Improvements in the Lighting of Trains by Electricity.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Lighting of Trains by Electricity.
ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of No. 2 Great George Street, Westminster
London S.W., Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The objects of my invention are to simplify the apparatus and lessen the cost.
In my previous Patent No. 7506 I described and claimed the use of an
auxiliary circuit and lamps and battery in each vehicle in combination with a main
circuit and main lamps fed or lighted direct from a dynamo and I described two
ways of controlling the auxiliary circuits one with and one without relays.
In my Patent No. 275900 I allude to the above Patent but describe and claim
the use of a main battery to light the main lamps instead of a dynamo and I
describe the use of a dynamo on the train or a stationary dynamo at any
convenient place to charge the main battery or any of the batteries on the train-
or the small batteries may be charged by the main battery.
In both the above Patents I describe the use of a communication circuit. This
I propose to leave out of the present Patent as it is obvious that it can be added
to the lighting arrangements which I am describing by the addition of a positive
through lead. Apart, however, from the communication circuit there are in the
above two Patents four through leads shown and described.
The objects of this invention are to do away with some of these through leads.
With these objects in view I fit main lamps in each vehicle with their necessary
circuits and through positive and minus leads with suitable couplers and I light
these main lamps by means of a main battery in any convenient position or by a
dynamo on the train driven by any suitable means or by the two in conjunction. I
also fit auxiliary lamps and an auxiliary battery in each vehicle (where they are
necessary) with the requisite circuits. There may be (though not absolutely
necessary) special or local switches in each main circuit and each auxiliary circuit
in each vehicle.
It is clear that if the local switches are all closed in the main circuits-the main
lamps can then be controlled by a main switch under the control of the guard or
other official.
In order to control the small or auxiliary lamps and at the same time so arrange
them that they shall automatically light up in any carriages that are detached
from the main lighting circuit when their local switches are closed-I fit their
circuits so that they can be broken by small relays, magnets or solenoids in ench
vehicle and these are actuated as follows. In Fig. 2 Patent No. 7506** _and_at
folio 4 are shown and described the working of relays or magnets R2 worked by .
the current from the main circuit or R from an auxiliary circuit. The leads D
and E are not joined in the couplers as shown in Fig. 2.
Instead of a magnet I may fit a solenoid in the main circuit and it is clear that
if the local switches are all closed and the through leads coupled up as shown in
previous Patents named above and a main current of electricity running and the
auxiliary batteries in circuit; that the relays will break the auxiliary circuits but
if any vehicles are detached from the main circuit or if the main current ceases to
run the auxiliary circuits will be completed and the auxiliary lamps lit.
If however I leave the two leads marked D and E in the above named Patents
out altogether and couple the negative poles of the auxiliary batteries and of the
auxiliary lamps to the main negative and the positive poles of small batteries and

page_text: lamps to the main positive with suitable resistances to reduce the E.M.F. to a safe
lovel and if I fit a switch so that-
a. In one direction it closes the main circuit and lights the main lamps and at
the same time actuates the solenoids or relays and breaks the auxiliary
lighting circuits or
b. In the other direction it breaks the main circuit and leaves the auxiliary
circuits closed and the auxiliary lamps lit.
Under these conditions the couplers can be of the simplest and cheapest form as
there are only two through leads.
In cach carriago in the main lighting circuit I place a relay or solenoid and
when the main current is running this works a switch from its normal position.
Its normal position is that the auxiliary circuit is closed and the auxiliary batteries
are lighting the auxiliary lamps if their local switches are closed-but the new
position breaks or opens the auxiliary lighting circuits and closes the auxiliary
battery charging circuits which have in each a switch and a resistance. The
former to make or break the circuit and the latter to regulate the charging
E.M.F.
If any carriages are slipped or break from the main circuit or if anything
happens to break this circuit or the action of the main current the auxiliary
circuits are completed and the auxiliary lamps are lighted.
Dated this Eighth day of July 1891.
I. A. TIMMIS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Lighting of Trains by Electricity.
I ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of No. 2 Great George Street, Westminster
London S.W. Civil 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 :-
The objects of my invention are to simplify the apparatus and lessen the cost.
In my previous Patent No. 7506" I described and claimed the use of an
auxiliary circuit and lamps and battery in each vehicle in combination with a main
circuit and main lamps fed or lighted direct from a dynamo and I described two
ways of controlling the auxiliary circuits one with and one without relays or
electro magnetic switches.
In my Patent 27590 I allude to the above Patent but describe and claim the
use of a main battery to liglit the main lamps instead of a dynamo-and I describe
the use of a dynamo on the train or a stationary dynamo at any convenient place to
charge the main battery or any of the batteries on the train-or the small batteries
may be charged by the main battery.
I
In both the above Patents I describe the use of a communication circuit. This
propose to leave out of the present application as it is obvious that it can be
added to the lighting arrangements which I am describing by the addition of a
positive through lead. Apart however, from the communication circuit there are,
in the above two Patents four through leads shown and described.
The objects of this invention are to do away with some of these through leads
one or two.
With these objects in view I fit main lamps in each vehicle with the necessary
circuits and through positive and negative leads with suitable couplers-and I
light these main lamps by means of a main battery in any convenient position or
by a dynamo on the train driven by any suitable means or by the two in
conjunction. I also fit auxiliary lamps and an auxiliary battery in each vehicle
(where they are necessary) with the requisite circuits. There may be though not
absolutely necessary special or local switches in each main circuit and in each
auxiliary circuit in each vehicle. It is clear that if the local switches are all

page_text: closed I fit these circuits so that they can be broken by small relays or electro
magnetic switches or solenoids in each vehicle and these are actuated as follows..
In Fig. 2 Patent 7506 and at folio 4 are shown and described the working of
relays or electro magnetic switches R' worked by, the current from the main
circuit or R from an auxiliary circuit and it is clear that if the local switches are
all closed and the through leads coupled up as shown in previous Patents named
above and a main current of electricity running and the auxiliary batteries in
circuit that the relays or electro-magnetic switches will break the auxiliary
circuits but if any vehicles are detached from the main circuit or if the main
current ceases to run the auxiliary circuits will be completed and the auxiliary
lamps lit.
If however I leave the two leads marked D and E in the above named Patents
out altogether and couple the negative poles of the auxiliary batteries and of the
auxiliary lamps to the main negative and the positive poles of small batteries and
lamps to the main positive with suitable resistances to reduce the E.M.F. to a safe
level and I fit a switch so that―
u. In one direction it closes the main circuit and lights the main lamps and at
the same time actuates the electro magnetic switches and breaks the
auxiliary lighting circuits or,
b. In the other direction it breaks the main circuit and leaves the auxiliary
circuits closed and the auxiliary lamps lit.
Under these conditions the couplers can be of the simplest and cheapest form as
there are only two through leads.
In each carriage in the main lighting circuit I place a relay or electro magnetic
switch and when the main current is running this works the switch from its normal
position. Its normal position is that the auxiliary circuit is closed and the
auxiliary batteries are lighting the auxiliary lamps if their local switches are
closed but the new position breaks or opens the auxiliary lighting circuits and
closes the auxiliary battery charging circuits which have in each a switch and a
resistance. The former to make or break the circuit and the latter to regulate the
charging E.M.F.
If any carriages are slipped or break from the main circuit or if anything
happens to break this circuit or the action of the main current the auxiliary
circuits are completed and the auxiliary lamps are lighted.
Instead of using only two main leads I may use a third through lead to effect
the charging of the small batteries and so do away with the resistances. above
named.
In order to make the above description more clear I have annexed a sheet of
diagramatic drawings of which the following is a description.
The same letters apply to similar parts in the different figures.
Fig. 1 shows a main source of electricity M with main through leads negative A
and positive B when the local switches s, are closed in the main lighting
circuits LL the main switch S controls the main lighting when the main lamps E E
are lit the electro magnetic switches R R automatically break the auxiliary
circuits, and the auxiliary lamps e, e are not lit-but if the main lamp circuits LL
are broken at s, s or at S or if the couplers P are separated the auxiliary circnits !,l
from the small batteries b, bare completed and the small lamps e, e are lit if the
switches ss' are closed.
Should it be required to charge the small batteries the switches, & must be
closed as shown and the potential of the circuit in B reduced to its charging limit
by the resistances r, before reaching the small batteries b, b. Suppose the
switches s, & are opened-s's closed- sclosed as shown and S closed the main
current from B would go through, to the batteries b, b. The switches *, **
when closed for charging break the small lamp circuits 1, 1.
It is possible to put a special resistance in these circuits, and keep them
closed to the small batteries always even when charging. The arrangement of
detail can be varied in many ways.

page_text: Fig. 2 shows another method of charging the same letters apply in this as in
Fig. 1. The only difference being that the third through lend C is used specially
to charge the batteries b, b and instead of a number of resistances, there is only
one as shown at r. The switches, s' are replaced by one s³.
I prefer to put an electro-magnetic switch R in the charging circuit as shown to
break the small lamp circuits 7, when charging. These circuits automatically
close again when the charging ceases.
a
Fig. 3 shows a further way of working with two through leads. There is a
three way switch S which in the lower position switches in the main current (a.
battery is shown but it may be any convenient source). In addition to lighting
main lamps and working electro magnetic switches R R which control the
auxiliary famps it charges the batteries through the resistances, but when the
batteries are fully charged they actuate the electro magnetic switches N N
(the electro magnets are made with attractive and repulsive armatures see Fig. 5).
and cut out the charging circuit. When the 3 way switch S is put to the top
position there is no current running in lead B. But if it is put in the middle
position it either switches in part of a battery current as shown in Fig. 3 or puts in
resistance as shown in Fig. 4-or it may switch in a separate and reduced
current which will break the auxiliary lighting circuits, by electro-magnetic
switches R R but will not light the lamps E E and return through the leads a, a
to the general negative A through contacts c, c.
When the couplers are broken the auxiliary lamps e, e light up automatically
from the batteries b, b.
It is clear there are many ways of arranging the lighting of railway trains by
means of a main supply of electricity with main lamps and leads in conjunction
with auxiliary batteries and lamps and leads and couplers I have shown in my two
previous Patents above mentioned how to effect this with two main through leads
and auxiliary through leads for the auxiliary lamps and the auxiliary batteries.
I have described in this Patent how I can dispense with one or both of these
auxiliary through leads. The details are capable of much variation.
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 :-
First In the lighting of railway trains electrically the use of main aud
auxiliary lamps with main and auxiliary supplies of electricity in conjunction with
two or three through main leads substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
..
Secondly In the lighting of railway trains electrically the use of main and
auxiliary lamps together with a main supply of electricity and auxiliary batteries
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
I. A. TIMMIS.