Improvements in Apparatus for Working Electric Tramways by Means of Underground Cables.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Working Electric Tramways by
Means of Underground Cables.
I CHRIS ANDERSON of Lane House Jack Lane Hunslet in the City of Leeds
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the working of electric tramways worked by means of
underground cables and making connection with the car above by means of rising
pegs or bolts and consists of an alternative method of actuating such pegs or
bolts to that described in the Complete Specification filed by me on the 31st day
of July 1893 and numbered 14647 for improvements in apparatus for working
electric tramways by means of underground cables.
For the purposes of my invention herein described I use boxes to contain the
mechanism sunk at intervals in the roadway with conduits between them similar to
those described in my aforesaid Specification but instead of having one contact peg
common to two mechanical pegs when it is desired to run both ways on the same
line of rails I now prefer to use two distinct sets of apparatus that is to say one set
of apparatus for each direction. And instead of mounting the pegs on the end of
a triple or other rocking lever I now prefer to cause them to rise in a strictly
vertical line by fitting the bottom end of the mechanical peg into a socket and
connecting them with the operating mechanism in manner hereinafter mentioned.
One peg may still be used for the double purpose of mechanical peg and contact
peg. But I prefer to use two pegs that is to say a divided peg the one part to
serve as mechanical peg the other part as contact peg this other part or contact peg
being mounted on a stud or cross arm carried by the mechanical peg. The two
pegs thus connected form a whole somewhat resembling in shape the letter Y. On
the stud or cross arm a ueck is formed between the two pegs to receive the link
hereinafter mentioned and thereby connect the pegs with the operating mechanism.
The pegs whether single or divided are made to rise above the level of the roadway
by the mechanism hereinafter described. They are made to descend by the ramp
on the car operating on the mechanical peg in like manner as in my former
invention.
The apparatus for raising the pegs (hereinafter referred to as "rising pegs ") in
each box successively is as follows but it must be understood that the first peg must
be brought into contact by hand as described in ny said former Specification.
And it must be remembered always that my present description extends only to
the single peg arrangement. In each box I place a double ended lever also a four
ended or cross shaped lever also a vertical rocking lever. One end of the cross
shaped lever extends within and is connected by a link with the rising peg such peg
being split for this purpose and the opposite end is hammer beaded and forms a double
cam. In front of this cam stands the rocking lever which carries a friction roller
and at its upper end a catch pin and at its extreme end is connected a helical or
other spring which keeps the friction roller in contact with the cam.
The upper cross arm of the cross shaped lever carries on its rear side a lifting
piece projecting from its extreme end for the purpose hereinafter mentioned. The
two cross arms of the cross shaped lever are connected by wires to the double
ended lever in the box behind the top of one to the top of the other so that each
oscillates simultaneously and to the same distance. To the upper end of each
double ended lever is suspended a drag rod extending backward and carrying at its

page_text: further or rear end a notch or tooth to engage with the catch pin on the rocking
lever in the same box.
The action of the several parts of my invention is as follows. When a peg is
either lifted or depressed it causes the cam shaped head of the cross shaped lever
to push back the rocking lever. When a peg is down the cam is up and the drag
rod suspended from the double lever in the same box rests upon the lifting piece
before described. When a peg is up the cam is down and the lifting piece is moved
away so as to allow the drag rod to fall and engage with the catch pin. From this
it follows that when a peg is made to descend the cam as it passes the centre
throws back the rocking lever in that box and thereby pulls over the cross shaped
lever in the next box forward and thereby allows the drag rod in that box to
engage with the catch pin ready in its turn to pull up the peg in the box further
forward.
Dated this 12th day of July 1894
Improvements in Apparatus for Working Electric Tramways by
Means of Underground Cables.
I CHRIS ANDERSON of Lane House Jack Lane Hunslet in the City of Leeds
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 :-
My invention relates to the working of electric tramways worked by means of
underground cables and making connection with the car above by means of rising
pegs or bolts and consists of an alternative method of actuating such pegs or bolts
to that described in the Complete Specification filed by me on the 31st day of
July 1893 and numbered 14647 on applying for Letters Patent for improvements
in apparatus for working electric tramways by means of underground cables.
For the purpose of my invention herein described I use boxes to contain the
mechanism sunk at intervals in the roadway with conduits between them similar to
those described in my aforesaid Specification but instead of having one contact
peg common to two mechanical pegs when it is desired to run both ways on the
same line of rails, I now prefer to use two distinct sets of apparatus that is to say
one set of apparatus for each direction and instead of mounting the pegs on the end
of a triple or other rocking lever I now prefer to cause them to rise up in a strictly
vertical line by fitting the bottom end of each mechanical peg into a socket and
connecting the pegs with the operating mechanism in manner hereinafter mentioned.
One peg may still be used for the double purpose of mechanical peg and contact
peg but I prefer to use two pegs that is to say a divided peg the one part to serve
as mechanical peg the other part as contact peg, this other part or contact peg
being mounted ou a stud or cross arm carried by the mechanical peg. The two
pegs thus connected forming a whole somewhat resembling in shape the letter Y.
The pegs whether single or divided are made to rise above the level of the
roadway by the mechanism hereinafter described. They are made to descend by
the ramp on the car operating on the mechanical peg in like manner as is described
in my said former Specification. The apparatus for raising the pegs (that is to
say the mechanical peg with the contact peg attached thereto by means of the stud
or cross arm herein before mentioned) in each box successively is as follows; but it
must be understood that the first peg must be brought into contact by hand as
described in my said former Specification and it must be remembered always
that my present description extends only to the arrangement required for running
one way only.

page_text: In each box I place a double ended lever, also a four ended or cross shaped
lever, also a vertical rocking lever with a short arm set almost at a right angle
projecting from the bottom end. One end of the cross shaped lever is connected,
by a link with a neck formed on the stud or cross arm carried by the mechanical
peg and the opposite end is hammer headed and forms a double cam. In front of
this cam stands the rocking lever which carries a friction runner wheel and at its
upper end a catch pin whilst the end of the shorter arm is connected to a helical or
other spring which keeps the runner wheel in contact with the cam.
The helical or other spring is made of sufficient strength to cause the runner
wheel operating on the sloping sides of the cam to secure the full return home of a
mechanical peg in case it shall have been only partially depressed by the ramp on
the car.
The two cross arms of the cross shaped lever in each box are connected by wires
to the double ended lever in the box behind the top of one to the top of the other
so that each oscillates simultaneously and to the same distance. To the upper end
of the double ended lever in each box is suspended a drag rod extending backward
and carrying at its further or rear end a notch or tooth to engage with the catch
pin on the rocking lever in the same box. When a peg is down the cam is up and
the drag rod suspended from the double lever in the same box rests upon the upper
point of the hammer head cam before described. When a peg is up the cam is
down and the free end of the drag rod falls and engages with the catch pin on the
rocking lever. From this it follows that when a peg is made to descend the cam
as it passes the centre throws back the rocking lever in that box and thereby pulls
over the cross shaped lever in the next box forward and thereby allows the drag
rod in that box to engage with the catch pin ready in its turn to pull up the peg
in the box further forward.
Having now explained the nature of my invention I proceed to describe the same
more fully by the aid of the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 exhibits a vertical longitudinal section of my apparatus in the position
of peg up, shewing also, superposed, a part of a car frame, one of the wheels of the
car and the hinder portion of the ramp.
Figure 2 exhibits a vertical longitudinal section of the same parts as in Figure 1
but in the position of peg down and the front instead of the hinder portion of
the ramp.
Figure 3 is a plan of the apparatus as sunk in the roadway with the contained
mechanism as seen when the cover of the box is taken off.
Figure 5 is a vertical cross section along the line C. D in Figure 3 showing the
mechanical and contact pegs and the method of forming connection between the
latter and the electrical conductor, showing also in cross section the ramp and
contact brush resting on the tops of the pegs but omitting all other parts and
Figure 4 is a vertical cross section in which most of the parts of the mechanism
are shown.
The same letters and numbers refer to the same parts in each figure.
A is the box as sunk in the roadway to contain the mechanism with the lower
part of each end cut away at A to permit of the wire connections from box to
box (8) is the box cover made detachable from the box. The mechanical peg (1)
is guided at its upper end by a hole through the box cover and at its lower end by
a socket (2). The peg carries at its lower end a collar (11) so adjusted as to allow
the peg to descend so far only as that its upper end shall be flush with the
box cover.
The peg is attached at its upper end to a stud or cross arm (3) and the opposite
end of the cross arm carries the contact peg (191) not shown in Figures 1 or 2
being bidden by the mechanical peg, the stud or cross arm (3) is provided with a
neck (31) for the purpose of being thereby connected with the link (4) (shown in
dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2) the lower end whereof is attached to the end (10¹)
of the four ended or cross shaped lever (10). The latter lever is arranged with a
boss (10) and is mounted on an axle (10%). The longer end of the cross shaped

page_text: lever is hammer. headed (10) and forms a double cam with unequal ends. The
two upper and lower arms (10° and 10%) of the cross shaped lever are connected by
means of links (11) (11') and tension bolts (12) (121) mounted on pins (13) (131)
upon the two cross arms (10 and 101), two drag wires (15 and 16) connecting them
with the double ended lever (9) in the box next behind. The upper end of the
double ended lever (9) is made forked and carries a pin (91) on which is suspended
a drag rod (17) having near its opposite end a notch (171) for the purpose of
engaging with the catch pin (20) of the rocking lever (18). Lever (18) is formed.
with a boss (181) and is mounted on the pin (18). It carries at its bottom end.
a short arm (183) almost at right angles, the extrenie end of which is connected to a
helical spring (14) suspended from a lug (14) on the side of the box by means of a
bolt and nuts. The spring is of such power as to keep the long arm of the lever
always in contact with the hammer headed end of the cross shaped lever and to
promote freedom of action the lever carries a runner wheel (19).
In Figure 1 the mechanical peg is shown up and in contact with the ramp (6)
suspended from the tram car and about to be depressed by the sloping treading
piece (61) of the ramp and the drag rod (17) is shown engaged with the catch
pin (20). As the tram car pushes down the peg the cam (103) will rise and
simultaneously push back the rocking lever (18) thereby putting up the peg in the
box next forward by means of the connections hereinbefore described, and the
operation is assisted by the action of the runner wheel operating on the cam head
as hereiubefore mentioned.
Figure 3 shows the boss (9) and upper end of the double ended lever (9)
mounted on its axle (93) shown in dotted lines and the drag rod (17) attached to
the upper end of the double ended lever (9) and the drag wire (15) therefrom into the
next box forward. It also shows the mechanical and contact pegs (1 and 19¹) with
their sockets (2 and 22). It also shows the boss and two longer arms of the cross
lever (10) mounted on the axle (10%) with the upper end of the link (4) mounted.
on the stud or cross arm and secured thereto by the split pin (5). It also shows the
forked upper end of the cross arm (10') of lever (10) with the connecting link (11)
and adjusting screw (12) with the drag wire (15). The figure also shows the boss (18¹)
of the lever (18) with the upper end of lever (18) striding across the drag rod (17) also
the runner (19) also the short right angled arm (18³) of lever (18) and the lug (14)
and bolt to which the helical spring is attached. Figure 5 shows the mechanical
peg (1) and the contact peg (191) mounted on the cross arm (3) with the neck (31)
and the rod (19) carrying at its lower end a C shaped spring (21) sliding in the
socket (22) thereby forming contact with the electrical conductor (24) by means of
the attachment (23). The figure also shows in section the contact brush (25) and.
the ramp (6) carried by the car. The figure also shows the method of insulating the
contact peg from the metal cover of the containing box the parts (193) and (191)
being of suitable insulating material. Figure 4 shows the mechanical peg (1) the
cross arm (3) and the link (4) the boss (10%) of the cross lever (10) and the upper
arm (103) of that lever with the drag wire attachment, also the lever (18) the
catchpin (20) the drag rod (17) the boss and axle of lever (18) the right angled
arm (183) the helical spring (14) and its attachments (14") to the side of the box.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. In an electric railway the combination with an electric supply cable, of
vertically moveable contact pegs (adapted to complete the circuit between the
electric supply cable and a car) with mechanical and positive means of raising a
peg in one box by the depression of the peg in the box next behind by suitable
connections from box to box substantially as described.
Dated this 11th dar of Auril 1895 :
CHRIS ANDERSON.