Improvements in Electric Railways.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
UUMI LEID DIUITICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railways.
I, JAMES FERGUSON MUNSIE, of 337 Broadway, Brooklyn, in the County of
Kings, State of New York, United States of America, Electrician, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in and appertaining
to clectric railways; whereby the dangers and inconveniences incident to the
customary permanent trolley track-ways for overhead electric railways are
obviated.
In one modification of my invention I effect this purpose by substituting for the
permanent trolley track-way, a track-way made up of separate sections normally in
an upright position. and out of contact with the feeding conductor, said sections
being adapted to be brought into electrical connection with the feeding conductor by
means of a trolley or trolleys upon the car, so as to continuously supply the car
motor circuit from the feeding conductor. The track-way sections therefore offer
the least possible obstruction to the streets, and being normally out of circuit with
the feeding conductor thereby avoiding danger to life and property. They also
serve as lightning conductors to protect adjacent property and the feeding
conductor itself, the track-way sections being normally grounded (either directly
or by means of lightning arresters) through the posts or standards upon which they
are mounted.
In another modification of my invention, I even dispense with the swinging
track sectious, so as to still further minimize the inconveniences of an overhead
trolley track.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 represents a side view of a portion of an electric railway and
its appurtenances constructed and arranged in accordance with one modification
of my invention;
Figure 2 represents an end elevation thereof;
Figure 3 represents a top plan view of one of the track supporting posts or
standards, the track sections being represented as in the lower or current
transmitting position;
Figure 4 represents a section and partial elevation on the line y-y of Figure 2,
illustrating however the terminal position of the track sections;
Figure 5 represents, in detail end elevation, the contact plate which rests upon
the upper portion of the posts or standards;
Figure 6 represents a side view of a portion of an electric railway constructed
and arranged in accordance with another modification;
Figure 7 represents an end clevation thereof;
Figure 8 represents a side elevation and partial section of one of the posts or
standards; and
Figure 9 represents a like view on a plane at right-angles to Figure 8.
I will first describe the invention in connection with the modification shown in
Figures 1 to 5.
Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a conduit for the reception of the feeding
conductor 11, which conductor extends as usual from the positive pole of the
electric generator at the distant station to the end of the line, being provided from
point to point with branch conductors 12, extending upwardly through suitable
metallic posts or standards 13 to metallic contact plates 14. Each metallic contact
plate 14 is mounted upon an insulator whose stem 15 is perforated for the passage

page_text: of the branch conductor and which has a cap 16 overhanging a subjacent cup 17
adapted to be filled with sulphuric acid or other hygroscopic material. The
purpose of this insulator is to maintain the inside of the cap 16 in a dry condition
so as to prevent grounding of the current from the contact plate 14 in wet or
foggy weather.
The contact plate, 14 is provided with downwardly and outwardly projecting
arms 18, and opposite the intervening space between these arms is mounted
upon a projection 19 of the post 13 an insulator 20 of like construction and
material (preferably glass or vulcanite) as the insulator supporting the contact.
plate 14.
Upon the top of the insulator 20 the metallic track section is supported, said
track, section consisting of the main body portion 21, rearward extension 22;
horizontal bend 23 mounted to rock in bearings 24 and dependent arms 25 having a
weight 26. Upon the side of the projection 19 is located a metallic spring 27 in
conductive contact therewith, said spring 27 having a central bend within which
the dependent arm 25 is adapted to rest when this sectional track-way is in the
upright position; so that said track-way when in the upright position will be.
grounded through the post 13.
•
The electrically propelled car is to be provided with the usual motor suitably
geared to the traction wheels and grounded therefrom, and the leading-in wire or
wires of said motor are connected to the metallic spring arms 28 which support the
metallic bar 29. The bar 29 is provided with a series of contacts, preferably
metallic trolleys 30, said trolleys being in line with the track-way sections so as to
come in contact with said sections successively during the progressive movement of
the car.
At the outer ends of the bar 29 beyond the trolleys 30 are mounted-the
trolleys 31 of non-conducting material, whose function is to rock the sections into-
the horizontal position.
The operation is as follows: The several track-way sections are normally in the
upright position; in consequence whereof, they are out of contact with the arms 18
and consequently out of electrical connection with the feeding conductor. At the
same time they are grounded through the post 13 so as to act as lightning.
conductors; thereby being no source of danger, but really a safe-guard to life
and property.
During the forward movement of the car the non-conducting trolley 31 comes in
contact with the track sections 21 and rocks said track sections successively
to a horizontal or substantially horizontal position, as indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 5.
The first effect incident to the rocking downwardly of a track section is to break
connection between it and the ground and the final effect is to bring the track section
and its rearward extension 22 into contact with the arms 18; thereby permitting.
the current from the corresponding branch conductor 12 to pass from the contact
plate 14 to the track section. Consequently as soon as the first of the series
of conducting trolleys makes contact with such track section, the motor is actuated
to drive the car onward. The trolleys therefore ride forward upon the lowered.
track section, until the advance non-conducting trolley 31 comes in contact with the
next succeeding track section, which is thereby lowered in like manner and brought
into circuit with the feeding conductor, and eventually with the motor circuit
as soon as the first of the trolleys 30 touches said track section. It will be
observed that the arrangement is such that the circuit is not broken from the
feeding conductor to the car motor during the forward motion of the trolleys from
one track to another; for the reason that before the last of the series of conducting
trolleys has left one track section, the first of the series comes in contact with the
next succeeding track section, thereby insuring continuity of current supply to the
motor circuit. It will be observed that the extreme ends of the bar 29 are curved
or bent upwardly. I prefer this construction as it enables said ends to act as spring
buffers to take up the shock of impact just before the pulley 31 actually strikes the
track section These bent ends will be provided with facings 32 of non-conducting
material.

page_text: It will of course be understood, that the car is to be supplied with the usual
switches, resistances and other customary appurtenances for varying its speed, for
stopping or starting the car, or for reversing its direction of movement.
As soon as the rear non-conducting trolley 31 leaves the free end of the track
section over which it has just passed, the said track section immediately swings
back to its original upright position by reason of the weight 26, and is caught and
held in place by the central bend of the spring 27 and grounded by said spring
through the post 13.
It is evident that instead of grounding the track sections by establishing actual
electrical contact between said sections when in the upright position and the posts,
that said ground may be established through the intermediacy of lightning arresters
interposed between the posts and the upright track sections.
In the modification shown in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, the arrangement of the
conduit 10 feeding conductor 11, and branch conductors 12 is the same as above
described. The posts or standards 33 likewise carry insulators of similar con-
struction to those carried by the posts 13. Each branch conductor is connected at
its end to a contact plate 34. The contact plate 34 is held in place by a cap-
piece 35 of non-conducting material, said cap-piece being provided with edge
Hanges for supporting a covering plate 36 having similar flanges, and the two
flanges being secured to the cap-piece 16 of the insulator.
Grooved rollers 37 having bent gudgeons 38 are mounted above the insulator,
the said rollers and gudgeons being formed of metal, and being normally held out
of contact with the contact plate 34 by means of the springs 39, but being adapted
to form good contact therewith when depressed in opposition to the springs. The
insulators, and their rollers are protected by means of a hood 40 having arms 41
bolted to the post or standard.
In Figs. 6 and 7, I have indicated the manner of utilizing the invention for the
propulsion of electrically operated cars. These cars, as 42, may conveniently be
connected by draw-bars or couplers of any suitable character, to form a train, or,
(if of sufficient length with respect to the distance between adjacent standards)
may be used singly. If made up in the form of a train, each car may have its
own electric. motor, suitably geared to the traction wheel axis; or, any one or
more of the cars may be provided with such motor and the remaining car or
cars, in such event, be drawn by the motor car. If a single car only is used,
instead of a train, it must of course, in all cases, be provided with an electric
motor.
The leading-in wire of the electric motor or motors of the car or cars is
electrically connected to a contact bar 43 (made up in sections electrically connected,
where two or more cars are used) said contact bar being suspended from the roof
of the car or cars by means of spring arms 44, which may themselves constitute
the electrical connection to the leading-in wire or wires. It will be noted that the
ends of the contact bar are curved or bent upwardly, and that the bar itself
projects outwardly from the car to a sufficient distance to range itself in line with
the series of grooved rollers 37. It will, of course, be understood that the outgoing
wires of the electric motors are grounded through the traction wheels so that said
motors when in circuit with the positive conductor through the instrumentality of
any of the contact rollers 37 and the contact bar 43 and leading-in wire, will be
operated by the current to drive the car.
The operation will be readily understood: When the upturned end of the
contact bar 43, in the forward movement of the car, enters the groove or tread of
the roller 37 in advance of it, the said upturned end depresses the rollers against
the upward tendency of the spring 39, thereby bringing the bent gudgeon 38 in
contact with the contact plate 34. Electrical connection is thereby established
from the underground positive conductor through the electric motor, the current
passing upwardly from the corresponding branch conductor to the contact plate 34,
and through the gudgeon 38, roller 37, contact bar 43, spring arm or arms 44, and
leading-in wires through the motor to the ground. The motor or motors will

page_text: consequently propel the car or cars forward, the contact bar 43 running. in the
roller groove and maintaining contact between the bent gudgeons 38 and contact
plate 34.
-
When the rear end of the contact bar is about to leave the roller upon which
the contact bar has been running, the forward end of the bar enters the groove of
the roller next in advance and establishes electrical connection with the positive
conductors of the underground conduit by means of said roller and its contact
plate, before the circuit is broken at the first roller. The supply of current to the
electric motors is therefore continuous during the car's travel, the rate of speed of
the motor being determined in any usual manner, as for instance, by throwing in
or out resistances in the motor circuit, and the car being stopped when desired by
breaking said circuit by means of a switch or the like on the car itself. These
appliances being well understood in the art it is not necessary to describe or show
them in detail.
It will, of course, be evident that by reversing the motor car the train may be
propelled in the opposite direction; for this purpose, both ends of the contact
bar 43 are provided with an upward curve.
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 an electric railway, the combination with the feeding conductor, of a
trolley track consisting of a series of sections suspended in an upright position and
adapted to swing downwardly; substantially as described.
2. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeding conductor, of a
trolley track consisting of a series of sections suspended in an upright position and
adapted to swing downwardly, said sections being normally out of conductive
connection with the feeding conductor; substantially as described.
3. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeding conductor, of a
trolley track consisting of a series of sections suspended in an upright position and
adapted to swing downwardly, said sections being normally out of conductive
connection with the feeding conductor, and grounded; substantially as described.
4. In an electric railway, the combination with the main feeding conductor and
its branch conductors, of contact plates connected to the terminals of the branch
conductors, and a trolley track consisting of a series of sections suspended in an
upright position out of conductive contact with said contact plates, and adapted,
when swung downwardly, to complete connection with said contact plates; sub-
stantially as described.
5. In an electric railway, a car provided with a series of trolleys mounted upon
its upper portion, the terminal members of the series being of insulating material
and the intermediate ones of conductive material; substantially as described.
6. In an electric railway, the combination with the supply or feeding conductor,
of a contact normally out of electrical connection with said feeding conductor,
and means mounted upon the car for bringing said contact into electrical con-
nection with the feeding conductor, said means being located in the motor circuit
of the car; substantially as described.
7. An electric railway comprising a feeding conductor, a series of branch con-
ductors extending therefrom and separated by intervening spaces, contacts normally
out of electrical connection with said branch conductors and a bar mounted upon
the car and in the motor circuit of the car, said bar being adapted to bring said
contacts successively into electrical connection with the branch conductors; sub-
stantially as described.
8. An electric railway, comprising a feeding conductor, a series of branch con-
ductors extending therefrom and separated by intervening spaces, contacts normally
out of electrical connection with said branch conductors and a bar mounted upou
the car and in the motor circuit of the car, said bar being adapted to bring said
contacts successively into electrical connection with the branch conductors and

page_text: being of a length greater than the distance between adjacent contacts; substantially.
as described.
9. An electric railway comprising a conduit, a feeding conductor located within
said conduit, a series of posts located at distances apart from each other along the
line, branch conductors located within said posts, contacts mounted upon the posts
and normally out of electrical connection with the branch conductors, and means
substantially as described mounted upon the car for bringing said contacts suc-
cessively into electrical connection with the branch conductors; substantially as
described.
10. An electric railway comprising a conduit, a feeding conductor located within
said conduit, a series of posts located at distances apart from each other along the
line, branch conductors located within said posts terminal plates for said branch
conductors, insulators upon which said terminal plates are mounted, contact rollers
normally out of electrical connection with said terminal plates, and means sub-
stantially as described mounted upon the car for bringing said contact rollers
successively into electrical connection with said terminal plates; substantially as
described.
Dated th: 50th ... M. 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.