Improvements in Apparatus for Transferring Electric Car Batteries.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 4th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Transferring Electric Car Batteries.
I, FREDERICK GLEASON CORNING, of 38 West Washington Square, in the
City of New York, United States of America Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ELECTRIC CAR
BATTERIES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus in which secondary batteries
or "accumulators" pertaining to an electro-motive car are charged upon shelves or
benches located in proximity to the position occupied by the car when run into the
stall, and are shifted directly from the bench to the car, or vice versa; the car being
elevated to different levels coincident with those of the said benches.
My invention has reference to prior applications for British Patents dated and
numbered respectively December 20th 1890 No. 20821 and January 6th 1891
No. 248.
My invention is also applicable to apparatus wherein an interposed battery-hoist
is employed between the car and the charging-racks to bring the batteries to the
level of the car, the latter being vertically stationary.
My invention may furthermore be applied to apparatus wherein the car is
vertically stationary, and there is but one level or bench whereon the batteries are
charged.
My invention is especially applicable to charging the batteries in double series or
ranks; and the object of my invention is to facilitate bringing the rank of batteries
in the side of such double shelf farthermost from the car into a position adjacent
the car, when both sides of said shelves are filled; the substitution of batteries
being thereby effected without change of level of the surfaces to or from which
they are transferred.
To this end, my invention consists in a sectional charging-bench, the several
sections whereof are rotary upon vertical axes, whereby to reverse the positions of
the battery-trays thereon, as hereinafter described.
My invention also consists in the assemblage of a vertical series of such rotary
sectional battery-benches, each series of sections composing a bench being indepen-
dently reversible.
My invention also consists in mechanism for automatically rotating the several
sections of a bench simultaneously in a common direction. A single rotary battery-
stand is comprehended within the meaning of my invention, irrespective of any
particular mode of assembling a plurality of the same.
My invention also consists in certain auxiliary features of construction in the
apparatus and means of effecting the electrical connections, to be hereinafter
described in detail.
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters
of reference indicate corresponding parts;
Figure 1, is a cross-sectional elevation taken on the line - of Fig. 2, showing

page_text: a car, an elevator therefor, and my improved battery charging or shifting benches
flanking the stall in which the car is moved at the charging-station.
Fig. 2, is a horizontal section of Fig. 1, taken on the line-
Fig. 3, is a diagram showing a modified application of my invention.
Fig. 4, is an enlarged sectional detail view of one rotary section of the charging-
benches, taken on the line -z, of Fig. 5; and
Fig. 5, a partial inverted plan view of Fig. 4.
In Figs. 1, and 2, A, represents the car; B, the car-elevator moving upon
vertical ways 1, 1, and C, the sectional battery-rack. 2, 2, represent the battery-
receptacles in the sides of the car; 3, 3, the removable exterior panels for said
receptacles hinged to the bedsills of the car, the same being shown in their open
position in the drawings; and 4, 4, represent transferring-bridges between the car
and the battery-benches, which bridges are hinged at 5, and supported by means of
braces 6, upon the standard 7, attached to the clevator, whereby said bridges are
dropped or swung down in order to clear the sections of the battery-benches when
rotated. The braces 6, are adjustable in notches 8, upon the standards 7, whereby
to vary the vertical position of the outer edge of the bridges 4, nearmost the
battery-benches and accommodate any slight variation between the levels of the
car-floor and the battery bench opposite which the car is moved.
D, represent vertical pillars, which are fixed in the steps 10,upon the founda-
tions E, supporting the racks, and in the collars 11, on the supporting framework
of the superstructure. The pillars D, are themselves non-rotative and bear
collars 12. The shelves 15, are rotative upon the pillars, whereby to be moved
independently of one another, and the weight of each shelf-section is supported by
the said collars 12. I prefer to construct the pillars D, of wrought-iron tubing
whereby to pass the electrical connections through them, as hereinafter described.
The bench-sections may be rotated severally by hand; but in order to economize
time I prefer to swing the sections of a given level simultaneously. In order to
accomplish this, may employ any suitable or well-known mechanical device.
That which I illustrate consists in sprocket-wheels 20, attached to each rotary
section, and sprocket-chain belts 21, engaging with them.
In Fig. 2, illustrate a small sprocket-wheel 22, rotated by a suitable crank or
otherwise, belted by a chain 23, to one of the main sprocket-wheels 20, whereby
the whole series of sections a, b, c, of a given bench may be rotated simultaneously
from a single point by the crank. Each shelf or level is thus provided with a
separate propelling-wheel 22, the operator having access to each one by an
independent elevator or by an auxiliary platform extended from and attached to
the main elevator B.
It will be seen by the circles indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, that the
arcs described by the corners or extremities of the trays upon the shelf-sections
require the normal position of the shelf-sections to be at a distance from the
side of the car, wherefore the bridges 4, are employed, as hereinbefore described.
The electrical connections for charging the batteries while in the shelves
may be made in various ways. Among others, I may employ the hollow
pillars D, as conduits for the wires, as more fully illustrated in Figs. 4, and 5.
The wires for charging each rotary section or stand on a given pillar are
passed into the pillar through its lower end, as at ƒ, in Fig. 1, or through its
upper end, as at g. The stand illustrated in Figs. 4, and 5, consists of a
rotary platform 15, a rim 20, supporting it and composing the sprocket-wheels
before referred to, said rim being attached to the hub 25, by spokes 26, and
the hub resting on the collar 12, secured to the pillar D. On the under surface of
the sprocket-wheel disk there are circular conductors 30, 31, insulated from one
another and from the disk. The opposite poles of the batteries are connected
through contacts 32, on the trays and 33, on the stand, when the trays are moved
on the stand and connected with the respective conductors 30, 31, as indicated.
Through openings in the hollow pillar D, the insulated wires therein connect with
contacts or brushes 35, 36, secured to and insulated from the collar 12, which

page_text: brushes, respectively, bear on the said conductors 30, 31. The wires 37, 38, after
passing out of the pillar, connect with corresponding wires of each adjacent pillar,
the different bench-levels having independent circuits connected with a suitable
generator. When a gang of batteries are shifted in place on either side of the
sections of a bench, the circuit is closed automatically and continued so irrespective
of the rotative position of the stands.
C,
The operation of my invention is as follows: The car is first run into the stall
upon the elevator B, the panels 3, having been opened previously. The car is then
vertically moved by means of the elevator to a level in which its floor coincides
horizontally with a battery-shelf to be operated on, one side of the shelf-section
being vacant, as indicated in the instance of the shelf 15. in Fig. 1. Such vacant
side being opposite the car, and the bridge 4, being raised to the level of said shelf,
the exhausted battery d, is shifted by hand or otherwise to occupy the position d¹.
The series a,
of sections of the bench 15, are then reversed by rotation, the
bridge 4, being swung down to clear them. The charged gang of batteries e, being
thereby brought opposite the car, are then moved therein to take the place of the
original gang of batteries d. The same operation is simultaneously performed on
the opposite side of the car by operators suitably stationed. The rotary bench-
sections may be applied to a transferring or charging truck, as illustrated in Fig. 3,
showing the truck in end view. The quick substitution of batteries is effected
without requiring a substitution of trucks during each operation. At the position
shown the exhausted battery d, in the car is first moved to ', the bridge 4, then
dropped, the bench-sections 15, on the truck rotated a half-turn, the bridge 4,
then raised and the charged batteries moved to the car.
As a merit of my present invention, it will be seen that the reversible stands, as
operated in the manner described with reference to Figs. 1, and 2, dispense with the
necessity of moving the car twice from one level to another, of different shelves or
benches, and the entire substitution of batteries may be effected at one level.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. In the hereindescribed apparatus for transferring and recharging electric car
batteries, the combination with a horizontal surface or way upon which the batteries
are moved, of a revolving bench or table at a level therewith, upon which the
batteries are received, and their positions reversed with reference to a given
direction of travel, substantially in the manner herein before set forth with reference
to the annexed drawings.
2. In the hereindescribed apparatus for transferring and recharging electric car
batteries, the combination with a horizontal surface or way, upon which the batteries
are moved, of a bench composed of a series of revolving sections or tables, the whole
adapted to receive two gangs of batteries, and to reverse the positions thereof,
simultaneously with reference to a given direction of travel, by the half rotation of
said sections or tables upon their respective axes, substantially as hereinbefore set
forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
3. In the hereindescribed apparatus for transferring and recharging electric car
batteries, the combination of with a vertically moving car-hoist or battery-hoist of
the character described, of several benches arranged in vertical series or different
levels, each thereof composed of a horizontal series of revolving sections or tables
adapted to receive two gangs of batteries, and to reverse the positions of the same
with reference to their proximity to the said car or hoist, substantially as herein-
before set forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
4. In the hereindescribed apparatus for transferring and recharging electric car
batteries, the combination with a charging bench composed of rotary sections or
tables, of electrical conductors in each section, connective to the opposite poles of
the batteries when the latter are received thereon, and constantly connected to the
opposite poles of a generator, irrespective of the rotative position of the said

page_text: sections, substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed
drawings.
5. The hereindescribed rack for recharging secondary batteries, consisting in
several benches composed of rotary sections or tables, arranged in vertical series,
and vertical pillars or shafts supporting the rotary sections and forming their axes
of rotation, substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed
drawings.
•
6. The hereindescribed reversible battery receiving bench, composed of several
sections or tables revolving in horizontal planes, and the combination of mechanism
connecting the same and rotating each said section or table of the bench simul-
taneously, substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed
drawings.
.
7. The combination with the hereindescribed battery bench composed of rotary
sections or tables, and a car or other receptacle, wherein the batteries are to be
shifted to or from the said sections of a removable transferring bridge interposed
between the said car or receptacle and the sections, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated this 4th day of March 1901
FREDERICK G. CORNING.
Hughes, Eli & Hughes,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.