Improvements in Electro-magnets for Electric Traction.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1000
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1898-Accepted 23rd Dec. 1898
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct.. 1898-Accepted 23rd Dec. 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE GESELLSCHAFT ZUR VERWERTHUNG ELEK-
TRISCHER UND MAGNETISCHER STROMKRAFT (System Schiemann and Klein-
schmidt) AD. WILDE & Co., of No. 19/20, Hühnerposten, in the City of
Hamburg, in the German Empire.]
Improvements in Electro-magnets for Electric Traction.
I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., Fel.Ch. Inst.P.A., F.I.Inst.,
practising as Phillips and Leigh, of No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the Administrative County of London, Engineer and Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The present invention relates to improvements in electro-magnets for electric
railway and tramway cars and the like, and the object of the improvements is to
procure an electro-magnet of simple construction but yet of powerful action. The
arrangement of my improved electro-magnet being such that the length of the
latter by its being composed of separate members may be altered at will according
to the spacial conditions.
My improved electro-magnet may be used to operate suitable switch devices
and the like of the working conductor arranged in sections along the rail track
or to act in co-operation with the rails as a brake-device.
The electro-magnet is composed of a series of reel shaped pieces, the flanges of
which form the pole pieces and may advantageously have an enlarged base part
in order to ensure a sufficiently broad magnetic field when the car travels along
on curved parts of the rail track, whereby is avoided a lateral displacement of
the electro-magnet which otherwise would occur or must be resorted to. The
reel shaped pieces or bobbins are provided in the usual manner with a wire-coil.
The several electro-magnet members thus formed are united and held together by
means of a screw bolt or spindle and suitable end pieces.
The electric current for energizing the electro-magnet above described may be
derived from any suitable source of electric energy e.g., from a battery.
The electro-magnet may be attached to or suspended from the frame or the
axle-boxes of the car in any convenient manner so that when the car is running,
the pole shoes or pieces of the electro-magnet move along at the shortest possible
distance above the rail or above the switch devices, of the conductor-sections
respectively.
When the electro-magnet members i.e., the bobbins are arranged so that the
pole shoes having equal polarity are contiguous to one another, the direction of
the magnetic field changes from pole to pole and circuitous currents are produced
in the rails or other iron parts placed in the rail track as soon as the energized
electro-magnet travels along above or aside such iron parts or rails. The action. or
re-action of the thus produced currents effects a very strong attraction of the
said iron mass over which the electro-magnet passes along. When the electro-
magnet is in co-operation with one of the rails the attractive power stops or
D
011

page_text: obstructs the motion of the magnetic field thereby causing a braking of the car,
which braking operation will be the more violent or powerful the greater the
speed with which the car moves along.
In some cases and in order to increase the braking action still more I prefer to
arrange or suspend the electro-magnet so that its pole shoes will come directly
in contact with the respective rail as soon as current is passed through the coil
of the said electro-magnet. For this purpose the slightly modified flanges or
pole shoes of the electro-magnet members as well as the end pieces are provided
with suitable brake-blocks. The end pieces moreover, may be provided each at
its lower face with a small rib adapted to slide in the groove in the crown of the
rail provided that such grooved rails be employed, and to act as a guide. The
whole electro-magnet is suspended for instance by means of suspension rods and
springs so as to be capable of being moved downward and pressed with its brake
blocks against the rails as soon as the electro-magnet is energized. When the
circuit is again opened, the electro-magnet will be drawn up into its ineffective
upper position by means of the expanding suspension springs previously con-
tracted by the downward movement of the electro-magnet.
When required the arrangement of the electro-magnet may be thus that its con-
stituent members or parts are capable of being moved or displaced laterally with
reference to each other.
T
1000
Improvements in Electro-magnets for Electric Traction.
I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, Assoc. M. Inst.C.E., Fel.Ch.Inst.P.A., F.I.Inst.,
practising as Phillips and Leigh, of No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the Administrative County of London, Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 present invention relates to improvements in electro-magnets for electric
motor cars and the like, and the object of the improvements is to procure an
electro-magnet of simple construction but yet of powerful action. The arrange-
ment of my improved electro-magnet being such that the length of the latter, by
its being composed of separate members, may be altered at will according to
the spatial conditions. My improved electro-magnet may be used to operate
suitable switch devices and the like of a working conductor arranged in sections
along the rail track or to act in co-operation with the rails for the car-wheels as
a brake-device.
In the accompanying drawing:-
Q
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved electro-magnet:
Figure 2 is a cross-section on the line I-II (Fig. 1); Figure 3 shows a slight
modification of the electro magnet adapted for braking purposes; Figure 4 is a
cross-section on the line III-IV (Fig. 3); Figure 5 illustrates the attachment
of the electro-magnet to the motor car when the former is used to influence the
switch devices of a conductor rail composed of a series of separate conductors or
partitions; and Figures 6 and 7 represent in what manner one or more of my
improved electro-magnets may be suspended from the frame of the motor car in
order to act in co-operation with the ordinary rails as a brake-device.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

page_text: The electro-magnet is composed of a series of reel-shaped pieces or flanged bobbins a
provided with end flanges a¹; the latter, forming the pole shoes, may advanta-
geously have an enlarged base part, such as shown in Figure 2, in order to
ensure a sufficiently broad magnetic field adapted to be above or to cover the
working conductor or the rail also when the motor car travels along on curved
parts of the rail track, and to avoid thereby a lateral displacement of the electro-
magnet which otherwise i.e., when the pole shoes are not provided with such
enlargements, must be effected for this purpose on passing curved parts of the
track. The reel-pieces or flanged bobbins a, a¹ are provided with a suitable
wire coil b. The several electro-magnet members thus formed are united and
held together by means of a screw bolt or spindle c and suitable end pieces d, as
will be readily understood from Figure 1. The electric current for energizing
the electro-magnet thus formed may be derived from any suitable source of
electric energy, for instance from a battery e. When the electro-magnet is
energized, circuitous currents are produced in the rails or other iron parts placed
in the rail track as soon as the energized electro-magnet travels along above o
aside such iron parts or rails. The action or re-action of the thus produced
currents effects a very strong attraction of the said iron mass over and along which
the electro-magnet passes. When the electro-magnet is in co-operation with one
of the rails, the attractive power stops or obstructs the motion of the magnetic
field thereby causing a braking of the car, which braking operation will be the
more violent or powerful the greater the speed with which the car moves along.
The electro-magnet or electro-magnets may be attached to the frame of the car
in any convenient manner, so that when the car is running, the pole shoes of
the electro-magnet or electro-magnets move along in the shortest possible distance
above the sections s of the working conductor and their switch-devices s', which
latter, when attracted, connect the main conductor S with the working conductor
sections (Fig. 5), or above the rail or rails (Figs. 1 and 2).
In some cases and in order to increase the braking action it is even still
more preferable to arrange or suspend the electro-magnet so that its pole
shoes will come directly in contact with the respective rail as soon
as current is passed through the coil of the said electro-magnet. For this purpose
two of such electro-magnets may be applied and suspended from the car so as to
be a short distance above the rails of the track. But this feature of my invention.
I prefer to carry out in the manner shown in Figures 3, 4, 6 and 7. The slightly
modified flanges a¹ of the electro-magnet members as well as the end pieces are
provided with suitable brake-blocks f; although I prefer to make the end pieces
and their brake-blocks of one single piece of cast iron, as shown in the drawing.
The end piece d¹, moreover, is provided on its lower face with a small rib d²
adapted to slide in the slot or groove of the grooved rail r¹ and to act as a guide.
The electro-magnets are suspended from the car-frame by means of suitable sus-
pension rods 9 and springs gl so that each electro-magnet is capable of being moved
downward and pressed with its brake-blocks f and end pieces against the cor-
responding rail rl as soon as current is passed through the coils 6 of the electro-
magnet, in order to brake the movement of the car or train respectively. When
the circuit is again opened, each electro-magnet will be drawn up into its ineffec-
tive upper position (Figs. 3 and 4) by means of the expanding suspension
springs g previously contracted by the downward movement of electro-
magnet.
The arrangement of the electro-magnets on the motor car with reference to the
rails, is fully evident from the Figures 6 and 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An electro-magnet for electric railway and tramway cars, designed to operate
suitable switch devices and the like arranged along the rail track or to act in

page_text: co-operation with the rails as a brake-device, which electro-magnet consists of a
series of reel shaped members or flanged bobbins wound with wire-coils, the said
members or bobbins being provided with enlarged pole-pieces or with brake shoes
or brake blocks and being held together by a suitable connecting spindle passing
through the electro-magnet members, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. The improved electro-magnet for electric railway and tramway cars, con-
structed arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to and shown in the annexed drawing. "
Dated the 12th day of October 1898.
HENRY H. LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.