Improvements in Electric Contact Devices or Couplings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Contact Devices or Couplings.
I, CARL MORADELLI, Royal Court-purveyor, of 2 Baumstrasse, Munich,
Germany, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
ame is performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
ollowing statement :—
The present invention relates to electric contacts and consists of two eccentrically
pivoted cylinders or prismatic cylindrical bodies pivoted respectively to each end
of the conductors to be coupled, and which cylinders when placed one alongsido
he other will so fall by gravity round their pivote as to contact with each
other.
And in order to render the present Specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the several viows:-
Fig. 1 shows two disconnected cylinders in side elevation and vertical longitudinal
section respectively,
Fig. 2 a side elevation of the cylinders in contact,
Fig. 3 a transverse section through contacting cylinders,
Fig. 4 a similar section but in a different position,
Fig. 5 a side elevation of a prismatic cylindrical body,
Fig. 6 a cross section of contacting prismatic bodios,
Fig. 7 a longitudinal section through the self adjusting couplings hitherto
employed,
Fig. 8 a similar section through such coupling according to the present
invention,
Fig. 9 a longitudinal section through a coupling with divided house and
Fig. 10 a plan of Fig. 9.
To the ends of the conductors a', which are elastically mounted to have a
certain amount of play, are pivoted the cylinders a a of suitable conducting
material, said cylinders being pivoted eccentrically and advantageously provided
with conical euds as illustrated. Obviously when the ends of the conductors are
run together the cylinders will fall by gravity oue against the other and form a
contact which will not be liable to be broken by jolt or vibration of the conductor
ends, sinco the cylinders, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6 will always full togethor
remaining in constant contact.
Instead of cylinders prismatic cylindrical bodies as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may
be employed.
Contact devices of this kind may be employed for railway conductors of every
description, field telegraphly, portable cables as also other cable connections and
the like, fire brigade servico etc. They may also be employed for permanent
connections, thus in connection with underground cables, as shown at Figs. 7 and 8.
The cable ends were hitherto connected by a flexible copper joint (Fig. 7) which
could advantageously be replaced by the present invention (Fig. 8) the cylinders
with their clustic connections being attached to the cable ends by means of collars
and set screws c.
For quickly connecting portable cables for field or military telegraphly the
coupling shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is very advantageous. This coupling consists of
two discs oo attached to and insulated from the respective cable ends and screwed
or otherwise attached to cylinder parts m m adapted to slide one over the other
P

page_text: by a ring and secured together by a bayonette joint as shown at Fig. 10.
The stems or pivots a¹ of the contact cylinders are mounted in sliding discs rr
adapted to slide in the cylinders m m said stems being attached to the cable
ends by collars and set screws p. Thus the cable ends may be easily and quickly
coupled.
The cylinders are adapted for use in connection with weak currents and the
prismatic bodies for stronger currents. The cylinders may be nickel or gold
plated or provided with other coating to protect them against atmospharic
influences.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is performed I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An electric contact consisting of cylindrical bodies loosely pivoted eccentrically
to the ends of the conductors to be coupled, substantially as described.
2. The combination of oylindrical bodies a aud elastically mounted conductor
ends, said bodies being eccentrically and loosely pivoted on said conductor ends,
substantially as described.
3. The combination of cylindrical bodies a having conical heads and elastically
mounted conductor ends, said bodies being eccentrically and loosely pivoted on
said conductor ends, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.