Improvements in or relating to Electric Railway Conduits and Conductors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Electric Railway Conduits and
Conductors.
A communication from RAYMOND SNYERS, of 76, Rue Mercelis, Brussels, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to electric railway conduits and means for effecting elec-
tric connection between the car and the cable in the conduit.
The construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in cross section comprises chiefly a pro-
tective covering G made of insulating material (such for instance as compressed
paper-pulp and bitumen, or compressed paper pulp and cement) which receives
the conductor C, which is thus protected against any accidental contact and is
as safe as a wire surrounded by an insulating cover.
The covering G is contained in a casing constituted by two longitudinal steel
members F F having between them a slot J for the purpose hereinafter described.
The part G is connected to or contained in one of the longitudinal members. If
the channel is to contain two conductors, a second covering is formed in the
other longitudinal member. The peculiarity of this casing arranged as described
consists in the fact that it is in connection with a sheet iron drain or passage N
in which collects all the water etc. which may pass through the slot J, into a
channel arranged at the side of the casing and covered by movable plates D, so
that the apparatus can be easily examined and cleaned at any point of its length,
The two longitudinal members are secured on small cross-members or bars so
that the casing and its drain N constitute a complete conduit. This enables all
the apparatus to be constructed and completely finished in the workshops and to
be divided into sections which are brought to the place desired and bolted together
in order to form the conduit. As regards the conductor C, it terminates at each
end of each section in a terminal, and each terminal is connected outside to
the adjoining terminal of the next section so as to establish the continuity of
electric transmission. The casing may occupy the centre of the line; or it may
be placed at the side, then one of the longitudinal members F¹ may be utilised as a
rail as shown in Figure 2.
The passage of the current from the conductor C to the car is effected by means
of a small four-wheel truck (Fig. 3) rolling on small rails R. R¹ carried on the
cross bars T. If these rails are mounted on insulators, they may be also utilised
as return.
The longitudinal member connecting the wheels G1 G2 on one side of the truck
supports rollers T¹ T¹ making contact with the conductor C. These rollers T¹ T
are carried on rods pivotted on upright bars connected to the longitudinal member
of the truck, the other ends of the pivotted bars being controlled by springs r. T.
attached at their lower ends to the longitudinal member of the truck, so that

page_text: the rollers are constantly pressed upwards against the conductor C. From the
springs the current passes to a fine metallic blade L enclosed but movable in
an insulated sheath or covering H which passes through the slot J of the casing.
The plate is surmounted by terminals B from which conducting wires extend to
the motor on the car. The sheath II is attached, on the other hand, by means
of cords M to the car, which draws the small truck with it. By withdrawing the
contact plate L partly or wholly out of the sheath H contact between it and the
springs is broken so that no current will then pass to the car from
the conductor C.
Points and crossings. The switching apparatus Figs. 4, 5 and 5bis comprises
a steel casing A B A 1, the top being of sufficient thickness to withstand the
overhanging pressure of the point D2. This casing contains a sheet metal
casing in which are arranged all the parts of the small underground line.
The casing C pivotted at K is movable laterally so as to guide the truck either
to one or to the other line. The switching operation is effected by means of a
rod t secured to the switching device of the tram line.
Owing to the increased thickness C₁ 1) (see sections Figs. 4 and 5) of the top of
the casing A B A B (shown in plan in Fig. 5bis), the line in the neighbour-
hood of the points is embedded in the ground to a greater depth than at the
casing. The truck enters and passes out of this deeper portion by means of two
small inclined planes V V1 (Fig. 5). It must be pointed out that there is no
interruption of the current at the points. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on
the line of Fig. 5bis and Fig. 5 a vertical longitudinal section on the line Z Z
of Fig. 5bis
Fig. is a plan view of the line crossing comprising a cast iron crossing to
which are bolted adjoining casings. The insulating sheath containing the con-
ductors being interrupted in the planes aa, bb, ab the conductors are also inter-
rupted in the same planes; nevertheless as the distance between the two contact
wheels of the truck is greater than the width a a the current is transmitted to
the car without interruption.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:--
1. A covering or casing made of insulating material of such form as to avoid
accidental contacts and losses of current and to act as an insulating sheath to
the conductor substantially as described.
2. A covering or casing of the character described in combination with a con-
duit constituted by longitudinal metallic members and a draining channel at the
side of said conduit said channel giving access to the conduit at any desired point
of its length substantially as described.
3. In combination with the devices described means for transmitting current
from the conductor to the car through the intermediary of a small truck drawn.
by the car by means of cords substantially as described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete conduit
for underground electric traction cables substantially as described and illustrated
in Figure 1 or in Figure 2.or in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete means
for transmitting current from the conductor to the car substantially as described
or illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of February 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.