Improvements in Electric Railway Systems.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Railway Systems.
I, JAMES MICHAEL FAULKNER, of 4200 Jefferson Street, Philadelphia,
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrician, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what roanuer the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in electric railway systems, and
parts thereof, and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction
and in combinations and arrangements of parts more fully and particularly pointed
out and described hereinafter.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the couduit, showing diagrammatically a
vehicle thereon..
Figure 2 is a cross section through the road bed and conduit, showing the rails
and the bonds between the rails.
Figure 3 is a detail enlarged section of a portion of the conduit, showing the
flexible conductor in its norinal position, and a live line wire for supplying said
conductor, and a coupling for uniting sections of the line wire and connecting the
side feeders.
Figure 4 is a detail enlarged longitudinal section of the conduit showing an
arrangement wherein the flexible conductor is not employed, but vertically movable
contacts are each connected with the live line wire by side feeders.
Figure 5 is a side elevation enlarged, showing one of the couplings for
connecting the sections of the line wire and coupling the side feeders thereto.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the coupling connecting two sections of the
line wire without the side feeder.
Figure 7 is a cross section of the coupling shown in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a cross section through a rail, showing the bond.
Figure 9 is a side elevation thereof.
In the drawings a is a conduit arranged longitudinally between the rails and
of suitable dimensions and properly insulated on the inner surface.
This conduit is entirely enclosed and at the top is covered by the sectional
exposed conductor plates b. These plates are insulated from each other and
divided into sections of suitable lengths so that each section is considerably
shorter than one half of the length of each vehicle on the road. Each exposed
conductor section has a point or piu c, in the conduit and usually extending
down from one end of the exposed conductor section.
This contact point is of suitable length and dimensions.
A flexible metallic conductor ribbon or strip d, is longitudinally, and loosely
arranged in the conduit and if desired can form the live conductor. Opposite
each contact c, the ribbon is provided with blocks or bodies e of magnetizable
material suitably secured on the ribbon and having the central opening in which
the tube of insulating material is inserted. This tube at its lower end
terminates in the metallic cup g in constant electrical connection with the ribbon
and containing a body of mercury G, in constant electrical connection with the live
line. This insulated tube always surrounds its pin c, and forms a guide for the
proper operation of the parts and also holds the body e, and the ribbon in their
proper respective positions in relation to the pin c.

page_text: When the ribbon is in its normal position it is supported along the bottom of the
conduit with the pins c, in the insulated guides, but out of contact with the
mercury and hence there is no electrical connection between the exposed conductor
sections and the live line.
h is a vehicle supported by wheels on the rails i, and having driving motor j and
return circuit which can be established through the rails,
Suitable current collectors k, travel on the exposed conductor sections and are
suitably connected with the motor in any usual or desirable manner.
One or more large magnets is carried by the vehicle so as to travel close to
the exposed conductor sections but out of contact with the same.
This magnet can be connected in the circuit with motor so as to be energized
from the same if desired.
As the vehicle travels along, the magnet attracts the magnetizable bodies in the
conduit over which it passes and draws them up so that the pins center the mercury
and thereby place the exposed conductor sections thereof immediately beneath the
car, in circuit with the live line so that the motor of the car is maintained in
constant communication with the live liue.
As the car passes along the magnetizable bodies drop to their normal positions
when the magnetic field passes beyond them and before the vehicle passes entirely
beyond the exposed conductor sections thereof.
In Figure 3 m is the live line having the side feeder m² at various points to the
flexible ribbon d.
n are electrical couplings between sections of the live line and the side feeders.
In Figure 4 the magnetizable blocks forming movable contacts are employed
without the flexible ribbon and each block is connected by a side feeder m³ with the
live line m, by the coupling n.
Each coupling is formed in sections to clamp the sections together with their
extremities entering the mercury G in the coupling body.
The coupling body is formed of a tube roughened on its inner surface to tightly
grasp and clamp the conductor section ends. This tube is formed in two longitudinal
sections. The lower section at its central portion having a cup or depression n
containing the mercury G, and the ends of the conductors sections are bent down
within the coupling body to enter the mercury. The upper section opposite the
body of mercury usually has the top opening a², through which the side feeder m'
can be inserted into the mercury.
A cap can be provided to close this top opening when no side feeder is
employed. Suitable means can be provided to lock the coupling body sections
together such as interlocking flanges n' on one side, and flat flanges on the opposite
side united by clamping bolts nº.
This coupling device can be employed in many relations and the sections can be
variously arranged and the mercury cup or depression can be set at any desired
angle and suitable fastening meaus can be employed and it is apparent that the
conductor sections are connected by a most perfect joint without leakage or increase
of resistance.
o is the electrical bond between the rail sections i.
Each rail section near its euds has a hole o' formed therein at a downward
inclination. The mercury G is placed in this hole. The bond o has pointed ends
driven in the holes so as to tightly close the same and so that its points enter the
mercury in the holes in the rail ends, thereby forming a most perfect electrical
connection so that there will be no leakage at the joint caused by oxidation or
imperfect contact.
The bond can be provided with lateral ears o² through which fastening screws
'can be passed into the rails. The bond is preferably bowed and bent downwardly
so as to allow expansion and contraction of the rails and so that the pavement will
cover said bond.
Many changes can be made and various expedients can be employed in this bond
without going beyond the scope of my invention.

page_text: This peculiar electric railway system avoids the objections neretofore existing i
this art because of the immense resistances and leakage of current caused by
imperfect contacts and electrical connections.
The employment of the mercury in the peculiar relations effectually overcome
this objection and provides an electrical railway system exceedingly simple, effective
and durable.
It is evident that various changes might be made in the forms, arrangements and
constructions of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of
my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein
set forth, but consider myself entitled to all such changes as fall within the spirit
and scope of my invention.
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. In an underground electric railroad system, an exposed sectional conductor, in
combination with a flexible carrier arranged loosely and longitudinally in a conduit,
one of said elements having contact points and the other depressions containing
mercury arranged so that the contact points can enter the same, substantially as
described.
2. An electric railway system comprising a conduit having exposed conductor
sections having depending contact points, a flexible carrier beneath said conductor
having depressions therein containing mercury so that the points enter the mercury
when the carrier is moved up, substantially as described.
3. An electric railway system comprising a conductor to receive the vehicle
trolley and subject to the action of a magnet on the vehicle, a flexible ribbon
opposite said conductor and so formed as to be susceptible to the influence of said
magnet and drawn thereby towards the conductor, one of said elements, conductor
or ribbon, having contact points and the other cups containing mercury,
substantially as described.
4. In a closed conduit electrical railroad system the combination of a sectional
exposed conductor over the conduit having contact points, a flexible loose ribbou
beneath the same having the cups into which said points are located, the upper
guiding portions of the cups being insulated, mercury in the bottom of the
cups, the ribbon having magnetizable material thereon, substantially as described.
5. In a closed conduit electric railway system, a series of vertically movable
contacts constituting armatures and electrically connected by a flexible connector
and each having a body of mercury,. and stationary contact points in electrical
connection with the exposed conductor and arranged opposite the bodies of mercury,
substantially as described.
6. An exposed conductor having contacts, a conduit, vertically movable contacts
therein electrically connected with the live line and each containing a body of
mercury arranged opposite said conductor contacts, substantially as described.
7. In an underground electric railway, the combination of a vehicle having a
trolley, an exposed sectional conductor having contacts extending into a conduit, the
live line having corresponding opposite contacts in the conduit, one contact of each
set having a body of mercury into which the opposite contact dips when closing the
circuit, and one contact of each set being movable, controlled by means moving
with the car, substantially as described.
8. In an underground electric railway, the combination of a vehicle having a
current collector, a sectional exposed conductor on which the collector travels and
having depending contacts in the conduit, the live line having corresponding
opposite movable contacts, means carried by the car controlling said movable
contacts, one set of contacts having bodies of mercury in electrical engagement
therewith into and out of which the opposite set of contacts is adapted to move,
substantially as described.
9. In an underground electric railway system, an exposed conductor having rigid

page_text: contact points in the conduit, vertically movable bodies of magnetizable material
in the conduit connected electrically with the live line, each body having a vertical
opening, a cup set therein beneath the opposite conductor contact and containing
mercury and an upwardly, extending insulating guide tube surrounding said contact,
substantially as described.
10. An electric railway comprising a conduit, a live line (therein) an exposed
sectional conductor having contacts in the conduit, corresponding contacts from
the live line, one contact of each set being movable to engage the other and one
contact of each set having a body of mercury into which the other contact dips,
and means carried by the car to cause said contacts to engage and disengage as the
car passes along, substantially as described.
11. The herein described electric coupling formed of a tube clamped on the
wires and having a body of mercury electrically engaging the bodies to be
electrically connected..
12. The sectional coupling, one section of which has a mercury cup or depression,
as and for the purpose set forth.
13. The electrical coupling, the sectional coupling arranged to tightly grasp the
conductor or conductors, and provided with a body of mercury to engage and
electrically connect the conductors, substantially as described.
14. A coupling tube formed in longitudinal sections internally formed to rigidly
grip the wire, and having fastening means, one of said sections provided with an
internal mercury cup or depression, substantially as described.
15. A coupling formed to embrace the conductors and having a mercury cup,
substantially as set forth, and an opening opposite the mercury to receive side
connections or the like, substantially as described.
16. The coupling tube formed to be clamped on and to rigidly grasp the
conductors and provided with the mercury cup extending the tube at a downward
inclination, as set forth.
17. The coupling formed in two longitudinal sections, each section having
longitudinal side flanges, the flange of one section being doubled to overlap the
straight flange of the other section, the opposite flange being bolted together, one
of said sections having an internal depression containing mercury engaging the
conductors, substantially as described.
18. The herein described mode of electrically bonding conductor sections which
consists in forming wells or holes in said sections near the ends thereof, placing
mercury in said wells, placing and securing the ends of connecting bonds in said
wells and the mercury therein so that the wells are closed and the bonds enter the
mercury, substantially as described.
19. The combination of adjacent conductor sections having holes or wells therein
at their ends containing mercury, and the conductor strip having its ends extending
into the wells and the mercury therein, substantially as described.
.20. The combination of the rails having the holes or wells formed therein at
their ends and containing mercury, the conductor strips between the rails having
their ends extending into such holes and the mercur; and closing the holes, and
means securing the strips, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1895.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.