Improvements in and relating to Electric Railways, and more especially to the Overhead Switches and Overhead Contacts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application. 1st Apr., 1890-4ccepted, 8th Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Railways, and
more
especially to the Overhead Switches and Overhead Contacts.
I, CHARLES JOSEPH VAN DEPOELE, residing at Number 57, Center Street, in the City
of Lynn, County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of
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 relates to electric railways, and more particularly to switches and
overhead contacts or travelling connections from one conductor to another.
Referring to the accompanying drawings-
Figures 1, 2 and 3, show the overhead contacts;
Figure 4, shows the arrangement of the suspended switch or frog with respect to
the track and the supply conductors;
Figure 4 is a face view of the switch box showing the trolly therein.
Figure 5, is a modification of the switch shown in Figure 1, in which a toothed or
star contact wheel is used instead of a grooved wheel.
The invention consists essentially in the construction and arrangement of the
overhead contacts; in means for reversing the same when the direction of motion of
a car is to be reversed, and in the switches for switching off the overhead contacts as
will now be fully described.
Referring now to Figure 1, the contact arm, 1, is shown as a flat strip of wood
carrying at its outer and a grooved contact wheel, 2, in engagement with the
conductor, 3, said arm being supported by a fork, 4, between the prongs of which it
is hinged, the said fork being pivoted in a standard, 13, and the lower end of the arm
is held downwardly by a tension spring, 5, which is detachably connected to a hook, 6.
A similar hook being provided at an equi-distant opposite point, the operative position
of the spring, 5, and arm, 1, can be reversed whenever desired.
In Figure 2, the arm, 1, its hooked support, 6, and tension-spring, 5, are all mounted
upon a fixed spindle or post, 7, and arranged to swing freely thereon. In this instance
a cord or rope, 8, is provided by which the arm, 1, may be lowered, and then the arm
and its support and springs rotated upon the spindle, 9, and the arm thereby caused to
engage the conductor from the opposite direction when desired.
The arm 1 may be constructed of metal when it will in itself serve to convey the
current from the contact device to suitable connections extending from its base to the
motor circuit on the car. Where, however, a wooden pole is employed a conducting
wire is attached to or embedded therein to convey the current from the said contact
device to some metallic part of the stationary support.
In Figure 3, is shown an overhead contact consisting of a deeply grooved star-
wheel, 2, instead of a plain grooved wheel as above set forth, the arm, 1, being simply
a wooden rod to one end of which is connected a spring, 10, from which is suspended
a weight, 12, to provide a yielding contact. The notches or depressions in the
periphery of the star-wheel are wider than the diameter of the conductor so as to
allow the wheel to move from one conductor to another at a junction of conductors.
This modification of contact wheel may be advantageously used instead of the plain
grooved contact wheel ander some circumstances, since with said star-wheel, if the
suspended conductors are neatly joined, as by soldering or brazing, to the conductors
branching therefrom as switches and turn-outs, as indicated in Figure 5, no switching
devices will be required, since the teeth of the star-wheel, 2, will engage the crossing
conductors, prevent lateral displacement and automatically pass to the proper conductor,
that is, when the branching conductors are located approximately above the track
switches, the contact being so located relatively thereto as to engage the point of

page_text: junction of the main and branch conductors after the front wheels of the car have
entered the track switch and determined the direction of the car, that is to say the
star-wheel 2 is mounted in such a manner as to be in the rear of the front wheels of
the said car.
When this is the case it will automatically pass to the proper conductor.
In this construction I find it desirable to connect the tension springs, 10, by which the
outer end of the arm, 1, is pressed downwardly to a movable weight since the weight
and springs will rise and fall with the height of the conductor and thus automatically
keep the spring in position to exert suitable and practically constant tension upon the
arm and contact wheel through any variation of the height of the overhead conductor
within the reach of the devices, and without at any time overstraining the tension
spring.
Referring now to Figure 4. In order that the contact wheel, 2, shall be compelled
to pass from one conductor to a branch, or one attached thereto leading in a different
direction, I provide the inverted open bottom metallic boxes, 18, which are formed
with branching compartments and constructed in the form of switches, conforming
to the curves and angles of the switches of the track, 27, by which the direction of
the cars is controlled. These boxes are in the form of open smooth curved passages
and are free from obstruction within, so that the contact wheel, 2, which is slightly
depressed on meeting the end of the switch box may roll freely therethrough and
move laterally therein in the desired direction without hindrance.
The main and branch conductors, 3 and 23, follow the line of the track or tracks
and are preferably located centrally above them and at points where the tracks diverge
or join the main line switch boxes, 18, are placed, the conductors, 3 and 23, coming to
the said boxes and being firmly attached to the top or bottom thereof so that, were
there no other support provided, the said main and branch conductors would sustain
the box or plate in its proper position which is directly over the ground or track
switch.
The switch box or plate, 18, may take almost any shape, and may be made of
thin sheet metal, or of cast metal, as is most convenient, but I prefer the castings.
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. The herein before described system of electric railways, comprising a bare
conductor or conductors extending above aud along the line of travel of an electrically
propelled vehicle, travelling contact devices extending from the vehicle to the supply
conductor or conductors, said travelling contact devices being in fixed relation to the
vehicle, and electric connections extending from the contact devices to the motor
circuits on the vehicle, substantially as described.
2. In electric railways, the combination of a main conductor, a branch conductor
united to and extending therefrom, and a self-switching contact device comprising a
grooved wheel provided with notched edges, substantially as described.
3. In electric railways, the combination with a main conductor, a branch conductor
united thereto and a self-switching contact comprising a grooved wheel for engaging
the conductor and provided with notched edges the notches being adapted to enter
between the main and branch conductors, substantially as described.
4. In an electric railway, a suspended conductor and a contact device therefor
comprising a contact wheel formed with a groove therein to receive the conductor and
its edges formed with alternate points and depressions, the depressions being wider
than the diameter of the conductor, substantially as described.
5. In an electric railway, the combination with a pivoted arm, of a contact wheel
formed with a deep groove to receive a conductor, and with notched edges, substantially
as described.
6. In an electric railway, the combination of a suspended conductor, a vehicle moving
along the line of the conductor, branch tracks and conductors, the branch and main
conductors being permanently united, and a contact device carried by the vehicle and
pressed upwardly against the conductor or conductors, and comprising a contact wheel

page_text: formed with a deep groove to receive the conductor, and with notched edges,
substantially as described.
7. In electric railways, the combination of permanently united main and branch
suspended conductors, main and branch tracks below the conductors, a vehicle moving.
upon one or other of said tracks and provided with an upwardly extending contact
device located in rear of its front wheels and comprising a contact wheel engaging the
underside of the conductor and formed with a groove to receive said conductor, and
with notched edges, the notches being adapted to enter between the main and branch
conductors and to receive one or other of the conductors, substantially as described.
8. In electric railways, the combination of main and branch suspended conductors, the
branch being permanently united to and extending laterally from the main conductor,.
a moving vehicle and a travelling contact carried by the vehicle and pressed upwardly
against the underside of the main or branch conductor and comprising a contact wheel
formed with a groove to receive the conductor and with notched edges the points
between the notches being adapted to intersect the points of union between the-
conductors and the notches to receive one or other of the conductors in passing,.
substantially as described.
9. The combination with a railway track and a turn-out switch, an electric railway
conductor suspended parallel therewith, a branch conductor and a switch between the-
main and branch conductors, corresponding with that in the track, substantially as.
described.
10. The construction and arrangement of supports for the contact wheel of overhead
electric tramways and the means for holding the said wheel to the overhead conductor
and reversing the position of such wheel when the direction of motion of the car is.
reversed, substantially as described and shown in reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.