Improvements in Underground Conduits or Trenches for Electric Railways and the Like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
Improvements in Underground Conduits or Trenches for Electric
Railways and the Like.
We, JOHN DAVID GRIFFEN, and GEORGE SUMNER SMALL, both of No. 60 Broadway,
in the City of New York, County and State of New York, U.S.A., Gentlemen, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of underground
conduits or trenches for the operation of street or railway cars by electricity, so that
ample air space or insulation is provided surrounding the conductor to obviate arcing,
and so that neither water nor trash can enter the casing or chamber in which the
conductor is contained and so that frozen debris entering at the slot rails cannot
interfere with the free running or travel of the trolley arm, the latter entering the
conductor chamber or casing through two top slots one opening from below the other
opening from the top and both offset to one side of the slot rails.
We prefer to form the main trench by means of metal yokes set at suitable intervals
in the ground, the intermediate space between said yokes being closed out by cement.
or metal walls, the yokes having such form of construction as not only to form trench
side stays and bottom sills but also to support the slot rails at the street level. In the
main trench thus formed we employ a partition or diaphragm fastened to or supported
by the yokes in a manner to form a trolley casing closed at its bottom and sides and
extending along the trench and of ample size to air-insulate the conductor. The top
of this trolley casing is open to form a slot near the top of the main trench and to
one side of the slot rails. Another slot opening from the bottom is formed by a
guard plate located at a point between the said top downwardly opening slot to the
trolley casing and the slot rails, and in connection with these two oppositely opening
slots we employ a twice bent trolley arm, the bends or angles being so formed as to
clear the lower edge of the guard plate and the upper edge of the diaphragm by
sufficient space to allow free up and down play sufficient to allow the trolley arm to
accommodate itself to the usual and unavoidable rocking and jolting of the car in passing
along the track.
Our invention is illustrated with sufficient detail in the accompanying drawings
to which reference is made and which form a part of this specification.
A represents the metal yokes set at intervals in the ground, and D¹ D¹ represent
the slot rails. Within the chamber C in the trench is formed a trolley casing or
chamber G which encloses the conductor H. This casing or chamber G is formed by
a metal diaphragm J, the upper edge of which approaches the slot rails D¹ leaving a
top upwardly opening slot 6 for the trolley arm E. The opposite side of the diaphragm J
is by preference secured to the yokes by bolts c and is supported by the yokes
preferably by means of the rests or arms J¹ secured by bolts to the yokes as shown.
The top slot b is located to one side of the slot d between the slot rails, and the side
of the diaphragm J is held at a sharp slope or angle so that any water, dirt, slush,
snow or ice which may enter from the street will not lodge on the diaphragm but will
drop down to the bottom of the trench.

page_text: The downwardly opening slot e is formed by the top of the diaphragm J and a
and b. The
flange or guard plate K secured to the structure between the slots
lower edge of the guard plate K is by preference slanted as shown to shed drip and is
on substantially the same horizontal plane with the diaphragm J, though it may be
lower or a trifle higher without departing from the spirit of our invention.
The trolley arm E may be connected to the car in any suitable manner and may be
provided at its inner end with a trolley wheel H' as shown or any suitable means for
proper contact with the conductor H supported by spring arms L and insulators f.
The said trolley arm is formed with a straight upper section h and a crooked lower
section h¹, the lower bend i serving to enter the downwardly opening slot e and clear
the adjacent edge of guard K, the upper bend serving to enter the upwardly opening
slot b and to clear the adjacent edge of the diaphragm J.
We lay no claim to any special means for connecting the trolley arm to the car, or
for making proper contact with the conductor in the trench or for providing it with
a properly insulated wire or strip for carrying the current from the conductor to the
motor as for these things we employ means now well known and in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. A main trench having a diaphragm supported therein to form a chamber for the
conductor and the upper edge of which together with the main trench forms a slot,
a guard plate secured to the structure between the street slot and the edge of the said
diaphragm in a manner to form a downwardly opening slot as specified.
2. A diaphragm secured in the main trench to form a slot b, and a guard plate
located between the said slot b and the street slot in a manner to form a third slot e
combined with a bent trolley arm substantially as described.
3. An underground trolley conduit or trench constructed substantially as shown in
the drawings.