Improvements in Apparatus for Lighting Railway Trains by Electricity.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
TRUVIDIONAL DE MULTISATION,
Improvements in Apparatus for Lighting Railway Trains by
Electricity.
I, THOMAS PALMER CARSWELL, of 7 Western Terrace, Murrayfield, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the arranging of apparatus for lighting railway
trains by electricity in an improved, convenient, and simple manner, and it comprises
an improved system which is specially applicable on railways such as underground
lines in cities where a series of tunnels have to be passed through. The improved
system is also applicable to railways generally.
In carrying out my Invention any carriage which it is desired to light by electricity
on a particular railway, is fitted with one or more incandescent or other suitable
electric lamps, and with the necessary insulated conductors for the electric current.
One of the conductors is put in electric connection with one or more of the axles of
the carriage and the other conductor is connected to a contact roller arranged so as
at the required times to run on a special rail laid in an insulated manner between the
two ordinary rails. One or Both of the ordinary rails is or are electrically connected
to one pole of a stationary dynamo machine or other source of electricity and the
insulated middle rail is electrically connected to the other pole, the apparatus being
worked or arranged so that a current can pass whenever contact is made by the
contact roller. This contact roller is by preference made heavy enough to insure by
its own weight proper contact with the middle rail and it is carried at the lower end
of a rod attached to a box or holder fitted to the underside of the carriage and
provided with a spring to allow it to yield to irregularities on the rail or produced by
the motion. The roller may be held in a fork forined at the bottom of the rod, or the
fork may be jointed to the rod.

page_text: When the object is to light the carriages on passing through tunnels, the middle
rail is laid of the full height for contact, in the tunnels only, and is made with inclines
at each end so that the contact roller may get upon it in a gradual manner; the roller
not touching the rail at other parts of the line.
In some cases the middle rail may be continued of the full height throughout the
line and provision may be made for lowering or raising the contact roller of each
carriage.
With this system each carriage is independent of other carriages and in coupling
carriages to make up a train there is no necessity for making electrical connections
between one carriage and another.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Lighting Railway Trains by
Electricity.
1, THOMAS PALMER CARSWELL, of 7 Western Terrace, Murrayfield, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Civil Engineer, 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, that is to say :—
My said Invention has for its object the arranging of apparatus for lighting railway
trains by electricity in an improved, convenient, and simple manner; and it comprises
an improved system which is especially applicable on railways such as underground
lines in cities where a series of tunnels have to be passed through. The improved
system is also applicable to railways generally.
In carrying out my Invention any carriage which it is desired to light by electricity
on a particular railway, is fitted with one or more incandescent or other suitable
electric lamps, and with the necessary insulated conductors for the electric current.
One of the conductors is put in electric connection with one or more of the axles of
the carriage and the other conductor is connected to one or more contact rollers
arranged so as at the required times to run on a special conductor rail laid in an
insulated manner between the two ordinary rails. One or both of the ordinary rails
is or are electrically connected to one pole of a stationary dynamo machine or other
source of electricity, and the insulated middle rail is electrically connected to the other
pole, the apparatus being worked or arranged so that a current can pass whenever
contact is made by the contact roller.

page_text: When the object is to light the carriage or carriages on passing through tunnels,
the middle rail is laid of the full height for contact in the tunnels only and is made
with inclines at each end so that the contact roller may get upon it in a gradual
manner, the roller not touching the rail at other parts of the line.
In some cases the middle rail may be continued of the full height throughout the
line or any portion of it, and provision may be made for lowering or raising the
contact roller of each carriage.
I prefer to make the several carriages of a train independent of each other, each
having one or more contact rollers, with which arrangement there will, in making up
trains, be no necessity for making electrical connections between one carriage and
another.
The details adopted in practically applying my Invention may obviously be varied
to suit different circumstances and requirements. 1, however, hereunto append two
sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to and showing a convenient
arrangement which has been found to be practically successful.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of a portion
of a train and railway as provided with my electric lighting apparatus. Figure, 2, is
a sectional end elevation; and figure, 3, is a plan of the railway. The figures on
sheet, 2, are enlarged views of details and are hereinafter specially referred to. In
these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated; and in figures, 1, and 2, the insulated conductors are,
for the sake of clearness, shown by dotted lines which are partly detached, whereas
the conductors are in reality fixed close to the sides and other parts of the carriages
in an ordinary manner.
Each carriage, S, is by preference provided, as shown, with two contact rollers, 9,
each roller, 9, being carried, as shown in the enlarged side elevation, figure, 4, in a
forked casting, 10, the journals of the roller being held in axle boxes, 11, fitted to
slide vertically in guides in the casting, 10, but pressed downwards by a spring, 12.
The casting, 10, is jointed to a bracket, 13, which is bolted to the underside of the
carriage framing, and which has fixed to it strong blade springs, 14, which bear
on the forward and rear sides of the casting and tend to keep it in a vertical position
whilst allowing it to yield slightly to any concussive action occurring on the roller, 9,
first encountering the conductor rail, 15, or any obstruction accidentally lying on it.
The spring, 12, pressing the axle boxes, 11, insures sufficient contact pressure of the
roller, 9, upon the conductor rail, 15, whilst allowing of some unavoidable up and
down movement. From the axle box, 11, of each contact roller, 9, an insulated
conductor, 16, is led to the top of the carriage, 8, and branches from it are connected
(by preference through certain intermediate apparatus of the kind shown enlarged in
figure, 7) to incandescent lamps, 17, in the several compartments of the carriage.
Two incandescent lamps, 17, are by preference fitted in each compartment, only one
however of each pair being in use at once and the other being provided in case
one should fail from any cause. In connection with each pair of lamps, 17, a small
box, 18, is provided with apparatus of the kind shown in figure, 7, (to which
apparatus however I make no claim). The branch from the main conductor, 16,
has connected to it two conductors, 19, 20, one of which, 19, is coiled round an electró
magnet, 21, and proceeds thence to one of the lamps, 17. The other conductor, 20,
is connected to a spring armature, 22, which tends to hear on a contact piece, 23,
connected by a conductor, 24, to the other of the lamps, 17. The return branchi
conductors, 25, 26, from the two lamps are connected to a main return con-
ductor, 27, which is itself connected to the axle boxes of the main carriage wheels, 28.
As long as the first lamp, 17, is in working order and its current is passing through
the coils of the electro magnet, 21, the armature, 22, is held away from the contact
piece, 23, and no current passes to the other lamp but if the first lamp fails or if
from any cause no current passes through the coils of the electro magnet, 21, then the
spring armature, 22, makes contact with the contact piece, 23, and the current passes
through the other lamp.
:

page_text: Between the ordinary rails, 29, there is placed a conductor rail, 15, consisting of
lengths of T-iron which may be connected together by fish plates fixed to the
depending vertical web. The conductor rail, 15, is supported by nonconducting
chairs, 31, of a kind shown enlarged in plan in figure, 5, and in vertical section in
figure, 6. The chair, 31, is made of fireclay or earthenware and is formed with a
pedestal, 32, grooved to receive the conductor rail, 15, and having round it a
channel, 33, in which oil is put to avoid the conduction which would take place
through moisture. Felt is by preference interposed between the chair and rail to
prevent noise and the rail is connected to the chair by a pin, 34, passed through
holes in the chair and rail but not fitting tightly. The conductor rail, 15, is con-
nected by a wire, 35, to one pole of a dynamo machine or other source of electricity,
and one or both of the ordinary rails, 29, is or are connected by a wire or wires, 36,
to the other pole; and when any contact roller, 9, makes contact with the conductor
rail, 15, a current passes through and lights up the lamps, 17, in the carriage.
In a tunnel or at any part where it is wished to have the lamps lighted, the
conductor rail, 15, is laid and each end of it is made with a long incline as shown
at, 37, in figure, 1, so that the contact rollers, 9, may come into contact with the rail
gradually and with as little concussion as possible. I prefer to provide each carriage
with two contact rollers, 9, as shown as the current passing through the conductors
and lamps of the carriage is thereby rendered more uniform and the lights are
consequently steadier. And by making the carriages independent of each other as
described, there is the practical advantage that the electric energy communicated to
the train is not turned on and off all at once but only to the extent of a carriage at
a time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1-The combining of parts of apparatus for lighting a railway train by electricity
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
2-The system of arranging apparatus for lighting a railway train by electricity
wherein the electric current obtained from a stationary source is communicated
through a special conductor rail and through contact rollers fitted to the several
carriages or to some of them, each carriage being independently supplied with current
substantially as hereinbefore described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.