Improved Construction of Straight and Curved Underground Conduits for Enclosing Electric Conductors, Haulage Cables, and other Means of Communication, Allowing Connection of Vehicles, Sledges, and Moving Bodies to same, and Allowing Access Below.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1900
Improved Construction of Straight and Curved Underground Conduits
for Enclosing Electric Conductors, Haulage Cables, and other
Means of Communication, Allowing Connection of Vehicles,
Sledges, and Moving Bodies to same, and Allowing Access
Below.
GEORGE WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE, M.Inst.C.E., Whingarth, Marple, via Stockport,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
A continuous clear space or chamber of indefinite length is enclosed by sides
and top of iron, steel or other suitable material. This chamber is prepared to
receive the conductor, cable or means of communication, a narrow groove is
made in top for connection and the bottom is left open for access to the chamber
from below. The sides of the chamber to be continued downwards to form an
ante chamber and arranged to form sides of a hollow voussoir or a member of
the roof of an access culvert, to be constructed of brick, concrete, stone, iron
or equivalent material, the sides of the ante chamber to be connected by cross
bars with interspaces for access The chamber and ante chamber may be made
in one part, but preferably divided longitudinally with cross joints placed alter-
nately. Strength and rigidity of the whole to be secured as far as possible by
equilibrium of pressure, and to be sufficient to resist earth pressure, normally
and in frost, also street traffic loads and stresses due to subsidence. The culvert
may be arranged to receive a car to carry one or more men in vertical or hori
zontal posture and which may be electrically actuated. Electric conductors to
be arranged at junctions, with bye pass switches connected or interlocked with
the rail switches and manually or automatically actuated from the approaching
vehicle.
Dall his 11th Jave of Tannoy 1800
Improved Construction of Straight and Curved Underground Conduits
for Enclosing Electric Conductors, Haulage Cables and other
Means of Communication, Allowing Connection of Vehicles,
Sledges, and Moving Bodies to same, and Ailowing Access
Below.
GEORGE WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE, M.Inst.C.E., Whingarth, Marple, ria Stockport,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
1
My said invention relates to the construction of conduits which are chiefly
employed for enclosing electric conductors or moving cables for haulage purposes
and which are inserted in the ground, and which are usually but not necessarily
placed level with the surface.
Such conduits are required to allow continuous connection between the con-
ductor or cable and a moving vehicle or sledge, but to prevent contact or com-
munication between the conductor and other objects, and prevent accumulation
of dirt in proximity to the conductors. A narrow groove is therefore required
through which the required connection may be made.
Means of access to the conductor are required to be available at all times,
whether the installation is in or out of use.
The strength and rigidity of the structure are required to suffice for the accurate
maintenance of form and position of the whole, when exposed to earth pressure
either normally or in frosty weather, under various conditions as to loading,
and in case subsidence occurs.
I therefore construct the conduits in general accordance with the appended
drawing in which A, Fig. 1 is a main chamber of indefinite length without
cross bars or interruptions in any part of its course. The main chamber is
enclosed on sides by a shell, preferably of iron or steel which is also continued
over the top except that a nairow slit or groove is provided to allow connection
with the conductor. The groove is preferably but not invariably placed along
the centre line. The dimensions of the main chamber are such as will suffice
to allow it to receive the conductor with insulated supports: also to allow passage
of trolley or polar slides and in some cases, of switch gear.
The sides of the main chamber are continued downwards to form an ante-
chamber B, B, which, through a great part of its length is open above and below,
but which is crossed by struts or cross bars at intervals suitable to each case.
The struts may be cast or forged upon the shell, or may be provided separately,
and may be secured either at the centre or at either end, by rivets bolts, cotters,
keys or similar means. The struts are designed and proportioned to resist all
earth pressure and to maintain the two sides of the shell in proper relation to
cach other, and to accurately preserve the width of groove.
The outer surface of the sides of the ante-chamber are prepared for securing
in concrete or brickwork or other material of the substructure.
Lugs, bosses, holes or other preparations are provided upon the sides of the
main chamber to receive tie rods or other means of connection to suit the rails
adopted whereby truth of gauge of rails is accurately maintained, and the outer
surfaces of the main chamber are arranged so as to allow convenient contact
with the paving E, E.
Access to the main chamber from below is allowed by the interspaces of the
ante-chamber whereby the necessity for movable plates or blocks inserted in the
road surface is avoided.
The main chamber or the ante chamber or both are prepared to receive insu-
lated supports to carry the conductors or pulleys to guide moving cables, as may
be required.
The conduits are made in sections, connected and maintained in alignment by
fish plates and bolts, resting blocks, keys or equivalent means.
In some cases the main chamber may be divided by a central plate F into two
sretions, the dividing plate either extending to the level of the surface of the
ground, so as to duplicate the groove as shown in Fig. 2, or it may terminate
at a lower level.
The access tunnel or culvert (, (, is preferably constructed of concrete, brick
or stone or equivalent material, but iron or steel as at G Fig. 3 or other metallic
construction may be adopted to meet special conditions of ground, or for the
sake of rapid construction. The sectional form of the culvert is such as to give

page_text: approximate equilibrium of stresses upon the structure, but preferably with a
circular interior surface. The dimensions may be such as to allow access by
walking or a car,-manually or electrically operated, may be used. In limited
space the car may be arranged to convey a man in a recumbent posture. Rails
may be fixed to the walls or invert of the culvert for carrying the inspection
car.
The lower part of the access culvert may be utilised to contain pipes for the
conveyance of water, gas or air or to contain cables and the like. The line of
culvert may be crossed by many pipes, sewers or other obstacles of height suffi-
ciently moderate to allow a restricted passage over; or by a few pipes of such height
as to divide the culvert into sections separately accessible.
At junctions and crossings the structure is, by preference to be made in cast
metal in general accordance with the foregoing specification for plain work, but
with the two side portions separated, and a third part inserted between, as in
Fig. 7, which shows a section through P upon Fig. 4. Alternatively the several
members may be connected by rivetting.
Uniform width of groove at junctions and crossings is obtained by the use
of an underplate or plates. I propose to make each plate with a vertical member
as shown at H in Fig. 6, and a horizontal member immediately beneath the top
of the shell which is level with the roadway surface.
The horizontal or upper
members of such plates are shown by dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5, in which
two plates are shown, each of which revolves around a centre at K or K₁. A
section through the centre K, is shown at L in Fig. 8. In Fig. 5, the straight
line is shown to be open, and the plate centred at K closes the curved fine; the
outer edge of this plate being straight to complete the straight groove.
In Fig. 4,
the curved line is shown to be open, and the plate centred at K, closes the
straight line; the outer edge of this plate is curved in order to complete the
curved groove. A lug or preparation is provided for connection of switch gear
as at point M, Fig. 6.
Each underplate is shaped obliquely at the free end as shown in Figs. 4 and 5,
to reduce liability to damage in case a vehicle accidentally approaches in a wrong
direction.
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 general arrangement, construction and combination of parts for enclos-
ing and protecting an elongated conduit or main chamber with a single groove
as shown upon the appended drawings, Figs. & 3, for continuous communica-
tion therewith, or with duplicate grooves as shown in Fig. 2.
2. The arrangement of struts to provide strength sufficient to preserve uniform
width of groove and prevent displacement of parts in relation to each other.
3. The means whereby access to the main chamber is obtained from below,
while avoiding interference with the continuity of surface in proximity to the
conduit.
4. The use of the movable under plates at junctions and crossings, whereby
the risk of accident arising from open grooves of double width is averted.
Tab 10. 1441 Jas tahan 1900
G. W. SUTCLIFFE.