Driven Vehicles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Driven Vehicles.
I, OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, 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 :-
This invention relates to the insulation of conductors transmitting electricity
to a motor by which a vehicle is propelled, or to other apparatus for which
underground wires are required, as will be explained with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section of a road bed illustrating one arrangement
of conductors according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the same with part of the road bed
removed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section shewing a modification.
1. is the street way, or road bed of a street railway. 2. the rails on which as
shewn in Fig. 2 may run a car driven by an electric motor 3, which may be of any
known or suitable construction.
In order to apply electricity for propelling a car, the surface of an electric
conductor has to be exposed to the contact of a conducting wheel or brush, to lead
the current to the motor, which may be on the car as shewn, or on a separate
truck. When such a conductor is used in a street or road, its insulating bed must
be composed of material suitable for a pavement, capable of withstanding the wear
and tear of circulation.
Also the electricity, after passing through the motor, has to be returned to its
source through a metallic circuit, or earth. This return may be made through the
rails of the road, or in the manner hereinafter described.
4. is a continuous box, or open trough fixed by flanges 6 on a wooden sleeper 5,
buried in the ground to such depth that the flanged edges 7 of the box 4 are level
with the surface of the street or pavement. In order to insulate the box 4, wooden
planks 8 are placed upon the sleeper 5 at a little distance from the sides of the
box 4, and these spaces as well as the box itself are filled in with the insulating
material.
Within the box 4 may be arranged a number of separate conductors 9, such as
wires for lights, telegraphs or other purposes, leading out where required.
These wires are imbedded in the insulating material which is a compressed
asphaltic concrete, composed substantially of asphaltic cement and silica.
When the box 4 is being filled with this material a rail 10 is laid centrally
therein, with its upper surface exposed and level with the surface of the compressed
concrete. This rail forms the conductor for the motor 3.

page_text: At one end of the car there is a spring arm 11 carrying a roller 12, which is
pressed by the spring on the surface of the rail 10 so as to make good contact
therewith. The current is led to the motor by a wire 13.
At the opposite end or other suitable part of the car, are two spring arms 14
each carrying a roller 15 which bear upon the flanges 7.
By wires 16, the current from the motor 3 is conducted through the springs 14
and roller 15 to the flanges 7 by which it returns to the generator.
According to a modified arrangement, the trough or box 4 may be sunk beneath
the surface, as shewn in Fig. 3, an open channel 17 being formed in the roadway
over the rail 10, between two wooden strips 18. In this case the wheel 12 runs in
the channel and bears upon the rail 10, and the return circuit may be made
through the rails of the road.
In order to keep the exposed surface of the rail 10 free from dirt, or other
foreign matter, a brush 19 mounted upon the car bears upon the rail keeping it
clear for the contact of the wheel 12.
The conducting rail 10 is preferably made of copper, but other metal may be
used, of section suited to the current and to the conductivity of the metal. The
asphaltic concrete in which the rail is imbedded, should be laid at a temperature
not less than 200° F, and should be well compressed. The box 4 instead of being
placed centrally between the rails, as shewn, may be laid beside one of them.
A second rail such as 10 may be used for the return circuit, and brushes may be
used instead of rollers for making contact.
It will be seen that the invention described fulfils a two-fold purpose, the
anchoring of the conducting rail so that it shall not be displaced, and its insulation.
Both these objects are attained by laying the rail in soft cement, which sets hard
so as to hold the rail firmly, and being of non-conducting material serves to
insulate it.
The composition of cement may be varied so long as it is of proper insulating
character and possesses adequate strength and durability.
The conducting rail being wholly imbedded, exposing only its upper face, does
not interfere with the roadway, and the insulating material forms a smooth, hard
and comparatively indestructible road bed.
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
1. For insulating conductors in roadways, the combination with a body of
cement, of a conducting rail insulated thereby and imbedded therein, substantially
as described.
2. A conductor for electric car motors, consisting of a conducting rail, a non-
conducting body of asphaltic concrete in which the rail is imbedded, and an
insulated trough or box containing the concrete and serving for the return circuit,
substantially as described.
3. For electric conduction for car motors, the combination of a conducting rail
embedded in asphaltic concrete, an insulated trough or box containing the concrete,
a wheel on the car running on the conducting rail and wheels running on the
edges of the trough, these wheels being mounted on spring arms connected to the
motor, substantially as described.