IMPROVEMENTS RELATING ΤΟ MECHANISM FOR TRANSPORTING GOODS AND PASSENGERS BY THE AID OF ELECTRICITY AND THE REGULATION OF THE SPEED OF MACHINERY DRIVEN BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Fleeming, Jenkin Civil Engineer of 3 Great Stuart
Street Edinburgh, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING ΤΟ
MECHANISM FOR TRANSPORTING GOODS AND PASSENGERS BY THE AID OF
ELECTRICITY AND THE REGULATION OF THE SPEED OF MACHINERY DRIVEN
BY ELECTRICITY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fleeming Jenkin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1882.
FLEEMING JENKIN Civil Engineer of 3 Great Stuart Street Edinburgh
"IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MECHANISM FOR TRANSPORTING .GOODS AND
PASSENGERS BY THE AID OF ELECTRICITY AND THE REGULATION OF THE SPEED
OF MACHINERY DRIVEN BY ELECTRICITY
"
This invention has for its object improvements relating to mechanism for
transporting goods and passengers by the aid of electricity and the regulation of
the speed of machinery driven by electricity.
In regulating automatic electrical transport it is desirable in the first place to
adjust the speed of each vehicle or train to a given rate so that the line may be
filled with vehicles all running as nearly as may be at one rate, but since it will be
impossible to make this adjustment of speed absolutely perfect and since accidental
delays or stoppages may occur it is desirable to check any vehicle or train which
may approach too near the preceding train-the minimum distance behind the
preceding train at which the check will be applied I will call the minimum interval.
The two parts of my invention relate to means for securing a constant rate of
motion and a definite minimum interval-that part of my invention which applies
to the securing of a constant rate of motion is applicable to all other cases of the
transmission of power by electricity as well as to electrical transport.
First as to the means for securing a definite minimum interval.
In effecting the transport of goods or passengers along rails or ropes by the aid
of electricity it is desirable automatically to regulate the distance between
successive trains or single vehicles and this distance may frequently be much
smaller than would be allowable in the case of trains or vehicles driven by steam.
Several methods have been proposed by which the minimum distance is
.

page_text: determined by automatic blocking, but these methods require that some form of
key or electrical switch should be fixed at frequent intervals along the line, the
mechanism of these electrical switches or keys is worked partly by the direct
mechanical action of a passing train and partly by electrical devices.
The following methods of determining a minimum space interval between trains
or single vehicles require no special keys switches or other moving parts fixed on
the line and will be specially advantageous when the interval between trains or
vehicles is to be small inasmuch as they avoid the multiplication of delicate and
complex pieces of apparatus requiring frequent inspection.
I employ two distinct modifications of my invention to suit the two distinct
systems of electrical transport which I will distinguish as the series system and the
parallel arc system.
I will first describe the invention as applied to the series system in which
a single main conductor is used. This conductor is broken up into sections of equal
length and the train is of the same length as each section. This series system is
described in my Provisional Specification N° 183082.
In this system I secure the desired block or minimum interval by fixing a series
of detached insulated wires or other conductors alongside the main conductor.
These wires or conductors I will call the block wires. In the simplest arrangement
these wires are each of the same length as the sections into which the main
conductor is divided and they begin and end at the breaks in the main conductor
A rubber is provided at each end of the train placing each block wire temporarily
in connection with that part of the main conductor which is, alongside it. The
connection at the leading end of the train will be called the leading cross
connection the connection at the trailing end of the train will be called the trailing
cross connection, The trailing cross connection is a simple wire or other conductor.
The leading cross connection includes the coil of an electro-magnet the armature of
which is held down when a current passes and is released when no current flows.
I will call this electro magnet the block electro magnet The movement of the
armature when a current passes is made to arrest the train. This may be done in
various well known ways-for instance, mechanically by allowing a break to act; or
electrically as by cutting out the electro motor on the train or by short circuiting
. this electro motor These or any other desirable electrical or mechanical actions may
be produced directly or they may be produced indirectly by the help of a relay. So
long as only one train is on a given section the block electro magnet is inoperative-
but if the leading end of a train enters on a section still occupied by the trailing:
end of a preceding train a derived current will flow through the trailing-cross
connection of the preceding train, the block wire and the leading cross connection
of the following train-the electro magnet of the following train will then act to
arrest that train until the preceding train clears the block wire-the following train
will then be driven as before.
In this simple form my invention is applicable to what I have called telpherage
where the line is intended to convey light vehicles following each other in rapid
succession. The block wires will check any train which tends to gain on those,
which precede but if by accident a train were to stop so that its trailing wheel
had only just entered upon a new section the following train might run into it for
the second train experiences no check until it enters on the section which is
occupied by the trailing wheel of the preceding train In order to make the block.
act with a minimum interval equal to that of one section of the main conductor I
prolong each block wire behind the section it is intended to protect and make each
block wire twice the length of one section of the main conductor-the half of each
block wire at which the train first arrives I will call the second half of the block
wire. The other half of the wire I will call the first half.
The rubber of the leading cross connection puts the main conductor into connection
with the second half of one block wire. The rubber of the trailing cross connection
puts the next section of the main conductor into connection with the second"
half of the next block wire and also with the first half of a third block wire.

page_text: The block electro-magnet is in the leading cross connection-When a following
train overtakes a preceding one so far as to enter on the section next to that
occupied by the trailing wheel of the preceding one a derived current flows from
the main conductor through the leading cross connection of the second train a block
wire and the trailing cross connection of the first train back to the main conductor,
this current will continue to flow if the second train be forced forward on to the
same section of the main conductor as is occupied by the trailing wheel of the first
train but the block wire employed will have changed. The same device may be
employed to make the minimum interval twice, three times or n times the length
of each section of the main conductor for this purpose three four or n+1 block
wires will be required respectively.
If a polarized electro-magnet be used as the block electro-magnet the trailing
cross connection may be that which connects the conductor with only one block
wire while the leading cross connection with the polarized electro magnet must then
be in connection with a block wires
I employ analogous cross connections rubbers and block wires when the general
system of transport is that which I call the parallel arc system. In the parallel
arc system there are two main conductors, maintained at different potentials and
successive trains or vehicles are driven by electro motors each of which establish a
connexion between what I will term the positive and negative main conductors.
The wires of the successive electro motors are therefore all in parallel are between
the main conductors.
I will first describe the application of my invention in its simplest form to the
parallel arc system. The block wires are a series of equal insulated conductors
which may be of any length. Each block wire overlaps those which follow and
precede it to the extent of half' their length. The half of each block wire which
precedes the other looking in the direction in which trains pass I will call the first
half. The other portion I will call the second half. This mode of naming the parts
is analogous to that already described for the series system.
Each train or vehicle which requires to be protected has two rubbers insulated
one from the other and placed opposite each other at the same place in the train
or vehicle.
One rubber is always connected with the positive main conductor and, the other
with the negative main conductor one rubber which I will call the leading rubber
(although it does not precede the other) puts one main conductor into, connection
with the second half of a block wire alongside the main conductor.
The other rubber which I will call the trailing rubber puts the other main con-
ductor in connection with the first half of a block wire alongside the main conductor
these two connections will be called the leading and trailing cross connections, the
leading cross connection includes a block electro magnet which acts as already
described for the series system When the leading rubber of one train enters on
the second half of a block wire the first half of which is connected with the
trailing rubber of a preceding train, the block electro-magnet arrests the following
train for a current will then flow from one main conductor to the other from the
trailing rubber of the preceding train through the block wire and the leading
rubber of the following train. And when the preceding train leaves the block
wire the following train is freed.
In order to prevent an excessive current the block wire may include a piece of
carbon or other semi-conductor.
:
This simple method is applicable to telpherage but would not form a perfect
guard to the preceding train for if the following train overshot one half of a block
wire the block would be removed and a collision might occur. The block wires
might be made so long as to render this highly improbable but the block may be
rendered more efficient. by increasing the number of the block wires-As an
example let there be three overlapping block wires instead of two-each block.
wire will then consist of three parts called the first second and third. The leading
cross connection will then join a main conductor through a block electro-magnet to

page_text: the third part of each successive block wire-the trailing rubber of the train will
join the other main conductor to the first part of one block wire and the second
part of the next--A following train will then be blocked by a preceding one so
long as the second train is passing over two thirds of the length of a block wire
and will only be released when within one third of that length. If four overlapping
block wires are used the block electro-magnet acts for a distance equal to three
quarters of each block wire and by increasing the number of block wires the fraction
of the length during which the block operates can be increased at will. By placing
the block wires obliquely between the two parallel main conductors and letting the
trailing rubber be broad enough to make contact with all but one we have one
simple mode of carrying out this arrangement.
In both the parallel arc and series systems the block is independent of the
direction in which the preceding train has been moving-but if the preceding train
has been moving back upon the following train although it will stop any following
train it will not itself be stopped. In telpherage this backing is never required.
A backing train can be automatically prevented from running back into a following
one by arranging the mechanism so that when any train runs backwards a block
electromagnet is automatically inserted in what is properly the trailing cross
connection.
The parallel arc system may be worked with a single rope or rail for up trains
and a single rope or rail for down trains by causing the single conductor which
forms the circuit to cross alternately from the up to the down line so that when the
conductor charged positively is on the up side the conductor charged negatively is
on the down side and vice versa. The up and down lines are then divided into
equal length sections as in the series system and the train is of the length of one
section or nearly so. The leading end of the train is say on a positive section and
the trailing cord on a negative section. The blocking of these trains can be carried
out by fixed insulated wires and cross connections in a mode analogous to that
already described.
When trains are of suficient size to carry persons my system of blocking allows
the guard to see when he is overtaking another train or is being overtaken by
it. This he can do by observing whether a current is flowing through either cross
connection. The guard can also test the action of his own mechanism by
temporarily completing a circuit through leading and trailing rubbers and
block wires.
I now pass to the explanation of the means which I employ for the regulation
of the speed at which the train when unchecked, is propelled, or more generally for.
the regulation of the speed of machinery driven electrically.
My object is to provide means by which the speed of any machine or part of a
machine driven by an electrical current may be maintained constant or adjusted
independently of variations in the resistance to be overcome or in the source from
which the electrical energy is derived or in the circuit or in the number of machines
to be driven by that circuit. I have already described some modes of obtaining
this result in my Provisional Specification N° 3007 but I obtain the same result
without the use of relay or electromotor in the following way:- -I gear three
wheels A. B. C in such a manner that A drives B and if the axis of B remains
stationary B drives C; if however the motion of C'is resisted by a force exceeding
a given adjustable amount C remains at rest and the axis of B is displaced; the
arrangement is sometimes called differential gearing. I connect C with some
resistance such as that due to a fan a centrifugal break, a pendulum or the flow of
water through an orifice, such that this resistance increases with the speed at which
the machine to be governed is running.
I oppose another resistance which may be constant or nearly so to the motion of
the axis of B. To B I attach the make and break piece or commutator or other
means of controlling the electrical current supplied to the motor in such a way
that so long as the axis of B remains at rest the full driving current passes through
the motor but when with the increase of speed the resistance to the motion

page_text: of C increases and the axis of B moves, this motion breaks the circuit or reverses
the connections or moves the breaks or short circuits the motor or throws in
resistance; in fine the motion of B is used to effect any desirable change in the
electrical connections.
When the speed has fallen so low that the resistance to the motion of C has again
fallen to the normal amount the axis of B returns to its old position undoing the
change previously made. This is effected by using a spring or weight to resist the
motion of the axis of B.
The axis of B 'moves between two fixed stops which may be put far apart in
order to avoid continual interference with the circuit when running at nearly the
normal speed the make and break piece attached to B may be so arranged as only
to alter the circuit when near to two ends of its travel. It is generally desirable
that the change of mechanical resistance to the motion of C should change largely
with a small change of speed at the critical point and one simple mode of effecting
this change is by using a break governor known as Sir William Thomsons in
which a revolving weight is habitually clear of an external rim but at a given speed
overcomes the resistance of a spring so far as to come in contact with this rim and
as it were put on a break by means of the friction it creates.
In the form of governor last described the effect produced by the governor is
undone when the speed of the machine falls back to the normal desired speed or
a little below it but cases arise in which this is undesirable as some permanent
change may occur in the driving current or in the mechanical resistance to the
driven electromotor as when the gradient of a railway or telephage line
changes and this renders a permanent readjustment of the electrical mechanism
desirable. I then cause a governor to effect this automatically in the following
way-
I arrange a train of wheels A. B. C. in such a manner that A drives B and B
drives C, or vice versa C may drive B and B will then drive A; when B is
turned in one direction it produces an electrical change tending to increase the
speed of the motor. When B is turned in the reverse direction this change is
undone.
I so arrange a centrifugal governor that when the speed is below a certain point
an arm presses against a smooth pulley or surface connected with A and so
drives B in one direction. When the speed is above a certain point the same or
another arm presses against a smooth pulley or surface connected with C and
drives B in the opposite direction but when the speed is intermedia between the
two limits the arm or arms are clear of A and C and B is left at rest. B may
then be employed to shunt or cut out a motor to throw in or out electrical
resistance or to adjust brushes or to adjust an electric field to apply a mechanical
or electrical brake or in fine to produce any change mechanical or electrical which
regulates the speed and in this manner a permanent change may be effected which
which will not be undone when the motor is brought back to the desired speed.
The change may if desired be effected in the driving dynamo instead of in the
receiving motor or in both.
I prefer to arrange this governor as follows. I connect mechanically a regulating
drum or disc with the machine to be controlled. This drum or disc is divided into
two parts insulated from each other a rubber pressing against the drum or disc
alternately makes one of two connections when one is made the motor is driven by
the current, but when the other is made the current is diverted or interrupted so
as not to drive the motor.
The relative length of the driving and non driving connection depends on the
position of the rubber relatively to the drum and this position is shifted in the way
above described by the wheels A B and C.
In order more effectually to guard trains or vehicles from being overtaken by
those which follow I provide apparatus by which a mechanical or electrical brake
is set in operation to arrest a train whenever the time during which the motor of
this train has been deprived of the driving current by any of the means described

page_text: in this or any other Patents exceeds a definite length-the brake is at once
removed when the driving current begins to circulate. The effect of this arrange-
ment is that when the block or governor acts merely to control the speed no power
is wasted in unnecessarily resisting the motion of the train, but if this train runs
past the block for more than a definite number of seconds so as to be in danger of
overtaking the preceding train then the motion of the train is checked not only
by the withdrawal of motive power but by the action of a brake.
When wire ropes are employed as the insulated conductor I employ a special
form of insulator capable of resisting a great strain and also of allowing the ropes
to rock on the point of support and so relieve the supports from inconvenient strain―
the ends of the wire ropes are secured to bent wrought iron pieces clipped to a
circular insulator free to rotate round a central pin.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Fleeming Jenkin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
March 1883.
FLEEMING JENKIN Civil Engineer of 3 Great Stuart Street Edinburgh
"IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MECHANISM FOR TRANSPORTING GOODS AND
PASSENGERS BY THE AID OF ELECTRICITY AND THE REGULATION OF THE SPEED
OF MACHINERY DRIVEN BY ELECTRICITY
"
This Invention has for its object improvements relating to mechanism for
transporting goods and passengers by the aid of electricity and the regulation of
the speed of machinery driven by electricity.
In regulating automatic electrical transport it is desirable in the first place to
adjust the speed of each vehicle or train to a given rate so that the line may be
filled with vehicles all running as nearly as may be at one rate-but since it will
be impossible to make this adjustment of speed absolutely perfect and since
accidental delays or stoppages may occur it is desirable to check any vehicle or
train which may approach too near the preceding train. The minimuin distance
behind the preceding train at which the check will be applied I will call the
minimum interval.
The two parts of my invention relate to means for securing a constant rate of
motion and a definite minimum interval-that part of my invention which applies
to the securing of a constant rate of motion is applicable to all other cases of the
transmission of power by electricity as well as to electrical transport.
First as to the means for securing a definite minimum interval.
In effecting the transport of goods or passengers along rails or ropes by the aid
of electricity it is desirable automatically to regulate the distance between
successive trains or single vehicles and this distance may frequently be much
smaller than would be allowable in the case of trains or vehicles driven by steam.
Several methods have been proposed by which the minimum distance is
determined by automatic blocking, but these methods require that some form of
key or electrical switch should be fixed at frequent intervals along the line, the
mechanism of these electrical switches or keys is worked partly by the direct
mechanical action of a passing train and partly by electrical devices.
The following methods of determining a minimum space interval between trains
or single vehicles require no special keys switches or other moving parts fixed on
the line and will be specially advantageous when the interval between trains or
vehicles is to be small inasmuch as they avoid the multiplication of delicate and
complex pieces of apparatus requiring frequent inspection.
I employ two distinct modifications of my invention to suit the two distinct
systems of electrical transport which I will distinguish as the series system and
the parallel are system.
I will first describe my invention as applied to the series [system in which a
single main conductor is used. This conductor is broken up into sections of equal
length and the train is of the same length as each section. This series system is
described in my Specification No 183082
In this system I secure the desired block or minimum interval by fixing a series
of detached insulated wires or other conductors alongside the main conductor.
These wires or conductors I will call the block wires. In the simplest arrangement
these wires are each of the same length as the sections into which the main con-
ductor is divided and they begin and end at the breaks in the main conductor.
A rubber is provided at each end of the train placing each block wire temporarily,

page_text: in connection with that part of the main conductor which is alongside it. The
connection at the leading end of the train will be called the leading cross connection;
the connection at the trailing end of the train will be called the trailing cross
connection. The trailing cross connection is a simple wire or other conductor.
The leading cross connection includes the coil of an electro magnet the armature of
which is held down when a current passes and is released when no current flows,
I will call this electro magnet the block electro magnet. The movement of the
armature when a current passes is made to arrest the train. This may be done in
various well known ways; for instance, mechanically by allowing a break to act;
or electrically as by cutting out the electro motor on the train or by short circuiting
this electro motor. These or any other desirable electrical or mechanical actions
may be produced directly or they may be produced indirectly by the help of a
relay. So long as only one train is on a given section the block electro magnet is
inoperative but if the leading end of a train enters on a section still occupied by the
trailing end of a preceding train a derived current will flow through the trailing
cross connection of the preceding train the block wire and the leading cross con-
nection of the following train-the electro magnet of the following train will then
act to arrest that train until the preceding train clears the block wire-the following
train will then be driven as before:
Figure 1 shews this method of blocking.
1, 2. 3. 4 are sections of the main conductor to be connected and disconnected by
switches as described in my Patent 1830 1889
a. a. a³. a. are the block wires each of the same length as the sections into
which the main conductor is divided. A and B are two trains Land LB are the
leading cross connections and T and TB are the trailing cross connections. In
Figure 1 the train B is blocked by the action of a derived current flowing through
LB a² and T-One mode in which the electro-magnet acts to cut out the motor is
shewn diagrammatically.
In this simple form my invention is applicable to what I have called telpherage
where the line is intended to convey light vehicles following each other in rapid
succession. The block wires will check any train which tends to gain on those which
precede but if by accident a train were to stop so that its trailing wheel had only
just entered upon a new section the following train might run into it, for the
second train experiences no check until it enters on the section which is occupied
by the trailing wheel of the preceding train. In order to make the block act
with a minimum interval equal to that of one section of the main conductor I
prolong each block wire behind the section it is intended to protect and make each
block wire twice the length of one section of the main conductor-the half of each
block wire at which the train first arrives I will call the second half of the block
wire the other half of the wire I will call the first half.
The rubber of the leading cross connection puts the main conductor into
connection with the second half of one block wire. The rubber of the trailing
cross connection puts the next section of the main conductor into connection with
the second half of the next block wire and also with the first half of a third
block wire.
The block electro-magnet is in the leading cross connection. When a following
train overtakes a preceding one so far as to enter on the section next to that
occupied by the trailing wheel of the preceding one a derived current flows from
the main conductor through the leading cross connection of the second train a
block wire and the trailing cross connection of the first train back to the main
conductor this current will continue to flow if the second train be forced forward
into the same section of the main conductor as is occupied by the trailing wheel of
the first train but the block wire employed will have changed.
Figure 2 shows this arrangement by which the block is made to act with a
minimum interval equal to the length of one section of the main conductor.
1. 2. 3. 4 are sections of the main conductor. a. a. a³. a. a. are block wires twice
the length of one section of the main conductor and arranged by crossing as shown

page_text: in the diagram to make the connections with the leading and trailing cross
connections L and T as described above-The train B is blocked by a derived
current through Ta³ and LB.
The same device may be employed to make the minimum interval twice three
times or n times the length of each section of the main conductor-for this purpose
three four, or n + 1 block wires will be required respectively.
If a polarized electro magnet be used as the block electro magnet the trailing-
cross connection may be that which connects the conductor with only one block
wire while the leading cross connection with the polarized electro magnet must
then be in connection with n block wires.
Thus Figure 2a shews an inversion of the block wires and cross connections
which is an obvious equivalent for the arrangement last explained. The loop in
the leading cross connection in this and some following diagrams represents the
block electro magnet which in Figure 2a would require to be polarized that is to
say only to cut out the motor when the current runs in one direction otherwise in
the position shewn in the Figure both trains would be stopped.
I employ analogous cross connections rubbers and block wires when the general
system of transport is that which I call the parallel arc system. In the parallel arc
system there are two main conductors maintained at different potentials and
successive trains or vehicles are driven by electro motors each of which establishes
a connection between what I will term the positive and negative main conductors.
The wires of the successive electro motors are therefor all in parallel arc between
the main conductors.
I will first describe the application of my invention in its simplest form to the
parallel arc system. The block wires are a series of equal insulated conductors
which may be of any length. Each block wire overlaps those which follow and
precede it to the extent of half their length. The half of each block wire which
precedes the other looking in the direction in which trains pass I will call the first
half. The other portion I will call the second half. This mode of naming the parts
is analogous to that already described for the series system.
Each train or vehicle which requires to be protected has two rubbers insulated
one from the other and placed opposite each other at the same place in the train or
vehicle.
One rubber is always connected with the positive main conductor and the other
with the negative main conductor one rubber which I will call the leading rubber
(although it does not precede the other) puts one main conductor into connection
with the second half of a block wire alongside the main conductor. The other
rubber which I will call the trailing rubber puts the other main conductor in
connection with the first half of a block wire alongside the main conductor. these
two connections will be called the leading and trailing cross connections-the
leading cross connection includes a block electro magnet which acts as already
described for the series system. When the leading rubber of one train enters on
the second half of a block wire the first half of which is connected with the trailing
rubber of a preceding train the block electro magnet arrests the following train for
a current will then flow from one main conductor to the other from the trailing
rubber of the preceding train through the block wire and the leading rubber of the
following train and when the preceding train leaves the block wire the following
train is freed.
Figure 3 shows the application of block wires to the ordinary parallel arc
system P and N are two continuous conductors the motor which propels the train
is driven by a current passing from P to N by means of rubbers which connect the
motor with these rails or main conductors. A and B represent two trains supposed
to be driven in this way in the direction shewn by the arrow. a. a². a³. a. are
block wires arranged as shewn in the diagram-their length is not determinate but
they are habitually equal to one another and the first part of one is necessarily
equal to the second part of that which precedes it. T. TB. and L. LB. are the trailing
and leading cross connections as before it is obvious that the train B is blocked

page_text: by a current flowing through T a² and LB. It would usually be necessary in each
block wire to insert some piece of material such as carbon to prevent the passage of
an excessive current.
This simple method is applicable to telpherage but would not form a perfect
guard to the preceding train for if the following train overshot one half of a block
wire the block would be removed and a collision might occur.
Thus in this figure it will be seen that should the train B notwithstanding the
block move on until LB. leaves a² and touches a. the block will be removed-the
block is therefore in this plan only operative for one half of the block wire.
The block wires might be made so long as to render this over running highly
improbable but the block may be rendered more efficient by increasing the number
of the block wires. As an example let there be three over lapping, block wires
instead of two-each block wire will then consist of three parts called the first
second and third. The leading cross connection will then join a main conductor
through a block electro magnet to the third part of each successive block wire-
the trailing rubber of the train will join the other main conductor to the first part
of one block wire and the second part of the next. A following train will then
be blocked by a preceding one so long as the second train is passing over two thirds
of the length of a block wire and will only be released when within one third of
that length.
The extension of the design by the addition of a third block wire beside the
others is shewn in Figure 4.
If four overlapping block wires are used the block electro magnet acts for a
distance equal to three quarters of each block wire and by increasing the number
of block wires the fraction of the length during which the block operates can be
increased at will. By placing the block wires obliquely between the two parallel
main conductors and letting the trailing rubber be broad enough to make contact
with all but one, we have one simple mode of carrying out this arrangement.
In both the parallel arc and series systems the block is independent of the
direction in which the preceding train has been moving but if the preceding train
has been moving back upon the following train although it will stop any following
train it will not itself be stopped. In telpherage this backing is never required.
A backing train can be automatically prevented from running back into a following
one by arranging the mechanism so that when any train runs backwards a block
electro magnet is automatically inserted in what is properly the trailing cross
connection.
One mode of effecting this automatic insertion would be to have two frictionally
geared wheels as shewn in Figure 3ª lightly pressed together-Wheel A is driven
by the motion of the train so that its motion is reversed when the train backs-the
wheel B has a contact piece by which the block electro-magnet is cut out or put
in. The friction lifts the contact piece during forward motion but depresses it
when the train is reversed. The figure shews the arrangement adapted to the plan
shewn in Figure 3.
· The parallel are system may be worked with a single rope or rail for up trains
and a single rope or rail for down trains by causing the single conductor which
forms the circuit to cross alternately from the up to the down line so that when
the conductor charged positively is on the up side the conductor charged negatively
is on the down side and vice versa. The up and down lines are then divided into
equal length sections as in the series system and the train is of the length of one
section or nearly so. The leading end of the train is say on a positive section and
the trailing end on a negative section.
"
Figure 5 shows this special arrangement of conductors by which the parallel arc
system may be worked with a single rope or rail for up trains and a single rope or
rail for down trains. N. and P. are two continuous conductors insulated from one
another and maintained at different potentials by a dynamo as in the plans shewn
in Figures 3 and 4-these conductors are divided into equal lengths 1. 2. 3. 4 and
5. 6. 7. 8 so supported that 1. 2. 3. 4 etc form a single road along which a train

page_text: having a row of single wheels can run. 5. 6. 7. 8 etc form a second similar road-
the electrical cross connections which cause N to be a continuous conductor 1. 7.3.5
and P to be a continuous conductor 8. 2. 6. 4 are shewn. by dotted lines. These
conductors may be ropes or their equivalent supported by brackets and insulators
on each side of ports placed at c¹. c². c³ c. etc. It is now clear that if trains similar
to those described for my series system in the Patent 1830, 1882 are placed on these
roads they will be driven by currents flowing through the rubbers and motion from
one section to the next as from 4 to 3 or from 6 to 7 and one rope can be used as
an up line and the other as a down line-By preference I place a piece of solid
insulated material to carry the weight of the wheels at the gaps so that the wheels
in passing shall not short circuit the conductors but the same danger may be
provided against in several obvious ways as by insulating the wheels and lifting
the rubbers by a cam at the moment of passing the gaps. By this plan of driving
I combine the advantage derived from the use of the single rope or rail as described
in my Patent of 1830. 1882 with the advantage resulting from the absence of all
switches or keys. In furtherance of the same object I apply my block wires to
this method of driving in the manner shown in Figure 6 which shows only one line
of road with the sections alternately positive and negative. The action by which B
is blocked will be obvious from previous descriptions.
Figure 7 shews a modification of the arrangement by which the train A blocks
train B when the leading wheels of B reach a section already occupied by the
trailing wheels of A.
In this arrangement the leading and trailing cross connections are placed both at
the beginning of the train, but the current through T does not pass through L-the
arrangements of Figure 6 and Figure 7 may be combined and may be reduplicated
so as to protect sections situated further back.
The block electro magnet is in all these contrivances to be understood as a name
used to denote any contrivance set in action by the passage of an electrical current
and having for its object the checking or arresting of the electro motor with its
train the simplest mode of checking the train is by cutting out the motor on the
parallel arc system and by short circuiting it on the series system or on the series
system the motor may be cut out and the circuit joined up without short circuiting
the motor as shown in the diagrams the current may be employed to start a
subsidiary electro motor which puts on a break which is released when the blocking
current ceases these are all well known modes of arresting or checking electro
motors and the invention herein described refers only to the mode of setting the
block in action by means of block wires and trailing and leading connections with
no switches keys or electro magnets on the permanent way.
When trains are of sufficient size to carry persons my system of blocking allows
the guard to see when he is overtaking another train or is being overtaken by it.
This he can do by observing whether a current is flowing through either cross
connection. The guard can also test the action of his own mechanism by temporarily
completing a circuit through leading and trailing rubbers and block wires. For
instance in Figure 3 if by a supplementary insulated metal rubber the guard joins
a and a³, his train should instantly be checked by a current passing through the
two main rubbers of the block system and the block electro magnet. This mode
of checking trains might obviously form a convenient break as well as a mode of
testing the apparatus.
Figure A is a side elevation
Figure B is an end elevation-and
Figure C is a plan shewing a convenient method of mounting these block wires.
a. a. are metal supports fixed by the side of the line, it may be on posts or.
brackets in any convenient position. Each support a carries six vertical pins b. b.
and on the pins, insulators c. c. of pottery ware are fixed The heads of the.
insulators are cylindric and they receive metal caps d. d. To four of these caps
the block wires e. e, e, e, which are strained between the support like ordinary,
telegraph wires are securely attached. As the Drawing shews the wire is led.
:

page_text: terminate at the support. f. f. are bearers for the contact maker or circuit closer
to lead it without concussion from wire to wire.
The circuit closer takes the form of a carriage it is shewn by the Figures
following.
Figure D is a side elevation.
Figure E is an end elevation partly in section and
Figure F is a plan.
g. g. are metal frames, they are connected by the cross bars h. h. and are provided
with metal wheels i. i. The wheels i. i. run on the wires e. e. and the carriage
serves electrically to connect the wires on which it stands. k. k. are side rollers to
prevent the carriage running off the wires.
A light rod not shewn in the Drawing forms the connection between the carriage
and the train drawn by the electro motor.
The carriage described so far connects together the parallel wires on which it
stands, which as already known is what is desired in one of the connections but
in the other it is required that contact should be made with the wires on one side
only. For this purpose the carriage is so made as to insulate its two sides. The
cross bars h. h, are not fixed directly to the metal side frames of the carriage but
to insulators like those in Figures A. B and C and these insulators are carried on
vertical pins provided for them upon the side frames.
I now pass to the explanation of the means which I employ for the regulation
of the speed at which the train when unchecked is propelled or more generally for
the regulation of the speed of machinery driven electrically.
My object is to provide means by which the speed of any machine or part of
a machine driven by an electrical current may be maintained constant or adjusted
independently of variations in the resistance to be overcome or in the source from
which the electrical energy is derived or in the circuit or in the number of machines
to be driven by that circuit. I have already described some modes of obtaining
this result in my Specification N° 3007 but I obtain the same result without the
use of relay or electro motor in the following way I gear three wheels A. B. C in
such a manner that A drives B and if the axis of B remains stationary B drives O
if however the motion of C is resisted by a force exceeding a given adjustable
amount C remains at rest and the axis of B is displaced-the arrangement is
sometimes called differential gearing. I connect C with some resistance such as
that due to a fan a centrifugal break a pendulum or the flow of water through an
orifice such that this resistance increases with the speed at which the machine to
be governed is running.
oppose another resistance which may be constant or nearly so to the motion
of the axis of B. To B I attach the make and break piece or commutator or other
means of controlling the electrical current supplied to the motor in such a way
that so long as the axis of B remains at rest the full driving current passes through
the motor but when with the increase of speed the resistance to the motion of C
increases and the axis of B moves this motion breaks the circuit or reverses
the connections or moves the breaks. or short circuits the motor or throws in
resistance in fine the motion of B is used to effect any desirable change in the
electrical connections.
When the speed has fallen so low that the resistance to the motion of C has
again fallen to the normal amount the axis of B returns to its old position undoing
the change previously made. This is effected by using a spring or weight to resist
the motion of the axis of B.
•
The axis of B moves between two fixed stops which may be put far apart in
order to avoid continual interference with the circuit when running at nearly the
normal speed. The make, and break piece attached to B may be so arranged as
only to alter the circuit when near to two ends of its travel. Figure 8 illustrates
the arrangements described above.

page_text: Let A and C be the pitch lines of two wheels external and internal gearing into
pinion B. A and C are concentric but not on same shaft or one loose on the shaft.
B is centred on the arm D which is pulled against a stop by spring S. A is driven
by motor to be controlled-C is resisted by any resistance which increases with
the speed as by a fan centrifugal arrangement or water governor-then at a certain
speed the arm D will begin to rotate round the centre and will work a make and
break piece m or a commutator M or any other electrical device-The make and
break piece m, may have a slot in it so that the pin indicated only moves it to or
fro when the arm D is near the end of its travel.
It is generally desirable that the change of mechanical resistance to the motion
of C should change largely with a small change of speed at the critical point and
one simple mode of effecting this change is by making C drive a break m governor
known as Sir William Thomson's in which a revolving weight is habitually clear of
an external rim but at a given speed overcomes the resistance of a spring so far as
to come in contact with this rim and as it were put on a break by means of the
friction it creates.
In the form of governor last described the effect produced by the governor is
undone when the speed of the machine falls back to the normal desired speed or a
little below it but cases arise in which this is undesirable as some permanent
change may occur in the driving current or in the mechanical resistance to the
driven electro motor as when the gradient of a railway or telpherage line changes
and this renders a permanent readjustment of the electrical mechanism desirable.
This desirable object may to a certain extent be carried out by the simple slot
arrangement described above and applied to any centrifugal governor but I cause a
governor to effect this automatically with great accuracy in the following way.
I arrange a train of wheels A; B. C in such a manner that A drives B and B
drives C or vice versa, C may drive B and B will then drive A-when B is turned
in one direction it produces an electrical change tending to increase the speed of
the motor. When B is turned in the reverse direction this change is undone.
I so arrange a centrifugal governor that when the speed is below a certain point
an arm presses against a smooth pulley or surface connected with A and so drives B
in one direction. When the speed is above a certain point the same or another
arm presses against a smooth pulley or surface connected with C and drives B in the
opposite direction but when the speed is intermediate between the two limits the
arm or arms are clear of A and C and B is left at rest-B may then be employed
to shunt or cut out a motor to throw in or out electrical resistance or to adjust
brushes or to adjust an electric field to apply a mechanical or electrical break or, in
fine, to produce any change mechanical or electrical which regulates the speed and
in this manner a permanent change may be effected which will not be undone
when the motor is brought back to the desired speed. The change may if desired
be effected in the driving dynamo instead of in the receiving motor or in both.
I prefer to use this governor as follows. I connect mechanically a regulating
drum or disc with the machine to be controlled. This drum or disc is divided into
two parts insulated from each other a rubber pressing against the drum or disc
alternately makes one of two connections-when one is made the motor is driven
by the current but when the other is made the current is diverted or interrupted
so as not to drive the motor.
The relative length of the driving and non driving connection depends on the
position of the rubber relatively to the drum and this position is shifted in the
way above described by the wheels A. B. and C. One form of this governor is
shown in Figure 9. The rubbing pieces D. D. of the balanced centrifugal governor
bear against the smooth surfaces c, or a. as the speed is above or below that required.
When the speed is exactly right, these rubbing pieces run clear. In that case the
wheels A. B. C are all at rest. If the speed is excessive the wheel B is worked by C
if the speed is insufficient the wheel B is worked by A. The shaft of B has a
screw by which a nut M is worked backwards or forwards and is used to produce
the desired change. One mode of making the desired change namely that which I

page_text: prefer is shewn diagrammetrically in the same figure. The insulated brush T
actuated by M rubs on the insulated pieces of a cylinder O and U as shewn-0 is
insulated and U is by another rubber connected with one terminal of a motor Q.
The other terminal of the motor is joined to the dynamo R the other pole of
which is connected with T.
If at one end of the cylinder the piece U goes all round and at the other end
the piece goes all round and at intermediate points the proportions between O
and U gradually vary-the time during which the current is admitted to the motor
will depend on the position of the brush T which is determined by the governor.
The connections for O-U could easily be varied to suit other arrangements in
which an absolute break might not be desirable. This system of cutting off the
current for a fraction of each revolution is not new but the mode of working it so
that the cut off shall be undisturbed so long as the speed remains constant but-
may be permanently varied by a temporary change of speed so as to be different
at different times although the speed may be the same is new.
With this arrange-
ment if the resistance to the motion of the motor decreased tenfold below the
maximum which the motion could overcome when the current was on continually
a slight increase of speed would screw M along until the current was cut off for
about nine tenths of each revolution. When the speed had fallen to the desired
amount in consequence of the withdrawal of the current, the brush T would-be
left in its new position and the machinery would run at the old speed notwith-
standing the great alteration in the conditions.
Another arrangement of the governor by which the desired permanent change
can be made is shewn in Figure 10.
A known mechanical equivalent is substituted for the three wheels A. B. C. In
this arrangement A and C form part of one piece which is capable of small motion
along the shaft under the influence of a balanced governor when the speed is
excessive the smooth surface of A drives B when the speed is deficient the smooth
surface of C drives B in the opposite direction and when the speed is right both
smooth surfaces are clear and B is at rest.
In the limiting or extreme position M might be employed to put on a mechanical
or electrical brake as by making contact with the stop tand this governor can in
this way be employed to put a brake on a train if it continues to run too fast even
after the whole electric current has been cut off. This effect would however be
produced instantly or almost instantly after the current had all been withdrawn.
In order more effectually to guard trains or vehicles from being overtaken by
those which follow I provide apparatus by which a mechanical or electrical brake
is set in operation to arrest a train whenever the time during which the motor of
this train has been deprived of the driving current by any one of the means described
in this or my other patents exceeds a definite length. The brake is at once
removed when the driving current begins to circulate. The effect of this arrange-
ment is that when the block or governor acts merely to control the speed no power
is wasted in unnecessarily resisting the motion of the train, but if this train runs
past the block for more than a definite number of seconds so as to be in danger of
overtaking the preceding train or running too fast then the motion of the train
is checked not only by the withdrawal of motive power but by the action of a
brake.
A mode of carrying out this arrangement is shewn in Figures 11. Let the
piece M be actuated by the governor so as to move downwards when the speed
increases; when this motion has reached the limit at which the speed can be
controlled as already described by cutting off the current entirely a wedge Q actuates
a catch N so as to release the crosshead O. This cross head is pulled downwards
by springs S¹. S. and its motion is resisted by a dash pot P or other contrivance
delaying the motion for the desired time. After the lapse of this time the cross head
O, will fall down nearly to Q and make contact at T so as to apply an electrical
brake the time between the release of the catch and the arrival of O at its
limiting position may be for instance 30" yet when the speed falls the stop Q

page_text: attached to M will as soon as M begins to move back again break the contact at T
and so take off the electrical brake-as M rises it will again set the catch N-the
contact at T may be employed in many obvious ways to arrest the train and indeed
the mere mechanical pressure of the springs St. S. on a quick running wheel instead
of T would in most cases be a sufficient brake. The dash pot P should not resist
the upward movement of O. If a fan were employed instead of the dash pot it
should be driven by the descent of O and not by its ascent.
When wire ropes are employed as the insulated conductor I employ a special
form of insulator capable of resisting a great strain and also of allowing the
ropes to rock on the point of support and so relieve the supports from inconvenient
strain. The ends of the wire ropes are secured in bent wrought iron pieces clipped
to a circular insulator free to rotate round a centre pin.
Figure 12 is a side elevation, Figure 13 a plan and Figure 14 a vertical cross
through the centre of the insulator.
The insulating parts are shewn hatched.
The insulator consists of the following parts. A. A are horns of metal receiving
the wire rope in a shallow groove on the upper side, they are bent at A' round the
main insulating piece D and are again bent back at a. The rope passes betwen A
and D and is also bent back at u. where it can be secured by being lashed to the
horns. The horns can also be bent as shown in plan when the post stands at an
angle.
The two horns are clipped together by straps B. B. which are insulated from them
by insulating packing pieces. A piece of metal F fixed in the main insulator helps
to bridge the gap between the ends of the wire ropes.
The main insulating piece D is carried by a pin G which is supported by a
fork H. The surface of the main insulator near the pin is shielded from the wet
by the outer pieces D'. D'. and by the form of the piece D itself as shewn by the
lines marked d. in the side elevation. The rocking action on the pin G prevents
undue strain from coming on the support H.
The umbrella shape of insulator over the pin insures good insulation for the
whole system from the earth the resistance across the packing pieces is sufficient for
By purpose and the mode of securing the rope is one which is not likely to
cripple it.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the manner of
performing the same I would have it understood that I claim :-
First. The use of fixed insulated block wires or conductors divided into sections
and regulating the intervals between the trains by- operating electrically upon
mechanism on the following train to stop or retard it when the interval becomes
too small and causing it to be driven again as soon as the interval is sufficient.
Second. The use with trains propelled by electric currents transmitted to them
by stationary conductors of leading and trailing connections on the train and
fixed insulated sectional block wires or conductors so arranged that when the
interval between the trains becomes too small a portion of the current passes
through the block wire and connections and brings into operation apparatus on the
following train by which it is stopt or retarded.
Third. The special arrangements of block wires or conductors and connections
for the series systein substantially as described.
Fourth. The special arrangements of block wires or conductors and connections
for the old parallel arc system substantially as described.
Fifth. The special arrangements of block wires or conductors and connections
for my new parallel arc system substantially as described.
Sixth. The automatic insertion of a block electro magnet into the trailing
cross connection or its equivalent to block a train which is running backwards
substantially as described.
Seventh. The arrangement by which a guard can set the blocking system in
action to stop his own train by temporarily completing a circuit through leading
and trailing rubbers and block wires.

page_text: Eighth. The method of propulsion substantially as described in respect to
Figure 5 in which the trains on the line are connected in parallel arc by conductors
arranged in sections corresponding in length with the trains and coupled into a
continuous circuit by cross connections the sections with which the train makes
contact thus being alternately positive and negative.
Ninth The motor governor substantially as described in respect to Figure 8
where differential gear actuates a contact maker in the circuit of the motor and
secures a large opening whenever contact is broken.
Tenth. The motor governors substantially as described in respect to Figures 9
and 10 where when the speed alters from that to which the governor is set a
rotating part is brought into contact with a smooth rim or wheel which it turns by
surface friction and thereby moves a contact maker in the circuit of the motor :to a
new position where it remains when the motor returns to the normal speed.
Eleventh. The combination with a motor governor of a contact maker and a
time regulator in such manner that the contact maker is liberated when the
governor has cut off the current from the motor circuit, such contact maker then
(if the speed remains excessive) after a time interval completing a circuit which
brings into operation a brake or retarding mechanism substantially as described in
respect to Figures 11 of the annexed Drawings.
Twelfth. The method of forming the road for electric locomotives by mounting
ropes or like flexible conductors on rocking insulators to distribute the strain on
the sections on either side of the support as the train passes.
Thirteenth. I claim in mounting ropes or like flexible conductors forming the
road for electric locomotives the employment substantially as described of bent
horn pieces to facilitate passage around curves and over supports.
Fourteenth. I claim my insulator for mounting ropes or like flexible conductors
forming the road for electric locomotives substantially as as described and shewn
in Figures 12. 13. and 14.
In witness whereof I the said Fleeming Jenkin have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twentieth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.