Improvements in Electric Motor Mechanism.
Year: 1890

page_text: ·Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 27th Sept., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Motor Mechanism.
1 SAMUEL ERASTUS MOWER of 6 Elm Street, New Haven, in the State of
Connecticut, one of the United States of America, Mechanic 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 motor mechanism, and has for its object to
construct a motor mechanism so that the armature of the motor may be mounted
directly upon an axle or shaft, and the latter rotated at a substantially slow speed,
while the said armature is revolving at a substantially high speed.
My invention is especially adapted to be employed on electric railway cars for
propelling the same.
In accordance with my invention, the motor is mounted directly upon the axle
of the car truck, whereby the maximum traction effect from the weight of the motor
is obtained.
The armature of the said motor is made to revolve on the car axle and is
connected thereto by speed reducing mechanism as will be described, so that the
said armature, revolving at a high speed, produces revolution of the car axle at a
much slower speed, that is, the said armature revolves a number of times to effect
one revolution of the car axle.
The motor mechanism is preferably entirely covered and protected from external
injury by a metallic shell or hood which is dust and oil tight.
My invention in an electric motor mechanism, thereforo consists in the combination
with a shaft or axle provided with wheels, of a motor having its armature mounted
to run loosely on said shaft or axle, and a speed reducing mechanism connected to
the said armature; and to the shaft or axle independent of the said wheels, sub-
stantially as will be described.
Other features of my invention will be pointed out in the claim at the end of this
Specification.
Fig. 1 is a top or plan view partially broken out of my improved electric motor
mechanisin applied to a car axle,
Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section through the motor mechanism, the car axle being
shown in elevation,
Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line - Fig. 2,
Fig. 4, a transverse section of Fig. 2 on line y-y on an enlarged scale,
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of an electric motor mechanism embodying my
invention applied to a car axle, the latter being shown in elevation,
Fig. 6, a detail in elevation to more clearly illustrate the clutch mechanism,
Fig. 7, a section on the line - Fig. 6, showing the clutch mechanism in
operative position, and
Fig. 8, a section on the line ¹¹ Fig. 6, with the clutch mechanism in its
inoperative position.
The axle A is provided, as herein shown, with wheels A', A³, and it may be of any
usual or well known construction such as now commonly employer on electric
railway cars.
The car axle A has mounted upon it within the wheels A', A', a yoke a and a
hollow shell or drum a', which may be secured to or form part of boxes or hoods a², a³,
bolted or otherwise secured to the pole pieces a, a, of an electric motor, which may
be of any usual or well known construction, it being herein shown as composed
of substantially flat pole pieces a, a, located above and below the axle A and con-
nected by field magnet cores as only one of which is shown in Fig. 3, which are
herein represented as fastened to the said pole pieces by bolts a².
The sides of the field magnets are journaled or supported directly upon the car axle

page_text: by the yoke a and hollow shell or drum a¹, and the said field magnets are supported
at their ends, as herein shown, preferably by spiral springs a³, each of which rests
upon a cross beam or support a secured to or forming part of the car truck, and
through which is extended a bolt 410, passed through an ear a" of the pole piece a*
and provided above the said pole piece with a nut a
The car axle A between the yoke a and the hollow shell or drum a¹ has loosely
mounted upon it a sleeve b to which the armature of the motor may be secured or
form part thereof.
The armature revolves between the pole pieces at, a³, and may be of any usual or
well known construction.
The sleeve at one side of the armature is provided with a commutator 12 of any
usual of well known construction, with which co-operate suitable brushes, not herein
shown, the said commutator being connected in any usual er well known manner
with the armature.
The opposite end of the sleeve b, as herein shown is extended through a disk or
frame, herein shown as secured to the hood a³ by bolts 6^.
The sleeve is connected to the car axle independent of the wheels by a speed
reducing device or mechanism which, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, consists of a
gear wheel secured to the disk 3, as by bolts 5, a yoke or arm 18 secured to the
sleeve by a key and forming hearings preferably at its diametrically opposite
ends for sliafts 9, 10 provided each with pinions 62, 63, the pinions 6 meshing with
the stationary gear 6 and the pinions 13 with a gear 14 secured to the car axle by a
key 618
The gears 6, 6, are provided on their peripheries with an unlike or different
number of teeth, as for instance the gear may be provided with 32 teeth, and the
gear 6 with 34 teeth, so that as the arm 68 with its shafts 9, 10, are revolved with
the armature sleeve b, the pinion 12 travels around the stationary gear 6 of 32 teeth,
while the pinions ¹³ run around the movable gear of 34 teeth, thus turning the
gear two teeth, for each revolution of the arm 68 and the armature sleeve to
which it is attached.
In this manner the speed of the armature, which may be very high, is reduced in
such proportion as to produce a substantially slow moving axle and wheel
The hollow shell or drum a' is made oil and dust tight and is filled with oil d to
such a depth that the pinions 6, 18, revolve in the oil at each revolution of the
armature sleeve, the said pinions and gears being in this manner thoroughly lubricated
and protected from external injury.
The drum a' also serves to muffle the noise caused by the running of the pinions
about the gears. I prefer to employ two sets of pinions 62, 13, on diametrically
opposite sides of the gears 60, 6, as in this manner side thrust upon the axle is
obviated.
I have thus far described one form of speed reducing mechanism to connect the
armature sleeve to the car axle independent of the car wheels, but I do not desire
to limit my invention in this respect as other forms of speed reducing mechanism
may be used, such for instance as shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive.
As shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the speed reducing mechanism consists of a
friction disk or drum el encircled by a strap e provided with arms ³, et, through
which is extended a rod c provided on one side of the arm c³, as herein shown, with
check nuts, c', and on the opposite side of the arm with a cam ce fast on the said
rod and co-operating with a cam ca interposed between it and the arm c¹.
The rod in practice will preferably have connected to it a lever, not herein
shown, but which is extended up through the car to be operated by the driver or
operator.
In operation the rod is turned and the cam c8 is brought into the position shown
in Fig. 8, when it is desired the armature sleeve 6 should run free, the clutch strap or
ring being at such time disengaged from the drum c¹, as shown in. Fig. 8, the
gear being at rest.
With the clutch strap c² disengaged from the drum c', as shown in Fig. 8, the

page_text: armature of the motor may be run continuously without producing motion of the car
axle, for the pinions 612, 613, carried by the yoke 68 will drive the gear 6 and the
latter being loose upon the sleeve b will rotate freely without producing motion of
the gear b
If now it is desired to start the car in motion the operator will move the rod c so
as to bring the came into the position shown in Fig. 7, thereby moving the arm c
of the clutch strap toward the arm e³ and binding the said strap tightly upon the
drum c¹.
the
The drum is, in this manner, held stationary and consequently the gear 6 is
stationary, so that in the movement of the pinions 62, 613, around the gears 61, 66,
gear will be rotated and the car axlo revolved.
It is evident that the operator may turn the rod so as to cause the clutch strap c²
to engage the drum c¹ with more or less force, and in this manner produce a slower or
quick motion of the car axle.
I have herein shown the eccentric strap as operated by means of cams on the
rod but I do not desire to limit myself in this respect as other equivalent devices
may be used, such for instance as a screw.
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:-In an electric motor mechanism, the combination with an axle provided with
wheels, of a motor having its armature mounted to run loosely on said axle, and
a speed reducing mechanism connected to the said armature and to the axle
independent of the said wheels, substantially as described.
2:—In an electric motor mechanism, the combination with an axle having wheels,
of a motor having its armature mounted loosely on said axle, and having its field
magnets supported directly upon the axle, and a speed reducing mechanism connected
to said armature and to the axle independent of the said wheels and supported
directly by the said axles, substantially as described.
3: In an electric motor mechanism, the combination with an axle, of a motor
having its armature mounted to run loosely on said axle, and a speed reducing
mechanism comprising a gear 6 secured to the axle, a gear 6 having a different
number of teeth than the gear 614, means to render the gear 6 stationary, and an arın
secured to the said armature to revolve therewith, and gears or pinions carried by said
arm in mesh with the gears 6, 61, substantially as described.
Dated the 5th day of August 1890.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.