IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC ENERGY TO TRAM OR RAILWAY CARS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Holroyd Smith of Halifax in the County of
York Consulting and Mechanical Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC ENERGY TO TRAM OR RAILWAY
CARS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Holroyd Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1883.
MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH of Halifax in the County of York Consulting and
Mechanical Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC
ENERGY TO TRAM OR RAILWAY CARS,
This invention relates to improved apparatus for conducting and for collecting the
electricity for supplying the motor or electric engine of railway or tramcars being
furthur additions to or improvements in apparatus describod in the specification of
Letters Patent granted to me dated 24th February 1883 No. 1014
According to this my invention I place within the channel described in the above
recited specification but insulated therefrom a metal tube having a slit or opening
running throughout its length and within the tube is placed a collector or shuttlo
composed of 2 heads or points connected by spiral or other springs and a spindle
passing within the springs and hollows formed in the heads or points. The shuttle
is operated by a plate or plates passing through the slit in the tube and the parts
are so arranged that when the shuttle is moved in either direction the friction
against the inside of the tube tends to expand the spring or springs thus ensuring
electric contact. The electricity can be conveyed to the tram car or engine and the
shuttle made to travel with it by slight modification of any of the various
methods described in patent 1014 In another construction metal plates are
placed upon either side of the channel but insulated therefrom, these plates may be
plain or flanged and between them runs a collector trolly-alternate wheels on this
trolly press upon or against the right or left hand plates-the axis of the wheels
may be vertical or slightly depart therefrom to ensure frictional contact, and
contact is further ensured by means of a wire or tapo so threaded between the
brushes or bearings of the wheels that when drawn by means of a screw & spiral
or other spring the wheels are forced outwards and against the conducting plates.
Or the framework supporting the wheels may consist of a series of knuckle joints
so arranged that when the trolly is pushed forward the wheels are forced outward
and into contact with the electric conductor or conductors.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Michael Holroyd Smith in the Patent Office on the 24th April
1884.
MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH of Halifax in the County of York, Consulting and
Mechanical Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH ELECTRIC i
RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS" [sic]
This invention relates to improved apparatus for conducting and for collecting the
electricity for supplying the motor or electric engine of railway or tramcars being
further additions to or improvements in apparatus described in the specification of
Letters Patent granted to me dated 24th February 1883 N° 1014
According to this my invention I place within the channel described in the above
recited specification but insulated therefrom n metal tube having a slit or opening
running throughout its length and within the tube is placed a collector or shuttle
composed of 2 beads or points connected by spiral or other springs and a spindle
passing within the springs and hollows formed in the heads or points-The shuttle
is operated by a plate or plates passing through. the slit in the tube and the parts
are so arranged that when the shuttle is moved in either direction the friction
against the inside of the tube tends to expand the spring or springs thus ensuring
electric contact-The electricity can be conveyed to the tram car or engine and the
shuttle made to travel with it by slight modification of any of the various methods
described in patent N° 10143-In another construction metal plates are placed
upon either side of the channel but insulated therefrom, these plates may be plain
or flanged and between them runs a collector trolly-alternate wheels on this trolly
press upon or against the right or left hand plates-the axis of the wheels may be
vertical or slightly depart therefrom to ensure frictional contact, and contact is
further ensured by means of a wire or tape so threaded between the bushes or
bearings of the wheels that when drawn by means of a screw and spiral or other
spring the wheels are forced outwards and against the conducting plates-Or the
framework supporting the wheels may consist of a series of knuckle joints so
arranged that when the trolly is pushed forward the wheels are forced outward and
into contact with the electric conductor or conductors
Such being the nature of the said invention the particulars thereof are here and
h the annend din full not fath

page_text: Fig. 6 (sheet 5) is cross section of conductor tube and channel insulated and
supported by brackets and clips, the collector shuttle being shewn within the tube—
Figs. 7. 8. 9 and 10 are extended views (reduced scale) shewing details of
construction of channel, conductor tube and insulators
Fig. 11 (sheet 6) a section shewing part of conductor tube and the collector shuttle
within the insulation, the apparatus for transmitting the electricity to the motor
on the car
Figs. 12. 13 and 14 are modifications of the shuttle
Fig. 15 (sheet 7) is sectional elevation of collector shuttle and connections for
working in conjunction with divided collector tube (as shown by Fig. 5. sheet 4)
also illustrates the attachments by which the apparatus is connected with the car;
and the provisions for lateral and vertical vibration or oscillation-Fig. 16 (sheet 4)
is an end elevation in section of Fig. 15
Fig. 17 is a side elevation of collector trolly
Fig. 18 being a plan showing the alternate wheels in contact with the conductor
plates on either side of the channel
Fig. 19 is a cross section of Fig. 17
Figs. 20. 21. and 22 sheet 9 shew the method of jointing or connecting the tubular
conductor and provision for cleaning the tubes
At 1 is the channel formed in or by the cast iron chair 2 holding the slit
conductor tube 4 by means of the insulating material 3-the return current being
by way of the rails on which the car runs (excepting instances as hereinafter
described)-Within the conducting tube 4 is received and works the collector
shuttle 5 see sheet 6, the said shuttle consists of two cylindrical recessed heads 6. 6:
connected by a spindle 7 having collars or enlarged ends 71 which are free to move
longitudinally within the recesses of the heads 6, and by drawing the head against
the end of the double spiral spring or coil 8 (according to the direction in which
the car is to move) compress and bulge outwardly the spring 8 forcing it into
contact with the tubular conductor 4 from which it collects the electricity the
latter passing by way of the heads 6. 6 and spindle 7 by the arms 9 to the spring
connection 10 by way of the upright 11 to the motor-The spring connection_10
ensures gradual starting and is insulated at 12. 12-At Fig. 12 the spindle 7 is
shewn outside the conductor tube and provided with screw adjustable collars 13.
equivalents of the collars referred to Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate variation in tho
form of the compressible spring 8-8
In some cases (see Fig 4 sheet 3) I divide the collector tube so that dirt sand or
gravel passing through the slit 1 on road surface or level may not lodge in the said
tube but pass through and below the halves of the said tube, in such arrangement
I employ duplicate collector shuttles (Figs 15 and 16) onc shuttle in each half of
the said tube, the shuttle collectors are attached to the curved links 20 hinged on
the studs at 21. 22. the spiral spring 23 serving to draw the said studs together
forces the collector shuttles outwards and so maintains contact with the conductor
tubes 4. 4. and provides for the necessary yielding in event of any obstruction
by reason of or matter adhering to the sides of the half tubes or either of them, in
this view I have shewn solid shuttle in which provision is made through the
helical or spiral grooves 23 cut or formed in or around the said shuttle so that in
event of any solid matter adhering to the sides of the half conductor tubes the
shuttle being free to revolve on its pin or axis 24 the grooves will catch and on
turning expel such matter from the conducting tubes to the receptacle or hollow
25 formed in the channel-The electricity passes from the collector shuttles by
way of the springs 28 through the insulated wire or tape 32 to the electric motor
on the car the said spring being for securing gradual starting of the apparatus-In
order that no undue strain shall be put upon the steel plate 33 passing through the
slit 1 on the surface of the road by the spring or oscillation of the car, provision is
made by the frame 34 which is supported by four bolts 35. 35 to the transverse
framework 36 of the car upon which bolts it is free to move springs 37 37 being
interposed and this framework 34 carries two cross bolts 38 which carry the cheeks

page_text: or plates 39 holding the steel plate 33 and leaving space for lateral movement-By
withdrawing the bolts 38 the shuttle and connections can be withdrawn from
beneath the car and removed from its collector tubes through opening formed by
short length of removable tube provided for that purpose
At Fig. 2 is illustrated a form of chair wherein is the conductor tube 4 insulated
at 3 and at 15. 15 are flanged side plates or channel irons between which runs a
collector trolly consisting of a series of alternate wheels 16 (sheet 8) which are
expanded or forced outwards by means of the wire or wire tape and screw adjust-
ment 17 threaded between the bushes of the axles of the said wheels so as to ensure
contact between the wheels and the side conductor plates 15 these plates receive
and convey the return current and contact between these plates is ensured by
means of the wires 18. 18 this being a combination of shuttle and trolly and the
arrangement' whereby the two work in combination is shewn at Fig. 23 sheet 10
when the trolly is used as a collector the return current being made through the
rails which carry the car the channel plates 15 are insulated from the chair as
shown by Figs 18-19-An alternate combination consists of a split single tube for
the lead and the two half tubes (Fig 4) instead of channel 15 Fig 2 single and
double shuttles as illustrated being used, this system may also be fixed overhead-
Or the said wheels 16 may be mounted upon a series of knuckle jointed links so
that when the trolly is pushed forwards the wheels are forced outwards and their
peripheries held in contact with the side plates.
Provision for the automatic cleaning or clearing the tubular conductors 4. 4 is
shewn on sheet 9 on which it will be seen that spaco is left between the joints of
the tubes 4. 4 so as to leave an opening or space through which sand or gravel may
by the advancing shuttle be expelled and pass to the pit 20 below-The several s
lengths of tubular conductors 4. 4 are connected so as to transmit electricity from
one length to the next by the copper wire band or plate 21 screwed to and
coupling the lengths of tube-When the tubes are of cast metal cavities may be
formed as shewn at 26 Figs. 14 and 16 in which the connecting wires are held-The
conductor tube may be elliptical or other shape in section but I prefer the form
shewn.
Having thus fully described and illustrated by drawings the particulars of this
my invention I would have it understood that I do not claim per se the use of slit
tube and internal collector-What I do claim is
The use of electric conductors, having internal contact collectors, of the construc-
tion substantially as herein described, and as illustrated
The combination of conductor plates, and expanding collector trollys, substantially
as described, and illustrated by drawings annexed
The combination of double conductors, and expanding collectors, with tubular
conductor shuttle collector, substantially as illustrated and as herein described
In Witness whereof I the said Michael Holroyd Smith have hereunto sot my
hand and seal this twenty third day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
HOLDOVA SUTAT