US797394A - Third-rail guard. - Google Patents

Description

No. 797,394. PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905. M. ZUGIERMAYER, THIRD RAIL GUARD.

AJPPLIOATION FILED APEJQ, 1905.

PAIENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

M. ZUGERIVJIAYERQ THIRD HAIL GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED APILH, 1905.

2 SHEBT3SHIJET 2,

r n STAT PATENT OFFIUE.

rennet-nan. Canaan.

Itlo. 797,394;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed April 19, 1905. Serial No. 256,454.

To It who/art it nuty concern:

.Be it known that l M ELCHIOR Zuennnarnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Itutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Third-Rail Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric railways, and more particularly to railways of this character whose ears draw their power from a third rail or other conductor running parallel with the tracks.

My invention has especial reference to means for inclosing a third rail, but it might also be adapted and used with other forms of conductors.

Heretoiore the third rail has either been left entirely unprotected or has been only partially protected by a hood covering the top or the top and one side of the rail. As the third rail is the conductor of a current of very high voltage, its unprotected state is a continual menace to the lives of track-walkers, switehmen, and all employees who are obliged to cross the tracks, and in case of accident,

as the overturning of the cars, to the passengers also. In addition to this, where the third rail is unprotected or only partially protected it is liable in winter to become covered with snow or coated with a glaze of ice, which interferes with the proper running of trains and is very diflicnlt to remove.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections and to provide a protector or guard for the third rail which shall entirely cover in and protect the same from the weather, thus keeping it in the best condition for service, and which while opening to the passage oi a car-shoe at other times remains closed, so as to absolutely preclude the chance of any one accidentally coming in contact with it under any circumstances.

To this end my invention consists, broadly, in providing an inclosure for the rail which shall be capable of being automatically opened during the passage of a car or engine.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, therein .liigure 1 is a front view of car on the usual track, the rails and the third-rail guard being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the third rail and its guard, the vertically-sliding plate of the guard being closed and in its normal position. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the guard, the hood and sliding plate being broken away to show the form of oint between adjacent sliding plates and the loca tion of the springs for holding said sliding plates in position. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line :0 :r, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail of the side platejoint.

In all the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts, 2 indicates the third rail or other conductor, which is supported, as usual, upon the sleepers 3 of a track-bed.

4 designates a hood, preferably bolted or otherwise rigidly attached to the track-bed or other support. This hood is placed on the outside of the third rail and projects upwardly and inwardly beyond the inside line of the third rail, so that it covers the outside and tread of the rail, there being space enough between the third rail and the hood for the easy passage of the ordinary shoe 10, as shown in Fig. 1. As will be noted, this hood is separated entirely from the third rail, so that it may not become charged therefrom.

In order to close the opening of the hood, I make use of a side plate 5. This plate and the hood are relatively movable to or from each other, so that they may be separated to allow the passage of the shoe 10 or closed automatieally by a spring or weight after the shoe has passed. Preferably the plate 51s the verticallymovable member adapted to slide up and down and be supported in suitable guides and to be raised in the position shown in Fig. 2 by springs 7. For depressing the plate it is provided with a tread portion adapted to be acted upon by a depressorbar. In detail the construction whereby this is accomplished is as follows: The side plate 5 is supported on a longitudinal guide 6, bolted to the sleepers or other support, as is the hood 4;. This guide is formed with a base 6 and an upwardly-projecting flange 6, having a vertical inside face and an inclined outer face. Projecting upward from the base inside oi. flange 6" are studs 6", between which and supported on the base are the springs '7. As I have shown the construction the studs 6 are located on the inside margin of the base 6 and project upward to or nearly to the up per edge of flange 6", the side plate 5 being slotted on its inside face, as at 5, to receive the said studs. These studs prevent the side plate from being displaced inward and contacting with the third rail 2, as well as act as inside guides for the side plate. These studs may be of any shape or number.

Between the studs 6 I locate the springs 7. These might be spiral springs; but I believe bow-springs are preferable, the downwardbent ends of which rest upon the base 6, the elevated center bearing upward against the under edge of the side plate 5, tending normally to hold the side plate closed against the under projecting face of hood 4. The ends of the springs 7 are slotted, as at 7, to provide for the extension of the springs as they are flattened by the depression of the plate 5. Headed bolts or screws 7 engage the slotted ends and hold the springs in place.

In order to protect the joint between the flange 6 and the outer face of plate 5, so that no water, snow,or dust shall accumulate therein and impede the movement of the side plate, I provide the said plate with an outwardly and downwardly projecting flange 5, extending some distance over the inclined face of the flange 6. The crown of the hood 4: is rounded, as shown, so as to present inclined corners. 'lhedownward incline of the flange 5" is so shaped as to practically continue this incline. This is so that all water or snow may be deflected from. the contacting portions of the hood and side plate.

8 designates a depressor bar projecting downwardly from the car 9 and provided at its lower end with a wheel or roller 8 or a suitable shoe, if preferred. I have shown this depressor as being rigidly attached to the car-platforzn; but it may be easily adapted to be raised out of the way, if desired, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

10 is the contact-shoe, carried by a projecting arm 10. This is of any ordinary construction, and as it forms no part of my invention I have not shown it in detail. It is located behind the depressor 8. In Fig. 1 I show the forward end of a car provided with a contact-shoe and depressor; but it is to be understood that, if desired, the car may be fitted with such shoes and depressors at both ends or either side, so that the car may be run either end forward.

The side plates being made in lengths it is necessary that the depression of the end of one length should depress the adjoining end of the next length. For that reason I provide the ends of adjacent side plates on their upper faces with tongues 11 and recesses 12, the tongue of one side plate projecting into the recess in the end of the abutting side plate. By this construction while a limited longitudinal movementof the plates is allowed for, yet a depression of any plate acts to depress the adjoining ends of the plates next to it in either direction.

The operation of my third-rail guard is plain from what has gone before. The contact-shoe being in contact with the third rail power is transmitted to the car-motor. As

the car travels forward the depressor 8 runs along the tread or upper face of the side plate 5, forcing it downward and opening a way for the passage of the arm which carries the contact-shoe. As the car passes the side plate 5 is forced upward by the springs, thus closing the entrance to the third rail.

My improved guard is simple of construction and operation, provides for the isolating of the third rail from rain or snow, and prevents all accidental contact therewith. The joints therein are so thoroughly protected by the overhanging flange 5 that no water or snow can find entrance thereto and no ice will therefore form therein to impede the operation of the side closing-plate.

IVhile I deem the form I have shown as the best for practical service, I do not wish to be limited to it or to the details of construction, as I consider any third-rail inclosure formed of two longitudinal members or parts adapted to be automatically separated by the passage of a car as within my invention. As to the details, these may be varied in many ways without departure from the spirit thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an electric-railway system a third-rail guard, consisting of a longitudipally-extending hood, covering one side and the tread of the rail, and open along the other side of said rail, and a movable side plate adapted to be depressed by the passage of a car extending along the other side of said rail forming the other side of the guard-hood and with the hood normally inclosing the rail, said hood extending over the inside face of said movable plate.

2. In an electric-railway system a third-rail guard consisting of a longitudinally-extending hood covering one side and the tread of the rail and having an inclined water-shedding upper face, and a side plate extending along the other side of said rail beneath the edge of said hood and closing upon the side of the hood, said side plate and hood being normally held close together but being adapted to be separated one from the other at the passage of a car and to close against the other when the car has passed and said side plate having a longitudinal flange on its upper edge projecting away from the hood and inclined downwardly in continuation of the upper watershedding face of the said hood, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-railway system a third-rail guard, consisting of a longitudinally-extending fixed hood covering one side and the tread of the rail, a longitudinal, vertically-movable side plate covering the other side of said rail and forming the inner side of said guard-hood, springs for holding side plate normally up in position to close the open side of said hood, and means whereby the side plate may be depressed by the passage of a car, substantially as described.

I. In an electric-railway system a combination with a longitudinally-extending fixed hood covering one side and the tread of the reasea lg;

rail, a longitudinal, vertically-movable side plate covering the other side of said rail and forming the inner side of said guard-hood, a tread on said side plate, and springs for holding the said side plate normally up in a position to close the open side of said hood, of a depressor and contact-shoe located on a car, the depressor being in advance of the contactshoe and adapted to bear against the tread oi the side plate to depress the same, and thus allow the passage of the said shoe, substantially as described.

5. In an electric-railway system the combination with a longitudinally-lixed hood covering one side and the tread oi the rail, a longitudinal, vertically-movable side plate covering the other side of said rail, and forming the inner side of said guard-hood and provided with a tread on its upper edge, a base in which said side plate is supported and guided, and springs between the bottom edge of said side plate and the said base for holding the said side plate normally up in a position to close the open side of said hood, of a depressor and contact-shoe on a car, the said depressor located in advance of the said contact-shoe and adapted to bear against the tread of said side plate to depress the same to allow the passage of the contact-shoe, substantially as described.

6. In an electric-railway system the combination with a longitudinally-lixed hood covering one side and thetread of the rail, of a vertically-movable side plate provided with a tread on its upper edge, a base for supporting and guiding said side plate having an upwardly projecting longitudinal flange, and springs between the sideplate and the base for normally holding the side plate in a position to close the opening of the hood, the said side plate havinga down wardly-inclined flange projecting over the flange of the base-plate and the said hood being extended over the inside edge of said side plate, substantially as described.

7. in an electric-railway system the eombination with a longitudinally'iixed hood covering one side and the tread of the rail, of a series of vertically-movable side plates eXtend- I ing along the opening of the hood, each side plate having a tread on its upper edge, a base for supporting and guiding said side plates having an npwardly-rn'ojeeting longitudinal flange, and springs between the said side plates and the base for normally holding the side plate in a position to close the opening of the hood, adjacent ends of each two side plates being provided with tongues and recesses, substantially as described.

8. In an electric-railway system the combination with a longitudinally-fixed hood covering one side and the tread of the rail, of a series of vertically-movable side plates extending along and closing the open side of the hood, each side plate having a tread on its upper edge, a base for supporting and guiding said side plates having an upmtrdly-projecting longitudinal flange, and springs between the said side plates and the base for normally holding the side plates in a position to close the opening of the hood, adjacent ends of each two side plates being provided with tongues and recesses, whereby depression of one side plate will cause the depression of the side plate next adjacent thereto, substantially as described.

9. In an electric-railway system the combination with a hood covering one side of the tread of the third rail, of a base-plate extending longitudinally along the other side of said rail and having an upwardly-projecting flange parallel to said rail, whose outer side is inclined, a side plate supported on said base normally closing the space between the hood and said longitudinal .liange of the base, elastic means for normally holding the said side plate upward against the projecting edge of said hood, and a downwardly-projecting flange on the said side plate overhanging the longitndinal flange oi the said base, substantially as described.

I in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 1'7th day of April, 1905.

MELCHIOR ZUGERMAYER.

Witnesses:

Fnnionnio B. Winen'r, (ji'i ORGE Catvna'r.

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