IMPROVEMENTS CONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRICAL RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Siemens of 81 Kensington Garden Square,
London, Joseph Gordon of Queen Anne's Mansions Westminster, and John
Wreford Budd of N° 20 Austin Friars in the City of London Executors of
William Siemens of N° 12 Queen Anne's Gate Westminster in the County of
Middlesex, Knight deceased for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
CONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRICAL RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS.” The result partly
of a communication made to him from abroad by Dr Ernst Werner Siemens
of Berlin in the German Empire and partly of an invention made by himself
IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Siemens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1883.
WILLIAM SIEMENS of N° 12 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster in the County of
Middlesex, Knight, "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRICAL RAILWAYS
OR TRAMWAYS.' [The result partly of a communication made to him from abroad
by D Ernst Werner Siemens of Berlin in the German Empire and partly of an
invention made by himself]
This invention relates to the conductors used for that mode of propelling vehicles
by electricity, in which the electrical current is conveyed from an insulated
conductor to an electro-dynamic machine on the vehicle by means of a contact
truck or slide, which is drawn along the conductor by the vehicle.
According to the present invention, the conductor is constructed as a tube
having a longitudinal slot, in which tube is a slide consisting of several pairs of
semi-cylindrical cheeks of conducting metal that are pressed against the surface of
the tube by springs situated between each pair. The several pairs are connected
to each other by a rope of copper or other suitable metal, and to one of the pairs
at each end of the slide is connected a flat stem that passes through the slot of the
conducting tube and is attached to a small frame, carrying the flexible conductor
that serves both to convey the current from the tubular conductor to the electro
dynamic machine on the vehicle, and also as the means of drawing the slide along
with the vehicle.

page_text: The
In applying such tubular conductors underground, they are arranged within
conduits formed by preference of two lengths of channel iron facing each other, so
as to form a box like enclosure with a longitudinal slot along the top, upon the edges
of which are fixed angle irons reaching up to the road level. The flexible conductor
passes from the vehicle through this lot to the before mentioned bar or frame to
which are attached the stems of the slides in the slotted tubes, of which there are
by preference two. These tubes are carried in chairs arranged between the
lengths of the box-shaped conduit, the ends of which lengths are situated a certain
distance apart for this purpose, and have the said chairs attached to them.
conducting tubes are fitted into seatings of insulating material on the chairs, and
the latter are covered in at the sides and top by enclosures having hinged covers
by means of which access can be gained to the conductors for inspection, cleansing
or repairs. The tubular conductors, whether under or above ground, are in some
cases arranged to cross each other for branch lines of railway or tramway, in which
case the insulation of the two lines from each other is preserved by making that
part thereof where the tubes cross of insulating material, such as hard wood, and
establishing the conducting connection between the two separated parts of each
line by means of an insulated bridge-piece of conducting metal. In order to
ensure, with this arrangement, that the conducting connection shall always be
maintained between the contact slides and the tubes while the former are passing
through the insulated crossing, the slides are made long enough that while passing
the crossing, there shall always be at least one pair of cheeks in contact with the
conducting tube on the one side or the other of the crossing. By preference, four
such pairs of cheeks are connected together by a flexible conductor, the two end
ones only having stems projecting through the slot of the conductor, outside which
they are attached to a frame, to the middle of which is connected the flexible
conductor leading to the vehicle. The frame also carries a bar upon which slides
a sleeve to which is connect d a hauling rope branching off from the conductor, so
that when the direction in which the vehicle is travelling is reversed, the sleeve
slides from one end of the bar to the other, whereby the pull on the combined
slides will always be at the front end thereof, while the current is taken off from
the before mentioned connection at the middle. Springs are provided at each
end of the bar for the sleeve to bear against, so as to prevent a sudden jerk in
reversing.
At the point where a branch leads off from the main conductor, a switch plate is
provided, pivotted at one end to the tubular conductor, and connected to a spring
that holds it in such a position that it always guides the contact slide past the
branch, unless moved to one side either by hand or automatically by a slide passing
from the branch into the main conductor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Siemens, Joseph Gordon, and John Wreford Budd,
executors of the late William Siemens, deceased, in the Patent Office on the
16th April 1884.
ALEXANDER SIEMENS of 81 Kensington Garden Square, London, JOSEPH
GORDON of Queen Annes Mansions Westminster, and JOHN WREFORD BUDD of
No. 20 Austin Friars in the city of London "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDUCTORS
FOR ELECTRICAL RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS" The result partly of a communication
from abroad by Dr. Ernst Werner Siemens of Berlin in the German Empire and
partly of an invention made by the late Sir William Siemens
;
This invention relates to the conductors for that mode of propelling vehicles by.
electricity in which the electrical current is conveyed from an insulated conductor
to an electro dynamic machine on the vehicle by means of a contact slide, which is
drawn along the conductor by the vehicle.
According to the present invention the conductor is constructed as a tube having
a longitudinal slot in which tube is a slide consisting of several pairs of semi-
cylindrical cheeks of conducting material that are pressed against the surface of
the tube by springs situated between each pair. The several pairs are connected
to each other by a rope of copper or other suitable metal, and to one of the pairs
at each end of the slide is connected a flat stem that passes through the slot of the
conducting tube and is attached to a small frame, carrying the flexible conductor,
that serves both to convey the current from the tubular conductor to the electro
dynamic machine on the vehicle, and also as the means of drawing the slide along
with the vehicle.
In applying such tubular conductors underground, they are arranged within
conduits formed by preference of two lengths of channel iron facing each other so
as to form a box-like enclosure with a longitudinal slot along the top, upon the
edges of which are fixed angle irons reaching up to the road level. The flexible
conductor passes from the vehicle through the slot to the before mentioned bar or
frame to which are attached the stems of the slides in the slotted tubes, of which
there are, by preference, two. These tubes are carried in chairs arranged between
the lengths of the box-shaped conduit, the ends of which lengths are situated a
certain distance apart for this purpose, and have the said chairs attached to them.
The conducting tubes are fitted into seatings of insulating material on the chairs,
and the latter are covered in at the sides and top by enclosures, having hinged
covers, by means of which access can be gained to the conductors for inspection,
cleansing or repairs. The tubular conductors, whether under or above ground, are
in some cases arranged to cross each other for branch lines of railway or tramway,
in which case the in ulation of the two lines from each other is preserved by
making that part thereof where the tubes cross of insulating material, such as hard
wood, and establishing the conducting connexion between the two separated parts
of each line by means of an insulated bridge-piece of conducting metal. In order
to ensure with this arrangement, that the conducting connexion shall always be
maintained between the contact slides and the tubes while the former are passing
through the insulating crossing, the slides are made long enough that while passing
the crossing, there shall always be at least one pair of cheeks in contact with the
conducting tube on the one side or the other of the crossing. By preference, four
such pairs of cheeks are connected together by a flexible-conductor, the two end ones
only having stems projecting through the slot of the conductor, outside which they
are a tached to a frame, to the middle of which is connected the flexible conductor
leading to the vehicle. The frame als carries a bar upon which sli-les a sleeve to
'

page_text: which is connected a hauling rope branching off from the conductor, so that when
the direction in which the vehicle is travelling is reversed, the sleeve slides from one
end of the bar to the other whereby the pull on the combined slides will always be
at the front end thereof, while the current is taken off from the before mentioned
connection at the middle. Springs are provided at each end of the bar for the
sleeve to bear against, so as to prevent a sudden jerk in reversing.
At the point where a branch leads off from the main conductor, a switch plate is
provided, pivotted at one end to the tubular conductor and connected to a spring
that holds it in such a position that it always guides the contact slide past the
branch, unless moved to one side either by hand or automatically by a slide passing
from the branch into the main conductor.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews an underside plan of part of a
system of overhead tubular conductors with switches and crossing constructed as
above described. Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 shew sections taken respectively on lines cd,
a b, ef and h; fig 6 shews a longitudinal section of the tube with its contact
slide, and fig 7 shows an end view of the contact slide. R R¹ are two slotted
conducting tubes connected in any suitable manner to insulated supports and
through which move the contact slides C C connected by a conducting cord S S¹
to the electro dynamic machine on the vehicle. The tubular conductors R R¹
being made with branches R* R³, as shewn, the crossing A of the tubes R¹ R² is
constructed of a block of insulating material such as hard wood, in which are
formed the continuations of the cylindrical passages of the tubes, so that there is
no electrical contact of the two tubes at the crossing. The electrical current is
conveyed from the part of the tube R¹ on one side of the crossing to the part on
the other side thereof by means of a conducting plate B, fig 2, secured to either
part and the two parts of the tube R' are in like manner connected by a plate B¹,
fig. 4. At the branches are provided switches E E', pivotted to bolts D D¹ and
held by springs F against stops G so as to keep the main lines open, as shewn at
fig 1, the switches being either moved by hand when the conducting slides pass
in the direction from R to R2, or automatically by the slides themselves when
passing in the contrary direction. The conducting slide consists of several pairs
of cheeks C C of conducting metal secured together by a copper cord K, each pair
of cheeks being pressed outwards against the inner surface of the tube by means of
springs C. The two outer pairs of cheeks have flat stems P, that pass down
through the slot of the tube, and are secured to a frame T and are also electrically
connected by copper cords K¹ to a conducting socket Q' in which is secured the
conducting cord S₁ for conveying the current to the electro-dynamic machine on
the vehicle. On the bar T¹ of the frame is a sliding piece Q to which is attached
the part S of the conducting cord; on the vehicle being started in one direction
or the other, the piece Q in being drawn thereby against one or other of the
springs FF, first compresses these before setting the slide in motion and thus
prevents this from being subjected to sudden jerks.
The slide is made sufficiently long to maintain the electrical contact with the
conducting tube either on the one side or the other side of the insulating crossing A
while it is passing through, the flexible connexion of parts thereof enabling it
readily to pass round the curves.
Figs 8 to 13 shew the arrangement of the conducting tubes, when employed as
underground conductors. Fig. 8 shews a cross section, fig 9 a sectional plan,
fig 10 a side view, fig. 11 a section of the chairs carrying the conducting tubes,
fig. 12 a plan of the conducting tubes and contact slides and fig 13 a side view of
part of the conducting slide.
In this case, the conducting tubes R, of which there are two for each line, are
contained within a conduit U U formed of lengths of channel iron, between the
contiguous ends of which are arranged the chairs V, which support the conducting

page_text: tubes, and which are bolted to the ends of the channel iron as shewn. The parts
of the conduit where the chairs are situated are enclosed at top by hinged covers W,
at ground line, so as to be readily accessible. A slot is formed at the top of the
channel irons through which passes the conducting cord S leading from the contact
slides CC to the electro dynamic machine on the vehicle. This cord is secured
by a hinge joint to a conducting bar T having side branches T¹ to which are
secured the flat stems of the spring contact slides C C, of which there may be
a series of four as in the overhead arrangement. The chairs V consist of castings
in which are fitted tubular slotted insulators V within which are placed the
conducting tubes and which are held in place by separate jaws V V³ of the chair,
secured by screw bolts.
•
Having thus described the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be perforined, We claim :-
First: In slotted tubular conductors for electric railways or tramways, con-
structing the crossings of insulating material, the two parts of each conductor
on each side of the crossing being electrically connected by a bridge piece of
conducting metal, substantially as herein described with reference to figs 1, 2,
and 4 of the accompanying drawings
Second: Providing the branches of slotted tubular electrical conductors with
switches or tongues so arranged that they keep the slot of the main line open for
the passage of the contact slides and are shifted either automatically or by hand
when the contact slides are required to pass into or from the branch lines,
substantially as herein described with reference to figs. 1, 3 and 5 of the
drawings.
Third: Constructing contact slides for tubular electrical conductors of a series
of pairs of spring cheeks, making contact with the inner surface of the tubular
conductor, such pairs of cheeks being connected to each other by a flexible
conductor and having stems passing through the slot of the tubular conductor,
whereby they are connected to the flexible conductor leading to the electro-
dynamic machine on the vehicle, substantially as herein described with reference
to figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.
Fourth: In contact slides for tubular electrical conductors, the combination of
the spring contact.cheeks C, flexible copper conductors K, stem P, frame T T¹,
socket Q, conducting cords S S¹, sliding piece Q and springs F, arranged and
operating substantially as herein described with reference to figs. 6 and 7 of the
drawings.
Fifth Constructing underground tubular conductors for electric railways or
tramways and their supports, substantially as herein described with reference
to figs 8 to 13 of the drawings.
In Witness whereof, I the said Alexander Siemens have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight
hundred and eighty-four.