Improvements in Electric Railways on the Sectional Conductor System.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways on the Sectional Conductor
System.
I, JOHN MCLEOD MURPHY, of Torrington, in the County of Litchfield, and State
of Connecticut, United States of America, Electrician, 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 that class of electric railway systems
in which the working conductor, the energizing switch, the main line, the local
circuit, the trolley and the controller on the car are so arranged that the energy of
the working conductor is effected by the motorman setting his controller to first
shunt the local circuit through the controller, the trolley, the working conductor,
(third rail) through the switches to close the main line with the working con-
ductor; after which he further adjusts the controller to take up the circuit. from
the energizing conductor section to the motor.
In its more specific nature this invention seeks to provide a simplified construc-
tion of switch devices in which the contacts are so arranged that the feed line
circuit of the working conductors will be positively closed in the operation of the
switch before the local circuit is broken, and said operation effected in such a
manner that arcing and waste of energy is reduced to a minimum.
The invention also comprehends certain details of construction which will here-
inafter be first described and then be specifically pointed out in the appended
claims. In the drawing:
Fig. 1 illustrates the switch mechanism, the car motor, the controller, the storage
battery and circuits in diagram.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch, the contact being in the position it
assumes when the local circuit is on; and
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the switch mechanism indicating the position of
the several parts after the main line circuit has been closed and the local has been
broken.
In the drawing, S indicates an iron clad solenoid or suction magnet having an
inner fine wire or high resistance winding S3, and an outer heavy low resistance
winding S¹, preferably cased in as shown. The head $3 of the magnet has a
pendent core piece S*, extending down into the inner winding and forming a stop
for the shouldered upper end of the armature core or plunger P, the lower end of
which carries a copper bridge piece a (properly insulated therefrom), which has
carbon contacts a¹ and a².
The plunger P, has an upwardly extending shank P¹ which may be of a non-
conducting material or insulated from the core S'; and such shank P¹, has con-
tacts 7 and 8, between which the arm 9, of the bell crank lever G, projects, which
lever is held in proper adjusted positions by a friction spring or other means g;
such lever G, having a carbon contact 1, adapted to be moved into engagement with
the carbon 2, of the contact piece H.
Y indicates the sectional conductor (third rail), which has its lead y', connected
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page_text: with the outer windings S¹; such lead y¹ having a branch G¹, which connects
with the lever G. The contact piece H, is connected with the inner windings $4,
by the lead h.
Findicates the feeder or main line wire which connects with the contact D,
which consists of a fixed bracket d, and a yielding member d, having a carbon
contact a, opposing the lift contact a¹.
E indicates a contact constructed similar to the contact D, which connects with
the outer windings of the magnet, and has its carbon contact opposing the
contact a². N¹ indicates the ground or return for the inner winding..
So far as described, it will be clear that when the parts are in the position shown
in Fig. 1, no current can pass through the magnet, and the sectional conductor or
trolley wire Y, from the feed wire F, but any current coming from the sectional
conductor from another source, will pass through the lever G, carbon contacts 1
and 2, member H; to the inner winding S2, to the magnet to ground or return.
On the car, connected in multiple through a resistance with the motor circuit,
through the controller is a battery of a few cells of accumulators, as indicated at B,
in Fig. 1; the controller being indicated by C, its contacts c, c¹, and its lever L.
M indicates the motor, and T, the trolley.
Assuming the switch parts to be in the position indicated in Fig. 1, and the car
as entering in conductor section Y. Now, when the motorman turns the lever to
contact c, the local or battery circuit will be closed and the current established
through the levers G and H, and the winding S3, of the winding, which will cause
the iron core or plunger P, to be drawn up to close contacts a², a³, a¹ and at, and
thereby establish a circuit from the feeder to supply current to the working con-
ductor through the outer winding S', and the lead y¹; it being obvious that by
shifting the lever to contact c, the said current will be taken up by the trolley,
through the controller to the motor.
At this point it should be stated, that in this system of electric circuits, the
motorman has full control of the current at all times, i.e., when the lever L is
off the contact'c', the feed circuit will be entirely cut off from the working conductor
under the car, although the light circuit is maintained by the storage battery,
which circuit is, however, always in the motor circuit through the controller,
whereby it will be constantly replenished by the feed current as will presently
more fully appear.
By constructing the plunger P, as shown and making the contacts D and E
yielding, it is manifest that as the contacts 8 and 7 are sufficiently spaced to allow
for a free play of the plunger greater than the normal distance between the con-
tacts D and E and a¹, a³, it follows that the main line feed will pass through the
magnet to the conductor section before the local circuit is broken, the breaking of
which is effected when the plunger P has been pulled in entirely.
After contacts a¹, a², a³ and a4 are in touch the contact pin 7, will strike lever
arm 9, and raise same to open contacts 1 and 2, which deprives the coil Sa of
current; the plunger P being then held to its raised position through the action
of the current flowing through coil S¹, to the motor, and will so remain as long as
the motor is taking up current, or the car is on that particular working conductor
fed through the magnet last energized. As soon as the car leaves this particular
section, current will cease through coil S¹, and the plunger P drop to the position
shown in Fig. 1, thereby cutting off connection between such conductor section and
the feed line, and as the pin in the descending of the core P, strikes lever 9, con-
nection between contacts 1 and 2, is made, to leave them in position to be operated
by the next car.
As the plunger P. will positively drop by gravity, or by spring action, or by both,
any current due to leakage between, the track and the section conductor after the
car has left it, will not be sufficient to hold plunger, P up. In practice the weight
of the plunger, or the retractile spring or both, are so regulated, that only when a
current, such as is transmitted from the car local which is vastly greater than can
be due to any possible leakage, is on will the plunger be drawn up..

page_text: In the present arrangement of my system, the feeder current recharges the
accumulators on the car." At this point it should be stated, that while it has been
described that the local is used to energize and set the switches, yet as a matter of
fact, the current used for energizing the inner coil S2, will only come from. the
accumulators when starting: the car, as when the car has momentum, one section
will supply current for energizing the next section, through the trailers or trolley
on the car as two, one at each end, is used on a car.
To avoid too much current passing through the batteries, which would be the
case if 500 volts potential is used, as is usual in trolley car systems, a suitable
resistance, which may be in the nature of lights, or a coil R, or both, is used in
the local circuit.
By joining the local or battery circuit with the motor current so that such
battery circuit is recharged constantly when the motor is in, only a few cells of
accumulators are necessary to operate the switch, it being obvious, however, that
if desired, sufficient number of cells may be used to store up sufficient electro-
motive force to propel the car independent of the feed circuit under certain condi-
tions.
The controller lever contact in practice, is so arranged as to shunt the local to
trolley in advance of the motor, to avoid the batteries discharging to motor when
their circuit is arranged for switch setting and lighting purposes only; such lever,
however, when moved into engagement with the motor contact still engages the
contact C, to keep the local in touch with the motor circuit.
It will be noticed by using the conductor lead y, as a part of the local circuit
during the momentum of the car, the local will be practically cut out as the feed
line will do the work of setting the switches, thereby avoiding the necessity of any.
special manipulation of the controller lever except when starting the car.
Furthermore, as the main line current is on before the local breaks, the operation
of the switches is rendered absolutely positive without danger of waste by arcing.
As the windings S2, are of a very close character, it is obvious that the amperage
or flow of the feed circuit to the local circuit will be reduced to such a degree as to
render the heating of the coils to a danger heat impossible; such result being also
overcome by the quick action of breaking the local during the starting of the car,
and the fact that when the car is under headway, the switches are set by direct
energy from the feed wire and not from the local.
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 an electric railway system, the combination with the sectional conductors,
the car having a propelling motor, a storage battery, and a trolley engaging the
sectional conductor and the main or feed line, of an electro-magnetic switch
mechanism having a low resistance coil in line with the sectional conductor and the
main or feed line, a high resistance coil having a ground return and a lead joining
with the low resistance coil, a circuit breaker in such lead, governed by the direct
action of the opening and closing of the switch and arranged relatively with a
movable part of such switch to be opened when the said movable part of the switch
receives impulse through the main or feed line circuit, as set forth.
2. In an electric railway system of the class described, an electro-magnetic
switch mechanism, comprising a magnet having an outer low resistance winding
coil in line with the main or feed wire, and a sectional conductor, an inner or high
resistance winding coil, having a ground return and a lead connected with the
outer or low resistance winding coil, said magnet having a plunger armature, a
circuit breaker in the high resistance coil lead, connecting with the plunger and
adapted to be shifted by such plunger at the end of its forward or lift stroke, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
3. An electro-magnetic switch mechanism of the character stated, comprising a
magnet having independent inner and outer windings, the outer winding having

page_text: a lead connected with the sectional conductor, the inner winding having a lead
connected with such conductor and having a switch in such inner winding lead,
the yielding contacts D and E connected respectively with the feeder wire and the
outer winding, of the magnet and the plunger P, having a bridge piece to engage
the contacts D and E and having means for breaking the switch in the inner
winding lead, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.
4. In an electro-magnetic switch of the character described, the combination
with the inner and outer windings, the sectional conductor having leads connected
with the inner and outer winding, the inner winding lead having a switch held to
a closed position when the magnet is de-energized, and the contacts D and E con-
nected respectively with the feeder wire, the outer winding of the magnet, said
contacts having yielding engaging faces, of the vertically movable plunger P,
having means for breaking the switch in the inner winding leads and having con-
tacts to engage the yielding contacts D) and E, all being arranged substantially as
shown, whereby the circuit from the feeder wire will be closed to the magnet before
the inner winding or local circuit is broken, and means carried on the car body for
energizing the sectional conductor, substantially as shown and for the purposes
described.
5. In an electro-magnetic switch of the character described, the combination with
the sectional conductor, a magnet having a suction plunger, said magnet having an
inner high resistance winding, and an outer low resistance winding, leads connect-
ing such inner and outer winding with the sectional conductor, the inner winding
having a ground return, the outer winding adapted to move in line with the main
or feed line, said magnet plunger having a bridge piece carrying contacts to engage
the contacts in the outer winding main line lead held to its closed position when the
magnet is de-energized, said inner winding switch being moved to its open or
closed position by the reverse action of the plunger, all being arranged substantially
as shown and described.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.