in Tunnels and Underground Railways and Works.
Year: 1885

page_text: in Tunnels and Underground Railways and Works.
I, FRANCIS BOLTON, of N° 4 The Sanctuary, Westminster in the County of
Middlesex, Knight, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED
MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES IN TUNNELS AND
UNDERGROUND RAILWAYS AND WORKS to be as follows:-
"
The object of this my invention is to provide means of lighting railway carriages
in tunnels without having to place lamps in them which have to be lighted some
time before the tunnel is reached.
I place electric glow lamps, preferably two or more, in each compartment, these
being connected to a switch actuated by an electro-magnet in such a manner that,
should the filament of one lamp break, another will be immediately put into circuit.
The lamps of the different compartments I connect, either in series or parallel, to
four or more springs or brushes placed on the top of the carriage, two (or more) on
each side of the centre line, and at least 2 feet apart.
These springs or brushes, when in their normal position, stand straight up above
the carriage, and as the height of the roof of the carriage is a variable one, I place
them, when applied to a low carriage, on a stand so that, in all cases, they should be
at the same height above the rails.
I also use a peculiarly constructed brush of circular cross section in which the
ends of the metal threads composing it are fixed to the two arms of a supporting
fork, the central portion of the threads being bulged out, so that the general
appearance of the brush somewhat resembles a highly curved barrel.
sometimes use grooved wheels instead of springs, the wheels being fixed on
bearings provided with suitable springs which will allow of a certain amount of
lateral and vertical motion.
I also
On the roof of the tunnel, and supported by brackets or hangers, I fix metal
conductors at such a height above the rails that the brushes or grooved wheels on
the carriage roofs will either rub or roll along them when the train passes through
the tunnel. I fix two such conductors, forming a main lead and return above
each line of rails.
The conductors are connected to the hangers or brackets in such a manner as to
be insulated from them and as to present a smooth under surface.

page_text: These conductors, which must be of suitable size to carry the current required
for the maximum number of trains that may be on the same rails in the tunnel
at the same time, may be of any metal but I prefer to make them of a compound
bar of iron and copper.
When using the barrel brush, I make this compound conductor of two bars of
iron placed vertically and joined together at the top by a copper strip, so that the
cross section of the conductor resembles the lower half of the letter H. The barrel
brush being of greater diameter in the centre than the distance apart of the two
iron bars, makes a rubbing contact with them. When using flat brushes or grooved
wheels, I prefer to use a compound conductor in which the iron entirely surrounds
the copper.
If these conductors are connected to a suitable source of electric current, then,
on a train entering the tunnel, the brushes on each carriage will make contact with
them and the current will flow from the one to the other through the brushes and
lamps, thus lighting the carriage.
By thus making each carriage independent of the others, the necessity of an
electrical connection between each carriage of a train is avoided, and the operations
of shunting, coupling and uncoupling are in no way interfered with.
I have described the method of connecting the carriages to the electrical source,
which I prefer, but I sometimes place the brushes of collecting wheels below the
carriage, in which case the conductors are fixed, properly insulated, on supports
between the rails or just outside them, so that the brushes or wheels come under
the footboard or step. In this case the conductors are arranged so that their top
and not their under surface shall be smooth. Or I place one conductor above the
carriage at the side of the tunnel and the other below the footboard on the same
side, thus leaving the line clear for the platelayers.
Besides the collecting brushes or wheels, I also sometimes fix other brushes which
may be either of metal, in which case they must be fixed on insulated supports, or
of ordinary broom. The object of these brushes, which I place nearer the end of
the carriage than the collecting brushes, is to clean the surface of the conductors so
as to diminish the resistance to the current passing to the carriage lamps.
Where the electricity is supplied by a dynamo and engine I prefer to place a
short length of conductor similarly arranged to those in the tunnel a short distance
in advance of each end of the tunnel. This short length of conductor is connected
to a battery and suitable arrangement of electro-magnets so that on a train provided
with brushes passing the same, a slight current from the battery will flow through
the carriage circuit and at the same time through the electro-magnets, the motion
of which will operate the starting valve of the dynamo engine. The lever of this
valve I also connect to a disc and dash pot so arranged that the valve will close
of itself after a short time should the magnets resume their former position, the
time in which this closing takes place being somewhat longer than the train would
take to reach the tunnel. Enough time is thus given to get up the speed of the
engine before the train enters the tunnel. On the train leaving, as no more current
will flow through the magnets, the steam valve will close automatically. The battery
used for this purpose may be a secondary one. It will then be continually recharged
from the main current every time a train passes.
In all the above arrangements, although I prefer to employ two conductors, yet
the one conductor may be dispensed with and the return current be effected by.
providing electrical contacts with the wheels or rails.

page_text: in Tunnels and Underground Railways and Works.
I, FRANCIS BOLTON, of N° 4 The Sanctuary, Westminster in the County of
Middlesex, Knight, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The object of this my invention is to provide means of lighting railway carriages
in tunnels without having to place lamps in them which have to be lighted some
time before the tunnel is reached.
I place electric glow lamps preferably two or more, in each compartment these
being connected to a switch actuated by an electromagnet in such a manner that,
should the filament of one lamp break, another will be immediately put into circuit.
The lamps of the different compartments I connect, either in series or parallel, to
four or more springs or brushes placed on the top of the carriage, two (or more) on
each side of the centre line, and at least two feet apart.
These springs or brushes, when in their normal position, stand straight up above
the carriage, and as the height of the roof of the carriage is a variable one, I place
them, when applied to a low carriage, on a stand so that, in all cases, they should
be at the same height above the rails.
I also use a peculiarly constructed brush of circular cross section in which the
ends of the metal threads composing it are fixed to the two arms of a supporting
fork, the central portion of the threads being bulged out, so that the general
appearance of the brush somewhat resembles a highly curved barrel; I also some-
times, use grooved wheels instead of springs, the wheels being fixed on bearings
provided with suitable springs which will allow of a certain amount of lateral and
vertical motion.
On the roof of the tunnel and supported by brackets or hangers, I fix metal
conductors at such a height above the rails that the brushes or grooved wheels on
the carriage roofs will either rub or roll along them when the train passes through
the tunnel. I fix two such conductors, forming a main lead and return above each
line of rails.
The conductors are connected to the hangers or brackets in such a manner as to
be insulated from them and as to present a smooth under surface.
These conductors, which must be of suitable size to carry the current required
for the maximum number of trains that may be on the same rails in the tunnel
at the same time, may be of any metal but I prefer to make them of a compound
bar of iron and copper.
When using the barrel brush, I make this compound conductor of two bars of
iron placed vertically and joined together at the top by a copper strip, so that the
cross section of the conductor resembles the lower half of the letter H. The barrel
brush being of greater diameter in the centre than the distance apart of the two
iron bars, makes a rubbing contact with them. When using flat brushes or grooved
wheels, I prefer to use a compound conductor in which the iron entirely surrounds'
the copper.

page_text: If these conductors are connected to a suitable source of electric current, then,
on a train entering the tunnel, the brushes on each carriage will make contact with
them and the current will flow from the one to the other through the brushes and
lamps, thus lighting the carriage.
By thus making each carriage independent of the others, the necessity of an
electrical connection between each carriage of a train is avoided, and the operations
of shunting, coupling and uncoupling are in no way interfered with.
I have described the method of connecting the carriages to the electrical source,
which I prefer but I sometimes place the brushes of collecting wheels below the
carriage, in which case the conductors are fixed, properly insulated, on supports
between the rails or just outside them, so that the brushes or wheels come under
the footboard or step. In this case the conductors are arranged so that their top
and not their under surface shall be smooth. Or I place one conductor above the
carriage at the side of the tunnel and the other below the footboard on the same
side, thus leaving the line clear for the platelayers.
Besides the collecting brushes or wheels, I also sometimes fix other brushes which
may be either of metal, in which case they must be fixed on insulated supports, or
of ordinary broom. The object of these brushes, which I place nearer the end of
the carriage than the collecting brushes, is to clean the surface of the conductors so
as to diminish the resistance to the current passing to the carriage lamps.
When the electricity is supplied by a dynamo and engine I prefer to place a short
length of conductor similarly arranged to those in the tunnel a short distance in
advance of each end of the tunnel. This short length of conductor is connected to
a battery and suitable arrangement of electro-magnets so that on a train provided
with brushes passing the same, a slight current from the battery will flow through
the carriage circuit and at the same time through the electro-magnets, the motion
of which will operate the starting valve of the dynamo engine. The lever of this
valve I also connect to a disc and dash pot so arranged that the valve will close of
itself after a short time should the magnets resume their former position, the time
in which this closing takes place being somewhat longer than the train would take
to reach the tunnel. Enough time is thus given to get up the speed of the engine
before the train enters the tunnel. On the train leaving, as no more current will
flow through the magnets, the steam valve will close automatically. The battery
used for this purpose may be a secondary one. It will then be continually
recharged from the main current every time a train passes.
In all the above arrangements, although I prefer to employ two conductors, yet
the one conductor may be dispensed with and the return current be effected by
providing electrical contacts with the wheels or rails.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews a side view and Fig. 2 shews a cross section of one arrangement of
the above described apparatus for conveying an electric current from a fixed con-
ductor in a tunnel to lamps in a railway carriage. a is the electrical conductor sus-
pended from insulating supports b and receiving an electric current from any
suitable generator of electricity. On the carriage passing under the conductor,
insulated collectors c come in contact with the conductor and convey the current
therefrom to the lamps on the carriage, which complete the circuit by making
contact with earth through the wheels and rails or in any other convenient manner.
The construction of the collectors is shewn to an enlarged scale in end view
and side view at Figs. 3 and 4. They consist of a copper strip c held by metal
clamps d on upright bars d', pivotted at e to metal plates f secured to insulating
plates g of earthenware or other material fixed on the roof of the carriage, the
collector being held in the upright position by helical conducting springs h con-
nected thereto and to insulating blocks i also fixed on the carriage, electrical
connection being made between these ends of the springs and the conductor
leading to the lamps in the carriage. By this arrangement it will be seen that

page_text: when collector c comes in contact with the conductor a it can be depressed thereby
into a more or less inclined position, the springs h maintaining the contact between
the two notwithstanding any vertical oscillation of the carriage.
Figs. 5 and 6 shew respectively a plan and side view of the automatic arrange-
ment for replacing a broken lamp. A spring 1, of conducting metal, is connected
at 4 to one of the main conductors of the carriage, and when in its normal or
central position, it makes contact with both the springs 2, which in their turn are
connected respectively to the coils of one of the electromagnets 3 3, these coils
being each connected to the one terminal of one of two lamps and through the
filament hereof to the other main conductor.
Thus on the collectors first coming in contact with the conductor, or conductors,
a current will be passed through 1, 2, 2 and 3, 3 to both the lamps, but the one
electromagnet having a few more coils of wire than the other, or being placed a
little nearer the spring 1, it overpowers the action of the other magnet, and in
attracting the spring 1 causes this to break contact with the opposite spring 2,
thus intercepting the current to the second lamp, Should the filament of the lamp
that is in action get broken, the spring 1 will fly back to its central position and
in making contact again with the second spring 2 will be drawn over to the other
electromagnet and cause the current to pass through the second lamp.
Fig. 7 shews an end view of a modified form of the collector. is a bundle of
bent wires, having their ends attached to discs through which passes a screw
bolt carried by the fork m the stem of which can slide up and down in a socket n,
pivotted to an insulated plate o, so that the fork with the collector can assume an
inclined position as in the previous case. The fork m has a collar m¹ against
which bears a helical spring p, the lower end of which bears against a collar q
fixed on the socket, so that the collector is pressed upwards against the conductor
by the spring p. Two blade springs rr, fixed to insulating blocks 8 8 and bearing
against the underside of the collar q serve both to maintain the socket with the
collector in the vertical position and to convey the current which passes through
the spring p and collar q, to the main conductors through contacts at 8 8.
bulge of the collecting springs k can be increased at will by tightening the
screw l.
The
Figs. 8 and 9 shew enlarged views of two different forms of conductors. t is an
earthenware insulator in which is fixed the rod u that holds the conductor which
consists by preference of a copper core c¹ enclosed in an iron tube c. This may be
formed either by drawing the copper core into the tube, or by drawing out the
two together from a compound bar; when drawing the core into the tube the
joint between the two may be made perfect by running in lead or solder, and
the butt joints between the iron tubes may be made good in the same way.
In the arrangement at Fig. 9, c c are two iron strips that are secured to the bent
copper strips c¹ fixed to the stem u, the collector on the carriage being so formed as
to make contact either against the inside or the outside of the iron strips.
Fig. 10 shews a device for automatically starting the steam engine or other
motor that drives the dynamo electric engine for producing the electric current in
the fixed conductor as soon as a train approaches the tunnel from either end.
A lever v pivotted at v is connected by a rod w or other suitable means to the
starting device of the motor, and carries an armature x situated under the pole of
a powerful electromagnet y which is wound with two insulated wires z and s¹.
One of these wires z is in connection with a battery and pedal or other contact
situated outside the tunnel, while the other ¹ forms part of the conductor leading
from the dynamo to the main conductor in the tunnel. When the train approaches
the tunnel it operates the pedal contact so as to close the battery circuit and thus
excite the electromagnet, which attracts the lever v and thereby starts the motor.
As the contact made by the train is of but short duration, the lever v would fall
again at once and so close the starting device of the motor, but this is prevented
by connecting the lever to a dash pot or cataract cylinder A of any suitable known
construction, which prevents the lever from falling quickly though offering little

page_text: or no resistance to its rising. Thus before the lever can fall any distance, the train
enters the tunnel and the main circuit being closed through the lamps the magnet
is again excited through the second coil 21 and keeps the lever in the raised
position until the train leaves the tunnel and thereby breaks the main circuit.
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. The use of apparatus arranged and operating substantially as herein described
whereby when a railway carriage or other vehicle passes a stationary conductor in
connection with a generator of electricity, contact is made with such conductor
by brushes or contact pieces situated on the vehicle and in electrical connection
with lamps thereon, so as to produce light during the continuance of such
contact.
2. In combination with apparatus such as is referred to in the preceding
claim, the use of apparatus wherein as the train approaches the stationary con-
ductor it is made to close the circuit of an electric battery, the current of which
excites an electro magnet that effects the starting of a motor engine driving
a dynamo electric machine producing the lighting current substantially as herein.
described.