Conduit Electric Railway.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 25th May, 1894
RUVIDIONAL STEIFICATION.
Conduit Electric Railway.
1 EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of 38, Chancery Lane, London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to
me by William R. De Voe, of Shreveport La, U.S. America) to be as
follows:-
In electric railways, lateral wedge shaped plate rests on the surface of a road bed
between the car tracks, in combination with a conductor and track on the inner ends
of said plate rests.
In an electric railway a conductor upon an inclined road bed between the car
tracks, in combination with a horizontal trolley in contact with the conductor and
connected with a car above.
In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed between the car
tracks having a conductor and horizontal trolley thereon, of a track supporting
an insulated wheel of the trolley on the opposite side thereof from the conductor.
In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed between the
tracks having lateral wedge-shaped plate rests thereon, of a conductor and track
on the ends of said plate rests, a horizontal trolley engaging said conductor and
track and connected with a car.
In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed, of longitudinal
base blocks in the centre of bed, the inner meeting edges of said blocks being on a
plane above the car tracks, the outer edges of said blocks being secured by a
triangular strip fastened to the cross ties, and their upper surfaces declining outward
and having thereon a line conductor and track supporting a trolley connected with
a car.
In an electric railway the combination with inclined base blocks in the centre of
the road bed between the track of plate rests declining outward, secured to said
base blocks, a conductor attached to the inner ends of the plate rests on one side of
the centre of the base blocks, and a track attached to the inner ends of the plate
rests on the other side, the conductor and track being connected by a trolley
attached to a car.
In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed between the
tracks, of wedge shaped plate rests declining outward on said road bed, with a
conductor and track secured to the inner ends of said plate rests having a trolley
operating between them, and guard plates secured to the plate rests and extending
over the track, conductor and trolley from each side forming a narrow slot between
their inner edges.
In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed between the
tracks with lateral inclined plate rests thereon having an electric conductor secured
to their inner ends and communicating with the motor and the car, of guard plates
secured to the plate rests and extending inward over the conductor and their ends,
and outward beyond the plate rests, their outer edges being bevelled and slightly
elevated above the pavement forming a lateral surface drain between the piate
rests.
In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed between the car
tracks of a conductor and track secured to the inner ends of wedge-shaped plate
rests and having a trolley thereon, guard plates attached to the plate rests and
extending inward over the conductor and track and outward beyond the plate rests
the outer edges of the guard plates elevated above the surface of the pavement

page_text: forming a lateral drain between the plate rests from the centre to the outer edge of
the pavement.
In an electric railway the combination with an incliued road bed having a
conductor and track mounted thereon, of a trolley consisting of metal wheels
engaging the conductor and an insulated wheel engaging the track, said wheels
being connected on their side by yielding plates holding the trolley in position
on the tracks and conductor and to the car.
In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed having a
conductor and grooved track thereon, of horizontal trolley wheels engaging the
conductor and an insulated wheel engaging the track, said wheels being united on
each side by journals in triangular yielding plates, said plates being connected by a
tension spring on one of their sides and to the car by a contact post.
In an electric railway the combination with a laterally declining road bed
between the car tracks, of inclined plate rests secured to the surface of the road
bed, a beaded line conductor attached to the sides of the inner ends of the plate
rests by right angled insulators and said conductor connected to the car by a trolley
and connecting wire or bar.
Dated this 27th day of May 1893.
HUGHES, SON & Co,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.
Conduit Electric Railway.
I EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of 38 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Patent Agent (a communication to me by William R. De Voe, of
Shreveport, La, U.S. America, Electrician), 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 :-
My invention has relation to underground conduits for conductors used to carry
a current for the propulsion of railway cars, and also to a trolley to be used
in connection therewith, an object being to improve the construction and arrange-
ment of the conduit whereby that portion thereof wherem is situated the conductor,
may be kept practically free from moisture and accumulations of matter from the
surface.
A further object of the invention consists in an improved form of trolley adapted
to the conduit, and so constructed that an intersecting line may be crossed without
breaking contact with the conductor and without a change in the position of the
trolley, the crossing being also adapted to this end.
Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear.
With these objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and
combination of parts all as hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended
claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, the letter A
designates the usual cross-ties or sleepers upon which are supported the traction
rails B, and upon which I also support my improved conduit C.
Supported upon each of these ties is a metallic plate D, having a horizontal
flange or base portion which rests upon the tie and is firmly spiked thereto. Said
plates are somewhat longer than the width of the conduit, and near each end portion
are formed with an integral, vertical post or projection, that at one end being
designated by the letter and that at the opposite end by the letter D². These
posts or projections are formed on their inner faces with the angular depressions or
notches a, forming an upper overhanging portion b, and a projecting base portion c,
said portions b and c having inclined faces. The upper edges of said projections are

page_text: formed flat, and constitute supports for the cover or surface plates E, E', in the
manner hereinafter described. Said plates are also formed with a vertical
intermediate projection D*.
F designates edgewise disposed projection planks which form the outer lateral
walls of the conduit, and which at their ends abut the said posts.
G designates a metallic lining for the bottom and lower side walls of the conduit,
said lining being formed in sections of suitable lengths, said sections being each in
one integral piece.
These lining sections are formed with horizontal portions which form the bottom
of the conduit, said bottom portions being struck up a short distance from one side,
to form a vertical hollow integral lange g', said flange being of such a height as to
leave a passage between its upper edge and the overhanging arms of the posts D₁
sufficient to permit the passage of the trolley arm. This flange g divides the
conduit into two portions, the conduit proper C, and a parallel water conduit C',
said flange having an inclined surface so located with relation to the slot e in the
cover plate, that any water or other matter entering said slot will fall upon this
inclined surface and will be deflected thereby into the water conduit, it being
impossible for it to get through into the conductor conduit. At one side the lining
is bent upwardly as shown at 3, and is secured to the inclined faces of the portions c,
of the metallic plate D (Fig. 6) and to angle blocks D³ between said plates. At
its opposite edge, the said lining is bent upwardly, as at g, and is secured to the
inclined face of the portion c of the post D', and to a vertical face c' of said arm
which intervenes between the upper and lower projections.
The cover plates E E' are made in sections of any suitable length, being
supported upon the upper edges of the posts D1, D2, and having at each of said
posts, a lateral and depending solid lug E2, which is firmly bolted to the post, thus
rigidly securing the cover plate and also strengthening the over-hanging portions of
the posts owing to the solid bearing therefor which the lugs afford.
At joints, the proximate end portions of the sections are rebated, overlapping one
upon the other in the manner shown in Fig. 7, the said end portions being formed
with the lugs E which fit the posts D1 and D2, bolts E³ through said lugs and
posts firmly connecting the sections together. If desired, a small V-shaped
channel e may be cut in the lower rebated section to receive and carry away any
moisture that may find its way through the joint. H designates a metallic lining
cap which extends over the conduit proper and which has a downward flange h
which overlies the upward lateral flange g of the lining G.
This lining cap is supported on the posts D' underneath the cover plates, and is
made to break the joints of the latter, lugs or extensions being formed which fit
under the lugs E, the flange being cut away at h² to fit closely around the post,
as best seen in Fig. 8. The inner edge of the lining cap has a short depending
flange which turns over the overhanging arms of the posts, and assists in
holding the cap to place.
I are angle blocks abutting in between the posts D₁ and having inclined faces to
which the flange g of the lining is secured intermediate of the cross-ties. J are
angle blocks to which the flange g¹ of the lining is secured.
Spiked to the angle blocks I is a back strip K, to the inner vertical face of
which the upper portion of the flange g' is secured intermediate of the ties.
L designates the supply conductor, which comprises a ribbon of copper bent to
form a longitudinal groove or depression to receive the beaded tires of the trolley
wheels. Said ribbon is supported by insulation blocks L' secured to the back
strip K through the lining.
L* designates a dead or guide rail exactly opposite to and parallel with the
conductor L, said rail being grooved to receive the guard wheels of the trolley.
This rail is supported by means of the flange g' of the lining to which it is secured.
L' designates an insulated feed wire which is laid through the conduit. M designates
the trolley, which consists of three horizontal live wheels M' arranged in a direct
line with each other, and which travel in the conductor L, and two dead or guide

page_text: wheels M which travel in the dead or guide rail. These wheels are flexibly
connected upon each side by means of a flexible frame, composed of two metallic
conducting plates N. N', pivoted at n, the axle of one of the wheels M' acting as
the pivot.
The larger plate N' is trapezoidal in form, having bearings near its angles for
two of the live wheels, and for two of its dead wheels, its pivot connection with the
smaller plate N being at one of the angles.
The smaller plate has a bearing near one end for the remaining live wheel, and
at the opposite end portion a half-bearing which overlies a corresponding portion of
the larger plate, the two forming together a double bearing for the axis of the dead
wheel which serves as the pivot. The two plates are united at one or both sides,
preferably upon both, by tension springs O, nearly or quite in the line of centres of
the live wheel, the action of this spring or springs being to draw the plates
together and thereby increase the width of the trolley, thus keeping the wheels
bearing closely and steadily upon the tracks. In order to adjust the tension
of these springs, I connect the two frame plates by a tension rod or bolt 0¹,
having a nut o. The corresponding plates upon opposite sides are connected by
short plates O
The live wheels are formed with a solid metallic body portion, having a
peripheral tongue or bead upon which is fitted a copper tire m, said wheel and tire
being both made in two half-sections with over-lapping joints. This permits the tire
to be readily put in place and also to be taken off and reversed, the wear being the
greatest upon the lower edge. When the tie is worn out, it can be readily
replaced, thus avoiding the necessity for entirely new wheels.
The dead or guide wheels are made of some non-conducting hard substance, such
as lignum-vitæ, with a hard rubber tire m¹ thereon. The axles m³ of the various
wheels are made hollow, the interior chambers serving as lubricant receptacles,
lubricant channels m³ being formed to carry the lubricant through to the bearings n¹.
The upper ends of these chambers are closed by screw-caps n".
P designates the connecting arm of the trolley which is attached to the larger
trolley plate n', and which is of curved form, extending through the passage above
the guard flange g', and thence up vertically to the slot, where it has a loose
connection with the motor connection P. The arm P has a central copper
conductor ribbon covered by metallic strips P2, from which the ribbon is preferably
insulated. Q is a block on the said arm, and insulated therefrom, to which are
attached the draft chains Q which extend up through the slot and are attached to
the car trucks, thus taking the stress off from the motor connection entirely. Q' is
a steel sleeve which runs in the slot, and which surrounds the conductor from which it is
insulated. R. R designate drain-pipes from the bottom of the conduits C. C¹, said
pipes having sewer or other escape connections, not shown.
S designates the return wire which at every joint in the rail bas a connection s
with a bond-plate T which is connected to, or formed integral with, one of the
metallic plates D, said plate having at its outer end a chair t'in which the rail ends
are seated. One of these bond-plates is provided at every joint in the rail. The
return wire may however be omitted, and the rails depended upon entirely for the
return.
In order to more effectually guard against any possibility of the live wheels
leaving the conductor, guard strips U. U, may be provided above and below
the conductor, said strips being secured to the angle blocks I, and to the back
strips K.
The conduit is set in asphalt, or similar material, as indicated.
In Fig. 11 1 have shewn the manner in which the parts are arranged at an
intersecting cable line. The conduit is extended up close to the cable conduit, and
a break of some five or six inches is made in the conductor at the intersection
of the cable, the break being bridged by a loop V in the conductor carried under
the cable W. The distance between the live wheels, and between the dead wheels
is sufficient to bridge over the break, so that two of the live wheels and one of the

page_text: dead wheels will always be in contact with the conductor, the trolley passing above
the cable. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a method which may be adopted, when it is
desired, to carry the trolley underneath some obstruction. In such arrangement the
grooved conductor L is made to terminate at each side of the descent, and inclined
conducting rails Ware provided upon which the trolley wheels run. It will be
observed that the construction of the conduit as hereinbefore described, is simple in
its nature, the parts being capable of being readily formed and assembled, while the
arrangement is such as to effectually keep the conductor conduit free from moisture
and dirt accumulations.
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 15:-
1. In an
electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed, of
ongitudinal base blocks in the centre of bed, the inner meeting edges of said blocks
being on a plane above the car tracks, the outer edges of said blocks being secured
by a triangular strip fastened to the cross ties, and their upper surfaces declining
outward and having thereon a line conductor and track supporting a horizontal
trolley connected with a car.
2. In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed having a
conductor and track mounted thereon, of a horizontal trolley consisting of metal
wheels engaging the conductor and an insulated wheel engaging the track, said
wheels being connected on their side by yielding plates holding the trolley in
position on the tracks and conductor and to the car.
3. In an electric railway the combination with an inclined road bed having a
conductor and grooved track thereon, of horizontal trolley wheels engaging the
conductor and an insulated wheel engaging the track, said wheels being united on
each side by journals in triangular yielding plates, said plates being connected by a
tension spring on one of their sides and to the car by a contact post.
Dated this 27th day of February 1894.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.