A Trolley Connection for Canal Boats.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1898--Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Trolley Connection for Canal Boats.
I, FREDERICK JOIN SHEWRING, residing at 32, Vine Street, in the City of
Toronto, in the County of York and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of
Canada, Packer, 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: -
The object of this invention is to provide a canal boat with a trolley connection,
which will make a practically perfect circuit between the line wire and feeder
for the motor and at the same time offer no obstruction to the successful naviga-
tion of the vessel; and to so construct this trolley connection that it can be cheaply
made and easily operated and the invention consists essentially of providing the
canal boat with a rigid trolley pole reversibly and permanently attached to the
boat, and having at its upper end a horizontal arm suitably braced, a gravity
balanced trolley embracing in its construction two trolley wheels journaled in a
frame, having two depending arms united by a counter balance, a rod connected
to the arms above the counter balance, and a sliding ring mounted on the rod to
which and to the arm of the trolley pole is attached a wire or other electric con-
dutor of sufficient slackness and flexibility to permit of the fullest freedom of
the movements of the vessel, as hereinafter more fully set forth and more particu-
larly pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 represents a view of a canal boat, poles located along the canal bank,
overhead wires suspended from the poles, the trolley, and a slack wire connection
between the trolley and the trolley pole connected to the canal boat.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the trolley pole and slack wire connection between
the trolley and trolley pole.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the trolley.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the swivel.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and
drawings.
A, A, represent the poles located along the canal bank. To the upper end of
each of the poles is connected an upwardly and outwardly inclined arm a, which
extends above the top of its respective pole A, and outwardly from the pole a
sufficient distance to prevent any interference between the pole and the wire.
B, B, represent horizontal stay rods, one connected to the top of each pole A,
and adapted to brace its respective arm a.
C represents the circuit or line wire, supported by the arms a. By reference to
the drawings it will be noticed that the top of each of the arms a is slightly
curved upwards into a practically vertical position, to provide for the free move-
ment of the trolley.
D, D, represent the trolley wheels, and A¹, A¹ the axle of the trolley wheels.
Each of the axles A' is mounted in bearings e formed in the vertical members E, E,
of the frame of the trolley. Each member E, E, consists of two parallel sides
integrally united at the top to form an arch over its respective wheel, and

page_text: permanently attached to each arch is an eye E¹. That side f¹l of each member E
remote from the poles A, A, depends below the wheel, and is bent into a sub-
stantially horizontal position f¹, which horizontal part extends inwardly beneath
the trolley wheel, and then bent downwardly into a vertical position, perpendicu-
larly below the trolley wire C. Connected to the lower end of the sides fil is a
counter balance G, the purpose of which is to maintain the trolley wheels in an
upright position, and cause them to remain on the trolley wire during their
travel from end to end of the same, the vertical parts being arranged to equalize
the weight of the counter balance G on the wheels, and to prevent the balance
coming into contact with the line wire, or meeting with an obstruction from the
supporting arms.
Connected to the sides f", f" below the line wire is a horizontal rod E, and
mounted on the rod E" is a ring E3, which is adapted to slide from end to end.
Connected to the ring E3 and to the counter balance is a slack wire E. By
means of the slack wire E an electrical circuit is established between the frame
and the ring. At the junction of two canals it is necessary to have the trolley
wire sufficiently high to avoid any possibility of contact between the wire and the
vessel, or parts of the vessel passing below it, and to avoid all possibility of obstruc-
tion to the masts or other elevated parts. To accomplish this is is necessary to
extend the poles at the junction of the canals to a higher elevation, or to an
elevation which will be above the possible elevation of the masts of the vessel,
and provide these poles A with arms a, braces B, and an elevated trolley
wire C, in circuit with the main trolley wire C at a lower elevation. Mounted
upon the elevated trolley wire C is a trolley H, having two depending rods or
wires H¹, the lower end of each is hook-shaped to engage the eye E¹ of its
respective trolley wheel D. By this construction the trolley D can be carried
across the junction of the canals, and the circuit of the current maintained to the
motor.
I do not confine myself to the use of this trolley connection solely for canal
boats, as I may employ it in connection with any other trolley system where the
rigid trolley pole could not be satisfactorily employed.
•
E represents a slack wire, one end of which is connected to the ring E³, and
the other end of which is connected to the horizontal arm J¹ of the trolley pole J,
fastened to the boat K, the trolley pole being in circuit with the motor driving
the propeller of the vessel.
The horizontal arm J¹ is provided with a collar J" loosely encircling the pole J
to permit of the arm swinging freely around the same. The arm J is braced
by a stay J³, one end of which is rigidly connected to the arm J', and the other
end of which is provided with a collar J, loosely embracing the pole J in the same
manner and for the same purpose as the collar J", the collars J and J' being
revolvably held in position by suitable stops Jo.
By means of this invention a circuit can be established between the line wire
and the vessel, in such a manner as to avoid all difficulties and inconveniences
which might arise from the motion of the boat or the changing of direction or
irregularities of the canal bank; and also by means of this invention the use of
cross wires over the canal can be entirely dispensed with, and a free channel
provided for navigating the vessel.
As the motor and propeller of the canal boat constitute no part of the present
invention, I do not deem it necessary to either illustrate or describe the circuit of
the current and the trolley pole.
The action of the invention is as follows:. The trolley is mounted on the line
wire, and a contact is made between the wire and the trolley; the counter
balance maintains the trolley in an upright position during the traverse of the
same from end to end of the line wire. The current circuits through the trolley
wheels and frame to the slack wire and then to the trolley pole, from whence it is
conveyed to the motor. By means of the slack wire connection between the
trolley wheel and pole the rolling or rocking motion of the boat cannot be imparted

page_text: to the trolley wheel; thus the liability of the trolley wheel leaving the wire is
avoided. The trolley pole is preferably connected to the stern of the boat, and the
boat in its travel draws the trolley wheel after it along the line wire.
Although I have specifically described the construction of the trolley wheel, I
do not wish to confine myself to it or to any other particular style of trolley
wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A trolley system for canal boats consisting of a main circuit wire, a trolley
mounted on the main circuit wire, a frame for the trolley wheel embracing in its
construction two vertical members, each consisting of two sides united at the top,
an eye connected to the top of the sides, a hanger depending from each of the
vertical members at one side thereof, a horizontal extension for the hanger pro-
jecting under the vertical axis of the wheel, a vertical extension depending from
the horizontal extension, a counter balance connected to the end of the vertical
extensions, a circuit wire elevated above the main circuit wire at canal junc-
tions, a trolley wheel mounted on the elevated circuit wire, to avoid the obstruction
of vessels passing beneath, and a hanger depending from the trolley wheel, having
a hook-shaped end to engage the eye of the trolley wheel, substantially as
specified.
2. In a trolley system for canal boats a trolley consisting of a frame embracing
in its construction two vertical members, each member composed of two opposite
sides united at their upper ends, a depending arm from each vertical member at
one side thereof, bent horizontally below the wheel and then perpendicularly, a
counter balance connected to the lower ends of the depending arms, a rod con-
nected to the arms above the counter balance, and a sliding ring mounted on the
rod to which is adapted to be attached the connection for the trolley pole, substan-
tially as specified.
3. In a
trolley system for canal boats a trolley consisting of a frame embracing
in its construction two vertical members, each member composed of two opposite
sides united at their upper ends, a depending arm from each vertical member at
one side thereof, bent horizontally below the wheel and then perpendicularly, a
counter balance connected to the lower ends of the depending arms, a rod con-
nected to the arms above the counter balance, a trolley pole fitted with a swivelled
arm connected to the boat, and a flexible electrical connection between the sliding
ring and trolley pole arm, substantially as specified.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
Rooms 221-225,
Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents.