Improvements in or connected with Electric Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Electric Railways and Tramways.
We JEAN CLARET and OLIVIER WIULLEUMIER of 21 Boulevard Poissonniere,
Paris in the Republic of France Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our
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 railways and tramways in which automatic
distributers are employed to supply the current to the motors, as hereinafter
described.
According to this invention the poles of the dynamo or generator of current are
connected on the one hand with the rails of the track and on the other hand through
a main conductor with a series of the automatic distributers which are arranged at
suitable intervals along the line.
From each of these distributers proceed branch or feed wires which are connected
to stationary contact making devices or surfaces situated either between or at the
side of the rails at distances apart equal to the length of one vehicle.
By the intervention of the automatic distributers these contact surfaces are placed
in communication successively or one by one as the vehicle advances with the main
conductor so that the circuit of the electric motor is closed through the rails, the
frame, axles and wheels of the vehicle on the one hand and through metallic travelling
contact makers insulated from the vehicles and acting successively on the several
stationary contact surfaces on the other haud.
50
These travelling contacts are arranged in the lower part of the vehicle in a
suitable position for making contact with the stationary contact making devices and
are electrically connected together. Their number and arrangement are
regulated that there is always one of such contacts in communication with one
of the stationary contact surfaces supplying the current. The principal of the
action is as follows vizt. :-
When the front contact maker on the vehicle owing to the movement of the latter
comes in contact with one of the stationary contact surfaces it communicates to this
Now
contact surface the current proceeding from the preceding contact surface.
as this contact 18 electrically connected to the distributer by its wire the current is
enabled to act upon an electro magnet in the distributer of considerable electrical
resistance which closes the circuit and establishes direct communication between the
main conductor and the second contact surface.
From this moment this second contact surface alone supplies the motor until the
next contact surface is reached but when the vehicle does not require any current
for its propulsion as in descending au incline for example this contact surface does
not require any permanent supply however small so as to remain in communication
with the main conductor.
This result which is of the greatest importance distinguishes electric railways
when improved according to this invention from all other systems heretofore
constructed in which the line is divided into sections.
The automatic distributers are arranged at intervals along the line being placed
in kiosques or other suitable structures or they may be arranged underground, their
construction and the distances between them may be modified according to
circumstances without affecting the principles of their action.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood we shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates in plan a portion of a double
line of rails for a street tramway divided into sections and arranged according to
this invention.
Figure 2 represents the line in transverse section the section being taken along
the line 1-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a similar section taken on the line 3-4 Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating in plan the arrangement of the electrical
connections on the line and shews how each section is connected to the corresponding
distributer.
Figure 5 represents in elevation a car or vehicle provided with the travelling
contact makers employed in carrying out this invention.
Figure 6 drawn to a larger scale illustrates one of the said contact makers in
side elevation & Figure 7 illustrates in transverse vertical section a conduit or
receptacle composed of compressed asphalt for the reception of the electrical
conductors.
Figures 8 and 9 represent in vertical section and in plan respectively an automatic
distributer constructed according to this invention for controlling the supply of
current to the motors.
Figure 10 represents this apparatus viewed on the under side or from below and
Figure 11 is a similar view of an electro magnet and parts connected therewith in
the interior of the said apparatus.
Figure 12 is a view of a ratchet wheel and pawl and Figures 13 and 14 are
details of the mechanism hereinafter referred to.
Figures 15 and 16 illustrate the front and back or upper and lower sides of a
distributer arranged for working the traffic in either direction and Figure 17
represents this apparatus in transverse section.
Figures 18 and 19 are diagrams illustrating the action of this distributer as
hereinafter described.
Between the two
Referring to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings the line is provided with rails A
arranged parallel to one another at a suitable distance apart.
tracks or in the middle of each track there are provided stationary contact
surfaces B composed of metal plates or bars B (Figures 1 and 2) about 2 metres in
length for example and situated at intervals of from about six to eight metres being
a distance equal to the length of the cars or vehicles travelling on the line. The
stationary contacts are electrically connected independently of one another with
automatic distributers C₁C (as represented in the diagram Figure 4) arranged
along the line being situated in kiosques or other suitable structures or in the
underground passage Z Figure 3 provided for the reception of the electrical
conductors each distributer being connected with a suitable number of contact
surfaces on the line say eleven for example as in the arrangement illustrated in the
drawing.
The vehicles travelling on the line or track are provided at the lower part either
at the centre or at the side in a suitable position for acting upon the stationary
contacts B with four or other suitable number of travelling contact makers D
(Figure 5 and enlarged detail Figure 6) the said contact makers being electrically
connected together.
The general arrangement of the improved electric railway or tramway having
now been explained the details of the construction of the several constituent parts
will be understood by the aid of the following description.
Each of the distributers C₁C Figure 4 being constructed as illustrated in detail
in Figures 8 to 14 for example is provided with an electric magnet c which supplies
eleven contact surfaces B numbered 1 to 12 in Figure 4 the last or twelfth contact
of each series forming the first contact in the succeeding series.
The wires proceeding from the distributer are connected to the latter by twelve
terminals or clamps marked t' to " insulated from one another and arranged in a
circle being attached to an insulating ring S attached to a suitable frame or
casing f.

page_text: The electro magnet c is provided with an armature ar carrying a catch or tooth cl
This catch may
capable of engaging with notches in the periphery of a wheel r.
be attached to the armatures by a yielding connection enabling it to move slightly
in a direction tangential to the circumference of the toothed or notched wheel with
which it engages when the armature is released by the electro magnet as hereinafter
explained. This arrangement imparts great elasticity to the locking action of the
catch and preserves the surfaces of the metal parts from injury.
An insulating disc d is attached to the wheel r and carries on its upper side two
copper rings d' d' Figures 8, 9, 13 and 14. The ring is provided with a radial
contact making arm m' and the ring d is likewise provided with a similar arm m
the said arms being so arranged as to form an angle of about 30 degrees with one
another so that they may be simultaneously placed upon two consecutive terminals
of the series of terminals t—t¹³.
The terminal t is so arranged that it makes electrical contact with the arm m
only. The arm m' when directed to this terminal being received upon a plate to
Figure 9 and 13 to which no wire is connected. The arm m² is made of sufficient
width to enable it to bridge over the intervals between the terminals at the lower
part of the latter.
The arm m on the other hand being longer than the arm m¹ slides over the upper
part of the terminals (Figure 14) which is farther away from the centre or axis of
the distributer than is the lower part. This arm is made narrow so that it leaves
one terminal before it has completed an arc of 30 degrees and made contact with
the next terminal.
A central vertical spindle or axis c' carrying the wheel r, provided with 12 notches,
the disc d and rings d'd hereinbefore referred to is actuated by a weight p Figure 8
which tends to rotate it in the direction of the hands of a watch by the intervention
of two bevel wheels e and e¹ the latter being fixed upon a spindle to which is
attached a drum or barrel p¹ on which the cord supporting the weight p is wound.
The annular plate or ring S supporting the twelve terminals t¹¹ is carried by a
frame to which are attached the electro magnet c with its armature ar and the
catch cand also two insulated terminals bb provided with spring contacts or
rubbers through which the current passes to the two intermittently rotating
rings d¹ and d².
By means of these arrangements the current from the main conductor & Figure 4
is permanently connected with the ring d' through the terminal b' (Figure 8) and
spring. In like manner the wire supplying the current to the electro magnet c
is connected to the ring through the terminal 62 and spring; the fine wire
proceeding from the electro magnet being connected with the rails A (as indicated
in Figure 4) which act as return conductors.
In the diagram Figure 4 the vehicle V is represented as being supplied with
current from a contact surface 8 connected to the terminal t8 of the distributer C¹
on the left hand in the drawing.
The arm m is placed upon this terminal 8 and the arm m is placed upon the
terminal t. The vehicle V is assumed to be travelling in the direction indicated
by the arrow and when the front contact maker DT carried by the said vehicle
comes in contact with the stationary contact surface 9 it supplies current to the
latter and consequently to the electro magnet c through the terminal to ring d
spring and terminal . This magnet then attracts its armature ar and by dis-
engaging the tooth or catch cl from the notch in the wheel enables the rotating
parts of the apparatus carrying the arms m m' to describe one twelfth of a
revolution. When the arm m leaves the terminal to the supply of current to the
electro magnet c is cut off and the catch cl re-engages with the wheel r and arrests
the rotary motion of the latter and of the parts connected therewith.
After the aforesaid fraction of a revolution the arm m' stops upon the
terminal and the arm m is placed upon the terminal to. These movements are
repeated as the vehicle advances until the front travelling contact maker D' comes
in contact with the stationary contact surface 1 of the series connected with the

page_text: second distributer (C³). The last contact surface 12 of the first distributer (C¹)
and the first contact surface 1 of the second distributer (C) are united in one and
are connected with the terminal 1 of the first distributer and also with the
terminal of the second distributer so that the current is caused to pass in the
electro-magnets c of both distributers simultaneously and the contact making
arms m m in both apparatus are actuated at the same time and describe one twelfth
of a revolution.
This rotary motion causes the first distributer to be thrown out of action as its
arm m¹ now bears upon the insulated part to of the terminal t¹ being a part which
is not connected with the wire. The second distributer (situated on the right hand
in Figure 4) now comes into action and causes the current to pass to the several
contact surfaces in succession in the same way as the first contact maker herein-
before described, the arm m' on the said second distributer sliding in the first place
over the terminal t¹ and directing the current to the contact surface 1 and
afterwards to the other contact surfaces in succession until the vehicle makes contact
with the first contact surface of the succeeding distributer.
It is evident that a spring or an electric motor or other source of power may be
employed for rotating the spindle c¹ of the distributer in place of the weight p
Figure 8. When an electric motor is employed for this purpose it is not necessary
to cause power to be constantly exerted upon the mechanism of the distributer and
the electric motor may be so arranged as to come into action only at the time when
the wheel is unlocked and cease immediately after the partial rotation has been
performed. This result may be obtained by causing the said electric motor to
be supplied with energising current through the terminal 'which does not receive
any current from the spring except at the time when the wheel is unlocked.
The modified construction of the distributer illustrated in Figures 15, 16 and 17
comprises an automatic arrangement for reversing the movement whereby it is
enabled to be employed with vehicles travelling in either direction or backwards
and forwards alternately.
In this case the intermittently rotating notched wheel controlled by the electro
magnet is provided in addition to the rings and d with a third ring d³ provided
with an arm m³ Figure 15. The three arms m m' m² bear upon three consecutive
terminals and the arm m' is preceded either by the arm m or the arm m³ according
to the direction in which it is rotated.
Two bevel wheels e¹ and e' are fixed upon one shaft or spindle e likewise carrying
a drum p¹ connected to a weight not shewn in the drawings such as the weight p
employed in the arrangement herein before described. A circular or disc shaped
armature a Figure 16 is likewise fixed on the spindle e. The bevel wheels e¹ e²
are alternately caused to gear with the pinion e on the rotary spindle c¹ by means
of two electro magnets acting momentarily at the required intervals and in
opposite directions on the armature ar so as to shift the spindle e in the direction
of its length and cause the wheel e' or the wheel e to gear with the wheel e after
which the wheels are maintained in gear by the action of a spring acting on a
levere connected to the spindle e as indicated in Figures 16 and 17. This lever lv
during the second half of its movement actuates a circular switch cm oscillating
on a spindle or stud :. By these means great speed of switching is obtained.
The course of the current in this modification of the distributer for working the
traffic in both directions is explained by the diagrams Figures 18 and 19. In
Figure 18 the vehicle is assumed to be supplied with current through the terminal t³
and to be travelling in the direction of the arrow. When the front travelling
contact maker on the vehicle makes contact with the stationary contact surface 9
the latter supplies current through the arm m and switch to an electro magnet q
which by attracting its armature q' causes the arm m to be shifted from the
terminal t to the terminal to the arm m² onto to and the arm m² onto t8. At the
same time it momentarily breaks contact at ' and makes contact at i².
It is necessary to provide for working under two different conditions according as
the vehicle is travelling at normal speed or at a reduced speed. In the first case

page_text: the travelling contact maker at the rear end of the vehicle (D' Figure 5) ceases to
communicate with the terminal t before the arm m² has made contact with the said
terminal in which case the action is the same as in the distributer hereinbefore
described, but in the second case namely that of a vehicle travelling at a reduced
speed the arm m² makes contact with the terininal ta before the communication with
the rear travelling contact maker D' has ceased so that a current passes from m³
through and the contact to a solenoid or an electro magnet which causes
contact to be made at and breaks contact at **.
In the meantime a catch such as the catch cl Figure 11 is disengaged from the
notch in the locking wheel (r) contact is made at but the solenoid k continues to
be excited until the bridge or connection between the two consecutive contact
surfaces 8 and 6 is broken being supplied with current up to that time through the
contact i³.
From this moment and during the whole of the time in which the vehicle is
supplied with current through this terminal to no current circulates in the interior
of the apparatus except that supplied to the electric motor and passing directly from
a terminal (such as the terminal & Figure 8) to the arm m³.
Now if the vehicle travel in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrow in
Figure 19 it momentarily bridges over the interval between 6 and 68 and the current
passes through the arm m, switch 12, contacts and and switch to the reversing
electro magnet being the magnet situated on the left hand in the drawing. The
toothed gearing ele is shifted immediately so as to reverse the rotary motion the
switch arm cm
being likewise actuated (controlling the switches 11213) and from
this time no current passes in this reversing electro magnet but its armature ar
remains in the attracted position in which it is maintained by the spring,³ herein-
before referred to. On the other hand the electro magnet unlocks the mechanism
being maintained in circuit by m² and allows the arm m to move back to the
terminal 8. The vehicle continuing to travel in the same direction as indicated by
the arrow in Figure 19 the distributer continues to act as herein before described.
The same operations are repeated in case the vehicle after travelling for a distance
corresponding to several of the terminals recommences to travel in the original
direction.
It is evident that the reversing arrangement herein before described may be
replaced by a small electric motor capable of working the distributer in either
direction. The currents controlled by the contacts or switches
being
relatively weak (a few hundreds of an aimpere) the dimensions of these contacts may
be very small especially as no sparks can be produced at these points as the opening
of any of these switches does not produce any difference of potential between the
parts previously placed in communication.
The principal advantages of this improved system of electric traction or
propulsion are as follows :-
1. It enables the cost of the feeders or conductors for supplying the current to
the motors to be reduced to a minimum because according to this improved system
these feeders may be reduced to elements of contact the relative distances between
which are regulated by the length of the train so that the number of contacts and
consequently the number of wires for supplying them with currents diminishes in
proportion as the trains increase in length. An interval of more than 100 metres
for example may be left between two contacts whereas in any other system the
length of the line on which the current is taken is frequently equal to that of the
track itself.
2. The main conductor, the branches proceeding from this conductor to the
automatic distributer which are arranged as near to the conductor as possible and
the feed wire leading to the contact surfaces are all protected by an insulating
asphalt case Figure 7 composed of asphalt so prepared as to render it non-porous
this result being obtained by subjecting the asphalt to a pressure of several hundred
kilogrammes per square centimetre. By means of this arrangement the wires or
conductors are effectually protected from the electrolytic action of the metallic

page_text: elements in presence or other prejudicial chemical action. Consequently no
deterioration of the materials takes place such as that which commonly occurs in
other underground passages for conductors supplying light or power composed of
cement or constructed with porous materials through water or other alkaline liquids
present in the surrounding soil is liable to penetrate.
3. With regard to the contacts which receive the current in an intermittent
manner whether for actuating the electro magnet and the distributor or for supplying
the motor propelling the vehicle it is found that owing to the automatic distribution
which limits the time during which the currents are in operation in either direction,
the said currents are prevented from producing any electrolytic effect. On the
other hand the electric current employed to produce the electrolytic action not
circulating except for a period difficult to measure in practice it results that the
loss of energy involved in releasing the mechanism that is to say for placing the
motor in direct communication with the main conductor is almost nil, being a result
which is not obtained on any analogous electrical railway heretofore constructed in
which the apparatus for the distribution of the currents consumes or absorbs almost
as much energy as the propulsion itself.
It results from this important fact that the electrical work done by means of the
underground conductors has, owing to the automatic distribution hereinbefore
described, all the advantages of the aerial lines which are regarded as the best
heretofore employed and does not present the disadvantage accompanying aerial
lines of necessitating exposure of the conductors supported upon posts or buildings
and which constitutes a serious difficulty in the construction of urban electric
railways.
4. The distributers of the current actuated either electrically or by the action of
a weight or clock work admit of the application of indicators shewing the direction,
the position and the speed of the vehicles travelling upon the line as well as any
abnormal or accidental conditions which may arise in working the railway. With
this object each distributer may be arranged to supply a complete diagram shewing
the movements of all the trains travelling within its sphere of action so that by
connecting together the diagrams taken from all the distributers a perfectly correct
register is obtained of the working of the whole of the line.
This is of the greatest importance as by the aid of this distributer it is rendered
impossible for accidents to occur owing to the collision of two trains proceeding in
opposite directions it being impossible for two such trains to be supplied with
current from the same distributer. Moreover by means of this electrical indicator
it is possible to obtain upon lines of railway perfectly accurate indications of the
movements of the trains and of their relative positions upon the line thus enabling
the railway to be worked with absolute security.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An electric railway or tramway with conductors arranged in derivation
enabling each vehicle to be actuated or supplied with current by means of travelling
contact makers acting in combination with stationary contact surfaces and feeders
distributed along the line of railway and electrically connected with automatic
distributers distributing the electric current which they receive from the main
conductor with which they are connected and causing only one contact surface to
be supplied at a time, being the contact surface in communication with the vehicle
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. An electric railway or tramway with conductors arranged in derivation
provided with travelling contacts carried by the vehicle and electrically connected
together in combination with stationary contacts and feeders, wires or conductors
for supplying current to the latter, the said wires or conductors as well as the main
conductor being contained in conduits or casings of compressed asphalt and with

page_text: automatic distributers as and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In an automatic distributer for distributing the electric current for the purposes
of electric traction or propulsion on railways or tramways a series of insulated
terminals or contact makers such as 'to ¹ which are respectively placed in
electrical communication with the contacts B on the line in combination with
arins m and m¹ the arm m being attached to a ring 2 connected with the terminal
& the arm m being attached to a ring connected with the terminal
terminal being electrically connected with the main conductor substantially as
hereinbefore set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
the
4. In an automatic distributer for distributing the electric current for the purposes
of electric traction or propulsion upon railways and tramways a series of terminals
or contact makers such as t¹ to t", rings d' and provided with arms m' and mand
terminals and 6 in combination with an electro magnet e energised by a wire
connected to the terminal on the one hand and to the rails A on the other hand
and having an armature a capable of locking a wheel r having a constant tendency
to rotate under the influence of two bevel wheels e and e¹ and weight p or other
force in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein before set forth with
reference to the accompanying.
"
5. In an automatic distributer for distributing an electric current for the purposes
of electric traction or propulsion upon railways and tramways a series of contacts
such as t¹ to 12 rings and d² carrying arms m' and m and connected with
terminals b¹³ in combination with a third ring d³, arm m³ toothed gearing c c¹ c³ a
rotary spindle c' a circular armature a two electro magnets c a spring ³, a wheel
(such as the wheel Figures 8 and 11) a drum p and a weight (such as the
weight p Figure 8) or other motor in the manner and for the purpose substantially
as hereinbefore set forth with reference to Figure 15 to 17 of the accompanying
drawings.
v
6. In an automatic distributer for distributing the electric current for the purposes
of electric traction or propulsion on railways and tramways the combination of a
series of terminals or contacts such as t¹ to t, rings d' d² d³ having arms m m² m²,
bevel wheels e e e a circular armature art two electro magnets a spring with
a lever a switch cm, switch arms or contact makers '12 13 electro magnets q and
their armatures controlling contacts in the manner and for the purpose
substantially as herein before set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improvements in
or connected with electric railways and tramways substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.