Improvements in Electric Railways on the Conduit System.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 20th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways on the Conduit System.
We ALVARO SILAS KROTZ, Electrical Engineer, of 19 Euclid Avenue,"
Springfield, Ohio, WILLIAM PRENTICE ALLEN, Travelling Salesman, of 336
55th Street, Chicago, Illinois, and OLIVER SMITH KELLY, Manufacturer,
Arcade Hotel, Springfield, Ohio, United States of America, 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 and
accompanying drawings:-
Our invention relates to improvements in underground systems for electric s
railways, and our invention consists in the constructions and combinations of parts
hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a sub-way or conduit embodying our
invention, with the covers removed.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a similar device, the section being taken
through the slotted opening of the conduit and showing one set of the conductors in
side elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the same with some of
the parts broken away.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the conductors, showing the arrangement
of the contacting devices.
Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the conduit, showing the parts on one side
of the conduit in section and the parts on the other side of the conduit partly in
section and partly in full lines, the section being taken on different planes to more
fully illustrate the construction of the different parts.
Fig. 6 is a detail of the insulating hanger, and
Figs. 7 and 8 are views of modifications.
.
Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in the several views.
In the said drawings, a represents supporting yokes or brackets which form a
part of the conduit, which conduit may be formed between the yokes in any suitable
construction, either by the use of connecting timbers or plates, or masonry, or in
any other desirable and suitable manner. The yokes are each preferably formed
integral with a ribbed base a 1 and inwardly projecting arms a 2 at the top, said
arms being preferably U-shaped in cross-section, with side ribs a 3. The top of
the conduit is formed by plates or covers b, which may be of any suitable length,
but which are preferably of a length. equal to the distance between the yokes, so
that the ends of the adjacent plates or covers come together centrally over the
yokes and are supported on the inwardly-projecting arms. These plates bare
formed to fit snugly on the upper portion of said arms and may be secured thereto
in any desirable manner, but are preferably held against lateral movement
thereon by downwardly-projecting flanges 60 and 61, which are inclined or
tapered on their inner sides and adapted to fit over the respective ends of the
upper portions of the arms a 2 on the yokes, which are similarly tapered, as
shown in Fig. 5. When thus formed the plates or covers need have no other
fastening and may be readily removed or replaced as desired. The arms a 2 on
the yokes are made of such length that when the covers or plates are in place,
a slotted opening 62 between the flanges 61 of said covers is formed throughout
the entire length of the conduit to provide means for the passage of the movable
contacting devices attached to the car or vehicle to which the current from the
conduit is to be applied.

page_text: On each side and below the slotted opening 62 are contacting bars or
plates cand c 1. These contacting bars are preferably suspended from the
arms a 2 of the yokes a, preferably by means of hangers c2, which are provided
with insulators c 3, so that the bottom portions of the hangers and the contacting
bars are completely insulated from the yokes or conduit. The contacting bars
when thus suspended are formed in suitable lengths or sections, which sections
are independent from each other, or, if connected, are connected by insulators
so as to be electrically separate one from the other.
The conductors proper are completely enclosed within tubes or casings d and d',
which are also preferably made in sections of suitable length. These tubes or
casings consist preferably of ordinary metal pipe or tubing having at suitable
intervals T-shaped openings or connections d2. The main conductor or feed
wire e of each section or casing extends through the different sections of said
tube or casing and is insulated throughout its entire length. The end of each
tube or casing section is closed by a plug or cover 3 of insulating material
through which the feed wire or conductor e is adapted to extend, the con-
struction being such that the ends of the tube or casing will be sealed water
and air tight. In the outlet opening of each of the T-connections d 2 there is
placed an insulating plug d4, which may be screwed into said opening so as to
form a water. and air tight joint. Each of the insulating plugs has extending
through the center thereof a metallic bolt or connection d 5, which is adapted
to establish an electrical connection from the inside to the outside of the tube
or casing. When used in connection with the swinging contacting bars cla
spring contacting strip d 6, preferably semi-elliptical in shape, is connected to the
bolt d5 and supported on the insulating plug d2, the ends of the spring contacting
strip d 6 lying adjacent to but separated from the. sectional contacting bar c 1.
With each of these bolts or connections d5 there is established an electrical
connection from the main conductor or feed wire e which is within the tube or
casing, and this is preferably accomplished by a branch wire or conductor el which
connects with the main or feed wire e through a detachable connection or switch e 2,
placed at or near one end of the tube or casing section to which it relates; a switch
box e 5, having a removable cover e 4, being preferably provided at the end of each
tube or casing section for this purpose; these switch boxes and the ends of the
respective tubes or casings being preferably located at a man-hole or well, as shown
at g in Fig. 3, this well or man-hole being of sufficient size and capacity to permit
a workman to descend below the level of the tube sections or casings, and preferably
located between two of the yokes a, so that by removing the top plates between
said yokes an entrance can be secured into said man-hole or well. By this
arrangement all the contacting devices in any tube or section may be (lisconnected
from the main conductor e by opening the switch box and breaking the connection
between the main conductor or feed wire e and the branch or auxiliary conductor e 1
by the aid of the switch or detachable connection e 2.
The respective tube sections which carry the conductors and the contacting
devices are supported by insulators d7 from the arms a 2 of the yokes. These
insulators d 7 are preferably formed with two oppositely extending studs d 8 d 9,
preferably of metal cast into the insulator, which may be of rubber or any other
suitable substance. The stud d 9 is screwed into the T-connection d 2 of the tubular
casing, while the stud d 8 is adapted to extend through the arm a 2 and be secured
thereto by a suitable nut d 10 in the usual manner; the top or web portion of the
arm being preferably recessed, as shown at a 4 in Fig. 5, for this purpose.
For supporting the respective cuds of the swinging sectional contacting strips c 1,
(which may be of any suitable length and adapted to include any number of the
spring contacting strips d 6), a double insulating hanger is preferably employed,
as shown in Fig. 6. The insulators c3 in this case are provided with two
downwardly-projecting rods or stems c4 c5, each of which is adapted to project
through lugs or flanges c 6 e 7 on the swinging contacting bar c 1, said stems being
preferably journaled in said lugs or flanges so as to permit a free movement of the

page_text: bar c 1 thereon. It will be understood that the intermediate hangers need have
only one stem or projection c4, while those at the ends of the respective sections.
have two adapted to support adjacent ends of the respective sections.
In some cases it may be sufficient to have the sectional contacting bars supported'
directly on insulating plugs d 4, as shown at c in Fig. 5, in which case the insulated.
hangers c2 may be dispensed with; the sectional bars being connected to the
insulators through suitable connecting clips or brackets c 8, which are secured to
said insulators by bolts or connections d 5. When this construction is used an
electrical connection may be established from the feed wire to the contacting bar c-
at one point only instead of at each insulating plug, as is the case when the
intermediate spring contacting strips d6 are employed in connection with the
swinging bars.
If desired, instead of having the sectional contacting bars c connected directly to
the auxiliary or branch conductor e 1, the sectional bars may be supported on
insulating plugs by flexible casings d 11, which are supported on said plugs so as to
enclose the spring contacting strips d 6. An electrical connection will be established
from the sectional bars to the inside of said casing so that as the side of the casing.
is forced inwardly a connection will be established between the contacting strip and
the sectional bar c.
Any suitable traveling contacting device or trolley may be used to establish an
electrical connection from the contacting strips c and c 1, but the brushes for
contacting devices should be yieldingly connected to their support so as to contact.
with the sectional bars c and cl with sufficient pressure to cause said bars to be
brought in contact with the intermediate spring contacting strips when said strips.
are employed.
It will be seen that by this construction all the co tacting devices are doubly
insulated. The supporting and containing tubes are themselves insulated, and all
the conducting devices are in turn insulated from the tubes or casings so that the
possibility of loss from leakage is very remote. It is obvious that any number of "
feed wires may be employed within the tubes or casing, one only being shown in.
the drawings.
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 sectional tubes or enclosing casings having a conductor or conductors-
extending through said sectional tubes or casings, contacting devices supported on
the tubes or casings, and an electrical connection from the conductor to each of the
contacting devices, the connection between said conductor and contacting devices
being made within the tubes or casings, substantially as specified.
2. The conductor having contacting devices secured thereto at suitable intervals.
in connection with the insulated swinging contacting bars arranged in front of said
contacting devices, said swinging bars being composed of insulated sections,.
substantially as specified.
3. A conduit or sub-way made in sections having therein enclosing tubes or
casings insulated from the conduit or sub-way, conductor extending through the
sections of said casings or tubes, contacting devices on the outside of said casings.
or tubes, and an auxiliary conductor from each of the contacting devices and.
detachably connected to said main conductor at or near one end of the tube
sections, and means of access to said detachable connection, substantially as specified..
4. A sub-way having therein insulated sectional enclosing casings with insulated
conductors extending through said sectional casings, contacting devices on said.
casings connected to the conductor by branch or auxiliary conductors, in connection
with a man-hole or well in said conduit or sub-way below the line of said conductors.
and at the ends of said casings, substantially as specified.
5. A subway or conduit having therein the insulated sectional tubes or casings.
with a main conductor or feed wire extending through the same and insulated

page_text: therefrom, said insulated sectional tubes or casings having a series of outlet
openings with insulating plugs in the openings, connections from said conductor or
feed wire through said insulating plugs to contacting devices on the outside of said
casing, substantially as specified.
6. A sectional tube or casing having outlets with insulating plugs therein, flexible
casings on said plugs, and contacting devices in said flexible casings, said contacting
devices being connected by branch conductors through said insulating plugs to a
main insulated conductor in said casing, substantially as specified.
7. In connection with the tubes or casings having the outlet openings and
insulated contacting devices electrically connected to a main insulated conductor in
said tubes or casings, the insulated swinging contacting bars adjacent to said
contacting devices and means for forcing said bars in contact therewith, substantially
as specified.
8. In connection with a series of contacting devices and a main conductor
electrically connected therewith, a swinging sectional bar suspended by an insulated
hanger, the adjacent ends of said bar sections being supported by an insulated
hanger having double supporting stems or standards, substantially as specified.
9. In connection with the contacting strips, a swinging bar formed in sections
and supported on insulated hangers on which they are journaled, substantially as
specified.
10. A conduit having a series of supports connected to the walls thereof by
insulators, and contacting rails connected to and supported by said supports, and
feed wires or conductors also sustained by said supports, a detachable connection
from one or more of the feed wires or conductors to the contacting rails, said
contacting rails and feed wires being insulated from each other and from said
supports, substantially as specified.
Dated the 13th day of April 1896.