Improvements in connection with the Conduits for Electric Railways or Tramways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application; 26th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification. Left, 28th: Oct., 1895-Accented, 30th Nov., 1895
Improvements in connection with the Conduits for Electric
Railways or Tramways.
I EDGAR MAPPLE of No. 1 Corporation Street, Blackpool, Lancashire,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means whereby ready access can be
bad to the interior of the channels containing the electric conductors on electric
railways and tramways for the purpose of cleaning the fittings or for other purposes
without the necessity for stopping the traffic.
According to this invention the plates troughs or channels or some of them
which form the sides of the groove in which the collectors of electricity carried by
the vehicles travel, are connected to arms hinged to lugs or brackets formed on or
attached to the exterior of chairs or supports arranged at suitable distances apart
along the track. These chairs or supports are preferably of U shape in transverse
section and are provided with feet which may be formed thereon or attached
thereto. On the interior sides of these chairs or supports are brackets on which
rest the plates troughs or channels when in position to form the groove for the
collectors. It is preferred to make the feet for the chairs and also the brackets
to which the arms are hinged, separate from the chairs and connect them thereto
by bolts and nuts to facilitate their renewal when required.
The arms by which the plates troughs or channels are carried may be rigidly
beld in their working position by keys or cotters inserted between the hinged end
of the arm and the end of the slot in the bracket so that when it is desired to gain
access to the channel the key or cotter may be removed and the plate trough or
channel raised or opened out. Either of the sides or both sides of the groove may
be made to open out as described but in cases where the electric conductors are
suspended from the underside of the top of the channel only one side is made to
open out, the other side being fixed and provided with suitable insulators for
supporting the electric conductors.
The said insulators are suspended from studs on the under side of the fixed side
of the groove and consists each of two parts between which are two plates having
on their outer ends ribs or projections which engage lips or turned over edges
formed on the conductors. On one of the contiguous faces of these plates is a
rib or projection serving as a fulcrum on which the other plate can rock so that
by forcing the two parts of the insulator towards each other by means of a nut on
the stud which carries them the ends of the plates engaged by the said two parts
of the insulator are caused to approach each other and the outer ends to separate
so as to press against the conductor and hold it firmly in position.
The main channel is preferably made sufficiently deep to admit of a constant
flow of water therethrough to wash away sand or other matter, discharge passages
being provided at suitable intervals through which the water and sand or the like
can escape.
Water supply pipes from the main may be fitted on the side or sides
of the channel and provided with nozzles and stop cocks to enable the flushing of
the channel at intervals or when required.
Dated this 26th day of Tenuer 1005
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in connection with the Conduits for Electric
Railways or Tramways.
I, EDGAR MAPPLE, of No. 1 Corporation Street, Blackpool, Lancashire,
Electrical 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 has for its object to provide means whereby ready access can be
had to the interior of the channels containing the electric conductors on electric
railways, or tramways, for the purpose of cleaning the fittings or for other
purposes, without the necessity for stopping the traffic.
According to this invention the plates troughs or channels or some of them,
which form the sides of the groove in which the collectors of electricity carried by
the vehicles travel, are connected to arms hinged to lugs or brackets formed on or
attached to the exterior of chairs or supports arranged at suitable distances apart
along the track.
These chairs or supports are preferably of U shape in transverse
section and are provided with feet which may be formed thereon or attached
thereto. On the interior sides of these chairs or supports are brackets on which
rest the plates troughs or channels when in position to form the groove for the
collectors. The feet for the chairs and also the brackets to which the arms are
hinged may be made separate from the chairs and be connected thereto by bolts
and nuts to facilitate their renewal when required.
The arms, by which the plates troughs or channels are carried, may be rigidly
held in their working position by keys or cotters inserted between the hinged end
of the arm and the end of the slot in the bracket so that when it is desired to gain
access to the channel the key or cotter may be removed and the plate trough or
channel raised or opened out. Either of the sides or both sides of the groove inay
be made to open out as described but in cases where the electric conductors are
suspended from the underside of the top of the channel only one side is made to
open out the other side being fixed and provided with specially constructed clips
and insulators for supporting the electric conductors. The said clips and insulators
are suspended from studs on the under side of the fixed side of the groove and each
insulator consists of two parts between which are two plates having on their outer
ends ribs or projections which engage lips or turned over edges formed on the con-
ductors. On one of the contiguous faces of these plates is a rib or projection
serving as a fulcrum on which the other plate can rock so that by forcing the two
parts of the insulator towards each other by means of a nut on the stud which
carries them the ends of the plates engaged by the said two parts of the insulator
are caused to approach each other and the outer ends to separate so as to press
against the conductor and hold it firmly in position. The main channel is
preferably made sufficiently deep to admit of a constant flow of water therethrough
to wash away sand or other matter, discharge passages being provided at suitable
intervals through which the water and sand or the like can escape. Water supply
pipes from the water main may be fitted on the side or sides of the channel and
provided with nozzles and stop cocks to enable the flushing of the channel to be
effected at intervals or when required.
Fig. 1 represents partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section a
portion of a conduit for electric tramways constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section and Fig. 3 is a part plan and part horizontal section
of the same showing the special form of clip in position for supporting the electric
conductor.
Figs. 4 and 5 are a front and side elevation of the special form of clip for
supporting electric conductor.

page_text: Figs. 6 and 7 are a front and side elevation of a special clip to carry electric-
conductor at point" ends.
i6
A is the main channel containing the electric conductors I and B B2 are channel
bars or plates constituting the top of the main channel and which carry the
electric conductor and also form the sides of the groove a in which the collectors.
o electricity pass. The main channel A is preferably U shaped in transverse.
section and is supported in detachable chairs C of corresponding shape. These
chairs are provided with feet c and on the upper end on the interior of each side.
or upright portions of the chairs are brackets C2 on which the chaunel bars BB
are supported when in position to form the groove a.
The feet c and also the brackets C³ may be formed in one with the chair or
they may be made separate and be connected thereto by bolts and nuts so as to
admit of them being renewed when damaged without requiring to renew the whole
of the chair. The channel bars or plates B B2 or some of them as shown by B²
are connected to arms D hinged or pivotted at d to lugs or brackets E formed
on or connected to the exterior of the chairs at suitable distances apart along the
track, so that the bars B2 which are so hinged or connected can be raised on the..
pivots d to admit of ready access to the interior of the main channel A. In cases
where the electric conductors are suspended from the top of the channel as shewn.
in Fig. 2 the channel bars or plates to which the said conductors are suspended
are rigidly secured by bolts or rivets to the chairs C the bars or plates B2 on the-
opposite side of the groove a only being moveable. By raising these moveable
portions of the bars or plates B2 access can be had to the conductors and their
supports and other parts of the interior of the channel for cleaning or repairs
without stopping the traffic. To prevent dirt from entering between the brackets
or lugs E and the end of the arms D carrying the moveable bars or plates B² the
spaces between the said lugs and ends of the arms are filled with plugs or keys e
which must be removed to enable the moveable bars B2 to be raised. The clips g
by which the electric conductors are supported each consists as shewn in Figs. 4
and 5 of two plates F and G interposed between two insulators H H the whole
being mounted on a stud f, projecting from the underside of the fixed channel
plates or bars B, the said plates F and G being forced together by a nut y² screwed
onto the stud and acting on the lower insulator H. The plate F has a rib or
projection which acts as a fulcrum to the plate G so that when the plates are
forced together at one end by the insulators the opposite ends open out or separate
so that projections thereon engage with lips on the conductors so as to
support the said conductors. For supporting the conductors at the "points" the
clip may consist of two plates F and G connected together by a screw f2 which
passes freely through a hole in the plate F and screws into the plate G as shewn in
Figs. 6 and 7 the plate G being fixed to the "point" and the plate F having a rib
or projection which serves as a fulcrum on which it can rock when the screw f
is screwed into and out from the plate G whereby the outer ends of the plates may
be caused to engage and release the conductor as required. The main channel A
is sufficiently deep to admit of a constant flow of water therethrough to wash away
any sand or other matter therefrom through discharge passages or openings K
which may communicate with the sewer. The water is supplied to the interior of
the channel A by pipes connected to the water main and passing through holes
provided for the purpose in the sides of the channel and the said pipes are provided
with cocks to regulate the supply of water as required.
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. The combination with the conduits or channels containing the conductors of
electricity in electric railways or tramways of plates or bars forming the top of the
conduit or channel and sides of the groove through which the collectors pass the
said plates or bars or some of them being binged to the chairs which support.

page_text: the, conduit or channel so as to admit of the said plates or bars being readily
opened out or moved out of position to obtain access to the interior of the channel
and of being replaced without interfering with the traffic substantially as herein-
before described.
2. Conduits or channels for electric railways or tramways provided at intervals
with pipes in connection with a water main and having stop cocks for regulating
the admission of water to the interior of the conduit for flushing the said conduit
substantially as herein before described.
3. Clips or holders for supporting the electric conductors in the conduits or
channels of electric railways or tramways each clip or holder consisting of two
plates having an interposed projection on one of the plates to serve as a fulcrum to
the other plate the said plates being carried on a stud and caused by means of a
bolt or nut to engage and hold the conductors substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. The combination of parts constituting the improvements in connection with
the conduits or channels of electric railways or tramways substantially as herein-
before described.
5. The combination of parts constituting a clip or holder for supporting the
electric conductors in the conduits or channels of electric railways and tramways
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 475 and Figs. 6
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated thin 26th d
1005
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.