Improvements in and, connected with the Supply of Electric and Pneumatio Power to Railway Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and, connected with the Supply of Electric and
Pneumatio Power to Railway Vehicles and the like.
I ROBERT COOKE SAYER of 11 Clyde Road, Redland Bristol Civil Engineor
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:-
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
To attain this I adopt, in part, the principles of the Applications Nos. 11498
A.D. 1895 and 15192 A.D. 1894.
When the motors are pneumatic and electricity is used for subsidiary purposes
only, the main wheels, as before, are kept in the desired direction by having teeth
working into others at the sides of the rail head which is now fixed to a compressed
air carrying tube: the tread of these wheels now carry equally spaced apart
flush blocks formed with projecting pins, annular cushions, passages and non-return
valves which coincide as they rotate with valves fixed in the tubular rail head, and
not below its level and detached as in the above, so that the rail valves are opened
by the pins of the wheels, and the cushions prevent the escape of the air when
the valves are open are able to work in annular recesses and are acted upon by the
air, so that it cannot escape: the air passes to a chamber forces out clectric radials,
à strainer sieve, friction joint of the axle, the motors and where desired.
The radials pass through the teeth and stuffing boxes, similar to No. 11498, and
now carry lugs which take against a fixed ring the lower part of which has
jointed slotted segments that are raised and lowered at will by the action of a
stirrup through its pins, so that the contacts at the ends of the radials can make
or brake contact with the conductors carried on the air tube, which have not teeth
as in No. 11498, and pick up the current, after regulation by the station magnets
provided in No. 15192.
When the motors are electric and the air-used for subsidiary purposes only,
and the current is carried by more than one conductor each side of the rail tube
the radials pick tip a part only or the whole current by their projected length
reaching only one or more, or all, such conductors, and when their projection is so
great as to prevent their passing between the rail teeth, the wheel teeth are
produced as Hanges, and the wheels are kept in step tangentally by the tread of
the wheels carrying teeth equally spaced between the valve pins and engage with
others formed in the rail, or on the inside of a pair of rail heads.

page_text: by the bolts 4 and straps 5 to the tube 9 the upper parts of which are thrust
against distant pieces 6 and made tight at 7 to retain compressed air the head A
and tube 9 break-joint and are secured by fish plates 8 and straps-5, the tube 9
carries the main electric current from the generating stations by the two insulated
conductors B of differing sections or not and carrying currents of proportionate
power sent to them through and regulated by rheostats or other means at the
generating stations, they are held in place at 10, side plates 11 form channels,
that are drained, and held down by bolts 12 to its foundation.
The main wheels D keep the car in the direction of the rail A literally and
tangentally by their bevelled teeth 13, that engage with the teeth 2 of the rail A:
they carry equally spaced flush blocks 15 formed with a pin 14 apertures 16 that
lead through a non-return valve 165 to a passage 22 an annular recess 17 in which
is placed the cushion 18 recessed at 21 and bound together, but allowing a given
play by slots, with the vertical and horizontal bands 20: D carry the insulated
radial electric conductors 24 they pass through the teeth 13 have contact with the
conductors B, the ring 25 conductors 120 and ring 26 from which the current is
taken by the brush 27 and conductor 28: the radials 24 have lugs 31 that take
against the fixed ring 32 they are prolonged at 20 pass through stuffing boxes 30
to the chamber 23 where they are forced out by the air and when desired lowered,
by lowering the hinged and slotted parts of the ring 32 by the pins 36, 37 and 38
of the stirrup 35 that by the pin 34 is thrust down by the slotted lever C.
When the subdivision of the electric current carried by the two conductors B
does not give sufficient power without endangering street traffic, further increase of
current is obtained, divided, and sent through other conductors b, not shown, each
side of the rail tube A, insulated from each other and B and leaving a face. bare
like the conductors B, but sufficiently far apart to prevent arcing or short circuiting:
and when the aggregate width of one set of such conductors B and b with their
dividing insulation is so great that the necessary length of the radials 24 cannot
pass between the teeth 2 of the rail A, the teeth 18 are prolonged; as flanges and
with the radials 24 pass into grooves, and the teeth.13. are fixed on the tread of
the 'wheels D, between and in a line or not, with the pins. 14, and engage with
other teeth formed in the rail A: or on the inner sides of a divided' raili A, the
pins 14 then being on either side of the teeth. 18 and their. valves 3' in each of
the divided heads of the rail A.
THE WORKING.
The air and electricity are compressed and generated at fixed stations, the former
is carried in the tube 9 and when the cars are standing or moving the teeth. 13
of the wheels D keep them in place, so that the cushions 18 which are normally!
projected by the air against their stops 151. meet the rail A, gives a tight passage
for the air of the tube 9, when, the pin 14 opens a rail valve 3, to pass through
the small valve 165 passage 22 fully compress the cushion 18 against the rail A:
goes through the large valve 105 to passages 23 force out the radials 24 and pass
on to where required: while. the latter, the electric current, is subdivided by
the conductors B sufficiently to enable pedestrian traffic at the rail bead level, and
is picked up from them and reunited by the radials 24 being lowered to meet the
conductors B by lowering the hinged parts of the fixed ring. 32. with the lever
to 40.
When more current is required than can be carried by the conductors B without
danger to traffic at the head of the rail A, additional conductors b, not shown,
are provided and the extra current divided between them: and when the con-
ductors B and b on one side of the rail A with their insulation are so wide that the
rail teeth 2 cannot allow sufficient length of radial 24 to pass between them the
teeth 13 are prolonged as flanges and run in grooves, and the pins 14 are kept
in step tangentally with the rail valves 3 by teeth 18 being fixed like the pinsi 14
on the tread of the wheels D, and engage with other teeth 2 formed in the rail A,
or on the insides of a pair of rail beads Athe electric current passes from the

page_text: radials 24 to a ring 25 conductor 120 ring 26 brush 27 and where required
and returns to the generating stations through the wheels D and rail A. The rail
head A and tube 9 are formed in one with welded joints when the nature of
the traffic requires it.
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
1st. The tubular electric conductor carrying rail base, with its toothed rail head
carrying valves, connections and means for keeping the car wheels in its direction
laterally and peripherally by its tooth, together with the wheel plungers or pins
apertures cushions and backvalves by which the rail head valves are opened and
admit compressed air contained in the rail base into the wheel, after the
cushion has prevented its escape, and thence passes to the back of radial electric
conductors, forcing them outwards, and goes to the wheel axlo friction joint,
substantially as described and shown on the drawings.
2nd. For dividing the main electric current which is generated at fixed stations
on the line of way carrying their insulated conductors on the air tube picking
it up by radials, carried by the wheels of the cars, that pass through teeth and
stuffing boxes to a chamber and forced out by the compressed air but under the
control of the driver through a stirrup and by it raising or lowering the hinged
portions of a bond ring against which their lugs rub as they rotate with the wheel:
commuting the current and taking it where required substantially as described and
shown on the drawings.
3rd. For the adaptation of suitable parts of the whole arrangement to the
requirements, of existing railways and the like substantially as described and
shown on the drawings.
Dated this 11th day of Novemba 1905