Improvements in Electrical Communication on Railway Trains.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr. 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Communication on Railway Trains.
I, ALEXANDER SHIELS, of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B.C.M., B.Sc., do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to electrical communication on trains, and it has for its
object to utilize the "Westinghouse' "vacuum
or other brake connections
"
between the carriages, or the safety chains, in connection with the system.
In carrying out my invention, I use electric wires, arranged in what is known
as the "Shiels and Elliott" system, but instead of having a special electric coupling
between the carriages, I use the ordinary couplings. In a train, having a con-
tinuous brake system of the " Westinghouse" or "vacuum" type, I lead one of
the wires, say the positive one, along or inside of the flexible connection between
the carriages and the brake coupling. The wire is soldered or otherwise suitably
fitted to or in the coupling, and so that, when the brake coupling is joined together,
the wire from each carriage shall be held and retained in contact, so as to form a
continuous electrical connection. The other wire, say the negative one, is preferably
divided into two branches, and one of these branches is led along or twisted round
one of the safety chains, whilst the other branch is led along or twisted round the
other safety chain. The ends of the branch wires of each carriage are soldered or
otherwise suitably attached to the connecting hooks. The connecting hooks may
have a nickel, gun-metal or other good-conducting bearing surface, so as to
ensure the transmission of the electric current when the chains are hooked together.
By this arrangement, when the carriages are coupled together in the ordinary
manner, the electrical connections are completed, the brake coupling carrying the
positive wire, and the safety chains the negative wire.
In cases where two brake systems are in use on the carriages, say the
"Westinghouse" and also the "vacuum," I may arrange the electric wires as
follows: The positive wire is, in this case, preferably, branched, and one branch
is led through or along the "Westinghouse" coupling, whilst the other branch is
led through or along the "vacuum" coupling. The negative wire is branched and
led through the safety chains, in a manner similar to that already described. By
branching the positive wire, as aforesaid, the electrical connections are made, no
matter whether the "Westinghouse" brake alone is used, or the "vacuum."
If desired, the chains may be alone used for carrying the wires.
"
The chain hooks may be made of a metal, or a combination of metals, that would
increase their electrical conductivity. The hooks may also be made with grinding
surfaces, so as to ensure an electrical contact. The chain connections are,
however, so made that they would not at all interfere with the non-clectrical uses
of the chains.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70. Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70. Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
1. D. F
70. Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Communication on Railway Trains.
J, ALEXANDER SHIELS, of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B.C.M., B.Sc., 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 electrical communication on trains and it has for its

page_text: "
object to utilize the "Westinghouse," vacuum, or other brake connections.
between the carriages, or the safety chains, in connection with the system.
In carrying out my invention, I use electric wires, arranged in what is known as
the" Shiels and Elliot " system, but instead of having a special electric coupling
between the carriages, I use the ordinary couplings. In a train having a con-
tinuous brake system of the "Westinghouse" or "vacuum" type, I lead one of the
wires, say the positive one, along or inside the flexible brake connection and
coupling between the carriages. The wire is soldered or otherwise suitably fitted
to or in the coupling, and so that, when the brake coupling is joined together, the
wire from each carriage shall be held and retained in contact, so as to form a con-
tinuous electrical connection. The other wire, say the negative one, is preferably
divided into two branches, and one of these branches is led along or twisted round
one of the safety chains, whilst the other branch is led along or twisted round the
other safety chain. The ends of the branch wires of each carriage are soldered
or otherwise suitably attached to the connecting hooks. The connecting hooks
may have a nickel, gun-metal or other good-conducting bearing surface, so as to
ensure the transmission of the electric current when the chains are hooked together.
By this arrangement, when the carriages are coupled together in the ordinary
manner, the electrical connections are completed, the brake coupling carrying the
positive wire, and the safety chains the negative wire.
In cases where two brake systems are in use on the carriages, say the "Westing-
house" and also the "vacuum," I may arrange the electric wires as follows:-The
positive wire is, in this case, preferably, branched, and one branch is led through
or along the "Westinghouse" coupling, whilst the other branch is led through or
along the "vacuum" coupling. The negative wire is branched and led through
the safety chains, in a manner similar to that already described. By branching
the positive wire, as aforesaid, the electrical connections are made, no matter
whether the "Westinghouse" brake alone is used, or the "vacuum."
If desired, the chains may be alone used for carrying the wires.
The chain hooks may be made of metal, or a combination of metals, that would
increase their electrical conductivity. The hooks may also be made with grinding
surfaces, so as to ensure an electrical contact. The chain connections are,
however, so made that they would not at all interfere with their non-electrical
uses.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a part of a train.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the train, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a safety chain and electrical connections.
Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the hooks of the chain.
Fig. 5 is a section of a Westinghouse" coupling, with electrical connections.
Fig. 6 is a section of a vacuum brake coupling, with electrical connections.
Referring to the drawings, whereon the same reference letters, wherever
repeated, indicate similar or like parts :--
66
a are the carriages; bare the compartments; c the partitions between the com-
partments; the safety chains; e the vacuum brake couplings;
/ the
"Westinghouse" brake couplings; g is a chain hook; the dotted line represents
the negative wire of the electric circuit, and the full line i represents the positive
wire of the electric circuit. j represents the well-known "Shiels and Elliot"
signalling push knobs or circuit closers fitted in the compartments of the carriages.
As will be seen on the drawings, the train is shown as fitted with both
vacuum" and Westinghouse "brake couplings. It will be also noted that the
negative wire his branched, one branch passing through the vacuum couplings e,
and the other branch passing through the " Westinghouse" couplings. The
positive wire is likewise branched, the branches i and , passing along the safety
chains.
-6
The positive wire, as shown at Fig. 3, is led along the safety chains and then

page_text: twisted round and soldered to the hook g, as shown at Fig. 4.
The wire passes.
along the hook to the contact piece k, which may be made of nickel or gun-metal
and is preferably fitted round the hook or let into a recess in it. If the positive
lead is a cable, it may be threaded through the links or be twisted round the
safety chains. The branches of the negative wire or lead are led along or up the
flexible brake connections and are soldered to the couplings, as shown at Figs. 5
and 6.
The system of electrical circuits adopted for ringing the bells, is the same as
that set forth in the Specification of my prior Patent, Number 1096 of 1892.
If so desired, the positive branches may be led through the couplings, and the
negative branches through the safety chains.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In electrical communication on trains, making the electrical connections
between the carriages, by means of the brake coupling and the safety chains, sub-
stantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In electrical communication on trains, branching the positive and negative
leads, and carrying the branches through or along the couplings and safety chains,.
substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 18th day of January 1893.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.