Improvements in and relating to Surface Contact Electric Railway Systems, Electric Cars and their Equipment, and Automatic Switches for use therewith.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Surface Contact Electric Railway
Systems, Electric Cars and their Equipment, and Automatic
Switches for use therewith.
We, THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY, LIMITED, of 83, Cannon
Street, in the City of London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (which has been communicated to us from abroad by Edward
M. Hewlett, of Schenectady, County of Schenectady, State of New York, United
States of America) and in "what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Y
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This invention relates to surface contact railway systems; and has particular
reference to those systems which have occasion to reverse the car at the ends of
the road, so that the car may always run with the same end in front. It will be
found most useful in roads in which a "Y" is provided, by means of which the
car is turned. In the "
a dead space (having no contacts supplying current)
is left, across which the car drifts. While passing this dead space, the connec-
tions of the moving contacts on the car are to be changed so that what was before
the positive sliding contact becomes the negative, and vice versa, thus the two
shoes or contacts co-operate with the proper sets of surface contacts in the roadway
to operate the car and the usual electro-magnetic switches. The latter being
operated by a storage battery under some circumstances, it becomes also necessary
to change the connections of the battery so that current may pass through it in
the proper direction to energize the switches.
To accomplish the objects of this part of the invention, in addition to the
ordinary shoes or sliding contacts, auxiliary contacts are provided carried upon
and moving with the car, and so arranged that contact with a part of the road
structure will act automatically to shift the connections of the shoes and of the
battery. This may be done in many ways, some of which are illustrated in the
drawings attached. It may be done by momentarily connecting two shoes by a
metallic piece in the roadway; by utilizing one of the main shoes as one part of
the circuit; by completing a grounded circuit by contact between one of the
shoes and ground; or in other ways which will readily occur to engineers from
study of this specification. In circuit with the shoes are arranged coils and suit-
able connections operating the switch to accomplish the purposes above referred to.
Another part of the invention relates to the storage battery and its connec-
tions, commonly provided in systems of the general type described. It is desirable
for many reasons to use a low potential battery, and it is also ordinarily desir-
able that this battery should be charged by the line current. It becomes necessary
therefore to provide a resistance in circuit with the battery so that the proper
potential may be used in charging it. For this purpose it is preferred to use a
portion of the ordinary working resistance of the car, which is used in regulating
the speed of the motors. Ordinarily in starting or getting up speed, a very
large current flows, it being necessary to waste a portion of the energy in the
resistance. The controlling apparatus is so arranged that at the moment of
D

page_text: starting the storage battery is in series with the motors, and in multiple with
a portion of the motor resistance, adjusted to the proper amount to permit current
to flow through the battery at a suitable charging potential. As the car acquires
speed however the large current is cut down by the motors; at this time according
to the invention the storage battery is cut out so that it ceases to take current
from the line.
The arrangement of controller just indicated is sufficient under most circum-
stances to keep the battery at proper charge; but under some circumstances it
may be desirable to increase the time during which the current would flow
through the battery. This is accomplished by a modified form of the controller
in which the battery is thrown in multiple with a part of the main motor resist
ance at starting, and as the part of the resistance with which it is in multiple
is cut out of the series connection, the connections of the battery are shifted to
another section of resistance, and so on, until all of the resistance is cut out. It
is manifest that this step may be repeated as often as desired, so that the battery
will be in multiple with a portion of the resistance for so much time as is necessary
to maintain its charge. The skill of the engineer will be sufficient to determine
for how long a time this should be the case under the circumstances of each par-
ticular installation.
One part of the present invention concerns the providing of a suitable device
for keeping the lighting circuit of the car alive during the time that the motor
current is interrupted. For this is preferably employed the second form of con-
troller which our correspondent has devised, though the invention is not limited
in this regard. At the normal off position of the controller contacts are provided
which complete the circuit of the storage battery, so that the switch (or one of
the switches) over which the car happens to be will be held up by the battery
current an thus sufficient line current will pass to maintain the lighting circuit;
it being arranged as in an ordinary trolley car, as a shunt to the motor circuit.
While this arrangement might be employed if desired in daylight, at which time
the switch of the lighting circuit is ordinarily open, it is manifest that it would
be unnecessary at such times as the car did not need current, the storage
battery being relied on to pick up as its circuit is completed by the revolution of
the controller. It is therefore preferred to so arrange the switch that this part
of the invention may be thrown out of action if desired, and ordinarily the normal
off position of the controller will interrupt all the circuits; but at night or at
other times when the lighting circuit may be desirable, as in underground work,
the switch would be thrown to connect the storage battery in the way described.
The accompanying drawings show in diagram different ways of embodying the
invention;
Fig. 1 is a diagram of a railway system embodying the constructions outlined.
Fig. 2 is a development of a cylindrical controller adapted for the purposes of
the invention;
Fig. 3 is a development of the second form of controller indicated in the fore-
going statement of invention.
Fig. 4 is a plan of a suitable Y for reversing the car (this However not being
of the present invention), and
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are other forms of the invention, all embracing the same
general idea.
In Fig. 1, A, A are the rails B, B the positive or, as they are often called, the
high potential studs in the roadway; C is one of the low potential studs. The
portion of track illustrated is the dead portion of the Y; the other parts not being
necessary to an understanding of the invention, are therefore not illustrated in this
figure, being shown in Fig. 4. C is an auxiliary grounding contact, the office
of which will be presently described. D, D are the car wheels, E is a storage
battery, M, the motor, R the motor resistance. S¹ is a switch, and G, G are coils
which operate the switch. F, F¹ are the sliding contacts completing the motor
circuit, and F, F, are auxiliary contacts in circuit with the battery E and

page_text: respectively with the coils G, G of the automatic switch. The switch is one of
the ordinary double-pole type, and is so disposed as to reverse the connections of the
battery as it is thrown, and at the same time to reverse the connections of the
shoes F, F with the motor so that the resistance and the field of the motor are
always on the ground side of the circuit, for reasons well known to engineers.
The operation of the parts shown is as follows: Assuming that the switch is
in its dotted line position, and that the car is moving in the direction of the arrow,
when the first or right-hand one of the auxiliary shoes F touches the grounded
contact C, the circuit is completed as follows: from the battery through the
coil G, to the shoe F2 and contact stud C¹ to ground, and thence back to the
battery, the other end of which is grounded. The coil G being energized, has
no effect upon the switch S, it being already in its attracted position with reference
to the coil. When however the second auxiliary shoe F3 touches the contact C³,
the other coil G is included in circuit as in the illustrated position, and the switch
is then thrown to its full line position, reversing the connections of the battery E
with reference to the shoes F, F, and also throwing the resistance and the field
of the motor upon the ground sides of the system through the shoe F¹. This is
done so that the battery may conveniently work through the resistance in charging
and in operating the "pick up" coils of the switches 1, 11.
When the car is run in the opposite direction, as will be readily understood,
the operation of the switch is reversed.
In Fig. 2 a controller adapted for use with this invention is shown. The con-
troller cylinder is lettered K, the reversing switch RS, the resistance R, R¹ the
motor armature MA, and the motor field M F. The current enters the controller
from the shoe F through the switch $1, passing to the contact plate 1, thence to
the contacts of the reversing switch (being first brought to the contact 2 by the
cross-connection), then through the motor armature back to the reversing switch,
through the resistance, to contact 9 of the controller, by the contact 10, through
the other blade of the switch to the shoe F¹ and to ground. In the first positions
of the controller, while the contacts 6 and 7 are in circuit, another path is pro-
vided to ground through the battery E, which is thus thrown in series with the
motors. This circuit starts from the point in the resistance, passing to contact 6,
to contact 7, through the battery to ground, a portion of the resistance being
thus in multiple with the battery. The various steps of the controller act to cut
out resistance from the motor-circuit in the usual way. When the dotted
line 2-2 is reached, the battery contacts are opened. When the last position of
the controller is reached, the section of resistance R' is thrown in multiple with
the motor field to obtain higher speed.
:
Fig. 3 shows the second form of controller made according to this invention;
in this the arrangements of contacts is similar to the first form, and the arrange-
ment of the reversing switch, resistance and motor parts is the same.
The con-
tacts however are modified in the following particulars contacts 4 and 7 which
are cross-connected, are in the first or normal
off"
position of the controller.
To bring these contacts into action it is necessary to throw the switch S2, which
is shown open. This would be the daylight off position. When however it is
desired to hold up one of the switches of the road, (shown in dotted lines at G²)
the switch S is thrown, and then the circuit of the battery E will be completed,
the current passing to the contact 4 from the battery over the switch S, then to
contact 7, then through the resistance R to contact 11, to contact 12, to the shoe F¹
and through the switch G2 to ground, returning to the battery, the other end of
which is grounded. The switch G2 is thus held up and the trolley circuit is
kept alive as also is the lamp circuit I, shown in dotted lines to the right of the
diagram. The particular form of the switch G2 is also not of anis invention.
The second form of controller shown in Fig. 3 also embraces the arrangement
indicated in the foregoing statement of invention for charging the battery during
a longer time than is the case with the controller illustrated in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3
the contacts 5 and 6, as will be seen, come into operation as soon as the trolley

page_text: circuit is completed upon contacts 1 and 2, that is, at position 2 of the controller.
In this case the trolley circuit is through the reversing switch, the motor and
resistance to ground, the shoe F being grounded through the various switches,
as is well understood in the art. The lead starting at the point r in the resistance
takes current to the contact 5, then to contact 6, to the battery E, acting to
charge it. When the section of resistance nearest to ground is cut out by the
contact 10 at the third position of the controller, contacts 5 and 6 are thrown
out of action, and contacts 6 and 9 come in, current passing from the point
of the resistance to contact 9, thence to the contact 6" and to the battery. When
the contact 9* cuts out another section of resistance, the contacts 6b and 7* again
insert the storage battery, as will be readily seen. By this time the current
flow will be so reduced as to make it undesirable to leave the battery in circuit
and contacts 8 and 7b simply act to cut out the remaining sections of resistance,
the contact 3 inserting the resistance R' in shunt to the motor field for obtaining
higher speed.
Fig. 4 shows a Y with suitable contacts, adapted to turn the car.
The con-
tacts C, C, and B1, B¹, are, it will be observed of greater extent laterally than
the others, to provide for the displacement of the shoes in making the turn.
In this figure is also illustrated in some detail the connections of the system
which is preferred, H is the feeder, the switches being marked as in Fig. 3, G².
The negative contacts C pass the motor current through a coil serving to pick
up the switch lever, completing the connections to the motor studs B₁. On the
right hand of the figure, shoes F, F¹ are shown in dotted lines. It will be seen
that the shoe F1 touches one of the contacts 0 before it leaves the next adjacent
one, thus picking up the switches in sequence.
The construction of the Y with the extended contacts and the connections used
as an illustration of the invention, is not claimed as being part of this invention.
They form no essential feature of the invention herein set out, as other connec-
tions or other means of turning the car might be substituted for them without
affecting same.
With the arrangements just pointed out, any accidental grounding of either one
of the shoes F might be followed by a shifting of the switch S. To avoid this
the construction outlined in Fig. 5 may be employed, (although it is not the pre-
ferred form of the invention, as the danger of accidental grounding referred to
is comparatively small). In this case, as in the arrangements shown in Figs. 6
and 7, a single pole switch S may be employed. The parts are lettered as before;
but the two shoes F are so arranged that the grounding of either one of them
can have no effect, inasmuch as the connection must be made from one to the
other before the switch S can be thrown. To effect the connection named, in
the roadway are located metal blocks C, surrounded by insulation c, the blocks
forming a bridging contact between the two shoes. All of the parts of the inven-
tion are not illustrated in this figure, inasmuch as their application will be
readily understood. Assuming that the car is moving in the direction of the
arrow, when the shoes F, F reach the block C3, upon which they are illustrated
as resting, current passes from the battery E through the switch S to one of the
shoes F, by the bridging contact C to the other shoe, thence through the upper
coil G on the switch and so round by the shoe F and the grounded contact C¹.
The coil G draws the switch blade up to its dotted line position, thus reversing
the battery with reference to the shoes F, F. When the car is running in the
other direction, as soon as the shoe F is grounded by the contact C¹ on the left
of Figure 3, and the two shoes are connected, the other coil G is energized,
and the switch is drawn to its illustrated position. With this arrangement it
will be seen that the direction of current through the motors is reversed; but,
as is well understood, this does not act to reverse the direction of motion, the
motors being of the series type.
In Fig. 6 is shown another modification of the invention, it being like Fig. 5
in that the direction of current through the motors is reversed. In this case

page_text: when one of the shoes F3 touches the grounded contact C³, the circuit of the
battery is completed through the coil G connected to the shoe, and the switch is
thrown according to which coil draws it.
In Fig. 7 another modification is shown, in which a bridging contact is used
in the roadway, but one of the motor shoes F, F is utilized in the switch-circuit,
in conjunction with the auxiliary shoe F. The operation of the parts will be
readily understood from the drawing, the current passing over the switches in
the illustrated position to the shoe F, thence by the bridging contact C2 to the
shoe, and back through the lower one of the coils G to the other end of the
battery, the switch being drawn by the coil G to the dotted line position. In
this last construction the grounding of the battery is for the purpose of fulfilling
its ordinary functions in picking up" the switch magnets in the roadway, as
in many well-known surface contact systems, the circuit of the switching device
being independent of ground.
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In each case it is preferred that the switch shall be located within reach of
the motorman, and shall be capable of manual operation in case of failure to act,
being of course provided with a suitable handle of any convenient form. No
particular type of switch is illustrated as in the performance of the invention,
any suitable form may be used.
It is believed that hitherto no automatic switch has ever been devised for the
purposes set out, by which danger of accident to the car from improper connec-
tions is minimized; nor heretofore has the controller been so arranged that the
battery may be charged from the line circuit, although of low potential, only
during such time as an excess of current is flowing, being cut out when the
circuit is normal; and these are essentially elements of novelty in the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion (as communicated to us from abroad) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, we declare that what we claim is:—
1. In a surface contact railway system, a car provided with a storage battery,
means for turning the car, and an automatic switch for reversing the battery
connections.
2. In a surface contact railway system, a car provided with a storage battery,
means for turning the car, and a switch mechanism automatically actuated to
reverse the battery connections at the time of turning of the car.
3. In a surface contact railway system, a car provided with a storage battery
and an operating motor or motors, the battery being in series with the motors
between the source of supply and ground, and an automatic switch for reversing
the connections of the motors and the battery relative to the road contacts.
4. In a surface contact railway system, a car provided with a motor or motors,
and a storage battery in series therewith between the source of supply and ground,
means for turning the car, and an automatically-operated switch for reversing
the connections of the motor and the battery relative to the road contacts.
5. In a surface contact railway system, a car carrying a motor or motors and
a storage battery, the battery being in series with the motors between the source
of supply and ground, and a common resistance for controlling the speed of the
motors and the potential of the current supplied to the battery.
6. In a surface contact railway system, a car carrying a motor or motors and a
storage battery, the battery being in series with the motors between the source
of supply and ground, and a common resistance for controlling the speed of the
motors and the potential of the current supplied to the battery, the battery being
in multiple with part of the resistance.
7. In a surface contact railway system, the combination of a dead section of
track containing a contact, a car provided with sliding contacts, and an automatic
switch for reversing the connections of the sliding contacts, the contact in the
dead track co-operating with the sliding contacts on the car for actuating the
automatic switch.

page_text: 8. In a surface contact railway system, the combination of a dead section of
track; a car provided with sliding contacts, and a motor or motors, and an
automatic switch for reversing the connections of the motor or motors acting to
maintain the resistance always on the ground side of the system, with a contact
or contacts in the roadway co-operating with the sliding contacts on the car for
actuating the automatic switch:
1
9. In a surface contact railway system, the combination with a dead section of
track provided with suitable co-operating contacts, of a car having sliding con-
tacts, a storage battery, and an automatic switch for reversing the connections
of the storage battery, the switch actuated by a circuit including the sliding con-
tacts on the car and the contacts in the roadway.'
10. In a surface contact railway system, the combination with a dead section of
track provided with suitable contacts co-operating with the sliding contacts on
the car, of a car provided with sliding contacts, a motor or motors and a storage
battery in series with the motors between the source of supply and ground, and
an automatic switch operated by the circuit including the sliding contacts and
the co-operating road contacts to reverse the connections of the battery and the
motors.
11. In an electric car, the combination with a motor or motors, and a storage
battery, of a. device including the battery in series with the motor or motors
between the source of supply and ground at times when the current is of con-
siderable volume, and cutting it out when the current diminishes.
12. In an electric car the combination with a motor or motors and a storage
battery, of a device for including the battery in series with the motors and in
multiple with a resistance, thus reducing the potential of current supplied, the
device so including the battery with the motors when the current is of consider-
able volume, and cutting it out when the current diminishes.
13. In an electric car, the combination with a motor or motors and a storage
battery, of a controlling device including the battery in series with the motors
between the main source of supply and ground, and in multiple with a part of
the main motor resistance at starting, and for cutting out the battery when the
motor acquires speed sufficient to cut down the current.
14. A controlling device for an electric car provided with motors, a storage
battery and a resistance, the controlling device provided with contacts and con-
nections adapted to include the battery in series with the motors and a part of
the main motor resistance, and in multiple with another part of the resistance
while a large current flows, and afterwards to cut out the battery.
15. A controlling device for an electric car, provided with motors, a storage
battery and a resistance, the controlling device having contacts and connections
adapted to include the battery at starting in series with the motors and one part
of the resistance, and in multiple with another part of the resistance, and to cut
it out as the speed of the motors is increased.
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