Improvements in or connected with the Current Supply and Conduits for Electric Traction.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Current Supply and
Conduits for Electric Traction.
ROBERT COOKE SAYER of 11 Clyde Road Redland Bristol Civil 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:—
This application has for its object keeping the conductors and their conduit or
pipe clean, for which radials that pick up the current are laterally inclined to their
wheel, set in motion by it through a universal joint tooth or other gearing, pass as
they rotate into short slots when teeth on the wheel engage with teeth on the rails,
but into continuous slots when flange wheels are used and take the part of the
current carried in the first conductor, or that from all, each being formed of two
parts set at an angle, enabling the radials to pass between them and ensure clean
contact.
The rails are formed with a throating angle by which dirt or wet passing
through the slots drop clear of the conductors to the bottom of the conduit and
drains and the dirt is periodically cleaned out from it by a scraper of known
construction, being drawn along the conduit and carrying the dirt to the operator
at man-holes provided with an endless chain reaching to the next and set in motion
by him through pinions.

page_text: centre and 34, Fig. 6, is held in place by the swivel 35, regulated by the lever 36,
centering at 47 on the rod 48, the links 37 and 38 and bell-crank 39 aul nut 40
carried on the longitudinal screw rod 41 and gives motion by its joints 42 and
links 43 to the radials 25 and draws them within their armoured insulations 44,
preventing contact with the conductors 22 or 21 or their contacts 45 with the
commutator 46.
The working is as follows
The wheel is rotated and with it the joint 27 tube 30 discs 31 and 34 drum 28
arms 26, 44 and radials 25, whose ends follow the path 50 Fig. 2 when projected
to pass between the inner clean surfaces and pick up current from the conductor 21,
or 51 when taken from 21 and 22, which goes to contact 45, commutator 46 and
conductor 52 when less current is required the screw rod 40 is turned and by the
crank 39 links 38, 36, 37 and swivel 35, the disc 34 is thrust along the tube 30,
which by links 43 and cranks 33 the radials 25 are withdrawn.
Water going into the slots 8 is stopped by the angle 55 drops into the conduit 20
clear of the conductors 21 and 22 and goes to the drains 53: dirt similarly falls.to
the bottom but is extracted by an operator fixing a scraper to the chain 17 at one
man-hole 13 and drawing it with the dirt toward him at the next by turning the
wheel 15 by a chain 54.
When the wheel 1 has a flange, not teeth; the radials 25 enter continuous slots
and act similarly.
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
Forming the rails 4 with a throat angle 55, screwing the rail up to its guard 6
and forming short slots 8: electric conductors 21 and 22 formed in pairs and passed
through insulators carried by the rail over a conduit: laterally diagonal radials 25.
giving them rotary motion by a universal joint 27 toothed or other gearing passing
them into the short slots 8 by their actuating wheel 1 that engages with and
traverses tooth rails 4 or into continuous slots 8 by wheels that have not teeth, so
that they pass between the conductors 21 and 22 and collect their current being
regulated by the rotation of a rod 40 through bell-cranks, links, and disc 34
swivel joint 35 that traverse the tube 30, and disc 31 upon which the cranks 33
centre fixing in the conduit 20 at manholes 13 pinions 15, 16 and 18 on a
spindle 19 carrying an endless chain 17 able to drag a scraper and dirt along it to
the operator substantially as described and shown on the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1897.
ROBERT COOKE SAYER.