Improvements in Electric Railways and their Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1896-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1898
Improvements in Electric Railways and their Vehicles.
I, ROBERT COOKE SAYER, of 11, Clyde Road, Redland, Bristol, 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 object is to transfer the power of electricity from a stationary source through
tubular rails or subways or pipes to cars.
Kails having teeth alternately spaced have their tubular parts divided into
sections carrying insulated electric conducting subinains levers and valves within
them, the submains and tubes are connected to mains by switches and valves through
which they are supplied with electricity and compressed gaseous fluid or liquid.
The wheels have teeth to engage with those of the rails, jointed tubular electric
conducting radials formed in parts telescopically acted upon through links by cross
bars that receive motion from the wheel, their ends traverse excentric annular
slots on the wheel bearings to thrust over the radials to a vertical position while
they meet thrust in and open first a rail valve to actuate a sectional switch and
valve, to make electric contact with mains and subinains and supply the tube
with fluid for a time dependant on the action of a bellows while the rail valve
returns to its seat. Second the other rail valves to make contact between levers and
subinains whose currents then only only pass to the levers, rail valves, radials and a
comutator or contact on the wheel bearing or car, from which the radials are
insulated as they leave the valves. When the rail valves are open the fluid passes
by them through the tight passage ports and valves, keeps the passage and joints
tight and insulated and passes to the wheel as a reservoir.
The drawings illustrate this by
Fig. 1 being a sectional elevation of part of the wheel and rail.
Fig. 2 a section of the same.
Fig. 3 a plan of the same.
Fig. 4 a detail at aa on Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 a detail at b-b on Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 a detail at cc on Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 7 a detail section of a radial.
Fig. 8 a detail of the same at d-d on Figs. 1 and 7.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION.
Rails 1 having teeth 2 valves 3 their conductor 4 insulated at 5 enclose naked
electric submains 7 carried on slotted insulators 8 forming part of the insulators 9
that rest on brackets 10 riveted to the rail 1 and carry the electric conducting
levers 11 that by links 12 are connected to the conductors 4. A spring 14 is
attached to the bearing 9 and rail 1 whose joints are made tight. by a hard and soft
ribbon 17 except at the ends of sections where they have stop ends valves 18 and an
electric switch, not shown, whose lever 15 is attached by the link 19 to one of the
valves 3 and supply the tube of one section of rail 1 with fluid under pressure
and its submains 7 with electric current.

page_text: The wheels 20 support axles 21 bearings 22 annular excentric slots 23 teeth 24 to
engage with the rail teeth 2. Telescopic radials 25 have an outer screwed tube 26
stop 63 and collar 27 able to traverse the slots 61 of the wheel 20 and plates 34
secured by bolts 62. A middle tube 38 with ports 42 to supply the tube 41 with
fluid from the rail 1, and 40 the cube 38 at 37 from tube 41 and acts against the
stops 63 and 64. An inner electric conducting tube 41 insulated at 39 having
valves 43 and 44 by which it retains the fluid that. thrusts it against its stop 67 o
its solid foot 16 against the valve 3.
A link 31 with tube 47 insulated at 49, joints 32 and 33 Fig. 8 having a perforated
cross tube 48 and a cross bar 28 passing into the slot 29 of the wheel 20 one end
connected by joint 32 to the link 31 the screw bolt 51 connects the tube 47 with the
contacts 52 and carries the clectric current to the comutator or contact 53 insulated
at 49 and kept in place by the collar collar 68 and screw 13, it carries the tube 54
that passes into and carries the fluid from tube 47 to the chamber 56 of the wheel 20
through stuffing boxes 55, and is screwed at 57 to its end 58 that traverses a second
excentric slot 59.
The working is as follows. Electric currents and gaseous or fluid pressure are
generated by known means at central fixed stations they are supplied through
sectional switches and valves 18 actuated by the radials 25 and rail valves 3 to the
subinaius 7 and tubes of the rails 1 as the wheels 20 pass along it and are kept in
line laterally and in step circumferentially with the valves 3 by their teeth 24 and
give motion to the bar 28 whose ends traverse the slots 23 and 59 and by the
link 31 thrusts over the radial 25 on its collar 27 for the tube 36 to meet its
stop 63 and the cushion 35 the rail 1 and make a tight passage between the
valves 3 and tube 41, and its parts 38 and 41 meeting their stops 64 and 65
thrust in the valve 3 to bring the lever 11 in contact with the subinains 7
whose currents then pass along the conductors 11, 12, 4, 16, 41, 47, 51, 52, 53, 60
and where desired: the circuit is made continuous by other levers 11 being actuated
similarly.
The return current passes to other conductors within the rail iu direct contact with
the conductors 4 of the valves 3 when both sides of the rail 1 or to insulated
conductors 4 passing through the rail and connected to the return by frictional
contact of a conductor shoe attached to the car passing over the rail 1 and spanning
at least the distance between two.
The foot cushion 35, tubes 36, 38, 41 joints 33 and 32 and valves 3 are kept tight
and in contact by the fluid pressure passing from the rail 1 by valves 3 through the
ports 42 the valve 43 ports 40 valve 44 joints 33 and 32 bar 28 tube 54 stuffing boxes 65
to the reservoir 56 so that when the radials leave the rail 1 the parts 36, 38 and 41
are thrust down against their stops 66, 63 and 67, Fig. 1, and where radial 25 A gives
an intermediate position and that of a radial the other side of the wheel 20 relatively
with the others.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
A tubular fluid pressure tight mil formed in sections enclosing an electric switch
and valve worked by a rail valve supplying current to insulated naked electric
submains levers and links connected with insulated electric conductors of
valves in the rails able to make contact with one another only when one or
inore of the rail valses are opened, and fluid pressure to the rail tubes during
the action of a bellows: teeth on the rail able to keep wheels upon it laterally and
circumferentially in step with the rail valves as the wheels rotate by the wheel teeth
engaging with those of the rail. Jointed tubular telescopic radials carried on the
wheel by collars to traverse slots actuated by jointed links and cross bars driven by
the wheel and directed by slots to bring the radials vertical to the rail and valves
and keep them so while their cushion makes a tight passage and their middle and

page_text: inner parts open the rail valves and make insulated electric contacts between the
main and submains levers and links in the rail, their valves, the radials links cross-bar
and joints on the wheel and comutator or contact on the wheel bearing, while the
fluid pressure passes from its main through valves to sections of the rail tube and by
its rail valves through the tight passage tubular parts, ports, valves, joints, links, and
crossbars, of the radials and the reservoir and on its way thrusts out the cushioned
part and inner tubes and maintains the electric contacts and fluid tight joints by
pressure against the parts.
Dated thin wnth day of November 1900