Improved Apparatus for Supporting Electrical Conductors and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Supporting Electrical Conductors and
the like.
I, JOHN ORME 65 Barbican in the City of London Electrician do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists in improved apparatus for supporting electrical conductors
or the like and is more particularly applicable to that class of conductors described
by me in Letters Patent No. 20742/91 and used for intercommunication between
the engine driver and the signal cabin on railways it may however be used for any
equivalent purpose.
Hitherto I have bolted conductors of this class to the sleepers, but I find that
frequently the ballast used to make up the road or pack the sleepers is brought into
such close contact with the conducting rod as to make earth." This I entirely
overcome by means of the apparatus now described which cousists of a casting
fashioned like an ordinary railway chair, and carrying an arm to which the iron or
copper strip suitably insulated therefrom is secured. The casting is slipped over
the lower head of the rail in the usual manner and secured in position by a wood
metal or other key. When more convenient the casting may be replaced by a split
wrought or malleable iron or steel support, secured to the rail by bolting or
clamping.
Dated May 25th 1894.
FRANCIS M. ROGERS,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Supporting Electrical Conductors and
the like.
I JOHN ORME 65 Barbican in the City of London 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 consists in improved apparatus for supporting electrical conductors
or the like and is more particularly applicable to that class of conductors described by
me in Letters Patent No. 20742/91 and used for intercommunication between the
engine driver and the signal cabin on railways it may however be used for any
equivalent purpose.
"Hitherto I have bolted conductors of this class to the sleepers but I find that
frequently the ballast used to make up the road or pack the sleepers is brought into
such close contact with the conducting rod as to "make earth." This entirely
overcome by means of the apparatus now described which consists of a casting
fashioned like an ordinary railway chair and carrying an arm to which the iron or
copper strip, suitably insulated therefrom is secured.
The casting is slipped over the lower head of the rail in the usual manner and
secured in position by a wood metal or other key. When more convenient the

page_text: Casting ay
by a sp
secured to the rail by bolting or clamping.
UL
Sicer supp
To enable my invention to be clearly understood I will now describe the same
more particularly by means of the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1. is a general plan shewing the application of my invention to ordinary
permanent way.
Fig. 2. is an enlarged end view of support fastened to track rail.
Fig. 3. is an end view of split support.
Fig. 4. is a front elevation of same.
Fig. 5. is an end view of bracket fastened by fish plate.
Fig. 6. is a transverse sectional view shewing method of fastening employed for
obtaining high insulation.
Fig. 7. shews the method of attaching the apparatus to a flat bottomed rail.
In the drawing 1, is the ordinary track rail which is usually mounted in chairs 2, upon
transverse wooden sleepers 3, see Fig. 1, at suitable intervals between the transverse
sleepers 3, I mount my improved apparatus. This consists of a casting or forging
of steel, iron or other suitable metal 4, having on one side an arm 5¹. The casting
or forging as the case may be is secured to the track rail 1, by means of a wood or
metal key 6, which is driven in, in the manner usually adopted for securing the track
rails to the chairs. Upon a flat or other suitable surface 5, forming the upper part
of arm 5¹ and at such a distance from the track rails as may suit the required
conditions is secured by countersunk bolts, and nuts 7, a short piece of good dry
timber of oak, pine, yellow deal, or the like 8. This should be well baked and
soaked in hot paraflin wax, tar, or other equivalent substance capable of increasing
its insulating properties. Upon this is secured by bolts and nuts, or by coach
screws 7, another piece of timber 81 similarly treated the edges of which are
bevelled as at 9, so as to cause the water to readily run off, and grooved or undercut as
at 10, so as to prevent it from creeping down the arm 5', and so producing an earth
or short circuit.
::
The conductor as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 5, consists of an ordinary iron tube 11,
jointed by means of the socket 12, and fastened to the wood covered supports by
straps 13 and coach screws 7.
Figs. 3, 4, shew a form of split support which is secured to the track rail by a
bolt and nut 7', or more than one if required passing through a lug or tail 14. The
arm in this case is fitted with a triangular wood, ebonite, or other block 8¹ and the
conductor 11, is formed of ordinary angle iron which may however be replaced by
angle brass, copper, or other suitable metal, either type being secured by counter-
sunk screws 7 the conductivity at the joints is maintained by slipping underneath
the contiguous pieces a thin slip of similar metal, see dotted lines a. Fig. 5, shews
the conductor mounted upon a support attached to the rail by fish bolts 7' and
plate 15.
Fig. 6, shews a method of mounting the angle iron conductor so as to secure very
high insulation. In this form the bolt head sits upon an ebonite washer 16, and
passes through a tube 17, of the same, the wood block is mounted upon a plate 18,
of ebonite, or fibre, and a tube of ebonite or fibre passes through bolt hole formed
in the flange, a washer 16, being placed under the head of nut.
Fig. 7, shews the improved support fitted to a flat bottomed rail 1, by means of
a fish plate 15, and bolts 7'. I do not confine the apparatus to the particular shapes
shewn in the drawings as these will necessarily vary in a manner depending upon
circumstances.
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 combination with a track rail of a metallic support carrying an electrical
: conductor secured thereto and insulated therefrom, in the way, for the purposes, and

page_text: 2. For the purpose of effecting electrical communication between the engine
driver and signal cabin, the application and use of an insulated conductor fastened
to the track rail by the means and in the way and manner described.
3. For the purpose of effecting electrical communication the combination with
a track rail 1, of the chair-shaped apparatus 4, secured thereto by wood or metal
key 6, the arm 5' supporting the insulating blocks 8, 8' and the conductor 11,
secured thereto by straps screws or the like.
4. The combination with a track rail for the purposes described of the split
support 4, secured by bolts 7' and carrying the angle or other shaped conductor 11,
insulated therefrom in the way and manner shewn, in Fig. 3.
5. The combination with a track rail for the purposes described, of the form of
support shewn in Figs. 5, 7, secured by fish plates and bolts.
Dated this 8th day of December 1894.
FRANCIS M. ROGERS,
Agent.