Improved Means for Supplying an Electrical Current, and Safety Devices for Use in Combination therewith, for Electric Tram and other Cars or Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Supplying an Electrical Current, and Safety
Devices for Use in Combination therewith, for Electric Tram
and other Cars or Vehicles.
We JEAN CLARET, Contractor and OLIVIER VUILLEUMIER Electrician both
of 21 Boulevard Poissonnière Paris in the Republic of France do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved mechanism for supplying tram and other cars
or vehicles, propelled by electricity with an electric current and to a safety device
for such vehicles or cars. The electric track or railway which necessitates such
mechanism or device is occupied in its centre by contacts or lengths of rail which,
though independent of each other, are connected by automatic distributing
apparatus arranged at predetermined distances apart and combined with a main
current-conductor extending throughout the length of the line or track.
The object of this improved current supplying mechanism is to ensure the proper
operation of electric tram or other cars or vehicles and also their absolute safety
upon the road on the level of which electrical current is to be supplied.
Under the frame of each of the cars or vehicles to be propelled along the line or
track by electricity by means of suitable current supplies or switches arranged on
the level of the roadway, there are provided a number of runners and safety rollers.
The runners consist of metal plates set on edge or vertically and thus adapted to
act upon the sections or lengths of the central rails or rail.
Each metal plate or runner acting by friction as a brush is connected by spring
plates to a pivotted sleeve.
These sleeves are provided with extensions whereon springs are adapted to act
in such a manner as to keep them in contact with the runners or brushes. The
centre pivots are connected by yokes to a metal frame and thus joined to form one
rigid body with the said frame.
1
In order to enable the frames to be more readily fitted to the frames of the
carriages, while at the same time insulating them from the same, these frames are
provided with yokes capable of being bolted to a wood block, which in its turn, is
secured to the carriage frame.
The brushes are so arranged that there should be at all times as great a number
as possible, but never less than two, of them located within the width of the central
rail and this for the purpose of ensuring proper electrical connection whenever a
runner meets a fresh length of rail.
Friction pieces or brushes constituted in the manner just described, i.e. consisting
of an iron plate erected edgeways and measuring but a few millimetres in thickness
always remain in proper electrical contact, irrespective of any mud, dust or sand,
and the like, which may settle thereon, which would not be the case if wider
brushes should be employed; while at the same time their small bulk or compact-
ness, and the yielding or elastic nature which they derive from their construction,
renders them capable of following and accomodating themselves to all unevenesses
or undulations which the road may present.
The yokes may, if desired, be permanent magnets, or form the cores of electro-
magnets, in which case the springs would become superfluous, their action being
substituted for by:magnetic attraction.
.: f

page_text: The length of the said friction-plates or brushes enables the points and junctions
of the line to be passed without any fear of collision or danger.
Compensation for wear is afforded-in the most simple and economical manner, as
all that is needful is to remove and replace simple iron plates.
The safety friction rollers may be of the same construction as the friction pieces
or if preferred, they may assume the shape of regular rollers adapted to travel
along the central rail and also fitted to the carriage frame.
k
Referring now to the operation of the machine, this will vary according as either
of the two following cases occurs ;-
(a) When the rollers are fitted to the carriage frame direct, they are necessarily
thereby placed in electrical communication with the negative or return pole of the
generator or source of electricity through the medium of the wheels of the carriage
and the rails of the line.
In this case the friction rollers are arranged away from the brushes at a distance
exceeding the length of a contact or length of the central rail, so that the said
brushes which collect the current, and the safety rollers; can in no case make contact
simultaneously with one and the same length or section of the central rail.
For sake of clearness we will call the sections of the central rail over which the
vehicle passes A1 A2 and A³ and the corresponding. keys supplying the current of
electricity to the said sections t¹ t² t³.
As the vehicle is travelling forward the brushes which are in engagement with
the length or section of central rail (A³) over which the vehicle is then passing are
supposed to have just left the preceding length or section of central rail (A2).
The further progress of the carriage will result in the length of rail (A²)
becoming exposed, and. what will then happen, provided that the automatic
supply or distribution of electricity has taken place as it should do, is, that the
distributing arm, which supplies current successively to the contact keys (t') (t²)
and (3) connected respectively to the lengths (A' A2 A³) of the rail (in proportion
as the vehicle advances) will by that time have left the key (12) and be, instead,
in contact with (1) alone; no danger need therefore be apprehended from the
exposure of the section (A2) of the line.
But the case is different when it so happens that, in consequence of anything
abnormal occurring in the operation of the system the aforesaid distributing arin
remains in contact with the key (2) and therefore electrically connected with the:
section or length (A2) of the line. Then, but for the co-operation of the roller the
vehicle would uncover and expose the said length of line A2 which would be
influenced electrically. But the roller is, as before explained, in electrical com-
munication with the rails. Hence there will arise. a short circuit passing through
the cable supplying the current from the source of electricity, a fusible wire used
to connect the cable to the aforesaid arm the section (A2), the roller, the frame
and wheels of the carriage and back to the source of electricity or battery.
The intense current on circulating through this circuit offering but little
resistance, will cause the fusible wire to be broken.
The vehicle, owing to its impact, will have passed the section or length (A2) of
the line, which however will remain non-electrified since. the currents sent through
the cable cannot continue to circulate in consequence of the circuit having been
broken.
It has been here assumed that the fusible connection is situated between the
cable and the current supply arm: such fusible wire may however be placed also
somewhere along the course of the wires which connect the keys to the rail
sections.
(b) The rollers in some cases while also fitted to the carriage frame, may be
insulated electrically and they may also be arranged at a greater or less distance
from the current supply arrangements. In such cases the current with which the
electro-motor is fed also serves to excite a solenoid or an electro-magnet of great
resistance with which the vehicle is provided.
Whilst the distribution of current takes place in a normal mauner the electro-

page_text: magnet remains constantly excited and keeps its armature in contact therewith.
If, however, the current distributing arm should have remained upon the switch or
key (2) the current supply system will no longer be able to collect or receive any
current.
The electro-magnet becomes inoperative and hence its armature drops under the
action of a spring thereby closing a contact which connects the safety mechanism
directly to the earth.
As soon as this is the case the fusible wire instantly breaks and cuts off any
electrical communication upon the line, for the same reasons as those set forth
above.
Dated this 4th day of January 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincolns Inn Fields, 'London, 'W.C., Agents.
Improved Means for Supplying an Electrical Current, and Safety
Devices for Use in Combination therewith, for Electric Tram
and other Cars or Vehicles.
We JEAN CLARET, Contractor, and OLIVIER VUILLEUMIER, Electrician,
both of 21 Boulevard Poissonnière, Paris, 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 improved mechanism for supplying tram and other
cars or vehicles, propelled by electricity, with an electric current, and to safety
devices for such vehicles or cars. The electric track or railway which necessitates
such mechanism or devices is occupied in its centre by contacts or lengths of rail
which, though independent of each other, are connected by automatic distributing
apparatus arranged at predetermined distances apart, and combined with a main
current-conductor extending throughout the length of the line or track.
The object of this improved current supplying mechanism is to ensure the proper
operation of electric tram or other cars or vehicles and also absolute safety upon
the road on the level of which electrical current is to be supplied.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of a complete vehicle or carriage adapted
for electric traction or propulsion and provided with the improved mechanism
comprising two series of runners for current supply and two safety rollers.
Figures 2 and 3 are, respectively, a sectional elevation and a plan of one of the
said series or sets of runners of the current supply mechanism.
Figure 4 is a cross section of such set of runners on line 1-2 Figure 3.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are diagrams of the current supply and safety arrangements.
Under the frame of each of the cars or vehicles to be propelled along the line
or track by electricity, by means of suitable current supplies or switches arranged
on the level of the roadway, there are provided a number of runners a and safety
rollers b.
The runners a consist of metal plates set on edge or vertically and thus adapted
to act upon the sections or lengths of the central rails or rail.
Each metal plate or runner a, acting by friction (as a brush) is connected by
spring plates c to a sleeve d pivotted on the rod e.
These sleeves d are provided with extensions whereon springs fare adapted to

page_text: act in such a manner as to ensure contact between the runners or brushes a and the
rails A. The rods e are connected by yokes g to a metal frame h and thus joined
to form one rigid body with the said frame.
In order to enable the frames to be more readily fitted to the frames of the
carriages, while at the same time insulating them from the same, these frames are
provided with yokes i capable of being bolted to a wood block j which, in its turn,
is secured to the carriage frame.
The brushes a are so arranged that there should be at all times as great a
number as possible, but never less than two, of them located on the width of the
central rail A, and this for the purpose of ensuring proper electrical connection
whenever a runner meets a fresh length of rail.
Friction pieces or brushes constituted in the manner just described, i.e. consisting
of iron plates erected edgeways and measuring but a few millimetres in thickness,
always remain in proper electrical contact, irrespective of any mud, dust or sand,
and the like, which may settle thereon, which would not be the case if wider
brushes should be employed; while at the same time their small bulk or
compactness, and the yielding or elastic nature which they derive from their
construction, renders them capable of following and accommodating themselves to
all unevenness or undulations which the road may present.
The yokes i may, if desired, be permanent magnets, or form the cores of electro-
magnets, in which case the springs would become superfluous, their action being
substituted for by magnetic attraction.
The length of the said friction plates or brushes a enables the points and
junctions of the line to be passed without any fear of the plates engaging or
catching therein.
Compensation for wear is afforded in the most simple and economical manner, as
all that is needful is to remove and replace simple iron plates.
b
The safety friction "rollers" 6 may be of the same construction as the friction
pieces a, or if preferred, they may assume the shape of regular rollers adapted to
travel along the central rail, and also fitted to the carriage frame.
Referring now to the distribution of the electric current when the cars are
being driven this will vary according as either of the two following cases
occurs:-
(a). When the rollers are fitted to the carriage-frame direct (Figure 6) they
are necessarily thereby placed in electrical communication with the negative or
return pole of the generator or source of electricity B through the medium of the
wheels of the carriage and the rails of the line.
In this case the friction rollers b are arranged away from the brushes a at a
distance exceeding the length of a contact or a section of the central rail A, so
that the said brushes a which collect the current, and the safety rollers b, can in
no case make contact simultaneously with one and the same length or section of the
central rail.
In the diagram Figure 6, the vehicle C is assumed to be travelling in the
direction of the arrow x, while the brushes a, which are already in engagement
with the length of rail A³, are supposed to have just left the preceding length A.
The further progress of the carriage C will result in the length of rail (A2)
becoming exposed, and what will then happen, provided that the automatic supply
or distribution of electricity has taken place as it should do,-is, that the distributing
arm D, which supplies current successively to the contact keys t1, t2, and 3 con-
nected respectively to the lengths A1, A2, A3 of the rail (according as the vehicle
advances), will by that time have left the key t2 and be, instead, in contact with t
alone; no danger need therefore be apprehended from the exposure of the section A²
of the line.
But the case is different when it so happens that, in consequence of anything
abnormal occurring in the operation of the system, the aforesaid arm D remains
in contact with the key and therefore electrically connected with the section or
length A2 of the line. Then, but for the co-operation of the roller b, the vehicle

page_text: would leave the said length of line. A exposed: which would remain electrically
charged. But the' roller bis, as before explained,in electrical communication with
the rails: Hence there will arise a short circuit through the cable X, fusible
wire y, the arm. D, the conductor: m², the section A?, the roller b, the frame. and
wheels of the carriage, and back to the source of electricity or battery B.
The intense current on circulating through this circuit offering but little
resistance, will cause the fusible wire.y to be broken..
1
The vehicle, owing to the speed it has acquired will have passed the section or
length A2 of the line, which however will remain non-electrified since the currents
sent through the cable X cannot continue. to circulate in consequence of the circuit
having been broken at y.
It has been here assumed that the fusible connection y is situated between the
cable X and the current supply arm D; such fusible wire may, however; be placed
also somewhere along the course of the wires m³, m³, m³, which connect the keyssto
the rail sections.
(b) The rollers b, in some cases, while also fitted to the carriage frame, may be
insulated eléctrically, as shown' diagrammatically in Figure 7, and they may also
be arranged at a greater or less distance from the current-supply arrangements.
In such cases the current with which the electro-motor E is fed also serves to
excite a solenoid or an electromagnet. F of great resistance, with which the vehicle
is provided.
Whilst the distribution of current takes place in a normal manner, the electro-
magnet F remains constantly excited and keeps its armature n in the position
indicated in dotted lines, the contact o therefore continuing open. If, however,
the current distributing arm D should have remained upon the switch or key t²,
the current supply system will no longer be able to collect or receive any
current.
The electro-magnet F becomes inoperative, and hence its armature n drops under
the action of its spring, thereby closing the contact o which connects the safety
mechanism directly to the earth.
As soon as this is the case, the fusible wire y instantly breaks and cuts off any
electrical communication upon the line, for the same reasons as those already set
forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. For drawing or propelling vehicles by electricity, the combination of
mechanism for supplying the electro-motor with a current of electricity, with
safety mechanism adapted to be set in operation by the inefficient working of the
automatic distribution of electricity, the effect of its operation being to cut off any
electrical connection with the section or length of line which is next to be
uncovered or exposed by the moving vehicle, which section, but for the
employment of the said safety mechanismn would remain electrically charged
substantially as described.
2. As current-supply mechanism for feeding the electro-motor, the provision of
long and narrow friction plates erected edgeways and arranged in sets or series,
such plates being retained in yielding contact with the sections or lengths of the
central rail or rails through the medium of flat springs, pivotted sleeves, and return
springs, substantially as herein before described.
3. As current-supply mechanism, the combination of long and narrow friction.
plates arranged in sets or series, flat springs and pivotted sleeves, with yokes
bolted to a piece of wood which in its turn is secured to the vehicle frame, such
yokes being, if desired, permanent magnets or the cores of electro-magnets,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of electrical safety mechanism with friction rollers or
brushes, fitted to the vehicle frame direct, or connected electrically both with the

page_text: body of the vehicle and the rails of the line. (which in this case constitute the
return pole); such friction rollers or brushes being situated at a distance from
the current-supply mechanism exceeding the length of one section of the central
rail, substantially for the purpose and in the manner herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
"
5. A combination of safety mechanism with friction rollers or brushes situated at
a greater or less distance from the current-supply mechanism, such rollers being,
whilst in normal operation, insulated from the body of the vehicle, with a solenoid
or electro-magnet carried by the vehicle and receiving parallel electrical action
with its dynamo; such electro-magnet being so arranged that, on becoming
inoperative for want of current, it allows its armature to drop into contact and
open an electrical connection between the safety rollers and the rails of the
line, as and for the purpose above specified with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 4th day of October 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.