Improvements in Trolley Ears for Electric Railways.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trolley Ears for Electric Railways.
We, THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY, LIMITED, of 83, Cannon Street,
in the City of London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (which has been communicated to us from abroad by Henry Geisen-
hoener, residing at Schenectady, County of Schenectady, State of New York,
United States of America, Electrical Engineer) and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement: --
The present invention relates to trolley ears for electric railways, and has for
one of its objects to provide an ear which can be secured to the trolley wire without
use of solder, and further to provide an ear which will withstand great strains
on the trolley wire.
In the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of this invention,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ear mounted in position on the trolley wire,
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the car and trolley wire, Fig. 3 is a cross section
on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section on the line 4-4 of
Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of a slight modification.
The car is composed of a flat plate A. of some good strong material, as phosphor-
bronze for example, and is provided with a plurality of holes or openings B on
the lower side. The openings have been shown as rectangular in outline, but
the particular shape is immaterial so long as sufficient stock is left at C, C, the
points of maximum strain.
The upper edge of the plate A is secured to a support D, which support is pre-
ferably cast around the plate. This upper edge is provided with openings E,
which are filled with metal forming the support D; this is an exceedingly strong
construction, and is very cheap to manufacture, as the plate A can be stamped
out of sheet stock and requires no finish. The upper part of the support Dis
provided with an enlargement which is screw-threaded to receive the hanger bolt
or other supporting devices. As the standard trolley wire is circular in cross
section, a suitable tool is provided on each tower wagon resembling a milling
cutter, and when it is decided at what place an ear is necessary, a short slot is
cut in the upper side of the wire F, the width and depth of the slot depending
upon the size of the wire and the strain to which the ear is subjected. After
the slot has been cut, the lower edge of the plate A is inserted therein, and by
means of a suitable clamp or vise, also carried by the tower wagon, the metal is
compressed or forced over the plate A at points C; this is clearly shown by the
cress sectional details.
For the average trolley construction, it is sufficient to secure the ear by forcing
the metal of the trolley wire over the plate at three points, as shown, but where
the strain is greater or less, the number and arrangement of the holes B can be
varied as desired.
An ear of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 was made and placed in a
suitable testing frame, which was so arranged that the support D was secured

page_text: to one part and the trolley wire F to another. A stress was then applied in a
manner tending to separate the ear from the wire and it was not until this stress
reached 2050 pounds that the ear in any way separated from the wire.
In Fig. 5 is shown a slight modification, in which the plate A is a trifle thicker
at its lower edge; the advantage of this construction lies in the fact that the sur-
faces a assist in retaining the plate in place, whereas with the construction
previously described, the metal extending over the plate at points f is all that
is depended upon to hold the parts together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention (as communicated to us from abroad) and in what manner the same
is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:-
-
1. A trolley ear which is secured to the trolley wire of an electric railway
by compressing the metal forming the wire around the ear.
2.-The combination of a trolley ear, an electric railway trolley wire, a slot
in the wire for receiving the ear, and means for retaining the ear in place, con-
sisting of compressed portions of the trolley wire.
3. The combination of a trolley ear, having a plate on its under side, an electric
railway trolley wire, a slot therein for receiving the plate, openings in the plate,
and means for securing the ear to the wire consisting of compressed portions of
the wire which extend partially or wholly through the openings in the plate.
4. As an article of manufacture, a trolley ear for electric railways comprising
a flat metal plate having a series of openings on the lower side, and a meta!
support or holder which is secured to the plate.
5. In a trolley ear for electric railways, the combination of a plate, holes
formed near the upper edge of the plate, and a holder or support for the ear
which is cast around the plate, the metal forming the support filling the holes
in the upper edge of the plate.
6. In a trolley ear the combination of a plate having a substantially straight
under side, holes formed in the plate near the lower edge, holes formed near the
upper edge of the plate, and a holder or support for the ear which is cast around
the plate, the metal forming the support filling the holes in the upper edge of
the plate.
1
1
1
1000