US449886A - Trolley-support for electric cars - Google Patents

Description

(NOMode1.)

P. ROBINSON 8v P. W. J. LANDEB.

TROLLEY SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC GARS.

PatentedApr. 7, 1891.

Fig.4.

I UNITED STATES I PATENT FFICAEQ FRANK ROBINSON AND PERCY WV. J. LANDER, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

TRQLLEY-SUP PORTFOR ELECTRIC CARS. v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,886, dated April '7, 1891.

Application filed January 12, 1891. Serial No. 377,421. (No model.)

2 To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that we, FRANK ROBINSON and PERCY W. J. LANDER, citizens of the United States, residing at Bangor, in the countyof Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Trolley System for Electric Street-Oars; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of our invention, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in the trolley system for electric street-cars; and it consists of an automatic-operating trolleyarm connector, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- 2 Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of our invention, showing the trolley-arm in working position and connection with the car-standard. Fig. 2 shows a similar view of our device with the tension-spring re leased and the trolley-arm resting in a horizontal position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of our invention, partly in section, showing a portion of the trolley-arm in an elevated position and the car-standard located between the tension-spring and operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a similar View of the construction shown in Fig. 3, showing manner of setting 1he tension-spring with the trolley-arm. Fig. 5 represents aside elevation of the tensionrod of our invention, showing relative positravel; also, sudden ars and irregularities 1n tion of catch and trip-rod. Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of catch and trip-rod attached. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the tension-rod foot shown attached to a portion of the tension-rod.

Similar letters of reference refer to correspondingly-like parts throughout the several figures.

A serious impediment to electric railroading, where the trolley system is used, is the jumping of the trolley from the overhead-current wire. This is attended many times with great danger, and is caused by numerous imperfections-such as bends, imperfect hangerconnections, switches, ice, &c.upon the current-wire over which the trolley is obliged to the track cause the same results. As the trolley extended from a long pole, called a trolley-arm, which is hinged near its opposite end to a connector with the top of the car, and, furthermore, has its remaining extremity attached to a spring of suflicient strength to raise and hold the trolley against the current-Wire, the tension of the saidspring, together with a groove in the trolley, is all that prevents the latter. from disconnecting with the overhead Wire. Thus when the car is traveling at speed, and especially when running over irregularities in the track and rounding curves, the jar occasioned by these sudden changes is sufficient to cause a reaction of the tension-spring and a consequent rebounding of the trolley from the said current-wire. WVhen such instances occur, no notice whatever is given to the car-driver. The consequence is that before the momentum of the car can be checked the trolley-arm, now projecting in a vertical direction and being quite rigidly held there, has come in contact with the suspending cross-wires with sufficient force to either break the said arm, wrench it from its fastenings, or tear down the cross-wires, so as to cause great danger by grounding the current, disabling the car, and necessitating a trip to the repair-shop.

It is therefore the object of our invention to prevent the possibility of such dangerous accidents occurring by producing an improved trolley-arm operator and connector so constructed that it will, when the trolley leaves the current-wire, automatically release the tension-spring and cause the trolley-arm to immediately drop by its own weight into a horizontal position below possible interference with cross suspending-wires.

Referring to the drawings,Arepresents the usual post or standard rising from a flanged base B, which is attached to the top of an electric car. Upon this standard A and connecting the trolley-arm thereto is our invention, consisting of a vertical tube or casting G, having right-angular projections 70 and 10 extending from its ends. Through these projections or castings 7t and k are drilled transverse holes, through which the car-standard A passes, and is secured thereto by means of collars c c, fastened in the usual manner by set-screws. The upper projecting casting 7c of our device is formed with an arm h rising 'therefrom, the extremity of which is provided each end of the same is a rod I calleda ten;

sion-rod, the lower end of which is formed at a right angle or may be provided with a right-angular projecting casting or foot f, rigidly fastended thereto, the said foot beingprovided with means at its extremity to counect the lower end of the usual tensioii-sprin'g S thereto. Near the upper end of the tensionrod I is a small notch or a shoulder e into which the catch 25', hereinbefore described, eugages to prevent the said tehsion r'od fro'in being drawn farther upward through the tube G.

The trolley arm as usually constructed consists of a pole about twelve feet in length providedwith the trolley F, attached to one end and fastened at its opposite end into a metal socket D, having a fan-shaped exten sion '17,. The socket D of the trolley-arm is hinged in the usual manner to the extremity of the arm h of the u per castingk of our device, and the fan-shaped extensioh nextends beyond and above the hinged connection, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4: of the drawings. Attached to and extending over the periphery of the fan-shaped extension of the trolley-arm is a metal strap E, which as its remaining end connected with the upper end of the tension-spring S, while the lower end of said spring is attached to the end of the projecting foot f of the tension-rod I: The length of the tension-spring S should be such that when the tension-rod I is piish down suftlciently to be held by the enga e ment of the catch t above the shoulder strength to raise the trolley-rod into a yer tical position. It can now be readily understood that the trolley-arm will be operated by the tension of the spring S in the. usual man: ner; but in case the trolley F should leave the current-wire by any means whatever, while the spring s'w0u1d anu-a11y threw the trolley-arm into the air before the said am would reach a vertical position, its opposite end would strike the end of the trip' rod l with sufficient force to disengage the c tch t from the tension-rod I, and the tension-spring S would thus be released and draw the'tension-rod I upward. When this sudden reamtion was felt by the trolley-arm, thelatter' would be checked in its upward flight and immediately drop downward by its own weight, descending by the force of gravity ona their usual working limit.

until it rested upon the now extending upper end of the tension-rod I in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Our device can now be reset from the car-platform by simply pulling down the trolley end of the trolley-arm by means of theusual cord there attached into the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This movement will force down the tension-rod I until the catch 73 again engages the shoulder e upon the same, and the forcing down of the tenslon rod must necessarily set the tension-spring S, for the latter is thereunto attached. This construction leaves the tension-spring entirely free to exert all its energy upon the trolley-rod for the purpose of holding the trolley againstthe current-wire, and no extra power is required to set the device when tripped, for no extra spring are used neither are they strained be- The catch tautomatically engages the notch or shoulder in the tension-rod I by means of i a? sfnall spring attached in any good and suf lficient manner.

In the drawings we have shown a flat spring'z' passing upward through a hole in the upper casting 7c and entering a notch in the said catch, thus limiting the distance of travel and preventingthe catchfrom being driven out of its fastenings and gu des. i The length of the trip-rodl can readily be adjusted by using a threaded thimble Z and turning it upon the threaded end of the said red, as shown in Fig, 6 of the drawlngs.

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings we have shown our device constructed to admit the carfstandar'd A between the tension-spring and operating mechanism or tube G. This construction requires the tension-rod foot f to be cast somewhat longer and with a hole therein adapted to allow the standard A to pass therethrough, and upon which it would islide. ,By using this construction a l1ttle longe'r fulcrum upon the trolley-arm is obtained and a consequent greater strain and i throw of the tension-sprin Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent or the United States, isthereon the said spring will have sufficient 1.

1. An automatic-operating trolley-arm'connector consisting of a vertical tube, having projections at each end provided with means for' attachment to the ordinary electric-car standard, the upper projections having an arm extending therefrom, with its extremity adapted to be hinged to a trolley-arm, a tension-rod extending through said vertical tube and having its lower end provided with means for connecting the tension-spring and the up- I per portion v of said tension-rod having a notch or small shoulder for the engagement of a confining catch, a catch adapted to engage the notch or shoulder in the tension-rod, and a trip-rod connected to said catch and extending in such manner that certain movements of the trolley-arm disengage said catch, sub- 5 stantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth and described.

ing the trolley-arm in such manner that certain movements of the said arm disengage the catch and release the tension-spring, for the purpose described, and to operate substan- 15 tially in the manner described.

FRANK ROBINSON. PERCY W. J. LANDER.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. BACON, JAMES H. KENNEDY.

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