A New or Improved Underground Duct for Electric Railway Leads and a Contact Slide to Work therein.
Year: 1897

page_text: A New or Improved Underground Duct for Electric Railway Leads
and a Contact Slide to Work therein.
I, HERMANN THEODOR HILLISCHER, of 11, Stefanplatz, Vienna, Austria, Dentist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to underground ducts for the leads for electric railways,
which ducts are of simple construction and can be made secure against all atnio-
spheric influences, and are specially adapted to prevent the cable from forming
an earth circuit in the event of heavy rainfall or of the duct becoming filled by a
heavy fall of snow. Further objects of the invention are the simplicification of
the manufacture of and of the diverse repairs necessary for such ducts, the provision
of a more intimate contact between the contact slide and the lead, and, finally,
some constructive arrangements which are more fully described herein,
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the contact slide and the duct.
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
The duct, laid in the permanent way and provided with an effective drainage
system, is formed of a U-shaped trough A, one limb A', of which is not so long
as the other limb A2, which latter also serves as the running rail; on the upper
edge of the shorter limb A¹ is a rail A³, the head of which is considerably extended
towards the running rail A³, is fixed in a suitable manner, and under the extended
head of this rail A³ the cable K is fastened by insulating means.
Under the head of the running rail A² are flaps B on pivots parallel to the
running rail. These flaps are pressed upwards by appropriate springs so that
their outer edges lie against the inner under edge of the head of the rail A³.
These flaps B, arranged closely against each other along the whole length of the
duct, prevent the entrance of rain, snow, &c., into the duct and thus avoid the
formation of an earth circuit with the cable.
The contact slide which is to be used in connection with this duct consists of a
slide C with guide rollers C¹ running on the inner edges of A3 and A³ whose lower,
bent up arm C3 bears against the cable K underneath the head of the rail A³
A lead C consisting of a copper core with an iron sheath, passes, well insulated,
through the slide; this lead is surrounded by a well insulated coil (+ one end of
which is connected with the upper end and the other with the lower end of C³.
A part of the current is thus passed through the coil and magnetises the iron sheath
of the lead so that this is attracted to the iron cable K (which may have a copper
core) and an intimate contact is secured. The contact between the lead C³ em-
bedded in the slide and the lead C5 passing into the vehicle is made as follows:-
The upper end of the lead C and the lower end of the lead C5 are cup-shaped and
between them is a small metal sphere C6; an elastic sleeve C7 is drawn over the
ends of the leads to prevent the sphere from falling out. Springs C8, attached on
the one hand to the lead C and on the other hand to the slide C, draw this slide
towards the lead C5 so that the prolongation C³ of the slide presses against the
гр

page_text: cable K; in this way, an intimate contact between the leads C, C³ and the balls C6
is maintained and at the same time a good, articulated coupling between the slide
and the lead C³ is procured.
This invention allows the parts of the lead and the cable to be easily and con-
veniently removed and repaired. In the first place the rails A' and A2 are removed
in the usual way. The separate lengths of the cable K are ready mounted on the
separate pieces of the rail A³ and then these pieces are fastened to the short limbs A¹
of the duct A. For repairing the cable it suffices to remove that piece of the
rail A³ which corresponds with the injured section without disturbing the duct or
the running rail.
During the movement of the vehicle the inclines on the bottom part C of the
slide bear upon the edges of the flaps B and press them successively downwards
sufficiently low to allow of the entrance of the arm of the slide under the head
of the rail A³. For diminishing friction the lowest part of the surface C may be
provided with a ball or roller Co. When the slide has passed over a flap, this
closes of itself, being actuated by its spring, so that only a short length of the
duct is ever open.
The arrangement of the contact slide herein described renders it possible quickly
and conveniently to disconnect the same from the vehicle, so that when one vehicle
is to be put out of use its connection with the contact slide can be immediately
severed. The vehicle can then be run at once on another track for repairs &c.
The contact slide, however, can remain in the duct to be attached to another
vehicle. Obviously, in certain places parts of the length of the rail A³ must be
arranged to be especially easily lifted in order that the contact slide may be
removed for repair and be replaced, as in the other parts of the line the prolongation
of the contact slide evidently cannot be removed from the duct.
Dated this 16th day of December 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
A New or Improved Underground Duct for Electric Railway Leads
and a Contact Slide to Work therein.
I, HERMANN THEODOR HILLISCHER, of 11, Stefansplatz, Vienna, Austria, Dentist,
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:
This invention relates to underground ducts for the leads for electric railways,
which ducts are of simple construction and can be made secure against all atmo-
spheric influences, and are specially adapted to prevent the cable from forming
an earth circuit in the event of heavy rainfall or of the duct becoming filled by a
heavy fall of snow. Further objects of the invention are the simplification of
the manufacture of and of the diverse repairs necessary for such ducts, the provision
of a more intimate contact between the contact slide and the lead, and finally,
some constructive arrangements which are more fully described herein, re-
ference being had to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved construction, the upper part of the
contact rail being broken off. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation partly in section of the trolley and some adjacent parts of
the rails.

page_text: A is the running rail of ordinary kind having its foot connected by transverse
connecting pieces 11 with the flange of a Trail B having its web reinforced at its
upper portion and a shoulder B* formed on its outer side. C is a U rail with
sides of unequal height which is fixed bottom upwards on B its free edge resting
on the shoulder B*. The other side of the U rail is turned towards the running
rail A. DD are the current supplying conductors, which are secured to the U rail
between its sides, and are carefully insulated therefrom. The slot between the head
of the rail A and C is normally closed by plates or flaps E, pivotted to the head
of A, and held against the bottom edge of the inner side of Û by springs El.
Thus a channel is formed in which the conductors D D are protected from dust,
moisture etc.
Moreover according to the above described construction the rails A and B can
be laid first and then the U rails C, with the conductors DD on them, can be
secured to the rails B, and thus the construction of the line is cheapened, and
repairs are materially facilitated.
The trolley or contact device consists of a carriage F having rollers F running
on the rails A and C; G is a contact arm, guided in, but insulated from the
carriage, its outer curved end enters from below, into the hollow of the U rail C
and is provided with contact rollers G'G' running along the conductors DD.
G2 is a spring on the carriage tending to raise the contact arm G causing good
contact between the rollers G₁ and the conductors DD. G³ is a nut for attaching
the end of the contact arm G to the lower end of a rod H projecting down from the
vehicle, this rod being electrically connected to the motor on the vehicle. I I are
rollers journalled in the carriage F and running over and depressing the plates
or flaps E.
The operation of the device above described is as follows:-
-
The rod H of a vehicle being connected to the contact arm G of a trolley, and
the motor circuit being completed, the vehicle together with the trolley moves
along the rail.
The rollers I of the trolley on reaching each flap or plate E depress it so that
the contact arm G can pass it freely as shewn in Fig. 2 and when the rollers have
left the flaps or plates E these are forced up by the springs E, closing the channel,
so that none of the flaps or plates E are open except those over which the trolley is
running. Thus at all times only a comparatively very small portion of the channel
is open, and dust, moisture, &c., are very efficiently excluded from its interior.
At end stations the trolley may be separated from a vehicle by simply loosening
the nut G³, and another vehicle may be connected to the trolley.
In order that the trolley may be lifted out of the channel, the lower part G*
of the straight shank is made square or polygonal-in cross section, the upper part
being circular. On depressing the contact arm in opposition to the spring G³, so
far that the square portion G is disengaged from a square portion in which it
fits the guide, the contact arm can be turned one quarter round so that its curved
portion is in line with the channel as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and then
the trolly can be lifted out of the channel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In an electric railway a channel formed along one of the running rails,
spring actuated plates pivotted to the rail and normally closing the channel, a
trolley carried by the vehicle, and having a vertically guided contact arm end
bending under one edge of the channel and making contact with current supplying
conductors under that edge the trolley having rollers to run over and depress the
pivotted plates, substantially as described.
2. In an electric railway the combination of a running rail and a flanged rail,
a rail in form of an inverted U fixed by one of its sides to the web of the flanged
rail, current supplying conductors placed in the hollow of the U rail, spring

page_text: actuated plates pivotted to the inner side of the running rail and normally held
against the bottom edge of the U rail, a trolley running on the running rail and
the rail and having an arm making contact with the current supplying con-
ductors and depressing the pivotted plates, substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of June 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.