Improvements in and relating to Current Collectors for Electrically Actuated Tramway Vehicles on the Conduit System.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar, 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
[Communicated from abroad by UNION ELECTRICITATS GESELLSCHAFT, of
32 Hollmann Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in and relating to Current Collectors for Electrically
Actuated Tramway Vehicles on the Conduit System.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
Current collectors for electric tramway vehicles with underground current feed
as hitherto known and as used in practice, have the defect of being frequently
broken when an impediment for example a stone or a piece of wood or snow or
ice or other obstacle is met with in the channel through which the current collector
passes in order to make contact with the contact rail. As a consequence of such
breakage the action of the motor carriage is interrupted and the traffic on the whole
line, to be traversed by the vehicle, is interfered with. Although various arrange-
ments for avoiding the before mentioned defect have already been described, yet
these arrangements only insufficiently fulfil the object aimed at and in quite a
different manner from that hereinafter described.
The following is a description of the improved device, by the aid of which
it is rendered possible to obtain a reliable actuation of the electric motor
carriage.
This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which ;
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the current collector and its carrier in the
stationary position.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device in the working position, and
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same.
To the longitudinal support or carrier a of the bottom frame of the carriage the
block b is attached, on which the levers d d' are pivotally arranged upon pins c c.
The current receiver e, is, by means of the bolts, suspended from the levers d d'
in such a manner that the latter turn around the bolts and that the pins cc' f'f
are at the corners of a parallelogram, so that the current collector is guided
parallel.
To the lever d is rigidly connected the lever g which, in order to impart motion
to the current collector, engages with a rod h passing to the platform. To the said
lever d is also connected an arm i, the lower extremity of which enters with lateral
play the channel k, Figure 3, through which the current collector e projects so as
to come in contact with the contact rail arranged in the conduit, when the device
is piaced in its working position.
To the longitudinal support or carrier a moreover a holding device m is fastened,
which device carries a spring n to which a link o is attached. This link is
provided with a notch p and (so as to be easily displacable) with a slot q the latter
being traversed by a bolt or pin r which is rigid with the arm i.
On passing the current collector e from the position of rest, Figure 1, into the
working position, Figures 2 and 3, by displacing the rod h, which displacement is
effected from the platform, the bolt r is moved along the arc s, the spring n is
extended, and the notch p of the link o engages with the latch t which is rigidly

page_text: connected to the holding member m, (after the lever d' has reached the head u, the
support of which serves at the same time as a guide for the levers d d¹) so that
the current receiver remains in this position and cannot be lifted by the spring
until the link o is removed from. the latch t.
If now the carriage moves in the direction of the arrow P and if during the
movement the arm i strikes against any impediment that may have been forced
into the channel k or against the bolt w, Figure 2, which bolt is arranged at the
extremity of the conduit in the channel, the levers d g are turned around the
pivot c and the lever d¹ around the pivot c. The pin ŕ moves back along the arcs
and thereby releases the stopping device of the spring n, after the pin r has
displaced the link o so that the latter lies in the position shown in Figure 2 in
dotted lines.
The spring is then free and transmits its power through the link o and pin r to
the arm and lever d, whereby the current collector is brought back again into
the position of rest, shown in Figure 1.
If the carriage moves in a direction opposite to the arrow P, the impediment
lying in the channel k will strike against the arm , which by the lever dis
pivotally connected to the lever d', and the current collector is thus in the above
indicated manner likewise brought into the position of rest.
By moving the rod h, which is effected from the platform of the carriage, the
contact device may of course be disconnected at any monent, so that the
current collector can be thrown into and out of action while the carriage is in
motion.
The current collector connected to the contact device is spring-actuated so as
to fold up when the contact device is introduced and withdrawn, in order to freely
pass the channel of the conduit.
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 correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:—
1. In electrically actuated tramway vehicles with underground current feed the
levers d d having their extremities pivotally arranged on bolts cel and ff which
lie at the corners of a parallelogram, so that the current collector is guided
permanently parallel by the said levers, substantially as shown and described.
2. In such a device the support or carrier m rigidly connected to the carriage, in
combination with a spring n in connection with a link o suspended from the said
support or carrier, and an arm i rigidly connected to the lever d, substantially as
shown and described and for the purpose specified.
3. In such a device as described in Claims 1 and 2 the lever g in combination
with the rod for enabling the contact device to be introduced into and withdrawn
from the conduit at any moment from the driver's stand, substantially as shown
and described.
4. In the device, described in Claims 1 and 2, the lever d² in connection with an
arm and pivotally connected to the lever d', substantially as shown and described,
and for the purpose specified.
Dated thie 23rd day of Mana. 190
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.