proper adjustment for the retention of the sphere and to allow for drawing the plates together to compensate for wearin the hearings in which the sphere rotates in use.

The construction herein described obviates the difficulties incidentto the use of a trolley of the usual construction, wherein a grooved wheel mounted upon an axle rigidly attached to a trolley-pole is employed. In the latter form the expensive trolley-wire is constantly subjected to more or less friction and consequent wear and the wheel by reason of the comparatively narrow groove in it receiving the wire is easily displaced in passing around curves or under a sagging wire capable of any considerable lateral movement.

By my device the trolley-wire is allowed considerable side movement in the trolleyhead, and in all positions it may assume as the trolley-head passes perfect contact and freedom from friction are assured.

Having, thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A trolley comprising a sphere of conducting material suitably mounted and capable of rotating in all directions, substantially as described.

2. Atrolleycomprisingtwo plates each having a socket in its inner face and a sphere entering and retained by the sockets, the sphere being capableof rotating in all directions, substantially as described.

A trolley comprising two plates having sockets provided with antifriction bearingsurfaces, and a sphere entering and retained in place by the sockets, substantially as described. a

4. Atrolley comprisingasphere of conducting material suitably mounted and capable of rotatingin all directions, and two spheres also capable of rotating in all directions and arranged above and on each side of the first, substantially as described.

5. A trolley comprising two plates having sockets on their inner faces, a sphere mounted in the sockets, and means for adjusting the plates toward or away from each other, substantially as described.

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

EDXVARD R. COON.

Witnesses:

LEWIs M. BARRoWs, IIoRA'rIo N. CooN.

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