US906279A - Trolley cut-out. - Google Patents

Description

c. c. PHILLIPS.

TROLLEY GUT-OUT.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 9, 1907.

906,279. Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

FFICE.

CHARLES C. PHILLIPS, OF OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHILLIPS AUTOMATIC SIGNAL 00., OF OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

TBOLLEY GUT-OUT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley Cut-Outs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolley cut-outs, the object of the invention being to provide a hanger for trolley wires whereby upon the breakage of the trolley wire at any point, the broken portion thereof which remains attached to the hanger, will be thrown out of circuit or electrical connection with the main current, thereby preventing any possibility of injury to pedestrians, animals, etc, coming in contact with such broken wire.

With the above general object in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the automatic cutout of this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail cross-section through the same, on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the action of the device upon the breakage of a wire.

The trolley cut-out contemplated in this invention consists of what may be termed a hanger or bracket 1 embodying three downwardly extending legs 2, 3 and I, either formed separately or integrally, as may be found expedient. The lower ends of these legs are all located in about the same horizontal plane and the ends of the wire or conductor shown at 5 and 6 are pivotally connected therewith as shown at 7, while under the preferred embodiment of this invention, the portions of the conductors lying just outside of the pivotal points 7 are weighted, as shown at 8, to insure the interruption of the current, as will hereinafter appear. The lower end of the intermediate leg 4 carries a trough or gutter-like conductor section 9 having the oppositely projecting seats or rests 10, the upper sides of which are concaved in the form of gutters to receive the inner ends of the conductors 5 and 6, as

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed May 9, 1907.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 372,67L

shown in the drawings, the said conductor ends terminating short of each other, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The conductor section 9 is composed of material having the necessary electrical conductivity and is preferably composed of soft metal such as copper and rovided at opposite sides with up ward y extending soft metal fingers 11, which are bent to embrace and lie in contact with the upper sides of the conductor ends, as indicated in Fig. 2, thus giving increased contact or bearing between the conductor ends and the conductor section 9. The fingers or lugs 11 are sufiiciently soft to bend outwardly under the force of the weight acting on the conductor 6, as for instance, when the latter is broken to permit the conductor to move to open position, as shown at the right of Fig. 3. The hanger is provided with one or more eyes 12 or their e uivalent' by means of which the hanger may e supported on a suitable pole, cross-arm or other form of overhead support.

The conductor section 9 forms a part of the conductor under ordinary conditions and I it will be seen that when one of the Wires is broken as shown 111 Fig. 3, the inner extremity thereof lying in contact with the con ductor section 9 swings upward, being assisted by the weight 8, and in this way the circuit is broken and no current is transmitted through the broken wire.

I claim 1 1. In an automatic cut-out, the combination of a hanger comprising oppositely-extending outer arms and a centrally dependtremities of the wires by being bent over the latter, and means for detachably connecting the member to the lower extremity of the central arm.

2. In an automatic cut-out, the combination of a bracket, separate conductors pivotally mounted on the bracket, a member normally supporting the extremities of the con- 1 In testimony whereof, I affix my signature ductors and detaohably secured to the i in presence of two Witnesses. bracket said members being of U-shaped: cross-sehtion, and. readily bendable lugs of E CHARLES PHILLIPS 5 soft metal arranged to engage over the con I Vitnesses:

ductors for holding the latter in contact with FRANK KATTERJOHN,

the member. RICHARD PENNELLY.

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