Improvements in and relating to Trolley Track Hangers.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Trolley Track Hangers.
I, PETER JENSEN, of 77 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from
abroad by William L. Prewitt of Lexington, Kentucky in the United States of
America) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a trolley track
hanger where the slide-shoe trolley, or the wheel trolley is used to lead the current
from an electric conductor to an electric motor on carriages for power, light, or
bell ringing, such as for electric railway cars, or other movable carriages.
It consists of the devices and appliances, their combinations and arrangements,
as hereinafter specified, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in
which―
Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of the device in place;
Figure 2 shows the hanger ready to receive the track;
Figure 3 is a view showing several hangers in place upon a supporting bed
Figure 4 is a view of a modification of the hanger ready to receive the track
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the same in place;
Figure 6 is another modification, showing the jaws of the hanger closed upon the
track;
Figure 7 is a separate view of the flexible strip employed in the device shown in
Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a separate view of one of the jaws employed in another modification
of the hanger;
Figure 9 shows a conduit in section with features of my invention illustrated in
connection therewith ;
Figure 10 is a sectional view of the modification partly illustrated in Figure 8;
Figure 11 is a view of the same hanger ready to receive the track; and
Figure 12 is another sectional view of a conduit in which my invention is
applied.
My invention is intended to provide a track hanger of this description which shall
be simple, economical, and of superior efficiency.
The main feature of my present invention is to provide a trolley track hanger in
which two clamping members have a flexible engagement one with the other in a
novel manner.
Accordingly, A, and A', represent two clamping members or jaws, their adjacent
edges so formed as to hold and bind firmly between them a suitable trolley track, B,
when the said members are secured in place.
While I do not limit myself to any particular construction of the adjacent edges,
one member may be constructed with a channel, a, against which the opposite
member closes to hold the track therein. Or, the members may be formed with
their adjacent edges serrated or milled to more firmly grip the track in the channel
there-between with laterally extended securing flanges, as shown. Suitable
insulation, C, may be interposed between the track and members. These two
members are provided with an underlying flexible strip in any desired manner
designed to support the said members in an open position, their jaws being ready
to receive the track and allowing said members to be forced downward upon a
supporting bed to close the jaws upon the track and hold it firmly in position.
Thus, for example, both members may be secured upon an underlying strip, D, as
of sheet metal or other flexible material, the members being united to the ends of
said strip in any suitable way, as by rivets, d, the securing flanges of the members
being provided with perforations as shown at a³, to receive said rivets and also

page_text: with perforations, a', through which screws, d, engage the hanger to a base or
support, E, a series of hangers being, secured to a suitable support to carry the
track. With the hanger so constructed the Hexible strip, D, allows the jaws to be
open to receive the track and also to be forced down into engagement with the
support, E, closing the jaws firmly upon the track.
Instead, however, of making the members and the flexible support in separate
parts united together, they may be made in a single integral piece, as shown in
Figures 4 and 5. Or, again, as shown in Figures 8 to 11, one of the members may
be provided with a supporting strip, F, bearing against the opposite member, the
strip, F, being located below and normally supporting the members in an open
position to receive the track, the members being detachable. To this end one of
the jaws may be provided with a projecting loop, A, and the other jaw with a
recess, A³, to engage the loop, one side of the loop being recessed as shown at a',
to allow the loop to pass into the recess, A³. In forming the recess, A³, the corre-
sponding jaw is provided with a lip, A', said lip having a bearing on the supporting
strip, F, engaged with the opposite jaw as by rivets, f. These jaws or members
are engaged upon the support, E, as in other modificatious of the invention, thereby
closing them upon the track, the spring supporting strip, F, holding the jaws open
when free to operate. It' will be seen that this method of engaging the members
illustrated in Figures 8 to 11, forms a jointed union the one with the other.
G, denotes a conduit in which my improved hanger is shown in position.
While I do not limit myself to any specific form of track, it will facilitate the
firm holding of the track in place to corrugate its base, as shown at, b.
The insulation may be in the form of an insulating trough to receive the track,
its sides conforming to the corrugated base of the track when the jaws are closed
thereupon.
While, moreover, I do not limit myself to constructing the members or
jawe, A, A¹, of any particular material, they may be made of glass or porcelain,
in which case, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the flexible supporting strip may be
provided with upturned extremities, &, engaging the outer edges of the members.
If the members are made of metal I prefer to have them painted or enameled, so as
to render them to the fullest possible extent a non-conductor.
By making the groove for the track in the form of a dove-tail, the members may
more securely clamp the track therein, although I do not limit myself thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a trolley track hanger, two clamping members provided with an under-
lying flexible support, said members having a channel between their adjacent edges
to receive the track, substantially as described.
2. In a trolley track hanger, two clamping members channeled between their
adjacent edges to receive the track and provided with an underlying flexible
support, said members having laterally extended flanges, substantially as described.
3. In a trolley track hanger, two clamping members having a channel to receive
the track between their adjacent edges, said edges being milled or serrated, substan-
tially as described.
4. In a trolley track hanger, the combination with a base, of a series of track
hangers engaged thereupon, said hangers each constructed with two clamping
members provided with a channel to receive the track between their meeting edges
and provided with an underlying flexible support, substantially as described.
5. In a trolley track hanger, the combination with a base, of two clamping
members secured thereupon provided with an underlying flexible support and
having a channel to engage a track between their adjacent edges, the members
being supported in an open position before the engagement of the track in said
channel, and arranged to close upon the track when brought firmly into engagement
with said base, substantially as described.

page_text: 6. In a trolley track hanger, two clamping members having a channel between
their meeting edges to receive a track, one member provided with a loop, and the
other member with a recessed lip to receive said loop, and a flexible support located
beneath and engaging both members, substantially as described.
7. In a trolley track hanger, two clamping members having a jointed engage-
ment one with the other and provided with a channel between their meeting edges
to receive a track, and a flexible support located below said members, substantially
as described.
Dated this 6th day of October 1809
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.