Improvements in and connected with Electric Tramways or Railways.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Electric Tramways or
Railways.
I, ANDREW GEORGE ADAMSON of 18 Eldon Street, London, E.C., Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with electric tramways or
railways.
According to my invention, I make the rails in two parts, an under and an
upper part, the under part being constructed to receive and carry the insulated
electrical conductors which the upper part when in position will cover and protect.
The surface of the upper part of the rail may either be grooved in the ordinary
manner as for tramways, or it may have a surface similar to that in the permanent
ways of railways, but it need not necessarily have a double groove. Of course I
do not confine myself to this or any special form of rail to the improvements to be
presently described, as rails of ordinary construction may also be used in conjunction
with such improvements. I might also if found expedient use a third rail as a
sectional conductor collecting the current either by means of contact brushes or other
suitable method. But whatever method I may adopt to carry or distribute the electric
current throughout the system, I use a rail or rails as described in lengths which may
be variable or not as shall be found most convenient, but each length, or section shall
be insulated from the adjoining sections and be used in conjunction with two separate
sectional sub-conductors and a specially constructed switch, which will be so arranged
and connected to the sectional rail, sub-conductors and main conductors that one
movement of its parts will be sufficient to cut or break the current out of the section
of the rail which the car may then occupy and transfer it to the section in advance of
the car, even if it should turn back on the same track.
In order that all electrical parts may be secured against wet or damage, and be
quite free from any danger of being tampered with, I provide an electro-magnet
which is carried on any convenient part of the car, and so placed that when the car
moves over the switch the magnet causes the necessary action of the mechanical parts.
To shift the points of tramway or other rails, I introduce a magnetic device whereby
on current entering that section of rail the same movement of the switch will also
convey current to an electro-magnet placed in any suitable position, and move the
point so as to shunt the car, and immediately on the car leaving that section and
cutting or withdrawing current from the same, the magnets will release the
mechanical parts, and the points returned or drawn back by a spring provided for
the purpose, or by a shunt arrangement of the current operating another magnet,
or by other convenient method.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Patent Agents for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Electric Tramways or
Railways.
I, ANDREW GEORGE ADAMSON, late of 184, Eldon Street, and now of 88, and
90, Tabernacle Street, London, E.C., Electrical 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with electric tramways or
railways.
According to my invention I make the rails in two parts, an under and an
upper part, the under part being constructed to receive and carry the insulated
electrical conductors which the upper part, when in position, will cover and protect.
The surface of the upper part of the rail may either be grooved in the ordinary
manner as for tramways, or it may have a surface similar to that in the permanent
ways of railways. Of course I do not confine myself to this or any special form of
rail in the improvements to be presently described as rails of ordinary construction
may also be used in conjunction with such improvements, but whatever form of rail or
whatever method I may adopt to carry, collect or distribute the electric current
throughout the system, I use a rail composed of lengths which may be variable or not
as shall be found most convenient, and each length, or section, shall be insulated as
far as possible from the adjoining sections and from earth and be used in conjunction
with two separate sectional sub-conductors and a specially constructed switch, which
will be so arranged and connected to each section of rail, sectional sub-conductors and
main conductor that one movement of the switch by a device to be presently described,
will be sufficient to cut the current out of that section of rail which the car may be
then leaving and transfer it to the section in advance of the car whether the car goes
backward or forward.
In order to operate the switch and at the same time secure all electrical parts
against wet or damage, and be quite free from any danger of being tampered with,
I properly seal the switch box and provide an electro magnet which is carried on any
convenient part of the car, preferably outside the wheels and below the line of their
axles, so that when the car moves the magnet is passed across and close to the
surface of the switch box, causing the necessary action of the mechanical parts of
the switch.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I have appended two sheets of drawings in the several figures of which
corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the system.
Figure 2 is a section of the proposed rail showing the manner of insulating it from
the return rail or rails and earth.
Figure 3 is a section of the special switch and its protecting box, showing its
position across the rail.
Figure 4 is a section of same from line 4-4 Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a plan of same.
The sectional rail L. Figure 1. is shewn with the switches inserted between each
section and marked 1 to 6. The front near wheel of the car, travelling from right to
left, is shewn standing on the section between switches 2 and 3, having by means of
the magnet Y moved the contact bar at switches 1 & 2. These bars are insulated
throughout their whole length, but are furnished with terminals to connect, as a
bridge, between the terminals G and G', H and H', I and I', J and J. It is shewn
at switches 1 and 2 as connecting J with J', and I with I', but J and J', are insulated

page_text: from I and I. The switches at 3, 4, 5, and 6 are shewn as connecting G with G':
and H with H', but G and G', are insulated from H and H'. In this position of
affairs the current from the main is travelling along T as shown by the arrow to 'I' of
switch 2 across the bar of that switch to I and then along J³ to G of switch 3 across
the bar of that switch to G and by t to P and along the rail L to the car. It will be
at once seen that no current can now pass to any of the sections except that between
switches 2 and 3, but that switch 2, having bridged the connections between the main
branch T and the sectional sub-conductor J, has conveyed current to rail section
between switches 2 and 3. It will be obvious the car's progress will produce the
same movement in each successive switch, but that the switches still remain in the
same favourable position for the supply of current to the next car from whichever
direction it may come, for instance were the car whose position is shewn on section 2
to be reversed going from left to right, the bar in switch 2 would be thrown across
from 1, I' to G, G' thus allowing current to pass to the section between 1 and 2.
Figure 2 is a section of the proposed rail shewing the manner of insulating it from
the return rail or rails and earth. Z Z is any suitable insulating cement: P is the
terminal attached to the rail L to which are attached the conductors tt which convey
current to the rail.
I propose to return the current partly by means of the second rail and earth, or if I
adopt a third or central rail, as the sectional rail, then I may return the current by
the two outer rails or in any other approved way.
In Figure 3, W is the outer protecting box constructed of any suitable material.
O is the cover or lid capable of being removed for the purpose of examining,
testing or repairing the switch and conductors, and this may be done without in
any way interfering with the traffic as the cover is arranged to the outside of the
rail. A is a disc of iron or steel, having considerable weight, so that when the
passing magnet pulls it up, and then lets go, it at ones falls to its place, and
the clutch takes its place for the next movement. Attached to the neck of the
guide rod of A, sliding in B is a spring clutch C Fig. 4 which grips the toothed
wheel d and moves the drum E a quarter of a turn each time A is pulled upwards
by the passing magnet.
The first movement froin the position shewn in Fig. 3 would bring the bridging
contacts R & S from contact with the metallic brushes I & I, J & J₁ to contact
with GG, & HH,. These metallic brushes G G,, JJ,, II,, HH,, are all thoroughly
insulated from each other by means of any suitable material in a manner similar to
that shewn at N. Current passes from the main conductor M to the brushes 1, or H₁
by means of the two conductors TT, from thence across the contact bars to the
opposite brushes I or H, and then by conductors J, or Ja to brushes J, or G,, of the
succeeding switch then across the bars of that switch to J or G and from there by tt
to the rail. F is the shaft upon which E revolves, QQ being the supporting
journals.
From the description given it will be apparent that current can only be in one
section of the rail at any one time unless I decide to retain it in the section last
cut out by the switch by connecting metallically the collecting brushes or wheels
of the car, running on the sectional rail, with each other in that case current
could then be in as many sections as the wheels or brushes could cover. It is not
however proposed to do this, but in either case all danger to the public in a street
tramway system would be completely obviated, whilst the chance of a fault occurring
in the mains is met by the great facility afforded for reaching them through the
switch boxes.
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 a tramway or railway system the combination of a rail composed of lengths
insulated from one another and froin earth with two sectional sub-mains and a switch

page_text: -operated by the passing car so that the current is only applied to one or a limited
number of sections substantially as described.
(2.) The special switch constructed substantially as described and illustrated at
Figures 4, 3 & 5 and for the purpose named.
Dated this 20th day of April 1807
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.