Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-17
AHEAD OF EDISON.
An Underground Trolley System for
the Electric Street Car
INVENTED BY HARRISBURG MEN.
They Use Magnet to Draw the Conductor
Up for Contact.
THE CROSSING OF LINES MADE EASY
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsrArcH.1

ESPECIAL TELEeRAM TO THE DIsrArcH.I
HARRISBURG; Jan. 16.-A practical
method of propelling street cars by cleo
tricity without the aid of the overhead wire
or the storage battery has been invented by
Edwar F. Baum and Harlin A. Hopes, Of
this city. 1t is simply the trolley system
underground.
A porcelain lined iron tube or sealed con-
duit, similar in shape to an ordinary T rail,
is imbedded between the two rails. A fiat
continuous strip of copper or copper wire,
which conducts the electricity from the
dynamo, is laid in the bottom of the con-
duit On this is placed chain of ordinary
sized links, which of course is charged with
electricity by reason of its contact 9th the
copper strip. The conduit is covered with
short sections of non-magnetic plates. These
are eight or ten feet in length. There is
space of two inches or so between the chain
and the covering plates. Suspended from
the car is a magnet Immediately above and
within short distance from the plate
covering. Directly in the rear of
the magnet is small wheel
which Rms on the plates. The magnet
draws the chain, which is continuously
charged, against the plate covering, which
being consequently charged will in turn
charge the wheel, and the same power of
locomotion will be obtained, greater in fact,
than that from the trolley in the overhead
system.
One Plate at a Time Alive.
The plate covering is only alive when the
chain is drawn against it by the use of the
magnet, and as the links are small only
that portion of the covering Immediately
under the wheel will be alive, as link after
link will drop on the wire again as soon as
the magnet and wheel pass. Appliances for
locomotion of any pattern can be used, the
invention being simply q device for con-
ducting the electricity from the wire to the
car.
Another and hitherto unsolved question
is easily overcome by the Baum-Hoopes
system. 1t is that of crossing other roads,
turnouts and switches. In this respect it is
vastly superior to the cable or grip method
and the overhead system. The chain makes
these difficulties simple in way that can
readily be understood. There can be no
DANCER to life with this new electrical inven-
tion though high tension currents should be
used, as the plate coverings will be entirely
dead, except when and at place where the
car is passing.
Electricians to whom the invention has
been shown have pronounced it the best
method of conducting electricity as mo-
tive power for surface cars, and there is no
reason why it cannot supersede team in
locomotion. The inventors will give a
public exhibition in the Board Of Trade
rooms, this city, next week, VIXEN they
will show the workings of the system in
every detail, embracing turnouts, switches
and crossings of roads.
Gable Lines Can Adopt It
The various grip or cable lines can easily
adjust their lines to the new system, as
they already have a conduit between the
tracks can be easily made to fill the require
ments of the copper conductor. The in
yentors claim that the system will in time |
supplant steam on the great trunk lines of
the country.
A patent has been applied for, and prob |
ably by this time has been issued The |
of the invention has been COM |
mended by all the electricians who have |
seen the drawings. and the praeticability of |
the idea has been demonstrated.
Mr.. Baum has for number of years been |
a successful newspaper man in the capacity |
of business manager He is now business |
manager of the Patriot. Mr.. Hopes was |
the city's Chief OF Police for IA years, then |
a detective and he is now conducting slate |
mantel establishment. He is unassuming in |
manner and very popular. These are the |
last twomen who would be expected to solve |
an electrical problem which noted electri- |
clans have studied in vain. The tests made |
with miniature apparatus have fully de-
yeloped the completeness of the method.