Year: 1888

page_text: I, ORREN ALLEN, of the City of Denver, in the County of Arapahoe and State of
Colorado, United States of America, Student, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Several plans have been proposed of late years for utilizing electricity as the motive
power for cars and trains by means of electrical motors carried thereon and arranged
in series, that is to arrange all the motors supplied on one circuit from one generating
and distributing station in one straight circuit passing through all of them and such is
called a series system."
In such a system, it has been found essential that the main distributing circuit be
capable of being broken at intervals, the spaces or lengths between the breaks forming
sections of the circuit, the sections being normally electrically connected by spring
circuit closers, sometimes termed "spring jacks." These circuit closers have been
placed in a conduit, having a slotted top similar to that used in cable road systems.
In such series systems, as hitherto generally constructed, these spring circuit closers
are always in circuit and but a few inches from the metal top of the conduit; by
means of an "arrow" ог "gatherer" travelling in the conduit and carried and im-
pelled by the car, they are forced apart and the current switched through the motor
attached to such car. In such plans grave defects and difficulties have been found to
exist. From the fact that the circuit closers are always in circuit and uninsulated,
there is opportunity for great leakage, especially in damp weather or when moisture
has accumulated in the conduit; and from this leakage and the possible charging of the
metal top of the conduit, danger has resulted to man and beast, and accidents thereto
have occurred, while, in addition, such leakage involves a wasteful and extravagant
consumption of fuel at the generating station.
Again from the making and breaking of the main circuit at these spring circuit
closers, there is often a large amount of sparking thereat, which, as the current is of a
high potential or tension when a number of motors are in circuit, projects a flame up
through the slot, frightening animals as well as destroying the contact surfaces.

page_text: The object of my invention therefore is to avoid these difficulties, obviate these
dangers and this I do in the following manner.
33
2
The car is provided with the usual motor and carries the "arrow" or "gatherer
which travels in the conduit. This " arrow ог "gatherer" may be of any approved
This is a
construction, the simple and ordinary form being a very suitable one.
strip of insulating material of proper length, having a metal contact strip on either
side, circuit connections being formed from these strips to the motor.
"
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The circuit contacts or "spring jacks" are arranged at proper intervals within the
conduit, and at each such interval or place of location of a pair of spring jacks, either
within the conduit or in the bottom thereof or outside thereof but contiguous thereto
is placed a box containing a circuit shunting key or device, preferably of the circuit
continuity preserving type. To suitable contacts therein are connected the wire or
wires of the main circuit and also the wires of a shunt circuit, which are also connected
to the contact faces or blocks of the spring jack. These contacts are so arranged that
in one position of the shunting key or device, the main circuit is completely closed and
the shunt circuit completely broken, while in another position the reverse is the case,
so that when desired, the main circuit may be kept complete around and independent
of the contacts or spring jacks in the conduit, the latter being kept normally out of
circuit and thrown into circuit only when necessary. These shunting devices are
operated by an arm or lever or a system thereof, one member of which passes into the
conduit in such position as to be in the line of travel of the " arrow ог gatherer
or of some device carried thereby. The shunting key or device is arranged to
normally keep the direct main circuit closed straight through the box, and the shunt
leading to the spring jacks open. Then, as the car is in motion, the "arrow
or "gatherer" coming to a set of spring contacts or spring jacks in the conduit, acts
on the arm or lever in the conduit, causing it to throw the shunting devices or key to
break the direct main circuit and to close the shunt thereat, so that the circuit at such
box is now via the shunt, the contacts or spring jacks, the "
arrow" or gatherer'
and the motor. When the " arrow or gatherer" passes out from between such
set of contacts or spring jacks, it again causes the shunting key or device to be thrown
or operated, this time opening the shunt circuit and closing the main circuit directly
through the box. Thus no circuit closer or spring jack is in circuit except when and
so long as the arrow or gatherer is in contact therewith, all the exposed or danger
breeding portions of the circuit being uncharged, dead so to speak excepting when
and only so long as it may be necessary for such parts or any portion of them to be
alive and charged:
"
"
"
"
Several forms of such shunting key or device and of the mechanism for operating
For
the same may be employed for embodying the principle of my invention.
instance on an insulating base may be secured two contacts forming terminals for the
main circuit within the box or casing, while on an insulated bar or slider adapted to
slide upon such base is a metal bridge piece, which in one position of the parts
connects these two main circuit terminals and so completes directly such circuit. On
the same slider are two contacts forming the terminals of the shunt circuit to the
contacts or spring jacks in the conduit. Then as the slider is moved to bring these
terminals of the shunt circuit in contact with the main line or circuit terminals, the
main direct circuit through the box is broken and the shunt is closed and operative.
In another form the same moving contacts, bridge piece and terminals of the shunt
circuit may be placed upon a disk or upon a segment of a disk, to be oscillated on its
pivot over or upon a fixed base having the other necessary contacts.
To cause the necessary movement of the shunting device or key, one of the contacts
or spring jacks of each set in the conduit may be formed as part of or secured to one
end of a pivoted arm, whose other end is rigidly attached to a lever or attached thereto
in such manner as to cause the movement of the lever as the arm is moved by the
action thereon of the arrow or gatherer," the lever being connected directly or
by intermediate connections to the shunt key or device. Or the devices upon which
the carrier, arrow or gatherer acts to cause the operation of the shunting key or
device, may be entirely separate from and independent of the contact faces or spring
وو
"

page_text: jacks in the conduit. A standard is arranged in the conduit and journalled so as to
have or be capable of a partial rotation. Upon its upper end is rigidly secured an arm
slotted longitudinally or in the direction of the line of travel of the arrow or gatherer.
Such slot is narrowest at the centre of its length, whence it flares somewhat to either
end. The standard referred to has rigidly attached to its lower end a crank arm,
which, when the box containing the shunting device or key, is placed upon the bottom
or beneath the bottom of the conduit, may be attached directly to the moving part of
the shunting key or device, but when such box is located at one side of the conduit,
the crank arm would be connected to a second arm or lever leading to the box and
connected to the shunting device or key. Either directly upon or secured to the arrow
or gatherer and at either end thereof are cam faces to take in such slot, there being
two cam faces at each end. Each face has first an outwardly inclined surface then a
straight bearing surface, then. an inwardly inclined surface, while the other side is a
simple straight face. At each end two cam faces are placed one at the extreme end,
the other immediately following it, with their cam or bearing surfaces on opposite sides
of the median line of the base to which they are attached, the face at the extreme of either
end being placed to cause the throw of the shunting key or device to break the shunt
and close the direct main circuit, the other or inner face causing the reverse operation.
Instead of cams or cam surfaces, cam grooves of corresponding shape could be used,
taking upon a pin on the slotted arm, in which case the latter might have a plain
instead of a slotted surface.
To more fully guard against danger of disruption of the circuit and to bridge over
any failure, accruing at any box, of the apparatus there located to work properly, a
solenoid or magnet is there located, its coil forming a shunt of exceedingly high
resistance to the main circuit, so that if such main circuit or its shunt through the
spring jacks be in proper working order, too small an amount of current will pass
through the coil of the solenoid to energize it sufficiently to attract its armature. If
however the main circuit or the shunt to the spring jacks be ruptured or fail to work,
the current will pass around the solenoid in sufficient quantity to cause it to attract its
armature. This armature is arranged to close a shunt of normal resistance around the
shunting device or key and so preserve the continuity of the circuit and with normal
resistance.
Signed at Denver, in the State of Colorado, United States of America, on this

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Systems of and Mechanism for Electric Railways.
I, ORREN ALLEN, of the City of Denver, in the County of Arapahoe and State of
Colorado, United States of America, Student, 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 :-
Several plans have been proposed for utilizing electricity as the motive power for
cars and trains by means of electrical motors carried thereon and arranged in series,
that is to arrange all the motors supplied from one generating and distributing station
in one straight circuit passing through all of them.
In such a system it has been found essential that the main distributing circuit be
capable of being broken at intervals, the spaces or lengths between the breaks forming
sections of the circuit, the sections being normally electrically connected by
spring circuit closers, sometimes termed "spring jacks." These circuit closers have
been placed in a conduit having a slotted top similar to that used in cable road
systems.
แ
«
"
In such series systems, as hitherto generally constructed, these spring circuit closers
are always in circuit and but a few inches from the metal top of the conduit; by
means of an arrow or "gatherer" travelling in the conduit and carried and pro-
pelled by the car, they are forced apart and the current switched through the motor
attached to such car. In such plans grave defects and difficulties have been found to
exist. From the fact that the circuit closers are always in circuit and uninsulated,
there is opportunity for great leakage, especially in damp weather or when moisture
has accumulated in the conduit; and from this leakage and the possible charging
of the metal top of the conduit danger has resulted to man and beast and accidents
thereto have occurred, while, in addition, such leakage involves a wasteful and
extravagant consumption of fuel at the generating station.
Again from the making and breaking of the main circuit at these spring circuit
closers, there is often a large amount of "sparking" thereat, which, as the current is
of a high potential when a number of motors are in circuit, projects a flame up
through the slot, frightening animals as well as destroying the contact surfaces.
The object of my invention therefore is to obviate these difficulties and dangers, and
this I do in the following manner.
"
The car is provided with the usual electric motor and carries the "arrow ог
gatherer" which travels in the conduit. This arrow or gatherer may be of any
approved construction, the simple and ordinary form being a very suitable one. Such
is a strip of insulating material of proper length having a metal contact strip on
either side, circuit connections being formed from these strips to the motor. The
contacts or spring jacks are arranged at proper intervals within the conduit, and at
each such interval or place of location of a pair of contacts or spring-jacks, either
within the conduit or in the bottom thereof or outside but contiguous thereto, is placed
a box containing a circuit shunting mechanism, preferably of the circuit continuity

page_text: preserving type. To suitable contacts therein are connected the wire or wires of the
main circuit and also the wires of a shunt circuit, the latter being also connected to
the contacts or spring-jacks in the conduit. The contacts in the box are so arranged
that in one position of the shunting mechanism or key the main circuit is completely
closed and the shunt circuit completely broken, while in another position the reverse
is the case, so that when desired, the main circuit may be kept complete around and
independent of the contacts or spring-jacks in the conduit, the latter being kept
normally out of circuit and being thrown into circuit only when necessary.
These shunting devices are operated by an arm or lever or by a system thereof, one
member of which passes into the conduit in such position as to be in the line of
travel of the "arrow" or "gatherer" or of some device carried thereby.
The shunting mechanisin is arranged to normally keep the direct main circuit closed
straight through the box and the shunt circuit leading to the spring-jacks open.
Then, when the car is in motion, the arrow or gatherer coming to a set of spring
contacts or jacks in the conduit, acts on the arm or lever in the conduit, causing it to
throw the shunting mechanism to break the direct main circuit and close the shunt
circuit, so that the circuit at such box is now via the shunt, the spring contacts or
jacks, the arrow or gatherer and the motor. When the arrow or gatherer passes out
from between such set of contacts or spring-jacks, the shunting mechanism is again
caused to be operated, now opening the shunt circuit and again closing the main
circuit directly through the box. Thus no circuit closer or spring-jack is in circuit
except when and so long as the arrow or gatherer is in contact therewith, all exposed
or danger breeding portions of the circuit being uncharged, dead so to speak, excepting
when and only so long as it may be necessary for such parts or any portion of them
to be alive and charged for the movement of a car or train.
Several forms of such shunting mechanism and of connections for operating the
same may be employed, in fact any reliable and continuity preserving shunting key or
device may be used. For instance one form might be a disk or segment of a disk, to
be swung or oscillated on its central pivot and carrying contacts which may either
unite electrically the terminals of the main circuit secured to suitable anvils or
contacts, secured and insulated within the box, or which, in another position, may
disunite such terminals of the main circuit and connect thereto the terminals of the
shunt or branch circuit, bridging metal strips upon the periphery of the disk, or
upon its face near thereto, connecting with the contacts as it is swung or moved on
its pivot.
In another form the moving contacts, bridge pieces etc. may be mounted upon a
sliding base, reciprocated in suitable ways, to make the proper contacts at the proper
times.
To cause the necessary movement of the shunting mechanisın used, one of the
contacts or spring-jacks of a set may be secured to or formed as part of one (the
free) end of a pivoted lever or arm connected by intervening mechanism to
the swinging or sliding part of the shunting mechanism, so that as the arm or lever
is moved by the arrow or gatherer, its motion is communicated to the shunting
mechanism, causing the latter to operate and exercise its functions. Or the arm or
lever or devices, upon which the carrier, arrow or gatherer acts, may be entirely
separated from and independent of the spring contacts or jacks.
While, if the devices be constructed in a workmanlike and thorough manner, there
is no danger of failure of any of the shunting mechanisms to work, yet if desired to
guard against such a contingency and complete the circuit around any mechanism
failing to work or around a break in such circuit, a magnet may be there placed in a
shunt of such high resistance that current enough does not ordinarily flow there-
through to charge the magnet to attract its armature, but if, by reason of an increased
flow due to rupture of the main circuit between the points where such magnet shunt'
circuit joins the main circuit, the magnet attracts its armature, a second shunt of low
resistance is closed around the break or fault so that the main line remains, in effect
unbroken.
This system and its operation, thus generally set forth, may perhaps be better

page_text: understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment
thereof is shown, and in which,
Figure 1 is an elevation of a car, motor, and arrow or gatherer, one side of the
conduit and the wheels on one side of the car being removed.
Figure 2 a plan view, partly diagrammatic for showing the circuit connections and
with the tops of the conduit and of the shunting boxes removed.
Figure 3 a section of the conduit on line a
figure 2.
Figure 4 a view, mainly diagrammatic, of the circuits and arrangements for
shunting around a break or fault.
In such figures the reference numerals 1, 2 indicate the boxes containing the
shunting mechanisms, placed at intervals and contiguous to the conduit 26. These
boxes are made of any suitable waterproof material, and are furnished with covers
secured thereto so as to prevent the ingress of water thereinto. They may be lined
or coated with insulating material or both lined and coated, but if neither be done, the
operative parts therein should be so well insulated as to avoid danger of leakage and
earth connections.
The shunting mechanism herein shown as a type of such mechanisms is constructed
as follows.
3 is an insulated segment, pivoted at its angle and upon whose curved or swinging
edge, or upon its face adjacent thereto, are secured metal conducting or contact plates
or strips 5, 6, separated by an insulating space 4. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are contact anvils
or blocks supported within the box in such relation and position that the segment 3 in
swinging upon its pivot will take thereon and cause 5 and 6 to make electrical
connection therewith.
To the segment 3 is secured an arm 22 which in turn is pivoted to an arm 21
which extends through and out of the end of the box and is pivoted to an arm or
lever 20.
Suitable packing is used where 21 passes through the end of the box, so that while
a reciprocating movement is permitted to 21. through the aperture, the latter is
practically watertight. Within the conduit 26 and upon a ledge 27 or other suitable
supports are pivoted, at intervals corresponding with the shunting boxes, lever
arms 16, 17 of insulating material, springs 18 being arranged to keep their free
ends normally in contact, while stops 19, 25 may be provided limiting their inward
movement under the stress of such springs, one or both of which stops may be made
adjustable as at 25. In this construction each arm carries at its free end a metal
contact plate 15 for forming electrical connection with the metal strips on the sides
of the arrow or gatherer. To the lever or arm 16 is secured the arm 20, before
referred to as connected by 21 and 22 to the segment 3, so that the latter shall
partake of any movement given to the arm 16.
The circuits are arranged as follows.-The conductors of the single main circuit are
shown by 11 and 12, connected inside of the shunting boxes to the anvils or
contacts 8, 9 respectively, while from contact blocks 7, 10 the shunt circuit
conductors 13, 14 lead via the arms 16, 17 to the contacts 15. These shunt circuits
may be formed in a number of ways, herein the conductors are insulated wires
passing out of the box into the conduit and secured upon or in grooves in the
arms, their ends being bared and attached to the plates 15.
The normal position of the parts and condition of the circuits are as shown in
shunting box 2 and at the arms in the conduit thereat. In box 2 the current enters
say by 11, thence by 8, 5 and 9 to 12, there now being a straight circuit through the
box, the contacts 15 being out of the circuit and the only uninsulated portions of the
circuit being within the box and thoroughly protected therein.
If now an arrow or gatherer 23, carried by a car 28 and propelled thereby within
the conduit, passes between the arms 16, 17 the position and connections are as shown
at box 1. The arms are forced apart and the movement of arm 16 is communicated
through the connecting mechanism to segment 3, it swinging upon its pivot brings
strip 5 in contact with anvils 7, 8 and strip 6 in contact with anvils 9, 10. The
current now passes via 12, 8, 5, 7, 13 to the metal strip upon one side of the arrow

page_text: or gatherer, thence through the motor 24 upon and propelling the car or other vehicle 28,
thence to the strip upon the other side of the arrow or gatherer, thence via 16, 14, 10,
6 and 9 to main circuit 12, from whence it had been shunted through the contacts in
the conduit only while such contacts were being acted on by the passing arrow or
gatherer.
The strips 5, 6, and the anvils 7, 8, 9, 10 should be of such size and so arranged
relatively to each other, that 5 connects 7 and 8 and 6 connects 9 and 10 just at or
immediately preceding the moment of complete rupture between 8 and 9 by the
moving of 5, thus forming a continuity preserving shunting device, so that in effect
the main circuit is never completely broken, there always being a circuit for the
current by one or the other path.
If it be desired to more fully and thoroughly guard against disruption of the circuit
and to bridge over any failure of the mechanism at any box to properly operate, a
safety apparatus, such as the following, may be added. A magnet 29 is located in a
shunt circuit 31 of very high resistance relatively to the resistance of the main circuit
between the terminals of the shunt circuit, so that ordinarily a very minute portion of
the current will pass through shunt circuit 31 and around the magnet 29. The
armaturé and armature lever 30 of this magnet form a part of a second shunt
circuit 32 of very low resistance and in which is also included the magnet 29, a part
of the circuit 32 being around such magnet, one end of the conductor thereof being
electrically connected to the core of the magnet 29. The amount of current passing
normally around 29 via the shunt 31 is not enough to charge 29 sufficiently strong
to attract its armature, but if the main line be broken between the points of union of
such shunt circuit to the main circuit, so that no current may pass thereby or by the
shunt circuit to the contacts in the conduit, all the current finds a path via the high
resistance shunt 31, causing the magnet to then attract its armature, which closes the
low resistance shunt 32 via the core of the magnet and its armature and armature
lever, bridging over the difficulty.
It is evident from the description given that the practical and successful operation
of this system does not depend upon the exact construction of the devices necessary.
thereto as shown, but rather on the peculiar relative arrangement, relation and
cooperation of such or of any equivalent devices. For instance the shunting device
itself may be any approved form of shunting key, of which several are known, a disk,
a segment of a disk, a sliding key or a fulcrumed lever key. The spring contacts 15
may be secured within the conduit independently of the arins to be moved by the
arrow or gatherer to cause the shunting; other devices or forms of devices for
the arrow or gatherer to act on may be used. A standard may be journalled in the
conduit, carrying at its head an arm, cam slotted on its upper face, while the
heads or ends of the arrow are formed with, or carry attached pieces formed with
cains taking in the cam groove and shaped to throw the cam slotted arm, its
standard and the shunting mechanism connected thereto, in one direction as the
arrow or gatherer enters the cam groove and in the other direction as it leaves
the groove. Or the arrow may carry such cam grooves into which will take a pin
upon the standard or upon a crank arm projecting therefrom. Such special
mechanisms are not however claimed in this specification as for such separate
applications for Letters Patent will be made.
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. An improved system of electrical railroading as hereinbefore described,
embodying a vehicle, a motor carried by and propelling the vehicle, a main circuit,
a conduit, contacts at intervals therein, an arm or arms at similar intervals therein
for operating circuit shunting mechanisms, circuit shunting mechanisms contained
in separate and closed boxes and included in the main circuit and operating to break
the main circuit and shunt the current through the motor and a mechanical connection
from an arm to a shunting mechanism, substantially as set forth.
2. An improved system of electrical railroading as hereinbefore described,

page_text: embodying a car or vehicle, a motor carried by and propelling such car, a main
circuit, a conduit, contacts located at intervals therein and normally out of the main
circuit, shunting mechanisms normally in and controlling the main circuit and adapted
to break such main circuit and shunt the current through the motor and mechanical
connections to the shunting mechanisms operated by an arrow or gatherer carried
by the car or vehicle and travelling within the conduit, substantially as set forth.
3. In a system of electric railroading, the combination of a vehicle, a motor carried
by and propelling the vehicle, a conduit, contact arms therein adapted to be moved
by the arrow or gatherer travelling in the conduit, a main circuit and circuit
shunting mechanisms located therein and arranged in separate closed boxes and
operated from the contact arms to break the main circuit and shunt the current
through the contacts in the conduit and the motor, only when and while the contacts
are operated on by the arrow or gatherer, substantially as set forth.
4. In a system of electrical railroading, the combination of a vehicle, a motor
carried by and propelling such vehicle, a conduit, contacts at proper intervals therein
and normally out of the main circuit, an arrow or gatherer carried by the vehicle and
travelling within the conduit, a main circuit passing normally without the devices in
the conduit, a normally open branch or switch circuit from the main circuit to each
set of contacts in the conduit and a circuit shunting mechanism in the main circuit
at every such set of contacts operated from the arrow or gatherer to break the main
circuit and shunt the current through the motor at any one set of contacts, only
while such set is in contact with the arrow or gatherer, substantially as set forth.
5. In a system of electrical railroading the combination of a vehicle, a motor
carried by, and propelling such vehicle, a conduit, an arrow or gatherer carried by
the vehicle and travelling within such conduit, contact arms normally out of the main
circuit and arranged at intervals in the conduit to be moved or acted on by the
arrow or gatherer, a main circuit, normally open shunt or branch circuits therefrom,
one for each set of contacts in the conduit, and shunting mechanisms, one for each
such set of contacts and its branch circuit and included in the main circuit, keeping
.it normally closed and the branch circuits normally open, and having their contacts
arranged to close one circuit just as or just before another circuit is opened,
substantially as set forth.
6. The improved system of electrical railroading hereinbefore described, embodying
a vehicle, a motor carried by and propelling such vehicle, an arrow or gatherer
carried by the vehicle and travelling in a conduit, a conduit, contacts at suitable
intervals therein for conveying current to the arrow or gatherer and the motor, a
main circuit, circuit shunting mechanisms included therein and mechanical connections
extending outside the boxes enclosing such mechanisms and operated on by the
arrow or gatherer during its passage, to break the main circuit and shunt the
current through the contacts and motor during such passage only, substantially as
set forth.
7. The combination of a main circuit, two shunt circuits thereto, one of very high
and the other of very low resistance relatively to each other, a magnet having coils
included in both such shunt, circuits and an armature and armature lever controlling
the lower resistance shunt circuit, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of a main circuit, two shunt circuits thereto, one of high and
the other of low resistance relatively to each other, an electro magnet having coils
included in both such shunt circuits and an armature and armature lever closing the
low resistance shunt circuit through itself and the core of the magnet, substantially as
set forth.
Dated thin 4th do.. of Ma... 1000
ORREN ALLEN,
Inventor.