Improvements in Conductors for Electric Railways.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Conductors for Electric Railways.
We THOMAS JAMES MOORE and EDMOND AUGUSTUS WARREN, both of
No. 57, John Street in the City, County, and State of New York, United States
of America, Manufacturers, 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:—
Our invention relates to improvements in conductors for electric railways, and
the object is to provide means whereby an electric current taken from any suitable
source of supply may be conveyed to the motor on the car through electric
connections which will permit the passage of the current from the conductor to the
motor through the usual trolley and connections only at the points of contact
between the trolley and the conductor, and in certain positions of the latter, the
conductor being normally inactive, or "dead," and incapable of conveying current
at any point in its length, except the immediate point of contact between the same
and the trolley, and at a time when the conductor is elevated or thrown out of its
normal position. To this end, the invention consists in an improved electric
conductor constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinafter described,
and in certain improved features of construction, all as herein set forth, and
particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.
In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference are used to
designate like parts,
Fig. 1 represents a sectional view of a portion of an electric cable embodying
our invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, partly in section, shewing one of the sections of
the conductor elevated so as to impinge against one of the contact pieces.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the cable on line - of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the wheels of a car and a trolley with the cable
resting on the latter in an elevated position above the slot in an underground
conduit.
Fig. 5 represents a sectional view of a modification of the invention.
Fig. 6 shows a similar sectional view, with the cable resting upon a trolley shewn
in section.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line yy of Fig. 5.
In the preferred construction shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, of the drawings, A
represents an electric cable composed of a tubular covering, which preferably
consists of vulcanized rubber or other suitable insulating material, within which
is placed a sectional metallic conductor C, the sections of which have forked ends,
which are hinged together or connected at right angles to each other by pivot
joints cc, which permit the several sections of the conductor to flex or rock upon
their pivots for a purpose to be described.
This conductor is supported centrally within the cylindrical non-conducting
covering or sheath A, which insulates it from the metallic contact pieces or
points a a, to be presently described, but yields sufficiently to permit the conductor
sections to break joint or rock upon their pivots c when a trolley wheel is passing
beneath the cable.
DD are metallic thimbles secured within the covering A, and having the pintles
or contact points a a which protrude through the insulation, in position to engage
the peripheral surface of the trolley wheel E, so that when the cable is raised by
the trolley, as indicated in Figs. 2, 4, and 6, the conductor sections will break joint
or rock upon their pivots, and their ends, as at d (Fig. 2), coming in contact with
the spaced metallic thimbles, will establish electric connection between the conductor
and the trolley, which connection however will be broken as soon as the trolley

page_text: has passed the point of contact, and allowed the conductor to resume its normal
position.
Thus, current may be taken from the conductor, which may be supplied from any
suitable source of electric energy, and conveyed through said contact pieces and
the trolley to the motor on the car, as the trolley travels to and fro with the
cable or conductor resting thereon or in electrical contact therewith, but in its
normal position the cable is adapted to lie in the conduit or on suitable supports
with the contact pieces out of contact with the conductor, whereby the surrounding
insulation will prevent electrical contact between the conductor and the earth or
other surface, so that the conductor in such position will be "dead," or incapable
of conveying current through the contact pieces, whereby the loss of electric
energy, due to the conductor coming in contact with moist or metallic conducting
surfaces, as is the case with conductors now in general use, will be avoided, and thus
a source of great practical difficulty, which has been experienced in electric railway
practice as heretofore conducted with ordinary electric cables, will be overcome.
In the construction shewn in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the conductor consists preferably
of a continuous metallic wire or rod of the desired size, having suitable spaced
projecting buttons or enlargements 1, which are adapted to make contact with
similarly spaced contact pieces 2, attached to the tubular insulating shield or
enclosing tube A, the operation of this device being substantially the same as the
operation of the parts shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, of the drawings, the conductor
being adapted to spring sufficiently to allow the parts 1 and 2, to make contact, as
shewn in Fig. 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we may remark that
it will be understood, of course, various modifications of our invention may be made
without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence we do not desire to be limited
to the specific construction shewn and described, but what we claim is :-
1. An electric cable comprising a conductor extending within an insulating tube
or covering, which latter is provided with contact pieces at suitable distances apart
throughout its length normally out of contact with said conductor, the latter being
adapted to engage said contact pieces when the cable is compressed or thrown out
of its normal position, substantially as described.
2. An electric cable comprising a conductor, extending within an insulating tube
or covering, which latter is provided with contact pieces at suitable distances apart
throughout its length, normally out of contact with said conductor, the latter having
contact points adapted to engage said contact pieces when the cable is compressed
or thrown out of its normal position, substantially as described.
3. An electric conductor composed of sections hinged together and enclosed
within an insulating tube or covering, substantially as described.
4. An electric conductor comprising a sectional metallic rod arranged within a
suitable insulating tube or covering, which latter has contact pieces arranged at
suitable distances apart throughout its length, said conductor being adapted to lie
normally within the covering, out of engagement with said contact pieces,
substantially as described.
5. In combination with the sectional conductor, the insulating tube or covering
having contact pieces thereon, adapted to make contact with the conductor sections
when the conductor is thrown out of its normal position, substantially as described.
6. In combination with the car, the trolley, and the electric cable comprising a
sectional conductor arranged within an insulating tube or covering, having spaced
contact pieces, said conductor being adapted to make contact with said contact
pieces by the action of the trolley, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of Mo 1801
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.