Improvements in Electric or Magnetic Carrier Systems, otherwise known as Port-electrics.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric or Magnetic Carrier Systems, otherwise
known as Port-electrics.
1, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by John Thomas
Williams, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., United States of America, Electrician, 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 port electrics, and consists among other things of improve-
ments whereby the electro magnet or magnets by means whereof the travelling car
or carriage has motion imparted to it are mounted upon and travel with the car or
carriage, the several improvements being hereinafter fully described reference being
had to the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section taken on the line of xx of Fig. 9.
Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line y y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an end view of the electro magnet B looking in the direction of the arrow
placed on the magnet in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line of Fig. 7 showing two electro
magnets attached to the carriage.
Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line ww of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of the electromagnet B taken on the line of Fig. 4.
Fig. 7 is a top view of the port electric having two electro magnets attached to
the car or carriage.
Fig. 8 is a central longitudinal section of a modification wherein the source of
electricity as well as the electromagnets are carried on the carriage.
Fig. 9 is a cross section taken on the line z z of Fig. 1 looking towards the electro
magnet B.
Fig. 10 is a cross section of one of the stationary cylinders or rings A through
which the carriage travels made in sections united together to form a ring or cylinder
having slots therein to allow the air to escape through the same, as the carriago
approaches the ring.
Fig. 11 is an elevation of a cylinder or ring whose sides are provided with slots
to allow the free escape of air from the inside of the cylinder.
Fig. 12 shows an arm extending from the carriage through a continuous slot in
the cylinder or ring and attached to a body or vehicle outside of the ring.
into
The letter A designates one of a series of stationary cylinders or rings of iron or
other magnetizable metal suitably supported, along with the guide rails D D, upon a
frame P from which the rings are insulated by indiarubber or other suitable insu-
lating material Q. A conductor of electricity E extends through the rings A and
is insulated therefrom by the insulating strip I. The letter B designates an electro-
magnet which is constructed and arranged in such a manner that it can pass
the ring A, the ends of its coil of wire being attached to the contact pieces CC¹, sec
Fig. 1. The letter F designates the core of the electromagnet and G dosignates the
wire or the space occupied by it. The core may consist of a number of iron wires
or may be in one piece. The electromagnet B is surrounded by a covering of
insulating material R, to which the contact pieces CC¹ are connected and its exterior
is also provided with guides K K. Fig. 3 adapted to slide in the rings A on either
side of the conductor E to keep the electromagnet in proper position in passing
through the rings. A battery or other source of electricity L having been provided
and the conductor E having been connected with one pole thereof by means of
wire 2, and the ring A having been connected with the other pole of the battery

page_text: through wire as shown in Fig. 1, if now the electromagnet B, is moved in the
direction of the arrow thereon until the contact piece comes in contact with the
metal of the ring A, a circuit will be closed through wire 1, metal ring A, contact
piece C, wire of electromagnet B, contact piece (", conductor E, and wire 2 to
battery 1. This will cause the electromagnet B to be drawn into the cylinder
or ring A until their ends are in such relative positions that the contacts will bo
broken and the electromagnet will move on as far as its momentum will carry it.
If now a series of such cylinders or rings A be arranged in succession at anch
intervals apart as to allow a freo escape of the air ahead of the electromagnet
und to allow the electromagnet to be again vitalized through the next rings A
before its momentum is exhausted it is evident that a continuous motion may be
imparted to the electromagnet through the whole series of cylinders or rings A
and if a car or carriage he provided adapted to move with the electromagnat, a
suitable track being provided on which the earringe and electromagnet shall bo
properly guided, it is manifest that their forward movement will continue until the
last ring in the series has been reached by the electromagnet.
My present improvement consists in a port electric constructed and operated on
this principle, and in Figs. 4 and 7 I have shown an arrangement wherein a port
electric car or carriage is constructed and adapted to continue a direct movement by
the use of two snel electromagnets having a car or carriage attached to them.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 7 the letters A A' A² designate three such cylinders or
rings of magnetizable metal, and I designates a car or carriage adapted to move on
the guide rails D D through said rings. The car or carriage II is constructed of
two electromagnets B B one at each end and of an intermediate section of non
magnetic material secured at its ends by screws V or other suitable fastenings to the
cores of the electro magnets. The rings A A' and the other similar rings in
the series, are provided with brushes T Ti, Figs. 5 and 7 for making contact with
the contact pieces or strips which are attached respectively to the inside and the
out-ide ends of the wires of the said electromagnets. The brushes T T' are fixed on
supports SS which are mounted on the inner ends of the rings A A¹ and A² by means
of insulated connections of indiarubber or other suitable insulating material W. The
electrical connections by this arrangement are as follows namely. Wire 1 represents
the wire from the positive pole of a battery or other source of electricity, and wire 2
the negative wire. Wire 1 has a connection by wiros 3 with each of the supports S
for the series of bishies T, and wire 2 has similar connection by wires 31 with each
of the supports S for the series of brushes T. In the position shown in Fig. 7 a
current would be established from wire 1, through wira 3 brush support & brush T
contact piece or strip G, wire of magnet B, contact piece or strip brush T' brush
support S', wire 3' to wire 2. This current will draw the carriage H by the magnetic
pull of magnet B in the ring A. The current in magnet will be maintained
while the brushes T T of the ring A' remain in contact with the contact piecos or
strips of magnet B and when this circuit is broken the magnet B¹ of the
carriage will be in position to perform the samo operation with reference to the
ring A2 and when the action of the ring A consos, the magnet B will be in position
to be acted on in the same manner in connection with the ring A, and so on, the
magnets B and B being so separated relative to tho rings as to assure their alternate
action continuously.
In Fig. 81 lave shown a modification of this invention wherein the battory or
source of electricity is carried in the car or carriage II and the alternate closing of
the circuits in the electromagnets of the carriage is accomplished by means of an
oscillating lever M which is pivoted at the middle of its length to the carriage on
the pivot and whose forward end is provided with a projecting shoulder Y and its
rear end with an upturned projection Z. When the carringe f is in the position
shown in Fig. 8 the end of lever M comes in contact with the cylinder or
ring A and is pressed downward thereby against the contact piece (on the
magnet B which is in electrical connection with the outer end of the coil of said
magnet. This allows a current to pass through magnet B as follows, namely from

page_text: one pole of battery N through wire 4 to lover M contact piece C outer end of
coil of magnet B through said coil and return wire 5 to the opposite pole of the
battery. This current will draw the carriago H in the direction of the arrow at
one end of Fig. 8, until the forward end Y of the lever passes through ring A
when it is released: at this moment however the other end Z of said lever strikes
against the ring A' and is pressed downwards against contact piece (of magnet B
said contact piece being connected with the outer end of the coil of magnet B¹
and in consequence a current is established through magnot B' as follows namely,
from one pole of battery N through wire 4, to lever through said lever to its
end Z, through contact piece C to the coil of magnet B³ through said coil and
through wire 3 to the battery. This current imparts an additional impulse to the
carriage and by providing a series of said iron cylinders or rings as before
explained a similar continuous movement of the carriage through them will be
obtained.
The cylinders or rings A can be made with longitudinal slots o to facilitate the
oscape of air from the rings when a carriage enters them so that the carriage will
not meet with much resistance of the air in passing through them. The slots o can
bo made in the rings after the rings are prepared or the rings can be made of longi-
tudinal sections put together to form a ring in such a manner as to leave slots o
between the sections.
The carriage H is provided with wheels 8 which may be placed at its ends for
supporting and guiding it on the rails D D.
It is obvious that if a cylinder or ring having a longitudinal slot therein see
Fig. 12 extending through the cylinder or ring from end to end be used, it would
admit of an arm or other projection being attached to the car or carriage, that
would pass freely through such slot of the cylinder or ring and serve to impart motion
to a body or vehicle exterior of the apparatus itself to which the arm might be
attached. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 12 where the carriage H is driven
within a slotted cylinder or ring A an arm 8¹ which projects from the carriage
extending through a continuous slot o to a vehicle 9 arranged to travol and a
parallel track 10 outside of the ring A so that the carriage H moving within the
series of rings A is enabled to communicate motion to a hody or vehicle outside of
said rings.
In the drawing the electrical connections between the rings A A' A² and so forth
and the electromagnets are arranged in such a manner that they are operated as the
electromagnets enter or begin to enter the rings but the contact pieces ( can with-
out departing from my invention be arranged in such a manner that contact will not
be made with the rings until the electromagnets have entered the rings a little distance,
say halfway to the middle of the length of the rings more or loss.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. A series of magnetizable cylinders or rings in combination with an electro-
magnet constructed and adapted to pass through the same, and a battery or other
source of electricity for charging the magnet and suitable electrical connections
substantially as shown and described.
2. In a port electric a series of stationary magnetizable rings, a car or carriage
containing one or more electromagnets a battery or other source of electricity and
rails or guides extending through the series of rings for supporting and guiding the
carriage in its movement the battery, rings, carriage and electromagnets, being in
ele-trical connection with each other substantially as shown and described.
3. In port-electrics the carriage H containing the electromagnet or magnets by
the vitalizing of which motion is imparted to it, a series of stationary magnetizable
rings through which the carriage is adapted to pass, and rails or guides extending
through said rings for guiding and supporting the carriage, the carriage and magnets

page_text: being in electrical connection with each other and with a battery or other source of
electricity substantially as shown and described.
4. In port electries the ring A, one or more provided with brushes TT in combina-
tion with a carriage containing one or more electromagnets contact pieces connected
with the coils of said magnets, a battery or other source of electricity and electrical
conductors connecting the poles of said battery with the electromagnets through said
brushes and contact pieces substantially as shown and described.
5. The combination of the rings A A¹ of a port electric a car or carriago containing
an electromagnet or magnots and a battery or other source of electricity with a lever
pivoted to the carriage and operated by the rings to close an electric circuit from
the battery through the electromagnets the carriage and lover substantially as shown
and described.
6. In port electries the combination of a car or carriage containing an electro-
magnet or magnets, stationary magnetizable rings through which the car or carriage
is adapted to pass, a battery or other source of electricity for charging the magnet
and suitable electrical connections, said rings being provided with slots through their
sides to facilitate the escape of air from the rings as the car or carriage goes through
them substantially as described.
7. In port electrics, a car or carriage containing an electromagnet or magnets in
combination with a battery or other source of electricity for charging the magnet
and suitable electrical connections, stationary unguetizable rings through which the
car or carriage is adapted to pass, said rings being provided with longitudinal slots
through their sides and said car having arms projecting freely through said slots to
engage a vehicle or body outside of the rings substantially as described.
1005
FLERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.