Improvements in Attachments for Collectors in Electric Tramways with Slotted Conduits.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Attachments for Collectors in Electric Tramways
with Slotted Conduits.
I, MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, of Albany Buildings, 47, Victoria Street, West-
minster, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In electric tramways where slotted conduits are employed it is frequently
difficult to maintain proper contact between the gathering shoes of the collector
and the rods, waste bars, channels or the like which forms the conductor within
the channel. Owing partially to unevenness between the surface of the road
and the position of the conductor within the conduit and partially to the
swing or bounce of the car during its travel.
To obviate this difficulty, I attach the plate that passes through the slot from
the collector, to the framework of the car by means of two horizontal levers of
equal length, jointed at one end to the plate and at the other end of the frame-
work to the car.
The slotted plate is thus able to be moved up and down and it can be
retained in the normal position by means of a spring attached to one or both
of the before-mentioned levers.
The rod that passes through the bar can be in one piece structurally,
but where sharp and frequent curves have to be encountered, I prefer cutting
the plate in two and connecting it by a swivel joint enabling the collector
within the channel to have a twisting movement of its own and thus permitting
it to wriggle through the joints and crossing instead of jamming and causing
obstruction.
****
Improvements in Attachments for Collectors in Electric Tramways
with Slotted Conduits.
I, MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH, of 47, Victoria Street, Westminster, Consulting
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:
-
In electric tramways where slotted conduits are employed it is frequently

page_text: difficult to maintain proper contact between the gathering shoes or contact
making portion of the collector and the metal rods, wires, bars, channels or
the like, which form the electricity conductor within the channel.
The difficulty is due in part to the irregularity in the distance between the
surface of the road and the conductor within the channel, and in part to the
swing or bounce of the car during its travel. The object of this invention
is to remedy these difficulties, and it will be more easily understood by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate like parts in the
different views.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the collector.
Fig. 2 is an end view.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower part of the collector within the conduit.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper part of the collector.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section on the line a-y of Figs. 1 and 2.
A is part of the frame work of the tramcar, or motor truck to which are
hinged at DD arms B & B¹ the other ends of the equal arms being hinged
at E&E to a cylindrical casing G, these arms forming a parallel motion'
and permitting a movement up and down of the casing G, in which is free
to turn the hollow rod H. The rod is provided with collars that keep it
vertically in position when the two halves of the casing are clamped together
by the bolts I I.
The lower part of the rod is flattened into the plate K, having extension KK¹
for carrying any approved form of contact making shoe.
An arrangement previously devised by me, and now well known is shown
and need not therefore be described. The centre part of the rod is provided
with lugs LL (Fig. 5) controlled by springs m, m; this arrangement permits
a slight twisting movement of the gatherer within the channel enabling it
conveniently to enter and leave points at junctions of the line.
It will be noticed that the arms or levers B B¹ permit an up and down movement
of the casing H and the collector it carries and that this movement is controlled
by the spring N provided with a screw and nut O for regulating its tension.
The top lever or arms B, may be extended backwards and a weight P added
to balance the collector, in this case the spring N¹ can be employed instead
of, or in conjunction with N. These extensions are shown in dotted lines.
From the above description it will be seen that the collector can readily
accomodate itself to any irregularity in position between the car frame A and
the electricity conductors T T within the conduit and as before mentioned the
gatherer can twist easily when passing through points at junctions of the line.
The electricity gathered from the conductors would pass up the hollow rod H,
by insulated plates, rods, or wires, and could be conveyed to the motors on the
car through switches in any approved manner.
The levers or arms B B could be made of flat spring steel or made an easy fit
at their junctions with the frame and casing or be fitted with gimble or other
joints or the ends which are shown attached to the flat iron of the car frame
could be hinged to a sleeve free to turn upon a vertical rod or any like device,
arranged to permit a slight lateral movement to compensate for the side swing
of the car, or the displacement which occurs when the car is passing round a
sharp curve.
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
1 claim is:-
1. In collectors for electric tramways with underground slotted conduits the
combination of the parallel levers B, the casing G, the hollow rod H and the
retaining springs m and N as and for the purpose described.
2. In collectors for electric tramways with underground slotted conduits the
combination and arrangement of parts for permitting vertical and lateral move-

page_text: ment of the gatherer, substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
3. In electric tramways with underground slotted conduits collector frames
or holders substantially as, and for the purpose described and illustrated.
Dated this 7th day of March 1900.
M. HOLROYD SMITH.