Improvements in Electric Railways.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Thomas Aaron Evans, of San Francisco City,
San Francisco County, California, U.S.A., Inventor,) to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to electric railways of that kind or construction in which
a current-collector attached to the motor-car runs in electrical contact with an
isolated underground rail or conductor; and the invention embraces a certain
improved construction and arrangement of insulated conductor and underground
tube, and also a novel construction of current-collector, all for operation and to
secure several advantages as hereinafter set forth.
By this invention, a tube, laid underground, has a slot along the top for the
shank or carrying bar of the current collector, and the electrical conductor is laid
along the tube against the top or roof and to one side of the tube-slot, being
insulated from adjacent parts by a block. A depending apron or partition is fixed
along the tube, between the tube-slot and the conductor to shut off that part of the
tube-space for almost the full depth of the tube from the centre portion into which
the tube-slot opens.
The current-collector travelling on and in electrical contact with the conductor,
is fixed on the end of a carrying-bar, which is mounted on the motor-car, and the
bar is formed with an offset or bend at the lower end, forming a laterally-extending
foot to pass beneath the bottom of the apron and project into the space inside,
where the conductor is laid.
The current-collector is fixed to the upwardly-bent end of a foot and consists of
grooved or double-flange wheels mounted on axles, for which bearings are provided
in the end of the shank foot. The boxes are insulated from the side-pieces and
have binding-posts for conducting wires through which the current is carried from
the wheels along the shank to a suitable point on the upper part of the shank,
The wires being
where a connection is provided for the wires of the motor.
properly covered, may be laid a groove in the face of the shank and brought
upwards to binding-posts on a block. The shank is bolted to a screw-threaded
shaft or round bar that is practically an extension of the flat shank, and is used in
order to change the form of the bar in cross-section from flat to cylindrical for
being threaded. This threaded portion takes a hand-nut for which a bearing is
furnished on the top plate of a stand. The top plate is circular with an opening in
the centre for the upper part of the shank to pass loosely through, and between it
and the top a strong coil-spring is placed, the top plate being held in place by long
bolts and nuts.
The legs of the supporting-stand are secured to the truck-frame or the body of
the motor-car; but the shank has vertical movement in such support, as well as
adjustability, by means of the threaded portion and its nut.
In this construction and arrangement it will be understood that the coil-spring
bearing constantly upward against the hand-nut acts to keep the current-collector
in contact with the insulated conductor in the tube under all changes and conditions
in the surface of the road as well as under varying movements of the motor-car in
a vertical direction, and also that the current-collector can be adjusted by the hand-
nut to raise or lower it into or out of contact with the conductor. It is also
lowered by the same means clear of the apron when that point in the tube is
reached where the man-hole or opening is provided for taking out the current
collector.

page_text: The apron should be carried down a suitable distance to insure complete pro-
tection of the conductor and current-collector from mud, water, and dust entering
through the tube slot.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Thomas Aaron Evans, of San Francisco City,
San Francisco County, California, U.S.A., Inventor,) to be as follows:-
My invention relates to electric railways of that class of construction in which a
current-collector attached to the motor-car runs in electrical contact with an
insulating underground rail or conductor, and the invention embraces a certain
improved construction and arrangement of insulated conductor and underground
tube, and also a novel construction of current-collector, all for operation and to
secure several advantages, as hereinafter set forth.
In the following description explaining the nature of these improvements, and
the manner of constructing and applying them, reference is had by letters to the
accompanying drawings, in which―
Fig. 1 represents a transverse section, and the track and underground-tube of an
electric railway constructed according to my invention, and shows also in front view
the track, and also part of a motor-car and the current-collector mounted on it.
Fig. 2 is a top view in longitudinal section of a portion of the insulating
conductor and the travelling current-collector in contact with it.
Fig. 3 is a side view on a larger scale of the foot of the current-collector.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the traveller or current-collector.
The tube A has a slot a along the top for the shank or carrying-bar of the
current-collector, and the electrical conductor B is laid along the tube against the
top or roof, and to one side of the tube slot, being insulated from adjacent parts by
the block C. A depending part or partition D is fixed along the tube between the
tube slot, and the conductor to shut off that part of the tube space for almost the
full depth of the tube from the centre portion, into which the tube slot opens.
The current-collector E travelling on and in electrical contact with the conductor B
is fixed on an end of the carrying-bar F, which is mounted on the motor-car, and
the bar is formed with an offset, or bent at the lower end, forming a laterally
extending foot Fx to pass beneath the bottom of the apron D and project into the
space inside where the conductor B is laid.
The current collector is fixed to the upwardly bent foot and consists of the
grooved or double flanged wheels Ex mounted on axles g g for which bearings h¸h
are provided in the end F2 of the shank foot. The boxes are insulated from the
side pieces F and have binding posts i į for conducting wires through which
the current is carried from the wheels along the shank k to a point K on the upper
part of the bar F, where a connection is provided for the wires of the motor. The
wires a a, being properly covered, may be laid in a groove in a face of the shank k,
and brought upward to the binding-posts on the block K. The bar F is bolted
at f3 to the screw-threaded shaft or round bar F that is practically an extension of
the flat bar F, and is used in order to change the form of the bar in cross-section
from flat to cylindrical for the thread m. This threaded portion takes a hand-
nut R for which a bearing is furnished on the top plate L of the stand S. The top
plate is circular with an opening in the centre for the upper part of the rod F4 to
pass loosely through, and between which and the top S* a strong coiled spring T
is placed, the top plate being held in place by long bolts pp and nuts q 9.

page_text: The legs of the supporting-stand are secured to the truck-frame or the body of
the motor-car, but the rod F has vertical movement in the support as well as
adjustability by means of the threaded portion and its nut.
In this construction and arrangement it will be seen that the coiled spring
bearing constantly upward against the hand-nut acts to keep the trolly E in
contact with the insulated conductor in the tube under all changes and conditions in
the surface of the rod, as well as under varying movements of the motor-car in a
vertical direction, and also that the current collector or "trolly," as I term it, can
be adjusted by the hand-nut to raise or lower it into or out of contact with the
conductor. It is also lowered by the same means clear of the apron when that
point in the tube is reached where the man-hole or opening is provided for taking
out the current-collector.
The apron should be carried down a suitable distance to insure complete
protection of the conductor and trolly from mud, water, and dust entering through
the tube-slot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :
The combination with the stationary conductor B, of the trolly or traveller E,
having wheels Ex, mounted in insulated boxes, and the binding posts having
electrical connection with the wheels, and the conductor-wire extending from said
binding posts to a binding-post on the bar F in the car, as, and for the purpose set
forth.
J. P. BAYLY,
Per R. W.,
Applicant.