Improvements in or relating to the Application of Electric Propulsion on Railways and Tramways.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Application of Electric Propulsion
on Railways and Tramways.
I, LADISLAV VOJÁČEK, of 16, Southwark Street, London, S.E., Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:
My invention relates to that class of electric railways and tramways in which a
rolling armature and a conduit is used, and its object is to effect improvements
therein. The conduit is entirely closed and rendered air and water tight, from end
to end. Where it has to be traversed by passengers and carriages of all kinds,
the system is constructed so that the upper surface of the conduit or conduits, or
rather of its cover or of their covers, forms or form a regular continuation of the
surface of the streets or roads, where it or they is or are laid.
The motor car, the rails, and the railway or tramway, may be arranged accord-
ing to any ordinary electric system, and the conduit may be situated between the
rails or on either side, as found most convenient.
The whole conduit is preferably constructed from non-conducting material. The
electric conductor consisting of a cable or its equivalent, situated in the conduit,
and therefore insulated from earth, is so arranged, that the wheels or rollers of the
armature are always in electric contact therewith, and the electric force is trans-
mitted to the notor-car through the rolling-armature, and through partial rails
upon the conduit. The return may be arranged in any well known manner.
An electro-magnet, or several electromagnets, is or are attached or fitted to the
motor car, with its or their pole or poles in the projection of the rolling armature,
and at a short distance therefrom over the cover of the conduit, as usual in similar
systems.
The cover of the conduit is provided upon its rims with interrupted conducting
rails, and the electromagnet or electromagnets has or have on each side one or more
conductor or conductors running upon the rims of the cover, the insulating inter-
ruptions being alternated on each side of the conduit, so that on the outside of the
cover of the conduit, for instance, opposite the interruption of the left hand side
conducting rail, there is no interruption of the right hand side conduit rail, and
vice-versa.
Corresponding conducting sectional rails are provided on the underside of the
cover, and they form one piece with or are connected to a conductor or conductors,
cach to its upper conducting rail, but are insulated from the next pair of conducting
rails.
I am aware that similar systems of electric propulsion on railways and tramways
with a travelling armature in a closed conduit, have been known before my inven-
tion, but my invention relates to improvements in the construction of such conduit
and its cover of non-conducting materials, only the side rims of the cover being
fitted with alternating conducting rails. The effect of this arrangement is that
very few lines of force pass through the conducting rails, most of them being
directed straight through the non-conducting cover between the armature and the
electro-magnet. The current is conducted without interruption as will be herein-

page_text: after explained. No other special insulations are needed on any parts of the con-
duit, except on the crossings, as will be also explained.
The travelling armature has appropriate rollers or conductors upon the feeding
cable, or its equivalent, as well as upon the conducting sectional rails on the cover,
and the bearings are elustic and yielding to the irregularities of the road, these
arrangements being previously known. My improvement also consists in a special
construction of the rolling armature, as herein after explained.
When the motor-vehicle stops, and the feeding-circuit is broken off, "the travel-
ling armature is still attracted by its electro-magnet, and ready to transmit the cir-
cuit of the line. This is done in the usual way by means of secondary elements
placed in the motor-vehicle, which are fed automatically on the way. Therefore
the wheels or rollers of the urmature are always in electric contact not only with
the feeding cable or its equivalent, but also with the transmitting rails of the cover.
As soon as by any accident or irregularity the armature falls off, and the motor-
vehicle stops, though perhaps not instantly, the armature is automatically stopped
hy its brake, and the place where it has been left can conveniently be indicated
by an audible signal.
For this purpose the armature is fitted with an automatic brake, and can also
be fitted with an automatic bell, both of which act only in case of an interruption
and irregular stoppage.
The special arrangement of this automatic brake as well as of the bell will be
herein after explained.
On the crossings the conduits (preferably) do not change their level. The cross-
ings therefore must be carefully insulated. The groove of the rail cannot be inter-
rupted by the insulating piece.
When rain is falling the water, which is impregnated with different conducting
ingredients, runs into the groove and forms an electric connection between the rail
and the crossing, so that a short connection could easily be formed in such a case:
the construction of such crossings with grooved insulators forming a continuation
of the rail as herein after described.
The switch tongues are moved by electro-magnets attached to the superstructure,
so that no moving part of the switches traverses the conduit, and the same can be
kept perfectly air and water tight.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section, and
Fig. 3 is a plau view of the conduit, with its rolling armature inside the conduit,
and the electro-magnet which is carried by the motor-vehicle outside the conduit.
Fig. is a horizontal section of the conduit, showing the vertical walls of the
conduit, and the armature partly in section.
Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the circuit.
Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the switch with its crossings.
Figs. 7 to 10 are cross-sections through,
and of Fig. 6.
Fig. 11 shows the insulating grooved piece between the cross-frog, and the ruil
in continuation thereof, in a horizontal view and cross sectious.
Fig. 11 is a cross section of another form of the insulating device in Fig. 11.
Fig. 11 illustrates the application of struts to the crossings.
Figs. 12 and 13 consist of a vertical and horizontal view showing the bell, which
gives an audible signal, as soon as the armature falls off from the cover.
Figs. 13 and 13 are details of the bell-apparatus shown in Figs. 12 and 13.
Fig. 14 is a diagram of a vehicle with a front and a rear electromagnet.
Fig. 15 is a plan of the conduit cover.
Fig. 16 is an electric switch, and
Fig. 17 is a section of the permanent way, if the conduit is placed on one side,
instead of being located in the middle between the rails.
.

page_text: Dis the cover of the conduit A. Both are constructed of non-conducting
material. I prefer to take annealed fire-clay for the cover D, providing its surface
with grooves, elevations, and the like, for preventing passengers and animals from
sliding upon it. The conduit is preferably constructed of concrete or an appro-
priate mixture of cement and other non-conducting material, as granulated cinder,
or cement of cinder, asphalt, and the like. In no case it should be hydroscopic.
Stone-ware serves well, in many cases. The joints of the different pieces of the
cover and the conduit are formed in and fitted with appropriate rabbets and
grooves ii which contain hardened asphalt, mastic, or other convenient means for
making good the joints against air and water, and keeping the different parts of
the cover and conduit in their places. The joints of the conduit are preferably
fitted and strengthened with buttresses A', fitted with grooves i and rendered fluid
proof. A good foundation of concrete, asphalt or asphalted or tarred bricks is
useful, especially under these joints.
The norinal cross section of the parmanent way is represented in Fig. 7, showing
the covered conduit between the two grooved rails. The conduit is shown situated
in the middle between the two rails, but it will be understood that it can be placed
where convenient. The conduit will be secured in its position by the pavement, or
otherwise, in the usual way. Struts or bars O between the rails are fastened to
an U-shaped support K fitted outside the conduit A.
The contact rails B on the rim of the cover D are placed alternately, that is to
say, if one contact ruil is fastened on the right side of its cover, the next piece of
the cover will have its contact rail to the left side; then again to the right, and so
ou, as shown by the drawings. Under each contact-rail B, and inside the con-
duit A, another contact rail F, is fastened to the cover D, corresponding with the
upper rail B, and in electric contact with the same. The level of the rails B is
uninterrupted, and underneath also the rails are on a level with their non-
conducting continuation upon the next piece of the cover D.
The electric conductor b, consisting of a cable or its equivalent, is placed inside
the conduit preferably at the bottom, and in the middle of the same, and is per-
fectly insulated from other conducting pieces, with the exception of the wheels or
rollers d of the rolling armature c. This armature is constructed with at least
two pairs of upper contact wheels g, besides the rollers d, the latter being jour-
nalled upon articulated arms c, which are fitted with springs e in a convenient
manner, and so as to keep the rollers d in continual contact with the conductor b.
An electro magnet H, is fitted with two pairs of contact wheels E whose arms are
articulated and held by springs or weights in contact with the contact-rails B,
upon which the wheels or rollers E travel. The electro-magnet H, does not par-
ticipate in the vertical oscillations and variations of the vehicle, its poles being
situated very near the cover. The armature c, being of soft iron, will therefore be
attracted by the electro-magnet H, but it never can touch the underside of the
cover D, the upper rollers 9 of the rolling armature being arranged so as to pro-
ject on their tops over the said piece C, and some of the rollers or wheels
therefore be always in contact with the contact rails F, underneath the cover D,
as long as the armature C is attracted by its electro magnet B. This will be the
case even during the stoppage of the vehicle carrying the electro-magnet H, and it
is carried out in the well known manner by means of a secondary battery R. placed
in the same vehicle, and fed by a derivated current, as shown in Fig. 5. The chief
current enters at the end of the conduit A, into the rail or conductor b, through
the contact wheels d and g, and then through the contact rails F and B, into the
contact wheels E and from thence into the motor car, through the electro-motors P,
and back to the source of electricity.
will
The armature-piece c is preferably constructed in two equal parts with a vertical
hinge joint a in the middle as shown in Fig. 1; this arrangement facilitates the
passage of curves considerably. The ends of the armature-frame carry each two
horizontal wheels f which do not touch the walls of the conduit if they roll quite
regularly, and in straight lines. As soon as the liues are curved, they help to

page_text: assure the stability of the armature, rolling upon the inside walls from one or the
other side.
Brake blocks J are fixed on each side of C acting upon the rollers or wheels d
only when the armature C is not attracted by the electro-magnet B. If the rollers
or wheels g touch the contact rails F, aud the part C is lifted up, the brakes J are
also lifted from the wheels d. When the armature falls down, the brakes fall
also upon the wheels d, and the armature is stopped. If this by any accident
should happen on the way, the vehicle of the electro-magnet H, being not stopped
purposely, it still would stop soon by itself, having no current. The vehicle or
motor-car would then be pulled back till it would catch its rolling armature, and
therefore proceed on its way, and this could best be done by another active car-
ringe or motor-car.
In some cases I fit the rolling armature with an automatic bell, which sounds
as soon as the armature is stopped, and is wound up during its course.
Such an
arrangement is shewn in Figures 12 and 13. Upon the arm c of the framing
of the rolling armature a lever is pivoted at o', carrying at one end a friction-
wheel and at the other end a bevel gear Z, between the gears o' and which are
coupled to the spindle of by means of pawls oo, and their ratchets o" (Fig. 13")
the pawl ol being pivoted at 09. The friction wheel 3 being pressed into the
groove of the wheel or roller & by means of the spring o³, it will rotate as soon as
the armature begins to roll, and its direction will be in an opposite direction to
that of the armature. The movement of the wheel is transmitted to the spindle o
by the worm wheel gearing of 05, but it will turn the bevel wheel Z always in one and
the same direction, winding up its spiral spring o, one end of which is fastened to the
spindle inside the drum q, the other end of the spring being fastened to the
drum The spindle carries a ratchet wheel 2 into which gears a pawl p'.
pivoted upon the frame. The large toothed wheels is fast upon the spindle
gearing into a smaller toothed wheels, the latter being fastened into the same
spindle with a pin-wheel 3 whose pins operate an elastic hammer of the bell s³
while the teeth of the wheel gear into the teeth of the toothed wheels, which
turns the regulating fan. This fan is stopped by a hook attached to a vertical
elastic bar which is fitted at its upper end with a roller raud held up by a
spiral spring so that the fan is let free, as soon as this spring, or the roller r
is pressed down.
This happens as soon as the armature C falls off, and lifts the free
end of the lever c and therefore also the roller r. At this moment the apparatus
will begin to ring, and continue as long as the spring works. The winding up and
off of the spring is limited in a well known way by means of the piece q', Fig. 13
and 13, fitted with a tooth which gears into the teeth of a Geneva stop or equiva-
lent device fitted with the curved stop g³ and turning upon its axis
I
An important part of the permanent way of my electric tramway
is the switch and the crossings. The tongues and the adjacent parts
of the rails (L and L' in Fig. 6) do not differ from the usual and
known constructions excepting that one detail which is important in my
system arises in consequence of the division of the conduit A, B,
and of the conductor b into the lines. This requires a special tongue or rather a
pair 6, 9, of such tongues, so that one or other of the tongues and remains
always in contact with the immovable part of the conductor b, so that the conduit
as well as the conducting switches b₁, b, are in every case completely protected by
and closed in the air and watertight conduit. The tongues and can turn round
their pivots band band are linked together with the articulated connecting bar b³·
(Fig. 16). In case of an automatic switch (Fig. 6) one of the tongues is continu-
ally pressed against the point of the fixed conductor by a spring or weight, while
the other of the two combined tongues stands off and is fitted with an armature m
opposite to an electro manget M, which is placed outside the conduit, with its
core as near the armature m as possible. The electric current is sent through the
coil of M, either by a contact of the vehicle itself, or by the switch-man as con-
venient, and in a way which is generally known and needs therefore no further

page_text: description. It is understood that in this case the electromagnetic attraction must
necessarily be stronger than the spring which acts in the opposite direction.
Fig. 16 shows the disposition of a switch which is free in every direction having
on each side an electro-maguet 68 and 69 outside the conduit and opposite to these
inside the conduit corresponding armatures 60 and 67 of soft iron fastened to the ton-
gues and the which are turning round the points and b and aro linked
together with the connecting bar 65, one or the other of the two electro magnets
or is attracting its armature upon the two tongues owing to the contact which is
closed for the passage of the vehicle or train and one of the two tongues will there-
fore produce contact with the conductor b as shewn in the drawing.
The crossings D must tightly cover the conduit which runs directly underneath
them, and they must be perfectly insulated from the rails. The insulators D",
made of non-conducting material, must form a continuation of the groove of the
rails and of the crossing, through which often water runs, which is impregnated
with different salts and such matters which conduct the current from the crossing
to the rail. Therefor such pieces must insulate for a considerable length and are
preferably made of fire-clay, or of a very resistable and non-conducting material,
in a way of which Figs. 11 and 11 show samples. Fig. 11 shows the non-conduct-
ing piece 13 in enlarged and in cross-sections whilst Fig. 11 shews another variety
of the same construction, with an underlaid piece of non conducting material
which need not offer great resistance to the vehicles and carriages of the street
passage; the object of this combination being to facilitate the construction.
Fig. 11 shews the application of struts to the crossing, to make the superstruc-
turo rigid and resisting. In this case the steel cross-pieces D serve as covers to
the conduit under these wedge-pieces 1 of non-conducting material of great resist-
anco (such as fire-clay) against the street paving, protecting the conduit where
the struts and iron bars D7 Ds are applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the samo is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
In electric railways and tramways with an armature rolling in a closed conduit,
this being situated in the street-level and arranged to bear the street traffic:
-
1. The combination of a closed conduit of non-conducting material with a cover
of non-conducting and sufficiently strong material for supporting street traffic (pre-
ferably of fire-clay roughened with suitable grooves and the like) fitted with means
for binding the several pieces together and making them perfectly air and water
tight, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The combination of a perfectly water and air tight conduit or conduits on
the street-level constructed of nonconducting materials and fitted inwardly with
one or more cable or cables or its or their equivalents, the lower conducting pullies
or wheels of the rolling armature being supported and led by and upon them, while
the upper conducting pullies or wheels of the rolling armature, which is being
attracted by the electro magnet of the motor car are pressed against and brought
into contact with the underside of the cover of the conduit ou both rims and which
are alternately covered with conducting rails on an uninterrupted level with the
non conducting under surface of the cover, the upper conducting pullies of the
rolling armature keeping it from touching the cover, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. The combination of a perfectly fluid-tight conduit of non-conducting material,
containing inside conductors in continual contact with a rolling armature, pro-
pelled by one or several electro-magnets which are arranged upon the motor car,
or on an appropriate vehicle, in vertical projection of the soft iron part of the
rolling armature as nearly as possible over the nonconducting part of the cover
of the conduit, the electro-magnets being fitted on both sides with collectors which
are in continual contact with both sides of the upper rims of the cover of the con-
duit which are alternatively covered with conducting rails on an uninterrupted

page_text: level with the nonconducting upper surface of the cover, these upper conducting
rails being in conducting connection with the undersides of the conducting rails
and situated thereunder, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the drawings.
4. The combination of a perfectly fluid-tight conduit of non-conducting material
fitted with conductors as aforesaid, and a rolling armature propelled by an external
electro-magnet or electro-magnets, said armature being fitted with elastically yield-
ing collectors or conducting lower wheels running upon the fixed conductors and
with upper conducting wheels or their equivalents in contact with the underside
rims of the cover inside the conduit only when the armature is being attracted by
the electro-magnet or magnets which is or are situated over the nou-conducting
part of the cover and is or are independent of the vertical movements of the motor-
carriage or vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings.
6. The combination of a perfectly fluid tight conduit of non-conducting material
fitted with said conductors and rolling armature protected on both sides with hori-
zontal pullies or rollers at a small distance from the inner side walls of the con-
duit, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
6. The combination of a perfectly fluid-tight conduit of non-conducting material
fitted with said conductors and rolling armature, the body of which is formed of
parts linked and articulated together with a vertical hinge or hinges to suit the
curves, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
7. The combination of a perfectly fluid tight conduit of non conducting material
fitted with said conductor and said rolling armature fitted with appropriate brake-
blocks which stop said rolling armature automatically whenever the armature is
not being attracted by the electro-magnet or electro-magnets, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
8. The combination of a perfectly fluid-tight conduit of non-conducting material
fitted with said conductor and said rolling armature, with an automatic bell appara-
tus producing an audible signal whenever the armature is not being attracted by
the electro-maguet or electro-magnets, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
9. The combination of a perfectly fluid tight conduit of non conducting material
fitted with a conductor, an armature rolling thereupon inside the conduit and
bifurcated conductor-switches, the tongues of which are moved either on both sides
by electro-magnets or on one side by an electro magnet and on the other side by
a spring or weight, such electro-magnets being located outside or inside the closed
conduit with their armature upon said switch tongue, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings.
10. The combination of a perfectly fluid tight conduit of non-conducting material
fitted with said conductor or conductors, an armature rolling thereupon inside the
conduit with steel or iron crossing pieces forming a part of the cover and being
therefore insulated from the adjacent rails by grooved pieces constructed of non-
conducting material which form a continuation of the rails and crossings, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 2nd Decembar 1997
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agents.