Improvements in and relating to the Protection and Support of Under- ground Electric Conductors, principally applicable for Electric Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct.,
1897
Improvements in and relating to the Protection and Support of Under-
ground Electric Conductors, principally applicable for Electric
Railways and Tramways.
I HENRY SCHUSTER Cowx, of Hope Road, Sale, in the County of Chester,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows: --
The principal objects of this invention are to obviate the necessity for breaking
up a large piece of roadway or pathway in case of repair or adjustment of under-
ground electric conductors, and to provide improved means for protecting and
supporting such electric conductors, my invention being specially applicable to
electric tramways or railways, and in part to conductors for electric lighting
or other purposes.
One of the principal features of my invention consists of a specially constructed
conduit which is made (say of metal) in sections as follows:-
The main part of the conduit is composed of suitable lengths of a trough-like
section placed end to end to form a channel, and if necessary suitably supported
at the centre or elsewhere in its length, but at the ends where each length joins
the next length I provide a chair supported on a sleeper or otherwise and of
suitable form to fit the trough-like section of the conduit very loosely; and between
the ends of the lengths of the conduit and the chair which supports it I fit a strip
of india rubber, or other suitable waterproof composition or material, of suitable
thickness, of such length and width that the joint between the lengths of the
conduit is entirely protected by the waterproof strip in which the ends of the said
lengths are bedded; up each side of the chair I fit a metal or other suitable plate
which I press against the india rubber by set screws passing through the chair
(or by other equivalent means).
Thus an open channel of any required length can be made quite water-tight.
For the laying down of the conductors or mains for electric lighting or similar
purposes I propose to provide openings or bosses at the side or sides of the channel
which can be closed if not required, or through which branch conductors can be
passed.
The channel is covered in by a series of plates of suitable length, preferably
the same length as the sections of the channels, and the adjacent ends of these
plates are covered by (or cover) a suitable plate to form a joint, which can be
completed by pitch or cement or suitable material to render the joint water-tight.
I prefer to make these covering lengths or plates trough shaped and to fill
them in with blocks of wood or with asphalt, cement, or other suitable material,
forming part of the surface of the road. They may be filled in before fixing in
place if space is left for the joint plates, and such space can be filled up in situ.
When applying such a conduit to an electric tramway or railway, sufficient
space is left at one or both sides of the same in the trench or cutting in which

page_text: it is placed, to form an external conduit or conduits for a working conductor or
conductors, and the cover plates above described would be made broad enough
to partially cover in such space or spaces, leaving a slot between its edge or edges
and the top of the outer wall of such external conduit or conduits for the passage
of the 'collector' on the car or engine, such wall being preferably lined with
metal.
The external conduit or conduits should be suitably drained.
The working conductor is made of a series of metallic bars placed end to end
and supported at their ends by metallic plates or bars upon which they are
screwed or otherwise fitted so as to ensure metallic contact therewith, and thus
the usual bonding or jointing of the working conductor is avoided. These metallic
supports are provided with bolts passing through insulating eyes let into slots
or holes in the sides of the section forming the conduit first described, which in
this case contains the main conductors; and the said bolts are adjusted and
secured by suitable nuts. The working conductor may be connected to its main
conductor through one or any of these bolts or nuts, and thus any section may be
made independent if desired.
The sections of the working conductor may be similar in number to the sections
of the inner conduit, and suitable removable plates can be fitted at intervals
along the line for the withdrawal if desired of the collector which is fitted as
usual to the car.
The working conductor is protected from damp and weather by the supports
and the covering above described; and the said covering is held in place by
projections un lug on the unde id the reaf fitting inside or outside the trough
u channel or by other similar means.
It will be seen from the above description that should any part of the conductors
require repairs, the necessary disturbance or opening up of the road-way may be
limited to the length of one or two sections of the conduit, the cover of which
preferably forms part of the surface of the road and only the joint of such length
or lengths need be disturbed.
It is also possible by my invention to use one conduit for a double track or
tram-line by using two working conductors, one on each side thereof, each
working conductor serving for the track at its corresponding side.
Improvements in and relating to the Protection and Support of Under-
ground Electric Conductors principally applicable for Electric
Railways and Tramways.
I, HENRY SCHUSTER Cowx, late of Hope Road, Sale, in the County of Chester,
now of 556 Chester Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Electrical 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:-
-
The principal objects of this invention are to obviate the necessity for breaking
up a large piece of roadway or pathway in case of repair or adjustment of under-
ground electric conductors, and to provide improved means for protecting and
supporting such electric conductors, my invention being especially applicable to

page_text: electric tramways or railways, and in part to conductors for electric lighting
or other purposes.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have annexed hereto
two sheets of drawings illustrative thereof.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are transverse sections through the conduits hereafter
described.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through about the line A-B on Fig. 3, and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the conduit.
Fig. 6 illustrates a modification hereafter described.
One of the principal features of my invention consists of a specially constructed
conduit which is made (say of metal) in sections as follows:-
The main part of the conduit is composed of suitable lengths a a of a trough-
like section placed end to end to form a channel, and if necessary suitably sup-
ported at the centre or elsewhere in its length, but at the ends where each length
joins the next length I provide a chair 6 supported on a sleeper or otherwise and
of suitable form to fit the trough-like section a a of the conduit very loosely, see
Figs. 1 and 2; and between the ends of the lengths a a of the conduit and the
chair which supports it I fit a strip of india rubber c, or other suitable water-
proof composition or material, of suitable thickness, of such length and width that
the joint between the lengths a a of the conduit is entirely protected by the
waterproof strip c in which the ends of the said lengths are bedded; up each side
of the chair I fit a metal or other suitable plate d which I press against the india
rubber by set screws d' passing through the chair 6 (or by other equivalent means).
Thus an open channel of any required length can be made quite water-tight.
If preferred however I may dispense with the packing strip
the case of tramways or railways, as seen at Figs. 3, 4 and 5.
and plates d in
For the laying down of the conductors or maius for electric lighting or similar
purposes I provide openings a³ (Fig. 1) or bosses at the side or sides of the channel
which can be closed if not required, or through which branch conductors can be
passed.
The channel a is covered in by a series of plates a¹ of suitable length, preferably
the same length as the sections of the channel a, and the adjacent ends of these
plates a are covered by (or cover) a suitable plate e to form a joint which can
be completed by pitch or cement or suitable material to render the joint water-
tight.
I propose to make these covering lengths or plates a¹ trough shaped (see
Figs. 1, 2 and 3) and to fill them in with blocks of wood or with asphalt or cement,
as shewn, or other suitable material, forming part of the surface of the road.
They may be filled in before fixing in place if space is left for the joint plates e,
and such space say from a to a Figs. 4 and 5 can be filled up in situ.
When applying such a conduit to an electric tramway or railway, sufficient
space is left at one side of the same as shewn on Sheet 2 of the drawings, or at
both sides of the same as seen at Fig. 2, in the trench or cutting in which it is
placed, to form an external conduit f (or conduits f f¹) for a working con-
ductor g (or conductors 9 g¹) or similar device or devices, and the cover plates a¹
above described would be made broad enough to partially cover in such space
or spaces, leaving a sloth between its edge or edges and the top of the outer wall
of such external conduit or conduits for the passage of the 'collector' on the car
or engine.
g
I also fit or form suitable supporting brackets a³ on the conduit a to support
the projecting edges or sides of the cover plate a¹.
The external conduit or conduits should be suitably drained.
The working conductor 9 is made of a series of metallic bars or tubes placed
end to end and supported at their ends by metallic plates or bars g* upon or to
which they are screwed or otherwise fitted so as to ensure metallic contact there-
with, and thus the usual bonding or jointing of the working conductor is avoided.
These metallic supports are provided with bolts 9" passing through insulating

page_text: eyes a "let into slots or holes in the sides of the section a forming the conduit
first described, which contains the main conductors or feeders shewn lotted at k;
the said supports may be screwed and adjusted and secured by suitable nuts g¹
(as seen at Fig. 6). The working conductor 9 may be connected to its main
conductor k through one or any of these bolts g* or nuts g¹, and thus any section
may be made independent if desired.
The sections of the working conductor 9 may be similar in number to the
sections of the inner conduit a, and suitable removable plates can be fitted in
recesses all in the cover plate a' at intervals along the line for the withdrawal
if desired of the collector (see dotted lines h Fig. 3) which is fitted as usual to
the car.
The working conductor g is protected from damp and weather by the supports 9*
and the covering a¹ above described; and the said covering a¹ is held in place
by projections or lugs a³, on the under side thereof fitting inside or outside the
trough or channel a or by other suitable means.
It will be seen from the above description that should any part of the con-
ductors require repairs, the necessary disturbance or opening up of the road or
way may be limited to the length of one or two sections a of the conduit, the
cover a of which preferably forms part of the surface of the road and only the
joint of such length or lengths need be disturbed.
It is also possible by my invention to use one conduit for a double track or
tram-line by using two working conductors 9 g', Fig. 2, one on each side thereof,
each working conductor serving for the track at its corresponding side.
I; in conclusion that the lom of the inner conduit a for tramways
and railways may vary, provided that it supports a cover or plate such as fa
suitable external slotted conduit in which the working conductor or the like is
contained; for example, the conduit may be closed or covered watertight or other-
wise, and permanently or otherwise independently of the cover a¹; or the conduit a
may be formed by single plates or girders a supporting the working conductor g
and the cover a¹ the rest of the conduit a being made in concrete or otherwise as
seen at Fig. 6.
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 is:-
1. A conduit for electric mains or feeders made of suitably covered trough
like sections joined end to end by chairs with packing strips substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated on Sheet 1 of the annexed drawings.
2. A conduit for electric maius or feeders made of trough like sections joined
end to end by chairs and packing strips and having a cover flush, and preferably
of corresponding material, with the surface of the road in which the conduit is
placed, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on Sheet 1 of the
drawings annexed.
3. A double conduit for electric tramways or railways formed of trough like
or other suitable sections (joined end to end and containing the main conductors
or feeders and supporting a cover extending beyond the side of the trough or other
sections and above an outer conduit with metal wall or other part forming the
slot through which the collector works, substantially as herein before described
with reference to Sheet 2 of the drawings annexed.
4. A conduit for electric tramways or railways formed of trough like or other
suitable sections containing the main conductors or feeders and supporting a
cover extending beyond both sides of the said sections and partially covering a
conduit for a working conductor or the like at each side of the sections
substantially as described with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings annexed.
5. A conduit for electric tramways or railways formed of suitable trough like
or other sections supporting a working conductor or the like in an external conduit
at one or both sides of the said sections, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 6. The means for carrying the working conductor by supports adjusted by
screws or bolts in insulating eyes or bushes in the side of a trough or suitable
conduit containing the main conductor or feeder substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
GEO. DAVIES & SON.
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
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