Improvements in Electric Railway Systems.
Year: 1891

page_text: te of Application, 15th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railway Systems.
I, MARK WESLEY DEWEY, of the City of Syracuse, in the County of
Onondaga and State of New York, United States of America, Electrician, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to electric induction railways and the object is to provide
cores for the primary or roadbed coils that will form and maintain closed magnetic
circuits.
By employing normally closed magnetic circuits of proper conductivity for the
primary coils there is less waste of energy as the counter electro motive force
generated thereby in the said coils render them virtually non-conductors and there-
fore, prevent, to a great extent, the alternating current short-circuiting through
them. These cores are constructed so that the secondary coil on the vehicle and
its core also, if one is used, may be placed in proper inductional relation to them,
successively.
When the secondary coil is brought in inductional relation to one or more
of the primary cores and the circuit containing the secondary coil is closed, the
counter electro-motive force is decreased or neutralized to a great extent, pro-
portionally to the amount of work being done, and current is generated in the
secondary circuit as required.
To this end my invention consists in the combination in an electric railway of a
source of irregular or alternating currents, conductors extending therefrom, a
series of coils placed at intervals along said railway and connected in parallel with
said conductors, normally closed magnetic circuits for the coils, a vehicle, a con-
ductor upon the vehicle to be placed in inductional relation to the inagnetic circuits
successively, and an electric motor to move the vehicle in circuit with the latter
conductor.
My invention consists further in the combination of a source of irregular or
alternating currents, conductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at
intervals along said railway and connected in parallel with said conductors,
normally closed magnetic circuits for the coils, a vehicle, a circuit on the vehicle, a
coil in the circuit, a magnetizable core in the coil, suitable devices to permit the
said core to be placed in the magnetic circuits successively, and an electric motor in
the circuit to move the vehicle.
My invention consists still further in an electric railway, of a source of irregular
or alternating currents, conductors extending therefrom along the railway, a series
of coils placed at intervals along said railway and connected in parallel with
said conductors, a slotted conduit along the railway, slotted iron cores for the coils,
iron brushes to maintain normally closed magnetic circuits, a vehicle, a circuit
carried by the vehicle and in the conduit to enter the slotted cores successively,
and an electric motor in the circuit to move the vehicle.
And my invention consists also in certain other combinations of parts hereinafter
described and specifically set forth in the claims.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of an electric railway and a motor
car embodying my invention,
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the railway showing a core when in its normal
condition or when the vehicle circuit is not in inductional relation,
Figure 3 is also a cross section of the railway but with the vehicle coil in
inductional relation to the core,

page_text: ig. 4 is a pian view of a
COT
Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 4 on line y, y,
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another form of vehicle coil and core,
Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line x, a, of Fig. 6,
Fig. 8 is a cross section on line y, y, of Fig. 6,
Fig. 9 shows a cross section of a coreless vehicle coil and a modified construction
to maintain a normally closed magnetic circuit,
Fig. 94 is a plan view of the ends of the stationary core having iron bars pivoted
thereto,
Fig. 10 is a plan view of a sectional vehicle coil,
Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the same,
Fig. 12 is a form of hanger for the vehicle coil, and
Fig. 13 shows a form of coupling for the sections.
Referring specifically to the drawings, A in the figures represents the vehicle or
car, A¹ the source of irregular or alternating currents, and B the supply or line
conductors connected to the source and extending along the railway or track C.
bbbare rectangular iron cores or closed magnetic circuits placed at intervals
along the railway, preferably equal distances apart and at right angles to the rails.
Said cores are preferably placed within or partially within a slotted conduit C
running parallel with the railway and between the rails thereof.
I do not limit myself to any particular distance between two of said cores, but
they may be placed apart about the length of a car with good results.
A yielding passage is provided through the upper side of each of said cores to
allow the secondary coil or coils suspended from the car A. to enter, in order that
said coil or coils may be in proper inductional relation to the primary cores
during the movement of the car. The said yielding passage is preferably made by
fixing iron brushes e e to the ends of the solid portion of the core so that they
will extend toward and be in contact with each other when in their normal
condition or when a vehicle core is not between them. are coils wound
upon the said cores. These coils are connected in parallel with the line
conductors.
d is the vehicle conductor or the secondary circuit upon the car, D is the
electric motor in the vehicle conductor, and ce indicate current regulators. The
motor is shown connected to the driving axle by a belt or chain ; but said
motor may be, of course, connected to the driving-axle by any suitable gearing
or means.
In the vehicle circuit is an elongated coil about the length of the vehicle and
suspended in a horizontal position in the conduit from the truck frame a of the
vehicle. The coil is made long so that the primary coils may be placed farther
apart and to allow the car to be moved a considerable distance while its coil is in
inductional relation to a single primary coil. The vehicle coil is made narrow so
that the conduit may be small and in order that the yielding paths through the
cores may be narrow and the brushes short. The coil is provided with pointed
ends to obviate resistance when entering between the brushes.
A vehicle core f¹
may or may not be provided for the coil f. In Figures 4 and 5 the core is shown
as long as the width of the coil, but in Figures 6, 7 and 8 it is very thin or
I-shaped to further decrease resistance to its movement, except at its ends where
the coil necessarily occupies more space.
In Figure 9 a vehicle coil is shown without a core to still further decrease
resistance and to obtain a very light construction or to allow a larger coil to be used.
In the same figures I show iron bars e¹ e' pivoted to the ends of the core in the
place of the brushes.
These bars will be attracted toward each other by the magnetism therein and will
keep the circuit closed, but suitable springs ss may be used to assist their movement
if desired, as indicated in Figure 9^.
In railways having curves and primary cores distributed widely apart, I divide
the vehicle coil into sections or several small coils, as desired, and place flexible

page_text: couplings or connections between the sections so that the coil may conform to the
curve and readily enter the yielding paths through the primary cores.
In Figures 10 and 11 springs are shown between the sections to allow the
required flexibility, but in Fig. 13 said sections are connected together by a slotted
pivoted joint. As it is necessary when employing a sectional coil to make provision
for the movements of the hangers a' supporting the coil, I provide a jointed hanger
the same or similar to that shown in Fig. 12. Each section of coil is suspended
from the truck frame a by a hanger extending downward therefrom to the center of
the section. Said hanger is jointed at its upper end in any well known manner so
that it will remain perpendicular, but be capable of movement from side to side
and upon a vertical axis.
I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction shown and described
herein as they may be modified in various ways without departing from my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, normally closed magnetic circuits
for the coils, a vehicle, a conductor upon the vehicle to be placed in inductional
relation to the magnetic circuits successively, said conductor being entirely
movable, and an electric motor to move the vehicle in circuit with the latter
conductor.
2-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a stationary coil connected in circuit with said
conductors a normally closed magnetic circuit for said coil, a vehicle, a circuit
carried entirely upon the vehicle, suitable devices whereby the latter circuit may
be moved in inductive relation to the said magnetic circuit, and an electric motor in
the circuit on the vehicle to move the same.
3-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, normally closed magnetic circuits
for the coils, a vehicle, a circuit on the vehicle, a coil in the circuit, suitable
devices to allow the coil to move into and out of inductive relation with the said
magnetic circuits successively, and an electric motor in the circuit to move the
vehicle.
4-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, cou-
ductors extending therefrom a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, normally closed magnetic circuits
for the coils, a vehicle, a circuit on the vehicle, a coil in the circuit, a magnetizable
core in the coil, suitable devices to permit the said core to be placed in the
magnetic circuits successively, and an electric motor in the circuit to move the
vehicle.
5 In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom along the railway, a series of coils placed at intervals
along said railway and connected in parallel with said conductors, a slotted conduit
along the railway, normally closed magnetic circuits for the coils within the
conduit, a vehicle, a circuit on the vehicle, a coil in the circuit, suitable devices to
O allow the coil to move into and out of inductive relation with the said magnetic
circuits successively, and an electric motor in the circuit to move the vehicle.
6 In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, normally closed magnetic circuits
5 for the coils, a flexible or yielding path through each magnetic circuit, a vehicle a

page_text: conductor on the vehicle and in said path, and an electric motor to move the vehicle
in circuit with the latter conductor.
7-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom along the railway, a series of coils placed at intervals
along said railway, and connected in parallel with said conductors, a slotted conduit
along the railway, normally closed magnetic circuits for the coils within the conduit,
a flexible or yielding path through each magnetic circuit in the conduit, a vehicle, a
circuit carried by the vehicle and in said path and an electric motor in the circuit
to move the vehicle.
8-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, slotted iron cores for the coils, iron
brushes to maintain normally closed magnetic circuits, a vehicle, a circuit carried
by the vehicle to enter the slotted cores successively, and an electric motor in the
circuit to move the vehicle.
9-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom along the railway, a series of coils placed at intervals
along said railway and connected in parallel with said conductors, a slotted conduit
along the railway, slotted iron cores for the coils, iron brushes to maintain
normally closed magnetic circuits, a vehicle, a circuit carried by the vehicle and in
the conduit to enter the slotted cores successively, and an electric motor in the
circuit to move the vehicle.
10-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, normally closed magnetic circuits
for the coils, a vehicle, a circuit on the vehicle, a coil divided into sections in the
circuit, suitable devices to allow the coil to move into and out of inductive relation
with the said magnetic circuits successively, and an electric motor in the circuit to
move the vehicle.
11-In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, normally closed magnetic circuits
for the coils, a vehicle, a circuit on the vehicle, a coil divided into sections in the
circuit, flexible or yielding couplings between the sections, suitable devices to
allow the coil to move into and out of inductive relation with the said magnetic
circuits successively, and an electric motor in the circuit to move the vehicle.
12 In an electric railway, a source of irregular or alternating currents, con-
ductors extending therefrom, a series of coils placed at intervals along said railway
and connected in parallel with said conductors, slotted iron cores for the coils, iron
brushes to maintain normally closed magnetic circuits, a vehicle, a circuit carried
by the vehicle, a coil in the circuit, an iron core in the coil to enter the slotted
cores successively, and an electric motor in the circuit to move the vehicle.
Dated this 25th day of November 1891.
MARK WESLEY DEWEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.