Improvements in and relating to Electric Motors.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Motors.
I, CHARLES JOSEPH VAN DEPOELE, of Lynn. County of Essex State of
Massachusetts, U.S.A., Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
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 electric motors and more especially in
electric motors of the reciprocating type, which are applied to develop rotation of
the axles of vehicles to be driven.
According to my present invention, reciprocating motors, desirably of the three
cylinder type, are connected directly with a crank upon the axle to be driven and
being supported concentric therewith, no intermediate or intervening connections
are required since the pistons of my reciprocating engines from which the power is
communicated directly to the work, are capable of being moved at any desired
speed, whether fast or slow.
The method upon which my improved reciprocating electric engine operates is
well known, consisting generally of oppositely acting coils through which pulsating
currents are passed, and in the pre-ent instance, the same is applied to the pro-
duction of rotary motion instead of to the operation of a reciprocating tool. The
rotary motion is controlled, according to the present invention, by means of a motor
device employed to produce the current pulsations, and in operation the system
comprises a source of continuous currents extending along the line of way, traveling
vehicles, electric motors for propelling the same, said motors being of the recipro-
eating type and according to the present invention, traveling current collecting
devices an
means located between the traveling contacts and the motors for
imparting to the current a constant rising and falling quality and directing the
pulsations of current in the proper motor coils in succession.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. is a view in elevation, partly in diagram, showing part of a railway car
truck equipped with propelling motors according to the present invention and also
provided with means for supplying the desired currents to the motors, and for
regulating and controlling the same.
Fig. 2 is a detail view of part of the current distributing mechanism, seen in
Fig. 1.
Fig, 3 is a diagrammatic elevation differing from Fig. 1 in the details of the
current distributing apparatus.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the motor, with a diagram of its immediate
circuit connection.
In said Fig. 1, A, is the bed or platform of a car body, B and C are the carrying
wheels on the far side thereof, the two near side wheels being removed for con-
venience of illustration.
B, C, are the axles, which are suitably supported in any desirable form of
bearings carried by pedestals b, M.
Upon the bed A, or other convenient support is placed an electro dynamic
machine D.
The machine D is provided with sectional field magnet coils D', D, D³, D', D³,
which are connected by conductors d', d, d, d', ďď ď ď ď, dd, d, with
separate insulated sections upon a commutator switch d. The switch d, is provided
with a movable contact e, which is electrically connected through a traveling
contact E, or otherwise, with a conductor 1, extending from the source of the
current. By means of this switch d, the supply current is admitted to a greater or
less number of the field magnet coils for varying the power thereof. The
17

page_text: armature F. may be of the Gramm or other continuous current type and is
provided with a Sectional commutator . Main stationary positive and negative
commutator brushes pn, are adjustably sustained in operative relation to the
commutator in addition to which three equi-distant brushes g', g², g², are arranged
to be rotated about the periphery thereof, as for example, by a small motor (,
which may be mechanically connected to the said brushes in any convenient
manner, for instance, as seen in Fig. 2. The speed of the motor G'is separately
controllable so that the rate of rotation of the brushes g, about the com-
mutator, may be regulated as desired. In order to collect current from the
moving brushes I provide thre insulated contact surfaces, g³, 1°. carried
suitable sleeve upon the armature shaft and connected to and traveling with the
moving brushes and actuated by the motor (.
upon a
Upon one or both of the axles B, C, is mounted a triple reciprocating engine II.
These engines are constructed substantially as follows that is to say, the magnetic
pistons moving within the actuating coils, 1, 12, are all three connected to a crank
upon the axle by which the engine is carried, the said engines being sleeved upon
and concentric with said axles and prevented from bodily rotation by suitable
mechanical connections to the truck of the car.
Each one of the coils of which the triple engines are composed is in the form of
a double solenoid, all the inner terminals of which are connected to a supply
conductor 1, which is connected to the positive brush of the machine D, by con-
ductors 1, 2, 3, 4, all the outer terminals of the said coils being connected to a
common return conductor 5, which is connected to the negative brush of the
machine D. and thence to the return conductor through conductors 6, 7, 8. The
said solenoids are therefore, in multiple are between the main brushes of
the machine 1. Current is caused to rise and fall alternately in the said engine
coils by means of the triple moving brushes, one of which is electrically connected
midway of each of the solenoids 2, through conductors 9, 10, 11, which are
connected by conductors 9º 10º, 11, and connections 9", 10", 11%, with suitable
contacts engaging the surfaces ',, (shown in Fig. 2.) representing the said
moving commutator brushes. It follows therefore, that as the three brushes g', g², g³,
and their contacts are moved about the commutator, they will successively
approach and recede from the points of maximum and zero electro motive force,
thereby causing a corresponding rise and fall of current in the motor coils of the
triple engines in exact accordance with the movements of the said brushes.
The conductors 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, are extended so as to supply both of the triple
engines shown, and it will he obvious that the said conductors may only extend
between the motors or they may be connected from car to car and extend to any
desired length as, for instance, throughout a train of cars in order to supply motors
located upon every axle of every car, if so desired.
In Fig. 31 have shown means for varying the distribution of the current to the
motor coils, which instead of being separately controlled, as in Figs. and 2, is
actuated by one of the triple engines and is always in exact accordance with the
speed at which the vehicle is moving. This is accomplished by providing the
axle B, for instance, with a sprocket wheel and by similarly providing a sleeve I,
by which the moving brushes 7, 7, 8, are carried, and mechanically connecting the
sprocket wheels by a suitable chain J.
The sleeve is rotatably mounted upon the armature shaft K, of the electro
dynamic machine L. and is provided with an annular frame k, to which brush
holders, and are secured at equidistant points, suitable brushes, as for
example, blocks of carbon, being inserted in the said brush holders and held against
the face of the commutator by suitable tension springs.
The electro dynamic machine L, seen in Fig. 3, is a series motor and may be of
any convenient or desired type. As shown, the current collected by the traveling
contact E. enters the armature M, of the machine L, by its positive commutator
brush passing thence through the armature, issuing by the negative commutator
brush, hence by conductor 1, to one side of the field magnet, and from there by

page_text: conductor 2, to the other side of the field magnet issuing from the coils thereof and
passing by conductor 3, to an adjustable resistance O, and thence by the second
traveling contact E', to the negative side of the supply circuit. The traveling
contact E, may of course be supplanted by a rail connection through the wheels of
the car, if desired.
As in the case of Fig. 1, the current supplied to the main terminals of the motor
solenoids is derived from the main commutator brushes p, n, of the machine L,
while the said current is caused to rise and fall alternately in the triple solenoids,
composing each engine, by the rotation of the movable brushes upon the com-
mutator of the said machine L. It will furthermore be apparent that the speed
of the armature M, of the machine L, may be regulated by the use of the adjustable
resistance ().
In Fig. I have shown a three-cylinder engine E, adapted to produce rotary
motion. The coils k, k¹, 3, of the solenoids K, K', K, are enclosed in a continuous
iron envelop i, which forms the outside casing and frame of the engine. Inside the
coils k,,, are placed dia-magnetic tubes 1, ',, which are securely fastened to
the heavy rings (0, 0, 0, upon the outer ends of the cylinders and by the
casting D, which forms the central crank chamber M, into which the plungers N,
N', N, are projected at the inner limit of their stroke.
Upon the shaft S, which forms the axis of the engine E, is secured the crank K³,
and upon the crank pin of which are journalled the connecting rods r, r', r²,
which are severally pivoted to the plungers N, N', N², at p, p², p².
While I have in this application described a particular form of current
distributor, viz. an electro dynamic machine operating substantially as set forth, it
must be understood that the invention is not limited to that particular means of
supplying pulsating currents to electric motors connected with the axles to be
driven, and while I have described the motors as triple reciprocating engines, it
will be understood that a greater or less number of motor coils may be assembled
to constitute a motor or engine without departing from the invention.
Various minor modifications and changes may be made in accordance with the
principles laid down in the foregoing, without departing from the spirit or scope of
the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The electric motor substantially as described, consisting of a multiplicity of
electro magnetic coils connected to a suitable source of pulsating currents and
having reciprocating pistons working on the same shaft, together with the method
of applying such motors to the propulsion of vehicles.
Dated this 18th day of March 1891
CHARLES JOSEPH VAN DEPOELE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.