Improvements in Motor Vehicles for Electric Railways.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Vehicles for Electric Railways.
I, REGINALD BELFIELD, of 32, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to automobile cars for electric railways.
Heretofore when two or more automobile cars, that is to say, cars on which an
electric motor is mounted for propelling the same, are coupled together to form an
electric train, the motors of each car require to be regulated by a separate controlling
switch in order to regulate the speed of the train.
According to my invention I provide for forming a train of cars electrically as
well as mechanically coupled in such a manner that the motors in every car will
be controlled simultaneously by one and the same switch and at the same time the
cars can be separated into individual units easily and quickly if so desired. For
this purpose I so arrange that the wires leading from the switch to the motor
in a car may be very easily connected by suitable connecting devices with the
The switch of either
corresponding and similarly arranged wires in another car.
car will then control the motor connections of both cars. Similarly when more
than two cars are coupled together the wires of one car will be connected to the
wires of the next and so on throughout the train all the car motors being governed
by one switch the other switches being out of use. The controlling switch which
is used is preferably the switch in the foremost car but the switch in any car can
be used to control all the motors in the train. It will be readily understood that a
train made up of cars wired according to my invention is very suitable for use on
long lines where there are junctions and sidings and also for freight traffic inasmuch
as each car is complete in itself and forms one unit not dependent on the other cars.
for its propulsion and yet capable of being controlled from another car when
coupled into a train with the same.
Where ordinary or non-automobile cars are joined in a train with automobile
cars wired according to my invention the connections between two automobile cars
separated by non-automobile cars may be made through the non-automobile cars in
any suitable manner.
My invention is applicable to all descriptions of automobile electric cars whether
such cars are provided with one or more than one motor. It is equally adapted
for use either with cars which carry secondary batteries for energizing the motors
or with cars which are propelled by electrical energy furnished by a supply station
through suitable mains.
Dated thie 17th day of Sentember 1895.

page_text: AUS 10 Dectric Railways.
I, REGINALD BELFIELD, of 32, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to motor vehicles for electric railways.
Heretofore when two or more motor vehicles or automobile cars, that is to say,
cars on which an electric motor is mounted for propelling the same, are coupled
together to form an electric train, the motors of each car require to be regulated
by a separate controlling switch in order to regulate the speed of the train.
According to my invention I provide for forming a train of cars electrically as
well as mechanically coupled in such a manner that the motors in every car
will be controlled simultaneously by one and the same switch and at the same
time the cars can be separated into individual units easily and quickly if so
desired.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a terminal external to the car
on every wire leading from the controlling switch in the car to the resistances or
car motor so that when two such cars are mechanically coupled and each external
terminal on one car electrically connected to its corresponding terminal on the
adjacent car the controlling switch of either car will govern the connection to the
mains of the motors in both cars, the motors and resistances of the two cars being
coupled in parallel to the mains. Similarly when more than two cars are coupled
together the external terminals of one car are severally connected to the corre
sponding terminals of the adjacent car or cars throughout the train and the motors
of all the cars will be governed by one switch, which may be one of the controlling
switches in any car of the train.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagram
shewing by way of example one method of wiring a car according to my invention.
I wish it to be understood however that my invention is not confined to the
particular system shewn but may be applied to any of the systems in common use.
The diagram shews at the left hand a car A with two motors having
armatures M', M and field magnet coils F, F and a resistance R. I provide a
series of wires a, b, c to k extending from a series of external terminals 1, 2, 3 to 11*
at one end of the car to a similar series of external terminals 1, 2, 3 to 11 at the
other end of the car, the armatures M', M magnets F', F' and resistance R are
connected to the wires a to i as shewn which wires are connected in the usual
manner to the controller. The wires j, k are connected to the terminals of the
main leads by any suitable means. The controller is connected to the wires a to k
and controls the connections between them. If another car B wired in a similar
fashion has its external terminals 12, 13--22 connected to the corresponding
terminals 1,2-11 on car A it is evident that the motors and resistances on the two
cars will be joined in parallel and the working of the controller on either car will
control the connections on both the cars. If a train of cars wired according to
this arrangement have the external terminals of each car connected to the corre-
sponding terminals on the adjacent cars it is evident that one controller will control
all the cars in the train.
The controlling switch which is used is preferably the switch in the foremost
car but the switch in any car can be used to control all the motors in the train.
It will be readily understood that a train made up of cars wired according to my
invention is very suitable for use on long lines where there are junctions and
sidings and also for freight traffic inasmuch as each car is complete in itself and

page_text: forms one unit not dependent on the other cars for its propulsion and yet capable
of being controlled from another car when coupled into a train with the same.
Where ordinary or non-automobile cars are joined in a train with automobile
cars wired according to my invention the connections between two automobile cars
separated by non-automobile cars may be made through the non-automobile cars in
any suitable manner.
My invention is applicable to all descriptions of automobile electric cars whether
such cars are provided with one or more than one motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A motor vehicle or automobile car having the wires entering its controller
connected to external terminals at either or both ends of the car, for the purpose
specified.
2. An electric train composed of motor vehicles or automobile cars the controllers
of said cars being connected in parallel for the purpose specified.
3. In an electric train composed of motor vehicles, a system of wires connected
in parallel extending throughout the train and connecting the controlling devices
on all the vehicles, for the purpose specified.
4. A motor vehicle capable of independent operation and having its wiring so
arrauged that when coupled into a train with similar vehicles the entire train so
formed can be controlled by the controller in any one of the vehicles.
5. The improvements in wiring motor vehicles substantially as hereinabove
described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 17th day of July 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.