Improvements in the Lighting of Railway Trains by Electricity.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Lighting of Railway Trains by Electricity.
I ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of No. 2 Great George Street, Westminster, London,
S.W., Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
The objects of my invention are to decrease the weight of batteries in each vehicle
and to effect economy in the cost of lighting.
With these objects in view 1 put a large battery in a guards van or other suitable
vehicle and light the train or any convenient number of vehicles from it by means of
main lighting lamps and suitable leads and couplers and switches. This enables me
to use lamps of high voltage and strong candle power.
But as any vehicle or vehicles may be slipped or break loose from the main battery
I put as stated and explained in my previous Patent No. 750699 a small battery
in each vehicle (to be electrically lighted) together with small auxiliary lamps and
these lamps automatically light up in any vehicle or vehicles which break loose or are
separated from the main lighting circuit and further the guard or other official has the
power by means of a special switch to turn on the small or auxiliary batteries circuits
to light the auxiliary lamps. When he finds it necessary as for instance in the day-
time in going through a tunnel or at night when the main circuit is not on.
The main battery and also the auxiliary batteries are charged by a dynamo which is
driven from an axle or axles of any vehicle or the small batteries may be charged from
the large battery. And I may charge the large battery and also the small ones from
a stationary dynamo or a dynamo not fitted on the train. Or I may use a primary
battery.
Doted this Tmentinth day of Waha 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Lighting of Railway Trains by Electricity.
I ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of No. 2 Great George Street Westminster London
S.W. Civil 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 :—
The objects of my invention are to decrease the weight of batteries in each vehicle
and to effect economy in the cost of lighting.
With these objects in view I put a large battery in a guard's van or other suitable
vehicle and light the train or any convenient number of vehicles from it by means of
main lighting lamps and suitable leads and couplers and switches. This enables me
to use lamps of high voltage and strong candle power.
But as any vehicle or vehicles may be slipped or break loose from the main battery
I put as stated and explained in my previous Patent No. 7506 a small battery in
each vehicle (to be electrically lighted) together with small auxiliary lamps and these
lamps automatically light up in any vehicle or vehicles which break loose or are
separated from the main lighting circuit and further the guard or other official has
the power by means of a special switch to turn on the small or auxiliary battery
circuits to light the auxiliary lamps when he finds it necessary as for instance
in the daytime in going through a tunnel or at night when the main circuit is
not on.
The main battery and also the auxiliary batteries are charged by a dynamo which
is driven from an axle or axles of any vehicle or the small batteries may be charged from
the large battery and I may charge the large battery and also the small ones from a
ID 21

page_text: stationary dynamo or a dynamo not fitted on the train or I may use a primary
battery.
In order to make the invention more clearly understood the following description of
the drawings attached hereto is added.
Fig. 1 is a diagram of the general arrangement.
I do not show any dynamo as the batteries may any or all of them be charged
from a stationary dynamo whilst they are on the vehicles or they may be changed.
I profer however to charge the small batteries from the large one or a dynamo may
be used which is driven from the axle or driven by a special engine using steam from
the locomotive or a special boiler.
The through leads A B C D and E are used as follows A is the general negative.
There may be more than one. B is the communication positive with pull or push p
and bell t. This lead and its system need not be used. C is the main through
positive from the main battery B to the lighting circuit c, c, the main lamps / l-all
the lamps are shown in parallel though they may be arranged in series or part in each
way if necessary.
Ď is the auxiliary lighting through positive lead and E is the auxiliary battery
through lead.
This latter serves two purposes-it conveys the charging current to the auxiliary
batteries b, and if the switches S S and D2 are closed all the auxiliary batteries are
placed in circuit with the auxiliary lamps. One return wire only is shown from
the two sets of lamps.
The system works as follows if the switches s' s³ and 8 are closed the main battery B
through lead C lights the main high voltage lamps l. 1. If the switch is closed the
small batteries b, 6 are charged. If the switches S. S*S* are closed the batteries b. b
light the lamps 11, 11.
If however a carriage (or any number) is detached from the main circuit by the
couplers at X X coming apart-the small springs shown at i, i join automatically the
leads D and E and thus the auxiliary batteries light up the auxiliary lamps ¹¹ only
when S is closed. These two leads D and E are again automatically disjoined when
the couplers X X are joined together.
This arrangement insures all vehicles being lit at all times when required provided
the batteries leads &c. &c. are in working order.
This is effected with a minimum of weight a minimum of cost and a minimum
expenditure of electricity.
The Figs. 2. 3 and 4 show the couplers Fig. 2 shows one half in end elevation
Fig. 3 the same in longitudinal section and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan. O is the case
of any suitable metal or hard material-preferably non-oxidisable. h. h are holes
through which the pin or bolt p on the opposite side enters. A B C D E are the
conducting strips which correspond to the leads described above and shown in the
diagram Fig. 1. They are all hinged on the pin p' and have springs s. s attached to
them which keep them against the corresponding strips in the other half coupler when
joined up. When the half coupler is free as shown in Fig. 4 the strips press against
the pin p. When a pair of couplers are joined the strips are in position as shown in
Fig. 4 and the projection n is useful to hold the pair together.
The pin p¹ is insulated through its whole length with insulating material m. but the
pin p is insulated only where the conducting strips have to be insulated from each
other and as D and E have to be, as explained short circuited, when a pair of
couplers are separated the pin p opposite them see Fig. 2 is covered with conducting
material while the top part is covered with insulating material m¹. There are
holes e. e shown in the rear ends of the strips for the purpose of making junction
with the through leads. The springs s. 8 press against insulating material m³.
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 1
claim is :-
First-The use in lighting railway trains of a main battery of any available kind

page_text: and main lamps in conjuction with auxiliary batteries and auxiliary lamps substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described.
Secondly: In lighting railway trains the use of a main battery charged in any
convenient way and main lamps in conjunction with auxiliary batteries charged in
any convenient way and auxiliary lamps together with the necessary leads switches
and couplers substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twentieth day of November 1890.
TIMMIS.
1. A. TIM