US737582A - Resilient multiple-contact trolley-wheel. - Google Patents

Description

No. 737,582. PATENTED SEPT. 1,'190s.

- 13.3.00135. RESILIENT MULTIPLE CONTACT TROLLEY WHEEL.

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PETERS cc, PNOTO-LIYHQ, V/ASMINGTD No. 737,582. PATENTBD SEPT. 1, 1903.

E. s. COBB. RESILIENT MULTIPLE CONTACT TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 14. 1903.

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Patented September ii, 190%.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. COBB, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RESILIENT M ULTlPLE-CONTACT TROLLEY-WHEEL.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,582, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed April 14, 1903.

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. COBB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California,have invented a new and useful Resilient Multiple-Contact Trolley-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolley-wheels, and particularly to a trolley-wheel which is adapted for use in high-speed service on electric railways.

Trolley-wheels as commonly constructed have only one point of contact with the wire and are not reliable for service on cars which run at high speeds, being apt to jump from the wire easily when the wire is out of aline- 1nent or where the road-bed is uneven or at curves. Such conditions cause excessive sparking and consequent loss of power, the

contact of the ordinary trolley under these conditions being ineffectual and not transmitting all the current that it should from the wire. The object of this invention is to provide a trolley-wheel which will overcome these difficulties. In the present invention the wheel contacts with the wire at several points, and the means for producing the contact is so constructed as to provide an elastic pressure which effectually secures the proper contact of each point. This construction results in easing the shock 011 the suspension members of the trolley-wire due to the blows incurred by rapid travel of the car, and the elastic construction reduces wear of the overhead structure and gives practically a perfect contact between the trolley-wheel and trolley-wire. Any slight jar or shock of the car tends to jerk the members which suspend the trolley, and the inertia of the suspension members usually throws the ordinary trolley wheel away from the wire a considerable distance; but with the present invention the trolleywheel may move bodily toward or from the trolley-wire without necessarily carrying the trolley-wheel out of contact with the wire.

Desirably the trolley is provided with multiple flexible contacts for simultaneous c011- tacting with a wire at a plurality of places 011 opposite sides thereof, the flexibility of the contacts being sufficient to allow of the passage between them of inequalities of the wire Serial No. 152,602. (No model.)

or of the attachments for suspending the wire in an overhead system.

The main object of such construction is to allow a large portion of the circumference of a trolley-wheel to be flexibly in contact with the wire, thereby affording superior supply ofcurrent to the trolley-wheel and making it possible for the axis of the wheel to considerably change its distance from the wire without impairing the effective contact therewith.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation showing the preferred construction of my trolley-wheel. A short length of the trolley-wire is shown with which the wheel is in'contact. Figs. II, III, IV, and V are views similar to Fig. I, showing modified constructions. Fig. VI is a section on line VI VI, Fig. I. Fig. VII is a section on line VII VILFig. II. Fig. VIIIis a section on line VIII VIII, Fig. III. Fig. IX is a section on line IX IX, Fig. IV. Fig. X is a section on line X X, Fig. V.

Referring to the construction illustrated in Fig. I, 1 designates the axle or hub, which may be constructed of a suitable conducting material and may preferably be cast integral with a spider 2. 3 designates the rim of the spider. 4 designates resilient contact-wings which are arranged in opposite pairs around the rim 3, and each pair may be secured to the rim 3 by means of a bolt 5. Each wing is segmental in form and folded over to produce an inner contact-web 6. The inner contact-webs 6 present convex faces which are adapted to squeeze opposite sides of the trolley-wire, and thus maintain the electric connection. The lower ends of the webs 6 terminate a slight distance above the rim 3, and the material of which the wings 4 are composed provides the requisite amount of resiliency to the wings. The space between the inner webs 6 gradually narrows towardthe rim 3, and the convex webs converge toward the rim. WVhen the wheel is on the wire, the contact is made laterally through the wire between opposite pairs of wings, as shown in Fig. VI. The resiliency of the web 6 is such that the wheel may have a bodily movement toward and from the wire without causing the wings to be drawn from the wire. Moreover, the pressure between the trolley and the wire is produced directly by the resiliency of the wings and of course indirectly by the upward pressure caused by the upward spring of the trolley-pole.

Figs. II and VII show another form of construction in which the wings 8 are formed with both webs extending an equal distance down the opposite faces of the rim 3, the bolt passing through only one web of the wing, which leavesthe opposite wing free to spring. As shown in Fig. II, alternate wings have their attaching-bolts passing through the wings on the same side of the rim.

Referring to Fig. III, 9 designates a pair of opposite disks which are formed in rights and lefts. Each disk is provided with segmental wings 10. The space between a pair of wings is similar to the shape of the wing, but is a trifle larger to allow the wings of each disk to project through the slots of the other.

Fig. IV shows wings 11 formed very similar to the webs 6, except that the inner webs are straight and at the bottom are slightly curved just above the rim 12, which in this instance is shown as solid with the hub 1 of the trolley. 13 designates auxiliary blades, segmental in form, which are fastened outside of the wings 11 and serve to stiffen the latter.

Fig. V shows a construction in which the hub 1 carries a grooved rim 14, which is preferably cast integral with the hub and which is deeply grooved. Around thecenter of the groove is a concentric web 15. 16 designates segmental spring-wings, which are secured to opposite flanges of the rim 14 by means of rivets or other suitable fastening devices which pass through the wings and webs of the rim 14 near the periphery of the same. The

wings 16 are curved, so as to present convex faces which are adapted to bear against the opposite sides of the trolley-wire. When the wheel is held on the wire by the trolley-pole, the Web 15 bears against the under side of the wire, while the wings 16 squeeze the wire between them as they bear against the opposite sides of the-wire.

There are several specific ways of constructing my trolley-Wheel, and in the present application I have shown the construction which seems to be most feasible for accomplishing the desired results.

WhatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A trolley-wheel comprising a rotatable member, anda plurality of segmental spring contact-Wings arranged on opposite sides of the member and adapted to contact with both sides of the trolley-Wire.

the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 9th day of April, 1903.

EDWARD S. COBB.

Witnesses:

GEORGE '1. HAoKLnY, JULIA TOWNSEND.

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