Improvements in Electro-Magnetic Contact Systems for Electric. Railways."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1897--Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electro-Magnetic Contact Systems for Electric.
Railways."
We, WILLIAM GRUNOW, Jr., of No. 70 Broad Street, Bridgeport, in the County
of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, Electrical Engineer, JOSEPH ALOYSIUS
MCELROY, of No. 26 Courtlandt Street, New York, in the County of New York, and
State of New York, Electrical Engineer, and JAMES HENRY MCELROY, of No. 303
Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield, and State of Con-
necticut, Merchant, all of the United States of America, 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 electro-magnetic contact systems, for street and other
railways in which a buried feeder cable is employed instead of the overhead trolley
and the object thereof is to provide a system of this character which is simple and
cheap in construction, at the same time being effective in operation, and which can
be employed in connection with tracks which have been in use; also that the
material employed, with the exception of the contact receptacles or boxes, may be
of ordinary construction and can be readily obtained without being specially
designed for the purpose, and with these and other objects in view the invention
consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter
more fully described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which,
Fig. 1, is a cross-section of the track, showing the flow of the current through
the motor.
Fig. 2, is a diagrammatical view of the electrical circuits in the car motor,.
showing connections between the several parts,
Fig. 3, is a top plan view of one of the contact receptacles or boxes, showing
positions of the third rail sections and the bond wire connection,
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the contact receptacles or boxes illustrating
the stringer and the third rail sections.
Fig. 5, is a vertical section through one of the contact receptacles or boxes,
showing the interior construction of the same, together with the contact device
and electrical connections;
Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the contact device;
Fig. 7 is a modified form of construction;
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are still other modifications, and
Figs. 11 and 12 show a continuous contact receptacle, of vitrified brick and
having a metal top.
Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the
several views.
Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, the letters A and B desig-
nate the rails of a track, which may be of any desired construction, either for
street or other railways, and upon the cross-ties, upon which these rails are secured,

page_text: is fastened a stringer or timber D, of pine or any suitable material, which has
been treated with creosote or other insulating material, and these stringers are
preferably formed into sections of predetermined lengths as required.
Between the ends of the stringer sections is formed a space or interval to receive
the contact receptacles or boxes E, preferably of cast iron, and provided with lugs
or projections e, having openings therein, by means of which the contact receptacles
or boxes E are secured to the stringer sections D.
Secured upon the stringer sections D, in any desired manner, are the sections
of the third rail F, which are preferably of the same length as the stringer sections,
and the ends of these rail sections abut against the contact receptacles or boxes,
as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, and it will be understood that
the stringer sections and third rail F will be formed or bent to correspond with
the rails A and B of the track, at switches and curves, so that they will always be
midway of said rails.
When a double track is employed the burried feeder cable G is preferably located
between the up and down tracks, but it may be located in the most desirable
manner, and this feeder cable G is of the usual construction and is enclosed in the
ordinary casing or conduit piping, which is provided at suitable intervals with the
junction boxes H, as shown in the drawings, and these junction boxes are of
the construction usually employed in such cases.
Electrical connection is made between the junction boxes H and the contact
receptacles or boxes E by means of lead covered feeder cables K which are suitably
connected therewith.
The space between the stringer D and the rails A and B of the track is preferably
filled with concrete to any desired height, and preferably paving blocks or cobble
stones are placed along each sid of the third rail F and around the contact
receptacles or boxes E, to prevent the formation of wagon ruts and the intervening
space may be filled in with asphaltum or other paving material, and the concrete
filling may be hollowed out to receive the contact receptacles or boxes E, so that
the asphaltum may be brought around both the contact receptacle or boxes E and
the third rail F and, if desired, the paving blocks may be embedded in the
asphaltum.
However if desirable, in practice, we may entirely dispense with the third rail
sections F and the stringer D and locate the contact receptacles close together and
provide a long contact shoe for the car or motor, which will extend from one
contact receptacle to the other and thereby form a circuit between said receptacles,
and at curves the number of contact receptacles can be increased so as to provide
perfect contact at such points.
We may, if desired, coat the lower portion of the third rail F and the contact
receptacles or boxes E with insulating paint or other material.
In Fig. 2, we have shown, by means of a diagram, the feeder cable G provided
with suitable junction boxes H connected by means of lead covered feeder cables
or wires K with the contact receptacles or boxes E located between the ends of the
sections of the third rail F.
Secured upon the under side of the floor of the car or to the car truck in any
desirable manner are hangers L, of any preferred construction, to which are
pivotally connected double inter-pivoted or toggle levers M, the free ends of which
double levers are pivotally connected to a base plate N to which are suitably secured
detachable contact shoes O, which may be of any desired construction, and secured
to, or formed on, the upper side of the base or plate N is a cylindrical extension P
having an annular outwardly directed flange p, and from the centre of said
extension P projects a round rod R, which passes outwardly through a tubular
sleeve S suitably mounted upon the under side of the hanger frame L and sur-
rounding said rod is a strong spiral spring T, the upper end of which bears upon
the under side of the car and the lower end rests upon the flange p, and the action
of this spring T is to force the contact shoes 0 upon the third rail F.
The contact shoes O may be modified from the construction herein shown and

page_text: described and one long or continuous shoe may be employed which will extend
about the length of the car, and by placing the contact receptacles near together
this long shoe will extend from one contact receptacle to the other and thus form
contact, hereby dispensing entirely with the third rail herein shown and described.
Mounted upon the under side of the car or the car-truck, in any preferred manner,
are two electro-magnets U, which are wound with fine wire V, to which the ground
wire W and the wire from the contact shoes are connected, and which are
normally employed when the car is in general use, and these electro-magnets are
also wound with heavy wire I, which is connected with a storage battery Y and
with the storage battery switch Z and automatic cut off Z¹.
It will be understood, however, that this storage battery, switch and cut off, form
no part of my invention and the same are of the usual construction and are there-
fore merely indicated on the drawing, and we only employ the same to energize
the electro-magnets U, when the current has been cut off at the power station and
when the eletcro-magnets U have been thus energized by the storage battery they
will lift the contact device, as hereafter described, and circuit will then be closed
and the car started.
After the car has been started by means of charging one of the third rail sections
the battery will be thrown out by the automatic cut off, and the car will proceed
in the manner hereinafter described.
Normally the contact shoes take the current from the third rail and it passes
to the electro-magnets U, which are wound with coarse and fine wire I and V
respectively, thence to the electro-magnets forming a part of the automatic cut off
or circuit breaker, and when thus energized these magnets will attract the spring
retracted switch arm thereby breaking the circuit through the storage battery (the
normal effect), and closing the circuit from the electro-magnets of the automatic
switch, the other_electro-magnets U to the controller and ground wire.
The fine wire V upon the electro magnets is connected at its one end with the
ground wire W while its other end passing through its fuse box z and the switch
box is connected to the conductor leading from the contact shoes O to the
controllers and motors.
It will thus be evident that the magnets U will always remain energized whether
or not the current be cut off from the motors by the controller.
The conductor leading from the one electro-magnet to the other, and making
connections with the wire of the same, is, connected with the automatic cut off or
electro-magnetic circuit breaker 7, of the usual construction for the purpose that,
after the magnets U have been energized by the storage battery Y, and the circuit
is completed from the thus "enlivened" contact box and rail sections, the current
thus obtained will pass through the fine wire of the electro-magnets and auto-
matically cut off the current from the storage batteries.
The lamp wire connections are made in the usual manner.
The construction of the contact receptacles or boxes will be readily understood
from the illustration thereof in Figs. 3 to 6 of the drawings.
These contact receptacles or boxes are preferably square and are provided with
lugs or projections e, by means of which they are secured to the ends of the stringer
sections by bolts or otherwise, and the contact receptacles or boxes are each pro-
vided with a cap or cover e, made smooth on its under and inner surface, and
having a depending flange ³, exteriorly screw threaded, whereby the cap can
be securely and tightly fastened in position, and around the edges of the cap e² is
preferably formed an annular recess e adapted to be filled in with asphaltum or
similar material to make the receptacle or box water fight, shown in Fig. 5, and
formed on the bottom of the contact receptacle or box E is a fubular extension e5.
Figs. 4 and 5, which is lined or filled with insulating material in which is placed
a metallic sleeve e³, having an annular outwardly directed flange by which the
same is supported.
Between the tubular extension and the side of the contact receptacle or box
is formed a chamber or passage e³, to be filled with asphaltum, and which com-

page_text: municates, with a tube elo, which projects at right angles to the extension e³, and
into the tube e¹o is forced a creosoted (wooden) or insulated plug, having a central
bore through which passes the feeder cable K, which connects the main feeder
cable G with the contact receptacles or boxes E, and this feeder cable K also passes
through the asphaltum in the chamber e into the upper portion of the contact
receptacle.
:
If found desirable in practice, the construction of the contact receptacles or
boxes herein before described may be changed, and a box employed, similar to
that shown in Fig. 7, the top E", of which is held in position by a rod or bolt E¹³
passing through the top and into the bottom thereof, and also through an insulating
block E¹³ secured upon, the bottom of the receptacle or box, and upon this bolt or
rod we may mount an electro-magnetic bobbin E14, having a central insulated
tubular portion E15 through which said bolt or rod passes, and which will act as a
guide for the bobbin, it being understood that the bobbin will have two cylindrical
portions and E, upon which the conductor E18 is wound, substantially in the
manner shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and this construction is particularly
adapted for use when the contact receptacle or box is made from vitrified brick or
other suitable material.
We may also construct these contact receptacles or boxes of vitrified brick as
shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, with a removable metal top or cover E20, from which
depends a central cylindrical projection E21, upon which is mounted an electro-
magnetic bobbin E, said bobbin having located in the bottom thereof 'a cham-
ber 23 adapted to receive an electrical liquid medium, such as quicksilver, the
chamber containing the quicksilver being provided with electrical connections
with the source of supply, and one of the wire windings E of the bobbin may be
extended downwardly to form contact with an independent body E25 of quicksilver,
also having electrical connections, so that it will be impossible for the bobbin to
fail to contact with the top of the receptacle or box and thereby charge the third
rail in the manner hereinbefore described.
The form of construction of these contact receptacles E may be varied in actual
practice and the receptacle may be made continuous or of great length, as shown in
Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings, and the contact devices E30 may be located therein
in any desired manner at predetermined intervals, said contact devices being
freely or independently mounted in such receptacle so that they may be attracted
by the electro-magnets upon the car or trucks to close the circuit, as herein before
described, and as soon as the electro-magnets shall have passed over the contact
devices they will drop back into the receptacle by the action of the gravity before
described.
The contact device I is preferably formed of a head i, from which depends a
cylindrical shank adapted to enter the sleeve e, and to be vertically movable
therein and upon the upper side of the said head i are formed or secured projec-
tions, segmental in cross section and provided with smoothed or planished
enlargements or heads it, also segmental in cross section, and projecting beyond the
same, said heads (or poles) being adapted to contact with the smoothed surface
of the cape and these smoothed contact surfaces may be copper plated to prevent
corrosion and residual magnetism, the points of contact may be provided with
carbon to prevent arching or any other means may be employed to avoid arching
between the points of contact, and wound around these projections is a suitable
conductor, one end of which is secured to the end of the feeder cable K, and the
other being connected with the head i by mans of a binding post. 26 and it will be
understood that the conductor is wound around the projections 3 several times,
after being wound thereon and before the end thereof is connected to the feeder
cable K. so as to allow for the free or independent. movement of the contact device
within the recentacle box E, and afford elastic supporting connections therefor.
The contact device is in no manner secured to or connected with the contact
receptacle and is separate and independent therefrom, being entirely free and
independent and being made to reciprocate within the contact receptacle during the

page_text: operation of making and breaking the supply current by the action of a separate
electro-magnet and gravitation.
The contact receptacle or box E is also provided with a projection e¹¹ with which.
the bond wires, secured to the ends of the third rail sections, are connected.
The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, when
taken in connection with the accompanying drawings..
The main feeder cable receives the current from the generator, and this current
is conveyed through the junction: boxes and the feeder cable K to the contact
device I and the return current is in the tracks.
To start the car the storage battery Y is employed, as before described, to lift
the contact device, thus closing the circuit between the ground or tracks and the
feed wire charging the third rail section which is taken up by the contact shoes ()
and cuts off the battery by the automatic switch Z'.
The electro-magnets U are placed at a predetermined distance from the contact
shoes O, so that before the shoes have left a rail section the forward magnets will
have energized the contact device in the next rail section ahead, and thereby
charge that rail section before the contact shoes have entered upon it and by means
of the projections of the contact device being wound with a conductor 25 they
become electro-magnets and will not fall as long as the contact shoes O are on the
rail section, keeping such section charged until the shoes O leave the same, where-
upon the contact device will fall by gravity.
We do not desire to confine ourselves to the peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of the parts herein set forth and we therefore reserve the right to make all
such alterations in and modifications of the same as fairly come within th scope
of the invention.
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 :-
1. An electrical contact system, consisting of a free or independent reciprocating
electro-magnetic contact, operated by the alternate action of a separate electro-
magnet and gravitation.
2. In combination, a contact receptacle for electrical railways, a supply conductor
passing into said receptacle and means for closing the circuit between the contact
receptacle and supply conductor consisting of a free or independent electro-magnet
carrying contact surfaces.
3. In combination, a contact receptacle for electrical railways, a supply conductor
passing into said receptacle and means for closing the circuit between the contact
receptacles and supply conductor consisting of a free or independent reciprocating
electro-magnet carrying contact surfaces and insulated from said receptacle.
4. In combination, a contact receptacle for electrical railways, a supply conductor
passing into said receptacle and means for closing the circuit between the contact.
receptacles and supply conductor consisting of a free or independent electro-magnet,
the poles of which form contact surfaces located in same horizontal plane.
5. In combination, a contact receptacle for electrical railways, a supply conductor
passing into said receptacle and means for closing the circuit between the contact
receptacle and supply conductor consisting of a free and independent reciprocating
electro-magnet carrying contact surfaces and provided with elastic supporting
connections.
6. In combination, a contact receptacle for electrical railways, provided with a
tubular extension, a supply conductor passing into said receptacle through the
extension, and means for closing the circuit. between the top of the contact recep-
tacle and supply conductor, consisting of a free or independent reciprocating
electro-magnet carrying contact. surfaces.
7. In an electrical railway system, the combination with electro-magnets upon
the car or truck provided with suitable electrical connections, means for operating
said electro-magnets contact shoes carried by toggle levers connected with the car

page_text: or truck, contact receptacles located at predetermined points along the track and
a supply conductor passing into said contact receptacles and means for closing the
circuit between the contact receptacles and supply conductor, consisting of a free
or independent reciprocating electro-magnet carrying contact surfaces and provided
with elastic supporting connections.
Dated this 14th day of August 1897
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.