National Republican., 1885-09-26

has reached an advanced state of perfection,
and important improvements in the art are
now rare indeed. The principal advance in
this direction now lies as In dynamos in
matters of detail only, and the inventors of
the present are cleaning the field so clean
that the next five years will produce the
perfect machine in all its minutest details.
II is In the application OF this wonderful
little apparatus that more is being done,
and at the present time electrica inventors
arc giving their attention largely to the
translation Of power and to the locomotion
Of vehicles, and with marked success.
The monthly influx of applications in
these matters are more than quadrupe that
OF any other branch Of the art In the cleo
thcal division Of the patent office.
In electrical railways there is an immense
future, and inventors recognizing the fact
have turned their thoughts In this direction
with an amazing energy. To-day there are
pending about 300 applications upon this
class Of invention alone.
The simplest form of electrical railway Is
devised by attaching the poles of a dynamo,
the armature Of which Is driven by steam
or water power, to one rail and the other to
the remaining rail OF an isulated line of
rails, then placing q car upon the rails hay
ing the wheels on one side electrically In
sulated from their iron aXlcs; finally con-
Meeting one wheel of said car by q spring
conducting brush to one pole Of an electric
motor whose armaturc Is connected by coz
or other gear to the axle of these car wheels
and the other pole of said motor by sec
ond spring contact brush to the opposite
wheel, thus completing the electrical cir
cult from the dynamo through one line of
rails to the motor, thence back by the re-
naming line of rails to said dynamo. On
the car is located in the circuit switch with
which an engineer can make and break the
circuit, and thus start and stop the car.
This idea, minus the dynamo and the
switching apparatus, the latter located
upon the car, Is very old, having been in
vented by one Pinkus IN England as early
rs lsi5. lie used a common chemical bat
terry, and controlled the car by circut-brcak-
ing apparatus at the battery.
The contriyance was not practical, how
ever, owing TO the enormous expenses in
CURED In using common battery. The
modern dynamo here enters upon the scene
OF action, and does FOR lOcomotiOn what II
has done for illumination by making the
problem possible of solution.
The leading inventions In electrical rail-
way have been to render II possible 10 run
many ears on one section of track without
interfering with each other, allowing any
cur to stop, while Others run without burn
ing out the motors or their speed being ma
terially changed; to run ears In series or
connect up their motors tandem so as to
utilize high tension currents from such
high tension dynamos as the Brush to pro
vide conductors and cOndnits, such that
snow aud ice will not interfere with the
electrical contacts; 10 guard against acci-
dents by collisions from succeeding cars or
from ears running IN opposite directions; to
provide Signals, &c.
The competition Just now Is exceedingly
lively aud the near future will bring forth
the electrical railway to supplant our cum
leTsOme street cars without doubt.
As to the feasibility Of the scheme there
can be- hut little doubt and certainly none
where water power is available
The best electric motors Of to-day will
utilize IN the neighbOrhOOd of 20 per cent,
Of the power transmitted from the dynamo,
The best dynamOs will utilize from ~ per
cent, uf the power transmitted from the
engine.
There results thus about 10 per cent. OF
the power from the engine,
II water power Is used We eau estimate
that about 20 per cent, Of the power can be
successfully utilized, while with steam there
II a much greater loss II We reckon back to
the coal or prime cause Of the power.
The question of transmission Of power Is
yet Ia its infancy, but is among the imme
diate probabilities. II Is very strange that
With all the push and energy OF American
capitalists there should be so much hesi-
fancy In this matter, aud we can only attrl-
butte II tj the fact that so many persons
have been sWinded through the purchase
Of worthless electrical inventions. 1t seems
as though this mysterious art, based upon
am apparently intangible and unknown
medium, has been q wonderful field for the
patent sharp, and through its fascination
he has Cleaned the field and replenished his
pockets fun well.
We have known Of Instances where absO-
mtely worthless inventions have been sold