Improvements in Apparatus for Electrically Lighting Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Electrically Lighting Vehicles.
JOB THOMAS NIBLETT 20 Devonshire Road, Greenwich S.E. Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus more particularly suited for
the electrical illumination of vehicles, such as locomotives, railway carriages,
omnibuses, tramcars, broughams, cycles, traction engines, and similar conveyances.
The invention may also be applied where it is desirable to charge individual
secondary cells or a section of a secondary battery while the whole battery itself is
being discharged.
The improved apparatus consists essentially of a dynamo for generating
electricity, a secondary battery for storing the electrical energy generated, a
mechanically actuated switch for diverting the current into the cells or sections of
the battery, and an automatic cut-out and cut-in used for putting the dynamo iu
and out of the charging circuit.
When applying the invention to ordinary vehicles the whole apparatus is fixed
permanently to the vehicle and moves about with it. The dynamo may be driven
by any suitable means, but is preferably run from off the axle of the vehicle if
there be a revolving axle on the vehicle, or it may be driven by means of friction
rollers, gearing, bands, or belts, connected to the periphery or hub of one of the
wheels, or it may be driven from any more suitable moving part of the vehicle.
The secondary battery is used for supplying current to the lamp or lamps for
illuminating the vehicle, and this battery may consist of any number of cells. The
terminals of each cell are joined to a terminal board preferably of a circular form.
If the battery consists of a small number of cells, then it is preferable to connect
the individual cells up to the terminal board, but if the battery consists of a large,
number of cells then it is preferable to divide it into sections, and to join the
terminals of the sections to the terminal board. The terminal board is supplied
with a moving switch which is used for throwing the cells or sections of the battery.
into the dynamo circuit, and this moving switch may be actuated by any suitable
mechanism, but it is preferably made to work in unison with the dynamo, the same,
motive power being used to drive both. This arrangement renders the apparatus.
self-regulating, as when the dynamo is going at a high rate of speed and therefore
developing a considerable amount of energy, the charging switch is also working
rapidly thus securing an equal amount of charge for each cell or section of the
battery. The switching arrangement may consist of a radial bar or bars, or it may
consist of rollers or brushes or any of the ordinary and well-known forms of current
completing devices. If circular, the switch may be made to revolve on a spindle.
and is so arranged as to bring the positive and negative terminals of the dynamo on,
to the positive and negative poles of the cells or the sections of the battery. As
the switch travels or revolves the various cells or sections of the battery are each
brought periodically into the dynamo circuit, and thus a uniform amount of charge.
is put into every section of the battery. When the apparatus is used for lighting,
ordinary vehicles a battery of comparatively small capacity need only be used, as
whenever the vehicle is in motion electrical energy is being developed, and it
follows that only under conditions when the vehicle is stationary has the full
An automatic cut-out and
storage capacity of the battery to be relied upon.
cut-in is placed in the dynamo circuit, and it is so arranged that when the vehicle
.

page_text: stops or the speed of the vehicle is insufficient to produce the desired electro-
motive force in the dynamo, the current is disrupted. In the same manner the
automatic cut-in and cut-out may be made to disrupt the circuit should the electro-
motive force of the dynamo ever rise too high, which might occur through the
rapid rate of travel of the vehicle. An arrangement is also provided for throwing
the dynamo out of gear, should it not be desirable to charge the battery. As a
protection against dust and dirt, the whole apparatus may be protected by a
suitable cover.
Dated this 25th day of June 1895.
Improvements in Apparatus for Electrically Lighting Vehicles.
I, JOB THOMAS NIBLETT of 20 Devonshire Road, Greenwich in the County
of Kent, Electrical Engineer, 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:―
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the electrical illumination
of vehicles, more particularly suited for lighting such vehicles as locomotives,
railway carriages, omnibuses, tramcars, broughams, cycles, traction engines and
similar conveyances.
I will refer to the accompanying diagram in describing my invention and the
manner in which it may be performed.
The improved apparatus consists essentially of a dynamo A for generating
electricity, a secondary battery B, for storing the electrical energy generated and
supplying current to the lamps, a mechanically actuated switch C, for diverting the
current into the cells, or sections of the battery, and an automatic cut-out and
cut-in D, used for putting the dynamo in and out of the charging circuit.
The whole apparatus is fixed permauently to the vehicle and moves about with
it. The dynamo may be driven by any suitable means but is preferably run from
off the axle of the vehicle as indicated by the diagram if there be a revolving axle on
the vehicle, or it may be driven by means of friction rollers, gearing, bands, or belts
connected to the periphery, or hub, of one of the wheels, or it may be driven from
any more suitable moving part of the vehicle. The secondary battery used for
supplying current to the lamp or lamps for illuminating the vehicle, may consist of
any number of cells. The terminals of each cell are joined to the terminal board
of the switch C, which is preferably of a circular form. If the battery consist of
a small number of cells, then it is preferable to connect the individual cells up to
the terminal board of the switch C, but if the battery consist of a large number of
cells then it is preferable to divide it into sections, and to join the terminals of the
sections to the said terminal board. The said terminal board is supplied with a
moving contact arm c which is used for throwing the cells or sections of the battery
into the dynamo circuit, and this moving contact arm may be actuated by any
suitable mechanism, but is preferably made to work in unison with the dynamo
which may be done by making the same motive power drive both. This arrange-
ment renders the apparatus self-regulating, as when the dynamo is running at a
high speed, and therefore developing a considerable amount of energy, the said
moving contact arm c is also working rapidly, thus securing an equal amount of
charge for each cell, or section of the battery. The switching arm may consist
of a radial bar, or bars, as shewn, or it may consist of rollers, or brushes, or any
suitable, or ordinary, and well known form of circuit completing and interrupting
devices. If the switch board be circular the contact making arme or its equivalent
may be formed with conducting ends insulated from each other and with contact
springs or pieces bearing on semi-circular contact-strips insulated from each other,

page_text: the one conductor from the dynamo being connected to one of the said strips and
the other conductor from the dynamo being connected to the other of the said
strips the said arm, or its equivalent, being made to revolve on a spindle, as shewn,
the connections being so arranged as to bring the positive and negative terminals
of the dynamo respectively on to the positive and negative poles of the cells, or
sections, of the battery. Thus as the said arm, or its equivalent, travels, or
revolves, the various cells, or sections of the battery are each brought periodically
into and out of the dynamo circuit, and thus a uniform amount of charge is put
into every cell, or section of the battery. When the apparatus is used for lighting
ordinary vehicles a battery of comparatively small capacity need only be used, as
whenever the vehicle is in motion electrical energy is being developed, and it
follows that only under conditions when the vehicle is stationary has the full
storage capacity of the battery to be relied upon. An automatic cut-out and
cut-in is placed in the dynamo circuit as at D, and it is so arranged that when the
vehicle stops, or the speed of the vehicle is insufficient to produce the desired
electromotive force in the dynamo, the circuit from the dynamo is interrupted.
This may be effected by means of a magnet surrounded by a coil d in the dynamo
circuit which maintains the device D, in position to complete the circuit when the
vehicle is running and the electromotive force is sufficient to energise the magnet,
to maintain the position to complete the circuit but which at other times will be
caused to interrupt the said circuit. In an analogous manner the automatic cut-in
and cut-out may be made to interrupt the circuit should the electromotive force of
the dynamo ever rise too high, which might occur through the rapid rate of travel
of the vehicle. A hand operated arrangement is also provided for throwing the
dynamo out of gear, should it not be desirable to charge the battery. As a
protection against dust and dirt, the whole apparatus may be protected by
a suitable cover or enclosure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
For electrically lighting vehicles, the combination, with the vehicle to be
lighted, of a dynamo electrical machine driven from a moving part of the said
vehicle, a secondary battery from which the lamps are supplied with current, a
switch, also driven from a moving part of the said vehicle, and an automatic
cut-out and in, for putting the dynamo into, and out of, the charging circuit, all
connected, and operating, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 27th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Loudon, W.C., Agents.