US809630A - Trolley attachment. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES- PATENT orrr cn.

TROLLEY ATTACH IVIENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed May 17, 1905. Serial N0. 260,766-

To ctZZ 1071/0721 it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. ROCKWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a newand Improved Trolley Attachment, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices used on the end of a trolley arm or pole to make contact with the trolley-wi re for the purpose of conducting electricity from the wire to the trolley pole or arm; and the object of my invention is to provide a device that may be used in case of an emergency, as when a trolley-wheel is worn out or broken when the car is at some distance from the depot of supplies; and a further object of my invention is to provide a device that may be used to remove ice from a trolley-wire. A form of device in the use of which these objects may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the upper end of a trolley-pole with myemergencycontact in place thereon. Fig.2 is a view in central section through the same in a plane at right angles to the plane of view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the emergencycontact.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 denotes a trolley arm or pole, to the outer end of which is secured a harp 2. This harp is preferably removably attached to the pole 1 and is forked at its outer end, having side arms 3. Each of the arms is provided on its inner surface with a groove or recess 4 and stops 5 on the lever 6, which normally hold the contact in place. The lever 6 is held in place by a spring-pressed latch-bolt 8, located in the frame of the harp and which may be withdrawn, as by a thumb-piece 8, secured to the bolt.

The retaining devices above described form no part of my present invention, as they are included in devices previously invented by me, except in connection with the devices to be hereinafter described. I prefer, however, to employ the grooves and lever as a means of holding the emergency-contact in place. It

will be understood that even these grooves are not essential to this invention, as other means may be devised for accomplishing the desired end.

My improved emergency-contact as a whole, preferably of metal of one piece, is denoted by the letter a and includes laterally-extending feet or supports 7. These feet or supports 7 are arranged to rest within the grooves 4 in the harp, and for the purpose of lightness a space 9 is left between the feet. A wire contact 10 extends upward from the supports, being preferably located centrally of said support, and has a groove 11 for the reception of the trolley-wire, and projecting laterally from the sides of the wire contact 10 are guards 12. These guards extend outward sufiiciently to closely overlie the upper ends 13 of the arms 3 of the harp proper to prevent the wire from being caught between the wheel and sides of the harp.

In the operation of railway-cars driven by electricity supplied through a trolley-wire and an arm or pole the trolley-wheel is liable to become worn out when a car is at a distance from the stable or depot from which a new wheel may be supplied, and this is frequently the fact when the trolley-wire is coated with ice, as in an ice-storm, as at such times the trolley wheel often becomes quickly burned out. WVhen such an event occurs, it is customary to allow the harp or wheel support to come in contact with the wire for the purpose of conducting the electricity to the motors of the car; but such practice is extremel y severe on the overhead system as well as. the harp. It is the purpose of my invention to provide an emergency-contact which is extremely cheap of construction, so that it is practicable to equip every car with one of the devices. l/Vhen a trolley-wheel becomes worn out, one of these emergency-contacts may be quickly inserted in place in the trolley-harp, and this affords a comparatively smooth means of engaging the wire for the purpose of conducting the electricity to the trolley harp and pole.

In order to adapt the emergency-contact for various uses, the bottom wall of the groove 11 is rounded, as at 14:, on one side and is formed comparatively angular. as at 15. on the opposite side. When the emergency-contact is to be used for the purpose of enabling the car to reach the stable or depot of supplies, it is placed in the harp with the rounded edge 14. located in that direction in which the car is to move, so that the contact on the wire will be comparatively easy. If, however, the wire shall be coated with ice, then the contact may be reversed and the angular edge 15 located in that direction in which the car is to move, and this will be found an effective means for breaking the ice and removing it from the wire. In fact, in most instances where the wire is coated with ice it will be found of advantage to remove the trolleywheel and substitute my improved emergencycontact, which is just as effective and more economical than a regular ice-cutting wheel or any other ice-cutting device.

My improved emergency-contact will be found to possess many advantages in the form of an ice-cutter over those heretofore employed, for the reason that its substitution in the place of a trolley-wheel enables the arm to press with greater force against the wire. This is caused from the fact that the emergency-contact is much lighter than the trolley-wheel, and the weight on the end of the trolley-arm is thus decreased, allowing the spring that forces said arm upward to force the arm with greater pressure against the wire. In devices used prior to my invention instead of decreasing the weight on the end of the trolley-arm the Weight has been increased and the pressure of the arm against the wire thus consequently lessened. This is,

a disadvantage where it is desired to remove ice from a trolley-wire.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A trolley-harp arranged to removably receive a trolley-wheel, and an emergencycontact arranged to replace said wheel and to be held against rotation by the wheel-retaining means.

2. A trolley-harp arranged to removably receive a trolley-wheel, an emergency-contact having an upwardly-extending part provided with a groove for the reception of a trolleywire, and supports extending laterally from the contact and arranged to be received by the wheel-retaining means.

3. An emergency-contact made of metal and having an upwardly-projecting part providing a groove for the reception of a trolleywire, laterally-extending supports therefor and guards to prevent interference of a trolley-Wire.

4. In combination with a trolley-harp having arms at its outer end arranged to removably receive a trolley-Wheel, an emergencycontact arranged to replace said wheel and to be entirely held and supported on said arms by the wheel-retaining means.

5. In combination with a trolley-harp having side arms with grooves therein for removably receiving a trolley-wheel, an emergencycontact arranged to replace said wheel and be held against rotation by said grooves.

6. In combination with a trolley-harp having side arms with grooves therein for removably receiving a trolley-wheel, an emergencycontact arranged to replace said wheel and be supported and held against rotation by means of said grooves.

7. In combination with a trolley-harp having side arms with grooves therein for removably receiving a trolley-wheel, an emergencycontact arranged to be supported and held against rotation by means of said grooves,

said contact having an upwardly-projecting.

part with a groove for the reception of a trolley-wire.

8. In combination with a trolley-harp having side arms with grooves therein for removably receiving a trolleywheel, an emergencycontact arranged to replace said wheel, supports extending laterally from the contact and arranged to be received by said grooves, and guards to prevent interference of a trolley- Wire.

9. In combination with a trolley-harp having side arms with grooves arranged therein, means for closing the open ends of said grooves, and an emergency-contact non-rotatably held and supported by means of said grooves, and an upwardly projecting part provided with a groove for the reception of a trolley-wire.

10. In combination with atrolley-harp having side arms each provided with angularlyshaped grooves, means for closing the entrance to said grooves, an emergency-contact non-rotatably held by means of laterally-extending, angularly-shaped supports located in said grooves, the contact having an upwardlyextending part with a groove for the reception of a trolley-wire.

11. In combination with a trolley-harp having branching arms each provided with an angularly-shaped groove, means for closing the entrance to said groove, and an emergencycontact havinglaterally-extending, angularlyshaped supports to fit the grooves in said harp, an upwardly-projecting part having a groove for the reception of atrolley-Wire, and laterally-extending guards or Wings to prevent interference of a trolley-wire.

EDW'ARD D. ROCKWELL.

I/Vitn esses:

ARTHUR B. JENKINS, WM. H. BARKER.

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