Improved Supports for Overhead Conductors on Electric Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1894--Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
Improved Supports for Overhead Conductors on Electric Railways
and Tramways.
We, ALBERT ANDERSON and JOHAN MARINIUS ANDERSON, both of 289
A Street, Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, Manufacturers,
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 novel support for electrical conductors or wires, and
is herein shown as embodied in a frog, switch or turn-out, for the trolley wire of
the overhead system of electric railways.
In accordance with this invention, the trolley wire support is provided with a
groove, way or channel having upright walls, between which are pivotally supported
movable cams or locking dogs, constructed so as to be operated by tension or longi-
tudinal strain or movement.of the trolley wire, to firmly retain the said wire in its
groove or channel. The trolley line support when embodied in a frog, switch or
turn-out is provided with substantially flat side flanges, which in the completed frog
approximate the form of a plate, the said flanges extending laterally from the side
walls of the channel or groove in which the trolley wire is laid, the said plate or-
side flanges being shorter than the side walls of the channel or groove, so that the
said side walls extend or project beyond the said plate.
The groove or channel in which the trolley wire is laid, is inclined downwardly
at its opposite ends, and the metal forming the bottom of the said channel or groove
at its ends, is thickened, so as to project below the plate or side flanges at or near
the ends of the same, and to form guiding surfaces for the trolley wheel, the bottom
portion of the said groove or way being thickened from the opposite end toward
the center of the groove, but to such a distance as will leave a space or opening
between the guiding surfaces, sufficiently large to permit the trolley wheel to be
moved out of line with the guiding surfaces.
The thickened portions of the bottom of the groove or channel forming the
guiding surfaces referred to, are made of such depth as to lie in a substantially
straight line or plane with the outer ends of the upright walls, so that when the
trolley wire is clamped to its support, the ends of the wire projecting from the
opposite ends of the support, will be in a substantially straight line or plane with
the under side of the thickened portions of the channel or groove in which the
wire is laid. The side flanges or plate extended from the upright walls are
preferably upwardly inclined at their opposite ends, and the said plate is attached
to the upright walls at such a distance above the bottom of the thickened portions
of the groove or channel, that the trolley wheel on passing from the trolley wire
to the thickened lower portion or guiding surface, will make contact with the under
side of the plate or side flanges before leaving the said guiding surface. This
feature is of special importance in a frog, switch or turn-out, as this construction
avoids all sparking and the formation of arcs by the trolley wheel jumping from
one contact or guiding surface to another.
The laterally extended plate or flange referred to, is provided on its opposite
sides with a downwardly extended flange, suitably curved to enable the trolley
wheel to be guided from one trolley wire to another.
The branch trolley wire is clamped in a groove or channel having its side walls
integral with the laterally extended plate or flange, and for the best results, one of
the side walls is integral with a side wall of the main groove or channel. The

page_text: laterally extended plate or surface may be provided with suitable ears by which
the trolley line support may be sustained in position by suitable span or other
wires.
The side walls of the groove or channel for the main trolley wire are made
higher at or about the longitudinal center of the frog, and taper to near the opposite
ends of the said frog, so as to obtain an increased amount of metal at the central
portion of the frog, whereby the latter is greatly strengthened, and danger of
buckling or bending under severe strain is avoided. The side walls of the main
groove or channel and also of the branch groove or channel may and preferably will
be thickened at portions, and provided with screw threads on the interior of the
thickened portion, to form threaded sockets into which may be extended threaded
shanks or bolts, which for the best results, may act upon a clamping piece laid in
the chamber or groove above the trolley wire, so that the said trolley wire may be
additionally secured to its support.
These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at
the end of this Specification.
Fig. 1, is a top or plan view of a frog or switch embodying this invention.
Fig. 2, a side elevation of the frog or switch shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the
trolley wheel being represented by dotted lines,
Fig. 3, an under side view of the frog or switch shown in Fig. 1,
Fig. 4, a longitudinal section through the main trolley channel or groove, the
section being taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 1, the locking dogs or clamps and the
trolley wire being shown in elevation, and
Fig. 5, à transverse section on the line 5-5, Fig. 1, looking toward the right,
the bolt in the branch groove being shown in elevation.
Referring to Fig. 1, A represents the main trolley wire, which, in accordance
with this invention, is laid in a channel or groove A¹, formed by side walls a a¹
having integral with them laterally extended flanges a², approximating in the
completed support the form of a plate, the side flanges being extended from the side
walls substantially on a level with the bottom of the central portion of the channel
or groove A as represented in Fig. 5.
The laterally extended plate a² is made shorter than the side walls a a', so that
the ends of the side walls project a considerable distance beyond the ends of the
laterally extended plate, and the channel or groove A' between the side walls a a¹
is downwardly inclined at its opposite ends as at a³ (see Fig. 5), and the said walls
at their ends are open at the bottom as at a', and are provided with locking dogs or
cams a³, pivoted between the side walls and preferably having an elongated under
surface a, which co-operates with the inclined bottom as of the channel or groove A¹
in such manner that the trolley wire A, when drawn upon longitudinally, exerts
an upward force upon one end of the dog or cam, which upward force acts to turn
the cam or dog so as to force its opposite end more firmly into engagement
with the trolley wire, and thereby more firmly press the trolley wire against the
inclined portion a³ of its groove or channel, so that longitudinal movement of the
trolley wire A automatically acts to clamp the said wire to its support.
The central portion of the groove or channel A' is considerably higher than the
ends of the said groove, and in order that the trolley wheel may pass under the
frog in a substantially straight path, the bottom of the groove or channel A' is
made thicker from the opposite ends of the said groove toward the central portion
of the same, as at a a, and these thickened portions extend toward each other
beneath the laterally extended plate a, but are separated as at a¹0 (see Fig. 3) a
sufficient distance to permit of the direction of movement of the trolley wheel to
be changed. These thickened portions form guiding surfaces, which are in
substantially the same straight line or plane with the bottom of the projecting side
walls a a' and with the under side of the trolley wire A extended from between the
said side walls.
The laterally projecting plate a² is upwardly inclined at its ends as at a 20 a21, so
that its onter ends will be located above the lower edge of the thickened portion of

page_text: the groove or channel A', a greater distance than the depth of the flange b' on the
trolley wheel b, the central portion of the laterally extended plate being a less
distance above the bottom of the thickened portion a' as of the groove or channel A',
so that the flange of the trolley wheel on its passage under the frog or switch,
will make contact with the under surface of the laterally projecting plate a² before
it leaves the thickened portion of the said channel or groove. By this construction,
it will be seen that the trolley wheel has a metallic connection with the trolley
wire during its passage under the frog or switch, and that there is no chance for
the circuit to be interrupted, consequently avoiding sparking produced by the
trolley wire jumping from one portion of the switch to another, or from passing
from one guiding surface to another.
The switch or frog is also provided with a groove or channel A² for the reception
of a branch trolley wire A³, the said groove or channel having side walls 6° 6°
extended at an angle to the side walls a a¹ of the main channel or groove, the said
walls being provided with a movable cam or dog 10 pivoted between them
similar to the cams or dogs a³, and co-operating with the downwardly extended
end portion of the groove or channel A2.
The branch side wall 6 is preferably extended and cast integral with the side
wall a¹ of the main groove or channel to strengthen the frog at its center. The
bottom of the branch groove or channel A2 is thickened, so as to project below the
laterally extended plate and form the thickened portion or guiding surface 6",
which lies at an angle to the thickened portions or guiding surfaces a a³ of the
main groove or channel, but in substantially the same horizontal plane.
The laterally extended plate a² is provided at its opposite sides with downwardly
extended flanges cc', which are curved to properly guide the trolley wheel on its
passage beneath the switch or frog, the said plate in the present instance, being
represented as provided with lugs or ears d by which the said frog or switch may
be supported in proper position by means of the span or other wires d'.
The side walls a a of the main groove or channel are, for the best results,
thickened or made of greater height at substantially the longitudinal center of the
frog or switch as at ³ (see Fig. 2) and taper downwardly to near their opposite
ends, so that an increased amount of metal is provided above the laterally extended
plate a² at the central portion of the frog, whereby the latter is greatly strengthened
at its center, so as to resist the tendency to buckle or break by excessive strain
placed upon the trolley wire at the opposite ends of the frog. The upright
walls a a of the main groove or channel, and the side walls 6 6 of the branch
groove or channel may and preferably will be provided with thickened portions d¹º d¹²
having screw threads on their interior surface to form threaded sockets and be
engaged by threaded bolts d¹³ d which, for the best results, engage clamping
pieces dd, by which the trolley wires A. A' may be additionally secured in their
respective grooves or channels. The clamping pieces d' die are preferably
provided with transverse upright portions or lugs d", which act to prevent the said
clamping pieces turning edgeways when dropped into their respective grooves,
thereby enabling the said clamping pieces to be more quickly placed in proper
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove,
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor and provided on their
inner sides with screw threads co-operating to form a threaded socket for the
reception of a threaded clamping bolt between the said side walls, and the said
threaded clamping bolt inserted into its socket to secure the electric conductor in
the said groove.
2. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove,
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor and provided on their

page_text: I
inner sides with screw threads co-operating to form a threaded socket for the
reception of a screw threaded clamping bolt, the said clamping bolt, and a
clamping bar fitted into the said groove and adapted to be engaged within the
groove by the said clamping bolt to engage the clamping bar with the electric
conductor.
3. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove,
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor, a locking dog or cam
supported in said groove between the side walls, and a clamping bolt extended into
a threaded socket in the said side walls.
4. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove,
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor, the bottom of the said
groove or way being downwardly inclined at one end, and a locking dog or cam
secured to the said side walls in said groove or way substantially above the lower
end of the downwardly inclined bottom of the said groove.
5. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove,
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor, the bottom of the said
groove or way being downwardly inclined at its opposite ends and provided with
thickened portions extended from the outer end of the downwardly inclined portion
of the said bottom toward the central portion of the groove or way, laterally
flanges extended from the said sides below the top thereof, and means to secure th
electric conductor in said groove or way.
6. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove,
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor, the bottom of the said
groove being downwardly inclined at its opposite ends and provided with thickened
portions extended from the outer ends of the downwardly inclined portions of the
groove or way toward the central portion of the groove or way to form separate (
guiding surfaces in substantially the same straight line or plane, and means t
secure the electric conductor in said groove or way.
7. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove.
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor, the bottom of the said
groove or way being downwardly inclined at its opposite ends and provided with
thickened portions extended from the outer ends of the downwardly incline.
portions of the groove or way toward the central portion of the groove or way to
form separated guiding surfaces in substantially the same straight line or plane,
laterally extended flanges of less length than the said side walls and provided with
upwardly inclined ends, and means to secure the electric conductor in the said
groove or chanuel.
a
8. A support for electric conductors comprising the side walls a a' forming a
groove or way for the reception of a main conductor, side walls forming
groove or way for the reception of the branch conductor, both of said grooves or
ways being inclined downwardly as described and having thickened bottom portions
to form guiding surfaces lying in substantially the same straight line or plane, and
laterally extended flanges integral with the said side walls and provided with
upwardly curved ends.
9. A support for electric conductors comprising side walls forming a groove,
channel or way for the reception of the electric conductor and made thicker or of
greater height at or near the center of the support to strengthen the said side
walls, downwardly inclined bottom portions of the said groove terminating in an
open bottom between the ends of the side walls, thickened bottom portions of said
groove extended from the open bottom portion toward the center of the support,
and means to secure the electric conductor in said groove or channel.
Dated this 8th day of December 1804
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.