Appliances for an Electrical Parcel Exchange System.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Appliances for an Electrical Parcel Exchange System.
I, ALFRED ROSLING BENNETT, of 22, St. Albans Road, Harlesden,
London, N.W., Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
The object of my present invention is to develope and render more complete
the invention entitled "An Electrical Parcel Exchange System" disclosed in my
application No. 12934 of July 30th, 1891.
At the central station or stations described in the said application devices for
transferring the trucks or trains from one tunnel to another, and from one track
to another in the same tunnel, are necessary. Storage space for empty trucks and
trains and for loaded trucks and trains awaiting discharging or not intended for
immediate despatch is also required.
For the purpose of describing my present invention I shall assume, as in the
aforesaid application, that the tunnels each contain two tracks, one above the other,
the lower track being reserved for down traffic away from the central and the upper
track for up traffic towards the central.
An efficient device for facilitating the interchange of traffic between the tracks
and between the tunnels would be a system of turn-tables resembling in general
plan the turn-tables employed on railways. But owing to the fact that the tracks
in the tunnels are one above the other each turn-table should be constructed in two
stories, so that it may at the same time accommodate two trains, one on a level with
the down track and the other on a level with the up track.
To enable trains to be interchanged between the down and up tracks the level
of each turn-table may be altered at will by the operator by means of any
suitable machinery wrought by electricity; by hydraulic, pneumatic or steam
power; or by hand, through the medium of ropes, chains, pulleys, winches or other
equivalent devices, the general design of the mechanism resembling that employed
for ordinary lifts.
At the central station and at a suitable distance from the entrance of each tunnel,
one or more such turn-tables are placed, according to the amount of traffic to be
dealt with. Connection with the turn-tables operating the other tunnels may be
had either by direct tracks between the turn-tables or by means of one or more
central turn-tables having connection by radiating tracks with all the others.
By this system an operator, on the arrival of a train on the up track of his turn-
table, would examine the address and, if found destined for a subscriber served by
his own tunnel, he would lower the level of his turn-table so that the train upon it
will come to the level of the down track and be in a position for despatch back
into the tunnel. If, on the other hand, the train was found to be destined for a
subscriber served by another tunnel the operator would forward it to the turn-
table of the operator controlling that tunnel, either by a directly connecting track
or through the one or more central turn-tables already referred to.
At the central station storage accommodation for empty or lying trains can be
had by building any required number of siding tracks one above the other,
radiating from the different turn-tables as the available space may permit.
Connection with these sidings will be obtained by raising or depressing the level
of the turn-tables. These sidings may be provided with parallel conductors for
conveying propelling current, under the control of the operators, to the lying
trains, so that they may be manoeuvred and moved in and out of the sidings by
electricity. To enable vehicles to be moved forward or backward indifferently on
the same siding track two parallel conductors, each controlled by a switch, may

page_text: be fitted to each track so that both the upper and lower collectors of the lying
vehicles may be simultaneously in contact with branches of the conductor. The
direction of motion imparted to a vehicle will then depend on which switch is turned
by the operator..
.
To allow of the trucks and trains traversing curves of small radius it is desirable
to aim at the highest attainable degree of flexibility in their construction. This
may be accomplished by making the rigid wheel base as short as, possible and by
mounting the vehicles on bogie or pony or swivel trucks and by the employment
of radial axle-boxes and similar devices. One method which may be adopted is to
mount the electro-motor or locomotive on a separate carriage of short wheel base
and to provide the load-carrying truck with wheels at one end only, the other end
being supported by a pin coupling resting in an eye on the carriage of the
locomotive. To prevent the weight of the loaded truck tending to bear down one
end of the motor carriage and tilt up the other the eye may be at the end of a
strong arm springing from the centre of the motor carriage. Each load-carrying
truck will be fitted with an eye so that when a train consists of more than one
truck the coupling pin of each supplementary truck will drop into the eye of the
next. To prevent bearing down, each truck may carry at its coupling-pin end. a
pair of unflanged wheels or rollers that will rest on the rails without increasing the
rigid wheel-base.
The electro-magnets controlling the subscribers' sidings; the blocking electro-
magnets at the subscribers' sidings; the semaphores which indicate the position and.
movements of the trains in the tunnels and any other devices of a similar nature
that may be needed may all be worked by current taken from the parallel
conductor supplying propelling current to the vehicles instead of from independent
conductors run out specially from the central station as indicated in my application
No. 12934 of 1891 aforesaid. The return branches to the central in the circuit of
which the electro-magnets and semaphores are severally included are not altered
by this arrangement. Or the branches which include the electro-magnets and
semaphores may be joined to the same pole of the dynamo as the parallel conductor
conveying the propelling current, in which case the return path to the other pole
may be the same, whether rail, conductor or earth, that serves for the return of the.
propelling current.
If the turn-tables at the central or any that may be required at subscribers'
sidings are turned, depressed or clevated by electricity the electro-motors and
electro-magnets operating them may be included in branches from the parallel
conductor or from the dynamo supplying it.
The direction of movement of vehicles is maintained invariable for each track
by different collectors being used for the down and up tracks, the effect produced
being the traversing of the motor coils by the current in the proper direction only.
The desired result may be brought about by various arrangements of the
conductors and collectors. For instance, the propelling current from the dynamo
may be picked up by the upper collector of the motor on the down track and
returned to the dynamo by the lower collector making contact with a return or
earthed conductor, while on the up journey the propelling current may be picked
up by the lower collector and returned by means of the upper collector making
contact with a return or earthed conductor. Another method is the carrying of
the collectors or arms or levers that would, by means of the extension or com-
pression of springs, occupy different positions when engaging with the parallel
conductor and when free from it. The resulting movement could be utilised to
work switches on the motor carriage so as to direct the current through the coils
as may be required, or to shift the position of the brushes on the motor com-
mutator so as to reverse the direction of the current. Again the motion could be
made to lift off one pair of brushes and put on another pair if that method of
reversing should be preferred.
Dated this Seventeenth dex of Arct 1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Appliances for an Electrical Parcel Exchange System.
I, ALFRED ROSLING BENNETT, of 22 St. Alban's Road, Harlesden,
London, N.W. Electrical 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 object of my present invention is to develope and render more complete the
invention of the Electrical Parcel Exchange System disclosed in my application
No. 12934 of 1891.
At the central station or stations described in the said application devices for
transferring the trucks or trains from one track to another track in the same tunnel
are necessary. Storage space for empty trucks and trains and for loaded trucks
and trains awaiting discharging or not intended for immediate despatch is also
required.
For the purpose of describing my invention I shall hereinafter assume that the
tunnels each contain two tracks one above the other, the lower track being reserved
for down traffic away from the central, and the upper track for up traffic towards
the central.
An efficient device for facilitating the interchange of traffic between the tracks
and between the tunnels would be a system of turn-tables resembling in general
plan the turn-tables employed on railways. But owing to the fact that the tracks
in the tunnels are one above the other each turn-table should be constructed in at
least two stories, so that it may at the same time accommodate at least two trains,
one on a level with the down track and the other on a level with the up track. To
enable trains to be interchanged between the down and up tracks the level of each
turn-table may be changed at will by machinery wrought by electro-motors; by
hydraulic, pneumatic, or steam-power; or by hand or foot through the medium of
cranks, winches, ropes, chains, weights and counterweights, pulleys or other
suitable devices; the general design of the mechanism being similar to that
employed for ordinary passenger or goods lifts and the details of which can be
settled by any competent mechanical engineer. The tables may be turned by hand
or by any suitable mechanism.
At the central station and at a suitable distance from the entrance to each tunnel,
one or more such turn-tables are placed, the number being proportioned to the
amount of traffic. Connection with the turn-tables operating the other tunnels
may be had either by direct tracks between the turn-tables or by means of one or
more central turn-tables, constructed in two stories, having connection by means of
radiating tracks with all the tunnels. A suitable arrangement of turn-tables is shown
in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, in which the tunnels or main tracks
are indicated by M; the turn-tables at the entrance of the tunnels by B T, and the
central turn-tables by CT.
By this system an operator, on the arrival of a train on the up track of his
turn-table would examine the address, and, if found destined for a subscriber served
by his own tunnel, he would lower the level of his turn-table so that the train upon
it will come to the level of the down track and then be despatched back into the
same tunnel to the station of the addressee. If, on the other hand, the train is
found to be destined for a subscriber served by another tunnel the operator
forward it to the turn-table of the operator controlling that tunnel, either by a
directly-connecting track or through the one or more central turn-tables.
would
At the central station storage accommodation for empty or lying trucks or trains
can be had by building any required number of siding tracks in tiers, one above the
other, radiating from the different turn-tables as the available space may permit.
Connection with these sidings is obtained by raising or depressing the level of the
turn-tables, which, in a busy central station, may advantageously be provided with
more than two stories or platforms.

page_text: The trucks may be pushed into or withdrawn from the sidings by hand, but it
would be better to provide the sidings with parallel conductors so that propelling
current under the control of the operators may be conveyed to the collectors of
the motor trucks lying therein in order that vehicles may be moved in and out of
the sidings by electricity. To enable vehicles to be moved backwards and forwards
indifferently on the same siding track the operators should have switches at their
command by means of which the direction of the current in these parallel conductors
may be instantly reversed.
To allow of the trucks and trains traversing curves of small radius it is desirable
to aim at the highest attainable degree of flexibility in their construction. This
may be accomplished by making the rigid wheel base as short as possible and by
mounting the vehicles on bogie, pony or swivel trucks and by the employment of
radial axle-boxes and similar devices. One method which may be adopted is to
mount the electro-motor or locomotive on a separate carriage of short wheel base
and to provide the parcel-carrying truck with wheels at one end only, the other
end being supported by a pin coupling resting in an eye on the locomotive carriage.
To prevent the weight of the loaded truck tending to bear down one end of the
motor carriage and tilt up the other the eye may be at the end of a strong arm
springing from the centre of the motor carriage. Each truck will be fitted at one
end with an eye, and at the other with a coupling pin or hook, so that when a train
consists of more than one truck the coupling pin of each supplementary truck will
drop into the eye of the next. By this plan each truck is carried partly on its own
pair of wheels and partly on the wheels of its neighbour, but to prevent bearing
down each truck may be fitted at its coupling pin end with a pair of unflanged
wheels or rollers that will rest on the rails without increasing the rigid wheel base.
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings shows in plan a locomotive M coupled to
a parcel-carrying truck V by means of the hook H and the eye E. The unflanged
roller is indicated at U R. Figure 2 shows a train consisting of a locomotive M
and three trucks V1 V2 V3.
The electro-magnets controlling the subscribers' down sidings; the blocking
electro-magnets at the subscribers' up sidings; the semaphores or other signals
which indicate the position and movements of the trains in the tunnels and any
other electrical devices which may be needed in connection with the system may
all be wrought by current taken from the parallel conductor which supplies the
motors with propelling current instead of from independent conductors run out
specially from the central station as described in my application No. 12934
of 1891 aforesaid. The return branch conductors to the central in the circuit of
which the electro-magnets and semaphores are severally included are not altered
by this arrangement. Or the branches which include the electro-magnets and
semaphores may be joined to the same pole of the dynamo as the parallel conductor
conveying the propelling current, in which case the return path to the other pole
may be the same, whether rail, conductor or earth, that serves for the return of the
propelling current. The general plan of such an arrangement is shown in Figure 3,
in which D is the dynamo or other source of electricity; PC the parallel conductor;
Va truck travelling along the line; C the collector making contact with the parallel
conductor; R the rail or return conductor by which the current returns to the
dynamo after traversing the motor coils; EM the electro-magnet controlling a
down siding switch; T the spring contact on the down siding broken by the passage
of a truck; W the return conductor; S the indicator, and L' the circuit-closer at
the central station in connection with the down siding; B the blocking electro-
magnet of an up siding with the return conductor W³ and the indicator S3 and
circuit-closer L in connection therewith; RS is an insulated section of the rail
joined by its return conductor W' to the indicator S' which shows at the central
station that a truck is traversing the section. If the turn-tables at the central
station or any that may be required at subscribers' stations are turned, depressed
and elevated by electricity the electro-motors and electro-magnets operating them
may be included in branches from the parallel conductor or from the source of
3

page_text: electricity supplying it. The pressure of electricity necessary for working an
electrical parcel exchange may vary within wide limits, but a suitable pressure
under most circumstances would be 100 volts.
When all the electro-magnetic devices are worked off the same parallel conductor
the coils must be wound so that when switched into circuit not more than the
necessary amount of current will pass through them. If a dynamo is used as a
source of electricity it should be shunt-wound and self-regulating.
The direction of movement of vehicles is maintained invariable for each track by
different collectors being used for the down and up tracks, the effect produced
being the traversing the motor coils by the current in the proper direction only.
Several methods of accomplishing this end are set forth in my aforesaid applica-
tion No. 12934 of April 1891. An alternative plan would be to carry the collectors
on arms or levers that would by means of the extension or compression of springs
occupy different positions when engaging with the parallel conductor and when free
from it. Thus the bottom collector of a truck running on the down or lower track
in which position it would not be in contact with a conductor, may be extended
by a spring an inch or more below the level of the rails. On placing the same.
truck on the up or upper track this bottom collector would have to run on the
parallel conductor and thereby its former extension will be curtailed by the com-
pression of its springs. The play or movement of the arms carrying the collectors
thus secured may be utilised to automatically set the switches carried by the motor
trucks for the purpose of directing the current properly through the coils; or
alternatively, to shift the position of the brushes on the motor commutator so as
to reverse the direction of the current through the armature coils; or to lift off
one pair of brushes and put on another pair if that method of reversing should
be preferred.
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 electrical parcel exchange system the several electrical and mechanical
devices and appliances substantially as set forth.
2. In an electrical parcel exchange system the combination and arrangement of
conductors and other parts and accessories substantially as set forth.
Dated this Eighth day of June 1892.
A. K. BENNETT.