Improvements in Trolley Apparatus for use in connection with Electric Traction.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trolley Apparatus for use in connection with
Electric Traction.
I, ISAAC EVERSON WINSLOW, of 35, Parliament Street, in the City of West-
minster, London, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement ;-
This invention has for its object to provide improved trolley apparatus for use
in connection with the overhead conductors of electric railways, tramways and
the like, and consists in constructing the said apparatus so that, as compared
with similar apparatus already in use, it shall be more compact, better insulated
and better protected against rain, snow, or the like.
I will describe my invention by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings
in which:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a view partly in elevation taken at right angles to Figure 1 and
partly in vertical section taken on the crooked line 2-2 of Figure 1 and
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are horizontal sections of the apparatus taken respectively
on the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 of Figure 1.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a standard A constructed of a
base a adapted to be secured to the roof of the railway or other vehicle, a socket a¹,
and a preferably steel tube a² the latter fitted at its ends into the said base and
socket. Within the socket a¹ but insulated therefrom by a non-conducting ring a³,
I provide a ball-race a for accommodating a ring of anti-friction balls 6 which,
through a conical ring b¹ and a head B supports an inner tube C (also preferably
of steel) the lower end of which is maintained central within the tube a² and
base a by a ring of anti-friction balls 62 interposed between a ball-race c adjustably
secured upon the inner tube C, and a conical ring a secured in the base a and
insulated therefrom by a non-conducting ring a².
For convenience of description the upper and lower ball-bearings supporting the
inner tube C are hereinafter referred to by the letters be respectively.
The head B is rigidly secured to the upper end of the inner tube C and has an
annular flange and lip 63 overhanging the ball bearing b so as to prevent rain or
the like having access through the said bearing, to the interior of the apparatus.
At its upper part the head B is provided with a roller bearing b for receiving the
pin or pivot be of a hood D). The hood D is capable of rocking about the axis of the
pivot band it, and the head B have curved overlapping portions concentric with
the said axis, these curved portions being sufficiently close together to prevent
ibe passage between them of rain snow, or the like into the interior of the
apparatus.
The hood D is provided with two sockets d d the former for receiving the
trolley arm. E and the latter for receiving a nut d³ which engages with the stem
of an eye bolt or equivalent d³. The trolley arm E is rigidly secured in the

page_text: socket a by a screw-threaded gland d and is insulated therefrom by non-con-
ducting material d³.
In the lower end of the inner tube C is fitted a disc having a central socket 2
for receiving a contact block with which is electrically connected the lower
end of a conductor f the said block 3 being insulated from the disc c¹ by a sleeve
or socket of non-conducting material. Beneath the block and in constant
electrical contact therewith, is a spring-controlled plunger electrically connected
with a conductor which is also connected with the motor for propelling the
vehicle.
The before-mentioned conductor f passes through a vertical tube G and, at its
upper end, is connected at g to a flexible conductor g which, as in ordinary trolley
apparatus, passes through the trolley arm E and is electrically connected to a
trolley wheel carried on the free end of the said arm. If desired, a piece of
rubber tubing or equivalent insulating material may be fitted over the joint y
and adjacent parts of the conductors f and g.
hhh² h³ are four perforated dises fitting loosely on the tube G and connected
together in pairs by means of rods h h arranged in pairs situated in vertical
planes at right angles to each other as shewn most clearly in Figures 3, and 5.
The rods which connect together the two discs h h pass freely through holes
in the disc ₁ situated between the said discs h h2 and the rods h which connect
together the two discs h¹ h³ pass freely through holes in the disc h² situated between
the said discs h¹ h³. The disc h is provided with lugs h by means of which it is
pivotted to similar lugs on the before described disc c and all the discs h, h1, h2, h³,
are formed with peripheral recesses 7 to admit of the ready connection therewith
of springs II whose ends are provided with T heads or the equivalent thereof for
effecting the said connections. The springs I connect together the discs h h', and
the springs I connect together the discs h² h³. By means of the before described
arrangement of discs, rods and springs I am able to use, a number of long light
springs instead of the single heavy spring which has hitherto been used inside the
trolley standard and to therefore secure much more uniform spring control over
the trolley arm E.
The disc h is provided with two hooks 8 to which are connected the looped
ends of a flexible wire rope J which, at intermediate paris passes through or
engages with the before mentioned eye-bolt d³ and over a fixed guide pin or
roller 66 secured in the head B and a pin de carried in fins or lugs d7 provided
within the hood D.
a7 is a removeable door for enabling access to be had to the interior of the
base a for connecting the conductor e to the contact c³ ³ and for adjusting the
ball bearing, and 67 is another door for enabling access to be had to the joint g.
The pin do is situated in such a position in relation to the axis of the pivot b5
that the springs II' exert a practically uniform upward pressure on the trolley
wheel throughout a considerable range of the angular movement of the trolley
arm E, the varying angular position of the pin de in relation to the axis of
oscillation, causing the effective leverage which is presented by, or exerted
through, the said pin, to be less when the springs are fully extended than when
they are in a less extended condition.
If desired I may attain the last described result by causing the wire rope to
exert its pressure upon a curved surface having radii of gradually increasing or
decreasing length.
The springs may be caused to exert any desired pressure on the trolley arm E
by tightening or loosening the nut d².
By insulating the ball bearings 6 2 in the manner previously described I
obtain great security against accident as the standard A, which is the part most
likely to be touched by the passengers, is thus provided with double insulation
from the conducting portions of the apparatus.
Although I prefer to construct the apparatus in the manner shewn in the
drawings I may vary the construction without departing from the spirit of my

page_text: invention for example I may place the before described tandem arrangement of
springs outside of the standard.
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 trolley apparatus for use in connection with electric traction the combina-
tion with the pivotted trolley arm of two or more springs or sets of springs
arranged in tandem and so as to act in multiple, substantially as herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In trolley apparatus for use in connection with electric traction the combina-
tion with the pivotted trolley arm and springs arranged in tandem, of a tube
er case such as C enclosing or surrounding the springs substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In trolley apparatus for use in connection with electric traction the com-
bination with springs arranged in tandem of a pipe such as G for the passage
therethrough of an electrical conductor substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. In trolley apparatus for use in connection with electric traction the combina-
tion of a head such as B and hood such as I) pivotted together and having curved
overlapping portions substantially as herein before described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the trolley apparatus
for use in connection with electric traction substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.