Improvements in Auto-motor Trolleys for Electrically Driven Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Auto-motor Trolleys for Electrically Driven
Vehicles.
I, LOUIS LOMBARD-GERIN, of 31, Quai St. Vincent, Lyons, in the Republic of
France, 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 an improved arrangement of auto-motor trolleys for
electrically driven vehicles. This kind of trolley or current taker is characterised
by the fact that the current collector is set in motion by its own motor indepen-
dently of the vehicle (carriage, tramcar, boat or the like) by which it is carried
and to which it brings the current from the wire or supply line by means of a
flexible cable of variable length. The arrangement of auto-motor trolley which
forms the object of the present invention may be employed either with con-
tinuous or with polyphase currents.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 being a front view of the apparatus adapted for continuous current;
Figure 2 an end view of the same;
Figures 3 and 4 similar views of the arrangement for a like apparatus for
triphase current.
În Figures 1 and 2 the metallic conductors G G of opposite polarity, are
arranged parallel one to the other. They are supported at intervals by insulated
pieces mounted on posts. The auto-motor trolley rests on conductors G G¹ by
means of two contact rollers A, B, travelling on overhead wires and serving as
current takers. Their axle a is provided in its centre with an insulation piece.
Below and parallel with the axle a, a fixed shaft m is arranged, connected to the
said axle by hinged rods C. The shaft m is also spring-mounted and carries the
electro-motor M actuating the auto-motor trolley.
The motor M working with triphase current is formed of a fixed internal
inductor in connection with wires conveying triphase current and an armature
concentric with the inductor.
The armature, the carcase of which may be for instance of aluminium, is
mounted on the shaft m by the intermediary of ball bearings. On its external
surface two iron rings de are mounted which actuate directly by friction,
1ollers DE preferably of fibre keyed on the axle a of the rollers A B taking the
current. Spiral springs suitably arranged on the hinged rods C enable the con-
tact pressure between the rings de of the motor M and the friction rollers D E
to be suitably regulated.
At the lower part of the motor M an electro-magnetic brake S is arranged,
which has four brake shoes s which bear upon the rings d e mounted on the
frame of the armature. This brake has for its object to prevent the trolley
running backward if it should be stopped on a gradient.
A flexible cable P extending from the auto-motor trolley to the vehicle is con-
nected with the said trolley by a suitable joint L preferably of the Cardan
"
"

page_text: pattern. At the lower part of this suspension
means of a hinge i, -which sleeve retains the end of the flexible cable P. Owing
to this arrangement this cable may oscillate in all directions.
In the apparatus just described, the cable P comprises the following wires under
one casing.
1stly. Wires conveying continuous current to the motor of the vehicle, which
current is collected by the rollers A, B.
2ndly. Wires conveying triphase current to the motor M of the trolley, which
current is collected from the motor of the vehicle fed in the manner hereinafter
mentioned.
3rdly. Wires bringing continuous current to the trolley for operating the
electro magnetic brake S.
The means of operating this brake must evidently be under the hand of the
conductor of the vehicle. The current being discharged into the magnetic coil
of the brake S, the brake shoes s which are preferably of iron become magnetised
and are pressed against the rings d e which close the circuit. The shoes s are
provided with little brass soles forming an intermediate piece between the iron,
and intended to facilitate the releasing of the brakes of the shoes from the brake-
rings when the current circuit is broken.
The following is the manner in which the triphase current feeding the motor M
of the trolley is collected, and how a synchronism between the speed of this auto-
motor trolley and that of the vehicle is obtained.
The motor of this vehicle is fed as hereinbefore stated with continuous current
collected by the rollers A. B of the trolley and which is conveyed by wires lodged
or contained in the flexible cable P. It is this motor which engenders the triphase
current serving for operating the motor M of the trolley.
For this object the motor of the vehicle is provided with three rings connected
at three suitable points selected on the winding of the armature. Three brushes
bearing on the said rings collect the triphase current which is conveyed to the
motor M of the trolley by three conductors grouped also in the casing of the
cable P, as has been already stated.
Under these conditions the number of phases of the triphase current collected
on the motor of the vehicle being strictly proportionate to the number of revolu-
tions which the said motor makes, it is evident that the motor M will have a
speed which will be itself proportionate to the speed of progression of the vehicle.
The wires bringing the triphase current to the motor M reach the latter by the
centre of the shaft m. Thus without the intervention of the conductor a
synchronism is realised which has for its consequence to render equal the speeds
of the auto-motor trolley and of the vehicle supplied.
It is evident that the arrangement of the auto-motor trolley which has just been
described may be utilised with currents requiring more than two wires for their
transmission, particularly in the case of triphase current.
Figures 3 and 4 show the means for practically carrying out the arrangement
herein before described, when applied to triphase current.
The apparatus is identically the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2, but it
is combined with a third roller C, intended to travel along a third current con-
ductor G2. This roller C is mounted on an axle c located in a kind of frame in
firm connection with the apparatus proper by means of springs R which enable
the said roller to rise or descend according to the position and pitch of the upper
overhead wire G². A spiral spring T serves to regulate the apparatus. Of course
in order to convey to the vehicle the triphase current collected by the rollers A B C
of the auto-motor trolley on the overhead wires G G¹ G³, it is necessary to have
three wires which are grouped in the flexible cable P.
It will be noticed that in the arrangement just described the triphase current
will feed on the one hand the motor of the vehicle and on the other hand the
motor M of the trolley. There will be no longer a necessity of engendering
triphase current on the motor of the vehicle seeing that it is triphase current itself

page_text: which is distributed, and under these conditions the synchronism of the speeds
of these two separate apparatuses will be found to be established by the force of
circumstances.
As regards the electro-magnetic brake S it is evident that it may also be
operated by means of current arising from batteries carried on the vehicle, (whether
carriage, tramcar, boat or the like).
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. An auto-motor trolley for continuous current, comprising an apparatus pro-
vided with contact rollers (A B) travelling on conductors (G G¹) insulated one
from another, the said apparatus having a motor (M) possessing a fixed inductor
mounted on a shaft (m) also fixed, supported by spring hinge rods (C) and a
movable armature, the periphery of which directly actuates friction rollers (D E)
keyed on the shaft (a) of the contact rollers (A B), said shaft having an insulation
piece in its centre, the whole in combination with a flexible cable (P) which
conveys the current to the motor of the vehicle (carriage, tramcar, boat or the
like), substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings.
2. In an auto-motor trolley such as described, an arrangement for automatically
regulating, for the purpose of obtaining a synchronism of the speeds of the trolley
and the vehicle supplied (carriage, tramcar, boat or the like), said arrangement
being characterised by the use of triphase current for operating the motor (M)
of the trolley, and the current being collected on the motor (working with con-
tinuous current) of the operated vehicle, by means of three brushes in contact
with three rings connected at three points suitably selected on the armature of
the said motor, substantially as described.
3. In the application of an auto-motor trolley to triphase current, the com-
bination of an arrangement such as described for continuous current with a third
contact roller (C) travelling on a third conducting wire (G2), the said roller being
carried by spring rods (R) subject to the action of a spring (T), substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In an auto-motor trolley such as described, the application of an electro-
magnetic brake (S) preferably fed with a special current and adapted to arrest
the auto-motor trolley simultaneously with the stoppage of the vehicle, substan-
tially as described.
Dated this 14th day of December 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.