An Improved Electric Railway System.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1888-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electric Railway System.
We, MALONE WHELESS, Electrician, and SAMUEL EDWIN WHEATLEY, Merchant,
both of No. 4, St. Cloud Building, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "AN
IMPROVED ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM," and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of our invention is a system of propelling cars by electricity, which
consists, substantially, in causing electro-magnets, placed in a conduit, to open the
line in the conduit, and thereby circuit the dynamo current through the motor on
the car.
The manner in which this is accomplished is as follows:-
In the drawings, Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a car and section view of magnet and
connections in the conduit. Underneath the car is shown a battery of several cells
enclosed in the box B, attached to the bottom of the car; the two ends of the battery
being carried to the small wheels C, C, which rest always on separate rails (so that
the battery on the car cannot short-circuit itself; the separation or insulation of the
rail at t, preventing this).
Fig. 2. is a plan view of the car, conduit line, and magnet connections.
Fig. 3. is a section view of the supporting wheel used in this device, and which is
provided with a papier maché or other suitable non-conducting centre.
The operation of the car is effected in the following manner :-
E, E, (Fig. 2) is the conduit line carrying the current from the Dynamo Station,
which we will suppose to be at E, the current flowing in the direction of E¹. This
line is laid in a suitable conduit, and after being laid is covered over, and leaves no
opening between the rails. Extending from the conduit line at f, f¹, are wires which
are attached to separate rails, on one side of the track. By the use of these wires the
current can be circuited through the motor on the car, and then he led back to the
conduit line. This is accomplished in the following manner :-
The armature K (Fig. 2) of the magnet M, serves to keep the conduit line closed
at , by resting against the two ends of the line, when the magnet M is "dead."
But when the magnet M is vitalized, the conduit line is opened by the withdrawal of
the armature K, and the current seeks the rail W through the wire f; it then flows
in the direction of the arrow into the small wheel n, (which is supported on a metal
arm o,) and is from there carried to the motor D; thence along the line, P₁ to the
metal arm o¹, and passes down this arm through the small wheel n' to the rail W'.
When the current reaches the rail W₁ it must pass back to the conduit line through
the wire f, as the opening or insulation at z, gives it no other route.
In other words, it is noticed that the current is simply circuited through the motor
on the car, by the fact of opening the conduit line at r, (same figure).
The supporting wheels of the car perform no part in the circuiting of the current
through the car; as they are made "dead," or "non-conducting, by being provided
with papier-maché, or other non-conducting centres; and the current flows through
the motor from one of the small wheels to the other. A description of the car wheel
used is shown in section in Fig. 3, the centre H, being of non-conducting material
and surmounted by a metal ring H³, properly flanged to hold the car to the rail.
The magnet M (Fig. 2), which serves to open the conduit line, by withdrawing
the armature K, is vitalized from a storage or other battery placed upon the car, as
shown at B, (Fig. 1).
The two small wheels m, m', are supported by metal nrms similar to those shown
tn, n', and occupy a distance on the car greater than the length of the rail. In
his manner one wheel is always on the rail and one wheel on the next rail. It

page_text: will be noticed that the wires from the magnet in the conduit are fastened in like
manner, i.e., one wire to one rail, and the other wire to the next rail. In this manner
the contact of the small wheels, m, m³, with the two rails serves to close the
circuit in the conduit magnet as the car moves. The manner in which this is effected
From B", one
is as follows:-
B', B, (Fig. 2), are cells of the battery carried on the car.
wire is led to the metal arm S, and thence to the rail V, through the small wheel m'.
Now, the rail V, is separated or insulated from the rail V, by the opening at y
therefore the current traverses the line x, in the direction of the arrow, passes around
the magnet M, thence to the wire a¹; from a¹, it travels to the rail V' in the
direction of the arrow to the small wheel m, and from there to the netallic
arm S¹; thence along the wire t¹, to the other pole of the battery at B'; and the
magnet M is vitalized.
The result of this vitalization, as already shown, is to open the conduit line,
and throw the circuit around through the motor on the car, and the car is at once
put into motion. This operation is repeated as the car passes over every rail, and
a uniform and rapid speed is acquired. The connections of the magnets to the track
are shown in a simple manner at i, ¹, (Fig. 1), it being seen that i, is fastened to
one rail and, to the other; the insulation or opening t, keeping the wires from
being fastened to a continuous conductor.
The motor is geared to the axles in any suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination of an electric circuit separated at intervals, magnets placed at
the points of separation, the armatures of the magnets normally closing the circuits, a
car provided with a source of electricity and a motor, and two lines of conductors
consisting of sections insulated from one another, the magnets and the source of
electricity on the car being connected with one line, the motor and the main circuit
being connected with the other as set forth.
2. The combination of an electric circuit separated at intervals, track rails insulated
from one another, magnets placed at the points of separation of the circuit, and
connected with one line of rails, the armature of the magnets normally closing the
circuit, a car carrying a source of electricity connected with the line of rails to which
the magnets are connected and a motor connected with the other line of rails, the
main circuit being connected with the latter line of rails on each side of each point of
separation, as set forth.
3. The combination of a closed conduit with an electric circuit placed therein and
separated at intervals, magnets placed at the points of separation, the armatures of the
magnets normally closing the circuit, a car provided with a source of electricity and a
motor, and two lines of conductors consisting of sections insulated from one another,
the magnets and the source of electricity on the car being connected with one line,
the motor and the main clrcuit being connected with the other, as set forth.
4. The combination of a closed conduit with an electric circuit consisting of an
insulated main conductor separated at intervals, magnets placed at the points of
separation, the armatures of the magnets normally closing the circuit, a car provided
with a source of electricity and a motor, and two lines of conductors consisting of
sections insulated from one another, the magnets and the source of electricity on the
car being connected with one line, the motor and the main circuit being connected
with the other, as set forth.
5. The combination of an electric circuit separated at intervals, magnets placed at
the points of separation, the armatures of the magnets normally closing the circuit,
a car provided with a source of electricity and a motor, and two lines of conductors
consisting of sections insulated from one another, the magnets being connected with
the sections of one line of conductors on opposite sides of the points of insulation, and
the source of electricity on the car connected with the same line, the motor connected

page_text: with the other line and the main circuit connected on each side of each point of
separation with the sections of the latter line on opposite sides of the points of
insulation, as set forth.
Dated this Third day of October 1889
MALONE WHELESS.
SAMUEL EDWIN WHEATLEY.