US883092A - Conduit construction. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED. MAR. 24,1908.

W. P. DAY.

GONDUIT CONSTRUCTION. nrmoux o; FILED M11. 10, 19013.

Q95 in Man WILLIAM P. DAY, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CQNDUIT CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application filed. January 10, 1908. Serial No. 410,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM P. DAY, citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Conduit Constructions, of which the following is a speci- :fication.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in the construction of conduits for underground electric railway systems, and metallic ties therefor, and the invention has for one of its objects a simple, durable and efiicient construction. of conduit so combined. with a peculiarly constructed metallic tie that the conduit may be very cheaply installed and quickly constructed and held in place securely without the use of bolts, rivets, or similar fastening devices. And a further object of the invention is a conduit of this character so constructed and arranged as to avoid the necessity offorming a trench or trough underneath the ordinary level of the ties, the invention providing means whereby the requisite depth of ballast may be used without the necessity of using specially constructed and extra high rails and securing the proper interior space in the conduit without the necessity of a trench as above noted.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention. consists in certain constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1. is a transverse sectional view of a conduit roadway construction built in accordance with the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the conduit 3 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one section of the conduit; Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view of one of the ties or conduit supports.

Corresponding and like parts-are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Each of my improved ties is constructed of cast steel or any other desired metal and embodies a base portion 1 which is preferably dished or formed with upturned side and end edges 1 in order that it may be effectively anchored in place by the ballast. Each tie also embodies a middle longitudinal web 2 and a series of transverse webs 3 spaced from each other at the requisite or predetermined intervals. The rails are securely held upon the ties at the ends thereof by means of specially devised angle bars or rail fastenings 4, for a detailed description of which reference is to be had to my application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed. November 2, 1907, Serial No. 400,617.

The body portion of my improved conduit is formed as a continuous conduit by laying sections 5 end to end, each of saidsections embodying a transversely angular base portion 6, and any desired number of upwardly extending webs 6 which, in the present instance, form a middle compartment for one,

two, or more motor feed wires and conductors, and. two side compartments for telephone, telegraph, lighting, or other wires or cables. Preferably the middle compartment is formed with drains 7 located at any desired intervals. For the purposes of illustration only, I have shown the middle compartment as containing a single rail 8 of wood or other non-conducting material banked by concrete or the like on both sides, and a single feed wire 9 arranged for engagement with the plow or trolley wheel 10. In the outer compartments, wires 11 are indicated, said wires being packed in abestos or the like.

The present invention has principally to do with the correlated arrangement of conduit sections and the supports or ties that are specially constructed therefor. As indicated best in Fig. 4, each longitudinal web 2 is thickened at its middle portion as indicated at 2 and is cut away to form with the intersecting transverse web converging sloping surfaces 12 and 13 which form a pocket at the middle of the tie for the reception of the two abutting lips 14 formed at the ends of the adjoining sections 5 of the conduit, thereby holding the said sections securely in place as against both sidewise and longitudinal movement. To assist in holding the conduit sections securely in place, the middle thickened portion 2 of each longitudinal web 2 is formed at opposite sides of the pocket constituted by the sloping surfaces 12 and 13, with inwardly facing shoulders 15 between which a longitudinal rib 16 formed on the base 6 of the conduit section fits. Furthermore, two outer and upwardly extending shoulders 17 are formed in the thickened portion 2 beyond the shoulders 15 and between these shoulders 17 the side portions or outermost upwardly extending webs 6'" fit, the conduit sections being thereby held rigid as against any sidewise movement. Finally, each thickened portion 2'" is formed, beyond the shoulders 17 with downwardly and outwardly sloping recesses 18 in which the conduit covers or lids 19 fit, as best seen in Fig. 1, said covers being angular as shown and abutting against the upper edges of the webs 6, the entire structure being held securely in place as against any upward displacement by means of the ballast which in the present instance is shown as including paving blocks 20.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, light, durable, and efficient construction of conduit of the character-described that may be cheaply manufactured and easily installed and held securely in place without the use of bolts, rivets, or similar fastening devices, and one that will accomplish the results or objects set forth in the outset of the specification.

It is manifest that I may provide manholes in any of the lids or covers at any desired points along the track for the purpose of obtaining access to any of the compartments within the conduit and that such manholes may be of any desired construction. At the same time, it is to be noted that manholes are not necessary at frequent intervals for the reason that the vacuum process may be used for cleaning out the conduit, as the conduit is practically continuous and the sections fit tightly one against the other.

As best seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the conduit sections may be formed with longitudinally extending depressions 8 for the rails 8 to fit in.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A conduit of the character described, constructed in a series of longitudinal sections laid end to end and formed at their abutting ends with lips, and supports for said sections said supports being formed with pockets receiving said lips.

2. A conduit of the character described,

constructed in a series of longitudinal sections laid end to end and formed at their adjoining ends with downwardly extending lips, metallic ties formed with longitudinal and transverse webs intersecting each other and provided at the intersections with downwardly sloping converging surfaces in which the said lips are received.

3. A conduit of the character described,'

constructed in longitudinal sections laid end to end, ties formed with shoulders between which said sections fit and are held against lateral movement, the ties being also formed, in connection with the conduit sections with means for holding sections as against longitudinal movement, and covers for said sections resting upon said ties.

4. A conduit of the character described constructed. in a series of longitudinal sections, ties for supporting said sections, the ties being formed with pockets and the sections with downwardly extending lips fitting in said pockets, the ties being further formed with inwardly facing shoulders between which the sections fit, and the ties being also formed with downwardly and outwardly inclined recesses, and covers for the sections fitting in said recesses.

5. A conduit of the character described, constructed in longitudinal sections, supports or ties for said sections, said ties being provided with a longitudinal web and transverse webs, one of said transverse webs, intersecting the longitudinal web at the middle thereof, andsaid webs being formed at such point of in tersection with converging sloping walls,the

sections being formed with downwardly extending lips resting on said walls, the longitudinal web being formed with inwardly facing shoulders and beyond said shoulders on both sides thereof, with outwardly and downwardly inclined recesses, the conduit sections fitting between the shoulders, and angular covers fitting in said recesses and extending over the said sections.

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

XVILLIAM P. DAY.

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