PROCESS AND MEANS FOR PLACING RAILWAY TRAINS IN COMMUNICATION WITH AN ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR SEPARATE THERE FROM
Year: 1887

page_text: with an Electric Conductor Separate therefrom.
I, EMIL GRAEFE of Königliches Schloss Berlin in the German Empire, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "PROCESS AND MEANS FOR PLACING
RAILWAY TRAINS IN COMMUNICATION WITH AN ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR SEPARATE THERE
FROM "and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
By this invention it is designed that moving railway trains may be placed in com-
mmunication with a station situate either in front of or behind it in such a way that
signals and despatches may be sent from or received at the station or train from the
one to the other respectively either by telephone or telegraph. Further the invention
also serves to notify the engine drivers or guards in charge of the trains when two of
these are approaching each other from opposite directions on the same line, and thus
to prevent a collision taking place between them.
For carrying out the invention I employ an apparatus such as is shewn in the
accompanying drawing. In this case it is applied to an ordinary railway carriage
although it may be preferable to apply it to the engine or tender. Whilst the trans-
mission to earth takes place from the battery through the wheels and rails, a jet of
well conducting liquid connects the end of the conducting wire in the carriage with
the fixed conducting wire d placed underneath it and carried between the rails as
shewn, or above the rails by long arms standing out from ordinary telegraph poles as
nearly as practicable to the side of the train. Underneath the conductor d is a trough
or gutter B carried from the underframe U or also fixed on the roof D insulated and
so formed that it cannot touch the conductor or its supports. The trough B is in con-
nection with the pipe a which allows the conducting liquid to pass from the container A
on to the wire d'and in connection also with the pipe & serving to conduct back again
into the container A the liquid dropping from the conductor d and collecting in the
trough B underneath. Upon the roof of the carriage is placed an injector y for the
purpose and by means of the wind velocity induced by the moving train of drawing
the liquid from the trough B through the pipe up to the height of the vessel
into which it passes through perforations in the pipe b, thence passing through the

page_text: pipe c back into the container A. If at any time the force of the wind should
not be sufficient, a jet of steam may be turned on from the engine to the injector
for a similar effect. In arrangements in which the conducting wire is at the level
of the carriage roof, the liquid may be raised by any suitable apparatus previous to
trickling over the conductor. Instead of the combination of the fixed wire d with the
trough B' the latter as shewn on the left hand side of Fig. 1-may also serve as the
conductor, it being for this purpose carried between or near the rails in insulated
supports whilst the jet of conducting liquid is caused to drop over the same out
of pipe a.
The liquid may then he caught in collecting vessels on the journey. In
order that the jet of liquid may drop with certainty upon the conductor without
derangement due to wind action the two ends of the trough B may be provided with
an appliance for so diverting the wind that it cannot act injuriously on the flow of
liquid. Such an arrangement is shewn in Fig. 2 by way of example, applied to one
end of the trough B, w being a wind interceptor presenting a large surface thereto
and ending in a small pipe u which close in front of the trough B turns round per-
pendicular to the line of rails, so that the current of air entering the interceptor passes
perpendicularly past the end of the trough without entering it.
A wire e leading from the battery and carried insulated through the floor of
the carriage connects with the telegraph or telephone instrument, thence it is carried
through the vessel C, pipe c, to the container A; a second wire e¹ connects the in-
strument with the earth, whilst the wire el brings the battery into communication with
the earth through the underframe U of the carriage, the wheels and rails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A process of connecting a railway train with an electric conductor outside
thereof and separate therefrom for the purpose of enabling electric communication to
be made between the train and a station in front of or behind it, and messages and
signals to be made to and from the train for which purpose a liquid that is a good
conductor of electricity is caused to flow over the outside conductor substantially
as described and shewn.
2. For carrying out the process referred to an apparatus consisting of a battery:
a container for a liquid that is a good conductor of electricity provided with discharge
pipe a peculiarly formed trough for the reception of the outside conductor with
suction pipe, which latter is in communication with an injector or other lifting
medium for raising the conducting liquid; a vessel for receiving the conducting
liquid from the suction pipe; and a return supply pipe to the container substantially
as described and shewn."
3. Instead of the separate conducting wire and trough the arrangement of a fixed
conducting wire having the form of a trough or gutter for receiving the conducting
liquid from pipe a substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 30th day of September 1887.
CAPITAINE & VON HERTLING,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.