Improvements in Electric Locomotives or Motor Cars for Adhesion and Rack Railways.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Locomotives or Motor Cars for Adhesion
and Rack Railways.
We, THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY LIMITED, of 83, Cannon Street,
in the City of London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our
said invention (which has been communicated to us from abroad by The Union
Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft, of Berlin, Germany, Electrical Engineers), and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
In the case of vehicles which run up steep gradients and also on a level there
exists in general a difficulty in constructing the motor so that it may be suitable
for both uses. On this account resort is generally had to some special motive power
for steep ascents, rendering necessary either a transfer of passengers to another
vehicle or a change of the one used for propulsion, involving a decided disadvan-
tage in either case. It is therefore very desirable that a vehicle may be so
constructed that it is equally suitable for running on a level or up the steepest
gradients.
The present invention relates to an arrangement of electric motors for vehicles
running either by adhesion alone or by a combination of adhesion and rack
rails and cog wheel. It consists essentially of two motors of quite different capacity
of which the stronger affords the main power for the steep gradients and the
weaker the power for level portions of the line and also an additional power
on steep gradients. When working together these are equally loaded, so that
by proper adjustment both motors work with the highest efficiency.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents the arrangement of motors
referred to as attached to the lower portion of a motor car, or locomotive engine,
and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through line a-a of Fig. 1.
The motor A having its armature and field coils wound for a speed suitable for
use on levels, drives the adhesion wheels by means of a gearing in the usual
manner.
The motor B is of a similar type but of greater capacity and is wound for a much
higher speed. The gearing of this motor is so arranged that the axle C makes
The bevel
the same number of revolutions as the axle D driven by the motor A.
gear wheel F; driven by motor B, is firmly fixed to the cog wheel Z and both can
turn loosely on the axle C. The coupling K allows the wheels F and Z to be
firmly fastened to the axle. The motors work in the following manner:
On a level road the motor A may alone be employed. On a steep gradient with
a greater load the coupling K is operated to lock the wheel F to the axle C so that
the motor B will serve to drive said axle. When the vehicle comes to a portion
of the road furnished with a rack rail the coupling K is operated or shifted so that
the motor B no longer acts upon the axle C but the cog wheel Z then works upon
the rack rail. In this case the driving wheels of the axle D still work by adhesion
on the rails. It is possible that the rack may be laid so deep that the circumference
of the cog wheel Z is equal to that of the adhesion driving wheels, in which
case it is not necessary to loosen the coupling K.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention (as communicated to us from abroad) and in what manner the same is
to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:-
:--
The arrangement of electric motors for vehicles characterized by the reduction
by means of gearing of the speed of the quicker running motor to that of the
slower one, substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 21st day of November 1899.
THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO. LTD.
ALFRED CLEMENTS,
Assistant Secretary.
GEORGE FRANKLIN,
W. MARTINDALE,
Directors.