US511452A - Conduit for electric railways - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. D. OLER. 001mm FOR BLEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

Patented Dec. 26, 1893.

I ITNESSES:

. lNVENTOH 7% (9. flfi ATTORNEYS.

HENRY D.

PATENT F ICE.

OLER, 0 F PATERSON, NEWJERSEY.

CONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 511,452, dated December 26, 1893.

Application tiled August 23, 1892. Serial No. 443,901. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY D. OLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, 1n the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uonduits'for'Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in conduits for the conductors of electric rail-I ways; and the object of my invention is to provide a conduit for electric railways which is so constructed that the circuit is 'at all times broken except when the car passes, and then the current can only pass from the conductor to the car.

The invention consists in the combination with a conduit of a conductor held in a 1ongitudinal groove in blocks in the conduit, sliding blocks in said groove and swinging members in the conduit and actuated from a wheel on the car for successively bringing the several blocks in contact with the conductor.

The invention also consists in'the construc-.

'tion and combination of parts and details which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of my im-' proved conduit for electric railways. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the guide for the sliding blocks. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the guide and block. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, on the line 4 4, Fig. 1, on a smaller scale, and Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a modification of the conduit. 7

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. I

The conduit A, which is constructed of metal or wood, as may be desired,is provided with a longitudinal slot B in its top. To the under side ofthe top plate a block of'wood O is fastened, and to the under side of the same another block of wood D is held in a suitable manner. Between said blocks the conductor D is arranged and held, the left hand side of said conductor being naked and the remaining half being provided with an insulating covering E composed of any suitable insulating material, preferably of ground glass mixed with rubber or like composition. The blocks 0 and D extend the entire length of the conductor, and from the exposed side of the condnit an opening or groove D extends throughout the entire length of the conduit through the blocks, to the right hand side of the same. In said opening a series of guide boxes F are held,'which are'provided withfan insulating covering and are provided with flanges at the inner and outer ends, and in said guide-boxes sliding blocks G are arranged, which have their inner ends recessed, as at G, to fit against the conductor D. Plates H are hinged to the under side of the top of the conduit and insulated from the same and are connected by pins H with the outer ends of the sliding blocksG, said plates being pressed/outward at their lower ends by springs H fastened to the upper blocks 0 and bearing against said plates. As the springs H press the lower ends of the plates outward they also draw the blocks G outward untiltheir flanges at the inner ends of said blocks strike against the inner flanges of the guide boxes F. The bottom J of the conduit is provided with aseries I of slots K, through which the accumulated water can pass. into a trough L arranged below the sleepers M, the entire length of the conduit.

From the bottom of the car two bars N probearing block 0, which is pressed downward by a spring 0, and in said blocks the shaft Pis mounted, which carries on its endawheel Q having a beveled edge, which wheel passes through the slot'B of the conduit and bears against the plates H. As the wheel Q rolls along it presses the successive platesH inward, as indicated by the arrow as in Fig. 1. Thereby the sliding blocks G are successively pressed inward and their inner ends brought in con- "tact with the exposed or naked side of the conductor D. The current now passes from the conductor through the blocks G, the plates H and the wheel Q to the motor in the car. As soon as the wheelQpasses overone of the plates H said plate and the corresponding block G are drawn outward by the action of the springs H, and thus the circuit is broken. The circuit is closed, that is, the blocks G are in contact with the conductor D, only then when the wheel Q on the car bears on any one plate H.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the

-ject downward, and each contains a sliding opening for the boxes F and sliding blocksG is arranged vertically, and'the sliding blocks are pivoted to levers S, the opposite ends of which are connected with bars T guided by sleeves T projecting from the sides of the conduit and each bar T is provided on its upper end with a rail U, on which the wheel Q" runs. As the wheel Q runs upon one of the rails U it depresses the same, whereby the inner end of the leverS is raised and the 'corresponding block G bears against the conductor. As soon as the wheel Q, runs off the rail section U the correspondingblockGdescends and the circuit between the sameand the conductor is broken.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The combination, with a conduit, of wooden blocks fastened in the samethe entire length of the conduit, in which blocks a groove is formed extending the length of the conduit, a conductor held in said groove, a part of which conductor is insulated and the remaining part exposed, sliding blocks in the groove, plates hinged in the conduit and connected with the sliding blocks, a wheel passing through the slot of the conduitand adapted toact'on the hinged lpla'te,ashaft for said wheel and spring bearing block'smounted on parts of the car, in which bearing blocks the said shaft is mounted, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a conduit, of wooden blocks fastened in the same and extending the length of the conduit, in which blocks a groove is formed that extends the II. I). OLER.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, MARION HALL.

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