Improvements in or Pertaining to Means or Apparatus Employed in the Application of Electricity to Propel Vehicles, Applicable also for other Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
Improvements in or Pertaining to Means or Apparatus Employed
in the Application of Electricity to Propel Vehicles, Applicable
also for other Purposes.
I, FRANK WYNNE, of 7 Carteret Street, in the City of Westminster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to certain improvements in or pertaining to means or
apparatus of the class described or referred to in the Specification of my application
for Letters Patent No. 747 dated 17th January 1887..
According to part of the invention the subject of that application the circuit of the
motor of a vehicle to be propelled and which it will be convenient to call the car motor
circuit is progressively closed by contact makers each of which serves when attracted
by the polarization of a core or mass of magnetic material to establish electrical
connection, by and through a solenoid, between a road contact and a main conductor
of electricity; to maintain such connection by electrically tapping the current from
the main conductor through a separate connection in the direction towards which the
vehicle is travelling so long as the car motor circuit continues closed by contact of
the vehicle contact with the road contact; and to place the succeeding road contact
and solenoid or coil in electrical connection with the main conductor, so that when
the vehicle contact reaches such last mentioned road contact, the circuit of the said
solenoid or coil will be completed, its core or mass of magnetic material will be
polarized, and a corresponding contact maker operated.
According to one part of my present invention in order that the armature of each
contact maker may act in a stronger and more certain manner than heretofore to
make the several connections herein before referred to it is caused to be polarized when
its attracting core or mass of magnetic material is polarized. This can be conveniently
effected by winding the armature with a solenoid or coil that may be in electrical
connection with the solenoid that polarizes its attracting core or mass and with the
auxiliary electric conductor which is electrically connected with the latter solenoid and

page_text: is placed in connection with the main conductor by a contact maker in rear.
One or
more flexible connecting wires or strips may be used to permit movement of the
armature.
The solenoid or coil surrounding the armature may be provided with an exposed
contact which is placed in electrical connection with the inain conductor when the
contact maker is closed. This connection may be effected by means of a contact strip
carried by the adjacent end of a forward auxiliary conductor.
In another arrangement each box containing a contact maker is formed with a part
or mass in the form of a bridge which when the circuit of a solenoid or coil wound
within the box is completed, becomes polarized and attracts the armature of the contact
maker which is pivotted within such box. The armature, which may or may not be
wound with a solenoid or coil, carries a contact strip which is in electrical connection
with the main conductor and which serves when the contact maker is closed to place
a contact which is in electrical connection with the solenoid or coil wound in the box,
and also the next forward auxiliary conductor, in electrical connection with the main
conductor.
Where the vehicles to be propelled travel on rails in lieu of providing road contacts
located between such rails one of such rails is formed in lengths insulated from one
another so as to serve after the manner of and be used in lieu of road contacts and one
or more of the wheels of the vehicle to be propelled can be utilized as a car contact in
lieu of a brush, or a separate contact or brush may be used.
In lieu of an earth return a separate insulated return conductor is according to my
present invention in some cases employed. In such a case both lines of rails on which
the vehicle is to travel may be in the form of insulated lengths as above mentioned
then one set will be consecutively connected by the contact makers with the
main conductor whereas the other set will be connected with the insulated return
conductor.
For this purpose according to one arrangement each armature carries two contact
strips or pieces which effect the necessary connections when their respective armatures
are closed.
A vehicle to be propelled is furnished with leading and return contacts or brushes
(which may as above stated be wheels of such vehicle) arranged to travel over the
insulated lengths of rail. Each solenoid in this case has its circuit completed by a
contact maker in rear and afterwards by the closing of its own armature is placed in
direct connection with the return conductor.
For this purpose the return or negative car contact or brush is so arranged that it
shall not break connection with the return conductor through a contact in one box
until the leading or positive car contact or brush is in electrical connection with a
-more forward road contact and the solenoid in a forward box.
Additional road contacts are provided to enable the circuits of the solenoids or coils
employed for polarizing the cores or masses of magnetic material to be again completed
after having been broken by the breaking of the car motor circuit.
These additional road contacts are each electrically connected with one of the
solenoids or coils, it may be by means of the auxiliary conductor, connected to it, in
such a manner that by placing one pole of a suitable battery carried-it may be by the
vehicle in communication with one of the additional road contacts and the other pole
with the next forward road contact, the circuit of the solenoid in connection with the
said road contact will be completed, the corresponding core or mass will be polarized
and the armature of the corresponding contact maker will be closed and will again
connect the road contacts with the main and return conductors so that the car motor
circuit can be again completed and the vehicle propelled.
Suitable means and connections may be provided to enable the vehicles to travel in
either direction on one line of rails.
Apparatus according to my invention may be used for the application of electricity
for lighting purposes and for charging secondary batteries on vehicles.
In order to increase the propelling power of the vehicle by increasing the bite or
adhesion of the wheels of such vehicle when ascending inclines or when otherwise

page_text: required I employ a wheel or wheels in each of which a groove concentric to the rim
of the wheel is wound with insulated wire also concentric to the rim of the wheel and
through the wire I pass a current of electricity. I preferably connect the ends of the
coil of wire to insulated metal rings against which press, brushes connected respectively
to the positive and negative poles of a battery or other source of electricity. The
consecutive rails may be arranged in line with a space between their adjacent ends and
fish plates made of hard wood or the like and bolts are used to connect them up
regidity being secured to this joint by embedding the whole in a suitable tough
and hard insulating cement.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Pertaining to Means or Apparatus Employed
in the Application of Electricity to Propel Vehicles, Applicable
also for other Purposes.
I, FRANK WYNNE of 7 Cartaret Street, in the City of Westminster, 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:
This invention has reference to certain improvements in or pertaining to means or
apparatus of the class described or referred to in the specification of my application
for Letters Patent No. 747 dated 17th January, 1887.
According to the invention the subject of that application, the circuit of the motor
of a vehicle to be propelled, and which it will be convenient to call the car motor
circuit, is according to some of the arrangements shown progressively closed by
contact makers each of which serves, when attracted by the polarization of a core or
mass of magnetic material, to establish electrical connection by, and through, a
solenoid between a road contact and a main conductor of electricity, to maintain such
connection by electrically tapping the current from the main conductor through a
separate connection in the direction towards which the vehicle is travelling so long
as the car motor circuit continues closed by contact of the vehicle contact with the
road contact, and to place the succeeding forward road contact and solenoid or coil in
electrical connection with the main conductor, so that when the vehicle contact reaches
such last mentioned road contact the circuit of the said solenoid or coil will be com-
pleted, its core or mass of magnetic material will be polarized and a corresponding
contact maker operated.
According to one part of my present invention in order that the armature of each
of such contact makers may act in a stronger and more certain manner than hereto-
fore to make the several connections hereinbefore referred to, it is caused to be
independently polarized when its attracting core or mass of magnetic material is
polarized.
This can be conveniently effected by winding the armature with a solenoid or coil
that may be in electrical connection with the solenoid that polarizes its attracting
core or mass and with the auxiliary electric conductor which is electrically connected
with the latter solenoid and is placed in connection with the main conductor by
contact maker in rear of the said solenoid.
a
One or more flexible connecting wires or strips may be used to permit movement
of the armature.
The solenoid or coil surrounding the armature may be provided with an exposed
contact which is placed in electrical connection with the main conductor when the
contact maker is closed. This connection may be effected by means of a contact strip
carried by the adjacent end of a forward auxiliary conductor,

page_text: In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a longitudinal section
and a transverse section illustrating apparatus constructed according to this part of
my invention.
'
1, 1, are road contacts; 1
cores or masses of magnetic material in electrical
connection therewith; 2, 2, a series of closed boxes into which the cores or
masses 1* extend; 3, 3, are solenoids or coils of low resistance, each surrounding and
connected at one end to a core or mass 1*. 4,4 are exposed contacts each in electrical
connection with the adjacent solenoid or coil 3 above it. 5, 5 are iron armatures
each carried by but insulated from an arm 6 pivotted to and in electrical connection
with a main conductor 7 of electricity. Each armature 5 and arm 6 constitutes a
contact maker. S is insulating material for protecting the main conductor between
the boxes 2.
የ፡
99 are insulated auxiliary conductors which may be of comparatively small
section. Each of these auxiliary conductors is in electrical connection at one end
with a solenoid 3, and is provided at its other end with a contact strip 10 that is
adapted to make contact between the arm 6 and contact 4 of the contact maker
located within the box to the rear of that containing the solenoid to which the one
end of the auxiliary conductor is connected. 11, 12, and 13 represent diagram-
matically a car contact or brush, a car motor, and earth respectively. The several
parts are similar to those correspondingly named in my said former Letters Patent
herein before referred to, and act in a similar manner to them for completing the car
motor circuit through consecutive road contacts as the vehicle travels along the
road. Each armature is however according to my present invention wound with a
coil 3* which is arranged to form part of the auxiliary conductor 9 extending rear-
wardly to the next contact-maker box, and is connected in series with the adjacent
solenoid 3, though it may be placed in parallel circuit therewith. Flexible conducting
wires or strips 5 serve to effect the electrical connections between the coil 3* and the
solenoid 3 and the auxiliary conductor 9 so as to permit of the movement of the
armature carrying the said coil 3*. With the arrangement described, when either of
the cores or masses 1* is excited by the passage of a current of electricity through
the solenoid or coil 3 surrounding it, a current will also traverse the coil 3* surrounding
the corresponding armature which will be polarized by such current and will
be caused to act in a stronger and more certain manner than when it is not so
polarized.
In the example shown the exposed part or contact 4 is arranged in electrical
connection with the armature coil 3* and it will be placed in electrical connection with
the main conductor by the contact strip 10 of the next forward auxiliary conductor 9,
when the contact maker 5-6 is operated by the polarization of the armature 5 and
the core or mass 1* above it.
In another arrangement each box containing a contact maker is formed with a part
or mass in the form of a bridge which, when the circuit of a solenoid or coil wound
within the box is completed, becomes polarized and attracts the armature of the
contact maker which is pivotted within such box.
The armature which may or may not be wound with a solenoid or coil carries a
contact strip which is in electrical connection with the main conductor, and which
serves when the contact maker is closed, to place a contact which is in electrical
connection with the solenoid or coil wound in the box and also the next forward
auxiliary conductor in electrical connection with the main conductor.
Where the vehicles to be propelled travel on rails, in lieu of providing road contacts
located beween the lines of rails one of such lines of rails may be divided into lengths
insulated from one another so as to serve, after the manner of, and be used in lieu of
other road contacts, and one or more of the wheels of the vehicle to be propelled can
be utilized as a car contact in lien of a brush, or a separate contact or brush may
be used.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate respectively in transverse section, longitudinal section,
and part plan or top view, apparatus embodying these features of my invention.
In these figures, each road contact 1 is in the form of a length of insulated rail,

page_text: upon which the wheels at one side of the vehicle to be propelled travel. These wheels
are suitably insulated from those on the opposite side of the vehicle, and both sets are
arranged in the car motor circuit in a manner well understood.
Each of these road contacts 1 is connected to a solenoid 3 by a conductor 3". Each
of the solenoids 3 is wound within a box 2, which is formed with a bridge piece or
mass 1* which becomes polarized and attracts the armature 5 below it when the circuit
of said solenoid is completed: the other end of each coil 3 is connected to a conductor 9
extending rearward of the box containing the coil. Each armature 5 is pivotted at
the bottom of its box 2, and normally assumes a position out of the perpendicular,
in order to break the circuit between the main conductor and a road contact, when its
corresponding core or mass 1* ceases to be polarized; it may be wound as in the
example shewn with an auxiliary polarizing coil 3* which carries at one end a contact
strip 5* and is connected at its other end to the main conductor 7. 4 is an exposed
contact in connection with a conductor 9 and connected solenoid 3. 10 is a contact
at the free end of the conductor 9, leading to the next forward solenoid and road
contact. Each contact strip 5* is normally out of contact with the adjacent
contacts 4 and 10. When the circuit of one of the solenoids 3 is completed by the
car contact 11 coming into connection with the road contact 1 connected to the said
solenoid, when the car motor circuit is completed, the armature 5 will be attracted
by the polarized mass 1*, and the contact strip 5* will place the said solenoid and
road contact in electrical connection with the main conductor through the contact 4.
The contact strip 5* also places the next forward solenoid and road contact in electrical
connection with said main conductor by way of the conductor 9, and contact 10 as
before. The current when flowing through the coil 3* polarizes the armature and
reinforces the attraction between such armature and the polarized mass 1* thus
ensuring good connection between the contact strip 5* and the contacts 4 and 10.
Each box is provided with a cover 15 preferably of non-magnetic material. In
Tramway work where it is important to protect the ordinary traffic of the street from
accidentally shunting part of the circuit, it is well to make the charged lengths of
exposed conductor or road contacts so short as to be protected by the presence of the
tramcar from accidental contact, but in the case of railways this is not necessary and
the lengths of exposed charge conductor or road contact may be made of any convenient
length with a contact box to each such length.
It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to using such lengths of
rails in connection with contact boxes as herein before described but sometimes prefer
to use the carrying rails of the cars as earth returns only, in which case I place the
separate road contacts or exposed conductors and the contact boxes in convenient
proximity to the rails, usually between them and supported by the cross sleepers that
carry such rails. I may however in some cases place the road contacts or conductors
above the cars or vehicles to be propelled.
I sometimes find it convenient to make each of the conductors 3" of considerable
length, say the length of one of the exposed road contacts or conductors; and close
to the contact box connected with 3 and in the circuit thereof I insert a device by
which when a current is flowing through 3, as when a train is on a block or section
of line this may be demonstrated by a visual signal such as the lighting of a lamp, or
the operation of a semaphore. This arrangement is represented diagrammatically
in fig. 5º.
The device 60 for indicating to an approaching train by a light or other signal the
fact that another train is on a section within block distance of the approaching train,
may comprise a solenoid placed in the circuit of 3" and arranged to attract an arma-
ture by the movement of which a contact is made in one of the well known ways by
which an incandescent or it may be an arc lamp is inserted either directly or as a
shunt in the circuit. Or the contact may be arranged to divert sufficient current to
hold out a semaphore in a prominent position before the approaching train.
In lieu of an earth return, a separate insulated return conductor is according to
my present invention in some cases employed.
In such a case both lines of rails on which the vehicle is to travel may be in the

page_text: form of insulated lengths as above mentioned, then one set or series will be consecu-
tively connected by the contact makers with the main conductor whereas the other
set will be connected with the insulated return conductor.
For this purpose according to one arrangement each armature carries two contact
strips or pieces which effect the necessary connections when their respective armatures
are closed.
A vehicle to be propelled is furnished with leading and return contacts or brushes,
(which may as above stated be the wheels of such vehicle) arranged to travel over
the insulated lengths of rail.
Each solenoid in this case has its circuit completed by a contact maker in rear of
it, and afterwards by the closing of its own armature, is placed in direct connection
with the return conductor.
For this purpose the return or negative car contact or brush is so arranged that it
shall not break connection with the return conductor through a contact in one box
until the leading or positive car contact or brush is in electrical connection with a
more forward road contact and the corresponding solenoid in a forward box.
This arrangement of apparatus is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 which are respectively
a plan or top view partly in section, and a transverse section, both shown partly
diagrammatically.
17 is an insulated return conductor employed instead of an earth return as in the
previously described arrangements.
Each vehicle to be propelled carries two contacts or brushes (which may be the
wheels of the vehicle as herein before mentioned) namely a leading or positive
contact 11 and a return or negative contact 18. Both of the rails on which vehicles
are to travel and which serve as road contacts are in the form of insulated lengths 1, 1ª.
The rails 1 forming the set at one side are each electrically connected with the
main conducior 7 by the contact makers in the manner hereinbefore described.
the rails 1ª constituting the other set being connected in consecutive order with the
return conductor 17 by additional insulated contacts 18* carried by the armatures 5.
Each contact 18* serves, when the armature which carries it is attracted by the
polarization of the mass 1* above it, to electrically connect the extremities of the
conductors 19 and 20 which are connected respectively to a negative road contact 1"
and the return conductor 17. In order that the circuit of each solenoid 3 may be
completed and the corresponding armature 5 operated when the car contact 11 reaches
a new forward road contact 1, the car contact 18 must be so arranged that it does
not break connection with the return conductor 17 by way of one of the contacts 18*
in a contact box to the rear until after the car contact 11 has made connection with
the main conductor through a forward contact maker. By this means, each solenoid 3
will first have its circuit completed through the contact 18* by a contact maker to
the rear, whilst after its corresponding armature 5 has been operated by the
polarization of the mass 1* due to the closing of the said circuit, the said solenoid
will be placed in connection with the return conductor 17 by its corresponding
contact 18*. The contact strip 5 is electrically connected with the main con-
ductor 7 by a conductor 3* which passes through the armature 5 as shown. In
other respects this arrangement of apparatus is similar to that herein before described
with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5.
Additional road contacts 16, 16 (Figs. 3 and 5) are provided to enable the circuits
of the solenoids or coils 3 employed for polarizing the cores or masses 1* of magnetic
material to be again completed after having been broken by the breaking of the car
motor circuit.
These additional road contacts 16 are each electrically connected with one of the
solenoids or coils 3, it may be by means of one of the auxiliary conductors 9 con-
nected to it in such a manner that by placing one pole of a suitable battery carried,
it may be by the vehicle, in communication with one of the additional road contacts
and the other pole with the next forward road contact 1, the circuit of the solenoid 3
in connection with the said road contact will be completed, the corresponding core or
mass 1 will be polarized and the armature 5 of the corresponding contact maker will

page_text: be closed, and will again connect the road contacts with the main and return con-
ductors so that the car motor circuit can be again completed and the vehicle propelled.
When using long road contacts or rails it is not always necessary to extend the
conductors the full length between two contact boxes; thus it may sometimes be
advisable to make the working of a contact box dependent on the circuit being com-
pleted in each case first by a secondary battery 70 (see Fig. 5") carried by the car
through the aditional road contacts as hereinbefore described.
The exposed contacts 16 may be of any convenient length lying between two
consecutive boxes, and may in some cases take the form of being an exposed contact
throughout the distance between two boxes say in the form of a wire (fig. 5ª)
exposed over its whole length or nearly so, and resting on supports by the side of the
railway from which supports it may be lifted by a sliding contact 11ª carried by the
vehicle. In this case the exposed contacts 16 replace the auxiliary conductors 9.
The battery 70 may be kept normally charged by the ordinary current supplied to the
car motor, and be so connected to the second car contact 11ª, as to be available by its
discharge, to work the contact makers 5-6. Apparatus according to my invention
be used for the application of electricity for lighting purposes as for example in
displaying a signal as herein before described. In order to increase the propelling
power of the vehicle by increasing the bite or adhesion of the wheels of such vehicle
on the rails when ascending inclines or when otherwise required I employ a wheel or
wheels in each of which a coil of wire carrying a current of electricity is wound
concentrically to the rim of the wheel and in close contact with it between the hub
and the rim and preferably in a groove or recess in the rim or tyre.
may
I preferably connect the ends of the coil (or coils) of wire to insulated metal rings
against which press brushes connected respectively to the positive and negative poles
of a battery or other source of electricity.
Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a side elevation and a cross section of a magnetic
wheel constructed according to this part of my invention. 21, 21, are coils of wire
arranged in grooves or recesses 22, at the two sides of the wheel, the groove or
recesses being formed in the wheel rim. The ends of the coils are connected to two
insulated metal rings 24 and 25 upon which bear metal brushes that may be placed
in electrical connection with the poles of an electric generator when it is desired to
send a current of electricity through the coils for the purpose of magnetising the
wheel rim or tyre for the purpose herein before mentioned. When the rim or tyre is
so magnetised its two sides become polarized as indicated by N and S, the
magnetic circuit tending to be completed through the rail upon which it travels.
In the construction of wheel shewn in Figs. 10 and 11 which are similar views to
Figs. 8 and 9 the wheel is without spokes its centre 23, being formed of insulating
material such as wood. In Fig. 10 the groove or recess 22 and coil 1 are wholly
within the wheel rim.
Figs. 12, 13 and 14 which represent in side view and in cross sections on the
lines A B and C D Fig. 14 respectively, a modified construction adapted for use where
it is found advisable to make the layer of wire next to the inner circumference of
the wheel rim thin and therefore to make use of the whole breadth of the rim. In
this case I wind the wire in a flat ring between the spokes as shewn in Fig. 12 and
carry the central portion of the wire coil, where the spokes intervene, partly round
these spokes and on the inside of the remaining portion of the coil as shewn at
Fig. 13. The two outer or side portions of the coil are cach wound as a complete
ring. In Figs. 15 and 16 which are respectively a side elevation and a cross section
the centre 23 is of material such as wood and the coil 21 is secured in a groove formed
partly by the wheel rim and partly by a ring 23ª of non magnetic material such as
manganese steel.
The consecutive rails upon which the wheels of the vehicle to be electrically
propelled travel, may when used as road contacts be arranged in line with a space
between their adjacent ends and fish plates made of hard wood or the like and bolts 5
are used to connect them up, rigidity being secured to this joint by embedding the
whole in a suitable tough and hard insulating cement.

page_text: This construction of the rail joints is shown in Figs. 17 and 18 which are respectively
sectional plan and a transverse section.
26. 26 are parts of two adjacent lengths of rail-arranged at a short distance apart;
27, 27 are fish plates of hard insulating material such as hard wood, secured to the
inner and outer sides of the lengths of rail by bolts 28; and 29 is a block of tough
and hard insulating cement, such as portland cement, in which the joint is
embedded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what
I claim is
1. In apparatus for use in the application of electricity to propel vehicles, or for
other purposes as mentioned, and comprising contact makers whereby successive road
contacts can be connected to an insulated main conductor in the manner set forth,
providing the armature of each of said contact makers with a solenoid or coil for
polarising the same for the purpose specified.
2. In apparatus for use in the application of electricity to propel vehicles, or for
other purposes as mentioned, and comprising contact makers whereby successive
insulated road contacts can be connected to an insulated main conductor, enclosing
each of said contact makers as well as a solenoid or coil in a box constructed of
magnetic material with a part thereof in the form of a bridge piece which, when
the circuit of the said solenoid or coil is completed, becomes polarized and attracts
the armature of the contact maker in the same box substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for use in the application of electricity to propel vehicles, or
for other purposes as mentioned and in which the car motor circuit is closed in a
progressive manner by contact makers operating as set forth, the use with an
insulated main conductor and road contacts that are normally disconnected from
such conductor but are adapted to make temporary electrical connection therewith,
of an insulated return conductor, a second series of road contacts normally dis-
connected from the said return conductor but adapted to make temporary electrical
connection therewith, and contact makers adapted to connect in a consecutive
manner individual road contacts belonging to one series with the main conductor,
and individual road contacts belonging to the other series with the return con-
ductor, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In apparatus of the kind referred to for use in the application of electricity
to propel vehicles or for other purposes as mentioned, the use for exciting the
solenoids or coils to operate the contact makers after a car motor circuit has been
broken, of additional road contacts each in electrical connection with one end of
one of such solenoids or coils. the other end of which is connected with another
road contact, the arrangement being such that on establishing electrical connection
between the poles of an electric generator and two road contacts that are con-
nected as aforesaid with one solenoid or coil, such solenoid or coil will be excited
and the corresponding contact maker be operated to again close the car motor
circuit substantially as described.
5. In apparatus of the kind referred to for use in the application of electricity
to propel vehicles or for other purposes as mentioned, the use with the solenoids
or coils in the contact boxes, and exposed road contacts each in electrical connec-
tion with one end of one of such solenoids or coils the other end of which is
connected with another road contact of a secondary battery carried by the vehicle
and normally charged by the current supplied to such vehicle substantially as herein-
above described.
6. My improved apparatus substantially as hereinabove described with reference
respectively to and shewn in figs. 1 and 2 in figs. 3, 4 and 5; and in figs. 6 and 7,
of the drawings annexed for the purposes mentioned.
7. Providing in connection with the several conductors employed to complete the
circuit between the main conductor and the road contacts as a vehicle progresses,
devices for automatically lighting a lamp or closing and maintaining an electric
B

page_text: circuit through a lamp whilst the vehicle is upon a corresponding section of line,
substantially as herein before described with reference to and illustrated in fig. 5ª of the
drawings for the purpose specified.
8. In apparatus of the kind referred to for use in the application of electricity to
propel vehicles or for other purposes the use with the solenoids or coils 3 exposed road
contacts 1 and 16 and a car contact 11 arranged to make contact with the said road
contacts 1 in a successive manner, of a secondary battery carried on the vehicle and
kept normally charged by a part of the current supplied to such vehicle and a second
car contact 11 arranged to travel in contact with the road contacts 16 the arrange-
ment being such that the battery is available by its discharge for working the contact
makers 5. 6 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to fig. 5".
9. In a wheel for a vehicle constructed to travel on rails, providing a coil or coils
arranged concentric with the wheel rim, and that can be placed in an electric circuit,
and will then magnetize the wheel rim or tyre in such a manner as to increase the
adhesion thereof to the rail it is upon substantially as set forth.
10. In a wheel of the kind referred to in the preceding claim arranging the coil
(or coils) in a groove or recess (or in grooves or recesses) in the wheel rim or tyre in
such a manner as to increase the adhesion thereof to the rail it is upon substantially
as set forth, also the several modifications of such a wheel as shewn and described with
reference respectively to Figs. 8 and 9 Figs. 10 and 11; Fig. 10"; Figs. 12, 13
and 14; and Figs. 15 and 16 of the drawings annexed.
11. My improved insulating joint for connecting together the adjacent ends of
lengths of insulated rail, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
figs. 17 and 18 of the drawings annexed.
JOLL I