US699787A - Electric-railway system. - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

Patented May l3, I902. G. L. CAMPBELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed. Aug. 28, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I."

Patented May l3, I902.

G. L. CAMPBELL.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application filed Aug. 23, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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lInTTnn dTnTns PATIENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. CAMPBELL, OF NYACK, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNA- TIONAL ELECTRIC TRACTION COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC RAlLWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 699,787, dated May 13, 1902.

Application filed August 23,1901. Serial No. 73,083. (No model.)

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L..CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nyack, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the same, the same reference characters referring to similar parts in the various figures.

This invention relates to electric-railway systems such as are shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 656,511, granted to me August 21, 1900, and No. 621,321, granted to me on March 21, 1899. In these systems a closed conduit is employed having a continuous and a discontinuous conductor in said conduit, the sections of said discontinuous conductor being connected to a sectional contact-rail. A trolley is moved along said conduit under the influence of a car-magnet to charge said sectional contactrail. This invention relates more particularly to crossings and switches for such systems.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a detail of the same. Fig. is a detail sectional view. a

A represents track-rails which communicate by means of suitable switch mechanism (not shown in detail, but of ordinary and wellknown construction) with track-rails B. The track-rails D intersect substantially at right angles the track-rails A to form a crossing.

The closed conduits G, G, and G are constructed below the surface of the street sub stantially in the center of the track-rails A, B, and D. These conduits communicate with each other, since they are all upon substantially the same level, and the conduits G and G are formed at their point of intersection with a slightly-relieved curved portion, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that trolleys can pass from one of these conduits to the other'under the guidance of suitable car-magnets. The discontinuous contact-rails E, E, and E are also between the track-rails to supply current to cars operating upon the same. These contact-rails, as are indicated in Fig. 1, are to one side of the closed conduits which supply them with current, and since it is preferable to form these contact-rails of iron they should be removed a sufficient distance from such conduits, so that they do not interfere with the magnetic control of the car-magnets over said conduits. As is well known in this art and as is described in detail in my Patent No. 656,511, each of these conduits is formed of insulating non-magnetic material G, as i11- dicated in Fig. 3, and the continuous conductor J, secured to the bottom of the conduit, as is indicated in that figure, supplies current through the traveling closer or trolley K to the sectional conductor L, mounted on the top of the conduit. The sections of this sectional conductor are connected with the sectional contact-rails, the two sections E and being indicated in Fig. 3. The car-magnet M, mounted in any suitable way on a car, moves along directly over the closed conduit, and the magnet, which is energized by current supplied to it in any suitable way, acts upon the iron armature carried by the trolley K and draws this trolley along the conduit directly under the car-magnet. The sectional contactrail, as is indicated in Figsl and 3, does not extend up to the intersecting track-sections in any case; but the insulating-blocks are in sorted to insulate the contact-rails from the two sections. These insulating-blocks, together with the contactrail, are elevated above the level of the intersecting track-sections at the crossing, as is shown in Fig. 3. The elongated contact-shoe N, mounted on the car in any desired way, makes contact with the sections of the contact-rail, and at a crossing, as indicated in Fig. 3, the contactshoe is of sufficient length so that it does not come into contact with the track-rails at any time, and, furthermore, the contact-shoe is always in contact with one section of the contact-rail, so that current is at all times sup plied to the car. It is of course understood that contact-shoes of various kinds may be employed and special forms of contact devices may be used instead of a simple shoe here indicated.

As is shown in Fig. 1, the track-rails C also intersect the track-rails A and B. These track-rails, however, are not intended for the same electric system which it is intended to operate on the other tracks. These trackrails have no conduit or sectional contactrails. It is of course desirable to make these track-rails wherever possible of ordinary steel for the sake of oheapness and durability. It is undesirable, however, to form the section of track-rail which extends over the conduit employed in my electric-railway system of ordinary steel, since this would interfere with the magnetic control of the car-magnet over the traveling closer or trolley. The section F therefore, of the track 0 is formed of suitable non-magnetic material, and I prefer to form this section as a casting of manganese steel, the composition of this steel being such that it is practically non-magnetic and does not interfere to any appreciable extent with the magnetic control of the car-magnet over the trolley. As is shown in Fig. 1, the frog F where the tracks 0 and A intersect is substantially over the closed conduit G, and for similar reasons this frog, at least where the tracks pass over the closed conduits, must be formed of similar non-magnetic material. I show in Fig. 2 the details of construction of this frog, which may be formed by casting it in one piece or in any other desired way. The housings H and 1-1 are formed, preferably, integral with the adjacent track-sections F and F to surround the conduits G and G. The bolt-holes h are formed in the housings for the more convenient securing of the conduits to the housings. In this way, as will be readily seen, the rail-section is sufficiently supported by the housings, so that the conduit passes through the rail. The strength of the rail at this point is not materially lessened. As is seen in Fig. 3, the housings, which extend on either side of the rail to some little distance, are covered by the paving material, such as asphalt, and since these housings and the rail-section over the conduits and adjacent thereto are non-magnetic so that the carmagnet M has the same perfect control over the trolley at this point that it has at all other points in the conduit. The track-rails are supported in any desired way, and the contact-rails are supportedin any usual manner, so as to insulate them properly and prevent leakage. These contact-rails are preferably elevated throughout their whole extent above the level of the track-rails, as indicated in Fig. 3, and suitable depressions are made in these contact-rails, so that the car-magnets do not come in contact with them and pass without touching. Such a depressed portion is indicated at H, for instance, in Fig. 1. These depressed portions occur, of course, wherever the contact-rails pass over the conduit, or, if desired, the car-magnet M may be raised by suitable mechanism, such as by a non-conducting wedge-shaped shoe at the other end of the magnet, covering the poles of the same above the contact-rails, so

that the car-magnet will by these means he held out of contact with the contact-rails in passing over them, or, if desired, the carmagnet may be mounted at a sufficient height to be above the contact-rails at all times. It is of course apparent that instead of having the closed conduits passing through the web of the rail, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, these conduits might pass entirely under the rails, in which case of course the rails would necessarily be made non-magnetic for the reasons already set forth. The track-section F is made of similar non-magnetic material, as are also-the track-sections F F F and F Furthermore, it is necessary to construct the sections of the contact-rails where these rails pass over the closed conduits of similar nonmagnetic material to prevent any interference with the proper magnetic control of the car-magnet over the trolley in the conduit. The sections E F and F of these contactrails are therefore made of non-magnetic material, preferably of manganese steel. These sections must be necessarily constructed of suitable conducting material, so as to properly supply the electricity to the contact-shoe carried by the car.

I prefer to form the sections E and E of the contact-rails so that these sections are electrically connected with the sections F and F and this central part of the contactrailsis charged whenever a car passes over the crossing in either direction, although these sections of contact-rail on different tracks may, if desired, be insulated.

Many modifications may be made from the disclosure which I have made in this case. The track-sections over the conduit may be formed of any non-magnetic materialsuch as brass, bronze, or even hard wood, if desired. Many changes may also be made in the exact form of these rail-sections without departing from'the spirit of this invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited by the disclosure which I have made in this case; but

What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the'appended claims:

1. In an electric-railway system track-rails, intersecting track-rails to form a crossing, a closed conduit extending adjacent said trackrails, a continuous and a sectional conductor in said conduit, a sectional contact-rail adjacent said conduit connected to said sectional conductor, the sections of said contact-rail being above the level of said intersecting track-rails at said crossing and insulated therefrom, a trolleyin said conduit to connect said conductors, a car-magnet mounted on a car to control said trolley, an elongated contact-shoe mounted on said car to make contact with said contact-rail, the intersecting track -sections above said conduit being formed of manganese steel to provide a nonmagnetic housing for said conduit.

2. In an electric-railway system embodying track-rails, and a closed conduit, intersecting IIO track-rails forming a crossing, a sectional contact-rail electrically energized from said conduit by magnetic means, said contact-rail being higher than said intersecting track-rails at said crossing, the intersecting track-rails over said conduit being non-magnetic so as to be free from interference with said conduit.

3. In an electric-railway system embodying a sectional contact-rail, a closed conduit and magnetically-actuated means in said conduit to charge said contact-rail, and a non-magnetic track-section.

4. In an electric-railway system embodying a sectional contact-rail, a closed conduit and magnetically-actuated means in said conduit to charge said contact-rail, a man ganese-steel track-section forming a non-magnetic housing for said conduit.

5. Inan electric-railwaysystem,track-rails, a magnetically-operated closed conduit and sectional contact-rails intersecting at a crossing, there being a section of said sectional contact-rails within the track-rails at said crossing, said contact-rails being elevated above said track-rails.

6. In an electric-railway system,track-rails, a magnetically-operated closed conduit and a sectional contact-rail parallel to said trackrails, intersecting track-rails to form a crossing, there being an insulated section of said sectional contact-rail between said intersecting track-rails, insulating-blocks to insulate said sectional contact-rail from said intersecting track-rails, said sectional contact-rails and said insulating-blocks being elevated above said track-rails.

7. In an electric-railway system,-track-rails,

9. In an electric-railway system track-rails,

closed conduits and sectional contact-rails intersecting at a crossing, said contact-rails being elevated above said track rails at said crossing and being formed with non-magnetic sections above said conduits, a contact-shoe, a car-magnet and means to maintain said carmagnet out of contact with said contact-rails.

10. In an electric railway system, trackrails, a magnetically-operated closed conduit parallel to said track-rails, intersecting trackrails to form a crossing said intersecting trackrails being formed with non-magnetic sections over said conduit.

11. In an electric-railway system, trackrails, magnetically-operated closed conduits parallel to said track-rails and sectional contact-rails of magnetic material parallel to and removed from said conduits intersecting at a crossing, there being non-magnetic sections of said sectional contact-rails over the intersecting conduits.

GEORGE L. CAMPBELL. WVitnesses:

JAMEs N. CATLow,

ALEXANDER MITCHELL,

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