Improvements in Electric Conduits for Street Railways.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 26th Oct.. 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Conduits for Street Railways.
JESSE WILFORD RENO, of 62 Devonshire. Street, Boston, in the County of
Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts United States of America, gentleman, 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved electric conduit for street
railways and to use that form of rail known as the "girder" rail to form part of
the conduit.
By my construction, there is but little obstruction to the street surface and
paving of all kinds may be laid adjacent to it without bevelling, while the con-
ductor and insulator can be readily gotten at for repairs etc. by simply lifting the
slot-rail without disturbing the paving or unscrowing any bolts.
By my arrangement the electric conductor is well insulated and so located and
protected that it cannot be interfered with maliciously while at the same tinie
there is ample room provided below it for collecting the water, dirt etc. which
may enter the slot from the street.
An important principle of my construction is that only the upper part of the
conduit is continuous and in this way I obtain great strength to resist the heavy
traffic of the street, thus obviating the use of heavy iron yokes, set in concrete,
common in other systems.
These yokes not only extend up to the street surface and destroy its smooth-
ness, but with their concrete foundations may go so far below as to interfere with
pipes and drains.
My conduit extends less than two feet below the surface.
Inasmuch as I use the rail and conduit itself for the return current all induc-
tive influence which would interfere with adjacent telephone and telegraph lines is
eliminated, besides which, with the single insulated conductor, the construction at
switclies and crossings is much simplified.
My conduit is located adjacent to the inside rails of a double track road. The
location of the slot adjacent to the rail does not cause an extra break in the
street paving as would be the case were the slot in the centre of the track.
Furthermore, the device on the car which keeps the rail free of obstructions
will serve the same purpose for the slot.
In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section upon the line ST of
Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, parts being broken away to show the interior
of the conduit.
"
A and B indicate angle rails which form the conduit casing. C is a girder
rail of the usual form except that one side of the foot-flange is shorter than the
other as shown in Fig. 1.
%.
Zis the clamping" chair to which the rails B and C are clamped or secured
by means of the wedge-keys H and 1. The chair Z bridges over and rests upon
the U-shaped foundation K, but is cut away in the center as shown by the dotte!
lines so as to allow anything dropping through the slot to fall to the bottom of
the conduit drain. The ribs or gratings J, J, on either side of this opening have
their upper edges pointed as at R so that any material from the street will not
collect upon them.
The foundation K is made of cast iron having a flat base, broadening out on
one side so that the head of the girder rail will be in a line with the center
thereof as shown in Fig. 1. These foundations are placed at a distance of about
four feet apart and connecting them are the drain sections L, of sheet iron, their

page_text: abutting edges meeting in the center of the foundations as shown in dotted lines
in Fig. 2.
The sections Lintermediate of the foundations, bear against the outside foot-
flange of the rail on one side and the smaller Hange of rail B on the other
(see Fig. 2) so that when the earth is packed about them they are held rigidly in
place.
At their ends they are held in place between the foundations and the ribs J J.
As the rail B, rail C, and chair Z are rigidly held together, they simultaneously
expand and contract as in one piece. If necessary the chair Z may be bolted or
otherwise secured to the foundation K.
The rail A is provided with a rib V in order that said rail may be held in its
normal position relative to the fixed rail B, and said rail A is further held in
place af its lower ond by the upwardly and inwardly projecting flange N of
chair Z which nevertheless allows said rail to be removed when required.
For shielding the conductor and also for increasing the wearing surface at
the slot I provide the rail A with a rib W.
F indicate the insulators made preferably of vulcanized fibre and are attached
about midway of the foundations K. Each insulator is fastened on the bolt G
which is attached to the flange of the casing or rail B by means of the shoulder u
and the nut M.
To increase the insulation the insulators are made hollow underneath and are
provided at the top with a longitudinal groove into which fits the copper con-
ductor D. The latter I prefer to make in the shape shown in order to add stiff-
ness to it and furnish a broad surface for the contact shoe E to slide upon while
the small laterally projecting flanges at the bottom fit into slots provided in the
groove in the insulator F whereby the conductor can partake of no movement
other than that due to longitudinal expansion and contraction.
The plow which may be secured to the car truck in any suitable manner, consists
essentially of a piece of sheet copper Y enclosed by two steel plates and insulated from
them. At the lower edge of the sheet of copper Y are hinged the arms of tho contact-
shoes EE which are made to press upon the conductor 1 by means of the coiled
springs fitted around the hinge bolts as shown in Fig. 2.
I prefer to employ two contact shoes attached to each of the plates Y in order to
thoroughly maintain electrical contact and prevent "sparking."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An electric conduit for street railways in which the upper or slot portion only is
made continuous, as described for the purpose specified.
2. An electric conduit for street railways, in which the girder rail forms a part of
said conduit as described.
3. In an electric conduit for street railways, the foundations for the girder rails
placed at intervals along the line, and drain sections connecting said foundations
whereby the latter form part of the conduit drain, as described.
4. In an electric conduit for street railways, the combination with the foundation K,
of the clamping chair Z bridging the same and resting thereupon, the rails B Csecured
to said clamping chair and the cover rail A removably secured to said chair, as
described for the purpose specified.
5. In an electric conduit for street railways, the combination with the foundation
and the "clamping" chair bridging said foundation and resting thereupon, said chair
being cut away to form an opening as described, of a conduit casing secured to said
chair, with the slot of said casing over the opening in the chair, for the purpose
spécified.
6. In an electric conduit for street railways, an electric conductor having a T-shape
for the purposes specified.
7. In an electric conduit for street railways, the combination with the insulators F

page_text: provided at their top with the longitudinal inverted T-shaped grooves, said insulators
being secured to a portion of the conduit casing, of the T-shaped electric conductor
having the laterally projecting flanges at its bottom, and fitting in the grooves in the
insulators, as described for the purpose specified.
Dandhi 52-1 lay of 198u
0
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.