US406391A - Territory - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

I H. D.- DIBBLE.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC PROPULSION. No. 406,391. Patented July 2, 1889..

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H. D. DIBBLE.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC PROPULSION.

No. 406,391. Patented July 2,1889.

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N. wrrzns Photo-Lithographer, Washington, D. a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY D. DIBBLE, OF ROOHFORD, DAKOTA TEERITORY.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC PROPULSION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,391, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed February 2,1889. Serial No. 298,449. (No model.)

- trical conductors and the devices for transmitting the current from the conductors to the motor of the wagon. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation looking toward the front of the wagon, the steering-wheel being removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the steering-gear; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the trolley which runs upon the wire and takes off the current.

Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

The object of my invention is to provide a system of electrical propulsion for common roads, by means of which traffic may be carried on without the necessity of employing a railway-track, and to so arrange the steeringgear that the wagon will automatically run parallel with the line of the conductors.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The wagon-body A, to which my improvement is applied, is supported upon the-axle B, which carries the drive-wheels O, and also upon a caster-wheel D, provided with a fork a, journaled in the forward end of an extension E of the frame of the body A. Upon the axle B is mounted the spur-wheel F, which is engaged by a pinion G upon the armatureshaft 1) of the motor I-Lthe said motor being secured to the main frame of the body A. The shank c of the fork a extends upwardly through a sleeve d, placed loosely on the said shank, and upon the upper end of the shank c is mounted a steering-lever e, provided with a latch f, which engages a notched flange g upon the upper end of the sleeve d. Between the lower end of the sleeve cl and the extension E a sprocket-wheel h is secured to the sleeve (1.

In the extension E, in front of the wagonbox I, is journaled the shaft 2' of the fork J, and upon the said shaft is secured a sprocketwheel j, which receives an endless chain-K, passing around the sprocket-wheel h upon the shank 0.

Above the road-bed L are suspended elec-- trical conductors Z Z Z Z by means of L- shaped hooks'm, suspended from the bracket M, the said bracket being supported by a pole N. These conductors are preferably located at a central point above the road-bed, and are supported by as many poles N and brackets M as are necessary to give the conductors the required rigidity.

Each wagon is provided with a trolley, O, which rides upon a pair of the conductors. In the present case the trolley is shown running upon the conductors Z Z trolley is provided with the cross-arms 0, which are each furnished with two pairs of vertical studs 19, upon which are placed rollers q, the rollers of each pair being adapted to roll upon opposite sides of the conductors Z Z and the frame is also provided with hori zontal studs r r, projecting from opposite sides parallel with the arms 0. The rollers q form vertical guides for the trolley and prevent it from leaving the conductors. Upon the studs 1' r are placed rollers s s, the rollers 8 being adapted to roll upon the conductor Z and the rollers 5- being arranged to roll upon the conductor Z The studs M are insulated from each other and from the frame or, and the conductors t t, which lead to the brushes of the motor H,'com municate with the conductors Z i through the said rollers s s.

In the center of the trolley 0 there is a chamber it, provided with a cap 1;. The shank w of the fork P extends through the frame of the trolley through the chamber to and through the cap 1), and is provided with a nut a, by which it is held in place. In the chamber u, and 'surroundin g the shank w, is placed a spiral'spring b, one end of which is attached to the shank w, the other being inserted in the cap Q7. The office of this spring is to hold the fork P in its normal position while allowing it to yield a certain amount in either direction.

In the fork P is pivoted a knuckle 0, pro- The frame n of the too vided with a transverse aperture, which re ceives the right-angled end (1' of the inclined steering-rod Q. The opposite end of the rod Q is pivoted in the fork J.

The drivers seat is supported by a spring f, secured to the extension E, between the sprocketewheels h j. The driver of the wagon is able to guide it, when desired, by turning the caster-wheel D in one direction or the other. By virtue of the connection between the shank c of the caster-wheel and the shaft '5 of the fork J, the said wheel is turned so as to cause the wagon to move forward parallel with the conductors Z Z, maintaining its parallelism with the said conductors. Ordinarily the wagon will run in a line parallel with the conductors, being guided by the movement of the steering-wheel caused by the connection therewith of the shaft '5, which is turned by the steering-rod Q, as the trolley follows the deviations from astraigh't line of the conductors, the driver not being required to use the steering-lever 6, except when it is needful to turn aside from any cause, and when so turned aside the wagon can be made to run in a new line by placing the lever in one of the side notches of the flange g.

The yielding nature of the connection between the wagon and the trolley permits of sufiicient movement of the wagon to allow one wagon to turn out for another upon the road, or to run at one side of the conductors, as indicated in Fig. 2. In this case the latch f is placed in one of the notches in the flange g of the sleeve d, thus allowing the rod Q to take an oblique position, while the casterwheel remains parallel with the course of the wagon.

It is obvious that with a wagon having an electric motor of sufficient capacity the wagon itself may be made to carry a load as well as to propel a train connected with it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. I11 a system of electric propulsion for common roads, the trolley having opposite front and rear pairs of vertical rollers, and horizontal rollers insulated from each other and from the frame or body, substantially as set forth.

2. I11 a system of electric propulsion for common roads, the trolley consisting in a frame, opposite depending front and rear pairs of vertical rollers, opposite front and rear horizontal rollers insulated from each other and the frame, and a central vertical shank jonrnaled in the frame and having a fork on its lower end, substantially as set forth.

3. In a system of electric propulsion for common roads, the trolley consisting in a frame having a central vertical chamber apertured in its bottom and having an apertured cap plate or cover, a shank extending through said apertures and havingafork at its lower end, a spring surrounding the shank within the chamber and connected at its end with the shank and cap plate, respect ively, opposite front and rear pairs of vertical rollers depending from the frame, and opposite front and rear horizontal rollers insulated from each other and the frame, substaniially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the overhead conductors and the trolley thereon, having a vertical shank j ournaled thereon, of a road-wagon having a motor connected with the trolley, a vertical shaft journaled on the wagon, and a rod pivoted or hinged at its ends to said shank and shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In a system of electric propulsion for common roads, the wagon provided with drive-wheels and a steering-wheel having a vertical axis or shaft provided with a locking mechanism and a sprocket-wheel, a vertical shaft between the drive and steering wheels, a sprocket-wheel thereon, a chain connecting said sprocket-wheels, a rod pivotally connected to the upper end of said second vertical shaft, and an electric motor, the shaft of which is geared to the axle of the drive-wheels, substantially as set forth.

6. In a system of electric propulsion. for common roads, the combination of a trolley provided with the conductors If t, the vertical rollers q, and horizontal rollers s s, the wagon provided with a body A, the axle I3, drivewheels 1, caster-wheel D, motor H, and means for connecting the motor and the trolley, substantially as specified.

7. In a system of electric propulsion for common roads, the combination of the suspended conductors Z P, the trolley provided with the frame n and chamber at, and having arms 0, the studs 19, and insulated studs 7' r, the rollers q, journaled on the studs 1), the rollers s s, journaled on the studs 0' r and adapted to roll on the conductors, the fork I, furnished with the shank w, journaled in the frame a, and the spring 1), connecting the frame a and the shank 10, substantially as specified. 7

S. In a system of electric propulsion for common roads, the combination of the suspended conductors Z Z, the trolley provided with the frame 11 and chamber u, and having arms 0, the studs 1), and insulated studs 0' r, the rollers q, journaled on the studs j), the rollers s s, journaled on studs 7" o" and adapted to roll on the conductors, the fork P, furnished with the shank w, journaled in the frame n, the spring 1), connecting the frame n and the shank w, the knuckle c, the rod Q, provided with the right-angled end (Z, the shaft 1', carrying the slotted fork J, the sprocket-wheel j, attached to the said shaft, the caster-wheel D, the shank c, the sprocketwheel h, and the endless chain K, connecting the sprocket-wheels h j, substantially as specifled.

9. In a system of electrical propulsion, the combination, with overhead electrical conductors, a trolley adapted to run thereon, a

wagon provided with an electric motor, and vertical shaft, and a steering-lever on the connections between said motor and conductshank of the caster-wheel, all arranged for 10 ors, of a caster-Wheel on the Wagon, a sleeve operation as and for the purposes set forth.

on the shank of said caster-Wheel carrying a sprocket-Wheel, avertical shaft journaled on HARVEY D. DIBBLE. the wagon provided with a sprocket-Wheel, a Vitnesses: belt connecting said sprocket-Wheels, a steer- J. H. GARNEY, ing-rod swiveled to the trolley and to the said D. L. H. EAMAN.

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