Improvements in Electric Railways.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application. 26th July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways.
1, MARK WESLEY DEWEY, of Kirk Block corner of South Salina and West
Fayette Streets, City of Syracuse, County of Onondaga and State of New York,
United States of America, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
nd ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to propelling vehicles, such as cars and boats, electrically,
and the object is to dispense with contact brushes, wheels, etc., in electric connec-
ion with a conductor along the route of the vehicle, and to avoid the use of
batteries on the vehicle.
This invention consists in electrically communicating with a vehicle to propel it,
by electro static induction.
Any construction or arrangement may be employed and any method of electro
atatic induction known to electrician used, whereby a conductor or body irregularly
or alternately charged with electricity may be able to induce similar charges in a
neighbouring conductor or body upon a vehicle or car, all as hereinafter more
fully described and specifically set forth in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. is a diagram of circuits and apparatus illustrating one way in which my
invention may be carried out.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a plan view of another form of road-bed apparatus that may be
employed,
Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. 3 with a vehicle therefor,
Fig. is a side elevation of another arrangement of devices for carrying out my
invention,
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the road-bed apparatus similar to Fig. 3,
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the vehicle for use with the road-bed apparatus
shown in Fig. 6,
Fig. 8 is a cross section of both the road-bed and vehicle, and
Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a car provided with means to propel it electro
statically that are arranged overhead.
One of the essential features of my invention is an electrical conductor designated
by reference letter C in the figures of the drawings, which conductor reaches from
a source of irregular or alternating currents of electricity along the line of travel
of the vehicle or car. This conductor may be arranged in any desired manner
along the route of the vehicle, that is, it may be beneath, at the side or overhead.
The said conductor may be insulated throughout its length and in some cases may
be placed beneath the pavement. Said conductor may consist of one or more wires or
flat strips of metal as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 or of one or a plurality of
condensers as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. In order to derive a very great effect
a plurality of condensers should be employed.
In Fig. 1, A represents the source of irregular or alternating currents as an
alternating current dynamo, C the line conductor connected to the source and
In circuit with
extending along the railway or path of travel of the vehicle B.
said conductor are connected electric condensers cc placed at intervals along the
way, preferably equal distances apart. One member of each condenser is con-
nected to the line conductor, but the other member of each condenser is connected
to a metal strip c¹ of more or less length, that extends along the roadway and on a
level therewith. The terminal of the source A not connected to the line C should
› be connected with the rails ground or with another couductor C' arranged along

page_text: the path of the vehicle, but at a distance from the conductor C as shown by a
dotted line. D is the conductor on the vehicle having an electric motor E and a
suitable current controller e in circuit therewith. One terminal of the conductor D
is connected with an axle of the vehicle and the other terminal is connected with
one member of a condenser & carried upon the vehicle. The opposite member of
the vehicle condenser is connected with a metallic strip that is carried by the
vehicle parallel to and in close proximity to the strips c. The strips, along the
road-bed are preferably placed apart a somewhat less distance than the length of
the strip d' on the vehicle, so that the vehicle strip will always be in inductional
relation to one of the road-bed strips. The motor in this case may be an alter-
nating current motor which can be connected in any suitable and well-known
manner with the vehicle to propel it. In the drawings said motor is shown con-
nected to a pulley on an axle of the vehicle by a belt or chain f
""
When the two sets of condensers or strips are employed, one set preferably
extends along on one side of the railway, or the centre thereof, and the other set,
along on the other side, as shown in Figure 3, one set being connected with one
terminal of the source of electricity and the other set with the other terminal. In
this arrangement one set of condensers will be charged with positive electricity
while the corresponding set will be charged with negative electricity. When two
sets of road-bed condensers are used the vehicle is provided with two condensers
or strips to be carried in close proximity to those in the road-bed as shown in
Fig. 4. The vehicle conductor in this case has its terminals connected one to one
condenser and the other terminal to the other condenser.
In Figure 5, the condensers ccc are adapted to be shunted except the one or two
beneath the car B so that energy will not be expended in charging the condensers
along the route that are not in proximity to a car and cannot induce a current in
the circuits thereon.
Contact makers and breakers or switches c" are placed in the shunts to be auto-
matically operated by suitable means, as a magnetic device carried on the vehicle,
which will attract one or more of the switches in the vicinity of the vehicle to
include one or more of the condensers in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle in
circuit with the charging conductor, and thus concentrate at the vehicle, the
required power. These switches and the electric connections may be greatly
varied in form and construction, and I therefore do not limit myself to the precise
form shown.
In order to magnetize the device carried by the car to attract the switches, a
direct current is employed. The alternating current induced in the vehicle or
secondary circuit is straightened or rectified by means of a suitable current rectifier
indicated in the figure.
The switch c beneath the car is shown as having been moved by thé
magnetic device to include its condeuser c in circuit. When the car is between
two switches both will be attracted so that at no time will the supply of current
cease.
As the currents on the vehicles are rectified, the usual continuous or direct
current motor E' is employed to propel the vehicle. Frepresents the current
reverser therefor, and F the adjustable resistance. For the purpose of supplying
the motor with current in case there is none flowing in the line, or to a condenser
for some reason or other, a secondary battery G is provided on the car and
arranged to be charged or connected with the vehicle conductor whenever the
motor circuit is open, as when the vehicle is at rest. The secondary battery may
be employed for supplying current to the magnetic device coils, or for any other
translating devices that may be placed on the car such as lamps or heaters. H is a
switch in the vehicle conductor leading from the rectifier for connecting either the
motor E or the secondary battery G in circuit. The circuit containing the
secondary battery is shown open.
I is a switch for connecting the battery with the motor circuit or magnetic
device h, and is an adjustable resistance in the magnetic device circuit for

page_text: regulating the current, A suitable inductional transformer or converter may be
ocated in circuit on the vehicle, as indicated, to change the character of
the current.
In Figure 6, two continuous strips of flat metal C C extend along the way
between the rails and are connected with the terminals of the source of electricity
as described in reference to Figure 3. In this, as in the other arrange-
ments, the line conductors do not form a closed circuit, being open at the
distant end of the road. Fig. 7, shows a side elevation of the car B to be
used with this arrangement, partly in section and to be equipped with a con-
ductor D for receiving the effect inductively produced by the changes in the line
conductors.
In the circuits of the conductor D are metal strips which are stretched in
proximity to and parallel with the line conductors or strips. The changes in the
lines induce like or similar changes in the strips on the vehicles, and consequently
produce currents in the vehicle conductor D connecting the strips together. In
this case the strips alone form the condensers. The end elevation in Fig. 8 shows
the conductors C and C¹ covered with insulation and below the level of the
roadway, but it will be obvious that they may be supported overhead or one
overhead and the other formed by the rails of the track as clearly shown
in Fig. 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
declare that what I
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed
claim is :-
-The combination of a line conductor extending along the path over which a
vehicle moves, a source of irregular or alternating electricity connected to the line,
a condensing plate or strip upon the vehicle carried in inductive proximity to said
conductor, and an electric motor on the vehicle connected to the condensing plate
or strip and with the vehicle for moving the same.
2-In an electric railway, the combination of a line conductor extending along
the railway, a source of irregular or alternating electricity connected to the line, a
condensing plate or strip upon the vehicle, carried in inductive proximity to said
conductor, and an electric motor on the vehicle connected with the condensing plate
or strip and with the vehicle for moving the same.
3-The combination of a vehicle, a line conductor parallel to the path over which
the vehicle moves and in static inductive proximity to a plate or strip of conducting
material upon
the vehicle, means for alternately charging the line with positive and
negative electricity, at a fixed station, a conductor on the vehicle connected to the
vehicle plate or strip, and an electric motor on the vehicle in the vehicle conductor
and arranged to propel the vehicle.
4-The combination of a vehicle, two line conductors parallel to the path over
which the vehicle moves, a source of irregular or alternating electricity at a fixed
station and connected to and between said lines, two condensing plates or strips
upon the vehicle, carried in inductive proximity to said conductors, and an electric
motor on the vehicle connected to and between the condensing plates or strips and
arranged to propel the vehicle.
5 The combination in an electric railway, of an open circuit line conductor,
having a condensing surface, a condensing plate or strip upon a car carried in
source of
inductive proximity to said conductor and connected with a rail, a
alternating currents at a fixed station connected to the line, and an electric motor
on the vehicle connected to the condensing plate or strip and with the vehicle for
moving the latter.
6-In an electric railway, the combination of a vehicle, two condensing
strips a distance apart and parallel to the railway, a source of irregular or
alternating electricity at a fixed station and connected to and between said
strips, two condensing plates or strips upon the vehicle, parallel with the
former strips and carried in inductive proximity thereto, and an electric motor

page_text: on the vehicle connected to and between the plates or strips thereon, and arranged
to propel the vehicle.
7-In an electric railway, the combination of a vehicle, a source of irregular or
alternating current, an electric condenser extending along the railway and connected
to the source, an electric motor on the vehicle arranged for propelling the same
and an electric condenser carried on the vehicle in inductive proximity to the
former condenser and connected to the motor.
8-In an electric railway, the combination of a source of irregular or alter
nating current at a fixed station, a conductor connected to the source and
extending along the railway, a plurality of condensers connected to the conductor
and having condensing plates parallel to the railway, an electric motor on the
vehicle arranged for propelling the same, and an electric condenser carried on
the vehicle and having a condensing plate parallel to and adapted to be moved in
inductive proximity to the former plates successively, and electrically connected to
the motor.
=
9 In an electric railway, the combination of a source of irregular or alternating
current at a fixed station, line conductors connected to the terminals of the source
and extending along the railway, a plurality of condensers connected to each con-
ductor and having condensing plates parallel to the railway, an electric motor on
the vehicle arranged for propelling the same, two electric condensers carried on
the vehicle and each having a condensing plate parallel to and adapted to be
moved in inductive proximity to the plurality of condensing plates of the con-
densers connected to one of the line conductors, and electric connections between
the vehicle condensers and the motor.
10 In an electric railway, the combination of a source of irregular or alternating
current at a fixed station, line conductors connected to the terminals of the source
extending along the railway and open circuited at the distant end thereof, a
plurality of condensers distributed at intervals along the way and connected to
each conductor, condensing plates parallel to the railway and connected to the con-
densers, an electric motor on the vehicle arranged for propelling the same, two
electric condensers carried on the vehicle, a condensing plate parallel to and adapted
to be moved in inductive proximity to the plurality of condensing plates of the
condensers connected to one of the line conductors, and electric connections
between the vehicle condensers and the motor.
Dated this 10th dow of T... 1000
MARK WESLEY DEWEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.