IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LIGHTING OF RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton of the Office for Patents
66 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LIGHTING OF RAILWAY TRAINS BY
ELECTRICITY, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR" A communication
to him from abroad by the Société Universelle d'Electricité Tommasi of
Paris in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1882.
"
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LIGHTING OF
RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR
[A communication to him from abroad by the Société Universelle d'Electricité
Tommasi of Paris in the Republic of France]
This Invention relates to certain improvements suggested by a practical working of
the system of lighting railway trains by electricity for which I obtained Letters Patent
dated 20th September 1881, No. 4057 which system is based upon the simultaneous
use of electric generators taking their motion from one of the axles of the carrying
wheels and of accumulators or secondary batteries which provide for the supply
of electricity to the lamps during stoppages, or when the train is running at a low
speed, as described in the specification of the Patent above referred to.
The present improvements relate more particularly to the following points.
(1) A system of electrical regulator or interrupter allowing the accumulators to
be cut out from the electric generator when the latter ceases running, and the
tension of the current, and consequently the light which might vary with the speed
of the current, to be regulated.
(2) An arrangement whereby the lighting of the carriages by the accumulators
shall the assured, when one or more of the said carriages is detached, as when
shunting in stations and sidings.

page_text: (3) An arrangement allowing of the automatic reversal of the poles of the
electrical generators when the train is backing.
(4) Means for transmitting motion to the electrical generators situate in the
luggage or other special van of the train, by deriving the motion from one of the
axles of the said luggage, or other van.
It will be understood that according to the system described in the Specification
of the above named Patent and based on the simultaneous employment of
accumulators and electrical generators deriving their motion from the train it is
indispensible to interpose between these two apparatus a body which shall
completely insulate the one from the other when from any cause the intensity of
the current generated becomes null, or lower than that of the accumulators.
To this end a rotary ball contact breaker is used, similar to the centrifugal
governor of a steam engine, or an electrical contact breaker actuated by means of
a small separate magneto electric machine which deriving its motion from the axle
of the electrical generator keeps the circuit closed only so long as the generator
runs at a speed sufficient to cause a bobbin to attract the armature for closing
the circuit, which armature is subject to the counter pressure of an adjustable
spring.
The new kind of interrupter or contact breaker which is now to be described
allows not only of the insulation of the accumulators from the generator when the
latter is not running, but of the regulation of the intensity of the light, which
would be liable to vary according to the speed of the train.
The present system of lighting is based on the combined use of a small
magneto electric machine, a resistance coil, and a special arrangement of line wires
connecting the several apparatus with the generator, the accumulators, and the
lamps.
A similar result may be obtained by the use of two generators as will be described
further on.
In carrying out the first of these arrangements the magneto electric generator is
connected with the accumulator battery, and when running serves also to drive a
separate magneto machine, the current from which passes through an electrical
interrupter fitted with a rocking armature and a resistance coil. The magneto
machine only produces a current when the dynamo is itself in action. The current
from the magneto machine (which may also serve to excite the field magnets of a
dynamo machine) excites the electro magnet which attracts its armature, which is
so mounted on a central support as to oscillate between two contact points, and is
furnished with a counter spring. One of these contact points is in electrical
connection with a resistance coil which is coupled by a branch wire to the wire of
the main lamp circuit. The main wire of the lamp circuit leads to the negative
pole of the accumulator battery traversing on its way a movable hand interrupter
or switch regulator. On the dynamo being set to work the current passes through
the counter spring to one half, say the right, of the rocking arıṇature, which half
is insulated from the other half of the armature, and is conducted by a contact
screw and a wire to the central support, thence to the other or left half of the
armature, and by a second contact screw to a wire leading to the resistance coil
and thence to the lamps; by the branch and main wires above referred to returning
by other wires through the movable hand interrupter or switch regulator to the
negative pole of the machine. At the same time the current starting from the
positive pole of the battery passes to the central support of the interrupter to the
left hand side of the armature, and thence to the lamps; returning from them to the
accumulator as before. In other words the generator and accumulators, coupled for
quantity, send their united current to the lamps, but this current is caused to pass
through the resistance coil, so that the illumination is not greater than when the
battery alone supplies the electricity. This resistance is preferably variable,
because the lamps will be more or less bright in proportion to the charge of the
battery. A variable resistance of any approved kind may be used for this purpose.
The interposition of the resistance coil causes a considerable portion of the current

page_text: to pass to the accumulator, the negative poles of the battery and generator
being constantly coupled, and in all cases regulates the supply of electricity of
the lamps.
So soon however as the generator and auxiliary magneto machine no longer run
at sufficient.speed, the diminished current from the auxiliary machine allows the
armature to be released by the counter spring. The armature rises and cuts the
auxiliary machine out of the circuit; the accumulator alone continuing to send a
current to the lamps, by reason of the armature having made contact with a screw
on the left side. Consequently the current cannot reverse itself and return to the
injury of the accumulators.
The small magneto machine may serve as the exciting machine in case the
magneto electric generator is replaced by a dynamo electric generator, and vice
versa.
As a modification of the above arrangement in cases where the necessity for
using a variable resistance would be inconvenient, two magneto machines are
combined with an interrupter constructed on exactly the same principle and
operating in a like manner. The first magneto machine only serves to charge the
accumulators, the second machine transmits its current either to the accumulators
or to the lamps.
If the lamps are not required to be lighted, and the train is running at its normal
speed, the two electric machines will be coupled for quantity and supply the
accumulators. The hand interrupter or switch regulator is opened and cuts the
lamps out of the circuit. Should the train stop all communication between the
electric machines and the accumulators is broken by the release of the rocking
armature of the automatic interrupter, from its electro magnet.
If on the other hand the lamps are to be lighted, the hand interrupter or switch
regulator is suitably turned, and assuming the train to be running at its normal
speed, the second electric machine will alone supply the electricity to the lamps,
without the assistance of the accumulators, while the first electrical machine will be
charging the accumulators.
If the train stops or slackens speed, the armature will be released from its electro-
magnet, cutting out the accumulators from both the electric machines, and cutting
out the lamps from the second electric machine.
Thus the accumulators alone will supply the lamps. By this system of lighting
the charging of the accumulators is more regular, and the light of more constant
intensity, than has been the case hitherto.
It will be understood that when the second machine is directly supplying the
lamps, the current may be regulated by passing it through a resistance, variable by
hand. To this end it will be sufficient to arrange on the hand interrupter or
regulator, which is under the supervision of a special attendant, a series of buttons
or contact points corresponding to a series of resistances, more or less strong ranging
between full on, and full off.
In order to allow of the separation of the carriages without interrupting their
respective illumination, a special arrangement of the conducting wires and
accumulators is adopted.
Each carriage has an accumulator battery, and each of these batteries is coupled
to the dynamo electric machine carried on a suitable van, the positive and
negative poles of the one being connected to the corresponding poles of the other,
by main wires running lengthwise of the carriages on either side thereof, and
branch wires leading the electricity to and from the lamps. The negative poles of
the accumulators are in direct connection with the corresponding pole of the
dynamo by a wire terminating in a commutator or switch. The return main wire
from the lamps is fitted with a switch which enables it to be insulated when
required. These three main wires lead from carriage to carriage being formed in
lengths coupled up in a special manner. This novel coupling consists of an elastic
metal socket, preferably formed of three curved spring arms fixed on the end of one

page_text: wire and serving to receive and hold a knob on the end of the corresponding wire
of the adjacent carriage.
When running at normal speed if the dynamo is to supply both lamps and
accumulators, the two switches above named are closed, the excess current being
absorbed by the accumulators for use when the train stops, or when one or more
carriages have to be detached. When the entire train stops the carriages are
automatically lighted by the accumulators alone, but when a carriage is detached
from the others it is necessary, in order to assure its continued illumination, to
couple up by the spring socket and knob arrangement above described, the return
wire from the lamps and the negative wire from the battery, which are situate on
the same side of the carriage, the wire on the other side being of course disconnected
from the dynamo.
In order to utilize the backward movements of the train for the supply of
currents to the lamps or accumulators while at the same time preserving the
direction of the said current an automatic switch or current reverser is arranged
upon or in connection with the dynamo.
The current is collected by a novel arrangement of double armed or cranked
insulated metallic brushes carried by a spindle, from each of which brushes wires
lead to the accumulators. When the spindle rotates in a given direction only one
of the arms of each of these metallic brushes is in contact with the commutator.
The spindles on which these brushes are mounted are united by an endless belt or
chain running over pullies, so that when the direction of rotation of the dynamo is
changed those arms of each of the double metallic brushes which had been
previously out of action will be at once thrown into contact, but inversely.
A switch wheel rotating at a slow speed carries a pawl or tappet which engages
with a forked rocking spring arm keyed on the axle of one of the double brushes
above described. This switch wheel when the rotation is reversed brings its tappet
between the forked rocking arm and gives a slight axial motion to the spindle,
thereby shifting the position of both the double armed brushes. Keyed on the
spindles of these brushes are two switch levers, which are also reversed in position
at the moment the other pair of brushes come into play, and thus the current in
the line wires is maintained in a constant direction. The forked spring rocking
arm above referred to is constructed with spring extremities-which will yield to
outward pressure but which will resist a pressure from between them outwards;
hence the tappet can pass easily when its direction of rotation is constant, but will
catch and rock the spring arm when the direction of rotation is reversed. The
spring arm which has been moved will then be out of reach of the tappet and
the second arm will offer no resistance so long as the direction of rotation is
unchanged.
By this arrangement of current reverser the connection between the dynamo and
the lamps may remain intact while the train is being driven backwards, or
forwards.
t
The Invention relates lastly to the means for deriving motion for driving the
dynamos in their van from one of the axles of the carrying wheels of the said van.
There are several ways in which this may be done. First, by a sleeve on the axle
provided with two friction pullies imparting motion to a drum rotating in bearings
in a sliding frame carried by the axle, and around which axle the said frame is free
to turn to an extent limited by two stops fixed in a frame pendent from the bottom
of the van. The adhesion between the friction pullies and the drum is determined
by the tension of adjustable spiral springs, aided if necessary by the magnetism
produced by an electro magnet placed within the drum and supplied with electricity
by wires entering at the ends of the axle on which it rotates.
The horizontal position of the drum with respect to the pullies is maintained by
a driving belt leading up through the floor of the van to a pulley fixed in the
upper part thereof. From the shaft of this upper pulley, belts are led to the

page_text: several dynamos in the van, and idle pullies and belt shippers allow of one or more
being thrown into or out of action.
The above described apparatus is so arranged as to be automatically thrown out
of action. When the train is reversed, the friction pullies causing the drum to tilt
with its frame, and slacken the driving belt, and the dynamos when thus fitted
will not be driven backwards.
Another way of imparting motion from the axle of one of the carrying wheels,
to the dynamos, is to key a driving pulley to the axle, and to mount upon this axle
a frame, elastically connected at its upper end to the floor of the van, and
terminated at its lower end by grease boxes through which the axle passes freely.
At the upper end of this frame is a sliding chair or bracket piece carrying the
bearings of two pullies, one connected with, and driven by bands passing over the
pulley on the axle, the other carrying the belt or belts leading to the dynamos, a
pressure screw serving to lift the chair in its frame and put the necessary tension
on the driving belts from the main axle pulley. The lower part of the mechanism
is enclosed in a case; and chains or springs are used to prevent lateral displacements,
and regulate the tension of the other driving belts.
A third way of transmitting motion from one of the axles of the van to the
dynamos, consists in the use of a friction pulley mounted on the axle, and
operating a similar pulley keyed on another axle parallel to the first, and carried
by lever arms pendent from the bottom of the van. Adjustable spiral springs
serve to regulate the adhesion of the pullies, and driving belts running over pullies
on the second axle are led up to pullies carried in a chair capable of vertical
adjustment in a frame as before described.
A spring serves to thrust apart the two axles and their pullies when the spiral
springs are relaxed, and thus throw all the dynamos out of action, and means
are provided for shifting the dynamos on their supports in order to regulate the
tension on their driving belts; as well as belt shippers for throwing all or any of
them into, or out of gear, as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th February 1883.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex Civil Engineer " IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE LIGHTING OF
RAILWAY TRAINS BY ELECTRICITY AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR
"
a communication to me from abroad by the Société Universelle d'Electricité
Tommasi of Paris in the Republic of France
This Invention relates to certain improvements suggested by a practical working
of the system of lighting railway trains by electricity for which I obtained Letters
Patent dated September twentieth One thousand eight hundred and eighty one,
No 4057, which system is based upon the simultaneous employment of electric
generators taking their motion from one of the axles of the carrying wheels, and of
accumulators or secondary batteries which provide for the supply of electricity to
the lamps during stoppages or when the train is running at a low speed, as described
in the Specification of the Patent above referred to.
The present improvements relate more particularly to the following points.
1. An arrangement of regulating electrical interrupter or contact breaker for
cutting out the electric generator from the accumulators when the generator ceases
to act efficiently also for regulating the intensity of the current, and consequently
"the brilliancy of the light which would otherwise vary with the velocity of the
current.
2. An arrangement for automatically reversing the poles of the generators on
the backing of a train.
3. Means for transmitting motion from one of the axles of the guards van to the
electrical generators contained in that van.
It will be understood that when lighting by the simultaneous use of accumulators
and electrical generators actuated by the movement of the train, it is indispensable
that means should be provided for completely separating the generators from the
accumulators when by reason of the slackening of the speed, or stoppage of the
engine the current from the generators becomes of lower intensity than the tension
of the accumulators, or ceases altogether.
For this purpose either a centrifugal ball contact breaker somewhat similar in
construction to the centrifugal governor of a steam engine is employed, or an
electrical interrupter operated by a small magneto electric machine, which machine
taking its motion from the axis of the electric generator closes the circuit of the
latter only when it has attained sufficient speed to attract an armature for that
purpose against the antagonistic action of a regulating spring
The new kind of automatic regulating contact breaker which is now to be
described not only admits of the cutting out of the generators from the accumulators
but also provides for the regulation of the intensity of the lighting, which would
otherwise vary with the varying speed of the train.
The improvement is based upon the combined employment of a small magneto-
electric machine, a resistance bobbin, and a special arrangement of wires connecting
these apparatus with the electric generator, the accumulators, and the lamps in the
train.
The same results may be attained by the employment of two electric generators
as will be hereafter explained.
Figures 1 2 and 3 Sheet I shew the first of these arrangements. Fig: 1 being
a diagram shewing the general arrangement of the system, and the manner in
which the several circuits are disposed. Fig: 2 is a plan view and Fig: 3 a side

page_text: elevation of the resistance bobbin and electrical balance contact breaker drawn to a
larger scale.
In Fig: 1 k. is a magneto-electric machine and an accumulator battery the
negative pole of the one being connected to the negative pole of the other by the
wire m.
n. is a small supplementary magneto-electric machine which derives its motion
from the axle of the electric generator and consequently only produces currents
when the generator produces currents.
The magneto-electric machine n. is connected by wires o. p. to an electro-
magnet q. fitted with a balanced armature r. pivotted to standards 8. 8. and
provided with an adjustable spring el. t and u. are adjustable contact screws and w.
is a resistance bobbin.
It will be seen by reference to Fig: 1 that the contact screw t. is connected by
means of a wire v. with one end of the wire on the resistance bobbin w, the other
end of that wire being connected through the wires z. and a'. with the lamp circuit,
represented in the diagram by the circle y.
The lamp circuit is connected with the negative pole of the accumulator 1, by the
wire b through the commutator or switch c¹.
Under these conditions the action of the apparatus is as follows.
When the electrical generator k and the auxiliary magneto-electric machine n
are both rotating at their norinal speed; the tension of the spring e¹, is overcome by
the attraction of the electro-magnet q around which the current from the auxiliary
machine n passes, and the current is established in the following manner.
From the positive pole of the generator k. the current goes by the wire d' through
the spring el. and the right hand end of the armature lever r. (which is insulated
from the other end) to the contact screw u; thence by the wire gl. to the post 8.
through the left hand end of the armature lever r, to the contact screw t; by the
wire v. to the resistance coil w; thence by the wires z, and a¹. to the lamp circuit y;
wires b'. and m. completing the circuit to the negative pole of the machine.
The current from the accumulators goes from the positive pole by the wire h' to
the post 8. through the left hand end of the armature lever 7, and thence by the
same road as the current from the generator through the lamp circuit y. back to the
negative pole of the accumulators.
In other words the generator and the accumulators coupled up in quantity send
their currents into the lamp circuit but this combined current passes through a
resistance coil w. in order that the lighting may not be more energetic than in the
case when the accumulators alone feed the lamps.-This resistance is by preference
variable because according to the charge in the accumulators, the lamps would be
more or less brilliant, a variable resistance of any construction may be used for
this purpose.
It should also be borne in mind that a portion of the current from the generator
passes into the accumulators by the wire d' spring e¹ contact screw u and the
wires g'. and the negative poles being in permanent connection by the wire m.
The presence of the resistance w. contributes to cause a greater quantity of the
current to pass to the accumulators and in every case regulates the quantity which
passes to the lamp circuit.
As soon as the Generator, and consequently the small magneto electric machine
have no longer sufficient speed, the current induced by the small machine n is no
longer powerful enough to overpower the counteracting spring e'. and to attract the
armature r, and this armature therefore rises under the tension of the spring e' and
makes contact with the screw i¹. The electric generator k. is thereby immediately
cut out of the circuit, whilst the accumulators alone continue to send a current to
the lamps by the wire h', post 8, armature lever ?, contact screw i¹, and the wire a',
the circuit being closed to the negative pole by the wire b. Consequently the
current can never reverse and return as pure loss to the generator.
The small magneto-electric machine n. may be used as an exciter in the case
where the generating magneto-electric machine is replaced by a dynamo-electric

page_text: machine, and contrariwise the exciters of a dynamo electric machine may replace
the little supplementary machine.
Fig 4 Sheet I shews a modification of the above described arrangement the
resistance coil w. (which the necessity of its being made variable renders incon-
venient) being suppressed, two magneto-electric machines combined with an electric
contact breaker on the same principle, and acting in the same manner as that
described above being used.
The machine N° 1 serves to charge the accumulators: Machine N° 2 supplies
a current either to the accumulators or to the lamps.
If we now consider the case which presents itself when the train is in motion,
travelling at its normal speed the lamps being unlighted, and the two machines
being coupled up in quantity with the accumulators, the result will be the exciting
of the electro-magnet g. which drawing down the armature r. will bring that
armature into contact with the screws t and u. The current setting out from the
positive poles of the machines N° 1 and 2 goes directly to the positive poles of the
accumulators and by the wires ¹ and k². The commutator c¹ is at this time
open. The negative pole of the N° 1 machine is in communication with the
negative poles of the accumulators by the wire b₁ the spring e¹. armature f' contact
screw u. and the wires m¹ and n'.
The negative pole of the N° 2 machine is also in communication with the
negative poles of the accumulators by the wires o¹ contact screw t. armature r post 8.
the extinction button of the commutator c¹. and the wire q¹-If now the train
stops, all communication between the accumulators and the generators is broken by
the displacement of the armature r. f' as may be readily seen by the drawing
which represents this condition of things.
During the lighting (the commutator c¹. being suitably set for the purpose) as
soon as the train progresses at its normal speed, the machine N° 2 alone is in con-
nection with the lamps without the assistance of the accumulators, and machine N°1
is acting to charge the accumulators.
If now the train stops or slackens its speed sufficiently, the accumulators alone
are in connection with the lamps, all connection being cut off between N° 1 machine
and the accumulators, and between machine N° 2 and the lamps by the displace-
ment of the armature r. fl as will be readily understood by reference to the
drawing.
It will also be seen that with this system the charge of the accumulators is much
more uniform, thereby ensuring a more constant light.-It will also be understood
that when the current of the N° 2 machine goes directly to the lamps, it can be
caused to pass through a resistance proportional to the energy of the current, which
resistance may be varied by hand.
For this purpose it is only necessary to arrange upon the commutator c¹ which is
under the control of the man in charge, a number of buttons, the one for extinction
as above described, the others corresponding to a series of resistances more or less
strong.
Figures 5. 6. 7 and 8 Sheet II shew the arrangement of the accumulators and
conducting wires which allows of the isolation of one or more carriages without
interruption to the lighting.
Each carriage is furnished with a storage battery A. The dynamo-electric
machine M is placed in a brake van, and is connected by its positive pole to the
positive poles of the several accumulators A by the wire F, from which wire
positive wires branch to the lamps L.
The negative poles of the accumulators are connected directly with the negative
pole of the dynamo machine M, by the wire F provided at its end with a com-
mutator 8. A third wire F. connects the lamps L to the negative pole of the
machine M, a commutator s¹. also being provided to break the circuit of this wire.
The three wires F. F'. and F. are continued from one carriage to another by
means of a system of coupling shewn on a larger scale in figures 7 and 8, and which
consists of a kind of elastic metal pincers t. with three teeth fixed at the end of one

page_text: of the wires, and which grasps a ball t¹. which terminates the corresponding wire of
the following wagon.
In its normal circumstances if the dynamo machine is required to feed the lamps
and the accumulators at the same time, the two circuits F F and F F" are closed
by means of the two commutators 8. 81. All excess of the current not used by the
lamps L L passes to the accumulators in order to be given back to the lamps either
during the stoppage of the train, at a Station, or to one or more of the carriages
when they may be detached from the train for any purpose.
When the entire train is stopped the lighting of the carriages is automatically
maintained by the accumulators, but when one carriage only is required to be
separated, it will be necessary in order to ensure the lighting of the several
compartiments, to close the circuits in the way shewn in fig: 8.
As may be seen in this figure the circuit is closed in the separated parts by
connecting the negative wire F¹ of the accumulator A. to the negative wire F" of
the lamps.
In order to utilize the backward travel of a train for the feeding of the lamps or
accumulators and at the same time to preserve the direction of the current produced,
the dynamo-electric machine is fitted with a system of reversing apparatus as shewn
in figures 9 and 10 sheet II.
In fig 10 the positive current emitted by the machine M while rotating in the
direction indicated by the arrow, is collected upon the commutator C by the terminal
formed by a metallic brush h insulated upon an axle o, and is conducted by the
wire F to the positive pole of the accumulators-The negative current is collected
on the same commutator by the brush k also insulated on its axle o', and is conducted
by the negative wire F¹ to the accumulators.
The two axles o and o¹ are connected by a belt or endless chain i mounted upon
pullies p. pl.-These pullies are intended by rocking in their bearings their respective
axles simultaneously to lift the brushes hk out of contact with the commutator C
and put in contact therewith two other brushes h¹¹, solidly fixed to the first named
brush on the backward movement of the train.
Upon the axle o are fixed two commutators qr but insulated therefrom.―These
commutators each oscillate with the axle o between two contact screws l l', the one.
positive the other negative.-As shewn in the diagram the commutator q is in
contact with the negative screw, and the commutator with the positive screw.
On the direction of the travel of the train being reversed which causes a reversal
of the current of the magneto-electric machine, the shaft o will be rocked and caused
to reverse the contacts q and r thereby ensuring the flow of the same currents
in the same wires.
For the purpose of rocking the shaft o, an axle m (fig: 9) turning in the same
direction as the commutator C, turns in a reverse direction and at a reduced speed
an axle a upon which is keyed a tappet a¹
Upon the axle o of the commutators qr above described, and facing the tappet a¹
is placed a rocking arm b terminating in two spring pawles g g¹ acting in opposite
directions upon the arm b-At the back of the rocking arm b is a spring pawle g"
which tends to keep the axle o and the rocking arm b in one or other of the two
positions given it by the pawles g g¹ by pressing upon flats ƒ formed upon the
back of the rocker b.
The operation is easy to understand by observing that the several parts shewn
side by side in the drawing are in reality arranged one behind the other, the axle o
being common to the parts b. p. q. r.
During the forward travel of the train the axle a turns in the direction indicated
by the arrow j; the tappet a' touches at each revolution the pawle g which yields
and allows the tappet to pass. The pawle g¹ is by its position out of reach; all the
commutators then rest in the position shewn in fig: 10.
On a reversal of the travel of the train taking place the tappet a' will touch the
pawle g below, in which direction it is solid on the arm b and thereby carry it up
rocking the axle o and the commutators q and r keyed upon it.-The contacts

page_text: and will be reversed, at the same time as the current from the machine M, as will
be readily understood by reference to fig: 10. On a new reversal taking place the
tappet a comes in contact with the pawle g¹ and returns the commutators q and r
to their original position
It will thus be seen that by the employment of the above described arrangement 5
the current is always running in the same direction in the circuit in whichever
direction the train may be going, and it is therefore unnecessary to interrupt the
communication between the lighting apparatus and the dynamo-electric machine
during the backward movement of the train.
I will now describe the means employed by preference for transmitting motion 1
from one of the axles of the running wheels to the electric generators situated in
the Guard's van.
In the arrangement shewn in figures 11 to 16, Sheets III and IV, the axle A of
the running wheels is fitted with a sleeve E.-This sleeve has two friction wheels F
thereon for transmitting motion to a drum G which turns in a frame B.-The 1
frame B is mounted on the axle A on which it is free to rock; its extent of motion
being however limited by two stops carried by a support D pendent from the
underside of the van.
The amount of bite between the friction wheels F and the drum G is regulated
by the springs H, and the horizontal position of the whole arrangement is maintained 2
by the endless band I which passes around the drum G and up into the van through
an opening in the floor to a pulley J at the upper part thereof.
This pulley J is keyed upon an axle K (fig 11) which carries the driving pullies L
(fig 16) of the magneto-electric machines X Y Z a loose pulley M providing for
the instantaneous stoppage of the machines when necessary.
2
In order to increase the adhesion between the friction wheels F and the drum G
when these are made of iron and to render it sufficient for the effort necessary for
putting the apparatus in motion, the drum G is fitted with a bobbin N (fig: 12)
the wire o o of which receives the current produced by the magneto-electric
machines X, Y, Z, as may be seen by reference to fig 11.-The current enters by one 3
of the axles of the bobbin N which for this purpose turns in an insulated sleeve
and passes out by the other axle whence it passes into the rocking frame B and
returns to the electric generators.
I
The current producing two electrical poles at the ends of the bobbin N causes
an adherence between the drum and the friction wheels F which adherence 3
increases as the current increases thereby ensuring the putting in motion of the
apparatus under any amount of resistance."
Another part of the arrangement now to be described is for preventing the
direction of rotation of the machines X Y Z being reversed when the train from any
cause makes a backward movement.
When this reversal takes place the friction of the pullies F upon the drum G
has the effect of lifting the latter as far as the fixed stops will allow of the rocking
of the frame B. By this means the belt I no longer being held in tension ceases to
drive the pulley K which actuates all the generating machines.-Thus it will be
seen that no reversal of rotation of these machines can possibly take place and
this result is obtained in a manner completely automatic and independent of any
attention from the Guard.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 17 and 18, Sheet V, the axle of the van
carries a sleeve which carries the driving pulley C, and two vertical bars E
terminating at their lower ends in grease boxes F, inside which the sleeve B turns
freely.
The pulley C is by preference adapted to receive three bands D, so that if one
of them should break the transmission of the movement will not be thereby
interrupted.
These bands transmit the movement to a triple pulley G keyed upon an axle
which also carries a double pulley H intended to drive the dynamo electric
machines J. which furnish the currents to the lamps by means of two straps L.

page_text: The axle of the pullies G H is mounted in and carried by a chair K held at
the upper end of the supports E between which it can slide freely, its position
being regulated by the pressure screw L.
The transmission of the rotation of the travelling wheel axle A to the generators J
being thus established, it remains to maintain the upper part of the vertical bars E
in a firm but not in a rigid manner, since their lower extremities are rigidly
attached to the axle A, whilst their upper ends should be fixed to the body of
the van which is attached to the axle through the intermediation of springs.
For this purpose the two supporting bars E are connected at their upper ends
by a cross bar M which is secured to the roof N of the van by means of a jointed
parallelogram O, the upper extremity of which is fixed to the roof N by means
of a ball-and-socket joint, P, which admits of its movement in every direction.
On the other hand in order to equalize the tension of the belt I the cross bar M
above described carries two chains Q fixed to the end of the van, and of which
the tension may be regulated by means of screws or bolts. The lateral move-
ments are limited by means of springs R R¹, the ends of which are attached to the
sides S of the van.
In order to protect the parts from the dust of the road the lower parts of the
mechanism are enclosed in a metallic box T T fixed to the underside of the
floor U U of the van.
Figures 19 and 20, Sheet VI, show another modification of the driving arrange-
ment, in which the travelling wheel axle a carries at each of its ends a sleeve b
formed in two pieces which are firmly attached to a friction pulley c―These
pullies c bear against and drive similar pullies d-keyed upon the axle e, which lies
parallel with the axle a and is carried by the two pendent supports ƒ ƒ jointed to
the underside of the floor of the van.
The contact of the pullies c d is secured and maintained by means of springs g
the tension of which may be varied by the regulating screw 8.
Upon the axle e is keyed a pulley h with three grooves which, by the aid of the
endless belts iii, drives a similar pulley j keyed upon the counter shaft k which
also carries the pulley which is intended to drive the generators.
This axle is mounted in a carriage sliding in the upper part of a rigid
support oo fixed upon the floor of the van, a screw p serving to regulate the
tension of the belts i.
To regulate the tension of the belts which drive the dynamo electric machines m,
these latter one mounted upon a foundation plate q, and their position is determined
by means of a screw r.
Finally by the use of a belt shifter arranged upon the mechanism the stoppage
of any one of the machines may be effected when that is necessary.
The complete stoppage of the machines can also be obtained in a very simple
way by the addition of a spring t which acting upon the pendent supports f
will, on the slackening of the screws above referred to, take the friction pullies ca
out of contact with each other.
Having now described the Invention of " Improvements in the lighting of
railway trains by electricity and in apparatus to be used therefor" as communi-
cated to me by my Foreign Correspondents and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim
First The employment in Railway Carriages of an automatic electrical regulating
contact breaker.consisting of (1) a small magneto electric machine actuated by the
electric generating machine or equally well by the exciting machine of a dynamo
electric machine (2) A resistance bobbin constant or variable (3) A rocking contact
breaker and adjustable counterbalancing spring, such arrangement admitting of the
light being rendered more uniform and during the journey putting the electric
generators and accumulators at the same time in connection with the lamps, and
during stoppages putting the accumulators alone into connection with the lamps.
the generator being cut out of the circuit.

page_text: Secondly-The combination of two electrical generating machines, an accumu-
lating battery and an automatic electrical interrupter arranged in such a manner that
during the travel of the railway train one of the machines is connected with the
lamps (if they are lighted) whilst the other machine is always in connection with
the accumulators the two machines being connected with the accumulators when
the lamps are extinguished. I claim equally in this case the combination referred
to in the preceding claim for throwing the generating machines out of circuit when
required.
Thirdly The arrangement of commutator described with reference to figures 9
and 10 put in movement by means of a rocking arm with two pawles which auto-
matically bring into action at each change in the direction of motion of the train a
different pair of collecting brushes arranged at the terminals of the electric generator,
and at the same time reverse the position of the contacts q and r whereby the
current of electricity is maintained in one direction
Fourthly The various modifications of the mechanism above described and
shewn in the drawings for communicating motion from the axles of the running
wheels of the van to the electrical generators.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Edward Newton have hereunto set my
hand and seal the twenty fourth day of February in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.