Improvements in Supports or Crossovers for Overhead Electric Conductors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1899-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Supports or Crossovers for Overhead Electric
Conductors.
We, JOHAN MARINIUS ANDERSEN and ALBERT ANDERSON, both of 289-293,
A Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Electrical Engineers,
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:-
This invention relates to electric conductor supports for overhead conductors,
and is herein shown as embodied in an adjustable cross-over for overhead trolley
wires. My present invention has for its object to provide a cross-over of improved
construction as will be described, whereby a smaller, lighter and cheaper cross-over
may be obtained without impairing the efficiency of the same.
The particular features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the
end of this specification.
Fig. 1, is a top or plan view with parts broken away of a cross-over embodying
this invention. Fig. 2, an underside view of the cross-over shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, a section of the cross-over shown in Fig. 1 on the irregular line 3-3.
Fig. 4, a section and elevation of the cross-over shown in Fig. 1, the section being
taken on the line 44.
Fig. 5, a sectional detail to be referred to.
Fig. 6, a detail in elevation to be referred to, and
Figs. 7 and 8, details to be referred to.
The cross-over herein shown as embodying this invention is provided with four
metal arms A, A1, A2, A3 of a novel construction as will be described, which are
arranged in pairs substantially diametrically opposite and which carry the crossing
trolley wires or line conductors A5 A6.
The metallic arms referred to, are preferably of like construction, and therefore a
detail description of one will suffice for all.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the metal arm A comprises a substantially vertical
plate or web a having its top made substantially straight for a portion of its
length at the rear of the said web and then inclined downward toward the front end
of said plate or web, and provided with a lateral flange a¹ having at the front end of
the plate or web a, a depending lip a², which forms with the said plate or web a
substantially short groove or channel which receives the trolley wire A when the
cross-over is in operative position. The bottom edge of the plate or web a is pro-
vided with a lateral flange a extended in the same direction as the flange a¹ and
gradually thickened toward the rear end of the said web, so as to form a gradually
inclined upper surface 2 (see Fig. 3) and a substantially straight bottom surface 3.
The bottom flange as at the rear of the upper end of the inclined surface 2 is
widened on both sides of the web or plate a, so as to form flanges or lateral
ribs as a with which the flanges of the trolley wheel are adapted to engage.
The lateral ribs or flanges as a³ are composed of two parts or sections 4, 5,
occupying different planes and connected by a vertical portion 6 (see Fig. 4).

page_text: The parts or sections 5 are adapted to project over the upper surface of a disk or
plate al of fiber or other suitable insulating material, which disk is made of such
thickness, that its bottom surface is substantially in a straight line with the rear
portion of the bottom surface of the sections 4 of the ribs or flanges as a, the front
portion of the bottom surfaces of the sections 4 being gradually curved so as to
enable the flanges of the trolley wheel to engage the sections 4 without the for-
mation of an arc.
The metal arms are each preferably detachably and adjustably. secured to the
disk or plate a5 by means of a finger or projection a¹ on the sections 5 of the
ribs as, a (see Fig. 3) which extends into an annular groove, slot or channel a"
in the upper surface of the said disk or plate, and by means of a clamping plate a20
secured to the section 5 of the ribs as a as by screws a21 and extended under the
edge of the disk or plate a¹5, the end of the clamping plate abutting against an
annular shoulder a22 on the disk or plate a¹5.
To obtain increased clamping effect with the clamping plate a20, the latter is
provided on its upper surface at one end with a projection 25 (see Fig. 6) which
bears against the under side of the section 5 of the lateral ribs as a and acts as a
fulcrum, whereby the metal arm A may be more firmly attached to the disc a¹³.
The thickened flange a of each metal arm of the cross-over, is provided with
fingers or extensions 6 b (see Fig. 2) between which is inserted a piece of fiber or
insulating material, one for each arm and marked 62, 63, 64, 65, which are firmly
secured as by screws 66 (see Figs. 3 and 4). The fiber pieces 62, 63, 64, 65 extend
toward and to near the center of the disc 15 and practically form non-conducting
continuations of the metal arms A, A1, A2, A3, being separated near the center of
the disk 15 a sufficient distance to permit of the passage of the trolley wheel
from one piece as to its co-operating piece 64, without striking the pieces b³, 65,
and vice versa.
The trolley wires A5 A6 extend across and above the insulating disk as and are
electrically separated from one another by insulating material, preferably made as
hereinshown and consisting of a turtle-shaped block or piece 610 (see Figs. 1 and 8)
adapted to rest on the disk a5 between the metal arms A, A1, A2, A3, and pro-
vided with a longitudinal groove 612 (see Fig. 7) in its underside, to fit over one
of the trolley wires, hereinshown as the wire A³. The insulating block 610 is pro-
vided with recesses 613, 614, 615, 616 at its sides and ends, and is provided between
said recesses with substantially diagonally opposite lugs or projections 617, 18, 19, 620
adapted to enter the groove a in the disk a¹. The recesses 613, 14, 15, 16,
are adapted to receive the ends of the lateral ribs a, a, on the metal arms, which
ribs project beyond the annular groove a, as shown in Fig. 3. The trolley wire A
is passed over the top of the block 610 as shown in Fig. 3, between it and an anti-
buckling disk or plate 622, preferably of insulating material, which rests upon
suitable shoulders 623 formed on the metal arms A1 to A3 inclusive. The anti-
buckling disk or plate 622 may be firmly secured in position by washers 2 and
screws 25. The central portions of the cross-over may be protected from rain etc.
by a conical hood 626 attached to the metal arms by screws 627, and preferably each
metal arm is provided with a shoulder 28 against which the edge of the hood
bears as shown in Fig. 3.
By means of the non-conducting extensions 62, 63, 64, 65 of the lower part or sur-
faces of the. metal arms, danger of a short or cross circuit being formed by the
trolley wheel as it passes across the insulating disk a¹5, is avoided, as is also the
liability of an are being carried by the trolley. wheel from one metal arm to
the opposite arm.
By reason of the compact form of the cross-over, the metal arms carrying one
trolley wire as A³ are separated near their inner ends from the metal arms carry-
ing the trolley wire A6, but a substantially short distance, and to avoid possibility of
a cross or short circuit being formed by the trolley wheel jumping off from one
I have
as for instance the arm A and striking against the adjacent arm A¹,
arm,
+

page_text: provided in the present instance, each metal arm on one side with insulating
material, which practically forms an insulating covering for one. side of said
metal arms. The insulating side covering may be made as hereinshown and
consists of a piece or strip d of fiber or other suitable insulating material, of sub-
stantially the shape of the metal plate or web a of each arm and which is fastened
thereto outside of the lateral ribs as by screws d' extended into suitable bosses d
on said plate or web. The insulating pieces or strips d are preferably extended
over the disk a as shown in Fig. 4 into the recesses 63, 64, 65, 616 in the insulating
block or piece b10, and are provided at their lower edge with lips d, which project
beyond the depending lugs 617, 615, 61, 620 on the insulating block or piece 610, and
the pieces or strips d are also preferably provided with lips do which extend under
the disk a and abut against the shoulder aon said disk.
To avoid burning away of the front ends of the metal arms, I prefer to provide
the said arms with substantially trough-shaped auxiliary terminals d', preferably
of sheet copper, which terminals are detachably secured to the front ends of the
metal arms by pins d³.
By constructing the metal arms as herein shown and described, I am enabled
to materially lighten and cheapen the cross-over without sacrifice to its strength
and efficiency.
By reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be observed that the under surfaces of the
metal arms and their non-conducting extensions are in substantially the same
horizontal plane, so that the trolley wheel runs in a substantially straight path
when passing from the trolley wire on one side of the cross-over to the same trolley
wire on the other side thereof.
By reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noticed that the lateral flanges a¹ on the
co-operating metal arms A A2, A¹ A³, extend in opposite directions, whereby a
single pattern may be used for all the arms, thereby materially cheapening the
cost of construction.
I prefer to provide the insulating disk a5 with a continuous circular channel or
groove a, but it is evident that a plurality of disconnected grooves or channels in
the same circle might be made according to the degree of adjustability of the
metal arms of the cross-over.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An electric conductor support comprising an insulating disk or plate pro-
vided with a circular slot or channel, a plurality of conducting arms extended from
said plate or disk and provided with projections to engage said slot or channel,
and means to secure said arms to said disk or plate, substantially as described.
2. An electric conductor support comprising an insulating disk or plate provided
with a groove, a plurality of metal arms secured thereto to carry the conductors
which cross each other above said plate or disk, and a block or piece of insulating
material interposed between said crossing conductors and provided with lugs to
enter the groove in the insulating disk or plate, substantially as described.
3. An electric conductor support comprising a plurality of radiating metal arms
adapted to carry crossing conductors, and substantially trough-shaped auxiliary
sheet metal terminals detachably secured to the outer ends of said arms and ex-
tended underneath said arms and conductors, substantially as described.
4. An electric conductor support comprising an insulating plate or disk, and a
plurality of metal arms secured thereto and each consisting of a vertical plate or
web provided with a lateral flange extended from one side of its upper edge and
provided with lateral ribs extended from both sides of its lower edge and com-
prising sections 4, 5, occupying different planes, the underside of the section 4
being substantially in line with the underside of the insulating disk or plate and
the section 5 being extended over said disk or plate, and means to secure said
arms to the said disc or plate, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. An electric conductor support comprising an insulating disk or plate, a
plurality of metal arms radiating therefrom and secured thereto, and insulating
material interposed between adjacent metal arms and secured to one of said arms
to substantially cover its side adjacent to the other of said arms, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
6. An electric conductor support comprising an insulating disk or plate, a
plurality of metal arms attached thereto in pairs substantially diametrically
opposite, each of said metal arms comprising a substantially vertical metal plate
or web having a lateral flange extended from its upper edge on one side of said
plate or web and provided with lateral ribs extended from both sides of said plate
or web near its bottom, the top flanges on substantially diametrically opposite arms
extending in opposite directions, substantially as described.
7. An electric conductor support comprising an insulating disk or plate, a
plurality of metal arms radiating therefrom and having the under surface of their
front portion substantially in line with the under surface of the insulating disk or
plate, strips or pieces of insulating material secured to the under side of saíd
metal arms and extended beyond the edge of the insulating disk or plate toward
the center thereof, and means to clamp the metal arms to said insulating disk
or plate, substantially as described.
8. An electric conductor support comprising an insulating disk or plate, a
plurality of metal arms adjustably secured thereto and provided with lateral ribs
which extend over the upper surface of said insulating disk or plate, and having
insulating pieces extended toward the center of said disk or plate on its underside,
and means to detachably secure said metal arms to said disk or plate, substantially
as described.
110]
T
1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.O.,
Agents for the Applicants.