Improvements in Current-collectors for Electrically Driven Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr.. 1899 -Accepted, 20th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Current-collectors for Electrically Driven Vehicles.
I, ROBERT EDWARD CARROLL, of Lima, in the County of Allen and State of
Ohio, United States of America, Artisan, 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 trolleys for electric cars and other electrically driven
vehicles, and has for its object to provide improved means for permitting the
trolley-wheel to readily and easily follow curves and other sinuosities in the
overhead line-wire.
It has also for its object to provide improved means arranged in operative
connection with the trolley in such manner that the trolley is effectually pre-
vented from jumping the line-wire at crossings, curves, switches, and other points
and is guarded and guided on the line-wire in an efficient manner, while at
the same time permitting the trolley to be readily engaged with and disengaged
from the line-wire for reversing the car and the like.
It has for a further object to provide improved means for guiding the trolley
onto the wire in reversing or setting the trolley; and, finally, it has for its object
to improve and simplify the construction and render more efficient the operation
of this class of devices generally.
To these ends my invention consists in the features and in the construction,
combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly
pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved trolley, showing the same in place
on the line-wire.
Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in section.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation.
Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a trolley-pole which in
practice is flexibly and pivotally connected with the top of an electric-railway
car in a usual and well-known manner.
The numeral 2 indicates a fork or yoke connected to the upper end of the
trolley-pole, in the upper ends of the arms of which is fixed a shaft 3, on which
is journalled the trolley-wheel 4. The lower end or shank 5 of the yoke 2 is
reduced and is pivoted at 6 in the bifurcated upper end 7 of the trolley-pole in
such manner that the yoke carrying the trolley-wheel may move laterally rela-
tively to the trolley-pole. The extreme lower end of the shank 5 is recessed, as
at 8, forming shoulders 9, which are adapted to abut a spline 10 on the trolley-
pole and limit the movement of the yoke in either direction. Attached at one end
to the trolley-pole is a leaf-spring 11, the other or free end of which is arranged
between two lugs or projections 12 on the yoke, the arrangement being such that

page_text: said spring operates to normally hold the yoke in alignment with the trolley-
pole. If desired, two such springs may be employed, one on each side of the
trolley-pole; but one spring will be found amply sufficient under all ordinary
circumstances.
The operation of this part of the invention is as follows:-The trolley-wheel
travels on and follows the line-wire in the usual manner when the latter is
straight. When a curve, bend, or angle in the line-wire is reached, however, the
spring 11 yields and permits the yoke to swing to one side about its pivot 6
to accomodate the trolley-wheel to the deflection of the line-wire; but the
instant the trolley-wheel reaches a straight portion of the line-wire the spring
causes the yoke to resume its normal position in alignment with the trolley-pole.
Formed on the opposite sides of the yoke 2 are lugs 13, between which, on each
side of the yoke, are pivoted arms 14, 15, in the upper ends 14 of which are
journaled guide and guard discs or wheels 16. The journals 17 of the discs
or wheels incline outwardly in opposite directions, so that the discs correspondingly
incline in opposite directions, and the arms are of such length that the discs,
when the trolley is in place on the line-wire, lie directly in front of the upper
portion of the rim of the trolley-wheel. The discs or wheels 16 are of concavo-
conical form, that is to say, they are broad at their upper sides and narrow at
their lower sides, these sides being joined by inwardly curved surfaces (Fig. 3),
in such manner that the broad upper side portions project slightly over the upper
part of the line-wire and effectually guide the trolley-wheel and hold it to the line-
wire, thus, effectually preventing the trolley from jumping the latter at crossings,
switches, and other points.
The arms 14, 15 can be oscillated on their pivots for the purpose of spreading
their upper ends apart to disengage the guide and guard discs from the line-
wire when it is desired to reverse the trolley, and this may be conveniently
accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter explained. The lower
portions 15 of the arms are provided on their inner or proximate sides with
lugs 18, over which are arranged the opposite ends of a compressible coiled
spring 19. The spring 19 exerts a constant pressure to force the lower ends 15
of the arms apart, and consequently the upper ends 14 together, thus holding the
guide and guard discs to the line-wire.
Loosely journalled on the opposite ends of the shaft 3 are arms 20, the upper
ends 21 of which diverge or are inclined outward, and their lower ends are con-
nected by a swinging bail 22, the arms being so proportioned that when the
trolley is in normal position-that is to say, in engagement with the line-wire-
the upper ends of said arms will swing backward and downward by gravity, so
as to avoid all liability of striking the line-wire supports, cross wires, switches,
and the like.
To operate the guide-arms 20 and the arms carrying the guide and guard
discs, I provide a cord, rope or similar flexible connection 23, which at its upper
end is furcated into three branches or members 24, 25, 26, the member 24 being
attached to the bail 22 and the members 25 and 26 to the ends 15 of the
arms 14, 15.
In the operation of disengaging the trolley from and, engaging it with the line-
wire to reverse it, the operator in pulling down the cord 23 to draw the trolley
down from the line-wire automatically swings the guide-arms 20 up and the
guide and guard discs apart, the member 24 drawing down the bail connected to
the guide-arms and the members 25 and 26 drawing the ends 15 of the arms 25
and 26 toward each other. The parts are held in this position while the operator
swings the trolley-pole about on its pivot to reverse the trolley, so that the
diverging ends 21 of the arms 20 are in position to guide the trolley-wheel onto
the line-wire. When the operator has swung the trolley into position beneath
the line-wire, however, and releases the cord, the spring 19 immediately causes
the guide and guard discs to embrace the line-wire while the guide-arms drop
back and down by gravity.

page_text: 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 trolley-pole and a trolley-wheel support on the
upper end thereof, of arms pivotally mounted on the opposite sides of the trolley-
wheel support, below and in advance of the trolley-wheel and provided at their
upper extremities with angularly-arranged concavo-conical guide and guard discs
arranged in front of the trolley-wheel and operating to hold the latter to the line-
wire, and means for spreading the upper ends of said arms apart to disengage the
discs from the line-wire, substantially as described.
2. The combination, with a trolley-pole, and a trolley-wheel supported on the
upper end thereof, of arms pivotally connected intermediate their ends with the
wheel-support. below and in advance of the trolley wheel, concavo-conical guard
and guide discs journalled, respectively, on the upper ends of the arms in proximity
to the grooved periphery of the trolley and constructed to project partially over
and bear against the sides of the line to guide the trolley-wheel and prevent it
jumping the line, a coiled spring arranged between the lower ends of the arms to
press their upper ends, with the guard and guide discs, toward each other, and
means for spreading their upper ends apart, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with a trolley-pole, and a trolley-wheel supported on the
upper end thereof, of arms pivotally connected intermediate their ends with the
wheel-support guard and guide discs journalled, respectively, on the upper ends
of the arms in proximity to the trolley and constructed to project over and to
bear against the sides of the line, a coiled spring arranged between the lower
ends of the arms to press their upper ends, with the guard and guide discs, toward
each other, and a cord connected with the lower ends of the arms for spreading
the unner ends thereof apart, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with a trolley-pole and a trolley-wheel supported on the
upper end thereof. of arms pivotally mounted on the opposite sides of the trolley-
wheel support and provided at their upper extremities with angularly-arranged
guide and guard dises arranged in front of the trolley-wheel and operating to
hold the latter to the line-wire, a spring arranged between the lower ends of said
arms and operating to press their upper ends, with the guide and guard discs,
toward each other. guide-arms pivoted intermediate their ends on the opposite
ends of the axis of the wheel, said guide-arms diverging at their upper ends, a
bal connecting the lower ends of said guide-arms, the arrangement being such
that the upper ends of the guide-arms drop down and back by gravity, and a cord
provided with three furcated members two of which are respectively connected
with the lower ends of the arms carrying the guide and guard discs and the third
with the bail on the guide-arms, whereby the guide-arms may be elevated and
the guide and guard discs simultaneously spread apart by said cord, substantially
as described.
a
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C..
Agents for the Applicant.