Improvements in Electric Railway Systems.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railway Systems.
I, CONSTANT FRANÇOIS DE REDON, of 27 Thames Street, in the City of New
York, in the County and State of New York, United States of America, Engineer,
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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in electric railway systems, and com-
prises the novel devices and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and
particularly pointed out in the claims.
In accordance with my invention I provide a series of circuit closers along the
line of the track, each comprising a swinging magnet (which may be either a
permanent magnet or an electro-magnet) adapted to be attracted by a shoe or
part carried by the car, contact plates which are moved by the movement of the
said magnet, series of contact blocks to be engaged by said plates, suitable con-
ductors, and a suitable retarding device to hold the contact plates in connection
with the blocks for a short space of time after the shoe carried by the car shall
have left its active position with the magnet of one circuit closer and is moving
towards the circuit closer ahead; and the operative parts of each circuit closer
are protected in a closed box or casing, preferably of non-magnetic metal and made
quite thin at the point adjacent to the poles of the magnet.
The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description herein-
after presented, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which :-
Fig. 1 is a plan of a detached section of two railway tracks equipped with the
electric system embodying my invention, the circuit closer boxes adjacent to the
rails and the junction boxes for the wires between the tracks being shown in
horizontal section; this fig. also shows in plan the shoe carried by the car
to attract the magnets which will be pivotally mounted in the circuit closer
boxes;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical longitudinal section through one of the
circuit closer boxes and showing the magnet and other parts therein, these
parts being omitted from Fig. 1 for want of space to show them clearly; this
Fig. 2 also shows in vertical cross section the conduit between the rails of the
track and the shoe which is supported therein from the car and which attracts the
magnet in the box;
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the conduit and shows the
manner of suspending the shoe therein;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section through one of the circuit closer boxes
and showing the magnet and other parts therein ;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the circuit closer boxes; and
Fig. 6 is an enlarged view corresponding with Fig. 1.
Referring by reference characters to the drawing, A designates a conduit
designed to be placed in the ground between the two rails of a track. This
conduit may be made of any desired insulating material and it has a longitudinal
slot opening in its top through which the shoe hanger A¹ extends. The hanger
depends from a car and has within the conduit, at each side, a contact shoe A²
. '

page_text: which, as here shown, consists of parallel rods or cables curved inwards at the ends
and which may be connected with a motor in any desired manner.
I will now describe the circuit closer and its connection.
B indicates a tightly closed box or casing consisting preferably of a non-
magnetic metal, such, for instance, as brass; and at the point adjacent the poles
of the permanent magnet B', and within the conduit A, it is made quite thin as
indicated at b.
The magnet BI is here shown in the form of a horse-shoe maguet, but I do not
wish to be limited thereto. It is mounted on the vertical arm of an angle lever B²,
having pivotal bearings at its augle in the lugs extended from the inner wall of the
box or casing B; on the outer side of the box or casing B, and within the
conduit A, are contact rollers B3, B4, suitably insulated from the box or casing
and projected slightly forward of the inner end of the box or casing, to be
engaged by the shoe A³, carried by a car. I extend the rollers slightly
forward of the inner end of the box so that the shoe will not engage with the
box, which would create too much friction or act as a brake under the influence of
the magnet B¹.
The free end of the lever B2 is provided with extension pieces b¹, and on these
extension pieces contact plates 62, 63, are mounted, with a suitable insulating material
between the plates and extension pieces.
The contact plate 62, is designed to close a circuit or engage with contact
blocks 1, 2, 3, and the plate 6, is designed to close a circuit or engage with
contact blocks 4, 5, 6. These several blocks are mounted on a bar 64, of insulating
material within the box or casing B, and certain of the blocks are in engagement
with the working current, and other of the blocks are in engagement with a shunt
or auxiliary current, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.
C indicates boxes or casings arranged at the side of the track or, as here shown,
between two tracks, in line with the casings B; these boxes or casings are
connected together by means of a suitable tubing as indicated by the dotted
lines in Figure 1. The several feeding wires are intended to extend through
the pipe, but it is obvious that the several wires may be formed in a cable suitably
insulated.
7 indicates the main line wire and 8 is the return wire. A wire 9 leads from
the main wire 7 to the contact block 3, and a wire 10 leads from the return
wire 8 to the contact block 4. From the contact block 2, a wire 12 extends
to the contact roller B, and from the contact block 1 a wire 13 extends to the
contact roller B³, and from the contact block 5 a wire 14 extends to a return
contact roller B, adapted to engage with the shoe portion opposite that engaged
by the rollers B³, B.
It may be here stated that the contact roller B4 is in the nature of an auxiliary
contact placed in an auxiliary circuit, so as to be energized at one box B by the
action of the circuit closer in the preceding box B, the object being to provide a
driving circuit for the short space of time when the shoe carried by a car is not in
a proper position to attract the permanent magnet in this particular box and after
the shoe shall have left its engagement with the contact rollers of the preceding
box. With this end in view (and in this description assuming that the car is
moving to the left) the contact block 2 at the right hand box B is connected by a
wire 15 with the auxiliary line wire 16, which by the wire 17 is connected with the
block 1 of the left hand box B; and the block 6 at the right hand box B is
connected. by the wire 18 with the auxiliary line wire 19 which is connected by
the wire 20 with the block 5 of the box B at the left, which block 5 is, as shown,
connected with the roller B by the wire 14. If it is now assumed that the car
moving toward the left is opposite to the right hand box B and that the contact
plates 2 and 3 of said box have been moved against the contact blocks 1, 2, 3
and 4, 5, 6, respectively, it will be found that the main circuit or current from
the wire 7 is through the wire 9, block 3, plate 2, block 1, and wire 13 to the
roller B³, and that the main circuit or current ou its return is from the roller B

page_text: through the wire 14, block 5, plate 63, block 4, and wire 10, to the main return
wire 8. Thus the course of the main circuit is clearly established, and at the
same time that the car is opposite to the right hand box B and moving towards the
left hand box B, an auxiliary current or circuit is sent ahead of the car, to said.
left hand box, and this auxiliary circuit is (starting with the right hand box B and.
moving toward the left hand box B) from the main wire 7 through the wire 9,.
block 3, plate 62, block 2, wire 15, wire 16, and wire 17 to the block 1 of the left
haud box B thence through wire 13 to the auxiliary roller B³, thus completing
one-half of the auxiliary circuit. The return half of the auxiliary circuit or current
is (starting from the left hand box B and moving toward the right hand box B).
from the roller B through the wire 14, block 5, wire 20, auxiliary line wire 19,
wire 18, block 6 (in right hand box B) plate 63, block 4, and wire 10 to the main
line wire 8. Thus the auxiliary current sent ahead from one box B to the box B
ahead of it in advance of the moving car has been clearly defined. The boxes B-
are at definite poiuts, depending on the length of the car, all along the track, and
whenever the car is opposite to one box and the plates 62 and 63, therein are closed
against the blocks 1, 2, 3 and 4, 5, 6, respectively, the main circuit at said box.
becomes established and the auxiliary current is simultaneously sent to the next
box ahead in advance of the rapidly moving car.
The conductors 18, 19 and 20, are simply made use of in providing an auxiliary
circuit from one box or say the first box B to the box B next ahead of it along the
line of the track, in order that there may be a current ready for the advancing car
and to act simply during the time the magnet in the latter box is performing its-
movement to close the circuit in said latter box. The breaking of the circuit at.
each box B is retarded a few seconds after the car passes onward to the box B.
ahead, and it is during these few seconds that the auxiliary circuit or current is.
sent from one box to the box ahead in advance of the moving car. The invention.
is not, however, limited to the special wiring shown.
To hold the contact plates in connection with the blocks for a short space of.
time after the shoe carried by a car shall have left its active position with a
permanent magnet B', I employ a retarding device here shown in the form of a
wind bellows C2, engaged by the arm B2 of the circuit closer. In action, when.
the arm B is drawn upward, it will expand the bellows which will draw in air;
and this air will exhaust slowly through a suitable valve which may be regulated
as desired. The invention is not limited to the bellows as the retarding device,.
since other means may be employed to produce a like effect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my 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, a circuit closer comprising a permanent magnet.
or electro-magnet, adapted to be attracted by a part made of iron carried by a car,.
a lever on which the magnet is placed, a contact plate carried by said lever, and
contact blocks to be engaged by said plate and having connection with the
current-carrying wires; substantially as specified.
2. In an electric railway system, a circuit closer comprising a permanent magnet,
a lever on which the magnet is mounted, a closed casing in which the lever is
pivoted, a contact plate on the lever, contact blocks for engagement with the plate,
and a retarding device for the closer; substantially as specified.
3. In an electric railway system, a circuit closer comprising a permanent magnet,.
a pivoted lever on which the magnet is mounted, a casing in which said parts are
placed, the said casing having a thin wall adjacent the poles of the magnet, contact
plates carried by the lever, and contact blocks adapted to be engaged by the
contact plate; substantially as specified.
4. In an electric railway system, a circuit closer comprising a magnet adapted to
be attracted by and thereby moved towards a part carried by the car, a contact.
plate connected to be moved by said magnet during the motion of the latter towards.

page_text: said part carried by the car, and contacts connected with the current carrying
wires and arranged to be engaged by said plate to close the circuit when the plate
is moved due to the movement of said magnet; substantially as set forth.
5. In an electric railway system, a circuit closer comprising a magnet adapted to
be attracted by and thereby moved towards a part carried by the car, a contact
plate connected to be moved by said magnet during the motion of the latter towards
said part carried by the car, and contacts connected with the current carrying
wires and arranged to be engaged by said plate to close the circuit when the plate
is moved due to the movement of said magnet, combined with a closed casing
enclosing said magnet, plate and contacts and through one wall of which the
magnetic attraction must act to effect the movement of the said magnet and plate;
substantially as set forth.
6. In an electric railway system, a circuit closer comprising a magnet adapted
to be attracted by and thereby moved towards a part carried by the car, a contact
plate mounted to be moved by said magnet during the motion of the latter towards
said part carried by the car, contacts connected with the current carrying wires
and arranged to be engaged by said plate to close the circuit when the plate is
moved due to the movement of said magnet, and a retarding device to prevent the
sudden breaking of the circuit when the magnet is no longer attracted by the said
part carried by the car; substantially as set forth.
7. In an electric railway system, the main circuit, and the series of circuit closers
along the line of the track each comprising the swinging magnet adapted to be
attracted by a part carried by the car, the contact plates which are moved by
the movement of said magnet, and the series of contact blocks to be engaged
respectively by said plates, combined with the conductors passing from two of said
contact blocks to the main line wires, conductors passing from two other of said
contact blocks to contacts to be engaged by the car, and auxiliary circuit
conductors passing from two others of said contact blocks to contact blocks of the
circuit closer ahead which are connected with the contacts to engage the car
moving towards them, substantially as and for the purposes described.
8. In an electric railway system, the main circuit and the series of circuit closers
along the line of the track each comprising the swinging magnet adapted to be
attracted by a part carried by the car, the contact plates which are moved by
the movement of said magnet, and the series of contact blocks to be engaged
respectively by said plates, combined with the conductors, passing from two of said
contact blocks to the main line wires, conductors passing from two others of said
contact blocks to contacts to be engaged by the car, auxiliary circuit conductors
passing from two others of said contact blocks to contact blocks of the circuit closer
ahead which are connected with the contact to engage the car moving towards
them, and a retarding device to prevent the sudden breaking of the circuit when
the magnet is no longer attracted by the said part carried by the car, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
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