Improvements in or relating to the Conduit System of Electric Railways.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Conduit System of Electric
Railways.'
A communication by OSCAR AXEL ENHOLM, of Summit Park, in the County and
State of New York, United States of America, Electrical Engineer.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 the class of electric railway conduit systems wherein a
main conductor is connected with a series of separate or insulated sections that are
successively brought into electrical connection with said main conductor or circuit
by the passage of a car or motor, and these improvements pertain to novel means
for making successive electrical connection between said sections and the mair
conductor or circuit.
In carrying out the invention a main feed conductor or circuit and a series of
separate or insulated sections or conductors are provided upon which the trolley
wheels or contacts carried by a car are arranged to bear, each of which sections is
connected with a switch mechanism whereby said sections are normally out of circuit
with the main conductor. The successive switch mechanisms are connected together
by devices so arranged that the passage of a car, while causing one switch to
turn to bring the corresponding conductor section into circuit with the main
conductor, operates the switch of a preceding section to throw it out of circuit
therewith, so that only two sections will be in circuit with the main conductor
at a time.
These devices are located in a conduit beneath the surface of a
roadbed, and the switch mechanisms are located near the ends of the conductor
sections.
The invention further consists in the novel details of improvement and the
combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed
out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof,
wherein,
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section, on the plane of the line 1, 1 in Figure 3,
showing the improvements in position in the conduit.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the conduit on the plane of the line 2, 2
in Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 2.
Figure 3 is a similar view on the plane of the line 3, 3 in Figure 1, looking in
the direction of the arrow 3.
Figure 4 is a horizontal longitudinal section on the plane of the line 4, 4 in
Figure 1, and
Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal line on the plane of the line 2, 2 in Figure 1.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals of
reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1, indicates
a suitable conduit located beneath the roadbed 2. The conduit 1 is provided
with a longitudinal slot 3 for the passage of a plow 4 that depends from a car (not
shown) which may be provided with any suitable electric motor for propelling it.
5, 5 are longitudinal wear or rib plates shown projecting through the slot 3.
manholes or compartments connected with the side of the conduit 1, and located
at suitable distances apart, say every 20 feet, and provided with covers 7, to permit
6 are

page_text: access to the switch mechanisms hereinafter explained. 8, 8 are sections of an
auxiliary conductor, shown in the form of flat bars, carried by insulated hangers 9,
depending from the top 10 of the conduit 1. The sections 8, 8 may be separated
by space, or by any desired insulation so that they will normally be out of electrical
contact, and they are arranged end to end longitudinally of the conduit 1 (see
Figure 4). 11 is a trolley wheel or contact that is carried by a bracket 12 on
the arm 4, and normally in contact with the trolley sections 8,-8 so as to lead
current therefrom to the car motor. 13 is a continuous conductor or rail carried
by insulated hangers 14 depending from the top of the conduit 1, the conductor 13
being engaged by a trolley roller or contact 15 on a bracket 16 on the arm 4, and
insulated from the bracket 12, to carry the return or negative current.
:-
Within the compartments or manholes 6, and carried by the vertical wall 1ª of
the conduit 1, is the improved switch mechanism for making electrical_connection
This switch
between the conductor sections 8, 8 and the main conductor 17.
mechanism is organized as follows:-
18 is a plate of insulating material, say rubber or fibre, secured on the wall 19*,
within the compartment 6.
The box 19, has a removable cover or side 20 to permit
access to the contained mechanism. The box 19 registers with an opening 21 in
the wall 1ª. 22 is a rock shaft journalled in the side 19 of the box 19 and in the
insulation 18, and 23 is a contact plate carried by the shaft 22 to be turned thereby.
The plate 23 is insulated from the shaft 22, as by insulation 24 carried by said shaft
and held thereto by a nut 25. As shown in Figure 3 the contact 23 is curved or
circular at 26; and has diametrically opposite projecting wings 27, 27" that are
preferably turned outwardly at 28, 28 (see Figure 1). 29 is a spring contact
normally in engagement with the plate 23 at 26, and connected to a binding post 30,
to which the main conductor 17 is connected, as in Figure 3. The conductor 17 is
similarly connected with all the boxes 19 in the system. 31 is a spring contact
connected with a binding post 32 which leads by a wire 33 to one end of a section 8
of the auxiliary conductor. 31° is a similar spring contact connected with a binding
When the
post 32 from which extends a wire 33" to another conductor section 8.
contact plate 23 is turned the parts 28 and 28ª make electrical connection with the
contact 31 and 31* respectively.
The plate 23 is to be turned to make electrical connection between the
conductors 8 and 17, as above stated, by the passing car, and for this purpose there
is secured on the shaft 22 a crank or arm 34, that is provided with segmental
gears 35, which mesh with similar gears 36 carried by an arm 37 journalled on the
box 19. 38 is a curved arm or lever connected to the crank or lever 37, or its
pivot 39, whereby when the crank or lever 38 is depressed the gears 35 and 36 will
cause the two cranks or arms 34 and 37 to approach, as at the left in Figure 5, and
when the lever 38 is raised said cranks will separate as at the right in Figure 5 and
in Figure 2.
The crank or arm 34 of box 20, and the crank or arı 37 of the next box are
connected together by a rod 40 as in Figure 5, and so on throughout the series.
The rods 40 have heads or enlargements 41, 41" at their ends and said rods 40 pass
In their
freely through suitable apertures in the ends of the cranks 34 and 37.
normal positions the enlargement or head 41 on a rod 40 and the end of the crank
or rod 34 are separated a short distance as in Figure 5 to permit said crank to have
a slight independent movement without pulling its rod 40.
42 is a bar or arm projecting froin the arm 4 and carrying a friction roller 43 to
bear on the levers 38 to depress them successively as in Figure 1.
The operation is as follows :—
In the normal positions the parts 28 and 28" of contact plate 23 are out of
contact with the contacts 31 and 31 as in Figure 3, and there is no current in the
respective conductor sections 8, 8. When a car reaches a box 19 the roller 43
depresses the lever 38, which acts to move the crank arm 34 and 37 together as in
Figure 5, at the left hand side, whereupon the shaft 22 will be rocked to turn the
plate 23. The parts 28 and 28* will now engage the contacts 31 and 31, thus

page_text: closing the circuit from the main conductor 17 through 36, 29, 26, 23, 28, 31, 32
and 33 to one conductor section 8, and also through 28, 31, 32* and 33* to the
other section 8 whereby the trolley 11 will take current from the section 8 it may
happen to be in contact with, and others supply the motor on the car with current.
When the car reaches the next box 20 it will depress the corresponding lever 38,
whereupon the corresponding cranks 34, and 27, will approach to close the circuit
in the box 19 as before stated. This movement of the crank 34 will draw its
corresponding rod 40 longitudinally whereupon its head 41* will act to turn the
crank 37 of the previously passed box 19 to disconnect the respective contacts 28, 31
and 28 and 31 of that box, so that the corresponding conductor sections 8, 8 will
thereupon be cut out from the main line. The independent initial movement of the
crank 34 before it engages the head 41 of its rod 40 prevents the rod 40 from
engaging crank 27 by pulling it too far and allows contact to be made at 28 and 31
in the corresponding box 19 before the section 8 is cut out at the preceding box 19,
so that while a car is over a section 8 the latter will always be supplied with
Thus it will be seen that as the car passes from box to box, contact will
be made in one box and disconnection made in the preceding box, between the
main conductor and the auxiliary sections 8, 8 so that not more than two sections 8, 8
will be supplied with current at a time. The object of supplying two sections with
current at the same time is to allow the car if so desired, to be reversed and run
backwards. The independent movement of the rods 40 in their respective crank
arms 34 and 37 permits proper to-and-fro action of said rods as they are operated
by their respective cranks. It will also be understood that the depression of one
lever 38 causes the restoring of the preceding lever and its connected parts, which
will not occur until such time as the car reaches another box, so that if a car stops
between the boxes there will be no danger of its becoming "stalled" on account
of a lever 38 acting spontaneously to break the circuit in a section 8, this only
being accomplished when a car reaches another box 19. The make and break of
the circuit in the boxes is entirely automatic, being governed by the passage of a
car over a switch box 19.
current.
This improved system is entirely safe, as only the sections 8, 8 immediately
beneath a car are in electrical connection, with the main conductor, the latter being
thoroughly insulated from the earth and having no connection therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1
1. An underground electric railway system comprising a main conductor, an
auxiliary conductor composed of separate or insulated sections, switch mechanism
for connecting said sections successively with the main conductor, and positive
mechanism connecting said switch mechanisms together, so that the operation of
one switch to close the circuit from the main conductor to an auxiliary conductor
section will mechanically operate to cut out another of said sections from circuit
with the main conductor, substantially as described.
2. An underground electric railway system, comprising a main conductor, an
auxiliary conductor composed of separate or insulated sections, switch mechanisms
for connecting said sections with said main conductor, said switch mechanisins
comprising contacts connected with the conductor sections, a contact connected
with the main conductor, a movable contact for closing the circuit between the
main conductor, and two conductor sections, a crank or arm connected with said
movable contact, another crank or arm operated conjointly with the first mentioned
crank or arm, a lever or arm for actuating said cranks, and rods connecting the
opposing cranks or succeeding switch mechanisms, whereby when one switch is
operated to close the circuit, another switch will be operated to break the circuit
through it, substantially as set forth.
3. An underground electric railway system comprising a main conductor, an
auxiliary conductor composed of separate or insulated sections, with mechanisms

page_text: for connecting said sections with said main conductor, said switch mechanisms
comprising contacts connected with the conductor sections, a contact connected
with the main conductor, a rotative contact normally in circuit with the main
conductor and having portions to engage the contacts of the conductor sections, a
crank or arm connected with said rotative contact, another crank or arm and
gearing between said crank or arms whereby they operate to approach and recede
from each other conjointly and rods connected with the opposing cranks of the
successive switch mechanisms, said rods having movable connection with said cranks
or arms, the cranks connected with the contact plates having independent motion
with respect to its connected rod to permit it to move a certain distance before
actuating its respective rod, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
4. An underground electric railway system comprising a conduit, an auxiliary
conductor consisting of separate or insulated sections carried within said conduit
compartments or manholes located at suitable distances apart and connected with
the side of said conduit, switch mechanisms located within said compartments or
manholes, and comprising a movable contact having a rock shaft projecting into
said conduit, said rock shaft carrying a lever or arm for engagement with a trolley
wheel or roller, a main conductor having a branch contact for said switch mechanism
in normal engagement with said movable contact, a separate contact for each
switch mechanism connected with said adjoining conductor sections, a crank or
arms connected with each movable conductor, a separate arm for each switch
mechanism and gearing between each pair of said cranks or arms, and rods or
connections connecting the opposing cranks or arms of the successive switch
mechanisms, all arranged for operation, substantially as set forth.
5. A switch mechanism comprising a movable contact, a contact 29 in normal
engagement therewith, contacts 31 and 32 normally out of engagement therewith,
the movable contact having portions adapted to engage the contacts 31 and 31ª, a
crank or arm connected with said movable contact, a separate crank or arm and
devices for causing joint operation of said cranks or arms to move them toward
and from each other as and for the purposes specified.
6. A switch mechanism comprising a box 19, an insulating plate 18 carried
thereby, a rock shaft 22, a contact carried thereby, a contact 29 normally in
engagement therewith, contacts 31 and 31ª normally out of engagement therewith,
said movable contact having portions 28 and 28 to engage the contacts 31 and 31*,
a crank or arm 34 connected with the shaft 32 and having gears 35, a separate
crank or arm having gears 36 to engage the gears 35 and a lever or arm 38
connected with the crank 37, whereby said cranks or arms are operated conjointly,
as and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.