Improvements in Electric Railways.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Electric Railways.
1, GEORGE EDWARD VAUGHAN, of No. 57, Chancery Lane, in the county of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Samuel Trott, of Halifax, Nova Scotia,
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the arrangement of the conducting
rails of electric railways, the object of such improvements being to furnish the
highest degree of insulation for the conductors and also to provide a construction
which will be strong and at the same time comparatively inexpensive. To the
best of my knowledge none of the existing methods of arranging the conductors of
electric railways combine the advantages above referred to.
In many cases, the conducting rails, of electric railways, are mounted, within
conduits, on arms or brackets supported from the walls, in such a manner that a
slight deposit of moisture, or even the collecting brushes themselves, will make
electrical connection between the rails and the conduit and thus destroy the
effectiveness of the structure. In other instances, the conduits have been lined
with, or made from, insulating material; but the former construction is expensive
and the latter lacking in the requisite strength.
This invention consists in mounting and connecting the conductors in grooves
in the upper part of insulators which are preferably formed of glass or porcelain
and are similar in construction to ordinary telegraph pole insulators, that is to
say, their under surfaces are concaved. The said insulators are carried by vertical
pins or screws which are fixed in the bottom of the conduit when employed, or
in any other base or support.
For the purposes of this invention the conduit, when employed, is preferably
constructed of cast iron of suitable strength to resist any strain to which it is
likely to be subjected. The conduit is provided with the usual opening or slot for
admitting the. contact brushes, and the insulators carrying the conductors are
arranged at intervals along the bottom of the conduit. When two conductors are

page_text: arranged within the same conduit, the insulators carrying the two conductors may
be arranged alternately. When a drain is arranged below the bottom of the
conduit, the said bottom is made of a skeleton form, the insulators carrying the
conductors being secured to bars forming part of such skeleton bottom.
The conductor is mortised or dovetailed into the tops of the insulators, and locked
in by means of a metallic wedge or key. In laying the conductors I prefer to
place them so that the joints will occur at the insulators, when the said wedge or
key will constitute a connector. To allow for the expansion or contraction caused
by changes of temperature, bolts which are passed through the conductor and
wedge or key at each side of the insulator, are passed through slots.
In laying the apparatus for elevated roads or where the roads are built on a
trestle work, I prefer to dispense with the metallic conduit or box and to mount
the insulators directly on the sleepers or ties. The insulators themselves, however,
may be protected by a frame or housing of wood or other material to prevent
them from being injured by bodies falling or being thrown on them.
Dated this Fourth day of May 1888.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways.
I, GEORGE EDWARD VAUGHAN, of No. 57 Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Samuel Trott, of Halifax, Nova Scotia,
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 improvements in the arrangement of the conducting rails
of electric railways, the object of such improvements being to obtain the highest
degree of insulation to the conductors coupled with a construction which will be strong
and at the same time comparatively inexpensive. To the best of my knowledge none
of the existing methods of arranging the conductors of electric railways combine the
advantages above referred to.
In many cases, the conducting rails of electric railways, are mounted within conduits
upon arms or brackets supported from the walls in such a manner that a slight deposit
of moisture, or even the collecting brushes themselves, will make electrical connection
between the conducting rails and the conduit and thus destroy the effectiveness of
insulation. In other instances, in order to obviate this defect the conduits have been
lined with, or made from, insulating material, but the former construction is expensive
and the latter lacks the requisite strength.
This invention consists in mounting and connecting the conductors in grooves
formed in the upper part of insulators which are preferably formed of glass or porcelain
and are similar in construction to ordinary telegraph pole insulators, that is to say,
their under surfaces are concaved.
The said insulators are carried by vertical pins or studs which are fixed in the
bottom of the conduit when employed or in any other base or support.
For the purposes of this invention the conduit, when employed, is preferably con-
structed of cast iron of suitable strength to resist any strain to which it is likely to be
subjected. The conduit is provided with the usual opening or slot for admitting the
contact brushes, and the insulators carrying the conductors are arranged at intervals
along the bottom of the conduit. When two conductors are arranged within the same
conduit, the insulators carrying one of the conductors may be arranged intermediately
of those carrying the other. When a drain is arranged below the bottom of the
conduit, the said bottom is made of a skeleton form, the insulators carrying the
conductors being secured to bars forming part of such skeleton bottom.
The conductor is received into the tops of the insulators, and locked in by means of
In laying the conductors,
a metallic wedge or key, which is bolted to the conductor.
I prefer to place them so that the joints will occur at the insulators, when the said
wedge or key will constitute an electric connection. In order to allow for the expansion
or contraction of the conductor caused by changes of temperature slots are formed in
each section of the conductor through which are passed the bolts, which connect the
conductor and wedge or key at each side of the insulator.
In laying the apparatus upon elevated roads or where the roads are built on a trestle

page_text: prevent them from being injured by bodies falling or being thrown on them.
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully to
describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is a transverse section taken on the line 1.-1. of Figure 2, of a conduit
showing two conductors and corresponding insulators constructed and arranged
according to the said invention, and Figure 2. is a horizontal section thereof taken on
the line 2.-2. of Figure 1.
Figure 3. illustrates the application of a single conductor to elevated railways or
other similar structures according to the said invention.
Figure 4. is a detached longitudinal section, on a smaller scale, illustrating the
method of joining or coupling two lengths or sections of the conductor.
In the several Figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1. and 2. A. is the conduit which is preferably constructed of
cast iron, and a. is the usual longitudinal slot or opening in the top thereof to admit
the arm of the contact or collecting brush. a' is the floor of the conduit, and a² is a
drain arranged below the said floor and which may form part of the saine casting or not,
us desired.
The floor of the conduit is constructed in a skeleton form of a number of transverse
bars a' into which are screwed and secured by jamb nuts 6' the vertical pins or studs b.
which carry the insulators B. or the studs 6. might be otherwise secured to the bars a¹.
The concavity of the lower face of the insulators B. which are preferably formed of
glass or porcelain is important, as it effectually prevents electric connection between
the conductors and the pins or studs b. or their support a¹ and any moisture, which
flows down the outer surface of the insulators from the conductors, is shed from the
edge of the periphery thereof. Each conductor C, or a flange on the underside
thereof is received in an undercut or dovetail groove formed in the top of each
insular B. and there secured by means of a correspondingly shaped metallic wedge or
key C₁ the conductor C. being first placed in position in the groove and the key c.
then inserted between the parts and bolted to the conductor C. In order to allow for
the expansion and contraction of the conductor caused by change of temperature,
longitudinal slots C₁ are formed in each section of the conductor C. to receive the
bolts C for securing the key c. and conductor C. together, thus allowing a slight
longitudinal movement of the sections of the conductor. In laying the conductor I
prefer to arrange the various sections thereof so that the joints will occur at the
insulators as shown more particularly at Figure 4. thereby obviating the necessity for
any other electrical connector than the key. The floor a¹ of the conduit A being made
in skeleton form or with frequent openings, there will be no danger of a short circuit
from one conductor C. to another, or from one insulator B to another by reason of the
presence of water.
In applying the invention to elevated railways or to railways built on trestle
work, it is preferred to dispense with the metallic conduit A. and to mount the
insulators B. on vertical pins or studs b. screwed or driven directly into the sleepers
or posts as illustrated at Figure 3. the insulators B. and conductors C. may how-
ever be protected by a frame or housing such as A. in order to secure them from
injury by falling bodies or otherwise.
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
claim is :-
Firstly. The improvements in electric railways substantially as herein shown and
described.

page_text: Secondly. In an electric railway a metallic conduit formed with a skeleton floor
in which are fixed the supporting pins or studs of a number of upright concaved
insulators carrying the electrical conductor or conductors in manner substantially
as herein shown and described.
Thirdly. In an electric railway mounting the conductor or conductors upon
upright insulators formed with concaved bottoms and carried by vertical pins or
studs secured to the floor of a conduit or to a sleeper or tie or other firm base
in manner substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
Fourthly. In an electric railway forming each insulator with a wedge shaped
groove or recess therein to receive the conductor or a flange upon its underside
and securing such conductor or such flange in said groove or recess by means of
a wedge or key in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
And Fifthly. In an electric railway the combination of the conductors the
insulators the vertical pins or studs and the jamb nuts for securing the latter to the
base all constructed and arranged in manner substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
+000