TO PREVENT ELECTROCUTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6872, 16 July 1909, Page 9

TO PREVENT ELECTROCUTION

NEW AUTOMATIC CUT OUT. A demonstration of a new automatic out out for tramway trolley wires was made at the tramway power station yard yesterday afternoon. the patent was tested under tie personal supervision or Mr Stuart Richardson, the Lhiel Electrical Engineer of the IVamway Oepartment, and the inventor, Mr M. O. Newhould, explained the working of the mar Cl The object of the invention is to instantaneously cut off the current when a break occurs in a trolley wire, and to enable the broken wire to ba handled immediately with absolute safety. Ihe test iVas interesting and instructive, and proved ail that is claimed lor the invention. ? in the yard where the trial was conducted two trolley wires were placed in position, charged with 500 volts, t bore were two tests. In the first instance both trolley wires were broken without the application of the new cut out machine, and a number of lighted lamps which were burning when the trial was made still continued to burn when the wires were severed, showing clearly that the current still in the wires, which were “alive." The second test was to show the value of the patent. Both wires were again broken, and instantaneously with their severance the lights went out, showing that there was a ■ cessation of current. There was no hitch, the trial being most successful. To ensure safety on all the lines served by electric trams a machine would have to be placed at various points on all routes. Immediately a break occurred, then the whole trolley wire would be dead from one machine to the other, People riding on the top of tram cars would have a much greater sense of security if they knew that in the event of a wire falling they would run no risk of electrocution. If the present patent was installed, it is claimed for it that an overhead wire would be quite harmless before even reaching people on the top deck, and they are very close to the wires. Mr Ncivbould, the inventor, served his time in Cable’s foundry. The patent is held by a company under the title of Newbould Patents, Ltd.