Improvements in Conductors for Electric Railways or Tramways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Conductors for Electric Railways or Tramways.
REGINALD BELFIELD 6 Waldegrave Park Strawberry Hill Middlesex
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the conductors used in electric tramways or railways
to convey the current to or from the cars. In place of the ordinary solid or stranded
wire commonly used to convey the currents of electricity in electric tramways or
railways in overhead, surface or conduit systems, 1 employ a cable consisting of a
conductor or conductors of electricity, woven, braided, knitted, plaited, or manu-
factured in a like way, in a manner that is well understood, into a flat band so as
to present a larger, and more flexible surface of contact to the trolly wheel,
collector, or whatever means may be used to collect the current from it, and to
convey the electricity to or from the motor. This band may present a flat or other
surface for contact and the interstices may be filled with a lubricator.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of March 1892.
REGINALD BELFIELD.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Conductors for Electric Railways or Tramways.
I, REGINALD BELFIELD of 6, Waldegrave Park, Strawberry Hill, Middlesex,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
With the ordinary round cables or wires now used for overhead and underground
electric conductors for tramways or railways, only a comparatively small portion
of their surface comes in contact with the trolley wheel, and their construction
prevents them from accommodating themselves as they wear to the shape of the
trolley wheel.
Now my invention is designed to form a conductor with lateral flexibility, whereby,
this evil is overcome.
In carrying my invention into effect, I employ, in place of the ordinary solid or
stranded wire commonly used to convey the current of electricity in electric tram-
ways or railways in overhead surface or conduit systems, a cable consisting of a
conductor or conductors of electricity woven, braided, knitted, plaited or manu-
factured in a like way (in a manner that is well understood) into a flat ribbon or
other form capable of sufficient transverse flexion to enable it to take the contour
of the trolley wheel, collector, or whatever means may be used to collect the
current from it and convey the electricity to or from the motor, also to present a
larger and more flexible surface of contact to the collecting apparatus. This
ribbon may present a flat or other surface for contact, and the interstices may be
filled with a lubricator such as graphite, plumbago, or a soft metal.
Referring to the drawings:
A, is the trolley wheel, and B the ribbon, consisting preferably of a series of
longitudinal wires placed side by side with cross wires braided or woven in among
them. It can, however be arranged in a somewhat similar manner to horse-hair
cloth, namely, with the upper surface consisting entirely of longitudinal wires,
the transverse wires passing over only one longitudinal wire in every three or
more.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that my invention is not limited to the forms of conductor referred to by way of
example in the foregoing paragraph, nor to the conductor depicted on the accom-
panying drawings, but I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A conductor for an electric tram or railway consisting of a conductor or
conductors of electricity woven, braided, plaited or their parts otherwise flexibly
united so as to form a flat ribbon.
2. Constructing the conductor of an electric tram or railway, so that it presents
an approximately flat and flexible surface to the collecting apparatus.
3. Constructing the conductor of an electric tram or railway in such a manner
that it approximately takes the shape of the collecting apparatus and thus secures
a larger bearing surface.
4. In a conductor as above described filling the interstices with a lubricator.
Dated this 90th dox of Doombox 1800
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.