Improved Means for Supplying Current to Electrical Cars.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Supplying Current to Electrical Cars.
We, MICHAEL OTT Junior, Tailor of 75 Augustenstrasse Munich Bavaria and
ALBERT SILBERMANN Manufacturer of 74 Blumenstrasse Berlin Germany, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The present invention consists of a device by means of which the 'electric
current is supplied to the motor of an electric car.
In carrying out our invention we provide the upper surface of the rail with a
series of vertical holes arranged at suitable distance apart and each having a
spring plug or bolt normally retained in its upper position, so that its upper
end is about flush with the upper surface of the rail. The wheel of the car is
provided around its periphery with a series of axially projecting pins adapted to
engage the bolts of the rail as the wheel rotates and to depress the same and at
each depression to make the circuit and allow current to pass to the motor of the
car.
And in order to render the present specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts.
and
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the rail showing the car wheel in elevation,
Fig. 2 is a detached side elevation of the wheel.
The rail a is provided with a series of orifices 6 arranged at suitable distances
apart and each having therein a spring pressed bolt c, having collar d and a
helical spring f arranged thereunder, encircling the said bolt and resting with
its lower end on the conductor g which is suitably mounted in packing below the
top flange of the rail. The car wheel is provided around its periphery, or that
part of its periphery which contacts with the rail with a number of teeth i adapted
to engage with the orifices of the rail and to depress the bolts or plugs c when
they engage. The helical spring f is insulated and the lower end of the bolt c
is adapted, when the latter is depressed by the wheel to contact with the conductor g
and supply current to the motor of the car through the teeth i and wheel, or
other suitable conductors in connection with the car wheel.
The collar d of the bolt c is situated so as to prevent the bolt from rising above
the upper surface line of the rail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:--
A device for supplying current to electric cars in accordance with which the
conductor is situated within the rail or under the rail flange, which consists in
arranging a series of orifices b in the rail flange at suitable distance apart, said
holes to correspond with teeth i on the contacting periphery of the car wheel,

page_text: and a series of spring pressed bolts in the said orifices, one in each, adapted to
be depressed by the said teeth when the car runs along the line and to make
contact with the conductor g and supply current to the motor of the car substanti-
ally as described.