Improvements in Current Collecting Apparatus for the Underground Conductors of Electric Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
CUMPLEIN DIUIFICATIVA.
Improvements in Current Collecting Apparatus for the Underground
Conductors of Electric Railways and Tramways.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED, of 12, Queen Anne's Gate, West-
minster, S.W., Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (as communicated to us from abroad by Siemens & Halske Aktien
Gesellschaft, of Markgrafen Strasse 94, Berlin, S.W., Electrical Engineers) and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
constructed as
This invention relates to current collectors for electric railways and tram-
ways with underground conductors which collectors can be raised up or lowered
through the slot of the conductor channel at any desired point. According to
the present invention such current collectors are
spring
contact tongues pivotally mounted in a frame which in its turn can be turned
round 90° in its support, whereby the withdrawal and insertion of the entire
current collecting device is rendered possible.
We will describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing
in which Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 shew an arrangement, where the turning of the
frame carrying the contact tongue is effected by a longitudinal shifting of the
shaft on which the frame is mounted.
In the working condition the tongues assume the position shewn in elevation
and plan at Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 3 and 4 shew in elevation and plan the
position thereof when drawn up through the slot.
The tongue a is formed as a two-ended lever, and bears with its long arm
with spring pressure against the conductor rail 6; it turns on an axis at c
mounted in the frame d. The latter is in turn mounted by means of eyes e
and f loose upon the shaft g which is mounted in the pendant support
to be longitudinally shiftable, but not rotatable therein.
so as
It carries a fixed collar limiting such shifting motion and also acting upon
the tongue as will be described. The eye f of the frame has two helical
slots and formed in it, each constituting one quarter of a turn of a screw
thread, and through these slots projects a pin passing through the shaft g.
The spring m tend always to maintain the contact tongue in the position
shewn at Fig. 2, in contact with the rail .
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the current collector is to be raised up out of the slot of the con-
ductor channel, the shaft g is in the first instance shifted longitudinally to the
left hand until it assumes the position shewn at Figs. 3 and 4. Such shifting
is effected by any suitable known means which need not be here described.
By means of the pin / acting upon the helical slots and the frame and
consequently the tongue a will be turned through 90° into the position shewn
at Figs. 3 and 4, so that the entire current collecting device can be raised up
through the slot in the channel. At the same time by means of the collar i the
short arm of a will be pushed downwards, and consequently the long arm of a

page_text: will be retracted or brought nearer the shaft g thereby compressing the
spring m.
This latter action is necessary in order that on the subsequent turning up of
the tongue a the latter may be able to move freely past the conductor rail.
After again lowering the current collector through the slot, the shaft g is slid
to the right hand, whereupon in consequence of the action of the pin on the
helical slots and k, the frame d will be turned upward through 90°; the
tongue a however will, during the first part of the motion, retain its retracted
position on account of the action of the continued action of the collar i on
the short arm, and it will only be released by the latter when it is in such a
position that it cannot catch either on the under or the upper side of the con-
ductor rail. When so freed the arm a is pressed outward by the spring m so
as to cause it to bear against the rail, thus making contact.
When the usual two pole arrangement of such current collectors is employed,
the entire above described construction would simply be duplicated, the second
contact tongue being made to engage with the side of the conductor rail oppo-
site that on which the first one made contact.
Fig. 5 shews an elevation of a modified arrangement in which the axis s on
which the frame t turns is not arranged to shift longitudinally, the turning up
and down of the frame being effected by a sleeve shiftably mounted on the
axis s, and prevented from turning by the arms and o, the sleeve being for
this purpose provided with a helical slot 7 which engages the pin fixed on the
frame t.
The pivoted tongue acted upon by the spring m is operated in the same
manner as described with reference to the first arrangement. The action being
the same as above described it does not require to be further referred to beyond
mentioning that the short arm of the contact tongue in this case bears against
the sleeve thereby holding the long arm in the retracted position, this being
released when the sleeve is shifted to the right so as to be clear of the short
arm. The shifting of the sleeve like that of the shaft y in Figs. 1 to 4,
may be effected by any suitable known device.
The pins referred to in both the above described constructions as engaging
with the helical slots might of course be replaced by a complete, screwing
arrangement.
It is also to be observed that the partial rotation of the frame carrying the
current collecting tongue might also be effected by other means than by the
described helical slot device, such as by toothed gear, without departing from
the essential feature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In current collecting apparatus for the underground conductors of electric
railways and tramways, the combination of a spring contact tongue such as a
pivotally mounted in a frame such as which can be turned through 90° on
an axis carried by the supporting device, so that in the one position of the
frame and tongue the collecting device can be moved upward or downward
through the slot of the conductor channel, while in the other position of the
parts, the tongue is brought to bear with spring action laterally against the
underground conductor, substantially as described.
2. In current collecting apparatus such as is referred to in the First Claim,
mounting the frame d upon a longitudinally shiftable shaft g, the two parts
being so connected by a screw-device that by the motion of the shaft in the
one direction or the other the frame & and contact tongue a are turned through
an angle of 90° substantially as and for the purpose described with reference
to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings.
3. In current collecting apparatus such as is referred to in the first claimi,

page_text: mounting the frame t upon a non-shiftable axis s on which is a sliding sleeve p
having a screw connection with the frame t such that on shifting the sleeve on
its axis in one direction or the other the frame and contact tongue a are
turned through an angle of 90° substantially as described with reference to
Fig. 5 of the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of November 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.