A Method of and Apparatus for Communicating Electricity to Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
.PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Communicating Electricity to
Vehicles.
I, HENRY PERCY HOLT, of No. 22, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to means of communicating electricity from an underground
conductor to a vehicle travelling along a railway or tramway track above the
conductor by means of moveable conductors capable of being lifted by magnetic
apparatus affixed to the vehicle. I lay the conductor bare in a closed underground
tube, supporting it at intervals on non-conducting carriers, the interval between one
carrier and the next being preferably less than the length of the vehicle which has
an iron or steel bar extending nearly its whole length, and near the ground
immediately over the line on which the moveable conductors are placed. Near
the front end of this bar is fixed an electromagnet of which the bar may form the
armature or this bar may be magnetised in any convenient manner.
The underground conductor may be insulated along its whole length except at
the points where the moveable conductors are placed for the purpose of making
electrical contact with the vehicle. At these points I prefer to place the carriers
required for supporting the main conductors and near these a rod or arm is
arranged to move vertically. Usually this rod or arm is in its lowest position, its
upper end presenting itself through a hole level with the ground surrounded by a
The rod or arm
non-conducting block forming part of the road paving or surface.
carries on its lower part an insulated metal stud, which, when the rod or arm is
raised, makes contact with the conductor preferably by lifting it off its carrier to
such an extent as to ensure good electrical contact.
The upper part of the rod or arm is of iron and may be wound with a coil of
insulated wire connecting the conducting stud on the lower part to the iron upper
part. When the vehicle approaches one of the rods or arms the front part of its
bar, being magnetised by the electromagnet on it, as it passes over the iron rod or
arm attracts it so that it rises the stud on its lower part making contact with the
conductor and its upper part making contact with the bar of the vehicle.
Thus an electric current can pass from the conductor through the coil on the rod
or arm to the bar on the vehicle. The rod or arm when surrounded by a coil
being rendered magnetic by the current traversing its coil is still more firmly held
up to the bar by the attraction, maintaining the contact until the bar has passed,
whereupon the current ceases and the rod or arm drops to its lowest position.
Before one rod or arm thus drops, the next rod or arm is already in contact with
the bar of the vehicle, and thus as the vehicle runs along its track, there is always
maintained conducting connection with the underground conductor. The magnet
on the bar may be permanent or may be excited by a battery or generator carried
on the vehicle. I may however use an arrangement whereby the current which is
received by the bar or a portion of it shall pass through the coils of the magnet, so
that, as long as the vehicle is receiving current, the magnet is in condition to cause
the ascent of the successive rods or arms to make contact with the bar.
starting the magnet may be excited by a battery on the vehicle which is kept
charged for this purpose. I also use in some cases a number of magnets on the
vehicle, and when these are so arranged as to render the bar sufficiently magnetic
throughout its length, the coils on the moveable rods or arms may be dispensed
with, they being in that case held up by the magnetic attraction of the bar on the
vehicle.
At first

page_text: In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I have shewn by
way of illustration in the accompanying drawings modes of constructing and
arranging the moveable rods or arms so as to prevent the loss of current or the
entry of water or dirt into the culvert or boxes containing the same.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section shewing an arrangement of vertically sliding rod.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section shewing an arrangement of rocking arm.
Referring first to Fig. 1, C is the main underground conductor which usually
rests on insulated carriers D. The vertically sliding iron rod A at its lower end B
hooks under the conductor C while its upper end passes through a block E which
is insulated. The top of the rod is preferably of valve form as shewn so as to
prevent access of water or mud to the parts below. The middle part of the rod A
is guided through an insulator H. On the rod A above the insulator H is fixed a
conical deflector F to guide off such matter as may find its way down from the
road above. There is also a conical deflector G, fixed below, to guide such matter
as may reach it off from the conductor C and carriers D. Above the road level is
the magnetic bar K which is carried by the vehicle and to which the rod A. rises
as indicated by the dotted lines A'.
are
Referring now to Fig. 2, in which parts corresponding to those in Fig.
denoted by like letters of reference, instead of the vertically sliding rod, a rocking
arm A is employed, this arm being mounted on an insulated pivot A2. On the
joint L is pivotted a non conducting deflector G to guide off from the conductor C
and hook B any matter which may descend from the road. The dotted lines A¹
and B' indicate the positions of A and B when the rocking arm is down and the
conductor C is resting on the carrier D.
Dated this 25th day of January 1894.
ABEL & IMKAI,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Communicating Electricity to
Vehicles.
I, HENRY PERCY HOLT, of No. 22 Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
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 :-
My invention relates to means of communicating electricity from an underground
conductor to a vehicle travelling along a railway or tramway track above the
conductor, by means of moveable conductors capable of being lifted by magnetic
apparatus affixed to the vehicle, as I shall describe referring to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view of રી car with longitudinal section of conduit for
conductor,
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of one of the contacts of which Fig. 3 is a
side view.
I lay the conductor C in a closed underground tube T supporting it at intervals
on non-conducting carriers A the intervals between one pair of carriers and the
next being less than the length of the vehicle, which has an iron or steel bar B
extending its whole length, and near the ground immediately over the line in
which the moveable conductors are placed.
The bar B is magnetised, it may be by a number of electromagnets E upon it or
otherwise.
The underground conductor C may be insulated along its whole length except at
the points where the moveable conductors are placed for the purpose of making
electrical contact with the vehicle. At these points I prefer to place the carriers A

page_text: required for supporting the main conductors and near these a rod R is arranged to
move vertically. This rod which may be of square or polygonal section to prevent
it from turning, passes through a sleeve N of non-conducting material and has
fixed on its upper end a valve shaped iron head I. Usually this rod R is in its
lowest position, the head I resting on a seating S which is level with the ground
and is surrounded by a shield D forming part of the road paving or surface; a
cap F of non-conducting material shields the rod and sleeve N, preventing ingress
of water, dirt or grit. The rod R has its lower part formed as a hook, which,
when the rod is raised, makes contact with the conductor C lifting it off its
carriers A to such an extent as to ensure good electrical contact. When the
vehicle approaches one of the rods R, its bar B being magnetised, as it passes over
the iron head I attracts it, so that it raises the rod R and its hook, making contact
with the conductor C, its upper part making contact with the bar B on the vehicle.
Thus an electric current can pass from the conductor through the rod R to the
bar B, and thence to a motor on the vehicle in the usual manner. The attraction
of the bar maintains the contact until the bar has passed from the head I,
whereupon the rod drops to its lowest position, breaking its contact with the
conductor.
Before one rod thus drops, the next rod is already in contact with the bar B, and
thus, as the vehicle runs along its track, there is always maintained conducting
connection with the underground conductor C.
The magnets on the bar may be permanent, but they are preferably electro-
magnets, excited by a battery or generator carried on the vehicle. I may however
use an arrangement whereby the current which is received by the bar or a portion
of it shall pass through the coils of the electromagnets so that, as long as the
vehicle is receiving current, these magnets are in condition to cause the ascent of
the successive rods to make contact with the bar. At first starting, the magnets
may, in this case, be excited by a battery on the vehicle which is kept charged for
this purpose.
Obviously instead of a vertically guided sliding rod, a vertically rocking arm
might be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described method of communicating electricity to a vehicle from
an underground conductor by providing on the vehicle a long magnetic bar, and
arranging under the bar, at intervals less than the length of the bar, vertically
moving insulated rods having iron heads or their equivalents, which, being attracted
up by the bar, as it passes over them, make contact with the bar while their lower
ends make contact with the conductor.
2. For communicating electricity to a vehicle in the manner above set forth, the
combination of an underground conductor, vertically moving insulated rods with
iron heads or their equivalents arranged at intervals along the track and a magnetic
bar on the vehicle substantially as described.
T
E ,
J
1004
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.