Improvements in Electric Railways on the Conduit System.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways on the Conduit System.
I, HARRY CLIFTON REAGAN Jr. of 3003 Girard Avenue, Philadelphia,
United States of America, Mechanical 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 invention consists of a novel construction of electric railway, in which the
feed wire is inclosed in a suitable underground conduit, connections being had
therefrom to the motor upon the car in the novel manner hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure represents a diagrammatic view taken partly in transverse section,
showing an electric railway embodying the invention.
Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the same, a portion of the conduit being
shown in section.
Figure 3 represents a vertical transverse section of a cable conduit of the usual
construction, after the same has been adapted to the invention.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation of a cable conduit adapted to the invention.
Figure 5 represents a vertical sectional view of another form of cable conduit
adapted to my invention.
Figure 6 represents a vertical transverse section, showing a different embodiment
of the principle of the invention.
Figure 7 represents a partial sectional view, showing a permanent magnet and
its adjuncts employed, to be hereinafter referred to.
Figure 8 represents a partial sectional view of a conduit or casing, showing the
preferred means employed for keeping the feed wire taut.
Figure 9 represents a detail view, showing another form of the invention.
Figure 10 represents a diagrammatic view, similar to Figure 1, showing the
preferred manner of connecting the battery and magnet to the switch, the magnet
being in shunt with the main circuit and the battery cut-out, the current being in
circuit to the motor.
Figure 11 represents a diagrammatic view showing the current in circuit to the
motor, and the battery and magnet in parallel or multiple.
Figure 12 represents a diagrammatic view, showing the battery and magnet in
series, there being no current in the motor circuit, but the magnet in the act of
being charged by the battery.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
Referring first to Figure 1, A designates a suitable conduit which is composed
of non-conducting material and is supported in any convenient manner between the
tracks B.
C designates a feed wire mounted in said conduit, said feed wire having supported
thereon the contact devices D, which may have insulating material between each,
and be constructed as shown at the right or left of Figure 2, and which are
adapted to rotate freely on said feed wire, their extent of movement being limited
by the longitudinally-extending ridge E, and the contact strips or devices F, both
of which extend within the conduit A, said contact devices being made in sections,
and having the insulations F¹ interposed between the game.
G designates a roller or collector wheel which is adapted to contact with said
strip F, which it is understood is to be of iron, copper or other suitable conducting
material, the said wheel G being mounted on the arm H, which is supported upon
the body of the car J.

page_text: K designates a conductor leading from said arm H to the motor L, which may
be of any well known construction.
M designates a conductor leading from said motor to the arm N, on which is
journalled the trail wheel P, which contacts with one of the rails.
Q designates a storage battery which is supported in any convenient manner.
R designates an electric magnet which is in circuit with said storage battery,
and also with the motor circuit, as will be understood from Figure 1, it being noted
that said magnet acts as a shunt across the motor circuit, and that a switch S,
which is preferably located as indicated in Figure 1 is employed to open the shunt
when desired, a connection being made from the battery Q to the battery point Q
on said switch, by means of the conductor Q2, while a connection is made from the
magnet R to the magnet point S on the switch, by means of the conductor R,
which leads directly from the magnet to said magnet point, and it will further be
apparent that when the motor is cut out, the magnet circuit should always be
closed, so as to have the magnet in operation when starting, before there is any
current from the feed wire C, the function of the battery being to energize the
magnet R.
In the diagrammatic views in Figures 1 and 10 to 12 inclusive, I have shown
the preferred manner of making the connections between the switch, battery and
magnet, a connection being made from the battery Q to the battery point Q' on
said switch by means of the conductor Q, while a conuection is made from the
magnet R to the magnet point S on the switch S by means of the conductor R¹,
which leads directly from the magnet to the said magnet point, the proper con-
Dections being made between the feed wire the motor, the switch and the ground,
as has been already described.
In Figure 10, the switch is shown as being on the magnet point, the current
being in circuit to the motor, while the magnet is in shunt with the main circuit
and the battery cut-out.
In Figure 11, the switch is shown on both the magnet and battery, points, the
current being in circuit to the motor, and the battery and magnet in parallel or
multiple.
In Figure 12, the switch is shown on both the battery point and magnet point,
the battery and magnet being in series. The battery is now performing its especial
function, there being no current in the motor circuit, and the battery being in the
act of charging the magnet as indicated by the arrows.
In Figure 6, I have shown the contact device mounted upon the feed wire C,
provided with two arme T and U, which extend in substantially a straight line,
the lower arm U, when the upper arm is attracted by the magnet, being adapted
to contact with the wire or conductor V from which the current is conducted by
the connections W to the contact device X, and thence by the conductor wheel Y
and conductor Z to the motor, the principle being the same as in Figure 1, it
being understood that the arm T is sufficiently heavy to fall against the ledge E,
after the car has passed, and so move the arm U out of contact with the
conductor V.
In Figure 5, I have shown an adaptation of the invention to cable roads, the
conduit A being suitably supported as before.
The contact device mounted upon the feed wire C in this latter case is provided
with arms A', B₁ which are mounted on a hub or collar C³, and extend at
substantially an obtuse angle to each other, the lower arm B' being adapted to
contact with the strip C, on which latter travels the collector wheel D¹, the
electricity being conducted to the motor through the conductor E', as is evident,
the arrangement of the battery, magnet, and the like being substantially the same
as already described with reference to Figure 1.
In Figure 9, C designates the feed wire as before, and the contact device
mounted thereon has its arms G', H', extending as in Figure 6, in substantially a
straight line, the said contact device being however rigidly attached to the feed
wire C, and the said arms G', H' drawn towards the conductors K', J' by the

page_text: attraction of a magnet as before, but after the magnet has moved away therefrom,
the said arms are moved away from said conductor by reason of the torsion of the
wire C, when the magnet leaves them, as is evident.
In Figure 4, the invention is shown as adapted to cable conduits of usual
construction, L designating the cable grip upon the lower portion of which are
mounted the arms M', in which are journalled the collector wheels N', which
contact with the strip F, communication being had between the latter and the feed
wire C by means of the devices shown in Figures 1 and 2.
P designates springs for causing said collector wheels N' to contact with said
strip F.
R designates magnets as before, which are suitably supported, and serve to
throw into operation the contact device D, in the same manner as already described
with reference to the other figures in the drawings.
In Figure 7, I have shown a supplemental attachment for ensuring the attraction
of the contact devices, the construction of the same being as follows:
R2 designates a permanent steel magnet, bent in the present instance into the
form of a horse-shoe, upon the limbs or poles of which are mounted the iron
spools S¹ upon which latter are wound spools of wires T' which are supported by
any suitable means, as the posts T' seen in Figure 7, the above forming a com
bination magnet, which after the current has passed through the spools of wire,
becomes an electric magnet, but in case there is no current passing through the
spools, the permanent magnet will act to attract the contacts D or their equivalents,
as has been stated, it being understood that the spools are wound so as to act with
the permanent magnet in such a way as to form the same polarity.
Under certain conditions it may be desired to raise or lower the permanent
magnet R2 so as to bring it close to the top of the conduit, when it is desired to
use said magnet, and auy suitable means may be employed for this purpose, as in
the present instance the lever U, which is fulcrumed at V, and has one end
pivotally attached to the said permanent magnet R2, the other end of said lever
having an arm or other connection W₁ extending upwardly and adapted to be
actuated by the motor-man according to requirements, it being understood that the
limbs of said permanent magnet pass freely through the spools S¹, so as to be
readily adjustable relative thereto.
The operation is as follows:
When it is desired to start the car, the battery is connected with the magnet R,
and the latter being therefore magnetized it will attract the small contacts D,
which are strung along the feeder C, and draw them up into contact with the
strip F, and the electricity will be taken from there to the collector wheel G, and
thence by the intermediate connections to the motor, a part of the current passing.
through the maguet R, whereby the battery Q will be charged at the same time, as
is evident.
Now as the car progresses, the said magnet R will attract the contacts in the
manner explained, to the strips F, and as the magnets leave the contacts, due to
the advance of the car, said small contacts will fall, by reason of gravity, away.
from said strip F, against the longitudinal ledge E, thereby cutting out the
current from said strip F, it being evident that since the latter is made in sections
which are insulated from each other by the insulation F', that there will be no
current ahead or back of the car.
The operation in Figure 5 is the same as already described, the function of the
magnet R being to attract the arm A' of the contact device, thereby bringing the
arm B' into contact with the strip C', from which the electricity is conducted to
the motor through the intermediate connections.
The operation is substantially the same in Figure 6, the attraction of the magnet
causing the arms U and T of the contact device to assume the position seen in said
figure, the electricity being taken from the feeder C to the strip X, and thence by
the collector wheel Y and conductor Z to the motor.
:

page_text: The operation of the construction seen in Figure 3, will it is thought, be
apparent, and the operation of Figure 9 has already been described.
It will be evident that changes may be made in mounting and assembling the
above parts, which will come within the scope of the invention, and I do not there-
fore desire to be limited in every instance to the exact constructions shown and
described.
The feed wire C may be kept taut in any suitable manner, as for instance as
shown in Figure 8, said wire passing through the plate A3, which is fixed in the
conduit, said wire being held tant relatively thereto by means of the nut B,
which is internally threaded and engages said wire, and is screwed into contact
with said plate A2.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention 1 attach to the underside of the
conduit A the wings B³, as best seen in Figure 5, the function of said wings in
said figure being to catch all moisture or the like and so prevent the same from
reaching the conductor C¹, said moisture dropping off said wings before it can
reach said conductor, as is evident.
It will also be apparent in the construction shown in Figure 9, that either of the
conductors J or K may be the feeder if desired.
It will be evident that if desired, I may make one arm of rotatable contacts
above described of suitable magnetic material while the other end of said arm
which forms the contact may be of any material forming a spring contact for the
purpose of assisting gravity, to draw the contact away from the conductor.
If desired the spring may be separately attached to the contact, or may be
produced by making the arm of the contact as thin as desirable, so as to obtain the
resiliency desired.
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 :-
1st. In an electric railway, a feed wire, and contacts rotatably mounted thereon,
said feed wire forming an axis for said contacts, substantially as described.
2nd. In an electric railway, the combination with a cable grip having an electro
magnet and contact devices mounted thereon, of a feed wire, a suitable conduit
therefor, and contacts rotatably mounted on said feed wire, the latter forming an
axis for said contacts, substantially as described.
3rd. In an electric railway, a feed wire, an insulated conduit therefor, a sectional
conductor mounted in said conduit, contacts rigidly fastened to said feed wire, and
adapted to be drawn to said sectional conductor by a magnet, the torsion of said
wire serving to withdraw said contacts after the progression of the magnet,
substantially as described.
4th. In an electric railway, a closed insulated conduit having a feed wire,
rotatable contacts thereon, a sectional strip supported in said conduit extending
within and without the same, said contacts being adapted to be moved into
connection with said strip by the action of an electric magnet on a car, substantially
as described.
5th. In an electric railway, a storage battery, a motor, a feed wire and a magnet,
conductors therefor, said magnet being connected by the shunt across the circuit,
and a switch for one branch of said magnet, substantially as described.
6th. In an electric railway, a conduit, a feed wire supported therein, and a
conductor supported in said conduit, and having its ends projecting therethrough,
and in connection with a sectional conductor or strip outside said conduit, in
combination with rotatable contacts mounted on said feed wire and adapted to
contact with said conductor, substantially as described.
7th. In an electric railway, a permanent magnet, coils of wire forming an electro
magnet surrounding the limbs of said permanent magnet, and suitably supported,
a lever, and a fulcrum therefor, said lever having one end attached to said

page_text: permanent magnet, while its other end is adapted to be operated by an attendant,
whereby said permanent magnet is capable of adjustment relative to said electro-
magnet, substantially as described.
8th. In an electric railway, a conduit, a feed wire supported therein, and contacts
rotatably mounted on said feed wire, the latter forming an axis for said contacts
and the plane of rotation of said contacts being substantially a right angle to the
longitudinal axis of said feed wire, substantially as described.
9th. In an electric railway, the combination with a feed wire and contacts
rotatably mounted thereupon, of means for limiting the movement of the latter,
substantially as described.
10th. In an electric railway, a conduit, a feed wire therein, a plate supported in
said conduit through which said feed wire passes, a portion of said wire being
threaded, and an internally threaded nut adapted to engage said feed wire and
contact with said plate, substantially as described.
11th. In an electric railway, a feed wire, a conduit therefor, a contact strip,
and a contact device rotatably mounted upon said feed wire, substantially as
described.
12th. In an electric railway, the combination with a motor, magnet, storage
battery and a switch suitably mounted on a car, of a conductor leading from said
motor to said switch, and a conductor leading from said motor to the battery,
magnet and feed wire, in combination with a conductor leading from said battery
to the battery point of said switch, and another conductor leading from the magnet
to the magnet point of said switch, substantially as described.
13th. In an electric railway, a rotatable contact mounted upon a feed wire,
one arm of said contact being of suitable magnetic material, and another portion
of said contact being provided with a resilient arm, forming a spring for the
purpose of assisting gravity to draw the contact away from the conductor,
substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of April 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.