Patent GB-190603471-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in, and connected with Means for Electrically Regulating the Running of Vehicles
Inventor: SAYER ROBERT COOKE
Filed: 1906-02-13
Granted: 1906-12-13
Abstract: 3471. Sayer, R. C. Feb. 13. Electric traction; electric railways and tramways ; electric motor vehicles.-Relates to a further development of those portions of Specification No. 12,729, A.D. 1904, having reference to the regulation of the runniug of vehicles, so that (1) a like means of regulation is obtained for all kinds of vehicles whether towed or driven on rail, road, or other surface by any pressure, (2) the vehicles may pass from one circuit to another, (3) the vehicles may maintain their relative positions, (4) each driver and a central-switch attendant may know when the vehicles pass from one section to another, (5) if a hauling-coupling breaks or a vehicle becomes derailed, the electric current is broken, the centralstation switch opened, and the attendant informed which current is affected, the vehicles on that circuit being automatically stopped by the cutting- off of the power and by the application of brakes of the kind described in Specification No. 6435, A.D. 1906, (Abridgment Class Railway &c. vehicles], (6) when the power is cut off, the central-station attendant can communicate electrically on any prearranged code of signals with the driver, and (7) the central-station attendant can re-start the vehicles on all the circuits except that affected. Fig. 1 shows a plan of a complete circuit comprising thirty-two sections and suitable for sixteen trollies or tractors, four only being shown; Fig. 4 shows a short length of the circuit with its collecting-trolly on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 6 a section through the collecting- trolly and conductors. Fig. 10 shows a diagram of a number of connected circuits with the switch at the central station. Figs. 16, 17, and 18 show three views of the central-station switch, and Fig. 22 the driver's key, while Fig. 26 shows a plan view of a vehicle. Electric generators a supply energy to the continuous positive conductor b, on which the wheels u of the trollies s run and convey the energy to the vehicles to regulate the propelling power. The electric energy returns through one of the two series of sectional conductors h, i or d, e, arranged, as shown, with their centre portions insulated. The return circuit is only completed when all the trollies s are in their corresponding positions, as shown in Fig. 1. The return conductors are carried by an insulating-ribbon n, Fig. 6, so that the end portions of each set can be bridged by the conducting-wheels v, w of each trolly as it moves along and raises the ribbon. The ribbon is normally kept in its depressed position .by the spring q. Instead of the trolly merely conveying the current to the vehicles, it may have a propelling- motor and act as a tractor wheel. In order that the drivers may know when they pass from one section to another, the ends of the return conductors are arranged to have gaps or insulated parts so as to work an indicator or cause a lamp to blink. At junctions 8, Fig. 10, the lower rails retain the direction of the local circuit while the upper parts follow the branch. To guide the trolly at the junctions, it is formed with a swivelling nose 11, Fig. 13, so that when the slot 12 is in its lower position the trolly keeps on the local circuit, while when the nose is reversed it follows the branch circuit. A switch, Figs. 16, 17, and 18, is inserted, preferably at the central station, between the return conductors and the generators. The switch comprises an insulating blade arm 15 carried by a vertical tube 19 and having contacts 16, 17 connected together through a galvanometer 18, a quadrant bridge 30, also carrying pairs of contacts and operated from the handles 20, 21, and a series of contacts 31 ... 34 arranged in the circuits and connected to the generators and return conductors. In each circuit is included an electro-magnet 45, which holds an arm 38, 39, 40, 41 in position against the action of a counterweight when the switch is set. These arms have projections 44 which enter slots in a tube 50 and support differently-coloured indicating-balls 51, and they also carry set-screws engaging slots in the tube 19. Should a failure occur in any circuit, the electro-magnet 45 becomes de-energized and the corresponding arm is moved, which first releases the ball and allows it to fall to the bottom of the tube, to indicate the faulty section, and then operates the switch through the tube 19, breaking all the circuits and liberating all the balls. All the circuits except the faulty one can be remade and the balls replaced, and the driver on the stopped vehicle can communicate with the central station by placing the ends of his key 60, which has a galvanometer 58, into contact with the conductors d, e, as shown in Fig. 22, holes, closed by plugs, being provided at intervals to enable this to be done. The " blink " spaces formed in the conductors are sufficient to affect a lamp in view of the driver and the galvanometer at the central station, but they do not affect the switch magnets 45. When trains of vehicles and their trollies, Fig. 26, take the place of single vehicles, the collecting-wheels v, w have their peripheries divided into three parts, the parts 72, 74 being conductors adapted to. run against the negative conductors and 73 an insulating dividing part. Contact switches 75, 80, 81 can be operated by the levers 77, 78 to make or break contact with the collecting-wheels. The circuit 93 is completed by hooks 94, conductor chains, and slip spring links 98. The trolly is connected to the vehicle by stout links, which may be fitted at the ends with universal joints. The conductors and collecting- trollies may be carried above the vehicles or sometimes above and sometimes below ; in the latter case, the vehicle is fitted with a short length of conductor upon which runs a trolly connected by a link and universal joints to the ordinary collecting- trolly running on the conductors. If any train circuit 93 is broken by any means, the section on which the train is running becomes a faulty section and all the trains or vehicles are stopped and the central-station switch operated as above described.