Improvements in Contact Apparatus for Electric Railways with Underground Current Feed and Partial Conductors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Contact Apparatus for Electric Railways with
Underground Current Feed and Partial Conductors.
I, CARL FRIEDRICH PHILIPP STENDEBACH, Electrical Engineer, of Plagwitzer-
strasse, 45, Leipzig, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: —
•
This invention, shown in the annexed drawings, Figs. 1 to 4, relates to an
apparatus for use in electric railways for supply and interruption of current
between the main conductor and the separate contact pieces or partial conductors.
The working of this contact apparatus is effected mechanically by the moving
car, or a contact maker connected thereto, moved in a slot or channel formed
partly by the rail and partly by pipes made of cement or the like.
The drawing shows in Fig. 1 a section through the apparatus and slot channel
and circuit breaker.
Fig. 2, a front view of the apparatus with the channel, the latter in longi-
tudinal section.
Fig. 3 a plan view of the apparatus with channel, the latter in longitudinal
section.
Fig. 4 a longitudinal section through the channel showing the operating
arrangement.
The contact apparatus consists essentially of a cast iron cage 1, Figs. 1 to 4,
showing partially cylindrical, partially rectangular formations. Against the
cage 1 cement tubes 7 abut to form a continuous channel. The cylindrical part
of the cage 1 is closable on the top by a cover 2, and a packing of india-rubber
or the like.
Inside these cylindrical parts is arranged a bar 3 consisting of two prismatic
parts engaging one into the other with a pan-like flange formed at their lower
end. At its under end the bar engages in a socket of a web of the cage 1 whilst
its upper part is guided in a socket in the cover 2. On the pan-like part of this
bar 3 is provided a cogged ring 3" engaged by the toothed bar 4. This toothed
bar 4 has on its side directed to the channel 7 a widened head 4" with roller 5 and
is pressed outwards by a spiral spring 6. Opposite the roller 5 in the channel 7
a bracket 8 carries a second roller 8". The bar. 3 is provided on its upper end
with a plate 9 of insulating material upon which the contacts 10 and 11 are
arranged connected conductively together by means of a lead wire 12 encased
in the plate 9. When the apparatus is in action these two sliding contacts touch
the two counter contacts 13 and 14 insulated from the cage 1 by means of the
insulating piece 15. The counter contact piece 13 with the respective partial con-
ductor is thus brought into circuit with the counter contact piece 14 and the
main current cable 16. The lower part of a little cylinder 17 surrounding
the bar 3 but screwed on the cage 1 and tightened by means of an indiarubber
plate 18 lies in the pan like part of the bar 3 filled with quicksilver in order
to keep free from damp the space containing the contacts. When the circuit
Pine R71

page_text: closer 19 with its knife like front part is pushed between the rollers 5 and 8°
by the moving car, the toothed bar 4 is pushed, according to the width of the
circuit closer more or less into the cage 1, turns the bar 3 in its bearings, whereby
the insulating plate 9 firmly joined to the bar 3 makes a suitable circular move-
ment round its axle to cause the contacts 10 and 11 to coincide with the counter
contacts 13 and 14, closing the circuit between the cable 16 and its partial con-
ductor. As soon as the current closer passes and sets the roller 5 free, the
toothed bar 4 goes back to its original position under the pressure of the spring 6
and the bar 3 and insulating plate 9 follow this movement interrupting the
current between the main cable 16 and the partial conductor. For more safety
the spring 6 is reinforced by a spiral plate spring 21 arranged in the cover 2
on a pin 20 of the plate 9. Instead of the springs 6 and 21 a balance weight
could be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1.) Contact apparatus for electric railways with underground current feed and
partial conductors having a cage 1 containing the contact pieces secured against
humidity in the known manner by means of a quicksilver closing, a vertical
bar 3 supporting a part of the contacts in connection with a horizontally lying
driving device provided with counter spring pressure or balance weight put in
action as soon as a pressure of the circuit closer comes upon the driving device.
2.) In contact apparatus for electric railways with underground current feed
and partial conductors, a bar 3 in two prismatically engaging parts, on its upper
end provided with a plate of insulating material receiving half the contact pieces
whilst the under part of it has a pan-like flange for receiving a liquid seal and
provided with a toothed or other suitable driving device.
3.) In electric railways with underground current feed and partial conductors,
the combination of a bar 3 with driving device 4, the bar 3 lying vertically,
and the driving device horizontally the movement of the driving device 4 in
horizontal direction causing a turning of the bar 3 and thus a touching of the
contacts on plate 9 with the counter contacts in the cage 1.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1898