IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS, FOR TRANSMITTING AND COLLECTING, CURRENTS IN ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: I MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, of Royal Insurance Buildings, Halifax in the
County of York, Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS, FOR TRANSMITTING AND COLLECTING,
CURRENTS IN ELECTRIC RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This invention relates, to further improvements in apparatus for purpose afore-
said, for which letters patent No 1014, were granted to me, dated the 24th day of
February 1883, and No 5065 dated 24th October 1883.
According to this my invention, one construction or arrangement thereof
comprises, as insulators, discs or knobs, of porcelain, or other insulating material,
having clamping or holding grooves, and draining or dripping grooves, supported
or held in position, at intervals of the length of the line, by pegs or stakes, of wood,
driven into the ground, and to which stakes, the insulators are clamped-The
insulator holds a stud, which carries the conductor, consisting of metal rails, bars,
or troughs, of rectangular, semicircular, or other section-When the conductor is
of rectangular form, and placed edgeways, then the collector consists of two flanged
shoes, or runners, one on the top, and one at the bottom of the conductor bar,
these shoes, being held together, by adjustable rods and springs, and the upper
one is provided with means of attachment, for its propulsion, and fittings for the
transfer of the electric current-When the metal conductor is placed in a horizontal,
instead of a vertical position, then it can be carried by upright studs, held in
insulators, by horizontal timbers, attached to, or being part of, the transverse
sleepers A slightly modified form, of flanged collector shoes, or runners, being
employed-or two conductor rails may be carried by projecting studs, as described,
the flanged collector shoes, running between the said conductor rails, and pressed
outward by adjustable springs-The grooved insulator, may be held in an iron
frame, there being a packing of tar'd rope, or other like substance, intervening,
between the insulator, and the holding frame.
When the insulators are to be placed within a channel, the clamping boards,
may be bolted to the side frames, of the channel, or, the clamping boards, being
wedge shaped, may be driven into a box chair, and so clamp the insulator, and be
held in position.

page_text: The heads of the insulated studs, are of form suitable for holding the conductor
bars for example, when the bars are rectangular, the stud. may have a T head,
with slotted holes, through which set screws, or bolts pass, these holes are slotted,
to compensate for inaccuracy in drilling or punching the conductor bars, and when
the conductors are C shape, the head of the stud, forms a clamp, free to slide upon
the conductor, and provided with a space, for key or set screw, for holding the
C conductor, when in position.
When using iron conductors, within a channel, then in order to admit of the use
of relatively small bars, or tubes, I employ in combination therewith, an insulated
conductor, of copper or metal of high conductivity, connected at intervals, with the
exposed iron conductor or conductors, these copper wires, may be placed along
the sides of the channel, or one such insulated copper wire, may be within a
groove, at the bottom of the channel, formed between the two side frames, the said
groove being filled with insulating material.

page_text: I MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, of Royal Insurance Buildings, Halifax, in the
County of York, Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND COLLECTING
CURRENTS IN ELECTRIC RAILWAYS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates, to further improvements in apparatus for. purpose afore-
said, for which letters patent No 1014 were granted to me, dated the 24th day of
February 1883, and No 5065 dated 24th October 1883.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention, the following is a
complete description of same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
forming a part of this specification in which drawings similar figures of reference
refer to like parts in the several views :-
At Figs. 1. 2. 3. 4 sheet 1. and 5. 6. 7 sheet 2. 8. 9 sheet 3. are insulators, discs or
knobs, of porcelain 1. or other insulating material, having clamping or holding
grooves 2, and draining or dripping grooves 3, supported or held in position;
at intervals of the length of the line, by pegs or stakes of wood 4, and to which
the insulators 1 are clamped or wedged as shewn at 5-The insulator holds a
stud 6, which carries the conductor 7 consisting of metal rails, bars, or troughs, of
rectangular, semicircular, or other section see Figs. 10 to 17 sheet 4-When the
conductor 7 is of rectangular form, and placed edgeways see Figs. 18 to 21 sheet 5,
then the collector consists of two flanged shoes, or runners 8, one on the top, and
one at the bottom of the conductor bar, these shoes, being held together; by
abjustable rods 10, and springs 11, and the upper one is provided with means of
attachment 12, for its propulsion, and fittings 13 for the transfer of the electric
current-When the metal conductor 7 is placed in a horizontal, instead of a
vertical position see Fig. 18ª sheet 1-then it can be carried by upright studs 6;
held in insulators 1, by horizontal timbers 4, attached to, or being part of the
transverse sleepers 15.
A slightly modified form of flanged collector shoes or runners of various sections
as illustrated by Fig. 18 sheet 1, may be employed-Two conductors may be
carried by projecting studs 6 the heads of these studs are of such form as to readily
receive and support conductors 7 and when the wedges keys or pins 23 are intro-
duced and forced up, the conductors are securely held in position as shewn at
Figs. 10 to 17 sheet 4.
The collectors running between two conductors may be of form similar to those
shewn at Figs. 22. 23. 24 sheet 4-In Fig. 22 the shoes 8. 8 are employed, in
Fig. 23 brushes 24. 24. whilst at Fig. 24. the runners or rollers 25. 25. are employed,
all are provided as shewn with mechanism for regulating and maintaining uniform
contact, between conductors and collectors, by reason of expansion and contraction
of the parts upon their joint point 26, so as to compensate for any inaccuracy in
the relative positions of the conductors.
The hollow or C conductors 7 are jointed or connected to each other so as to
maintain electric contact, by means of reverse taper wedges of metal shewn at 29.

page_text: .
Figs. 25. 26. sheet 6, the electric current passing from one length of conductor to
the adjoining length, by way or means of the metallic wedges 29, soldered or brazed
thereto as also each terminating end or where a crossing or break occurs, is provided
with the curved and tapered horn shaped piece of metal 30 whereby the collector
is guided on to the conductors.
Figs. 27. 28. 29 are views shewing insulator 1, held in position by means of
taper pin 5 driven into the wood 31 a portion of the diameter of the pin being
received within the groove 2 of the insulator.
When the insulators 1 are to be placed within a channel see Fig. 30 sheet 3. the
clamping boards 4 may be bolted to the side frames 32. of the channel, or the
clamping boards 4. being wedge shaped may be driven into a box chair 19.
Figs. 5. 6. 7 sheet. 2, 8 and 9 sheet 3, and so clamp the insulator 1. and be held in
position.
The heads of the insulated studs, are of form suitable for holding the conductor
bare, for example, when the bars are rectangular, the stud may have. a T head, 20,
Figs. 31. 32. with slotted holes 21. through which set screws or bolts 22 pass,
these holes are slotted, to compensate for inaccuracy in drilling or punching the
conductor bars, and when the conductors 7 are C shape Fig. 33-the head of the.
stud 6 forms a clamp, free to slide upon the conductor, and provided with a space
for introduction of a wedge, key, or set screw 23, for holding the C conductor,
when in position.
When using iron conductors, within a channel, then in order to admit of the
use of relatively small bars, or tubes, I employ in combination therewith, a con-
ductor, of copper or metal of high conductivity 33 see Fig. 11 sheet. 4 and Fig. 34
sheet 3, connected with the exposed iron conductor or the copper conductor may
be insulated and laid within the channel or groove and connected at intervals with
the exposed conductor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. Insulators having grooves for and when combined with clamping pieces
substantially as herein described and illustrated by drawings annexed.
2. Insulators having grooves for and clamped as described and having dripping
grooves all in combination and substantially as herein described and illustrated.
3. Studs insulated; and carrying the conductors, the studs and conductors
being constructed, combined, and secured as described and substantially as
.illustrated.
4. The conductor or conductors, collector_or_collectors, and carrying or supporting
; studs combined, and as herein fully described and substantially as illustrated by
the drawings.
5. Conductors or sections (such as illustrated on sheet 2) combined with and
connected by reverse taper wedges or taper keys for purpose and substantially as
illustrated by the drawings annexed.