Improvements in Electric Railways and in Apparatus for the Propulsion of Vehicles by Electricity.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, .21st Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1891
[Communicated from abroad by ARCHIBALD J. ROBERTSON, of New York,
United States of America, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Electric Railways and in Apparatus for the
Propulsion of Vehicles by Electricity.
I, ALBERT CHURCHWARD, of 206, Selhurst Road, South Norwood,, in the
County of Surrey, Doctor of Medicine, and Member of the Royal College of
Physicians, and Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Licentiate of Mid-
wifery, and Licentiate of the Apothecaries' Society, &c., &c., 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 relates to electric railways and to apparatus for propelling vehicles
by electricity.
According to the said invention the main wire or cable for conducting the
electric current from the generator to supply the electric motor or motors of the
vehicle or electric locomotive, and the return or supplementary wire or cable are
arranged upon the ground. The said main wire or cable moreover is passed over
a flanged or grooved wheel or pulley placed between the wheels of the said vehicle
thus enabling the contact therewith to be formed and preserved, and assuring a
perfect electrical connection, keeping the wire in a good condition, preventing the
possibility of contact being formed therewith by the street traffic, and protecting
it from ice and snow. By this improved arrangement all the advantages of over-
head wires are retained whilst the use of the poles or columns required to support
the latter are dispensed with.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how the said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car or vehicle and a portion of a track or way,
the latter being partly in section, showing an application of my said invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the said track or way showing the arrange-
ment of the wires or cables.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line a Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged
scale showing a detail of construction.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the car vehicle or electric locomotive, A', A' are the wheels thereof,
B, B are the motors, C, C are the rails, C₁ C' are the sleepers, ties or supports
for the said rails, E is the main conductor, wire or cable, F is the return conductor,
wire or cable.
Gis a trough or conduit either formed entirely of insulating or nonconducting
material, or lined or partially lined therewith. The trough or conduit G is
preferably of the shape in transverse section shown in Figure 3, and is secured
in any convenient manner to the ties, sleepers, or supports C, centrally or in any
other convenient position between the rails C. The said wire or cable E is
arranged in the trough or conduit G and is suitably connected to the positive
pole of a dynamo or other means for generating the necessary electric current.
The return wire or cable F is also arranged between the rails C, either under
or over the sleepers or supports C¹. His a grooved carrier wheel or pulley
mounted so as to be capable of rotating freely upon an axle or spindle H¹
supported in a bracket I secured to the underside or frame of the car vehicle or
electric locomotive A. so that the said grooved wheel or pulley H hangs vertically
over the centre or other part of the track or line and that a perpendicular line
drawn through the centre thereof passes through the centre of the hollow or recess
in the trough or conduit. The main wire or cable E passes over the said grooved

page_text: carrier wheel or pulley H as shown in Figure 1. J, J are grooved guide wheels or
pulleys rotatably supported on arms or brackets K also secured to the underside or
frame of the car vehicle or electric locomotive A. The guide wheels or pulleys J
bear against the said main wire, conductor or cable E and are preferably adjustable
so that the height to which the latter rises from the trough or conduit G can be
regulated thereby. The said guide wheels or pulleys J likewise act to prevent the
main wire or cable E from leaving the grooved carrier wheel or pulley H as for
instance when rounding curves. For the latter purpose two or more additional
guide wheels or pulleys mounted at a suitable angle at each side of the main wire
conductor or cable E and so adjusted as to suit the curves of the rails or line and
not to come into use except when going around the said curves are sometimes
provided whilst the grooved pulleys or wheels J are always in contact with the said
main wire or cable E and in motion when the car A is moving. The grooved
wheels or pulleys J and H are so adjusted that the main wire conductor or cable E
is not bound or impeded in any way thereby and that rotary motion is imparted
thereto by their contact with the latter. They are moreover of light construction,
the bearings thereof are sensitive, and are made of non-conductive material, or the
surfaces of the said pulleys which come in contact with the main wire or cable E
are suitably insulated, thus ensuring the main wire or cable E being always in good
condition.
In some instances the said grooved wheels or pulleys are arranged to be driven
by suitable gearing at the desired speed from the car motion. L is a small grooved
wheel or pulley rotatably supported at one extremity of a rod bar or arm L'
which latter is so pivotted or arranged that it can be moved or adjusted to bring
the roller L into contact with the main wire or cable E, or out of contact there-
with. M is a brush the stern or spindle M' whereof is secured to the underside
or frame of the car or vehicle A. The brush M is arranged to engage in the
hollow of the trough or conduit G and when the car or vehicle A is in motion
moves along the said trough or conduit and removes any dirt or obstructions
therefrom. N is a box or receptacle communicating through a suitable aperture N¹
with the interior of the trough or conduit G and into which the dust dirt or
other foreign matter is swept by the brush M. One of these dust or dirt boxes
or receptacles is provided at suitable intervals throughout the length of the said
trough or conduit G, and they are so arranged that easy access can be had to the
interior thereof for convenience of removing the said dust dirt or other foreign
matter deposited therein.
The return wire or cable F is connected at suitable intervals with the rails C by
wires F¹.
.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows that is to say -The electric
current from the positive pole of the dynamo or generator passes along the main
wire conductor or cable E, in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figures 1
and 2.
When the said current reaches the point where the grooved wheel or pulley L
forms electrical contact with the main wire or conductor E the current divides and
a portion of the said current passes up through the said grooved wheel or pulley L
and rod on arm L' to the motors B, after passing through which it reaches the
rails C through the wheels A' and passes along through the rails and through the
connecting wires F and the return wire or cable F back to the negative brush of
the dynamo or generator.
The said current dividing as above mentioned passes on to any other cars or
vehicle that may be upon the line and acts in like manner. Each car or vehicle on
the line or track takes from the main wire conductor or cable the amount of clectric
current needed to develop the required power to operate the propulsion of the said
car or vehicle. The main wire conductor or cable E lies enclosed in the trough or
conduit G throughout the entire length of the line, except at the point over which
a car or vehicle is standing or passing, at which point it is raised a slight distance
above the said trough or conduit this distance is determined by the diameter of the

page_text: grooved carrier wheel or pulley H over which it passes. The main conductor wire
or cable E rises out of the trough or conduit G as the grooved wheel or pulley H
advances when the car or vehicle is in motion and drops into it again when the said
grooved wheel or pulley has passed, and rests therein continually whether the car
or vehicle is still or in motion at all points along the track except where it rises
under the car or vehicle A. to the grooved wheel or pulley H as above described.
It is thus impossible for the conductor or wire D to come in contact with the surface
traffic.
Electrical connection is made with the main wire conductor or cable E to stop or
start the car or vehicle by means of the grooved contact wheel or pulley L.
The contact of the said wheel or pulley L with the main conductor wire or
cable E is at all times undisturbed and being placed under the car or vehicle is out
of casual sight.
In some instances the grooved guide wheels or pulleys J are dispensed with. In
this case the grooved carrier wheel or pulley H is made of small diameter where
the main wire conductor or cable D rests thereon, its periphery being very deeply
grooved and the sides of the said groove on each side of the wire track being
formed to a sufficient angle to compensate for any curve in the track. In this
arrangement the main wire conductor or cable E is only raised for a distance above
the surface of the ground with which the trough or conduit G is level, equal to the
diameter of the grooved carrier wheel or pulley H.
I wish it understood that I am aware that other troughs or conduits for enclosing
the wires or cables, and other arrangements for completing the electric circuit to
the motors of the car or vehicle have been employed, but they have been unsuccessful
from the fact that the contacts were made underground and such contacts meet with
obstructions which break the current. My improved contact on the contrary is
formed above ground, the main wire conductor or cable is completely insulated and,
the breaking or interruption of the current or contact is practically impossible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
-
First. In apparatus for the propulsion of vehicles by electricity, the provision of
suitable means whereby, in the movement of the vehicle, a conductor or cable
contained in a trough or conduit will be temporarily raised out of the same to
permit the making of the required contact with the said conductor above the
ground, for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination, with a vehicle, of one or more electric motors, a
grooved or flanged carrier wheel or pulley, and a suitable contact wheel or pulley,
with or without the guide-wheels or pulleys, substantially as, and for the purposes,
hereinbefore specified.
Third. The employment, for the purpose above specified of a vehicle provided
with a carrier wheel or pulley, a guide pulley or pulleys, a cleaning device, a
contact wheel or pulley, and one or more electric motors, in combination with
suitable means for generating a current of electricity, a main conductor wire or
cable, a return conductor wire or cable, a trough or conduit and suitable dirt boxes
or receptacles, substantially as described.
Fourth. The improved apparatus for the propulsion of vehicles by electricity,
constructed and arranged substantially as described with reference to the accom-
panying drawing and operating as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore specified.
Dated this 91st day of Laquawy 1901
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.