Improvements in Electric Railways and Tramways on a Sectional Conductor System.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 12th May, 1900
Improvements in Electric Railways and Tramways on a Sectional
Conductor System.
I, JOHN MILNES, of 85, Tithebarn Road, Southport, in the County of Lancaster,
Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to street or. road electric railways, generally termed
tramways, to light electric railways, and similar electric railways; and it has primarily
for its object and effect to provide improvements in connection with such electrical
railways, by which they are rendered more efficient, and less costly in construction
and method of collecting or conveying electricity from the supply conductor, or
main, to the cars or motors, than those at present in use or hitherto proposed.
According to this invention, the conductor supplying current is disposed beneath.
the road surface between the rails, and is insulated and enclosed in a suitable conduit
or pipe; and has, at suitable intervals along it, upwardly projecting parts, and naked
branch conductors extending towards but not reaching the upper surface of the road;
and about each of these branch conductors, is a branch conduit. On or in connection
with these naked branch conductors, there is a sliding or vertically moving. part or
switch device. In the road surface is a bar, having in it at intervals, corresponding
with the branch conductors, a length of conductors which constitute sectional
conductors; whilst the car or locomotive on which the electric motor to be supplied'
with current is placed, is provided with a magnet so that in action in running. over
the way, the magnet attracts and draws up the sliding or moving switch or contact
nuker on the naked branch conductors, one after the other, with the surface
sectional conductors; and then, by means of a collector on the cars or locomotive,
which moves over the bar in the road surface, current is conveyed from the
sectional conductors to the motor or locomotive; and when it leaves each sectional
conductor, current ceases to flow from the branch connected with it, and the moving.
or sliding contact maker or switch slides or falls down away from the sectional'
conductor, so that it is put out of contact with the main supply conductor. With a
series of such sectional conductors in the road surface, and automatic moving devices
for making and breaking the contact, the supply of electricity from a closed
underground main or conduit system to a moving vehicle or locomotive, is
accomplished.
The longitudinal surface bar will have a groove of suitable depth and width in it;
and in the bottom of this groove the sectional conductors-which, say, are of.
copper are placed, being carried in an insulating mounting therein; and they are
also preferably raised or inclined upwards from either end, so as to shed water;
whilst in the bottom of the groove of the bar, holes are provided which carry away.
water, etcetera,. from the groove to an outlet or outlets below.
These insulated sectional conductors will, of course, be disposed above the
vertical branch pipes and supply branches of the electrical conductor; and the
naked branch conductors may be in the form of loops on the main, or continuous
:

page_text: part of the electrical conductor, so that current will be passed through them in
Bome cases.
The electric conductor or main, which will be insulated, is suitably supported in
the main in which it is disposed.
Improvements in Electrio Railways and Tramways on a Sectional
Conductor System
J, JOIN MILNES, of 85, Tithebarn Road, Southport, in the County of Lancaster,
Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manuer the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statenient :-
This invention has reference to street or road electric railways, generally termed
trainways, to light electric railways, and similar electric railways; and it has primarily
for its object and effect to provide improvements in connection with such electrical
railways, by which they are rendered more efficient, and less costly in construction
and method of collecting or conveying electricity from the supply conductor, or
main, to the cars or motors, than those at present in use or hitherto proposed.
According to this invention, the conductor supplying current is disposed beneath
the road surface between the rails, and is insulated and enclosed in a suitable conduit
or pipe; and has, at suitable intervals along it, upwardly projecting parts, or naked
branch.conductors extending towards but not reaching the upper surface of the road;
and about each of these branch conductors, is a branch conduit, or the main conduit
may contain them. On or in connection with these naked branch conductors, there
is a sliding or vertically moving part or switch device. In the road surface is a bar,
having in it at intervals, corresponding with the branch conductors, a length of con-
ductors which constitute sectional conductors; whilst the car or locomotive on which
the electric motor to be supplied with current is placed, is provided with a magnet so
that in action, in running over the way, the inagnet attracts and draws up the sliding
or moving switch or contact makers on the naked branch conductors, one after the
other, with the surface sectional conductors;- and then, by means of a collector on the
cars or locomotive, which moves over the bar in the road surface, current is conveyed
from the sectional conductors to the motor or locomotive; and when it leaves each
sectional conductor, current ceases to flow from the branch connected with it, and
the moving or sliding contact maker or switch slides or falls down away from the
sectional conductor, so that it is put out of contact with the main supply conductor.
With a series of such sectional conductors in the road surface, and automatic moving
devices for making and breaking the contact, the supply of electricity from a closed
underground main or conduit system to a moving vehicle or locomotive, is accom-
plished.
The longitudinal surface bar will have a groove of suitable depth and width in it ;
and in the bottom of this groove the sectional conductors-which, say, are of copper
are placed, being carried in an insulating mounting therein; and they are also
preferably raised or inclined upwards from either end, so as to shed water; whilst in
the bottom of the groove of the bar, holes are provided which carry away water,
etcetera, from the groove to an outlet or outlets below.
These insulated sectional conductore will, of course, be disposed above the naked

page_text: supply branches of the electrical conductor. The naked branch conductors may be in
the form of loops on the inain, or continuous part of the electrical conductor, so that
current will be passed through them.
The electric main conductor, which will be insulated, is suitably supported in the
conductor main in which it is disposed.
Drawings illustrating this invention are hereto annexed. In these, Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section of the conduit, Figure 2 is a cross section sbewing one modifica- -
tion, and Figure 3 is a plan of same. Figure 4 is a detail of the sliding switch device...
or contact.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 shew inodifications of conduits and devices according to
the invention.
...
Referring to the drawings, a represents the continuous main conductor supplying
current beneath the roadway. This conductor is laid in the conduit b, and is
supported by suitable-insulators.cat certain distances along, and held in position by..
them. In the case shewn, these insulators care supported by bridge pieces d extend- :
ing across the conduit. The cover or top bar b¹ of the conduit b is of natural or
artificial stonework, or hard fire-resisting wood, or other non-nagnetic or non-
electrical substance, and has a groove e in it, in the bottom of which the sectional
conductors lie.
Referring back to the conductor a, this, as stated, is insulated, but has upwardly
projecting naked parts or loops a¹ at suitable intervals along its length, say 10 ft.
apart; and fitting over these are the movable or sliding switch or contact devices h,
which, in this case, as seen in Figure 4, each consists of a tubular stem which fits
over the loop a³, and a flat horizontal head.
At similar intervals to those of the loops a', the conduit cover bis provided 'with
holes directly above the heads of the switch devices or sliding contacts, in order to
provide for a clear movement of these contact heads up into contact with the sectional
conductors f
The groove e in the stone or equivalent cover b, is of suitable width for the collector
on the car to move in, say about 1 inch, and the sectional conductors themselves
lie in the bottom of this groove, and are made thicker and higher in the centre than
the ends, to which they taper or incline in either direction. By this form, these
conductors sled water in either direction, and enable a good efficiency of machinery.
under all conditions of weather to be secured.. The sectional conductors will be
secured in the bottom of the groove e by bolts or other fasteners at each end, or in,
any convenient way, and may be of copper, or of any other suitable material.
In Figure 2, the bottom of the conduit b is shewn provided with a pipe g which is
provided for the purpose of taking away any water that may enter the conduit.
With regard to the loops or naked vertical branches at of the main a, and the.
sliding contact devices or switches h, the contacts are made as light as possible, and
of any suitable.conducting metal.
In action, as the magnet on the car moves along above each of the sections of the
conductors f, the contact sliding devices or switches are attracted upwards towards:
the sectional conductors, and their heads consequently move up through the
openings onto the underside of these conductors, and thus form electrical con-
tinuity between the main continuous conductor a in the conduit b, and the sectional
conductors serialin which thus become "live" for the time being, and electricity is
taken through the collector on the car to the propelling machinery. As the magnet,
leaves or passes away from each sectional conductor, that conductor becomes dead,,
and the sliding contact or contacts h which have been drawn up in contact with it,
fall down again, and away from it to their normal position of rest; and those under
the next sectional conductor f, which will have come under the car magnet, will be.
similarly attracted and drawn up in contact with it, and subsequently released in the.
same way; and so on throughout the line.
The sliding contacts or switch devices h are placed close under the secondary
conductors, namely, their flat heads may be within the apertures, e', in the grooves 6,;
and say a quarter of an inch only away from their under surfaces,

page_text: In the case shewn, the conduit is, laid in the centre of the way between the
rails, and its upper. stone or other non-conductor cover level with the surface of
the street.
Referring to the modification shewn in. Figure 5, in this case, the conduit bis
inade of metal ia tubular form. The upper part of the tube is open, and upon it fits
a separate upright portion 62 made in suitable lengths; and then upon the upper
surface or cover of this part 62 the stone or other non-conducting cover or bar b
is fitted. Otherwise it is substantially similar to that set forth with reference to
Figures 1, 2 and 3.
·
Figure 6 shewe another modification under this invention. In this modification,
the sectional conductors fare placed inside the conduit b, the conduit itself being
made of metal and lined with stoneware or similar non-conducting material, the
cover or bar being also a stone or other non-electric, and the edges of the
conductors are embedded and rest in the sides of the non-electric lining 6³ of
the conduit; and the space between these points of support and the cover b¹, is
filled with bitumen, asphalt, or like non-conducting material i. The bottom of the
groove e in this case will be the upper surface of the sectional conductors f, between.
the ends of which a suitable non-conductor to fill up the space between them will be
provided. By this construction, the space below the filling i, in which the
continuous conductor a and the moving contacts are disposed, is.closed from outside.
The conductor a in this case is shewn supported and insulated. similarly as in
Figures 1, 2 and 5, but the naked loops a¹ and contact or switch devices h are
different; but of course the form first described may be used. This modified form
of loop consists of making a complete link or loop on the conductor a, and making
the tubular stem of the device h horizontal instead of vertical, as in Figure 4; the
parts being weighted so as to keep the required horizontal position of the 'head.
Otherwise, and in action, the devices are the same.
Referring to Figure 8, the modification of this arrangement consists mainly
in making the cover entirely of hard fire resisting wood with two grooves e, e³,-with
apertures made in the groove e², and placed say ten feet apart and in the inside of
the groove e, a copper sectional conductor is laid.
The groove e in this case is for the magnet on the car to work along; whilst the
other groove e will be for the collector of the car to work in.
Inaction, the car magnet will lift up the head of the switch or contact devices h
on the loops a¹ towards it, and this will bring the head of a branch contact device./',
attached to the tube of the main device h, into contact with the sectional conductor f.
As a further simple modification of the upper part or cover of the conduit, this
may be simply of metal having a continuous groove having apertures in it at intervals
required, and insulating the inside surfaces of the groove by covering it with a thin
layer of suitable non-conductor, as asphalt or cement, upon the surface of which
insulation, the sectional conductors are placed and fixed:
Of course, it will be understood that in fastening the sectional conductors down by
bolts or the like, they would be insulated by the use of insulating washers in any
known suitable way.
By this construction, it will be seen the groove is mado non-electric, and the
sectional conductors are rendered non-continuous.
A modified form of sliding contact or switch device h is shewn in Figure 9. This
consists of a device of the form shewn with eyes h², which work up and down on the
rod 1, say of glass, suitably fixed upon a part of the conduit, while the face of the
device rubs against the rigid naked vertical loops a¹.
It will be seen that by the use of any of the modifications herein described, neither
pedestrians, nor animals can receive shocks or injury by placing their feet on or
passing over the tramway; and it constitutes a simple and effective electric railway or
tramway system which will require a very small expense to maintain.
With regard to the particular forms or constructions of the several parts, it is to
be stated that the invention is not restricted to those more particularly shewn
or described, and they may be varied and arranged to meet the different conditions

page_text: of their applications, or special cases, without differing from the general
chacrateristic of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invon-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim. is 1.
1. In a street or other railway conduit system of electricity supply, the employ.
ment within the conduit of a continuous main conductor, with loops or projecting
parts thereon, and contact or switch devices working in connection with same; for
the purposes set forth.
2. In a street or other railway conduit system of electricity supply, the continuous
main conductor disposed within the conduit; loops a at intervals along such conductor,
and movable contact or switch devices in connection with such loops; and sectional
conductors in connection with which the said contact or switch devices work;
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In a street or other railway conduit system of electricity supply, the employ-
ment in combination of sectional conductors in the upper part or cover of said
conduit, and a non-electric and non-magnetic plate or rail with a groove or grooves for
the passage of the car magnet and collector; substantially as and for the purposes
Bet forth.
4. In a street or other railway conduit system of electricity supply, the com-
bination of sectional conductors, arranged in a groove provided in an upper surface
plate or bar of non-electrio and non-magnetic nature or construction, and apertures.
through same; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In a street or other railway conduit system of electricity supply, a conduit.
having a cover or upper bar of metal with a groove and apertures in it, and sectional
conductors disposed in the groove and over the said apertures; substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
6. In a street or other railway conduit system of electricity supply, the employ-
ment of sectional conductors disposed within a groove in the upper part or cover of
the conduit, and being inclined from about the centre towards their ends.
7. In a street or other railway conduit system of electricity supply, the employ-
ment in connection with. loops or projecting parts of or on a main supply conductor,
of movable contact or switch devices comprising a tubular body working upon said
loops, and a flat head; aibstantially as and for the purposes set forth.
8. The street or other electrical railway conduit, liaving parts arranged and
adapted to operate as set forth with reference to and shewn in Figures 1 to 3 of
the drawings.
9. The street or other electrical railway conduit, having parts arranged and
adapted to operate as set forth with reference to and shewn in Figure 5 of the
drawings.
10. The street or other electrical railway conduit, having parts arranged, and
adapted to operate as set forth with reference to and shewn in Figure 6 of the
drawings.
11. The street or other electrical railway conduit having parts arranged and
adapted to operate as set forth with reference to and shewn in Figure 8 of the
drawings.
12. The moving contact or switch devices as set forth and shewn in Figures 4, 7,
and 9 of the drawings.