An Improved Method of and Means for Illuminating Road Vehicles Electrically.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Illuminating Road Vehicles
Electrically.
We, FREDRICK COGAN of 56 Great Suffolk Street, Borough, London S.E.
THOMAS WRIGHT of 38 Sckforde Street, Clerkenwell, London E.C. and RICHARD
COLLINS, of 202 Kennington Park Road, London S.E. Electrician, Pianoforte
Tuner, and Corn Merchant, respectively do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of our invention is to provide a means for illuminating cabs, carriages,
and road vehicles generally, by the use of suitable lamps of low voltage, rendered
incandescent by a current of electricity, generated, either by the employment of a
specially constructed primary battery, or secondary cell, placed in any convenient
part of the vehicle, but preferably, in the box forming the seat of the driver,
suitable leads and switches being employed to convey the current to the lamps,
which may be situated either within, or without the vehicle, and arranged so as
to be under the control of the driver, or the passenger, where necessary,
suitable resistance coils may be interposed within the circuit, to regulate the
current.
The primary battery referred to consists of an inner cell, or porous pot, containing
azine plate, or plates, or their equivalents, and charged with dilute acid and
chloride of sodium, or common salt. The outer cell containing a carbon block,
or blocks, plate, or plates, and charged with a compound solution, consisting
of bichromate of potash and dilute acid, or bichromate of soda, potash and dilute
acid.
The secondary cell, or accumulator consists of a number of leaden frames, each
containing a plate, or plates made of protoxide of lead, or litharge, and provided
with a projecting lug, and these when coupled together alternately, form the positive
and negative poles, in the usual way. The containing vessel may be of glass,
porcelain, vulcanite, or other non conducting material, and charged with sulphuric
acid of suitable specific gravity.
Dated this M... 1001
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Illuminating Road Vehicles
Electrically.
We, FREDRICK COGAN, of 56 Great Suffolk Street, London S.E., THOMAS
WRIGHT of 38 Sekforde Street, Clerkenwell, London, E.C. and RICHARD
COLLINS, of 202, Kennington Park Road, London S.E., Electrician, Pianoforte
Tuner, and Corn Merchant, respectively 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:-
Our invention relates to an improved method of and means for illuminating
cabs, carriages, omnibuses, tramcars and other vehicles by the means of an electric
current derived from storage or secondary batteries of special construction located
within and carried by the vehicle to be illuminated, and conveyed therefrom by
suitable leads or wires to incandescent lamps of low voltage placed either within.

page_text: or without the vehicle, or both, and provided with suitable switches within the
reach of the occupant or driver, or both as may be desired.
The secondary or storage battery according to our invention consists of any
number of positive and negative plates constructed in the manner hereinafter
explained, and these by reason of their particular formation, and the small amount
of metal used in forming the frames thereof, enables us to provide a greater surface
of active element than has hitherto been attained, relatively to the size and weight of
the plates, and consequently we are enabled to store a maximum of voltage with
a minimum of cell capacity and weight.
In order that our invention and the manner of carrying out the same may be
fully understood, we have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings, in which
Figs. 1. 2. 3 and 4 are views of the several methods of constructing the plate
frames as employed by us.
Fig. 5 is a view of a carriage body showing by dotted lines the preferable position
of the cells, leads, switches and lamps therein.
In carrying our invention into effect we construct by casting or pressing from
lead or lead alloy the positive plate frame A Fig. 4 with the smallest possible
amount of metal consistent with its size, which may be of any dimensions desired,
and preferably rectangular in plan, the internal edges of which are bevelled to
form a key for holding the element to be placed therein. Upon the inner surface
of the longest dimensions of A. we form two or more pointed projections a a
preferably about central, and opposite to each other, and pointing towards the
centre of the frame. At right angles to these, and upon the shortest dimensions
of A, and the inner surface thereof, we provide projections, also opposite to
each other, and pointing towards the centre of the frame, and upon these
projections au bare formed bevels corresponding to the bevel upon the frame,
and for the same purpose.
The negative plate frames B Figs. 1. 2. and 3 are similarly formed to that of A,
but without the projections a a', and in lieu of these we attach to or form
integrally with B, thin rods or wires of lead or lead alloy, preferably circular in
cross section, and occupying such a position within B, that, their ends impinge
upon the bevel of the frame. The said rods or wires may be either straight and
extend from end to end of Bas at c Fig. 3, or crinkled as at d in the same figure,
or both, as may be desired. Or the said rods or wires may be placed diagonally
within B as at e Fig. 2, or crossed as shown at the right hand lower corner of the
same figure, and may be either straight or crinkled, and when used in cross diagonal
form as shown the latter arrangement may be found preferable. Or the said rods e
may extend across the shortest diameter of B as at Fig. 1, and may be straight or
crinkled as desired. Suitable lugs are provided upon one of the smaller ends
of A and B, and preferably provided with a right or left handed threaded extension g,
to facilitate coupling up in the usual way.
The plates thus formed, both positive and negative, are filled in with a paste
composed of one part, or thereabouts, of carbonate of ammonia and twenty seven
parts, or thereabouts, of protoxide of lead or litharge, and rendered plastic by the
addition of dilute sulphuric acid, and this paste when placed within the frames A,
and B, is smoothed off level with the frames, and the whole placed aside to dry or
set, and when this is attained the positive plates A may be further coated upon cach
side with a paste made of peroxide of lead and water.
The cell or containing.vessel may be of glass, porcelain, vulcanite, stoneware or
any other non-porous and non-conducting acid proof material and the positive and
negative plates prepared as described are then placed alternately within the said
cells and in such a manner that the lugs of the positive plates are as far as possible
from those upon the negative plates, and strips of glass, vulcanite, or other suitable
insulating material may be placed between each plate and its fellow, or ridges may
be formed in the cell in lieu of said pieces to prevent the plates from touching each
other. The cells thus formed are then filled or partly filled with sulphuric acid

page_text: and the plates coupled up in the usual way, and connected to a dynamo or other
electric generator and charged to saturation in the usual manner.
In Fig. 5 we describe the manner in which we employ the said cells for illumi-
nating a cab or brougham, which may be conveniently placed beneath the seat of
the driver as shown by the dotted outline thereof C, and suitable leads carried
therefrom to lamps of low voltage placed within the lanterns of the vehicle, a
suitable switch D being placed in any convenient part of the circuit so as to be
operated by the driver. Or leads may be carried from the same cells C, to lamps E.
and situated in any convenient part of the interior of the vehicle, and the current
controlled by switches within the reach of the occupants. Or in lieu of C, or in
addition thereto, other cells J may be located beneath the seat of the riders, and
leads therefrom be connected to the lamps E. F, controlled by switches G. H. Or
leads may be carried from to the lanterns outside the vehicle, and switches.
arranged within the circuit to be controlled by the rider or driver as desired.
Suitable resistance coils may be interposed between either cells or lamps if needed.
to prevent the bursting of the lamps should the potential of the current be
excessive.
In addition to cabs, carriages, omnibuses, tramcars and other similar vehicles,
our invention may be employed for lighting the first class carriages of railway
trains, when the second and third class carriages are illuminated by oil lamps or
gas, in which case the cells may be placed beneath the seats, and the switches
placed in a position to be operated by the passengers, or in such a position as to be
entirely under the control of the guard, and these could be so arranged as to be
operated upon by him from the outside of the carriage by the use of his pass key.
Or our system may be employed for a like purpose upon velocipedes by carrying a
small cell or cells upon the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is.
1st. In an improved method of and means for illuminating vehicles electrically,
the construction and use of secondary cells or accumulators, consisting of positive
plates A, cast or pressed from lead or lead alloy, with internal bevelled projections a a
band, and lugs y and negative plates B, with straight or crinkled rods or wires,.
also of lead or lead alloy, placed longitudinally, diagonally or transversely therein,
or formed in a like manner integrally therewith, with lugs or couplers g. The
employment of an element consisting of ammonia carbonate and protoxide of lead
or litharge in the proportions stated, or thereabouts, and rendered plastic by the
addition thereto of dilute sulphuric acid and placed within the frames in the manner
set forth, with the addition of a second coating of paste upon the positive
plates A, consisting of peroxide of lead and water, in combination with sulphuric
acid as an electrolyte therefor, and contained within cells of glass porcelain,
stoneware, vulcanite or other non porous non-conducting acid proof material,
substantially as herein described and shown by the appended drawings.
2nd. The method herein described and shown of illuminating road, and other
vehicles by the means of an electric current given off by the discharge of
secondary batteries or accumulators, constructed as set forth in the preceding
claim in combination with suitable lamps, leads, switches and resistance coils,
connecting and operating substantially as and for the purposes stated.
Datad his 10th day of Mouah 1005
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.