Improvements in Apparatus for Supplying Electricity to Electrically Propelled Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th June, 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897.
Improvements in Apparatus for Supplying Electricity to Electrically
Propelled Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
[A communication from ALFREDO DIATTO, of Turin, Italy, Engineer.]
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus described in the
Specification of Letters l'atent No. 23944, of 1894.
It has for objects the diminution of the wear of the magnet-bar a, referred to
in the said former specification; the strengthening of the magnetic field acting
upon the movable switch-block d of the contact piece b; improvements in the con-
struction and detail-arrangement of the box B and its appurtenances; and the
maintenance of the magnetic condition of the bar a when contact with the contact-
pieces ceases and the current is momentarily interrupted as I shall now proceed
to explain with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
For the purpose of reducing as much as possible the wear of the magnet-bar
resulting from the friction against the contact-pieces b, there is employed a
bar a that is longitudinally flexible, and the magnetizing electro-magnets M,
to the lower ends of whose cores the bar is attached, are, as shown in Fig. 5 of
the accompanying drawings, suspended at both sides by means of cords 1, from
springs m, whose tension is capable of being regulated by means of nuts ","
whilst the upper ends of the magnets are suspended by means of rings i from
hooks . The distance of these hooks from the ground and consequently the
minimuni distance of the bar a from the ground is regulated to suit requirement
by means of nuts . In consequence of this double suspension, the bar bears
with only a small portion of its weight against the contact-pieces, the remainder
of its weight being transmitted to the springs m and the hooks ; and, further it
will readily vield, when required, in an upward direction.
-
In order that the bar a may be able to adapt itself the better to the track when
the later is uneven or undulating, it may be made in sections joined together
by hinges.
"For the purpose of exposing the moveable switch-block d of the contact-piece b
to as powerful a magnetic field as possible, the mercury receptacle r is carried by an
iron bridge-piece y (as shown in cross section in Figs. 2 and 3), which is supported
by upwardly curved iron pieces h that are embedded in the insulating material of
the box B. The lines of force consequently spread from the projection c of the
contact-piece b through the switch-block d, the bridge-piece 9, and the curved
pieces h.
In the example shown the main conductor is connected to the mercury receptacle r

page_text: by means of two wires k 2, the latter of which is attached to the lower part f of
the said receptacle.
The switch-box B is moulded of suitable insulating material-e.g., asphalte-
concrete so as to hold firmly a ring o in and on which the piece b rests and is
locked, the piece being put into place by passing each of its two or more teeth b¹
(Figs. 6 and 7) into an opening o' (see also Fig. 4) and then turning the piece b
so that the said tooth enters the recess o2 and is forced against the inclined sur-
face o of the ring o. The hole 63, which may be stopped with a filling, serves for
turning the piece b, by means of a suitable tool and with the aid of a hammer,
either for the purpose of fastening the box or for opening it.
In order that in places where the employment of contact-pieces b is not desired,
or is impracticable, and the car has to move along by its own momentum, the bar a
shall maintain its magnetic state notwithstanding the lack of contact with the con-
tact pieces (which under normal conditions supply the magnetising electro-magnets
with current), so that the said bar shall be in proper operative condition when it
comes to the next contact piece, there is employed the arrangement, shown dia-
grammatically in Fig. 8, in which S represents the track rails, K the main con-
ductor, E the vehicle motor, and R the speed-regulator or current interrupter.
In this arrangement a storage-battery Z is included in the circuit of the electro-
magnets M, which is, in the example shown, arranged as a shunt to the motor
circuit, the number of storage cells being such that half of the line voltage is ab-
sorbed by the said cells, and the other half is absorbed by the electro-magnets.
As soon as the contact between the bar a and a contact-piece b ceases, or even if
a momentary interruption of the current takes place, the storage battery current
flows in the opposite direction through the electro-magnets, which, it may be said,
is no drawback and maintains the bar in a magnetic condition. By means of a
switch, the storage battery can be caused to act upon the electro-magnets alone.
The advantage obtained by the above described arrangement as compared with
the usual mode of using a storage battery, consists in that my new arrangement
requires only half the number of storage cells necessitated by the said usual
arrangement in which the cells must absorb the total voltage of the line.
since, further, the resistance offered by the electro-magnet coils is constantly
included in the storage battery circuit, the storage cells may be made of as small
dimensions as required by circumstances, without liability of their being exposed
to too strong a current when charging or discharging. It will be obvious that
this storage battery arrangement may be employed in connection with auxiliary
apparatus for supplying electricity to electrically propelled railway and tramway
vehicles other than that herein before referred to or described.
Dated this 26th day of September 1896
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for Supplying Electricity to Electrically
Propelled Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
[A communication from ALFREDO DIATTO, of Turin, Italy, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention 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 improvements, in the apparatus described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 23944, of 1894.

page_text: It has for objects the diminution of the wear of the magnet-bar a, referred to
in the said former specification; the strengthening of the magnetic field acting
upon the movable switch-block d of the contact-piece b; improvements in the con-
struction and detail-arrangement of the box B and its appurtenances; and the
maintenance of the magnetic condition of the bar a when contact with the contact-
pieces ceases and the current is momentarily interrupted as I shall now proceed
t explain with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive of the drawings filed with my
Provisional Specification.
For the purpose of reducing as much as possible the wear of the magnet-bar
resulting from the friction against the contact-pieces b, there is employed a
bar a which is longitudinally flexible, and the magnetizing electro-magnets M,
to the lower ends of whose cores the bar is attached, are, as shown in Fig. 5, sus-
pended at both sides by means of cords 1, from springs m, whose tension is capable
of being regulated by means of nuts n, whilst the upper ends of the magnets are
suspended by means of rings i from hooks i¹. The distance of these hooks from the
ground and, consequently, the minimum distance of the bar a from the ground
is regulated to suit requirement by means of nuts 22. In consequence of this
double suspension, the bar bears with only a small portion of its weight against the
contact-pieces, the remainder of its weight being transmitted to the springs m
and the hooks i'; and, further, it will readily yield, when required, in an upward
direction.
In order that the bar a may be able to adapt itself the better to the track when
the latter is uneven or undulating, it may be made in sections joined together
by hinges.
For the purpose of exposing the moveable switch-block of the contact-piece b
to as powerful a magnetic field as possible, the mercury receptacle r is carried by an
iron bridge-piece 9 (as shown in cross-section in Figs. 2 and 3 and in plan in
Fig. 4), which is supported by upwardly curved iron pieces that are imbedded in
the insulating material of the box B. The lines of force consequently spread from
the projection c of the contact-piece b through the switch-block d, the bridge-piece g
and the curved pieces h.
In the example shown, the main conductor is connected to the mercury receptacle r
by means of two wires, the latter of which is attached to the lower part f of
the said receptacle.
The switch-box B (Figs. 2, 3, and 4) is moulded of suitable insulating material
e.g., asphalte-concrete-so as to hold firmly a ring o in and on which the piece b
rests and is locked, the piece being put into place by passing each of its two or
more teeth b¹ (Figs. 6 and 7) into an opening of (see also Fig. 4) and then turning
the piece so that the said tooth enters a recess 2 and is forced against an inclined
surface o of the ring o. The hole 2, which may be stopped with a filling, serves
for turning the piece b, by means of a suitable tool and with the aid of a hammer,
either for the purpose of fastening the box or for opening it.
In order that, in places where the employment of contact-pieces b is not desired,
or is impracticable, and the car has to move along by its own momentum, the bar a
shall maintain its magnetic state notwithstanding the lack of contact with the con-
tact-pieces (which under normal conditions supply the magnetizing electro-magnets
with current), so that the said bar shall be in proper operative condition when it
comes to the next contact-piece b, there is employed the arrangement shown dia-
grammatically in Fig. 8, in which S represents the track-rails, K the main con-
ductor, E the vehicle-motor, and 12 the speed-regulator or current interrupter.
In this arrangement a storage-battery Z is included in the circuit of the electro-
magnets M, which is, in the example shown, arranged as a shunt to the motor
circuit, the number of storage cells being such that half of the line-voltage is ab-
sorbed by the said cells and the other half is absorbed by the electro-magnets. As
soon as the contact between the bar a and a contact piece b ceases, or even if a
momentary interruption of the current takes place, the storage-battery current
flows in the opposite direction through the electro-magnets (which reversal of

page_text: direction it may be mentioned, is no drawback) and maintains the bar in a magnetic
condition. By means of a switch, the storage battery can be caused to act upon
the electro magnets alone. The advantage obtained by the above described
arrangement as compared with the usual mode of using a storage-battery, consists
in that my new arrangement requires only half the number of storage-cells necessi-
tated by the said usual arrangement, in which the cells must absorb the total voltage
of the line. Furthermore, since the resistance offered by the electro-magnet coils
is constantly included in the storage-battery circuit, the storage-cells may be made
of as small dimensions as required by circumstances, without any liability of their
being exposed to too strong a current when charging or discharging.
It will be obvious that this storage-battery arrangement may be employed in
connexion with auxiliary apparatus for supplying electricity to electrically pro-
pelled railway and tramway vehicles other than that hereinbefore referred to or
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. Apparatus of the kind herein referred to for supplying electricity to electri-
cally propelled railway and tramway vehicles, in which, for the purpose of reducing
as much as possible the friction of the magnet bar a against the contact-pieces b,
the magnetizing electro magnets M have their cores (which are connected to the
bar a) suspended adjustably by means of rods or cords 7 and springs m at their sides,
and rings i and adjustable hooks i¹ at their upper ends, substantially as herein before
described with reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings.
2. In apparatus of the kind herein referred to for supplying electricity to elec-
trically propelled railway and tramway vehicles, for the purpose of strengthening
the magnetic field acting upon the movable switch-blocks d of the contact-pieces b,
the arrangement of a mercury-receptacle in a bridge-piece g having lateral
upwardly curved iron extensions h, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings.
3. Apparatus for supplying electricity to electrically propelled railway and
tramway vehicles, in which, for the purpose of keeping a magnet-bar in a magnetic
condition in case of interruption of contact with the road contact-pieces, there is
inserted in the part of the circuit of the electro-magnets between the main con-
ductor and the said electro-magnets, a storage battery having a number of storage
cells such that the said cells will take up part of the line-voltage, so that when the
contact with the road contact-pieces is interrupted, current will be sent through the
electro magnets in the opposite direction, substantially as described.
4. My improved apparatus for supplying electricity to electrically propelled
railway and tramway vehicles, constructed and arranged as herein before described
with reference to and shown in Figs. 2 to 8 inclusive of the drawings herein referred
to.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.