Improvements in and connected with Conductors and Collectors for Electric Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1896-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by HERBERT RUDOLPH KEITHLEY, of Prospect
House, 15 th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, New York City, New York,
U.S.A., Engineer.]
Improvements in and connected with Conductors and Collectors for
Electric Railways and Tramways.
I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., Fel. Ch. Inst. P.A.,
F.I. Inst., practising as Phillips and Leigh at No. 22, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the Adininistrative County of London, Engineer and Patent
Agent, 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 :-
The aim of this invention is to provide a trolley-wire, which may be easily and
securely held, and which will present a large surface or line of contact to the
trolley-wheel, and to provide in combination therewith a trolley-wheel for accurately
engaging said trolley-wire.
To these ends, the trolley-wire is provided with ribs, and is so supported that a
plurality of said ribs will be presented for engagement with the trolley-wheel.
In its preferred form, the wire comprises three ribs, the sides of one or more of
said ribs diverging outwardly. Where the ribs are substantially circular in cross-
section, the cross-section of the wire will resemble a clover-leaf."
The grooves between the three ribs are preferably slightly rounded so as to do
away with sharp angles where the ribs join.
The hangers which are used to support this form of wire are arranged to
enclose one of the ribs, and have arms which may be pressed into engagement with
the grooves at each side of said rib, thus leaving two ribs for engagement with the
trolley-wheel.
The trolley-wheel is preferably provided with grooves corresponding with the
ribs of the wire and with a central rib or projection for engaging the groove in the
trolley-wire.
This will give a long line of contact between the wire and the wheel.
The central rib of the wheel fitting into the exposed groove of the wire will
keep the wheel centrally and accurately in contact with the wire so that the wheel
will run very smoothly.
The exposed working groove on the under side of the wire is so located that ice
and dirt will not accumulate therein.
Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification,
Fig. 1 represents a trolley-wire and wheel constructed according to this
invention,
Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the way the hangers or clips are secured to
the wire,
Fig. 3 is a view showing one way in which the wire may be made,
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate modified forms of triple-ribbed wire,
Fig. 7 represents a trolley-wheel and a trolley-wire having two ribs,
Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating the hangers employed for supporting this
form of wire, and
Fig. 9 is a view showing one way in which this wire may be made.
In detail, 10 designates a hanger or clip supported as from the usual stay or
cross-wire 11.

page_text: The trolley-wire designated by the numeral 12 has three ribs or leaves 13, 14
and 15, and three grooves 16, 17 and 18, so that the wire is substantially like a
clover-leaf in cross-section.
The grooves 16, 17 and 18 are slightly rounded to do away with sharp angles
where the ribs 13, 14 and 15 join.
The hanger has projecting arms 19 and 20 spread just far enough apart to admit
the rib or leaf 13 of the wire, as shown in Fig. 2.
When the wire is inserted in a hanger in this manner, the arms 19 and 20 are
mechanically forced or pressed into engagement with the grooves 16 and 17 of the
wire, whereby the hanger will firmly clamp and hold the wire, and will leave
the ribs 14 and 15 and the groove 18 of the wire exposed for contact with the
trolley-wheel.
21 designates the trolley-wheel, and the same is preferably formed with two
grooves 22 and 23 and a rib 24, so that the same will be self-centering on the wire,
and so that the wheel will fit the wire very closely.
This will provide a large contact between the wheel and wire, and a construction
whereby the wheel will run very smoothly and accurately on the wire.
The rib 24 on the wheel, engaging the groove 18 on the wire, will keep the
wheel in position on the wire, and will prevent the same leaving or jumping from
the wire in many instances where this happens with ordinary constructions.
One way this form of wire may be cheaply made is to roll or draw the same
between the three rollers 25, 26 and 27, set at one hundred and twenty degrees to
each other, or through a die having the proper opening.
In the modified form of triple or clover-leaf wire shown in Fig. 4, the ribs 13, 14
and 15 are cut away or grooved on their upper surfaces, forming depressions 28, 29
and 30.
In this construction the configuration which engages with the hangers and with
the trolley-wheel is substantially identical with the form of wire illustrated in
Figs. 1 and 2.
This form may be employed where a light wire containing a small amount of
metal is desired.
In the modified form of wire shown in Fig. 5, the rib 31 with which the hangers
engage, is made dove-tailed in cross section instead of circular, as in the
constructions previously described.
This form is used with advantage with some styles of hangers, but for most
purposes, the clover-leaf shape is more desirable, as the same has no sharp edges.
Fig. 6 illustrates a clover-leaf wire in which the grooves 16, 17 and 18 are not
rounded, and the ribs 13, 14 and 15 unite at an acute angle.
Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the manner in which a double or two-leafed wire can be
supported according to this invention.
Referring to these figures, the hangers 100 are supported in the ordinary manner
by the cross-wire 11.
The trolley-wire 120 has two ribs or leaves 130 and 140, so that the wire in
cross section is substantially like a figure eight placed side ways.
The hangers are provided with engaging surfaces corresponding with the upper
surface of the wire, and these parts are brazed or soldered together.
The irregular engaging surfaces of the hauger will form a construction which
will bold the wire very securely, and will leave only the rounded or smooth
portion of the hangers exposed.
Also, it will be noted that by means of this construction, the hangers will be
centered with respect to the wire, so that the wire will be supported in such a
manner that the trolley-wheels will not strike or hit any portion of the hangers.
Where this form of wire is employed, and is thus supported, it will be seen that
the surface which is exposed to the engagement of the trolley-wheel has
substantially the same configuration as the three-ribbed or clover-leaf wire, and
the form of trolley 21 may be substantially the same as that before, described.
One manner in which this double or figure eight wire may be formed is to roll or

page_text: draw the same between rollers or dies shaped as shown by the rollers 250 and 260
in Fig. 9.
While trolley-wire constructed according to this invention has been practically
designed for over-head work, the same may be advantageously used in other
locations, and changes and modifications may be made by skilled mechanics without
departing from the scope of the invention, as expressed in the claims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The trolley-wire substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination of a trolley-wire comprising ribs, and means for supporting
said trolley-wire so that a plurality of the ribs will be engaged by the trolley-
wheel, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a trolley-wire having ribs, and a trolley-wheel having a
plurality of grooves for engaging said ribs, substantially as described.
4. A trolley-wire having three ribs, the sides of one or more of said ribs
diverging outwardly, substantially as described.
5. A trolley-wire comprising three circular ribs, substantially as described.
6. The combination of a trolley-wire having three ribs, and hangers engaging
one of said ribs, leaving the other two ribs in position to be engaged by the trolley-
wheel, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of May 1896.
HENRY H. LEIGH, C.P.A.