Improvements in and connected with Electrical Traction.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1896
1007
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Electrical Traction.
I, WILLIAM KINGSLAND of 139 Upper Mostyn Street, Llandudno in the
County of Carnarvon, North Wales, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In electric traction where the electrical current is conveyed from a main conductor
to the moving vehicle, it is often advantageous to use auxiliary conductors, divided
into sections of greater or less length from which sections the current is immediately
conveyed to the vehicle which makes an electrical contact with successive sections
as it passes along the track. These sectional auxiliary conductors are successively
connected with the main conductor from the supply station, and disconnected when
the vehicle has passed on to another section, and various methods have been
proposed for the purpose of automatically connecting and disconnecting the
various sections of the auxiliary conductors to and from the main conductor. My
invention refers to improvements in and connected with the connection and
disconnection of the various auxiliary conductors to or from the main conductor
all as hereafter described.
Now according to my invention and in its simplest application one or both of the
rails upon which the vehicle travels generally serve to convey the return current
of electricity to the generating station, and they are usually uninsulated and
consequently in connection with "earth," while the vehicle collects the current by
means of brushes or other frictional or contact appliances from the sectional
conductors. For the sake of distinction I shall in this specification call these
sectional conductors "sectional rails'; " it being understood that they may be in any
convenient position relatively to the road rails, or even one or both of the road rails
may themselves form the "sectional rails," or the "sectional rails" may be composed
of any convenient form of conductor suitable for conveying a current to the moving
vehicle. My invention is also applicable generally to what is known as the
"conduit" system.
a
The main conductor conveying the current from the generating station is
insulated by any of the well known methods. For each sectional rail, but not in
normal contact therewith, I provide an insulated conductor which I term
"sectional main," and these sectional mains serve to convey the current at times,
as hereafter explained, from the main to the sectional rails respectively. Supposing
the sectional mains to be located between the electrical main conductor and the
sectional rails, I provide a contact spring at each end of each sectional main, and
at a short distance from say the left hand end of a sectional main I arrange a
contact piece or spring in electrical connection with a sectional rail, while the
contact piece at the other end of the sectional main is adjacent to a contact piece
or spring in electrical connection with the electrical main conductor. The next
adjacent sectional main is exactly similarly arranged and fitted, while movable
contact pieces, slides, or switches, are arranged, which in one position serve to
connect one end of a sectional main, with a sectional rail, and in another position,
connect the adjacent end of the next sectional main with the main conductor, a
lever or other mechanical contrivance actuated automatically by the passing
vehicle, serving to move the contact pieces and connect one or other pairs of
contact.
When the levers are all in one direction, there
the main conductor and any of the sectional rails.
will be no connection between
Suppose however that a vehicle

page_text: is passing from a sectional rail A to a similar sectional rail B in one direction, it
will turn the lever and will complete the circuit from the main conductor to the
sectional rail B, the current arriving through the sectional main appertaining to
sectional rail B by way of the contacts connected by the movable contact piece.
When the vehicle reaches the end of the sectional rail B, and is about to enter on
a third sectional rail C, it will change the position of one of the levers, thereby
disconnecting and cutting off the sectional rail B from the main conductor, and at
the same time by connecting the opposite pair of contacte it will allow a current to
pass to the sectional rail C, and so on for all the sections in the line.
A convenient form of apparatus for changing the contacts in the manner just
described may be composed of a cylinder of vulcanized fibre or other suitable
insulating material carried loosely upon a spindle; one half of the cylinder is
covered by a plate of brass or other metal, and the contact pieces or springs
already mentioned are arranged on an insulating support two on each side of the
cylinder and pressing against it. The operating lever, which has also a counter-
weight attached to it, is fixed on the spindle, and has a projecting piece which is
made in the form of a quadrant. The upper half of the cylinder at one end is
partly cut away and the projecting piece on the boss of the operating lever engages
with the uncut portion. By this arrangement if the lever is pressed to one side,
it will turn the cylinder, and cause a contact to be made between one pair of
contact springs, at the same time disconnecting the other pair. As soon as the
pressure is removed from the lever, it will return to an upright position, by reason
of its counterbalance, without moving the cylinder, and will then be ready to effect
a reversal of the contacts when pressed in the opposite direction. The contacts
may be arranged so that one pair is not disconnected until the other is actually
connected, and thus sparking will be avoided.
Such a switch or commutator apparatus may be enclosed in a cast iron or other
suitable box, which may also be made water and air tight, and in that case the
spindle will pass out through a gland and the lever will be fastened to it on the
outside of the box. The conductors will also pass in through suitable water and
air tight glands. The contacts may be made of copper wire gauze or other suitable
material, and with this form of commutator a good and firm connection may be
made for very large currents.
It will be understood with the arrangement as described that a vehicle moving
in one direction will leave the switches also all in one direction, and consequently
another vehicle cannot follow in the same direction because the commutators will
be so placed that they can only be operated by a vehicle passing in the opposite
direction, and thus this first arrangement is only applicable where the vehicles run
alternately in opposite directions. In order that the vehicles may travel in either
direction with equal facility, I may employ a pair of sectional mains for each
sectional rail, and a suitable double form of commutator, so that a passing vehicle
acting upon say a lever, operates one of the commutators and disconnects one of
say a 1st pair of sectional mains from the main conductor, and connects one of
a 2nd pair with the said main by the same motion, while a reverse movement
of the vehicle, without any intermediate motion being given to the commutator,
will effect proper connections by moving the commutator in the reverse direction.
Instead of using a double commutator and two sectional mains, I may cause the
switches on any particular length of line to be set in either direction by an electro-
magnetic arrangement. The commutator and lever I employ for this purpose is
the same as that previously described, but in addition there is an extension of the
spindle, and on this is fixed a polarized steel magnet or armature, which revolves
between the poles of an electro-magnet. If a current of electricity is sent in one
direction through the field magnets of the electro-magnet, the armature will make
a quarter turn in one direction, but if the current in the fields is reversed, the
armature will turn in the opposite direction.
At the respective ends of any portion of the line I provide contact keys in connection
with a wire which counects the circuits of the electro-magnets of the switches.

page_text: Each key in its normal position is connected to earth or to the return conductor,
but by moving it a contact can be made with the insulated main conductor.
A current will then pass through the wire and the electro-magnets, that are
included in the portion of the line between two contact keys. When one key is
operated the current will thus pass in the opposite direction to that in which the
other key will send it. Thus by operating one key or the other the switches or
commutators are all set in one direction or in the other, before the vehicle is
started, according to the direction in which it is required that the vehicle shall
pass. The vehicle in passing along the line operates the switches or commutators
one by one by means of the levers as before described. The contact keys may be
operated by hand or automatically by the passing vehicle.
Instead of employing levers to operate the switches as the vehicle passes from
one section to another I may do this electrically by winding the field magnets with
two independent circuits in opposite directions. One end of each circuit is
connected to earth or to the return conductor, and the other end is connected to
small auxiliary conductors, and these are connected with small coutact studs, which
are so arranged as to receive a current from the passing vehicle. The contact
studs are arranged to correspond to the sectional rails and thus a current applied
to any one of the contact studs will operate the proper switch for connecting the
corresponding sectional rail with the main conductor. In all cases the contact
brush or other device on the vehicle used to collect the current from the sectional
rails should be arranged so as to make contact with one sectional rail before it
leaves the other, and in the arrangement just described the contact may be made
with the studs by means of a brush or other rubbing contact attached to or in
electrical connection with the collector. This brush however should not make
simultaneous contact with any two studs but it should make contact with the
stud in advance, before the collector has left the sectional rail immediately
preceding it.
I may however by means of the apparatus I will now describe, dispense with
the studs, and also with the small auxiliary conductors, and effect the necessary
changes in the commutator switches by the automatic action of the current as the
vehicle passes from one sectional rail to another.
Such apparatus consists essentially of an electro-magnet with two pole pieces
between which is the armature, rigidly attached to a spindle which is free to turn
in bearings in either direction. Loosely mounted upon one end of the spindle is
the main commutator controlled by a quadrant shaped boss fixed to the spindle as
previously described.
Fixed to the spindle and depending therefrom is a counterweight which normally
keeps the spindle and armature in one particular position. The main commutator
consists of a cylinder of insulating material on which are fixed two metal plates
together covering approximately one half of the cylinder, with a small space
between the two so that they are insulated from each other, and the main
commutator is in contact with four brushes connected respectively with the
main, the two adjacent ends of two sectional mains and with one sectional rail.
The whole of the connections are supported by insulating material which is firmly
bolted to the frame of the apparatus. At the opposite end of the spindle and
mounted loosely thercon is a smaller commutator switch operated in the same
manner and at the same time as the main commutator. The metal plates on this
smaller commutator however differ from those on the main commutator in that the
insulating cylinder is entirely covered with metal with the exception of the upper
half of the front portion. There are three brushes making contact with this
smaller commutator, one which I will call G being in contact with that part of
the commutator which is covered with metal all round, and this will always be
in electrical connection with it, while the two other brushes E and F are arranged
so as to make contact alternately as the switch is turned to the right or to the left,
and the contact is broken with one just before it is made with the other. The
action of the small commutator will be to place one or other of the brushes E or I'

page_text: in metallic connection with the brush which I have called G. The small com-
mutator serves to control the action of the electro-magnets in the following
manner. One end of the circuit on the field magnets is permanently connected to
the contact brush G and the other end to earth or to the return conductor. The
contact brushes E and F are connected to the sectional rails on either side of the
apparatus, consequently a current applied to either of the sectional rails will find
its way to earth through the electro-magnét, providel the smaller commutator is
in the right position. Let it be supposed that a vehicle is passing over a sectional
rail which I will call A and is about to enter over sectional rail B. The
sectional rail A is already in connection with the main conductor through the main
commutator. When the collector on the vehicle makes contact with the next
sectional rail B the current can flow by the said collector on the vehicle from
sectional rail A to sectional rail B and so to the contact F of the smaller
commutator and through the electro-magnet to earth. The effect of this will be
to act upon the armature of the electro-magnet and turn the spindle, which latter
by its attached sector shaped parts will operate the commutators so that the
contacts will be changed. As soon as this takes place the sectional rail B will be
put thereby into connection with the main conductor and the sectional rail A will
be insulated and at the same time the circuit through the electro-magnet by way
of sectional rail B will be broken, and that by way of A will be re-established.
If the commutator of the next section at the other end of the sectional rail B was in
the proper position the passage of the vehicle from sectional rail A to sectional
rail B would not affect it; but if it was in a reverse position, then the current
would pass through the electro-magnet and place the said commutator in the
proper position for the vehicle to pass along sectional rail B. With this form of
apparatus I may employ two circuits on the electro-magnet, and a polarized
armature, in order to turn the commutators in the proper direction, but instead of
doing this I may make use of one circuit only, and a soft iron armature, and [
cause it to work in the right direction by the following device. If the armature
is exactly perpendicular between the poles of the magnet it will not be attracted
either way, as the pull will be equal in either directions. But if it is slightly out
of the perpendicular it will be immediately attracted, when the magnet is energised,
to that side to which it is turned. Underneath the depending counterweighted
arm which is fixed to the commutator spindle I fix a spring which presses against
the under side of the arm and which may have a slightly raised projection or
catch to engage therewith. When the armature is attracted, the arm and counter-
weight will be raised to a horizontal position, and when it is liberated, its
momentum will carry it slightly beyond the vertical position, to which it will be
prevented from returning by the action of the spring. It will therefore remain
normally slightly out of the perpendicular, and the armature also will be in this
position, and therefore the next time the electro-magnet receives a current the
armature will be attracted in the proper direction.
Instead of making the sectional rails of some considerable length, they may be
mere contact studs raised slightly above the level of the roadway at a distance
apart approximating to the length of a vehicle. The vehicle will then carry
a metal shoe or contact bar which will slide over the studs making contact with
one before it leaves the other.
When the vehicles pass generally in one direction only, I may arrange the
commutator switches so that the sectional mains shall normally form a continuous
circuit in parallel connection with the main conductor. During the passage of
a vehicle in the one direction over any particular sectional rail this arrangement
will be temporarily changed, but will be re-established as soon as the vehicle has
left the section.
This a
1002

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Electrical Traction.
1, WILLIAM KINGSLAND, of 139 Upper Mostyn Street, Llandudno, in the
County of Carnarvon, North Wales, 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:-
In electrical traction where the electrical current is conveyed from a main
conductor to the moving vehicle, it is often advantageous to use "sectional
conductors," of greater or less length from which sections the current is immediately
conveyed to the vehicle which makes an electrical contact with the successive
sections as it passes along the track. These sectional conductors are successively
connected with the main conductor from the supply station, and disconnected when
the vehicle has passed on to another section, and various methods have been
proposed for the purpose of automatically connecting and disconnecting the various
sections of these conductors to and from the main conductor. My invention refers
to improvements in and connected with the connection and disconnection of the
various sectional conductors to or from the main conductor all as hereafter
described.
Now with my invention, and in its simplest application, one or both of the rails
upon which the vehicle travels, generally serve to convey the return current of
electricity to the generating station, and they are generally uninsulated and
consequently in connection with "earth," while the vehicle collects the current
from the sectional conductors by means of brushes or other frictional or contact
appliances.
According to my invention I provide for each sectional conductor, a sectional
auxiliary conductor; through which latter the current passes from the main to the
said sectional conductor, and the sectional auxiliary conductor is provided with a
commutator or switch at each end, whereby it may be connected or disconnected
from the main conductor, or from the sectional conductor. Means are provided
whereby the commutators or switches may be operated mechanically by the passing
vehicle, or by electro-magnetic devices brought to action mechanically or by the
automatic action of the current as the vehicle passes from one sectional conductor
to another, all as hereafter described.
For the sake of distinction I shall in this specification call these sectional
conductors "sectional rails," it being understood that they may be in any convenient
position relatively to the road rails, or even that one or both of the road rails may
themselves form the "sectional rails," or the "sectional rails" may be composed
of any convenient form of conductor suitable for conveying a current to the
moving vehicle. My invention is also applicable generally to what is known as the
"conduit system."
In order that my said invention may be readily understood, and also the manner
in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I will now describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar letters of reference mainly
refer to like parts in all the figures,
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating one general arrangement or
application of my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 an end view, Fig. 4 is a side elevation of apparatus
for changing the contacts, especially applicable where vehicles run alternately in
opposite directions.
Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a double commutator arrangement by

page_text: which vehicles travelling in either direction, effect the proper connections: Fig. 6
is an end view of the commutator and operating lever, and Fig. 7 is a side
view of same.
Fig. 8 is a plan view and Fig. 9 end view of an apparatus whereby the
switches in any particular length of line may be set in either direction by
an electromagnetic device, and Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic plan view shewing an
application of such electro-magnetic switch device.
Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic plan view shewing an arrangement where the com-
mutator switches are operated electrically as the vehicle passes from one section to
another.
Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, illustrate mechanism aud arrangements whereby
the necessary changes in the commutator switches are effected by the automatic
action of the current as the vehicle passes from one sectional rail to another, and
Figs. 18, 19 and 20 illustrate details of mechanism connected therewith.
Figs. 21 and 22 shew in sectional end elevation and sectional side elevation
respectively a cast iron road box suitable for containing the apparatus or mechanism
shewn at Figs. 12 to 17.
Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic plan view shewing an arrangement where contact studs
are substituted for the sectional rails.
Fig. 24 is a diagrammatic plan view showing an arrangement of commutator
switches and connections applicable when the vehicles pass mainly in one
direction..
b
In diagram Fig. 1, M is the main conductor conveying the current from the
generating station, and it is insulated by any of the well known methods; S R,
SR, SR, SR, are the "sectional rails" from which the moving vehicle collects
the current by means of suitable frictional appliances or contacts. For each
sectional rail, but not normally in electrical contact therewith, I provide according
to my invention an insulated sectional auxiliary conductor which I term hereafter
a "sectional main," and these "sectional mains" S M, S M, S M, S M', serve
to convey the current at times, as hereafter explained, from the main to the
sectional rails respectively. Supposing the sectional mains to be located as in
Fig. 1 hetween the electrical main conductor M and the sectional rails S R', SR2,
SR³, &c., I provide a contact spring at each end of the sectional mains & c, and at
1
a short distance from say the left hand end of a sectional main I arrange a contact
piece or spring d in electrical connection with a sectional rail, while the contact
piece at the other end of the sectional main is adjacent to a contact piece or
spring a in electrical connection with the electrical main conductor. The next
adjacent sectional main is exactly similarly arranged and fitted, while movable
contact pieces, slides, switches, or commutators S S S are arranged which in one
position serve to connect one end of a sectional main with a sectional rail, that is
to say to connect the contacts c and d, and in another position connect the adjacent
end of the next sectional main with the main conductor, that is to say connect the
contacts a and b. A lever l', 12, 13 etc., or other mechanical contrivance actuated
automatically by the passing vehicle serves to move the contact pieces and connect
one or other pairs of contacts.
It will now be seen that when the levers are all in one direction, there will be
no connection between the main conductor and any of the sectional rails. Suppose
however that a vehicle is passing in the direction of the arrow from sectional
rail S R to sectional rail S R2, it will turn the lever and the switch S', into the
position shewn by the dotted lines and will thereby complete the connection between
the contacts c and d and put the sectional main S M into electrical contact with the
section rail SK, at the same time disconnecting sectional main S M' from the main
conductor M at the contacts, a and b. Sectional rail S R2 will now be in electrical
contact with the main conductor M through the contact pieces a and b of the
switch S2, the sectional main S M' and the contacts c and d of the switch S. When
the vehicle reaches the end of sectional rails S R2 and is about to enter S R³ it
will operate the lever and the switch S, changing the contacts from ab to cd,

page_text: thereby cutting off sectional rail S R from the main and connecting S K³,
and so on for all the sections in the line.
A convenient form of apparatus for changing the contacts in the manner just
described is shewn in plan at Fig. 2, in end view in one position at Fig. 3, and
Fig. 4 is a side elevation. Referring to these figures S is a cylinder of vulcanized
fibre or other suitable insulating material carried loosely upon a spindle H; one
half of the cylinder is covered by a plate of brass or other metal m, and the
contact pieces or springs already mentioned a bed are arranged on an insulating
support B two on each side of the cylinder and pressing against it. The operating
lever which has also a counterweight W attached to it, is keyed or fixed on the
spindle H, and has a projecting piece P which is made in the form of a quadrant.
The upper half of the cylinder S is partly cut away at one end (Fig. 3), and the
projecting piece P on the boss of the operating lever engages with the uncut
portion. By this arrangement if the lever I is pressed to one side it will turn the
cylinder and cause a contact to be made between one pair of contact springs, at the
same time disconnecting the other pair. As soon as the pressure is removed from
the lever, it will turn to an upright position by reason of its counterbalance W,
without moving the cylinder, as the cut portion of the latter allows of the lever 1
making a quarter turn, before it engages with the uncut portion. The lever will
then be ready to effect a reversal of the contacts when pressed in the opposite
direction. The contacts may be arranged so that one pair is not disconnected until
the other is actually connected, and thus sparking will be avoided.
Such a switch or commutator apparatus may be enclosed in a cast iron or other
suitable box, which may also be made water and air tight, and in that case the
spindle will pass out through a gland and the lever will be fastened to it on the
outside of the box. The conductors will also pass in through suitable water and
air tight glands. The contacts may be made of copper wire gauze, or other
suitable material and with this form of commutator a good and firm connection
may be made for very large currents.
It will be understood with the arrangement as already described that a vehicle
moving in one direction will leave all the switches also all in one direction, and
consequently another vehicle cannot follow in the same direction because the
commutators will be so placed that they can only be operated by a vehicle passing
in the opposite direction, and thus this first arrangement is only applicable where
the vehicles run alternately in opposite directions.
In order that vehicles may travel in either direction with equal facility, I may
employ a pair of sectional mains and a suitable form of double commutator as,
shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, where Fig. ō is a diagrammatic plan view of the double
commutator S, with the various connections, Fig. 6 is an end view of the
commutator and lever and Fig. 7 is a side view of the same. Referring to
Fig. 5, R R are the rails upon which the vehicles run. S R¹, S R³, S R³ are the
sectional rails. M is the main conductor. S is the commutator switch, consisting
of a cylinder of insulating material of which the two ends are shewn diagram-
matically; m m are two metal plates covering one quarter of the circumference of
the insulating cylinder, and extending half way along the length of the cylinder
in opposite directions as shewn in Fig. 7. S M, S M are a pair of sectional mains
extending in one direction and terminating in contact springs pressing against the
commutator switch S, at a and b. These springs ab are cross-connected with a
similar pair of springs a 6 at the opposite points of the commutator switch.
S M, S M are another pair of sectional mains, running in the opposite direction
to S M and S M. These sectional mains also terminate in contact springs
at c and d and are cross-connected with similar contacts at c¹ and d². The metal
plate M is in a permanent connection through m* with the main conductor M, and
the metal plate m' is in permauent connection' through r with a sectional rail. It
will be seen that if a quarter turn is given to the commutator switch the connection
of m* and of r respectively will be changed from one of a pair of sectional mains to
the other of the same pair, and this will happen in whatever direction the quarter

page_text: turn is given to the commutator. The commutator is rigidly fixed on a spindle H,
Fig. 7, and at one end of the spindle is also fixed four arms or levers 7 at right
angles to each other. The passing vehicle operates mechanically on whichever of
the arms is in a vertical position, and depressing it to a horizontal position
communicates a quarter turn to the commutator, at the same time bringing one of
the other arms into a vertical position ready to be operated by the next vehicle
passing in either direction.
Instead of using a double commutator and two sectional mains, I may cause the
switches on any particular length of line to be set in either direction by an
electromagnetic arrangement. The commutator and lever I employ for this
purpose is the same as that described and illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, but in
addition there is an extension of the spindle H and on this is fixed a polarized
steel magnet or armature N S, this apparatus being shewn in plan at Fig. 8 and in
end view at Fig. 9. The magnet or armature N S revolves between the poles of
an electro-magnet F1 F. If a current of electricity is sent in one direction through
the field magnets of the electro-magnet, Fig. 9, the armature will make a quarter
turn in one direction and will carry the commutator switch with it, but if the current
in the fields is reversed, then the armature will turn in the opposite direction.
At the respective ends of any portion of the line of rails I provide contact
keys K K' (diagrammatic view Fig. 10), in connection with a 'wire W which
connects the circuits of the electro-magnets of the commutator switches included in
the portion of the line between the two keys. Each key in its normal position is
connected to earth or to the return conductor Ex, but by moving it a contact can
be made with the insulated main conductor M. A current will then pass through
the wire W, and the electro-magnets that are ineluded in the portion of the line
between the two contact keys. When one key is operated the current will pass
in the opposite direction to that in which the other key will send it. Thus by
operating one key, or the other, the switches or commutators are all set in one
direction or in the other before the vehicle is started, according to the direction
in which it is required that the vehicle shall pass. The vehicle in passing along
the line operates the switches one by one by means of the lever as before
described. The contact keys may be operated by hand or automatically by the
passing vehicle.
Instead of employing levers to operate the commutator switches ns the vehicle
passes from one section to another I may do this electrically by winding the field
magnets with two independent circuits in opposite directions. This is shewn
diagrammatically in Fig. 11. One end of each field-magnet circuit is connected
to earth or to the return conductor, and the other is connected to small auxiliary
conductors m', m³, m³, and these again are connected with small contact
studs n, m, n,, which are so arranged as to receive a current from a passing
vehicle. The contact studs are arranged to correspond to the sectional rails, and
thus a current applied to any one of the contact studs will operate the proper
switches for connecting the corresponding sectional rail with the main conductor.
In all cases the contact brush c or other device on the vehicle used to collect the
current from the sectional rails should be arranged so as to make contact with one
sectional rail before it leaves the other, and in the arrangement just described the
contact may be made with the studs by means of a brush or other rubbing contact
attached to or in electrical connection with the collector. This brush however
should not make simultaneous contact with any two studs but it should make
contact with the stud in advance, before the collector has left the sectional rail
immediately preceding it.
I may however by means of the apparatus I will now describe, dispense with the
studs, and also with the small auxiliary conductors, and effect the necessary changes
in the commutator switches by the automatic action of the current as the vehicle
passes from one sectional rail to another. Such apparatus is shewn in detail
in. Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Fig. 12 is a sectional end elevation of the
electro-magnet and armature. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the apparatus with

page_text: the contact brushes and connections removed. Fig. 14 is a sectional end elevation
shewing the main commutator and contacts; Fig. 15 is an elevation of the opposite
end of the apparatus shewing the second or smaller commutator and contacts;
Fig. 16 is a plan of the apparatus, Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic representation of the
various connections.
The apparatus consists essentially of an electro-magnet with two pole pieces P¹ Pa
between which is a soft iron armatare A rigidly attached to the spindle H and
supported by the pillars and bearings D D in which it is free to turn.
end of the spindle is the main commutator switch S which is free to turn inde-
pendently on the spindle H and is controlled by the quadrant-shaped boss Pas
previously described. Fixed to the spindle and depending thereform is also the
counterweight W which normally keeps the spindle and armature in one particular
position. The main commutator switch S consists of a cylinder of insulating
material on which are fixed two metal plates M N which cover approximately one
half of the cylinder, with a small space between the two so that they are insulated
from each other. The main commutator switch is in contact with four contact
brushes or springs a bed connected respectively with the main conductor, the two
adjacent ends of two sectional mains and with one sectional rail, as shewn in Fig. 17.
The whole of the connections are supported by insulating material I I, which is
firmly bolted to the frame or base of the apparatus. The contact brushes a b c d
are connected with the four terminal pieces T1 T2 T3 T4 arranged to take the ends
of main cables or conductors.
At the opposite end of the spindle, and free to turn thereon is a smaller
commutator switch s, Figs. 13, 15 and 16, operated in the same manner and at the
same time as the main commutator switch. The metal plates on this smaller
commutator however differ from those on the main commutator in that the
insulating cylinder is entirely covered with metal with the exception of the upper
half of say the end pcrtion. There are three springs or brushes making contact
with this smaller commutator, one which I will call y being in contact with that
part of the commutator which is covered with metal all round and this will always
be in electrical connection with it, while the other two brushes e and fare arranged
so as to make contact alternately as the switch is turned to the right or to the left,
and the contact is broken with one just before it is made with the other. The
action of the small commutator s will be to place one or other of the brushes e or
in metallic connection with the brush which I have called g. The small commutator
serves to control the action of the electro-magnet in the following manner: One
end of the circuit on the field magnet Fig. 17 is permanently connected to the
contact brush g, and the other end to earth or to the return conductor. The
contact brushes e and fare connected to the sectional rails on either side of the
apparatus, consequently a current applied to either of the sectional rails will find
its way to earth through the electro-magnet, provided the small commutator is in
the right position. Let it be supposed that in Fig. 17 a vehicle is passing over
sectional rail S R' and is about to enter sectional rail S R2. As the vehicle is
travelling over S R', this sectional rail will be in connection with the main con-
ductor through the main commutator S¹ and the contacts a and b. When therefore
the collector on the vehicle makes contact with the sectional rail S R2, which it
does before leaving S R', the current will flow from S R¹ to S R2 through the said
collector, and from S R2 it will pass to the contact brush of the small commutator
and thence through the field magnets to earth. The effect of this will he to act
upon the armature of the electro-magnet and turn the spindle, which latter by its
attached sector-shaped-parts P P¹ will operate the large and the small commutators
simultaneously, so that the contacts will be changed, a of the commutator 8'
being insulated, and e d connected, while is insulated from g, and e is connected
thereto. If a and b of the switch S2 are already connected, then the vehicle can
collect the current from sectional rail S R2, but if the switch S2 should have been
turned in the opposite direction, by reason of the previous passage of a vehicle in
the same direction, then at the moment that the collector makes contact from

page_text: sectional rail S R' to S R2, a current will flow through contact e of the small
commutator S and operating the electro-magnet will alter the connection of the
.main commutator S2 from cd to a b, and so in conjunction with the contacte cd
of the switch S¹ will permit the vehicle to collect the current from the sectional
rail S R².
With this form of apparatus I may employ two circuits on the electro-magnet,
and a polarized armature in order to turn the commutator switches in the proper
direction, but instead of doing this I use one circuit only and a soft iron armature as
in the example described, and I cause it to work in the right direction by the
following device. If the armature is exactly perpendicular between the poles of
the magnet it will not be attracted either way when the magnet is energised, as the
pull will be equal in either direction, but if it is slightly out of the perpendicular
it will be immediately attracted, (when the magnet is energised) to that side to
which it is turned. In order to effect this I fix underneath the depending counter-
weighted arm W Fig. 18 a spring K which presses against the under side of the
arm and which may have a slightly raised projection to catch or engage therewith.
When the armature is attracted, the arm and counterweight will be raised to a
horizontal position, and when it is liberated, its momentum will carry it slightly
beyond the vertical position, to which it will be prevented from returning by the
action of the spring K. It will therefore remain normally slightly out of the
perpendicular, on the one side or the other, and the armature will also be in this
position, and therefore the next time the electro-magnet receives a current, the
armature will be attracted in the proper direction. Instead of employing a spring K
as in Fig. 18, I may use a spring K to control a small hinged catch L depending
from the under side of the counterweighted arm as in Fig. 19. The catch engages
with a fixed guide plate L' curved so as to control the motion of the catch for
some distance on each side of the centre. At the centre is a projecting piece N
which acts as a stop. If the counterweight W is descending from say the left hand
side, the momentum will carry it beyond the vertical position and the catch L will
ride over the projection N and will then prevent the counterweight from returning
to the vertical position. The spring K serves to steady the motion of the catch L
when not controlled by the guide plate L. Instead of using a spring to steady
the motion of the catch I may employ a small counterweighted arm as in Fig. 20
where P is a short arm pivotted at the centre and at the bottom end having
a slot which engages with a pin fixed to the catch L. At the top of the arm
is a small counterweight w.
Figs. 21 and 22 shew an end elevation and side elevation respectively, of
the apparatus in a cast iron road box. The main cables pass in through the
watertight glands G G and are couneeted to the terminals T T T T in such a
manner that on disconnecting them the whole apparatus can be lifted out of the
box for inspection. Similar glands may also be provided for the earth connection A
and for the wire from the sectional rail, which is connected with the terminal e;
or the containing box may be permanently connected to earth, and a connection
made between the box and the terminal h. The terminal Fig. 17 makes a local
connection with the main terminal T which is permanently in connection with one
of the sectional rails.
Instead of making the sectional rails of some considerable length, they may be
mere contact studs raised slightly above the level of the roadway at a distance
apart approximating to the length of a vehicle. The vehicle will then carry a
metal shoe or contact bar which will slide over the studs, making contact with one
before it leaves the other as shewn at Fig. 23 where R is one of the rails on which
the vehicle runs, S R', S R2 are two of the contact studs, and B is the contact bar
depending from the frame F of the vehicle.
When the vehicles pass generally in one direction only, I may arrange the
commutator switches so that the sectional mains shall normally form a continuous
circuit in parallel connection with the main ccnductor as shewn in Fig. 24 where
.the normal position of the commutator is shewn at A; and the temporary position

page_text: during the passage of a vehicle over one sectional rail only at B, the normal
position being re-established as the vehicle passes on to the next section.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In electrical traction, the combination with a main electrical conductor and
sectional conductors (or "sectional rails") of sectional auxiliary conductors (or
"sectional mains") or of pairs of sectional auxiliary conductors (or "sectional
mains") and switches at each end of the sectional auxiliary conductors, whereby
the sectional auxiliary conductors (or "sectional mains") may be connected or
disconnected from the main conductor, or from the sectional conductors (or
"sectional rails") as set forth.
2. In electrical traction the combination with a main electrical conductor,
sectional conductors (or "sectional rails") and sectional auxiliary conductors (or
"sectional mains ") of a switch located at each end of the sectional auxiliary
conductors for connecting or disconnecting the latter from the main or the
sectional conductors and means for mechanically operating the said switches by the
passing vehicle, substantially as set forth.
3. In electrical traction the combination with a main electrical conductor,
sectional conductors (or " sectional rails ") and sectional auxiliary conductors (or
"sectional mains") of a switch located at each end of the sectional auxiliary
conductors for connecting and disconnecting the latter from the main or the
sectional conductors, and an electro magnet or electro magnets for operating the
switches, substantially as set forth.
4. In electrical traction the combination with a main electrical conductor, a
series of sectional auxiliary conductors (or sectional rails), and a series of sectional
auxiliary conductors (or sectional mains) of a switch or switches located at each
end of the sectional auxiliary conductors and actuated mechanically or by electro-
magnetic .means, whereby the action of disconnecting one sectional auxiliary
conductor (or "sectional main") from the main conductor or from the sectional
conductor (or "sectional rail") will at the same time serve to connect the adjacent
sectional auxiliary conductor (or "sectional main") to the main conductor or to
the adjacent sectional conductor (or "sectional rail") as the case may be,
substantially as set forth.
5. In electrical traction, the combination with a main electrical conductor,
sectional conductors (or "sectional rails") and sectional auxiliary conductors (or
sectional mains") of a switch located at each end of the sectional auxiliary con-
ductors, and capable of being placed in either of two positions, for the purpose
of connecting or disconnecting the sectional auxiliary conductor (or "sectional
main") and means for operating the switch, consisting of an electro-magnet
having a polarized armature and two circuits on the field maguets, substantially as
set forth.
6. In electrical traction the combination with a main electrical conductor,
sectional conductors (or "sectional rails") and sectional auxiliary conductors (or
"sectional mains") of a switch located at each end of the sectional auxiliary con-
ductors and capable of being placed in either of two positions for the purpose of
connecting or disconnecting the sectional auxiliary conductors (or "sectional
maius") and means for operating the switches consisting of electro-magnets having
soft iren armatures and mechanism for retaining the armatures normally in one or
other of two positions, so long as the magnets are not energised by a current of
electricity, substantially as set forth.
7. In electrical traction the combination with a main electrical conductor,
sectional conductors (or "sectional rails") sectional auxiliary conductors (or
"sectional mains "), a switch located at each end of the sectional auxiliary con-
ductors, for the purpose of connecting or disconnecting the sectional auxiliary
conductors (or "sectional mains"), and an electro-magnet, actuating the switch;

page_text: of an auxiliary switch for controlling the action of the electro-magnet and
connecting it with one or other of two adjacent sectional conductors (or "sectional
rails") substantially as set forth.
8. In electrical traction, the combination with a main conductor, sectional
conductors (or "sectional rails") and sectional auxiliary conductors (or "sectional
mains"), of apparatus for effecting the necessary changes in the electrical con-
nections consisting of the combination of an electro magnet having two pole pieces,
a freely rocking shaft having a soft iron armature fixed thereto between the pole
pieces and by which the shaft is rocked, means for retaining the armature in one
or other of two inclined positions, an auxiliary switch operated by the motion of a
rocking shaft, and having contacts in connection with adjacent sectional conductors
and with the electro-magnet, for connecting the electro magnet with one or other
of the adjacent sectional conductors, by the passing of the vehicle from one section
to another, and a main switch also operated by the action of the rocking shaft, to
connect or disconnect the sectional auxiliary conductors to or from the main or
sectional conductors as set forth.
9. In electrical traction and where vehicles pass normally in one direction, the
combination with a main electrical conductor, sectional conductors (or "sectional
rails" and sectional auxiliary conductors (or "sectional mains") of a switch
located between the adjacent ends of the sectional auxiliary conductors, and so
arranged that the sectional auxiliary conductors normally form a continuous circuit
in parallel connection with the main conductor, substantially as set forth.
10. In electrical traction the general arrangement and combination of parts, and
connections, all constructed and acting substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of Februar 1907
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.