Improved Electric Current Conducting Apparatus for Electric Railways.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Electric Current Conducting Apparatus for Electric
Railways.
We, CARL FRIEDRICH PHILIPP STENDEBACH, of Sieglitzhoferstrasse 14,
Erlangen, Electrician, and OSKAR HERMANN LINKER, of Waldstrasse 80,
Leipzig, Architect, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of
this said invention 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 a partial insulated electric current conductor for
electric railways, in which the electric current is supplied by special apparatus
below the level of the rail.
In the annexed drawings.
Fig. 1 is a cross section of the apparatus shown as in operation.
Fig. 2 a side elevation of same the rail being removed.
Fig. 3 a side elevation of the electric current contact maker.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged representation of the roller holder provided with spring
contact piece, leather piston, tightening disc, and roller, and of the contact pin
with its corresponding cross sections at n and n'.
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the apparatus showing the manner of operating
the circuit closer.
Fig. 6 shows a side view of the carriage with the circuit closer on it.
Fig. 7 a cross section through the rail road with the contact maker in
operation.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the apparatus as arranged in the railway.
The new apparatus consists essentially of an open channel A of steel plate
(Fig. 1) with running rail a and guide rail a' fixed thereon.
In this channel, on its side walls are fixed at distances of 3 to 4 yards the
contact makers B in which the contact bis protected against moisture and dirt by a
leather disc c and a leather piston c'.
These contact makers consist each of an iron socket. D in which is fixed a
hard glass cylinder D' tightened by means of two leather washers c¹ and c¹¹ and
a screw cap M.
In the bottom of the glass cylinder D' is placed the contact pin K and connected
with its exterior end in the cable tube K with the conducting cable K' lying
laterally of the channel.
The cable tube K is simultaneously fixed with the cast iron socket D on the
channel wall by means of two bolts k and k¹.
Land L' are two leather washers.
In the interior of the glass cylinder D', between the bottom of it and the
piston c' is a spiral spring so arranged that it tends to move the piston c¹ and the
roller holder H connected therewith from the inner end of the contact pin K
which is directed towards the holder and to thus interrupt the contact between the
contact pin K and the roller holder H.
(Fig. 4) is a spring contact pin securing contact between K and H.
The roller holder H is made with a fork or jaw which holds the contact
roller H¹.
Opposite the latter is another roller H" which is made of insulating material
and is held in a bearing E on the opposite chanuel wall.

page_text: P and P are two steel plates which are fixed on hinge joints to the front and
back of the carriage (Fig. 6) and which carry on their lower ends which reach
into the channel a circuit closer S made of or with insulating material, upon which
latter for the distance of two contact makers a metal strap s is fixed in such a
manner that the latter on the passing of the circuit closer S in a longitudinal
direction in the channel, slides always on a contact roller H so that the roll
actually in contact does not run out of contact before the next is in contact with
the metal band s.
p is a guide roller on the plates P and P; s is a cable in connection with the
metal bands and which is lodged in the plate P, and secured from damage and
conducts the electric current from the metal bands to the carriage motors.
By replacing the bearing E and its roller H" by a second contact maker
transmitter and by arranging a second metal coating s upon the circuit closer S the
use of the rails as a return conductor can be avoided and the current carried back
by a second cable through the second contact maker, which then operates as a
current receiver.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Partial insulated electric current conducting apparatus for railways having
underground current transmission with return conductor through the rail in which
the contact makers B are secured with their contact places against all exterior
influences of any kind and insulated by glass sockets D' and are in connection
with the electric cable K' and spaced a carriage length apart so that they are
successively brought into action as soon as the circuit closer S operated from the
carriage and made of insulating stuff and provided with a metal coating s moves
between the contact roller H' and roller H, whereby the pressure of the spring F
is overpowered and the circuit is closed in the interior of the glass socket.
2. The construction by which the interruption of the current is obtained without
spark in the contact maker after the circuit closer S has operated the next contact
maker lying in the direction of the movement of the carriage; the preceding
contact maker being cut out of circuit as soon as the circuit closer S has run so
far through between the rollers H and H that the first operated roller H' is no
longer in connection with the metal coating s.
3. Partial insulated electric current conducting apparatus for railways with
underground current transmission without return conductor through the rails in
which the bearing E and roller H are replaced by a contact apparatus B described
under Claim 1, the circuit closer being covered on both sides with metal coating s,
whereby the return conduct is through the second contact maker which thus
becomes the current receiver.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for Applicants.