A Method of, and Apparatus for, Erecting Overhead Electric Conductors for Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
A Method of, and Apparatus for, Erecting Overhead Electric
Conductors for Railways and Tramways.
We, DR. JULIUS WERTHER and ARTHUR SCHÄFFER, both of 32, Dorotheenstrasse,
Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows: -
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for erecting and straining
conducting wires for electric tramways or railways having overhead conductors
whereby the pull exerted by the conducting wire when being erected can be taken
up without being transmitted to the supports. These have therefore to support on
straight section of the railroad merely the weight of the wire and on curved sections
they have also to withstand the lateral pull exerted by the stretched wires, so that by
our invention light supports can be employed whereby the cost of erecting the
tramway or railway is considerably reduced.
According to our invention we provide a trolley fitted with apparatus for strain-
ing the wire and adapted to run on the track, the said trolley being also provided
with means whereby it can be secured or anchored to the rails, so that it can take
up the pull of the conducting wires.
In carrying out our invention we provide the trolley with a frame suitably made
from ladders and carrying at its upper end a guide pulley or roller for the
wire. This pulley or roller is fixed at such a height that the wire which runs over
it lies at the height at which it is to be attached to the supports. The pulley or
roller is advantageously arranged so that it can be adjusted in position laterally
in order that it can be moved out of the way of the wire attachments etc.
wire to be erected is wound on a drum rotatably mounted in a support on the
trolley.
The
The straining of the wire is effected by means of an arrangement of pulleys, one
end of which is attached to a hook secured to the trolley and the other end of which
is provided with a gripping tongs which closes when a pull is exerted by the wire.
It will be obvious that any other suitable arrangement for straining the wire can be
used instead of the gripping tongs. The drum could also be provided with
apparatus for straining consisting of toothed and ratchet gearing.
In order to fix the trolley during the operation of erecting the conductor, shear
shaped clamps are fitted to its front end, which clamps grip the rail-heads whilst
behind the rear wheels we provide brake-blocks against which the rear wheels press
during the operation of straining the wire. These brake-blocks are suspended by
means of hooked arms to the rear axle of the trolley so that when the said trolley
moves forwards they slide along the rails, without hindering its progress, but when
the trolley moves backwards they press against the rear wheels and prevent any
further motion. By this means the trolley can be secured or anchored to the rails
at any point on the track without difficulty and without the necessity of providing
separate points of attachment or support.
The wire is erected preferably with the aid of two such trolleys of which the front
one carries the wire drum while the rear one is provided with straining apparatus

page_text: arranged at the height at which the wire is to be erected. After one end of the wire
has been attached to a support fixed in any suitable manner in the ground the front
trolley which carries the drum with the wire, is pushed past the next support and
fixed to the rails and the wire which has been unrolled from the drum is strained
by means of the tackle and fastened to the said second support. The rear trolley
is then pushed up to the front trolley and is also secured or anchored to the rails;
the straining device is then caused to grip the conducting wire in such a manner
that its pull is entirely supported by the rear trolley whereby the front trolley is
relieved of the tension. This latter trolley can now be pushed past the next
support whereby another length of wire is unwound which, after the front trolley
has been anchored; can be "strained by means of its stretching device. When the
wire has been sufficiently strained and the rear trolley consequently relieved of the
tension, it is pushed up to the front trolley and the above described mode of pro-
ceeding is repeated.
Instead of the second trolley a portable frame-work support or a ladder can be
used, the said support or ladder being provided with the necessary straining
apparatus at its upper part and being fixed at its lower end to the rails in a suitable
manner so as to withstand the pull of the wire.
In this manner it is possible to provide long sections of track with conductors in
a short time without the necessity of providing strongly erected supports on the
track. Such supports are only required at the two ends of the track, light supports
being used at intermediate points as the latter only have to support the weight of
the wire and not the pull of the wire when it is being erected.
Dated the 10th day of intl 1807
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
A Method of, and Apparatus for, Erecting Overhead Electric
Conductors for Railways and Tramways.
...
We, DR. JULIUS WERTHER and ARTHUR SCHAFFER, both of 32, Dorotheenstrasse,
Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineers, 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 a method of and apparatus for erecting and straining
conducting wires for electric tramways or railways having overhead conductors
whereby the pull exerted by the conducting wire when being erected can be taken
up without being transmitted to the supports. These have therefore on straight
sections of the railroad merely to support the weight of the wire and on curved
sections merely to support the said weight and to withstand the lateral pull exerted
by the stretched wires, so that by our invention light supports can be employed
whereby the cost of erecting the tramway or railway is considerably reduced."
According to our invention we provide a trolley fitted with apparatus, for strain-
ing the wire and adapted to run on the track, the said trolley being also provided
with means whereby it can be secured or anchored to the rails, so that it can take
up the pull of the conducting wires.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a side view of apparatus made according to the invention for erecting
overhead electric conductors:
Figure 2 is an end view thereof, and,

page_text: 5
Figures 3 and 4 are views, drawn to a smaller scale, illustrating the method or
erecting the conductors by means of the apparatus.
In carrying out our invention we provide the trolley A with a frame B suitably
made from ladders and carrying at its upper end a guide pulley or roller C for the
wire F. This pulley or roller C is fixed at such a height that the wire which runs
over it lies at the height at which it is to be attached to the supports and it is
advantageously arranged so that it can be adjusted in position laterally in order that
it can be moved out of the way of the wire attachments etc. The wire to be erected
is wound on a drum 1 rotatably mounted in standards or supports E on the trolley.
The straining of the wire is effected by means of pulley tackle H, one end of which
is attached to a hook J secured to the trolley A and the other end of which is pro-
vided with a gripping tongs G which closes when a pull is exerted by the wire.
It will be obvious that any other suitable arrangement for straining the wire can
be used instead of the pulley tackle. The drum 1 could also be provided with
apparatus for straining consisting of toothed and ratchet gearing.
In order to fix the trolley A during the operation of erecting the conductor,
shear-shaped clamps K are fitted to its front end, which clamps grip the rail-heads
whilst behind the rear wheels we provide brake-blocks L against which the rear
wheels press during the operation of straining the wire. These brake-blocks L
are suspended by means of hooked arms M to the rear axle of the trolley so that
when the said trolley moves forward they slide along the rails, without hindering
its progress, but when the trolley moves backwards they press against the rear
wheels and prevent any further motion. By these means the trolley can be secured
or anchored to the rails at any point on the track without difficulty and without
the necessity of providing separate points of attachment or support.
The wire is erected preferably with the aid of two such trolleys of which the
front one A carries the wire drum while the rear one b is provided with straining
apparatus arranged at the height at which the wire is to be erected as shewn in
Figures 3 and 4. After one end of the wire has been attached to a support fixed
in any suitable manner in the ground the front trolley, which carries the drum
with the wire, is pushed past the next support m (Figure 3) and fixed to the rails
and the wire which has been unrolled from the drum is strained by means of the
tackle and fastened to the said support m. The trolley is then pushed up to the
trolley A and is also secured or anchored to the rails; the straining device is then
caused to grip the conducting wire in such a manner that its pull is entirely sup-
ported by the rear trolley b whereby the front trolley A is relieved of the tension.
This latter trolley can now be pushed past the next support n (see Figure 4) whereby
another length of wire is unwound which after the front trolley A has been
anchored, can be strained by means of its stretching device. When the wire has
been sufficiently strained and the trolley b consequently relieved of tension, it is
pushed up to the trolley A and the above described mode of proceeding is repeated.
Instead of the second trolley b, a portable frame-work support or a ladder such
as that shewn at c in Figure 4, can be used, the said support or ladder being pro-
vided with the necessary straining apparatus at its upper part and being fixed at
its lower end to the rails in a suitable manner so as to withstand the pull of the
wire.
In this manner it is possible to provide long sections of track with conductors
in a short time without the necessity of providing strong supports on the track.
Such supports are only required at the two ends of the track, light supports being
used at intermediate points as the latter only have to support the weight of the wire
and not the pull of the wire when it is being erected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A method of erecting overhead electric conductors for railways and tramways
wherein. in addition to the trolley carrying the feed drum and a straining device,

page_text: a second trolley or frame adapted to be anchored or secured to the track and having
straining apparatus is employed, the said second trolley or frame, after a section of
the conductor has been strained by the first trolley, being moved up to the latter
and caused to take the pull of the conductor so that the first trolley can be released
and moved forward in order to unwind and strain a further section of the con-
ductor being erected, substantially as herein before described.
2. In erecting overhead electric conductors by the method described in the pre-
ceding claiming clause the employment of a straining trolley A which is provided
at its front part with clamps K designed to grip the rails and at the rear part with
brake-blocks L against which the rear wheels of the trolley are applied when a
section of the conductor is being strained, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 8th day of January 1898
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.