US2492300A - Trolley section insulator - Google Patents

Description

Dec, 27 1949 W. J. LEW/E5 TROLLEY SECTION INSULATOR Filed Sept. 12, 1946 r 1 n venlor MQEEN d. .LW/S

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 NITE D PATENT o TROISLEY" SECTION INSULATGR Warren. J. Lewis;. Mansfield, Ohio; assigrior to The Ghio: Brass: Gompanm. Mansfield, Ohio, at corporation of-New Jersey Applicants September-12, 1946, Serial No. 696,554

other obj ect's and advantagesof the: present invention will be apparent from: th chow-mg, description when takentogether-- with theraceom panying drawing in which letter:-

Figure 1 is a side View elevatien and a"- limited section of the invention.

Figure 2' is a section on the line" 2-4" er Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectionon line-3 4 sincere-1.-

Fi-gure' 4' is-a topplan 'view of 'themsgnetic fuse which ispart ofthe' invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic view of a system a grounded trolley wire.-

Figure 5- is apartiai section on: fine: 6 4 of Figure 1;

In the pref erred embodiment of "the presenting vention the main insulating member I is provided at each end with a clamp 2"" or other suitable means for receiving and holding alignii'ient' the adjacent ends-of trolley Wires 3"- and l.

Each end of the member I isafiso'" provided" with asupport bracket 5"having'aprojectingend with a plain or-threaded'openingf 8 adapted tare ceive a support'for the device. 7

Each clamp comprises a pair'of'clamping"mem= bers'l and8. The member8"is"provic'fed' along its upper edge with an integralftflavboss' which is set into the lowerfaceofthe member I and" provided with a threaded opening to receive the stud. I'I'rto .holdth'e member 8 in place.

Each member ais' also provided with a: smarter boss II integrally secured to" thenpp'e'r 'piortlon" of the. member" a" and rests against thel'ciwer sure face of the" member Iand'like bo'ss.'9isprovided with a threaded opening't'o receive the 'studi I2" to assist in holding the" clamp 2 in place.

The studs It and lzalso" hold the memberfi' in position. v

The clamps 2 are. each" further providd with screws I3 for holding the" clamping" member-s1 19 (Claims (Cl..191.--39).

v and. 8? together and in clamping relation with the;

trolley wires 3 and 4 whicl'imay var themembers I and: fi' arerprovided wittrcoopeffit ing lips I'-4=- to interengagewith ahgroove: in:

. troileyi wires.

The: clamping. members: 8' are each prdvided with U or yoke shaped members IS -l5 ioflfied preferably of copper and? the" members: i= a'iid I I 5 are secured: together by. a weld at If and when possible" it is preferrd' tovmakeathe members I and 8 ofibronze inp'lace oifmalleab'l'e' irom. found more economical to' weld'tl i parts 8- Mid IS I 5. together thanrto fornias oiz casting The-. cIa'mpsZ. are usab'le'at' both ends-of the' membf I but in reverse order.

The: legs. cf the? members; li -I5 are held? to the member f by bol ts' I 1;

Ehe member I is aisdprovided s with th cefl tral guide I8- for the-current collectortazidicons- "sists of spaced" clamps" I'Q eacH. provided with: a

slot 2II't0 receive theguidebar flclamp lfl isi'pi't'ivided with ascrew zz and aboss 2 3 haw ing a; threaded openingto receive? the: stud it: or 24'.

the guide bar: 21" has througu elongatedaopem ing 25: to receive the screws-z 2-: an diwhei'e'by the bar: I msy be'adj'usted vertic'any m era-er t'oellighthe Iowefedge with the l'owei edge cr me OBEY a an'd a The screwsz 2 willdraw theparts of 'the clamps IB ifito suflicient engagemeii with-z the -bar "l' to holdthe bar i adjustedpesitib' 'l he'devi'cis shown-as *structedroetn t refit c'dllee'tor to-pass' iror'ir the'ltt to the aghfick vice versa. with the construction thus; fatr de-* scribed as the-collector passes-'f rom wire a oi ontoguide 2 rend breaks contact with the trefi'efi Wire, a vicious arc wiirtak'epmeeat the ehdef thewireif the locoinotit/e drawing current as the guide 2 F is insulated irom-trclley wires 3" d tion onto the other section thus bridging the gap between the sections. In this case there may or may not be an are formed at the gap.

However if the current collector bridges the gap and one portion of the entering section is grounded (Fig. then a short circuit would occur between the leaving and the entering section resulting'in an enormous flow of current especially if the break occurs at a point near the power station.

With this latter hazzard in mind the present invention is proposed to eliminate such hazard quickly and with as little danger as possible. Therefore the connection 30 referred to above connecting the guide 2| to the trolley wire 3 is of special construction to function to prevent harm to any part of the system.

The connection 30 comprises a pair of oppositely disposed parallel members 3| of magnetiza'ble metal provided on their inner faces with insulating members 32 of fiber or other suitable material to resist burning.

-The members 3| and 32 are held in spaced relation by a pair of magnetizable members 33 forming headed cores for energizing coils 34. Insulation 35 is interposed between each core 33 and its coil 34.

I One end of each coil is positioned at the longitudinal and transverse center of the space between the magnetic poles 3| and their spaced ends are provided with means 35 arranged to receive a fuse 36 therebetween to electrically connect the coils 34. The means 35 may be of any suitable construction to receive and hold the fuse 36.

The other end of one coil 34 is connected to the yoke I5 through the medium of the bolt l1 and the other end of the other coil 34 is connected'to the guide 2| through the medium of the stud 24 thereby supporting the blow-out 3!).

.The connection 3|] constitutes a magnetic blow-out in which the various parts are held in assembled relation by the nuts 3'! on the threaded ends of the cores 33.

In operation, when a current collector passes onto the guide 2| in passing from the trolley wire 3, it will draw current for the operation of the locomotive through the coils 34 and fuse 36. This energizes the poles 3| and magnetic flux passes from one pole to the other pole through the center of the blow-out where the fuse is located.

The coils are so wound and so connected to each other and to the trolley wire 3 and guide 2| that the flow of magnetic flux will be such as to drive the flame resulting from the are at the fuse 36 horizontally outward and away from the insulating member I.

It will be noted that the coils 34 are each so wound that the current path is in the same direction around the cores 33, therefore the upper pole (Fig. 1) of cores 33 will be of the same polarity and the lower poles will be of the same polarity but opposite to that of the upper poles and therefore the upper member or pole piece 3| will be of opposite polarity to that of the lower member or pole piece 3|, and since the construction of device 30 constitutes an electromagnetic circuit, the poles set up in the members 3| are termed consequent poles as such poles occur at points in the magnetic circuit between two magnetizing coils 34, having magneto-motive forces in opposite directions.

In the present device it is proposed to use a piece of copper wire for the fuse 36 in place of the conventional enclosed or cartridge fuse 4 as such wire is always available about a mine and the terminals at the ends of the coils are arranged for such and not for the enclosed fuses.

A cartridge fuse may explode on a short circuit with injury to an operator also an exposed piece of copper wire rapidly dissipates any heat therein. The enclosed fuse being better adapted to over-loads than to short circuits.

As a rule the current drawn by a locomotive through the fuse 35 in crossing the insulator will be for only a very short time thus making the use of a small size copper wire entirel practical for carrying full load currents of the locomotive and blowing when subjected to short circuit currents.

In Figure 5 is shown schematically how the device operates in case of short circuit on a section of trolley wire 4 which has broken and one end fallen and grounded at .r. The generator G feeds current to the overhead trolley through feeder F and to the rail R and when the collector connects 2| and 4 a short circuit current flows through the coils 34 and fuse 36 whereby unidirectional magnetic flux is set up and acts on the arc formed by the blowing of the fuse, thereby forcing the arc and flame horizontally outward and extinguishing the same before any damage may result to the insulator or even openin the circuit breakers at the power station. A switch S controls energization of the trolley 4.

Also if the locomotive were passing the insulator from right to left and trolley wire 3 were grounded as in the case of trolley wire 4 in Fig. 5, then the coils 34 would be energized and the fuse 36 blow as soon as the current collector engaged the guide or runner 2|, therefore the device is operable with the locomotive moving in either direction relative thereto. The two gaps 40 are essential in the operation of the present invention.

If desired the uni-directional flux may be produced by a single electro-magnetic device 30 or even by a permanent magnetic means.

An enclosed fuse may be used in place of the fusible wire 36 but the wire is preferred as pointed out above.

The construction of the blow-out 30 is simple and simply supported and open to quick inspection and is inexpensive but other means of supporting the blow-out may be found more satisfactory.

While a description of a preferred construction of the present invention has been disclosed, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A section insulator for a trolley system comprising, an insulating beam, an end member at each end of the beam and arranged to receive and hold the adjacent ends of a trolley wire in spaced alignment with the lower surface of the trolley wire exposed where held by the end member, intermediate means spaced from the end members in end-to-end relation thereto, the intermediate means provided with a guiding member of current conducting material having its lower edge engageable by a current collector to guide the collector from one wire on to the other wire and having a vertical slot at each end, fixed means supporting the guiding member from the insulating beam and means cooperating with the said fixed supporting means and extending through the said slots whereby the guiding member may be moved transversely of the insulating member to align the lower edge of the guiding member with that of the adjacent trolley wire ends.

2. A trolley section insulator comprising, a central guide of metal for a passing current collector and two end members to receive and hold the adjacent ends of a trolley wire with the lower edge of the wire exposed for the full length of the end members, insulating means to which the said guide and end members are attached, the guide comprising spaced and slotted means secured to the insulating means intermediate the end members, a guide member positioned in the slots in spaced and end to end relation with the end members, the guide member movable in said slots transversely of the insulating means to align the lower edge of the guide member with that of the trolley wire and means cooperating with each of the said spaced and slotted means and with the guide member to secure the guide member in said aligned position and electromagnetically controlled means electrically connecting the guide to one of the end members.

3. An electro-magnetic blow-out device comprising a pair of spaced [cores of magnetizable metal with parallel axes and spaced pole pieces of magnetizable metal secured to and connecting the ends of the cores of like polarity, each core provided with an energizing coil, a fuse connected to one end of each coil between the coils and positioned between the consequent poles of opposite polarity and the other end of the coils adapted to be connected to a source of current whereby the arc resulting from a blowing of the fuse will be acted upon .by the magnetic flux between the pole pieces and the current effecting the blowing of the fuse will energize the coils and set up the said magnetic flux.

4. An electro-magnetic blow-out comprising a pair of spaced and parallel pole pieces of magnetizable metal, spaced and parallel electro-magnetic means positioned between the pole pieces to energize the pole pieces and create in the pole pieces poles of opposite polarity when the said means is energized, a fuse positioned between the pole pieces and subject to the magnetic flux between the poles when energized, the fuse connected in series with the electro-magnetic means whereby the fuse and electro-magnetic means will be subjected to the same current.

5. A section insulator for an overhead trolley system comprising a pair of metallic end members held in spaced relation to the under side of an elongated insulating member and the end members arranged to receive and hold the ends of the trolley wire, a, single centnal guide member of metal held by the insulating member in aligned and spaced relation to the end members with a gap between each end member and the guide member, a single electro-magnetic blow-out safety means mounted on a side face of the insulating member and having consequent poles of opposite polarity, the safety means including a fuse and a pair of coils connected in series, the end members and the guide member and single safety means being so constructed, arranged and connected whereby a current collector may span the gaps and cross the insulator in either direction without forming an arc at either gap and the single safety means will function when the current collector moving in either direction engages the guide member and the current through the single safety is in excess of normal operating current.

6. A trolley section insulator comprising a pair of end members of metal held in spaced relation to the under side of an insulating member and the end members arranged to receive and hold the ends of a pair of trolley wires in spaced and insulated relation, a guide member of meta1positioned between the end members in spaced relation thereto, the said members being so constructed and arranged as to form a gap between the ends of the guide member and the adjacent end of each end member, and 'a single safety means including a fuse electrically connecting the guide to one of the end members and through which all current passes as the result of a passing current collector in crossing the insulator in either direction when it engages only the guide member, and magnetic means having oppositely disposed poles of opposite polarity acting upon the fuse and so constructed and so arranged relative to the fuse and insulating member as to blow the are formed by the rupture of the fuse sideways with respect to the insulating member to dissipate the are when the fuse blows.

7. A section insulator for a trolley system to support and insulate the adjacent ends of a trolley wire comprising, a metal guide member for a current collector, two metallic end members each arranged to receive the trolley wire along its lower edge with the lower edge of the trolley wire exposed, the lower edge of the guide member being alignable with that of the trolley wire, the end members and the guide member being spaced in aligned relation forming gaps there between and supported by an insulating beam in said relation, electro-magnetic blow-out safety means electrically connecting the guide and one end member, the said means comprising a fuse and coil means connected to both ends of the fuse to dissipate the are formed when the fuse blows, the guide and end members and the safety means being so constructed and related that a current collector may draw current from the said members throughout its crossing the insulator under normal operation and the fuse will blow as the result of excess current drawn by the current collector also when either trolley wire is grounded and the collector bridges the gap between the guide and the grounded end member.

8. A guide for a current collector for attachment to a section insulator comprising, a guide member engageable by a current collector, a support for each end of the guide member, the said supports each provided with means to secure it to the section insulator and each support having a slot in which is positioned the guide member, the supports provided with transverse openings, the guide member provided with oblong openings registering with the openings in the supports, and securing means extending through the openings and transversing the slots whereby the guide member may be moved relative to the supports and to the section insulator.

9. A section insulator comprising, two end members secured in spaced relation to a beam of insulating material and having means to receive adjacent trolley conductors of different sizes with their lower contact surfaces in longitudinal alignment, means to secure the end members to the said beam, an intermediate guide positioned between the end members and means securing the guide to the said beam in spaced relation to the end members, the guide com-prising support means and a metallic guide bar having an exposed contact surface, means to secure the support means to the said beam, the guide bar and the support means being so constructed and arranged that the guide bar may be moved transversely 7 relative to the guide bar and to the said beam whereby the exposed contact surface of the guide member may be brought into longitudinal alignment with the contact surface of the trolley conductors.

10. A guide for a current collector adapted to be secured to a section insulator comprising, slotted support means provided with transverse openings the axis of which openings is normal to the plane of the slot in the support means, a metallic guide member engageable by a current collector and positioned in the slot and provided with transverse openings registering with the openings in the support means, securing means extending through the openings to secure the guide member to the support means, the support means and the guide member and the securing means being so constructed and arranged relative to each other that the guide member may be adjusted relative to the section insulator and means to secure the support means to the section insulator.

11. An electro-magnetic blow-out device comprising a pair of spaced and parallel elongated members of magnetic material with electro-magnetic means at each end of the members holding the members in said relation and when the said means is energized producing thereby a pair of oppositely disposed consequent poles of opposite polarity whereby a uni-directional magnetic field is produced between the elongated members, a fuse p sitioned between the elongated members in the path of the magnetic fiux and connected in circuit with the coils of the electro-magnetic means whereby an are formed by the rupture of the fuse through the medium of the current energizing the electro-magnetic means will be dissipated by a motion of force parallel to the planes of the elongated members.

12. A trolley system comprising a trolley wire having adjacent ends, a section insulator secured 4 to the said adjacent ends of the trolley Wire, the section insulator comprising a metallic central guide member and a pair of metallic end members positioned in spaced and aligned relation to each other and secured to an insulating member whereby a current collector may cross the insulator and be in contact with either one or more of the said metallic members during its crossing the insulator, and conducting means including a fuse electrically connecting the central guide member to one of the end members whereby the current collector will receive current during its entire crossing of the insulator and no arcing will occur between guide members, and magnetic means to control an are formed by the rupture of the fuse while the collector is crossing the insulator by subjecting the fuse to uni-directional magnetic flux thereby dissipating the are.

13. A section insulator comprising an elongated body member of insulating material, a pair of spaced end guide members secured to the body member at its ends and each guide member adopted to receive and hold an end of a trolley wire, a central guide member positioned between the said end guide members and secured to the body member in spaced and aligned relation to the end guide members and forming air gaps therebetween, conducting means electrically connecting the central guide member to one of the end guide members, the said conducting means comprising a fuse, bipolar magnetic means to control the are formed by the blowing of the fuse, the-said guide members and fuse and magnetic means being so constructed, arranged and related with respect to each other that a current collector will be supplied with current while cross' ing the insulator without arcing at the gaps and will eflect energization of the said conducting means when the collector contacts the central guide member whereby the fuse will be ruptured when the current through the fuse exceeds a predetermined value and the are formed by the blowing of the fuse will be acted upon by the magnetic flux of the said magnetic means and the flame of the arc directed away from the body member and dissipated.

14. A section insulator comprising, a central guide of metal for a passing current collector and two end members to receive and hold the adjacent ends of a trolley Wire to guide the current collector ofi and on to the central guide, insulating means to which the said guide and end members are attached, the guide positioned between the end members in spaced and end-to-end relation with the adjacent ends of the end members, electrical conducting means including fusible means connecting the guide and one of the end members, magnetic means having a pair of consequent poles of opposite polarity between which a uni-directional magnetic flux flows, the said magnetic means being so constructed and related to the fuse that the magnetic flux will extend transversely of the fusible means whereby any flame of the arc formed by the blowing of the fusible means will be dissipated and in a direction at right angles to the direction of flow of the magnetic flux.

15. In a section insulator, in combination, a body member of insulating material, three guide members arranged in spaced and longitudinally aligned relation and secured to the body member to guide a current collector in crossing the insulator, conducting means comprising a pair of pole pieces of magnetizable metal and an electro- 0 magnet being so wound that the current path is in the same direction around the cores hence the flux set up by the electro-magnets when energized will oppose each other and the flux will pass along the air gap between the pole pieces, one end of each coil connected to the central guide member and to one of the other guide members respectively and a fuse interposed in the conducting means and connected to the other ends of the coils, the fuse positioned in the air gap where any arc formed by the rupture of the fuse will be acted upon by the flux between the pole pieces.

16. A section insulator for a trolley system comprising an insulating beam with an end member at each end of the beam and each member provided with means to receive and hold the ends of a trolley wire in spaced alignment with the lower surface of the trolley wire exposed, inter-' mediate means in end-to-end spaced relation to the end members, the intermediate member provided with a metallic guide member having its lower edge engageable by a current collector, means supporting the guide member from the insulating beam, means on the supporting means cooperating with means on the guide member whereby the guide member may be aligned transversely of the beam with the trolley wires, means electrically connecting the guide member and its supporting means with one of the end members, the next to last said means comprising a short conductor including a fuse in series therewith and electro-magnetic means in series with the fuse and provided with oppositely disposed magnetic poles of opposite polarity which are so positioned and related to the fuse that the fuse will 9 be subjected to a uni-directional magnetic field whenever the guide member is engaged by a passing current collector drawing current, and any are created when the fuse is blown when the current drawn exceeds a predetermined value will be extinguished by the magnetic field.

17. A trolley section insulator comprising, a metal guide member for a current collector and two metal end members for connection to adjacent ends of a trolley wire, the three members held in insulated spaced and aligned end to end relation by a single insulating means, electromagnetic blow-out safety means connected across the gap between the guide member and one end member, the said safety means comprising a pair of spaced coils with axes parallel to the side face of the insulating means and one end of each coil connected by a fuse, the other end of the coils connected respectively to the guide and to the said one end member forming the said gap whereby the coils are energized when a passing current collector engages the guide member, a core of magnetizable metal for each coil and a pair of parallel spaced bars of magnetizable metal connecting the ends of the poles of like polarity to produce a uni-directional magnetic field at a point intermediate the said poles and transversely of the fuse to dissipate an arc in a transverse direction to and away from the said side face of the insulating means, when such arc is formed by the blowing of the fuse.

18. A trolley section insulator comprising, a metal guide member for a current collector and two metallic end members for connection to adjacent ends of a trolley wire, the three members held in spaced end to end relation by insulating means whereby two gaps are formed between the member ends, electro-magnetic blow-out safety means including a fuse and coils mounted on the side of the insulating means, the coil means and fuse connected to each other and to the guide means on one end member, such that when the guide member is engaged by a current collector on a vehicle passing the insulator in either direction and drawing current from the guide, arcing at both gaps will be absent and a unidirectional magnetic fiux produced transversely of the fuse and at right angles to a side face of the insulating means whereby any are formed by the blowing of the fuse will be dissipated.

19. An electro-magnetic blow-out safety device having consequent poles comprising a fuse, electro-magnetic means provided with coils connected in series with the opposite ends of the fuse, a pair of spaced and parallel pole pieces of magnetizable metal secured to the ends of the electro-magnetic means of like polarity, the pair of pole pieces being so constructed and so related to each other and to the fuse that a concentration of the magnetic flux will be produced between the pole pieces and transversely of the fuse when the coils of the electro-magnetic means are energized and thereby dissipate any are formed by the blowing of the fuse, and insulating members interposed between the fuse and each pole piece to protect the pieces from the arc.

WARREN J. LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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