Means for Storing Up the Electricity Generated by the Application; of the Brakes to the Wheels of Motor Cars or Locomotives.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov.. 1896-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means for Storing Up the Electricity Generated by the Application;
of the Brakes to the Wheels of Motor Cars or Locomotives.
We, MARTIN ELLIS THOMAS, Machinist of Cassaday and WILLIAM FILLMORE
Toops, Egg Packer, JAMES MONROE HULEN, Egg Packer, EDWARD LA RUE
HENDRICK Tobacco Merchant, HENRY LER HENDRICK, Tobacco Merchant, and
ROBERT WALTER HENDRICK, Tobacconist of Bowling Greon, County of Warren, all
in the State of Kentucky, U.S.A. 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 electric appliances for motor cars or locomotives, and it
consists in frictional brakes which are applied to the wheels of the car or locomotive
and wires extending from the hubs of the wheels to either the motor or the generator,
and through these with the storage battery. The object of the invention is to store
up the electricity generated by the application of the brakes to the wheels either
in stopping the vehicles, or upon down gradients, and thus nccumulate sufficient
electricity to help to drive the car or locomotive until another down gradient is
reached.
•
In the accompanying drawing
1
Fig. 1 is a sido elevation of an electric motor car or locomotive to which the
invention is applied.
Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section on line 1-1 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a plan view with the upper portion of the cab removed.
Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional view, similar to Fig. 2.
A is a motor car or locomotive, to be driven by electricity that is generated
within the car itself, and which car or locomotive may have either the shape and
construction here shewn or any other that may be preferred. As here shewn, the
car is provided with a cow catcher and a head light at each end, and is equally
adapted for running in either direction. The frame of the cab, which may be of any
desired construction, rests upon the elliptical springs B, which rest upon the tops
of the journal boxes, and in the body of the car or locomotive the entire electric
appliance is placed.
This olectric appliance consists of a gas engine C, a generator D, which is driven
by the engine, a storage battery F connected to the generator by the wires H; a
motor connected to the storage battery by the wires I; and the usual devices J for
turning on and shutting off the current, and applying the brakes. These parts may
be arranged either in the relation here shewn to each other, or in any other that
may be preferred.
There are two of the devices J shewn, one for each end of the car or locomotive,
and the operator will use oither one according to the direction in which tho car or
locomotive is moving. The gus engine C, or any other suitable form of driving
power, is used to operate the generator to churgo the storage battery, and thus
accumulate power sufficient to drive the car or locomotive.
In order to utilize the power which has heretoforo been wasted in stopping the car
or locomotivo, or which is generated when the car or locomotive is on a down grado,
suitable frictional brakes are supplied to the wheels by any suitable operating
mechanism that may be desired, and to the hub of each wheel is connected a wire
and these wires pass up through openings, in the floor and connect with a generator,

page_text: or the motor, and through these tho current is conducted to the storage battery F,
to be used in helping the car or locomotive up an inclined grade, or along a level
stretch until the next down grade is reached, when the brakes are again supplied,
and the electricity generated by the frictional contact is again stored up in the
battery F.
We do not limit onr invention to any particular form of brakes, or appliances for
operating them, as this is a matter of choice, the main object of our invention being
to utilize the electricity generated in stopping the car or locomotive at any point,
and that which is generated by applying the brakes upon a down grade.
The wires may be run as shewn or in any other way that may be preferred, as wo
do not restrict our invention to the mere details of arrangement and, construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
.claim is :-
1. The method herein described of storing up the electricity generated by the
application of the brakes to the wheels of a car or locomotive, consisting in applying
wires to the wheels and connecting these wires to the storage battery so as to store
up the electricity generated by frictional contact between the brakes and wheels,
substantially as described and shown.
2. In an electric appliance of the kind referred to, the wheels of the car or
locomotive, the brakes applied thereto, and the wires connected to the wheels,
combined with a generator, a motor, and the storage battery, substantially as described
and shewn.
3. In a motor car or locomotive, the wheels, the brakes applied thereto, a storage
battery, and suitable connections between the wheels and the battery, whereby tho
electricity generated by the application of the brakes to the wheels is stored in the
battery and used to help to propel the car or locomotive, substantially as describod
and shewn.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.