US751949A - Road-crossing device - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

I. L. SESSIONS.

ROAD CROSSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1902.

ND MODEL.

I @Xiliuzaaao %Mw Ravi? 6/ m m .m m w 3 m Z m m w UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.-

FRANK L. SESSIONS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A. JEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

ROAD-CROSSING DEVICE.

SPEGIFIGATION'fOrming part of Letters Patent No. 751,949, dated February 9, 1904.

Application filed August 8, 1902.

ticularly adapted for use in mining operations,

excavations, and similar work, where owing to the low altitudes of the locomotives and cars and the correspondingly low trolley-conductors provision must be made so that these;

trolley-wires will notinterfere with the'ordi nary use of the roadways which they must cross and so that thecontinuous operation of the locomotive will not be interrupted by breaks in the circuit at these crossings.

My invention comprises the combination of an electric conductor, a traveling conductor, an auxiliary conductor, means whereby said traveling conductor automatically engages with said auxiliary conductor, and means whereby said traveling conductor and auxiliary conductor will automatically separate when the pressure between them becomes too great.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a trolleyroad crossing embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the trolley-wheel guide or casing with one of its side plates detached, showing the trolley-wheel in engagement with the engaging device. Figs. 3 to 6 show details.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the track upon which the locomotive B and cars B travel at a point where it crosses a road or another line. The locomotive and cars may be of any known type, since this invention may be employed with any type of electric locomotive.

O represents the traveling conductor or trolley-pole, c the trolley-harp, and c the trolleywheel journaled thereto.

D D represent the vertical standards on opposite sides of the roadway, to which are rigit crosses.

Serial No. 118,932. (No model) idly secured the brackets E, to the lower D in any suitable manner and at a sufficient.

distance above the track A, so that this portion of the line conductor will not interfere.

with the ordinary use of the roadway which It will be understood that I do not limit myself to this method of establishing a continuous electric circuit between the conductors G G, as numerous methods will suggest themselves for accomplishing the same r.esultsas, for example, the conductor H may be carried down and electrically connected to the lower conductor at or above the points g g.

Mounted upon the'conductor-section H is an auxiliary conductor I, movable along the said section, consisting of a frame or suspension-bracket c', in which are mounted four wheels 2 two above and two below the wire, which constitute a guiding device to limit the swinging of the auxiliary conductor in the direction of the movement of the traveling conductor and serve also as guards to prevent the auxiliary conductor from leaving the Wire.

Depending from the frame or suspensionbracket is a rod or pole K, at the lower end of which is attached a trolley-wheel guide or casing L. This guide or casing consists of aframe Z, having a hole F, for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and the side plates Z.

.=The trolley-wheel engaging device M, which passes up through the bottom of the frame Z, is pivotally connected to it at m and has one end of the spring N attached to it at n, the other end of the spring being secured at n to the ear Z on the frame Z. This spring afiords means whereby the engaging device when under excessive pressure will permit the automatic separation of the traveling and auxiliary conductors.

To insure thorough electric contact between the auxiliary and the traveling conductors, one end of a copper cable or other suitable flexible electric conductor is electrically connected at 0 to the frame Z, the other end of this conductor passing through and being electrically connected to the engaging device M,

as shown at 0. This conductorO is of sufficient length to permit the free rotation of the engaging device about its pivot. I do not limit myself to this particular manner of connecting the engaging device in the electric circuit, as the conductor 0 may be long enough to permit its attachment at any point of the rod K or the suspension-bracket '0'.

P P are guide-bars situated one above the other and supported above the cross-piece e of the bracket E E by the insulators E E These bars serve as guides for the auxiliary conductor to insure that the guides or casings L will be in proper position to receive the traveling conductors as they pass the points g 9. Any suitable means may be employed to retain the auxiliary conductor within the guides that was well known at the time of my inventionas, for instance, by providing one of said bars with a bend or offset adapted to receive the depending pole and hold it in place and to permit its removal under slight pressure. This insures that the auxiliary conductor will always be on one side or the other of the crossing in readiness to receive the traveling conductor and travel with it to the opposite side of the road, where the traveling conductor is automatically disengaged and passes onto the low line conductor, the auxiliary conductor remaining in position to again receive the traveling conductor upon its return.

Insulating-handles L may be provided for the auxiliary conductor. In the drawings such a handle is shown secured in the hole Z of the frame Z. tor to be moved with safety from one side of the crossing to the other, as required.

Although I do not limit myself to this particular construction in the drawings, the conductors G G are shown as passing up between and bearing against the forks of the bars P P, these bars thus serving to prevent the upward-extending strands of the wires G G from lateral displacement.

It will be thus seen that the invention comprises means whereby the traveling conductor and auxiliary conductor engage with each other automatically to cause them to move to? gether, and, further, comprises means whereby the one is held in yielding engagement with the other, so that in the event of an excess of pressure they will automatically separate.

The trolley-pole C may be maintained in normal working position by any of the wellknown devices for securing a continuous traveling contact between the trolley-wheel and This permits the auxiliary conduc-- the conductor\vireas, for example, the device shown in Fig. 12 of C. Robinsons patent, No. 684,950. In the drawings this device is conventionally shown at 0 What I claim is 1. In an electric railway, the combination of a traveling conductor, an auxiliary conductor connected with a source of electric power and movable with and separable from the traveling conductor, and an engaging de vice carried by said auxiliary conductor for uniting said conductors, movable under excess of pressure relative to said auxiliary conductor to permit the separation of said conductors, and acting under less pressure to maintain the connection of said conductors during their travel, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric railway, the combination of a car having a traveling conductor, an auxiliary conductor suspended from a point above the car, connected with a source of electric power and movable with and separable from the traveling conductor, and an engaging device carried by said auxiliary conductor for electrically uniting said conductors, said device being movable under excess of pressure relative to said auxiliary conductor to permit the separation of said conductors, and acting under less pressure to maintain their connection, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric railway, the combination of an electric line conductor, a traveling conductor, an auxiliary conductor separable from and movable with the traveling conductor, and a yielding engaging device supported by said auxiliary conductor and adapted to maintain connection between said conductors until the pressure between them exceeds a fixed amount, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electric railway, the combination of a traveling conductor, an auxiliary conductor separable from and movable with the traveling conductor and adapted to receive and transmit electric power,'and having an engaging device movable under excess of pressure between said conductors, and acting to connect and permit the separation of the same, and a spring controlling said engaging device yieldingly, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a traveling conductor, an auxiliary conductor, an engaging device carried by said auxiliary conductor normally held in place to cause the engagement of said conductors in either direction of movement of the traveling conductor, and movable relative to said auxiliary conductor under excess of pressure in either direction to permit the separation of said conductors, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric railway, an auxiliary conductor suspended from and adapted to move along a current-supply conductor, and having a frame or casing adapted to receive the electric contact device of a traveling conductor on the car, and a spring-controlled engaging de- 7. In an electric railway, an auxiliary con ductor adapted to move along a line conductor, and having a frame or casing adapted to receive the trolley-wheel of a traveling conductor, and a spring-controlled engaging device in said casing adapted to be engaged by such Wheel.

8. In an electric railway, the combination of a line conductor having an elevated portion, an auxiliary conductor suspended from and movable along said elevated portion and a yielding device carried by said auxiliary conductor adapted to engage the trolley-wheel of a traveling conductor, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electric railway, an auxiliary conductor adapted to move along a current-supply conductor, said auxiliary conductor having an engaging device adapted to engage with the electrical contact device of a traveling conductor on a car, and a casing L, open at its ends for receiving and guiding said contact device into engagement with said engaging device on the auxiliary conductor, substantially as set forth.

10. In an electric railway, an auxiliary conductor adapted to move along the line conductor and having a spring-controlled engaging device adapted to engage with the contact device of the traveling conductor, and a flexible conductor 0 electrically connecting the engaging device with the auxiliary conductor.

11. In an electric railway, the combination of the current-supply conductor having relatively low sections and a relatively high section, a supplemental conductor adapted to move in electrical engagement with said elevated section, the car, the vertically-swinging electrical contact device on the car adapted to move in engagement with the relatively low sections of the current-conductor, means for maintaining. said engagement, and a yielding engaging device on the supplemental conductor adapted to maintain electrical contact between the supplemental conductor and the contact device on the car until the pressure between them exceeds'a predetermined amount, substantially as set forth.

12. In an electric railway, the combination of the car, the electrical contact device on the car, the supplemental conductor adapted to move longitudinally of the electrical-supply conductor, and the pivoted spring-controlled engaging device adapted to electrically connect said supplemental conductor with the contact device on the car and to permit their sepai'ation under excess of pressure between them, substantially as set forth.

13. In an electric railway, the combination of the current-supply conductor having relatively low sections and a relatively high. section, the car, the yielding contact device thereon, an auxiliary conductor movable along the current-supply conductor, and a yielding engaging device carried by said auxiliary conductor, and adapted to engage with the contact device on the car, substantially as set forth.

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

FRANK L. sEssIoNs.

Witnessesz C. E. WAxBomv, W. E. BEOB.

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