New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-14
CROSS SECTION OF CONDUIT.

inches deeper than the new one will be. In
future the lining will he omitted and a GYM
drical conduit seventeen inches in dlamater
will he employed \ passageWay about hVe
inches wide and seven inches long leads up 10
the street surface. where pair of slot ralls
narrow the opening 10 about three-QuarleIS Oh
an inch. the same as on cable railway
HOW THE CONDUCTORS ARE PLACED.
The conductors are of iron. They have a
T-shaped cross section. and are tipped over on
their sides the tops Of the rs thus facing one
another. \ distance of six inches separates
them. and the iron itself has width of three
inches Inasmuch as ordinary crossties cannot
be used where there is a trough like this in the
middle of the street the rails are supported by
iron frames called 'Yokes," which reach from
side to side, and are introduced at intervals
Of five feet The new yOkes viii weigh only
about two-thirds as much ae the old ones, but
have fully the same strength. The yokeS also
support the slot rails. and serve as guide 10
the tubular conduit From every third YOKE
there will hang two porcelain insulators winch
in turn, hold ny the electric conductors. Inc
particular frames which perform TINS duty are
covered with "handhoe plates in the pave
ment. TO admit of occasional examination or
repair The conductors come I'm sections OF
thirty feet. and are carefully bonded together
with copper wire at the joints.
The feeders. which are insulated cables, are
also carried underground. al one side. ana one
of them is tapped in To the conductor every
The rails on which the cars run IL Len0X-dVe'
are seven inches high weigh nincty-thfee pounds
to the yard and have heads Of the CrllnInlnS
type. which are designed to minimize the INJURY
done TO ordinary carriage wheels that get on
the track In the new work rail retaining
the aforementioned feature. but nine inches nigh
and weighing lOI pounds. Will he used.
The piece Of apparatus which corresponds IN
the conduit system to the pole and wheel of the
trolley is called the plough" 1t is'secured TO
the under side OF the and reaches down INTO
the conduit about fifteen inches below the slot.
1t consists, essentially. Of q thin, stiff board or
non conducting material to each side Of which
at the lower end are hinged carefully designed
metallic wings leaves. These are forced out
ward by suitable springs and are thus Kept IN
constant contact with the conductor. In the
new plOughS there Will be some slight modihca-
lions of the springs but the principle OF the
device Will he retained. From each wing
separate wire. thoroughly insulated, will reach
up through the board. The current, having as
cended through and having gone through
both controller and motor will return through
the other.
As the conduit is tapped by drain pipes at
proper intervals. il is impossible for rain or
slush to accumulate there. so wide is the in
the slot above that neither rain nor snow can
fall directly upon the rs. and promote leakage
4 few weeks ago, just as a cold snap was
breaking up, thin film of ice formed 10y con-
densatiOn of atmospheric moisture, on the faces
Of he conductors, ana interfered with the con-
tact of the ploushs. But this difficulty can
hereafter be met easily by using a special ice
scraping plough on Il pioneer car. The device
corresponds to the well-knoWn "seet wheel"
and can be counted upon TO work equally
wei