Improved Electric Elevated Railway.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1899 -Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Electric Elevated Railway.
We, LOUIS JOHANN BRUNS, of No. 35, Kestnerstrasse, and HANS REALF OTTESEN,
of No. 24, Schlägerstrasse, both of Hanover, Germany, Engineers, 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:
The present invention relates to an electric overhead railway with three rails,
the carriages of which in cross section have somewhat the shape of an inverted U
so that they can someway ride on the centre rail which is placed above the two
other rails. The two arms of the U have on their lower inner ends wheels
adapted to engage with the lower rails, and the rails can be used at the same time
for conducting the current and for bearing or guiding the carriages.
Our improved elevated railway is illustrated in side elevation in Figure 1 of
the accompanying drawing, parts of the front and back portion of the car being
removed for the better comprehension of the invention.
Figure 2 is a front elevation.
Figure 3 is a diagram of the circuit.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate two constructional modifications of the rails and
feed wires.
The line or permanent way of the new elevated railway consists of standards a
erected or bolted at certain distances from each other, which are connected above
by a beam b and at the sides by means of the two beams d conveniently supported
on two small piers or projections c. The rails e, f, and g are separately secured
to their respective beams as will be described further on.
The cars have a set of wheels on their front and on their back ends, the suspen-
sion springs of which (not illustrated in the drawing) are so connected with each
other that the pressure is equally distributed. In general, only the wheel n
running on the rail e is driven.
If the railway is to be driven with polyphase currents, then all three rails
and the wheels running upon them may be used for current conduction. If, on
the contrary, continuous current is employed the wheels running on the rail are
completely insulated from the cars. Then, by arranging the circuit as illus-
trated in Figure 3 the electromotive force supplied to the motors will be
maintained substantially constant irrespective of the distance from the central
or feeding station.
In order to protect the beams from exposure to the weather and to be able to
roperly lay the cable which from time to time conducts the current to the
ails, the arrangement illustrated on a larger scale in Figure 4 is employed.
On the upper side of the beam a channel is made in which is inserted the
nsulated cable j. The channel is covered with insulating plates and over
hese and also over the beam itself is placed a protecting cap k of bell-shaped
ection. The two vertical portions of the cap do not lie close to the beam.
The cables are supplied directly from the central or transformer, and if it is

page_text: a case of working with continuous current they are conductingly connected at
certain distances with the rails. If, however, polyphase current or alternating
current is employed then transformers arranged at suitable distances apart are
supplied through the cables j, and in the secondary circuits of the said trans-
formers there are then always inserted certain portions of the line insulated
from the neighbouring rails.
As the cap k is in direct contact with the rails it also is at a high potential
and thereby the line is protected against damage by persons and animals
which is especially valuable in using the railway in the tropics. Moreover
the whole section of the cap takes up the current conducting bar and so reduces
the resistance.
The cars of the new elevated railway run very quietly as the centre of gravity
is lower than the point of support on the middle rail, the running surface of the
middle rail being higher than the seats. The danger of running off the rails is
therefore completely obviated.
On especially steep ascents and descents and the like a rack h (Figure 5) can
be arranged near the uppermost rail, in which a cog-wheel m engages so that
adhesion is seconded, this arrangement being also advantageously employed for
the braking of the car or train. Cramp devices, can, however, be also provided as
brakes which hold one or more rails sideways.
As the new line requires no kind of railway structure, it is especially adapted
for road, mountain, or colonial railways. The whole arrangement takes up little
space, and is entirely independent of smaller obstacles in the ground. Further-
more snow and rain cause no interruption in the working or costs or repairs.
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 electric overhead railway in which the cars run on a stage consisting
of perpendicular standards a and beams 6 connected with them at the top and
sides on which are placed three rails e, f, g, the cars having in section somewhat
the form of an inverted U, and being hanged by means of the wheels propelled
on the uppermost rail e which rests above the seats, the cars being equally guided
and supported by the wheels running on the lower rails f, g the rails and wheels
serving also as current conductors.
2. In an electric railway of the kind described in Claim 1 the arrangement
of the circuit in which the lower rails f, g, which are insulated from each other
are conductingly connected to one end and the dynamo is switched between the
middle rail, insulated from the side rails, and one of the lower rails, the motor
in the car being switched between the other lower rail and the centre rail so
that the line resistance of the circuit is constant in every position of the car.
3. The arrangement for supporting and protecting the electric cables sub-
stantially as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.
4. An electric railway constructed substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying drawing.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.