A New or Improved Protective Conduit for the Current Conveyors of Electric Railways.
Year: 1899

page_text: Application, 11th May, 1899-Accepted, 10th Feb. 1900
application, 11th May, 1899-Accepted, 10th Feb. 1900
5
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Protective Conduit for the Current Conveyors of
Electric Railways.
We, ARTHUR PETZENBÜRGER, Engineer, 12, Novalisstrasse, Berlin, and ANNA
HAISL, of No. 8, Ragain, Austria, 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:-
All the current conductors at present used for electric railways suffer from
the defect that no greater voltage than 500 volts can be used on such conductors
without danger to the travelling public and the railway officials. This applies to
both over head wires and rail conductors.
The object of the present invention is to overcome this drawback especially for
larger lines.
The new contrivance comprises three principal parts which are essential if
the desired result is to be obtained, namely, the protective conduit, the appro-
priately arranged conductor, and the current collector.
The invention is characterized by the protective conduit being in the open air.
The annexed drawings show, by way of example, a method of carrying out the
invention.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively cross sections of conduits adapted for one,
two, and three conductors..
Figs. 4 and 5 are ground plans of Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation to a smaller scale of the contrivance.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the conduit Fig. 3.
Fig. 8 is a plan and Fig. 9 a cross section of a conduit adapted for three
current conductors.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on the line 2, 2, Fig. 9, and
showing the groover and bar m.
Fig. 11 is a cross section and Fig. 12 a plán of an arrangement suitable for
double lines.
Figs. 13 and 14 show in section and Fig. 15 in plan an arrangement in which
the longitudinal slot of the conduit is automatically closed by means of movable
laps.
The conduit Figs. 1 to 7 consists of enclosing side plates a. b, (in Fig. 2 also a
op plate c and Fig. 3 two top plates c, c,) which are so arranged, as shown, that
longitudinal passage way or slit A (there are two slits A. in Fig. 2 and three in
ig. 3) is left between their meeting edges. This slit A may be closed at certain
laces where there is a great deal of traffic, such as railway stations and such
ke. by means of spring flaps as hereinafter referred to. These plates a. b.
hich are smooth and convexed and made of iron are, at intervals apart of about
centimetres. made with pressed out strengthening ribs or beads which add
their rigidity. They are secured to longitudinal T-irons t. t, which latter.
their turn. are fixed on the sleepers 7, a, by means of clamping plates k, k, and
lts. The sleepers are screwed fast to short piles p. n.
[Price 71

page_text: The central plate c, Fig. 2, is, at about distances of 2 metres apart, secured to
supports g which latter are screwed to the sleepers q or to special piles p¹. In
Fig. 3 there are supports g for each plate c.
C are the conducting wires.
Figs. 8 to 12 show more simplified and lighter constructions of the protective
conduit suitable for single and double rotary current conductors. In this case
the three wires are accessible through a single slit A. Under this arrangement
the enclosing plates a, b, have, at appropriate distances apart, grooved ribs r, r,
into which the bars m, m, are secured. These bars m, m, whose lower ends are
pointed downwards, project freely for about 50 centimetres out of the side plates
and grip into two broad catches k, k, which latter are fixed in the piles P, P,
driven into the ground. This arrangement possesses the advantage that the side
plates a, b, can be easily removed so as to give access to the interior of the conduit.
The proper earthing of each single side plate is simply effected by placing the
plates in position as the sleepers as well as the piles grip into the ground. The
smooth flat side of each plate, between the ribs (or r) is properly arched or
curved (as shown at Fig. 6 Sheet 1) so as to give rigidity and strength.
In Figs. 11 and 12 the centre plate c is added for the purpose of making
the conduit of such a breadth as to serve as a double conduit suitable for a double
railway line. This plate is made with a central longitudinal bearing rib r¹ and
its longitudinal edges are bent down about 2 centimetres. The plate c rests in
such a manner upon the bearing plate d which latter is slipped on to the piles pl
that lateral movement is prevented. Each plate e is secured in place by screws f
and it is made at one end with a slot through which the screw at that end passes
so that by simply unscrewing the screw at one end and loosening the screw at
the other the plate can be removed.
The connection to the earth of each centre plate c, as well as the bearing
plate d, is effected by means of a special earth-wire arranged beside each of the
piles p².
The conduit is either fitted beside the railway track or between the two lines
of rails of a double railway line being carried on the cross sleepers.
The conduit can be made of different materials in lieu of iron, such as wooden
boards, papier-mache, wire work, and such like.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 show the arrangement of conduit provided with flexible
closing flaps for the longitudinal aperture between the side plates. The closing
flaps o, o are made of linoleum or such like and are secured to the sides a, b, of
the conduit by means of plate springs f¹, f, and the hinges n, n, at distances of
about 50 centimetres apart.
The arrangement is such that as the current collector S passes along the
aperture or slot A it forces back the spring flap o to a slight extent (see Figs. 14
and 15) and at the same time forces open the hinged flap o', which latter, when
in the normal position, lies upon the spring flap. As the current collector passes
along the opening between the flaps is automatically closed by the flap o' falling
down under the action of gravity and the flap o closing under the action of the
springs ff. The flaps are finally closed down by the action of a steel brush
which is slightly elastic and is secured to the locomotive.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. A protective conduit for the current conductors of electric railways charac-
terized by covering plates (a, b, c) which serve to close in the space occupied by
the current conductors, substantially as set forth.
-
2. A protective conduit such as claimed in Claim 1, having side plates made
with grooves or channels (r) into which bars (m, m) are fitted, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
3. The fixing of the conduit in position by means of wooden piles (p. p) and

page_text: wwways.
stantially as set forth.
che side plates can be easily removed when necessary, sub-
4. A conduit such as claimed in Claim 1, having the central plates (c) provided
with a rib (r) and secured in position to wood supports (p") by means of iron
head-pieces d, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
drawings annexed.
5. A conduit such as claimed in Claim 1, having the longitudinal opening
between the side plates closed by means of flexible flaps (o, o¹) one of which is
secured in position by means of springs (f) and the other by hinged plates, (n),
substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings annexed
Dated this 3rd day of May 1899.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow. Acont