Year: 1888

page_text: I, SIDNEY HOWE SHORT of Columbus in the County of Franklin, State of Ohio,
United States of America, Electrician, 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 British Letters Patent No. 5125 of April 13th 1886, and No. 11099 of
August 31st 1886 pertaining to the construction and operation of an electric railway,
relate to a sectional single line conductor with automatic circuit closing devices con-
necting the sections of said conductor, combined with an insulating bar or current
The invention hereinafter described is
gatherer to operate said circuit closers.
absolutely independent in operation and construction of all sectional single line con-
ductors for the simple reason that it comprises sectional double line conductors and is
impossible of construction and operation unless two conductors extend the entire
length of the railway, although either one or two conductors may be used for the
return circuit. If the railway extends from one pole of the generator to the other
pole, two conductors and not less than two must be employed throughout the circuit,
from one pole to the other.
The present invention will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings which form part of this specification, and in which :-
Fig. 1 is a diagram view of a portion of the system in which the return wire is
single.
4
Fig. 2 is a similar view in which the return wire is double, the outgoing conductor
being double in both figures.
Fig. 3 is substantially the same as Fig. 1 with the addition of railway cars
electrically connected with the conductors.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of what may conveniently be termed the movable
current controller and the transfer switches operated thereby.
Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is an end view of a portion of Figs. 4 and 5 showing one of the wheels
of the movable current controller, the conductor on which it moves and one of the
supports of the conductor.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the switch adapted to be operated by the movable
current controller.

page_text: Referring to the figures the system consists of the combination of a suitable
electric generator a, having its circuit divided through at least a portion of its
length into two branches, each of which is divided into sections c¹, c², c³, c¹, c³
and d¹ d², d³, d' and respectively with switches e, e², e³, et, e³ and e between the
first named sections, and switches f¹ƒƒ³ff and between the second named
sections, movable current controllers g, g, g³, having wheels two of which are
mounted upon one of the sections d', d, d³, &c., and two of which are mounted upon
one of the sections c¹, c³, c³ &c., the pairs of wheels being insulated from each other
and electrically connected respectively to the conductors d and e which lead to
the car, the car containing a suitable motor, which is not shown, a rigid insulating
piece / connecting any two switches f¹ and el, or f² and e², or f³ and e³ &c., the con-
nection between the same being rigid; upright conductors and connecting the
ends of the sections and forming the terminals of any one of the switches above
named; a
cross centrally located upon the part h, and adapted when rotated
through an angle of from 80° to 90° to operate any pair of switches f¹ or e¹, or
fore, in a reciprocal manner; and a projection K. upon the movable current
controller g', and located in the path of the arms of the cross which hangs downward,
and suitable cars m², m², and m³ located upon the track n.
The operation of the system may he described as follows :-
The normal condition of the system is obtained by turning the several crosses on
part to such a position that all the switches e¹, e, e, &c., are closed, while all the
switches, &c. are opened. The condition is not shown in the drawings but
can be easily imagined.
Fig. 3 shows the system in actual operation with three cars. It may be noticed
that the complete circuit passes through the switch e¹, the section c¹, the movable
current controller g¹, car m', the section d', the switch f, the section the current
controller 9, the car m², the section c², the switch e³, the section e³, the
controller g, the car m³, the section ³, and thence to the opposite pole of the
generator from which it started.
When the current passes through the car m², for instance it propels the same in
the ordinary manner and the car in turn pulls the controller g' by means of the con-
ductors d and e which act as a mechanical connection between the car and the
controller. When the controller comes to the ends of the sections c¹ and d¹ the pro-
jection K shown in Figs. 4 and 5 operates the arm 1, which closes the switch e² and
simultaneously opens the switch f.
It is practically impossible for an accident by collision to occur with this system.
Suppose, for instance in Fig. 2 that the operator of the car (not shown) belonging
to the controller should run his car to the left, then by the time that the con-
trollers both arrived upon any pair of sections as c², ², the circuit would be cut out
from both of the cars although it would still be complete through the remaining part
of the system. The same phenomenon may be noticed by reference to Fig. 3, suppose
the controller to pass from the section formed of the conductors e², d², and to enter
upon the section formed of the conductors c, d, then will the current not pass
through either one of the cars m³ and m² because all the switches f,f,f³, are open,
and e, e², es, being closed, the current will pass directly through the car m³ without
passing through either of the conductors d¹ or d². It may be well to notice in this
connection that the length of the sections is several hundred feet long, while the
distance between the ends of the sections is only a fraction of an inch. For this
reason there would be practically no possibility of the cars accidentally approaching
exactly at ends of two different sections.
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. In a sectional double line electric railway system, the combination of two con-
ductors cut at intervals into sections, switches between the sections, all the switches

page_text: in one conductor being normally closed and all the switches in the other con-
ductor being. normally open, and an electric generator in circuit with said conductors.
2. In a sectional double linc electric railway system, the combination of two con-
ductors, cut at intervals into sections, switches between the sections, all the switches
in one conductor being normally closed and all the switches in the other conductor
being normally open, an electric generator in circuit with said conductors, and an
electric car in circuit with said conductors and said generator, and adapted to
open and close the switches in the two conductors alternately as it travels over the
road.
3. An electric switch consisting of the combination of the spindle or similar
shaft, projections extending at right angles to said shaft and at right angles to
each other, and two electric contact rods at opposite ends of said spindle and located
in parallel planes and at right angles to each other, the planes being at right angles
to the spindle.
4. In a double line electric railway system, two conductors extending from pole to
pole of an electric generator, cut at intervals into sections which are provided with
switches in pairs, the two switches of each pair being connected together and so
arranged that when one is open the other will be closed.
5. In a double line electric railway system, the two conductors extending from pole
to pole, of an electric generator, divided at intervals into sections which are provided
with switches in pairs, the two switches of each pair being so arranged that when one
is opened the other will be closed.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.