The Florida star., 1902-11-21
new TROLLEY INVENTION
Single Wire Device That Nav
Revolutionize Traffic.
IDEA OF A YOUNG ELECTRICIAN.
Thomas J. Burke of New Orleans Has
a Double Track Road, He Claims,
Can He Operated by Means of a
Single Overhead Wire.

An invention that will admit of the
use OF single trolley wire for double
tracks, perfected, patented and made
the basis of stock company by
Thomas ]. Burke, young man of
New Orleans, of the electrical firm of
Bielefeldt & Burke has been made
public recently by Mr.. Burke, says the
New Orleans Times Democrat. Like
nearly all great inventions, it makes
use of an obviously simple principle,
once that principle is apprehended.
The gist of the cOntrivance which
admits of the use Of but a single wire
is found in the following facts: The
line of poles along which the wire
would be strung would be to one side
of both tracks. From each pole an arm
would prOtrude out as far as the mid
die of the space between the tracks
and would then bend downward. The
trolley of each car when set in position
would stand at an angle sufficiently
great 10 bring It's tip under the end OF
the arm from the pole. In the model
Mr.. Burke has made the trolley is es-
sentially the same as that now found
on cars. Ii has the friction wheel, but
In addition 10 this il has Il bow shaped
cross arm that is plvoted TO the trolley
just below the friction wheel. This
cross arm may he allowed To hang with
its tips down. or by means of wire
cable running To the base of the trolley
il may Ice made to assume au erect pO-
sitiOn so that its middle point is In con
tact with the friction wheel above,
while its tips, through smaller pulley
wheels, are in contact with the wire
The bow shape of the cross arm brings
its tips almost in contact with the
wire. while the middle of the cross arm
is the diameter of the friction wheel
away from the wire.
The Cross arm arrangement solves tn"
problem of having two friction wheels
pass one another on the same wire
The carS going one way would have
their cross arms brought tO the position
where they lie under the friction wheels
that run over the wire. The cars going
the other WAY would have their cross
arms hanging down. SO that their fric-
tinn wheels would be UnubStructcd from
below. When ears going in opposite
directions passed one another the
cross arm that was UP would afford
sort OF track OH which would run the
friction wheel of the trolley whose
cross arm WAS down. In Il belt run the
cars going Onc way would always have
the cross arms down. while thu~,. going
the other would have them NJ. On
other lines the position of the cross arm
would have to he changed at the end
of each run.
Among the many advantages that
would Ice secured to street railway
using this invention would hc the say
ing ii poles and the saving OF wire
and power Probably the first road OH
which the drVir" will hp tried Will bc
the ThihodauN street railroad. That
rnad Will make experiments in March.
Mr.. Burke Is Il Nyw Orleans hoy and
WAS III niI" time 4 student M the I.crhc
SchunL He hIs bcpu III work ou the
Sin@i" wire scheme for several years.
Within the past few months hc and
Mr.. RirIcf"IdI have silrcrr,.rd ia per
fcCtin@ tn" device. which has been pro
tectcd 10y patents