IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND OTHER VEHICLES ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS GENERALLY
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Stroudley, of Brighton in the County of Sussex
Engineer, and Edward John Houghton of 1 Pilkington Road Peckham in the
County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING ON RAILWAY TRAINS
AND OTHER VEHICLES ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION AND
DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS GENERALLY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Stroudley and
Edward John Houghton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
23rd May 1883.
WILLIAM. STROUDLEY of Brighton in the County of Sussex Engineer and
EDWARD JOHN HOUGHTON of 1 Pilkington Road Peckham in the County of Surrey
Electrical Engineer " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
ELECTRIC LIGHTING ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND OTHER VEHICLES ALSO PARTLY
APPLICABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS
GENERALLY
"
This invention relates mainly to improved means and apparatus for electric
lighting on railway trains and other vehicles by means of dynamo electric or
magneto-electric machines and electric accumulators, reservoirs or secondary
batteries, the dynamo electric machines being driven by the motion of the train
and thus made to charge the accumulators from which the electric lamps are
supplied.
According to one of our improvements we effect the automatic reversal of the
commutator brushes of the dynamo or magneto electric machine on the reversal
of the motion of the machine according as the train is travelling in one direction or
the other, so that the collection and storing up of the current will be effected under
all circumstances.
For this purpose, the axis of the commutator carries a fixed pulley round which
passes a gut whose one end is attached to a loose sleeve on the axis of the upper
commutator brushes. This sleeve has an arm projecting up from it, and on this
arm is a sliding piece to which the other end of the gut is attached and which is
CD
31

page_text: pushed upward with sufficient force by a spring to cause the gut to be held tight
round the pulley, so that when this is rotated in one direction or the other, it
causes the sleeve with its arm also to turn somewhat in one direction or the other.
The arm has its upper end cranked and pivotted to a swinging rod pivotted at its
upper end and embracing with a hook at its lower end a bar on the swinging frame
of the brushes, so that by the above described movement of the sleeve and its arm
in one direction or the other, the swinging rod is slid with its hook to the one or
the other end of the said bar, so that if the upper end of the rod be now lifted, it
will raise up the swinging frame of the brushes in one direction or the other,
thereby bringing the one or the other pair of brushes in contact with the
commutator, the upper and lower swinging frames being connected together by a
link so as to be made to move simultaneously. When not acted upon by the
swinging rod, the swinging frames are maintained in an intermediate position, in
which all the brushes are out of contact, by means of a flat spring bearing against
a flat surface on the swinging frame.
The making contact with the commutator is, according to another of our
improvements, only made to take place after the field magnet coils are charged.
For this purpose, according to one arrangement the armature axis of the magneto
electric machine drives a centrifugal governor whose sleeve actuates one end of a
double ended lever whose other end is attached to a sliding block on a vertical bar
on which is a second sliding block above the first one carrying the pivot of the
before described swinging rod of the brush frames, and between the two sliding
blocks is a helical spring. The lever is held down by a spring or weight so that
the governor can only begin to move it when the armature of the magneto electric
machine has attained a certain speed; when the lever begins to move, it raises the
lower sliding block and this, through the helical spring, also raises the upper block,
thus raising the before-mentioned swinging rod and bringing the one or the other
pair of brushes into contact with the commutator as described
According to another of our improvements the exciting current for the field
magnets of the magneto electric machine is derived from the lamp circuit, and the
contact for this, as also that for the charging circuit to the secondary batteries, are
only made after the commutator brushes are put in contact, and after the machine
has attained a certain speed. For this purpose, the before mentioned lever carries
at one point a contact block so arranged that when the lever, after having put the
brushes on the commutator, is raised still higher by the governor, consequent on a
further increase of speed of the machine, it compresses the helical spring between
the two sliding blocks, and at the same time brings the contact block firstly against
two contact pieces which connect up the circuit of the exciting current from the
lamp circuit, and then against other contact pieces that connect up the charging
circuit. These contacts are maintained so long as the normal speed of the magneto
electric machine is maintained; as soon as the speed drops the lever, in falling, first
disconnects the charging circuit, then the exciting circuit, and lastly brings the
brushes out of contact. By these means, a sufficiently powerful and constant
current is produced by the magneto electric machine at varying speeds to render the
application of other methods of regulating the current unnecessary.
According to another modification, we mount loose upon the commutator axis
an insulated metal beam to the opposite ends of which are fixed sockets or holders,
insulated from the beam and carrying the brushes, which in this case are made up.
of rectangular pieces of sheet copper which are kept continuously against the
commutator by springs in the sockets. The latter have spring arms projecting from
either side thereof, so that when the commutator begins to rotate it carries round
the brushes by frictional contact in one direction or the other, until the one spring
arm of each socket is brought in contact with a contact screw whereby
connection between the brushes and the circuit is established. On the speed of
the commutator increasing, it will drag the brushes still further round, thereby
bringing a third spring arm projecting from the back of each brush socket against
another contact which completes the charging circuit..

page_text: According to another improvement we arrange a commutator in connection with
the circuit of the magneto machine and the secondary batteries in such manner
that when the currents from the machine and from the secondary battery are
nearly equal, the secondary battery is cut out from the circuit of the machine. For
this purpose a galvanometer needle is arranged in connection with the circuit in
such manner that when it stands at the zero point (which will be the case when
the opposing currents are about equal) it will cause the contact of the battery
circuit to be broken; and such breaking of contact being effected when the currents
are of nearly equal strength, there will practically be no sparking.
According to another improvement we arrange a dynamo or magneto electric
machine to operate in combination with two sets, of accumulators and a lamp
circuit by means of a special commutator having contacts so arranged that in one
position of the commutator it connects the dynamo or magneto machine with the
one set of accumulators, so as to charge them, while at the same time it connects
the other set of accumulators, which have been previously charged, with the lamp
circuit. When the first named set of accumulators have become charged and the
last named set are exhausted, the commutator is turned so as to connect the
magneto or dynamo machine with the latter and the lamp circuit with the former.
The commutator has for this purpose firstly, two contacts for the two poles of the
charging circuit of the magneto or dynamo machine, secondly two contacts for
each of the accumulators which are connected alternately with those of the magneto
or dynamo machine, and thirdly two contacts for the lamp circuit which are
alternately connected with the two contacts of one or other of the sets of
accumulators. The exciting current for the magneto machine is, as before, derived'
from the lamp circuit.
f
Although we have described our improvements as specially applicable to eléctric
lighting in railway trains and other vehicles, yet it will be readily understood that
the arrangements for regulating, for making and breaking contacts and for
distributing the currents are also applicable to other electrical purposes. :

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Stroudley and Edward John Houghton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd November 1883.
WILLIAM STROUDLEY of Brighton in the County of Sussex Engineer and
EDWARD JOHN HOUGHTON of 1 Pilkington Road Peckham in the County of Surrey
Electrical Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
ELECTRIC LIGHTING ON RAILWAY TRAINS AND OTHER VEHICLES ALSO PARTLY
APPLICABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS
GENERALLY."
Our Invention relates mainly to improved means and apparatus for electric
lighting on railway trains and other vehicles or vessels by means of dynamo-
electric or magneto-electric machines and electric accumulators reservoirs or
secondary batteries the said electric machines being driven by the motion of the
train and thus made to charge the accumulators from which the electric lamps are
.supplied.
According to one of our improvements we effect the automatic reversal of the
commutator brushes of the dynamo or magneto-electric machine on the reversal of
the motion of the machine according as the train is travelling in one direction or
the other so that the collection and storing up of the current will be effected
under all circumstances
For this purpose the axis of the commutator carries a fixed pulley round which
passes a gut whose one end is attached to a loose sleeve on the axis of the upper
commutator brushes. This sleeve has an arm projecting up from it and on this
arm is a sliding piece to which the other end of the gut is attached and which is
pushed upward with sufficient force by a spring to cause the gut to be held tight
round the pulley so that when this is rotated in one direction or the other it
causes the sleeve with its arm also to turn somewhat in one direction or the other.
The arm has its upper end cranked and pivotted to a swinging rod pivotted at its
upper end and embracing with a hook at its lower end a bar on the swinging
frame of the brushes so that by the above described movement of the sleeve and
its arm in one direction or the other the swinging rod is slid with its hook to the
one or the other end of the said bar so that if the upper end of the rod be now
lifted it will raise the swinging frame of the brushes in one direction or the other
thereby bringing the one or the other pair of brushes in contact with the com-
mutator the upper and lower swinging frames being connected together by a link
so as to be made to move simultaneously When not acted upon by the swinging
rod the swinging frames are maintained in an intermediate position in which all
the brushes are out of contact by means of a flat spring bearing against a flat
surface on the swinging frame.
The making contact with the commutator is according to another of our
improvements only made to take place after the field magnet coils are charged
For this purpose according to one arrangement the armature axis of the electric
machine drives a centrifugal governor whose sleeve actuates one end of a double
ended lever whose other end is attached to a sliding block on a vertical bar on
which is a second sliding block above the first one, carrying the pivot of the before
described swinging rod of the brush frames and between the two sliding blocks is
a helical spring. The lever is held down by a spring or weight so that the
governor can only begin to move it when the armature of the electric machine has
attained a certain speed; when the lever begins to move, it raises the lower
sliding block and this through the helical spring also raises the upper block thus

page_text: raising the before mentioned swinging rod and bringing the one or the other pair
of brushes into contact with the commutator as described.
According to another of our arrangements the exciting current for the field
magnets of the electric machine is derived from the lamp circuit and the contact
for this as also that for the charging circuit to the secondary batteries are only
made after the commutator brushes are put in contact and after the machine has
attained a certain speed. For this purpose the before mentioned lever carries at
one point a contact block so arranged that when the lever after having put the
brushes on the commutator is raised still higher by the governor consequent on a
further increase of speed of the machine, it compresses the helical spring between
the two sliding blocks and at the same time brings the contact block firstly against
a contact piece or two contact pieces which connect up the circuit of the exciting
current from the lamp circuit and then against another contact piece or other
contact pieces that connect up the charging circuit These contacts are maintained
so long as the normal speed of the magneto-electric machine is maintained. As
soon as the speed drops the lever in falling first disconnects the charging circuit,
then the exciting circuit, and lastly, brings the brushes out of contact. By these
means a sufficiently powerful and constant current may be produced by the
electric machine at varying speeds to render the application of other methods of
regulating the current unnecessary.
We may employ a galvanometer needle in the charging circuit to indicate the
strength of current in the ordinary way so that we can properly adjust the points
at which the rise of the lever acted upon by the governor will make the contact
for the charging circuit.
We arrange an electric machine to operate in combination with two sets of
accumulators and a lamp circuit by means of a special commutator having contacts
so arranged that in one position of the commutator it connects the electric machine
with the one set of accumulators so as to charge them while at the same time it
.connects the other set of accumulators which have been previously charged with
the lamp circuit. When the first named set of accumulators have become charged
and the last named set are exhausted the commutator is turned so as to connect
the electric machine with the latter and the lamp circuit with the former. The
commutator has for this purpose firstly two contacts for the two poles of the
charging circuit of the electric machine secondly two contacts for each of the
accumulators which are connected alternately with those of the electric machine
and thirdly two contacts for the lamp circuit which are alternately connected with
the two contacts of one or other of the sets of accumulators. The exciting current
for the electric machine is as before derived from the lamp circuit.
Although we have described our improvements as specially applicable to electric
lighting on railway trains and other vehicles yet it will be readily understood that
the arrangements for regulating for making and breaking contacts and for
distributing the currents are also applicable to other electrical purposes.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed Sheet of drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 an end elevation (drawn to a larger
Scale) of a Dynamo machine arranged according to our Invention and Figure 3 is
a diagram shewing a plan for charging the field magnet coils from the lamp circuit
and working with two sets of accumulators.
According to one of our Improvements we effect the automatic reversal of the
commutator brushes of the dynamo or magneto electric machine on the reversal of
the motion of the machine according as the train (or other vehicle or vessel) is
travelling in one direction or the other so that the collection and storing up of the
current will be effected under all circumstances-The commutator brushes are
arranged in two pairs marked P and P³ in Figure 2 carried by swing frames so
that either the two marked P or the two marked P2 are in contact with the com-
mutator, according to the direction in which the vehicle or train is running. For
>

page_text: this purpose the axis of the commutator A carries a pulley B fixed thereto round
which pulley passes a gut, b, whose one end is attached at c to a sleeve C on the
axis p of the upper commutator brushes. This sleeve C has an arm D, projecting
up from it and on this arm is a sliding. piece d, to which the other end of the
gut b, is attached, the said piece d, being pushed upward by a spring d² with a
force sufficient to cause the gut b, to be held tightly round the pulley B so that
when the said pulley is rotated in one or the other direction it causes also the
sleeve C with its arm D. to turn somewhat in one direction or the other. The
arm D has its upper end cranked and pivotted to or passed through a swinging
rod E pivotted at its upper end by a pivot e and having a hook e² at its lower end
embracing a bar f, carried by the frame of the upper brushes so that by the above
described movement of the sleeve C and its arm D in one or the other direction,
the swinging rod E is slid with its hook e² to the one or the other end of the said
bar fso that if the said rod E be now lifted it will raise up the swinging frame of
the brushes in one direction or the other, thereby bringing the one or the other
pair of brushes (P or P³) into contact with the commutator, the upper and lower
swinging frames G, G2 being connected together by a link g, so as to be made to
move simultaneously. When not acted upon by the swinging rod E the swinging
frames G G2 are maintained in an intermediate position as shewn in Figure 2 (in
which all the brushes are out of contact with the commutator) by means of a flat
spring h, bearing against á flat surface on the lower swinging frame. The making
of contact of one or other of the pairs of brushes with the commutator A is
according to another of our improvements only made to take place after the field.
magnet coils are charged. For this purpose according to one arrangement the
armature axis of the electric machine by a band passing over the pulleys I J, drives
a centrifugal governor K, whose sleeve actuates one end of a lever L, turning upon.
an adjustable centre 1, its other end being attached to a block M sliding on a
vertical bar N, which also carries a second sliding block Q above the first one, the
said block Q carrying the pivot e, of the swinging rod E of the brush frames.
Between the two sliding blocks is a helical spring r,-The lever L is held down by
a spring or weight (a spring is shewn at 8,) so that the governor K can only begin
to move it when the armature of the magneto-electric machine has attained a
certain speed. When the said lever L, begins to move, it raises the lower sliding
block M, and this, through the helical spring r, also raises the upper block Q, thus
raising the before mentioned swinging rod E and effecting the tilting of the
carrier G and through the rod g also the carrier G³ so as to bring either the pair
of brushes or rubbers P or the pair P2 into contact with the commutator as
hereinbefore mentioned so that the current flows to the secondary batteries or
accumulators in the proper direction whichever way the train vehicle or vessel may
be travelling.
In place of a centrifugal governor being employed the machine may be arranged
to run on a short circuit in which is an electro magnet so arranged that when the
electro motive force has increased beyond a certain limit the magnet will actuate a
switch and throw the batteries in but the governor will be found the more
convenient plan.
According to another of our improvements the exciting current for the field
magnets of the machine is derived from the lamp circuit, and the contact for this,
as also that for the charging circuit to the secondary batteries, are only made after
the commutator brushes are brought into action and after the machine has attained
a certain speed For this purpose the before mentioned lever L carries at one point
a block or device t, t2, which is provided with contact pieces so arranged that when
the lever L after having put the brushes on the commutator is raised still higher
by the governor K (consequent on a further increase of speed of the machine) it
compresses the helical spring r between the two sliding blocks M and Q and at the
same time brings the contact piece t on the block firstly against a contact piece (as
at n) which connects up the circuit of the exciting current for the field from the
lamp circuit and thereafter against another contact piece (as at v) which connects

page_text: up the charging circuit from the machine to the batteries These contacts are
maintained so long as the normal speed of the electric machine is maintained but
as soon as the speed drops, the lever L, in falling, first disconnects the charging
circuit, then the exciting circuit, and lastly, brings the brushes out of contact with
the commutator The part of the block marked t is of insulating material upon
which the contact pieces (n v) bear when the machine is out of action By these
means together with proper adjustment of the brushes a sufficiently powerful and
constant current can be produced by the machine at varying speeds to render the
application of other methods of regulating the current mostly unnecessary
The contacts n and v are made adjustable so that the circuit will be made when
the machine is rotating at a suitable speed and will be broken when the speed
sinks below that rate.
Figure 3 is a diagram representing an arrangement whereby we arrange the
dynamo or magneto-electric machine Z to operate in combination with two sets of
accumulators Y and Y2 and a circuit to the lamps X by means of a switch W
having contacts so arranged that in one position of the said commutator it connects
the electric machine Z with the one set of accumulators Y or Y2 so as to charge
them while at the same time it connects with the lamp circuit the other set of
accumulators previously charged. When the first named set of accumulators, has
become charged and the last named set is exhausted the switch W is turned so as
to connect the magneto or dynamo machine Z with the exhausted set and the lamp
circuit with the charged set The switch W has for this purpose two contacts for
the two poles of the charging circuit of the magneto or dynamo machine Z, two
contacts for each of the accumulators which are connected alternately with those
of the electric machine, and two contacts for the circuit of the lamps X which are
alternately connected with the two contacts of one or other of the sets of accumu-
lators Y or Y The circuits can be readily traced from the diagram figure 3 and
the plain views, Figures 4 and 5, of a switch arranged. for our system of currents
The barrel W has contacts w and w² and contact springs vare arranged in
proximity therewith The contact pieces ware of a length to extend from spring
to spring of a pair as shewn in Figure 5. The contact pieces w2 on opposite sides
are connected metallically with each other as shewn at v³ figure 4 The direction
of the currents is shewn by the dotted lines. In the position Figure 4 the current
from the dynamo enters at 1 passes from 2 to the set of accumulators being stored
and then passes across 3 and 4 back to the dynamo. The current from the stored
set of accumulators passes in at 1° out at 2 to the lamps and field magnets and
back through 3* and 4ª to the accumulator. When the second set of accumulators
is exhausted and the first set stored the barrel is turned to the position, figure 5,
the current from the dynamo then enters at 1 and passes at 1* to store the second
set of accumulators, thence passing by 4* and 4 back to the dynamo. The current
from the other set of accumulators previously stored passes in at 2 and out
at 2 to the lamps and field magnets and then by 3 and 3 back to the
accumulators
The exciting current for the field of the generating machine is as before stated
derived from the lamp circuit V-Figure 3 represents a switch by which the
current to the lamp circuit can be turned on or off.
Although we have described our improvements as specially applicable to electric
lighting in railway trains and other vehicles yet it will be readily understood that
the arrangements for regulating, for making and breaking contacts, and for
distributing the currents, are also applicable to other electrical purposes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First. In apparatus for generating electricity from motive power applied in
different directions, the employment of distinct sets of commutator brushes or

page_text: rubbers arranged upon swinging carriers in combination with a swing arm, which
is brought into position to bring the one or the other set of brushes into contact
with the commutator, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In apparatus for generating electricity from motive power applied in
different directions, the employment of a governor actuated from the revolving
armature, so as to bring one or other distinct set of commutator brushes or rubbers
into contact with the commutator to supply the current always in the proper
direction, in whichever direction the motive power may be applied, substantially
as herein before described and illustrated in figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. In apparatus for generating electric currents, the employment of a
governor deriving its motion from the revolving armature, and operating contact
makers in such manner that when a certain speed is attained the field magnets are
first excited and then the circuit to the batteries is completed, substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. In apparatus for generating electric currents, the combination of a
governor driven from the armature shaft, with a lever which is retained in position
to break the circuits for the generation of the currents until the machine has
attained a given speed or force, but which when this is attained completes the said
circuits, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. For electric lighting, or otherwise utilizing electric currents derived from
secondary batteries or accumulators, the employment in combination with the said
batteries or accumulators, of an electro-dynamo machine having its field charged
by the current from the batteries or accumulators, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
In witness whereof I the said Edward John Houghton on behalf of myself
and the said William Stroudley have to this our Specification set my hand and
seal this twenty-second day of November One thousand eight hundred and eighty
three