Apparatus for Simultaneously Actuating from One Point the Con- trolling Switches of the Several Electrical Motor Cars of a Train.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1899
Apparatus for Simultaneously Actuating from One Point the Con-
trolling Switches of the Several Electrical Motor Cars of a Train.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED, of 12, Queen Anne's Gate, West-
minster, S.W., Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (as communicated to us from abroad by Siemens & Halske Aktien Gesell-
schaft, of Markgrafen Strasse, No. 94, Berlin, S.W., Electrical Engineers), and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention has for its object in electrically propelled rail or tramway trains
having two or more motor cars, to enable the switch apparatus for starting and
controlling the several motors to be all simultaneously put in action from one
and the same point.
This is effected by providing on the motor cars small auxiliary motors running
with synchronous motion, which are supplied with current either from the line
conductor or from a secondary battery and which during the running of the
train continuously impart motion through an intermediate shaft to two toothed
wheels running in opposite directions and with different speeds and which are
loose upon the shaft of the starting and controlling switch.
By means of an electromagnetic coupling device on the said shaft the one or
other of the said toothed wheels can be coupled with the switch shaft, the switch
being thrown into action when its shaft is coupled with the slow speed wheel,
and thrown out of action when coupled with the quick speed wheel. Normally
neither of the wheels are in engagement with the switch shaft, and consequently
the electrical connections of the motor cars are then unchanged. The actuation
of the electro-magnetic couplings on the switch shafts is effected simultaneously
in all the cars by means of a hand switch situated at the driver's or conductor's
stand.
The electro magnetic coupling and the hand switch can be variously con-
structed and the starting switch can consist of separate parts which are sepa-
rately actuated by special auxiliary shafts. On the accompanying drawings are
shewn by way of example two arrangements for a train composed of three motor
cars.
The electro motors that propel the cars, as also the internal arrangement of
the starting and controlling switches are not shewn, as these may be of any suit-
able known construction, and do not concern the present invention.
The auxiliary motors m drive by means of worm and worm wheel gear s s¹ the
intermediate shaft w' on which are two toothed wheels of which the larger one,
engages directly with the toothed wheel r while the smaller one 2 drives the
wheel in the contrary direction and at a slower speed by means of the inter-
mediate wheel 23, tr and tv being fixed upon one and the same shaft w.
In the arrangement at Fig. 1 electro-magnets are directly combined with
the wheels and tv, and between these is the coupling magnet K. while
the starting switch and controlling apparatus S, which may be of the ordinary
Price 871

page_text: construction used on electric tramways, is directly or indirectly actuated by the
shaft w².
The electro magnets connected to the toothed wheels tv and t r consist of iron
drums surrounded by coils and pr and, together with the wheels, are loose
upon shaft w, but cannot shift longitudinally thereon.
The clutch magnet is also of iron and is excited by the coil p. Two springs f
tend to keep K in the middle position between tv and tr.
Each driver's or conductor's stand on the car is provided with a hand switch u,
by which the motion of the train can be controlled. The switch consists of two
arms d¹ and d² coupled together but insulated from each other, and which each
carry an additional arm e¹ and e².
The switches are usually arranged to assume automatically the position of rest,
as shewn in the second and third cars, in which position there is no current supply
from the line conductors I II. By means of a key, of which only one is pro-
vided on a train the hand switch which for the time being is at the front end of
the train can be actuated; by this means a current is passed in one direction
or the other through the coil of the clutch magnet K, whereby this together with
the shaft is made to engage with either of the magnets t vor tr which are
revolving in contrary directions and which have poles of the same sign at the
inner ends, and by this means the starting switch S is put in or out of action.
Owing to the difference in the speeds of tv and t r the putting in action of
the switch takes place slowly and the putting out of action rapidly.
In the position of the hand switch shewn in the front or left hand car at Fig. 1,
the current enters from line conductor through the positive current collector
and is branched off at 1 firstly to the auxiliary motor m, secondly to the starting
switch S and thirdly to the arms and e¹ of the hand switch u.
From the current passes through 2, coils and pv, through the connec
tion to the second car, where it also passed through peand pr and to the third
car.
This is arranged with its front end rearwards, whereby a crossing of the leads
is rendered necessary, if it be required to avoid a reversal of the polarity of tv
and tr in the last car.
The crossing of the leads may be effected in any known manner.
At the third or last car the current passes through the end connection which
can be suitably combined with a kind of indicator disc operated by hand, or it
may be arranged to operate automatically; thence the current passes through
the coils pr and pv, through both of which it passes in the same direction, as
in the first car, and lastly it passes straight through the connections 2 and 3, 4,
and through the negative current collector of the first car to line conductor II.
Both in the right hand and in the left hand position of the hand switch u all
the electro magnets tr, tv of all the cars are excited with the same polarity in-
dependently of the position of the car in the train, while in the middle position
of the said switch the coils are without current.
In the position shewn, furthermore, current flows from lead I through and 4,
and through to the second and third cars, in the latter of which it passes
through the coil p, through end connection 2 (arranged the same as a¹) back
to the first and second cars and through their clutch spools p, contact 5 and arm d
to the line conductor II.
With the left hand position of the current flows through the same parts but
in the contrary direction. It is to be observed that with the arrangement at
Fig. 1 on moving the hand switch into a given position, all coupling and
switch movements will be the same and will take place simultaneously, independ-
ently of the relative positions of the cars to each other.
If it be assumed that with the position of u shewn at the first car all the
clutches K have a north pole at the right hand, and the contiguous ends of t v
are south poles, then by the engagement of p with tall these parts will be
magnetically coupled with the starting switches and controllers S until the opera-

page_text: ting hand switch u reurns to the middle position. The person in charge, to
whom the crank movements of his own starting switch and controllers S should
be visible, is therefore in the position, for instance by turning his switch key to
the right, to actuate simultaneously all the starting switches and controllers S
so as to bring them fully or partially into action through the respective gearing,
he can also retard the switching on by occasionally bring his hand switch into
the middle position, when the clutch magnets will become disengaged and all
the shafts we will remain stationary.
The throwing out of action of the switches and controllers S will then be
effected by a movement to the left hand of the switch u.
As the starting switch and controller drums require to be moved with jerks it
is advisable to interpose springs between 2 and $ and to provide the switch and
controller drums with ratchet teeth and pawls, which only liberate the drum
with a certain pressure of the actuating spring, and then allow it to jerk forward
to the next tooth.
The arrangement shewn at Fig. 2 which requires, however, the provision of
an accumulator battery for exciting the electromagnet clutches, has the advan-
tage that an automatic braking action can be obtained on the separation of a
train and on an intentional interruption of the starting and controlling switch
leads, consequently it fulfils all the conditions of an automatic emergency brake.
The above mentioned automatic braking action is effected in the known manner
by means of the ordinary braking contacts on the controller when thrown into
the braking position.
The clutch gear consists as before of two iron clutch bodies tv and tr rotated
loose on shaft 2 in contrary directions by toothed gear of which bodies tv runs
at a slow speed and serves for putting the starting switch and controller into
action, while t r runs at a quick speed and serves to throw the switch and con-
troller out of action.
The clutch piece Kv which can slide upon but revolves with w³ is rendered
magnetic by a current passed through the coil pv, it is then attracted by t v
(which cannot move longitudinally) in overcoming the resistance of the spring fv,
and couples shaft w2, as also the starting and controlling switch spindle, with
the clutch piece tu so that the motor of the car is put in action as at Fig. 1. On
the other hand Kr which is also an electromagnet, when its coil p r is without
current is pressed by spring fr against tr (which is dismagnetic) and thereby
couples w with tr so that the starting switch is in that case thrown out of action,
or if the rotation continues beyond a certain point, a braking action will occur.
If on the other hand a current is passed through p r then Kr will be drawn
against the disc shaped iron armature g which is loose on w2 but cannot shift
longitudinally and the starting switch will then remain stationary.
With the above arrangements it is possible by means of the hand switch g, the
battery on the car and three leads to effect the following operations.
1. To send a current through the coils and pr of each car (switch 9 on
contact 1) by this means a slow putting in action of the starting and controlling
switch will be effected.
2. To send a current only through all the coils p r (g on contact 2) by this
means the starting switch and controller shaft is brought to a standstill in the
position which it has attained.
3. To break the circuit of all the coils (idle contact 3).
By this means a rapid putting out of action of the switch and controller S and
braking of all the cars by means of the ordinary braking contacts on the con-
troller will be effected; this latter action also takes place on any disturbance of
the switch and controller apparatus if this produces an interruption of the current,
as also on the separation of the train.
The auxiliary switch motors m can also be driven by the battery, whereby the
advantage would be gained that no disturbance could be caused through damage

page_text: to the current collectors, or interruption of their contacts, or through the failing
of the current supply.
In the case of separation of a train and the like, the momentum of the switch
motors would always be sufficient to bring the switch to the braking position.
The hand switch of a car that has no operator is always brought to the idle
contact 3 by any well known device.
In Fig. 2 is shewn at y the spring connection between the shaft w and the
starting switch spindle referred to in the description of Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In electrically propelled cars, appliances for simultaneously and uniformly
putting in or out of action of the ordinary starting switches and controllers of
each car of a train from one and the same point, consisting in the provision on
each car of synchronously driven auxiliary motors, which by means of transmis-
sion gear and electro magnetic coupling clutches, effect the simultaneous actua-
tion of the starting and controlling switches either for the starting or the stopping
action, or maintain them in the position into which they are brought, such
different actions being produced by the movement of a single hand switch at the
driver's or conductor's post, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for simultaneously operating the starting and stopping switches
of two or more electrically propelled cars by means of a single hand switch on
one of the cars, arranged and operating as herein described with reference to the
drawings.
Dated this 16th day of December 1898
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.