Improvements in Collectors for Electric Tramways on the Overhead Conductor System..
Year: 1898

page_text: 1
Improvements in Collectors for Electric Tramways on the Overhead
Conductor System..
I, RICHARD RAINSFORD, of 1, Church Court, Old Jewry, in the City and County。
of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature, of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by John Walsh, of 17, West River Street, Elyria,
Ohio, U.S.A., Inventor), to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in the construction of collectors
for electric tramways on the overhead conductor system. The object of the
invention is to provide improvements in the construction which will render
them capable of "giving" to any unevenness in the conductor, and which, more-
over, will render them more efficient.
A support or post is provided upon the roof of the car, and has a pivoted trolley
pole which is under the influence of counterbalancing springs. The said post
is firmly secured to the roof of the car, while the pivotal connection between
the pole and said post permits the pole to swing up vertically and in alignment
with the centre of the car. The said pole is preferably made of spring steel,
and tapers towards its outer end, where it is provided with a cross-head, suitably
braced thereto, and pivoted so as to be capable of turning horizontally. The said
cross-head is provided at its ends with side-arms, in the outer ends of which are
guide-openings, fitted with anti-friction rollers, to receive a sliding rod. The
said guide-openings and rod are preferably square, with the exception that the
latter has a circular bearing portion midway between the ends. thereof,. upon.
which the trolley wheel turns.
It will be understood from the foregoing description that I provide a trolley-
pole which effectually prevents the trolley wheel from leaving the wire, since
the sliding rod moves transversely to the car to conform to the various distances.
in rounding curves, and the cross head is capable of turning horizontally to per-
mit the trolley wheel to travel over sharp curves in the wire, so as to keep the
wheel always upon the wire. The said trolley wheel should be a little larger
than those used at present for the purpose of preventing the ends of the sliding
rods from coming in contact with the span wires, and should have a deeper
groove. It will be noted further that should the trolley wheel leave the wire
said wire is caught by the rod, which completes the circuit.
Dated thin 10th-1
1000
› Improvements in Collectors for Electric Tramways on the Overhead
Conductor System.
I, RICHARD RAINSFORD, of 1, Church Court, Old Jewry, in the City and County.
of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
Price 8d71

page_text: munication to me from abroad by John Walsh, of 17, West River Street, Elyria,
Ohio, U.S.A., Inventor), 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 reference to a novel construction in collectors for electric
tramways, on the overhead system, and it consists in the features of construction
hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of an upper portion
of a car provided with these improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the
same.
Referring now to said drawings, 1 indicates a support upon the roof of the
car, having a pivoted trolley pole 2, which is under the influence of the counter-
balancing springs 3; one spring being mounted upon a rod 7 which is curved,
passed through the pole 2 at to form a guide therefor, and has its respective
ends secured in an upright 9 on the support 1, and in the base of said support
at 10. The said support 1 is firmly secured to the roof of the car, while the
pivotal connection between the pole and said support permits the pole to swing
up vertically and in alignment with the centre of the car.
The said pole is pre-
ferably made of spring steel and tapers towards its outer end, where it is provided
with a cross-head 4. The said cross-head is provided at its ends with fingers 5,
in the outer ends of which are guide openings to receive a sliding rod 6, which
preferably rides upon pulley wheels 11. The said guide openings and rod are
preferably square, with the exception that the latter has a circular bearing portion
midway between the ends thereof upon which the trolley-wheel turns.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that I provide a trolley-pole
which effectually prevents the trolley wheel from leaving the wire, since the
sliding rod moves transversely to the car to conform to the varying distances in
rounding curves etc., so as to keep the wheel always upon the wire. The said
trolley-wheel should be a little larger than those used at present, for the purpose
of preventing the ends of the sliding rods from coming in contact with the span-
wires. It will be noted, further, that should the trolley-wheel leave the wire
said wire is caught by the rod 6, which completes the circuit.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) The combination with a car, of a pivoted trolley pole provided at its upper
end with a sliding rod movable transversely with relation to the trolley pole,
and a rotatable trolley-wheel carried by said sliding rod and through which said
rod extends and which is incapable of longitudinal movement thereon.
(2) The combination with a car, of a pivoted trolley-pole provided at its upper
end with a cross-head having guides, a sliding rod situated within said guides,
and a rotatable trolley-wheel through which said sliding rod extends, said
trolley-wheel and rod being immovable longitudinally with relation to each other.
(3) The combination with a car, of a pivoted trolley-pole provided at its upper
end with a cross-head having guides, a sliding rod situated within said guides,
and a rotatable trolley-wheel through which said rod extends.
(4) The combination with a car, of a pivoted trolley-pole provided at its upper
end with a cross-head having guides, anti-friction rollers in the lower ends of
said guides, and a sliding rod situated within said guide, and a rotatable trolley-
wheel through which said rod extends.
(5) The combination with a car, of a pivoted trolley-pole provided at its upper
end with a cross-head having guides, a sliding rod situated within said guides
and incapable of axial rotation, and a rotatable trolley wheel situated about mid-
way between the end of said rod and through which said rod extends and which
is incapable of longitudinal movement thereon.
(6) The combination with a car, of a pivoted trolley-pole provided at its upper

page_text: end with a sliding rod movable transversely with relation thereto, curved fingers
at the ends of said rod, and a rotatable trolley-wheel carried by said rod and
incapable of longitudinal movement thereon.
Dated this 11th