Improvements in Methods of Electric Haulage.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Methods of Electric Haulage.
We, BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE of 95 Finsbury Pavement London, E.C.
in the County of Middlesex and GEORGE CAWLEY of 29 Great George Street,
Westminster S.W., in the County of Middlesex, Civil and Mechanical Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
Our invention has for its object to provide a system of haulage specially adapted
for canals or general waterways as well as for land traction, which shall avoid the
use of horses by the utilisation of electrical energy.
According to our invention in the case of canals or inland waterways, metallic
standards or posts of wood are erected along the side of the canal or waterway,
and to these standards or posts are affixed, one above the other, at convenient
heights, two metallic beams or rails, of double angle or other suitable section.
These beams or rails are metallically connected together, end to end, and made
practically continuous along the whole length of the haulage system. The upper
beam or rail is so arranged as to carry upon it an electric locomotive suitable for
hauling a vessel, carriage or other vehicle, along the waterway or canal haulage
track generally in one direction and the lower beam is similarly arranged and
adapted for carrying a like locomotive for hauling in the opposite direction. In
order to prevent slipping of the locomotive wheels during the time of hauling, a
suitable rack is affixed to each beam or rail into which gears an equally-pitched
pinion or pinions driven by an electric motor carried on the locomotive. In some
cases, grip pulleys, pressed together by a suitable spring or springs may be used
instead of the rack and pinions.
The electric energy is generated at stations, suitably distanced along the haulage
route, and conveyed to supply the electric motors by suitable conductors, carried
cither in, upon, under, above, or along side the beams or rails which carry the
electric locomotive. The electric energy can be regulated or switched off entirely
from the electric motors by a suitable switch or by a specially arranged lifting
contact slide either of which can be actuated from the vessel or carriage by a rod
or rope or electric connection. The electric locomotive may be connected with the
vessel or carriage by a hawser or tow line fitted with one or more belical springs or
other elastic connections provided for the purpose of reducing the stress on the
tow line when the speed of the vessel or carriage is being accelerated, or the towing
line may be wound round a spring barrelled capstan fitted on the vessel or carriage
or on the electric haulage motor. This capstan would unwind when undue stress
comes upon the tow line, and rewind in proportion as the stress became normal.
When our invention is applied to street tramway haulage, we place the electric
haulage motor so that it runs on suitable rails in a subway or culvert, which is
placed between the tram-rails and below the level of the street, and having a slot
or groove at the top made level with the street surface.
Along the slot works a flat bar edge-foremost, which forms or acts as a driver—
and which is permanently connected to the electric haulage motor by a link or
joints, and is also attached to the tramcar by a detaching arrangement fitted to each
end of the car.
The subway is fitted with a continuous rack into which gears a pinion or pinions,
worked by an electric haulage motor or motors receiving electric energy through a
suitable sliding piece and conductors.
Two or more electric motors may be placed upon the electric haulage motor,
worked separately or collectively, according to the requirements of haulage force.

page_text: The electric haulage motors are started, stopped or regulated from the tramcar
by means of a rod passing down from the car through the slot in the subways to
the electric haulage motor placed inside for giving motion to the car.
The rails, conductor and rack are placed laterally in the subway, so that dirt or
mud falling into the subway through the slot may not come into contact with them
or with the electric haulage motor.
In order to obtain a high efficiency and regularity of current transmitted from a
single generating station, and without danger, we divide the electric conductor in
its length into several sections and send the electric current at high pressure along
a separate and well insulated conductor, which is connected through step down
transformers to the different sections of the main conductor in which the energy is
transmitted to the electric haulage motor. By this means we obtain a much higher
efficiency at the end of a long length of traction way than if the current was sent
at a low voltage.
The chief advantages of our invention and the manner in which they are
obtained, may be briefly summarised as follows:-
First. By the employment of the novel arrangement of two levels of rails, one motor
can pass the other in a contrary direction, without involving an entanglement of the
haulage hawser or other connection.
Second. By the use of two beams or rails placed above each other and carried on
supports or standards. There is consequently very little of the ordinary towing path
appropriated by our system. This enables our system to be applied to any canal
and towing path without interfering with ordinary horse haulage.
Our system further enables us to imitate as near as possible all the conditions of
the existing horse haulage, the traction beams or rails being of such a character
as to permit of its being continued along the tunnels and under bridges, where the
towing path space is limited.
Third. The novel method we adopt of using a very light electro haulage motor,
having a rack and pinion arrangement a grip or pressure contact of driving which
permits our invention to be used with highly economic advantages. On one hand
we avoid a heavy locomotive and its necessary disadvantages, and we have on the
other hand, the advantages over screw propulsion in water with its high rate of loss
due to the slipping.
Fourth. Another advantage that follows the employment of our invention is the
fact that by the employment of the coil spring capstan, or other clastic arrangement,
the pull on the motor is always applied gradually whether such strain has an
accidental or intentional origin. Further the fact that the torque effort of the
electric haulage driving pinion is limited within narrow limits also prevents a
seriously sudden pulling strain on the haulage rope.
Fifth. Our arrangement of rack or pinion ongrip or pressure adhesion, either with
contact surface on the vertical or underside of the rail, prevents dirt from
interfering, clogging the teeth or obstructing the electric current. The method
by which the conductor is arranged is such as to prevent any accidental and
dangerous contact to animal life and is not affected by the weather.
Sixth. Still another advantage of our system follows the method by which the
man on board the vessel or carriage can arrest the motor, or start it, and if
necessary drop the haulage rope or hawser to the ground from its attachment, to
the electric haulage motor, so that full control of the system is possible from the
vessel or carriage.
Seventh. The provision of more than one power generating station along the
route, enables the loss of electro energy due to resistance to be much reduced, it
also has the advantage that follows the subdivision of power production, and an
accident at one of the generating stations only affects the section fed by it, but in
order to obviate even this fractional difficulty, we connect the conductor of each
section with the conductor or conductors of the next section in both directions, so
that when an accident happens at one station, the electric energy can be supplied
from one of the other sections

page_text: Eighth. We may occasionally place the conductor rails on each side of the canal
or other waterway and in certain instances they may be suspended by special
stanchions or standards over the waterway. By this means the most difficult
haulage problems, can be satisfactorily solved by the application of our system.
Ninth. By our method of transmitting the electric energy at high pressure and
allocating the energy to short sectional length at a low pressure-we reduce the loss
of energy over a long length of conductor very considerably.
Dated this 17th day of January 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Methods of Electric Haulage.
We, BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE of 95 Finsbury Pavement London E.C.
in the County of Middlesex and George Cawley of 29 Great George Street
Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Civil and Mechanical Engineers 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:-
Our invention has for its object to provide a system of haulage specially adapted
for canals or general waterways as well as for land traction, which shall avoid the
use of horses by the utilisation of electrical energy.
According to our invention in the case of canals or inland waterways, metallic
standards or posts of wood are erected along the side of the canal or waterway, and
to these standards or posts are affixed, one above the other, at convenient heights,
two metallic beams or rails, of double angle or other suitable section. These beams
or rails are metallically connected together, end to end, and made practically
continuous along the whole length of the haulage system. The upper beam or
rail is so arranged as to carry upon it an electric locomotive suitable for hauling
a vessel, carriage or other vehicle, along the waterway or canal haulage track
generally in one direction and the lower beam is similarly arranged and adapted
for carrying a like locomotive for hauling in the opposite direction. In order to
prevent slipping of the locomotive wheels during the time of hauling, a suitable
rack is affixed to each beam or rail into which gears an equally-pitched pinion or
pinions driven by an electric motor carried on the locomotive. In some cases, grip
pulleys pressed together by a suitable spring or springs may be used instead of the
rack and pinions.
The electric energy is generated at stations, suitably distanced along the haulage
route, and conveyed to supply the electric motors by suitable conductors, carried
either in, upon, under, above, or along side the beams or rails which carry the
electric locomotive. The electric energy can be regulated or switched off entirely
from the electric motors by a suitable switch or by a lifting contact slide either of
which can be actuated from the vessel or carriage by a rod or rope or electric
connection. The electric locomotive may be connected with the vessel or carriage
by a hawser or tow line fitted with one or more helical springs or other elastic
connections provided for the purpose of reducing the stress on the tow line when
the speed of the vessel or carriage is being accelerated, or the towing line may be
wound round a spring barrelled capstan fitted on the vessel or carriage or on the
electric haulage motor. This capstan would unwind when undue stress comes upon
the tow line, and rewind in proportion as the stress becomes normal.
When our invention is applied to street tramway haulage, we place the electric
haulage notor so that it runs on suitable rails in a subway or culvert, which is
placed between the tram-rails and below the level of the street, and having a slot
or groove at the top made level with the street surface.

page_text: Along the slot works a flat bar, edge foremost, which forms or acts as a driver—
and which is permanently connected to the electric haulage motor by a link or joints,
and is also attached to the tramcar by a detaching arrangement fitted to each end
of the car.
The subway is fitted with a continuous rack into which gears a pinion or pinions
or with a continuous plane track on which run driving wheels pressed upon their
track by a spring or springs or by a lever and toggle arrangement, and worked by
an electric haulage motor or motors receiving electric energy through a suitable sliding
piece and conductors.
Two or more electric motors may be placed upon the electric haulage motor,
worked separately or collectively, according to the requirements of haulage force.
The electric haulage motors are started stopped or regulated from the tramcar
by means of a rod or rods passing down from the car through the slot in the subway
to the electric haulage motor placed inside for giving motion to the car.
The rails, conductor and rack are placed laterally in the subway or covered with
a shield so that dirt or mud falling into the subway through the slot may not come
into contact with them or with the electric haulage motor.
In order to obtain a high efficiency and regularity of current transmitted from a
single generating station, and without danger, we divide the electric conductor in
its length into several sections and send the electric current at high pressure along
a separate and well insulated conductor which is connected through step-down
transformers to the different sections of the main conductor in which the energy
transmitted to the electric haulage motor. By this means we obtain a higher
efficiency at the end of a long length of traction way than if the current was sent
at a low voltage.
The chief advantages of our invention and the manner in which they are obtained,
may be briefly summarised as follows, and further explained by means of the
accompanying drawings, wherein :-
-
Fig. is a front view of the haulage plant relating to canals and general
waterways.
Fig. 2 an end view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of the haulage plant relating to land carriages and
vehicles.
Fig. 4 an end view of Fig. 3.
Detailed description follows:-
In Figures 1 and 2 the following letters refer to the different details of our
invention. We wish however to be clearly understood that the particulars and
drawings given herewith show the general arrangement we adopt for ordinary
applications of our invention without confining us to the use of the exact details
shown herein.
A. A. represents the metallic standards or wooden supports for carrying the
electric locomotive rails B as used for canal haulage. C. C. are the grip gear
driving pulleys actuated by the bevel gear D. which is driven by the electric
motor E. F. shows the motor switch, which is actuated by the rope or rods G.
H represents the tow line or haulage hawser. J is the electric conductor, and K is
the sliding contact piece.
In Figs. 3 & 4 (in Sheet II of the drawings) L shows the electric locomotive
running on the rails M placed in a culvert N, which is centrally placed between
and below the tramway rails O, and open to the roadway by a longitudinal slot or
groove P, for the passage of the haulage bar or driver Q.
The driver Q is connected to the electric locomotive L by the link joints R which
cause the traction resistance to increase the adhesive hold of the driving wheels S
upon the rails by pressing upwards the wheels T which are also pressed upwards by
the adjustable vertical spring U. V shows one of the rods used for actuating
the starting, stopping, and governing arrangements of the electric locomotive
from the car above. W shows the shield or metallic cover for sheltering the
locomotive from water, dust or mud.

page_text: XX are conductors affixed to conveniently shaped insulators of wood or other
suitable material. To prevent disturbance in telegraphic or telephonic lines the
return current may pass along one of the conductors, instead of through the rails.
We will now summarise the advantages.
First. By the employment of the novel arrangement of two levels of rails, one
motor can pass the other in a contrary direction, without involving an entanglement
of the haulage hawser or other connection.
Second. By the use of two beams or rails placed above each other, and carried
on supports or standards there is consequently very little of the ordinary towing
path appropriated by our system. This enables our system to be applied to any
canal and towing path without interfering with ordinary horse haulage.
Our system further enables us to imitate as near as possible all the conditions of
the existing horse haulage, the traction beams or rails being of such a character as
to permit of its being continued along the tunnels and under bridges where the
towing path space is limited.
Third. The novel method we adopt of using a very light electric haulage motor,
having a rack and pinion arrangement or a grip or pressure contact of driving
which permits our invention to be used with highly economic advantages. On
one hand we avoid a heavy locomotive and its necessary disadvantages, and we have
on the other hand, the advantages over screw propulsion in water with its high rate
of loss due to slip.
Fourth. Another advantage that follows the employment of our invention is the
fact that by the employment of the coil spring, capstan or other elastic arrangement,
the pull on the motor is always applied gradually whether such strain has an
accidental or intentional origin. Further, the fact that the torque effort of the
electric haulage driving pinion is limited within narrow limits, also provents a
seriously sudden pulling strain on the haulage rope.
Fifth. Our arrangement of rack or pinion or grip or pressure adhesion, either
with contact surface on the vertical or underside of the rail, prevents dirt from
interfering or clogging the teeth of the track gearing, or obstructing the electric
current. The method by which the conductor is arranged is such as to prevent any
accidental and dangerous contact to animal life and is not affected by the weather.
Sixth. Still another advantage of our system follows from the method by which
the man on board the vessel or carriage can stop the motor or start it, and if
necessary drop the haulage rope or hawser to the ground from its attachment to
the electric haulage motor, so that full control of the system is possible from the
vessel or carriage.
Seventh. The provision of more than one power generating station along the
route, enables the loss of electric energy due to resistance to be reduced, it also has
the advantage that follows the subdivision of power production, and an accident at
one of the generating stations only affects the section fed by it, but in order to
obviate even this fractional difficulty we connect the conductor of each section with
the conductor or conductors of the next section in both directions, so that when
an accident happens at one station, the electric energy can be supplied from one of
the other sections.
Eighth. We may occasionally place the conductor rails on each side of the canal
or other waterway and in certain instances they may be suspended by special
stanchions or standards over the waterway. By this means difficult haulage problems
can be satisfactorily solved.
Ninth. By our method of transmitting the electric energy at high pressure and
allocating this energy to short sectional lengths at a low pressure, we reduce the loss
of energy over a long length of conductor very considerably.
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 :-
First. The improvements in the methods of electric haulage for canals and

page_text: general waterways, as well as for land traction, by which we avoid the use of
horses without the necessity of placing the electric hauling machinery in or upon
the water-borne vessel or land carriage or vehicle substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second. The configuration, and arrangement of the rails, tracks, supports and
culverts for carrying or enclosing the electric haulage machinery, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Third. The arrangement and disposition of the electric current conductors, so
that the adverse influences of dirt, rain, and damp may be reduced and public safety
increased, substantially as herein before described.
Fourth. The arrangement of procuring tractive power from the electric motor or
motors, having a rotating motion, through the agency of a rack and pinions or
pressure grip wheels acted upon by levers, toggles or springs substantially as
herein before described.
Fifth. The method of arranging several generating stations along the haulage
route, and the employment of a high pressure current with step-down trans-
formers in connection with our general baulage system, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Sixth. The arrangement of a coil spring capstan and helical spring tow-line, by
means of which the strains due to starting the vessel or vehicle are reduced,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Seventh. The methods of actuating the switch regulation and resistance
arrangements by a rod, rods or rope from the vessel or vehicle substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Eighth. The disposition of the track rails in the culverts by means of which
disposition we are enabled to use track wheels of very small diameter and electric
motors of very high speeds without the necessity of employing reducing gearing.
Dated this Seventeenth day of October 1894.