A Method of Propelling Vehicles over Moderate Distances and Apparatus for that purpose
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec.,
1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"A Method of Propelling Vehicles over Moderate Distances and
Apparatus for that purpose."
I, WILLIAM WALKER, of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, in the County of York, Mining
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be as follows:-
My invention relates to means of propelling trucks, cars, or other vehicles over
moderate distances such as several hundred yards, as for example in conveying
coals or other minerals in mines or carrying goods or passengers along short
tramways.
For this purpose I propel the vehicle by an electro-motor supplied with
electricity by a flexible insulated conductor which is 'coiled off and on a drum
situated preferably about midway of the course and having a conducting con-
nection to a dynamo machine or other source of electricity. To the drum is at-
tached a rope carrying a weight; as the conductor is unwound from the drum by
the pull of the vehicle, the rope is wound on raising the weight, and when the
vehicle gives out slack of the conductor, the weight descends winding the conductor
on the drum again. Along the side of the track are arranged rollers on which the
conductor travels as it is pulled the one way by the vehicle and the other way by
the drum.
The drum may be mounted on the vehicle itself the conductor in that case being
led to a stationary electrical connection about midway of the course.
Dated this 26th day of February 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
"A Method of Propelling Vehicles over Moderate Distances and
Apparatus for that purpose."
I, WILLIAM WALKER, of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, in the County of York, Mining
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:-
My invention relates to means of propelling trucks, car or other vehicles over
moderate distances such as several hundred yards, as for example in conveying coals
or other minerals in mines or carrying goods or passengers along short tramways.
For this purpose I propel the vehicle by an electromotor supplied with electricity
by a flexible insulated conductor which is coiled off and on a drum situated pre-
071

page_text: ferably about midway of the course and having a conducting connection to a
dynamo machine or other source of electricity.
To the drum is attached a rope carrying a weight; as the conductor is unwound
from the drum by the pull of the vehicle, the rope is wound on it raising the
weight, and when the vehicle gives out slack of the conductor, the weight
descends winding the conductor on the 'drum again.
Along the side of the track are arranged rollers on which the conductor travels
as it is pulled the one way by the vehicle and the other way by the drum.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention as it may be applied in
the workings of a coal or other mine.
Fig. 1 is a plan of part of a mine,
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the drum and weight with an end view of the truck,
and Fig. 3 is a plan of the drum and truck. The drum D is mounted in any
convenient part of the mine adjoining the rails R for trucks T. On the drum is
wound the electrical conductor C which is attached to the motor truck and con-
nected to the electro motor M on the truck. On the axis of the drum is a barrel
B on which is wound a rope connected to a weight W having wheels running on
inclined rails. Also on the axis of the drum are contact rings with brushes E
through which electric currents are communicated from a source of electricity to
the conductor C. As the truck moves away from the drum it unwinds the con-
ductor from the drum causing it to revolve drawing up the weight W; and when
the truck moves towards the drum the weight W descending turns the drum
winding the conductor on it.
Suitable guide pulleys P are mounted beside the drums to give direction to the
conductor which is supported on rollers Q mounted at suitable intervals along
the track.
The drum may be mounted on the vehicle itself the conductor in that case being
led to a stationary electrical connection about midway of the course, and the drum
connected to the motor by a clutch and provided with a brake so that when the truck
moves towards the stationary electrical connection the drum is caused by the motor
to revolve winding the conductor on it, and when the truck moves away from
the connection the drum is caused to revolve by the unwinding of the conductor
at a speed controlled by the brake.
Over some portion of the track it may be convenient to carry an exposed over-
head conductor the truck being provided with a trolley collector operating as for
many electrical tramways. On reaching the end of the overhead conductor the
conductor wound on the drum might be connected to it, so that the truck could
proceed a farther distance, unwinding the conductor from the drum, and could re-
turn winding it on again until it reached the over-head conductor; the conductor
on the drum would then be detached from the overhead conductor and the trolley
conductor would be put in action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed,
1. The herein described method of propelling a vehicle over moderate distances
by employing an electro motor on the vehicle connected with a source of electricity
by a flexible conductor wound on and off a drum as the vehicle proceeds in the one
or the other direction.
2. For propelling a vehicle as above set forth, apparatus arranged and operating
substantially as described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.