Improvements connected with Electric Railways and Tramways' on the Overhead Conductor System

15,343. Anderson, A., and Dunne, J. F. July 9. Electric railways and tramways. - A safety coupling for cutting off the current from a broken section of conductor used in connection with electric railways or tramways on the overheadsupply system is shown in the Figure. The conductor ends e are normally pulled in by springs p, and are provided with pins e which engage hooks g hinged to a supporting-tube a insulated from the earth and by the lamina c. The current passes through the pins e to the hooks g and through the spring i to the tube a, and then through a similar arrangement to the next section. Breakage of the conductor f allows the spring p to disengage the pin e , and the hook g falls under the action of the spring i, thus breaking the circuit. The Provisional Specification describes a modification in which two hooks are supported from a central block and are pulled together by a spring, which, when the tension is taken off one of the conductors by breakage, pulls the holder out and breaks the circuit.