Improvements in Carrying or Supporting Electric Collectors.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1893—Accepted, 25th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICA
ION.
Improvements in Carrying or Supporting Electric Collectors.
We, MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, of 161 Trinity Road, Upper Tooting, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, and THOMAS PERCEVAL WILSON, of 3 Whitehall
Place, London, S.W. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
"
This invention relates more particularly to the means of carrying or supporting
electric collectors for use in what are known as the overhead system of electric
tramways; but the invention is also applicable for use with certain classes of
electric cranes and the like. It has heretofore been proposed in the overhead
electric tramway system to employ what are technically known as fishing rod"
collectors; id est, rods of a form similar to a fishing rod pirotted at the base and
held up against the conductor with a varying amount of regularity by cams, springs,
balance weights etc. The present invention relates to the "fishing rod" type of
support for a collector, and according to this invention it is proposed to hinge said
rod to a pedestal or support to which is also pivoted a second but shorter rod,
from the outer end of which to a pre-determined point on the "fishing rod"
extends a third pivoted bar, the two bars, the rod and the pedestal forming a
parallelogram, beyond the side of which extends the "fishing rod." From the
pedestal at a point more or less close to the pivot of the "fishing rod" is attached
a spring, the other end being attached at about the pivot point of the two bars.
The spring thus passing diagonally across the parallelogram. The tendency of said
spring is to keep the fishing rod in its highest position. It follows from this con-
struction that if the fishing rod be depressed the spring is placed under tension
the amount of which is proportionate to the increased leverage obtained by the
rod in its descent. In other words the action of the spring is such as to counter-act
the leverage of the fishing rod or balance the same no matter what position the
said rod may take so long as it does not pass the centre. To facilitate the adjust-
ment of the parts the inner end of the spring may be attached to a bracket or
other moveably adjustable piece, or otherwise adjustably secured to the pedestal.
The result of the employment of this apparatus will be to obtain a comparatively
even pressure between the collector and the conductor even though the height of
the latter and consequently the angle of the "fishing rod " may from time to time
vary.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1809
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Applicants' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carrying or Supporting Electric Collectors.
We, MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH of 161 Trinity Road, Upper Tooting, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, and THOMAS PERCEVAL WILSON of 3 Whitehall -
Place, London, S.W., 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 relates more particularly to the means of carrying or supporting
electric collectors for use in what are known as the overhead system of electric
tramways, but the invention is also applicable for use with certain classes of
electric cranes and the like. It has heretofore been proposed in the overhead

page_text: "
electric tramway system to employ what are technically known as fishing rod
collectors; id est, rods of a form similar to a fishing rod pivotted at the base and
held up against the conductor with a varying amount of regularity by cams,
springs, balance weights etc.
The present invention relates to the "fishing rod" type of support for a collector,
and in order that the said invention may be clearly understood reference, is made
to the accompanying drawings which form part of this Specification, and in
which :-
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a collector in accordance with this invention,
and
"
Fig. 2 is a plan view with the rod in a more depressed position.
According to this invention it is proposed to hinge said rod a to a pedestal or
from the
support b to which is also pivoted a second but shorter rod or rods
outer end of which to a predetermined point on the "fishing rod" extends a third
pivoted bar or bars d, the two bars c, d, the rod a and the pedestal b, forming a
parallelogram, beyond the side of which extends the outer end of the "fishing rod
to which the collector e is secured. From the pedestal at a point more or less close
to the vertical pivot point of the "fishing rod" is attached a bracket or arm g
carrying springs h, the other end of same being attached at about the pivot point
of the two bars c, d, the springs thus passing diagonally across the parallelogram.
The tendency of said springs is to keep the "fishing rod a in its highest position.
It follows from this construction that if the rod a be depressed the springs h are
placed under tension the amount of which is proportionate to the increased leverage
obtained by the expansion of the parallelogram as rod a descends as will be readily
understood by reference to the dotted lines in Fig. 1. In other words the action
of the springs is such as to counteract the leverage of the rod or balance the same
no matter what position the said rod may take so long as it does not the centre.
pass
To facilitate the adjustment of the parts the bracket instead of forming part of the
pedestal b may be made as an adjustable piece, or the springs may be otherwise
adjustably secured to the pedestal.
"
In order to permit pedestal b to revolve it may conveniently surround a hollow
column carried by base plate i such column also serving to carry the insulated
conducting wire k which may be coiled in the base and thus permit a continuous
wire to be employed and yet allow of free movement and rotation of the parts
without strain, although this particular arrangement may be varied as desired.
The result of the employment of this apparatus will be to obtain a comparatively
even pressure between the collector and the conductor, even though the height of
the latter and consequently the angle of the rod a may from time to time vary.
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. The improvements in carrying or supporting electric collectors consisting in
the employment of a spring so arranged as to practically balance the conducting
rod whether in its elevated or depressed position as described.
2. The improvements in carrying or supporting electric collectors consisting of
the combination with the pivoted collecting rod and pedestal of pivoted arms
interposed between a point on the rod and the base and a spring or springs acting
on said arms, substantially as set forth.
3. The improvements in carrying or supporting electric collectors substantially
as bereinbefore described, and as illustrated in the drawings.
T
1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicants.