IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES
Year: 1885

page_text: RICHARD R. HUTCHINSON 57 Outer Temple Strand London W.C. Consulting,
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an Electric Locomotive in such
manner as to effect the traction of ordinary railway trains, tram cars and the like.
The Locomotive can be actuated from any source of Electricity such as batteries or
accumulators carried by it or by special tender or it can receive the current from a
generating machine situated at a fixed point by means of contacts which move
along supply and return conductors arranged along the way. The rails being
capable of being utilised as return conductors or the conductors can be arranged in
the centre of the road and the current collected in the manner usual and most
convenient. The electric dynamo or electric motor is arranged in such manner as
to develope as great a power as possible for a given weight which is necessary for
obtaining a good tractive power-It is important that it should develope this
power by turning with moderate velocity so as to be able to work the driving
wheels by the intermediation of gearing both single, compound and multiplying,
this gearing working in direct connection with the driving wheels which have cast
upon them gear wheels-I may also use friction wheels and rope gearing with
various multiplying powers working in connection with the geared driving wheels
of the locomotive, in which case, my electric motor will be fixed horizontally.
According to my Invention where the tractive power is light my electric motor
is fixed vertically the armature shaft will therefore be vertical and be supported by
a bracket having bearings and other appliances and encircling the whole machine
and this bracket is continued down to the floor of the tram car and firmly secured
thereto. The armature shaft being continued downwards and through the floor of
the tram car and on the top end of the armature shaft or thereabouts, but close to
the electric motor I affix in the ordinary way a fly wheel used for regulating the
speed of the armature shaft and by its close proximity to the motor and by its
velocity effectually ventilates the armature and keeps the whole machine in a cool
state or condition.
At the bottom end or thereabouts of the armature shaft which is continued
downwards and through the floor of the tram car or locomotive I attach by suitable
means a crown, mitre or bevel wheel this wheel gears with two other wheels of

page_text: equal.or different sizes these latter wheels being suitably arranged upon a counter-
shaft and for the purpose of throwing them in and out of gear and also for
reversing the tram car or locomotive I use a suitable clutch or clutches-This
counter shaft carries two pinions suitably arranged and keyed thereon these
pinions gear with other wheels cast on, or otherwise, rigidly fixed upon the driving
wheels of the tram car or locomotive I may couple them together by suitable
connecting rods and obtain a better grip upon the rails and prevent slipping and loss
of electric energy I may also according to my invention where the power required
is increased and the curves, inclines or gradients of the lines or roads are sharp
I adopt the following method of applying a second counter shaft suitably geared with
compound or multiplying power and this second counter shaft gears with the first
before mentioned counter shaft and in turn gears direct with the driving wheels of
the locomotive or tram car as hereinbefore mentioned viz; by pinions gearing into
wheels cast on the driving wheels or otherwise rigidly fixed thereto I may also
according to my Invention where the gradients, inclines, short radius and curves
are frequent and the tractive power is greater than in the before mentioned
methods of gearing and the work to be done is much heavier-Instead of fixing
my Electric Motor vertically as before I place it horizontally and key a pinion on
the armature shaft this pinion gears with a wheel of larger diameter and it in turn
gears with other compound or multiplying gear similar to the geared head stock of a
single, double and treble geared lathe but with this difference that that which is the
spindle of the lathe in the one case is my counter shaft in the other having at each
end, or thereabouts, pinions keyed firmly thereon these pinions work into gear
wheels cast on and form part of the driving wheels or otherwise rigidly secured
thereto.
By this method of gearing I get a great amount of power and avoid the
enormous strain or tortion which results from the wheels being geared with the
axle of the tram car or locomotive as is usually the case in tram cars driven by
electricity.
Again the enormous wear of the collecting brushes used in train cars or
locomotives driven by electric revolving machines by having such a large amount
of wearing surface to travel over in each revolution of the machine and the
consequent rapid destruction of the collecting brushes and great loss of electric
energy are obviated by my invention.
The regulation of the current, whereby the power is regulated, and the speed of
the car or locomotive is made to vary according to the greater or lesser amount of
work required, is effected by a governor similar to that of a steam engine, but the
lever, instead of acting on the throttle valve, acts on the commutator, switch or
other device, or by any other means, to cut off the current and I may by a simple
arrangement divert the current to automatically apply the brakes when the speed
is greater than is required.
DL:
18h Tamamba Ann than
night hundred and nighty five

page_text: Improvements in Electric LOCOMOTIVES.
I, RICHARD R. HUTCHINSON, 57 Outer Temple Strand London W.C. Consulting
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to the construction of an Electric Locomotive in such
manner as to effect the traction of ordinary railway trains tram cars and the like-
The Locomotive can be actuated from any source of Electricity such as batteries or
accumulators carried by it or by special tender or it can receive the current from
a generating machine situated at a fixed point by means of contacts which move
along supply and return conductors arranged along the way.
The rails being capable of utilisation as return conductors or the conductors
can be arranged in the centre of the road and the current collected in the manner
usual and most convenient.
The Electric Motor is arranged in such a manner as to develop as great a power as
possible for a given weight which is necessary for obtaining a good tractive power.
It is important that it should develop this power by turning with moderate
velocity so as to be able to work the driving wheels by the intermediation of
gearing both single compound and multiplying this gearing working in direct
connection with the driving wheels which have cast upon them gear wheels.
I may also use friction wheels and rope gearing with various multiplying
powers working in connection with the geared driving wheels of the locomotive
in which case my Electric Motor or Motors will be fixed horizontally.
In order that my above described Invention may be most fully understood the
accompanying Drawings show various arrangements for carrying the same into
effect and these Drawings shew one mode of applying my system in which Accumu-
lators or Secondary Batteries are used to store the Electricity.
DESCRIPTION OF SHEET No. 1.
Fig. 1 represents the plan view of an arrangement of my electro-mechanical
gearing specially designed for tram or railway traction of from 4 to 6 tons dead
weight where the speed is not required to exceed 8 miles per hour A A¹ are the
two driving axles of the locomotive bogie, B is the electric motor and e its spindle
carrying a pinion d rigidly attached to it by keying or otherwise. Said pinion d
is arranged to gear into the corresponding intermediate gear or friction wheels, c c
which are keyed upon two counter shafts which also have the pinions bbbb
rigidly affixed to them. In this way the high speed rotatory motion of the arma-
ture spindle is transferred to the driving wheels A, A, at a reduced rate of speed
and a corresponding increase of power This is accomplished by means of the gear,
or friction wheels aa aa which are cast upon the inner surface of the driving.
wheels or otherwise rigidly attached to them In this way I ensure the transmis-
sion of power from the motor to the driving wheel or wheels in a direct manner by

page_text: a combination of rolling circles and the requisite diminution of speed with afore-
said increase of power without wasting the initial energy in the torsion of the
axle, as is the case when the power is applied to the axle either in the centre or
approximately near to it.
The whole arrangement is designed to be kept at a lower level than the floor of
the car, or other vehicle to which it may be attached-This is shown by the side
elevation Fig. 2 which is lettered to correspond in detail with Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents another method of transferring the rotatory motion of the
spindle of the electric motor to the driving wheels, also directly applied to the
wheels A. A, by means of wheels ff cast upon the inner surface or otherwise
firmly attached to them. In this case, the motor is set so that the axial line is
vertical, and the armature spindle e has keyed, or otherwise attached to it, a mitre
or other bevil wheel a which therefore revolves with it at the same rate of speed
Said wheel a forms the driver of a set of differential wheels abc of which set
wheels b and c are arranged to run loose upon a counter shaft, which in turn carries
the pinions b (shown in fig. 4, which represents the side elevation of this method of
transmission).
The clutches d, d, each sliding upon a suitable feather let into the counter shaft
cause it to move in either direction, according as wheel b or wheel c is thus coupled
with wheel a while the levers actuating the clutch prevent both from gearing at
once, which would cause a lock This is specially suitable for very light traffic, and
may be arranged as a bogie locomotive, as shown in the side elevation Fig. 4, or
directly under the end platform of an existing car.
In this case the reversal of the motion of the wheels ff Figs. 3 and 4 and
consequently the driving wheels A A' is effected by mechanical means viz, the
clutches d d and the differential angular gear wheels or friction wheels b c―The
before mentioned bevel wheels are fitted with friction cones or clutches d, d, so
that when thrown into gear at starting or reversing there will be a certain amount
of slip imparted overcoming the inertia gradually, thereby avoiding shock, prac-
tically acting as a safety valve and giving a free passage to the back or return
current, thus avoiding the destruction of the motor or motors by burning.
Fig. 5 illustrates a method of transmission of power to the gear wheels before
mentioned a-a which are rigidly attached to, or cast upon the driving wheels A. A₁
which is arranged and specially designed for traction upon roads of varying gra-
dients, where the power required varies considerably during the journey of the
vehicle which is propelled by the present system according to my Invention-In
this example the spindle e of the electric motor B carries a drum d grooved for
rope chain or wood gear, and which is so placed as to transfer its rotatory motion
to the drum ac upon the counter shafts g g which in their turn cause the
wheels A A, to revolve by means of the pinions bb bb gearing into the
wheels a a a a before mentioned-Two drums f f, of equal diameter are keyed
upon the counter shafts g. g exactly opposite to each other so that a rope chain or
other gear may be passed over or round them, in such a manner that its tension
while following the revolution of the drums, serves to equalize the strains upon
the countershaft.
Fig. 6. shows a side elevation of this arrangement similarly lettered, but the
system of coupling as regards the drums ff and the rope or other gear connecting
them is here omitted to avoid confusion.
Fig. 10. represents the side elevation of a system of transmission of power to the
compound wheels as aforesaid where the power is applied to a wheel fixed rigidly
upon the driving wheel as before described, in which the locomotive is used sepa-
rately, and is specially designed for heavier work than the before mentioned
types In fact this system of locomotion may be applied to heavy passenger and
light goods traffic upon railways, where the gradients are many and of various
degree.
Here the combination wheels as aforesaid are shewn at a Fig. 10, being cast
upon or rigidly attached to the driving wheel A'. Three electric motors are used

page_text: in this case B, B, B, with three pinions e e e upon their respective spindles. Said
pinions e. e. e all gear into a large spur wheel C, which carries upon its axle a
pinion d revolving of course with it and driving the intermediate wheel c carrying
the pinion b which drives the main axle or countershaft and wheel A¹ by means
of the wheel a which is affixed to, or forms part of A¹ on its inner surface as
aforesaid.
I can vary the power by cutting any two or one motor out of electrical circuit
and can further regulate their speed individually by means of my special switch
and brush holder to be hereafter described.
In this locomotive for heavy and intermittent work, I apply the power directly
to the driving wheels as in the before mentioned examples, and thus according to
the contrivance or device embodied in my Invention, I prevent the waste of energy
consequent upon torsion when the power is applied to the axle which is corre-
spondingly greater when the power is increased-To ensure the proper adhesion
and tractive power I couple the wheels together by means of "side rods" ff as
shown.
It is obvious that the advantages of this system of driving Locomotives, Tram
Cars, and Railway Carriages by my compound triplex motors, and gearing are
numerous, one of which is that a single motor only may be in action, or all three
simultaneously and by alternately using each none of them become overheated by
too long continued use of any particular one, and each motor is thus made capable
of giving out its full efficiency, and in case of need, by reversing the current and
short circuiting the terminals, the whole machine becomes a most powerful brake.
In the application of my system of electrical traction as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6
and 10, there is no provision for a mechanical reversal of direction of rotation as
shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
Therefore I provide for each motor in the examples shown as aforesaid in Figs. 1,
2 5, 6 and 10, and before described, a brush holder, Fig. 8, where the brushes b, b, are
formed of laminated copper, or other suitable metal, in the form of plates, each
coupled to the preceding one by a pin and slot, as in the construction of ordinary
carriage springs. a, is the motor spindle, and c the revolving commutator attached
to it d is a double lever fulcrumed at a and having an attachment at e for a lever,
or other suitable arrangement for moving the double lever d upon its fulcrum a.
Said lever d, is guided and steadied in its semi-circular motion, by means of a pin f,
which fits and is co-incident to a slotted quadrant i which is rigidly affixed to the
frame of the motor by means of the lugs gg-Two studs are carried by the lever d
and are firmly fixed to it, at right angles to it, one on either side of the fulcrum,
as shewn Said studs are fitted with nuts and plates pp which serve to maintain
the tension of the tangential brushes bb by means of the spiral springs hhhh
which are adjusted by means of the nuts upon the studs, to the requisite degree of
tension as aforesaid-The plates 6 are alternately insulated from each stud, so that
while the upper plate is in electrical contact with the right hand stud, the lower
plate is in contact with the left hand stud, and insulated from each other-Then
two wires or other flexible connection, serves to couple the brushes to the circuit
as required--Now by moving the end of the lever d in an upward direction-the
whole arrangement of brushholder and brushes is moved around the commutator
as guided by the slotted quadrant i and the angle of commutation is varied, or in
other words, the polar centres of the field magnets and armature have become
changed, and a variation of speed and power is the result If by moving the end e
I cause the pin f to traverse the whole stroke, to the extreme end of the slot in the
quadrant the direction of motion is entirely reversed In this manner I can
regulate the speed and direction of motion in the system of electric motors herein-
before described and shown in Figs. 1. 2, 5. 6 and 10 by means of a lever actuating
the pin at e Fig. 8, exactly as a steam engine is regulated and reversed by a
reversing lever and the degree of expansion does alter the speed in proportion.
In combination with the arrangement for reversal, and regulation of speed as
berein described, and shown in Fig. 8, I use a special switch as shewn in Fig. 9 or

page_text: fully charged (not shown) which are immediately locked under the car by means
of my special automatic apparatus for that purpose-When the car A is then
electrically propelled on its journey the trolley a with the tray B. of discharged
accumulators is run into the charging shed, where it is coupled to the main electric
leads and charged up-and the lifts E and F are ready for another change of
accumulators on another car.
The automatic coupling before mentioned is shown in detail by Fig. 13. b is a
cast iron box, or other suitable receptacle containing the piston c to which is
attached the pivot a supporting the hook A The box b is fastened rigidly to the
bottom of the tram car, and the pivot a is maintained by the tension of the spiral
spring d-A trigger g serves to manipulate a locking bar f which engages at K
with a projecting lug from the box b at ₁₁ and is locked when the hook A is
depressed by reason of a weight upon the bar B (which is attached to the tray B.
Figs. 11 and 12) overcoming the tension of the spring d. In the instance before
mentioned when the tray of accumulators supported by the bar B. required to be
released the weight being taken by the lift as aforesaid, the hook A would rise by
the tension of the spring d thus releasing the trigger lock f at K from the pro-
jection and the weight h would then serve as a lever for disengaging the tray
from the hook A-ID coupling a tray of accumulators, the tray would be lifted
until the bars B be pushed into engagement with hook A and then trigger g,
would be pushed inwards to close the locking at K with fand 6 and upon the
descent of the lift the accumulator tray B. would be automatically and firmly fixed
Fig. 14, shows more fully the special arrangement of gearing in all the bogies for
different degrees of traction herein before described and shown and alsɔ in my
triplex engine for heavy traction as shown in Figs. 7 and 10.
e
Here A represents the driving wheel and B. the spur wheel that is cast upon it
or otherwise rigidly attached, C represents the pinion that transmits the motion
according to my invention.
I wish to illustrate by this figure that it is possible for me to make the counter-
shaft carrying pinion C rigid with the bogie or locomotive frame, while the driving
wheel A is free to play in the horn plates or other contrivances admitting a
vertical motion for the axle boxes, without throwing the wheels out of gear,
provided such vertical motion which would be a rocking or jump of the vehicle be
within the lines a b c d or vertically, as motion between a-c and b-d-while
the rigidity of the vehicle or bogie caused the motion of C to be opposite to, and
vertically opposed to the irregular vertical motion of the driving wheel A upon
the vertical line e, f.
Now between the vertical motion here shown, upon ef by the cutting of the
rectangular lines a b c d the pitch line is practically in gear with pinion c and
spur wheel B respectively.

page_text: bogie will be pulling, the rear bogie will be pushing and the intermediate bogies
will be partly pulling and partly pushing. The result will be that there will be
none of the waste of time and power due to slipping on the rail which are matters
of such common occurrence with steam locomotives. Every wheel of an electric
train equipped according to my invention may be made a driver, and also a
powerful brake by reversing the brushes or short circuiting the terminals or
other devices.
The motors are placed relatively to each other so as to avoid "dead centres,"
and are connected in such a way that any or all of them can be electrically or
mechanically connected or thrown out of gear, and an efficient brake-power be, at
the same time provided. I do not confine myself to any particular form of brake,
as my system is quite capable of being applied to the brakes in common use.
The accumulator boxes B and couplings C¹ are of the construction already
described with reference to Figs. 11, 12 and 13. In addition to the accumulators
under the carriages, I also place accumulators in the roofs of the carriages. This
second store, B¹, of electricity provides an ample resource for the purpose of
lighting the train. Foot warmers too may be introduced, to be actuated by the
return currents, as shown in C¹¹.
I have described above with reference to Figs. 8, 9, and 10, a method of
regulating the currents of my improved motor.
In Fig. 17 I illustrate a method of mixed winding of the field magnets and a
switch to be used in connection therewith by the use of which the regulation of my
improved electric motor in respect both of speed and power is much improved and
effected with the least possible loss of current.
By the use of the switch illustrated in Fig. 17 together with the arrangements
shewn at Figs. 8, 9, and 19 any one of the motors B1, B2, or B³, illustrated in
Fig. 10 can be cut out of circuit, or they can be connected in multiple arc or in
series, or any one of the currents can be reversed through the motor, or through
the motor armature only.
Supposing that it be desired to slacken speed, motor BI is cut out. If B¹ be
inserted but with its connections reversed it will act as a generator of current
giving a back electromotive force which not only economises the current, but
reduces the driving power to one-third.
The switch illustrated is marked for Stop-Quarter Power-Half Power-
Full Power Reverse.
The mode of coupling which I propose, according to my invention, to use will be
understood from the following directions for Coupling for Quarter-Power, Half-
Power, and Full-Power, respectively.

page_text: The governor illustrated in Fig. 18 is connected by the eye to the eye on the
handle of either switch, or other convenient part, and is driven from any
convenient revolving part.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that although my figures, illustrate my
invention as more particularly applicable to trains, for instance Figs. 15 and 16.-
The constructions of motor illustrated in Figs. 3 and 10 can be adapted for marine
propulsion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In an electric locomotive, a train of power gearing the first member of which
is a pinion upon the end of the armature shaft, and the last member a spur wheel
upon the driver, substantially as and for the purpose described with reference to
Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
2. In an electric locomotive in which the energy of the motors is delivered to
the drivers by a train of gearing, the combination of a pinion upon the end of the
armature shaft with a countershaft gearing directly or indirectly therewith, and
with a spur-geared driver, substantially as and for the purpose described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
3. In an electric locomotive, fixing the last two members of a train of power
gearing with their axes in the same horizontal plane for the purpose of allowing
the driver to which the last member-(a spur wheel)-is concentrically connected,
(making it a spur-geared driver,)-to rise and fall without putting said two
members out of gear, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 14.
4. The method of mechanically reversing an electric locomotive by means of a
reversing clutch on a counter shaft as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 and described
therewith.
5. The method of actuating the drivers of an electric locomotive substantially as
shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 and described therewith.
6. The general construction of locomotive substantially as shewn in Fig. 7, and
described therewith.
7. The method of reversal, and arrangement of parallel brushes to suit the same
substantially as shewn in Fig. 8, and described therewith.
8. The combination of the method of reversal and arrangement of parallel
brushes to suit the same as described with reference to Fig. 8, with the switch
shewn in Fig. 9 and described therewith.
9. In combination with an electric locomotive, the compound power gearing and
triplex motors so that any one or all of the motors can be electrically or mechanically
disconnected, or all be used as a brake, with the brush holder and switch illustrated
in Figs. 8 and 9 and described therewith, and switch and field magnets illustrated
in Fig. 17 and 19 and described therewith, and the governor illustrated in Fig. 18,
and described therewith, substantially as described.
10. In electric locomotives, the combination of direct-acting power-gearing with
horizontal, vertical, or triplex electric motors for varying degrees of tractive force
with the brush holder shewn in Fig. 8 and the switches shewn in Fig. 9 and 17,
the governor shewn in Fig. 18 and the mixed-around field magnets as shewn in
Fig. 19 with the accumulators, substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
11. The combination of accumulator trays, and automatic couplings for holding
the same under the locomotive or carraige bodies, for the purpose of storing
electrical energy combined with the before mentioned machinery, substantially as
shewn with reference to Figs. 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16.
12. The system of electric haulage for a road of various grades and with a
varying load substantially as herein described and shown.

page_text: 13. In an electric locomotive, the combination of triplex compound motors and
power-gearing acting direct with the spur-geared driving wheels, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 7 and 10.
14. In an electric locomotive the combination of direct acting power gearing,
avoiding all torsion of axles when the energy of the motors is brought to bear upon
the drivers, substantially as described with reference to figs. 1, 2, 3 and 14.
15. In an electric locomotive, the combination of triplex compound motors and
gearing capable of disconnecting any one or all of the motors, and the return
current traversing foot warmers and warming them, substantially as described with
reference to Fig. 15.
16. In an electric locomotive, the combination of triplex compound, or other of
my electric motors and power gearing acting direct upon the counter shaft or
shafts with pinions gearing with spur-geared driving wheel's, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10.
17. In an electric locomotive, distributing the motors throughout a train, in
combination with the general arrangement of the train, as shewn in Figs. 15 and 16
and described therewith.
18. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming an electric
locomotive or an electric train, consisting of the motor and gearing, the centre of
gravity being kept as low as possible, and the motors being distributed equally or
unequally throughout the train, so that one motor may be in action or all of them,
or all the wheels may be made drivers, the switches and other devices, and system
of warming by the return currents substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this ninth day of September 1886
RICHARD R. HUTCHINSON,
57, Outer Temple, London, W.C.