Improvements in Controlling Apparatus for Electrically Propelled Railway Trains.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1895-Accepted, 24:h May, 1895
DI MUTUA
[Communicated from abroad by Messrs. SIEMENS & HALSKE, of Berlin, in the
German Empire, Electrical Engineers.]
Improvements in Controlling Apparatus for Electrically Propelled
Railway Trains.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED, of 12 Queen Anne's Gate,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to arrangements of the switch apparatus for controlling
the working of electrically propelled vehicles in such a manner that
1st. The electric motor or motors of each vehicle can be thrown into and out of
action from both ends of the vehicle without duplication of the switch apparatus
provided for the purpose; and
2nd. The working of the electric motors of several vehicles coupled together to
form a
train, can be controlled from the adjacent vehicles, so that, in such trains,
all the manipulations necessary for controlling the running of an entire train can
be effected from any desired point of the train.
The arrangements for effecting this object are represented on the accompanying
diagrams:-
Fig.
is a plan of the end portion of one of the vehicles ;
Fig. 2 is a plan of the coupling,
Fig. 2B is a side view of two coupled vehicles,
Figs. 3ª and 38 are end views shewing the controlling lever in two different
positions.
Under the car floor, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, is arranged a longitudinal
shaft J, which may be termed the switch shaft. It can be rotated in either
direction by means of a lever N (Figs. 34 and 3B) which is provided with a socket
so that it can be fixed as desired at the frout or at the rear end of the car on
pins t. To this shaft are connected the switch apparatus necessary for controlling
the operation of the electric motor in such a manner that the motor rotates in one
direction when the shaft is turned towards one side, and in the opposite direction
when the shaft is turned towards the opposite side. The arrangement of the
switch apparatus connected to the switch shaft may be such as is usually employed.
When a number of cars are combined to form a train as shewn in Fig. 2, the
switch shafts J projecting from the ends of the cars are coupled together by means
of connections (Fig. 2) in such a manner that the rotation of the switch shaft
on one of the cars produces a corresponding rotation of the switch shafts on the
other cars.
Thus the working of all the electric motors T of the train are
controlled from one point. The coupling of the switch shafts must be such
as to allow for variations of distance, of height and altitude resulting from the
curves of the track.
Fig. 2 shews a simple coupling which fulfils these conditions. The ends of the
switch shafts J have longitudinal slots n in which are inserted cylindrical pins s
projecting from a connecting link b.
Figs. 34 and 3B illustrate the manner in which the switch shaft J may be
connected with the switch apparatus of the motor.

page_text: The switch apparatus (of which only one is provided for each motor) is mounted
on the transverse wall of the car. They consist of a permanently included
resistance R, of a cut out device K K₁, such as is described in the Specification
No. 14647 of 1892, which automatically breaks the circuit when the current
strength becomes too great, and of a starting resistance R' R' the two stages of
which can be short circuited successively by means of the pairs of carbon
contacts K' K₁₁, K² K¹.
2"
On the switch shaft J is fixed a sector D having in its middle a projection v,
vertically above which is a roller r mounted on a lever L which is pivotted at Q
and carries the carbon contact K₁ of the cut out device.
When the lever N which moves the switch shaft is vertical, and consequently
the sector D is in its middle position, the roller bearing upon the projection v,
K' is raised away from K.
On
When the switch axle is turned by the lever N to right or left, v is moved away
from under r, the lever L descends, and the carbons K and K come in contact.
The current then flows from the current collector through the starting
resistance R2 R1, the solenoid S and the carbons K' and K of the cut out device,
and through the resistance R to the motor T and thence to the return lead.
farther turning the shaft J and sector D, one of the two rollers e¹ and e2 mounted
on D raises the lever (which is pivotted at p) so as to bring first the carbons
K and K into contact, cutting out the resistance R¹. On still farther turning J
the lever a is raised still further, until finally K', and K' come in contact, and the
resistance R2 is also cut out.
The current now flows from the current collector through K, K2, the lever a,
and from the pivot p of the latter to the cut out devices K K, and finally to the
motor.
If the starting resistance R' R² be cut out too quickly, so that the current
strength increases beyond the allowable limit, an iron core fixed to the upper end
of the carbon K₁ becomes drawn into the coil S of the cut out device.
By this means the current is either completely interrupted or at least reduced to
the allowable strength by the resistance of the are produced between K and K₁.
For reversing the direction of travel, there is on the motor a current reversing
device C which is worked from the switch shaft J. The course of the current is
shewn in Fig. 2. From the conductor L¹ the current is led by means of the
current collector to the cut out apparatus which in Fig. 2B is indicated at F¹ or F3;
the current passes thence through the current reversing device C to the motor T,
and thence to the rail return lead L.
gear.
Fig. 2B also shows the manner in which a train of electrically propelled cars can
be braked from one point. The several cars are for this purpose assumed to be
fitted with spring brakes (not shewn in the drawing) which are applied as soon as
the springs are released. A special motor M is provided for putting the springs
under strain, that is to say, for releasing the brakes. When a current passes through
this motor, it begins to revolve, and coils up on its axle a chain fixed to the brake
As soon as the power of the springs is equal to the torque of the motor,
the motor stops, keeping the brake out of action. Each of the motors M is
connected to a special conductor branching off from the main or working current
conductors (which are supplied at Z2 and "Z) at 13. All the conductors of the
several cars are connected together by means of suitable couplings V to form a
through conductor. If this, and consequently the current passing through it be
interrupted at any point, the torque of all the motors M on the cars behind this
point ceases, and the brake springs apply all the brakes on these cars simul-
taneously, all the armatures of their motors M being rotated backwards. The
make and break of the circuits for the purpose of taking off and putting on the
brakes is effected by means of brake-cutting-out devices (A 6' A ³ etc.). Such a
brake-cutting-out device must be provided on the platform of each car, as any car
may happen to be the foremost of the train. But of all the brake-cutting-out
devices Ab there is at any one time connected to the brake conductor by a

page_text: collector U only that one which can be operated by the car driver. Thus in
Fig. 2B the cutting-out-device A b¹ is the one which is connected by means of UI
to the brake conductors. The other cutting-out-devices A 62 A 63 A 6 are not
connected with the brake circuit so that there cannot be an unauthorised operation
of the brakes by persons situated on one of the other platforms. For travelling
in the opposite direction the connection at U¹ has to be opened, and that at U* has
to be closed, so that in this case the brakes can only be applied from A 6*.
By means of resistances arranged in stages in the cutting out devices A b, a
partial braking effect can be produced by weakening the working current of the
brake motors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
A controlling apparatus for electric railway trains wherein longitudinal con-
trolling shafts are coupled together in such a manner as to allow freedom of lateral
motion, the controlling operation being thus effected simultaneously for the whole
train from any one car substantially as described.
D
f Monch 1905
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.