Improvements in Electrical Couplings used in Electrically Lighting Railway Trains, and for other Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Couplings used in Electrically Lighting
Railway Trains, and for other Purposes.
I, FREDERICK THOMAS HOLLINS of 6 Colville Street Derby in the County of Derby,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
1
The object of this invention is to make certain improvements in electrical couplings
used for connecting the cables of carriages together in electrically lighted railway
trains and for other purposes so that the said couplings may more fully meet all the
exigencies of the traffic arrangements. And more particularly in couplings used in
systems of electric lighting railway trains where each carriage or fixed portion of a
train carries a set of accumulators charged by a dynamo en-route or before starting.
and where a contact piece is provided in each half of a coupling to automatically close.
parts of a circuit or circuits when the couplings are pulled apart. Now where such a
contact piece in a coupling is used to automatically close a lamp circuit or circuits
with a battery circuit or circuits when the coupling comes apart (in most systems of
lighting trains a very essential device) it is obvious that when a slip coach is slipped
off in daylight all the lamps in the main portion of the train will be unnecessarily lit
up and will remain lit until the next stopping place sometimes many miles away
where the contact piece may be raised up and the circuits thus broken either by again
coupling or the coupling being fixed upon a dummy coupling attached to the end
of the coach to effect that purpose or in any other manner preferred. In this case.
there is not only the unnecessary waste of the current in unnecessarily lighting a
large number of lamps sometimes for a long period but by such a closing device the
dynamo current (of much higher electro motive force than the accumulators alone as
will be understood) would be directly on to the lamps with the probable result of
breaking the carbon filaments of some or all the incandescent lamps or fusing all the
fuse plugs throughout the train which would prevent the lamps being again lighted
until new fuse plugs were put in; an awkward predicament if there were several
tunnels to pass through before the train is stopped.
Now the object of this invention whilst still leaving this contact piece or circuit
closing device perfectly automatic in its action when the couplings are taken apart
under ordinary circumstances is to provide that when the electric half coupling at the
slipping end of a slip coach is pulled apart from any other half coupling it shall in
coming apart leave the contact piece in the half coupling attached to the main portion
of the train out of contact with the lamp circuit or lamp and battery circuit as
previously mentioned. And I propose to do this in several ways. Either the slip
coupling may have a special device not provided in any other ordinary coupling that
shall by means of a catch piece lock up the contact piece in the half coupling it is
separating from when slipped. And this may be done in several ways. For instance
the slip coupling may have a spring catch piece that will engage with a catch or
sliding piece fitted to the flat spring carrying the contact piece in the other half
coupling and that when the said sliding piece is drawn forward whilst the spring is
up it prevents the said spring from falling until it (the sliding piece) is again pushed
back into its normal position. And I so arrange it that the mere act of putting it
together with another half coupling or placing it on a dummy coupling at the end of
the carriage shall put back the said slide piece and thus leave it ready to act again
in the usual manner until it (the slide piece) is again drawn forward by the catch
piece to be provided in all slip carriage couplings-none of the other couplings having
such a catch piece. Or instead of the slide piece a lever may be caught by the
catch piece & prop up the spring previously described. In some cases the spring
..

page_text: contact piece may be replaced by mercury so arranged that only when the coupling
hangs down will the circuits be closed by means of the mercury connecting two or
more parts of the electrical coupling together. In this case a catch piece in the slip
coupling would turn a tap or cock or valve or other device in the other half coupling
that would prevent the mercury from connecting the two or more parts of the electrical
coupling together. Or in place of a spring contact piece in each half coupling a
sliding contact piece may be provided which by the act of pulling the coupling apart
each half coupling shall pull forward the other half's sliding contact piece and thus
each closes the circuit of the other on or before coming apart. Now in this case the
catch to pull forward the sliding contact pieces which would have to be provided in
all ordinary couplings must be left out of the slip coach coupling. The form of
coupling preferred is a circular one with a central contact piece in an ebonite base
around which are metal segments to the number required; the segments on one side
being turned true to fit within and those on the other side turned true to fit without
the segments of a corresponding coupling such as described and shown in Mr. W. E.
Langdon's patent dated June 23rd 1888. In these as in all other couplings it is pre-
ferable to provide the outer case with guide pieces to ensure the proper coupling up
of the coupling and I propose to provide these guide pieces with a spring snap
arrangement the better to hold the coupling together as it is found in practice that the
oscillation of the carriages has a tendency to work the couplings apart.
Although this particular form of coupling is preferred it is obvious that the
arrangement for preventing the closing of the circuit or circuits on slipping a coach
may be applied to any form of coupling and that the principle of the device may be
applied to any electrical arrangement in which it is desirable a circuit should some-
times be made or completed and sometimes not by the same mechanical action due to
one part of any coupling or other electrical instrument being provided with some
additional part not appearing upon a corresponding coupling or instrument with which
it has to engage.
Dated this Sixth day of July 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Couplings used in Electrically Lighting
Railway Trains, and for other Purposes.
I, FREDERICK THOMAS HOLLINS, formerly of Colville Street Derby, and now of
Forest Drive Leytonstone Essex, Telegraph Superintendent, and Electrical Engineer,
to The Great Eastern Railway Company, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 the invention, is to make certain improvements in Electrical
Couplings, used in Electrically Lighting Railway Trains, and for other purposes,
so that the said couplings, may more fully meet all the exigencies of the traffic
arrangements; and more particularly, to provide for the case of slip coaches, so
that although the act of uncoupling, will ordinarily light up the train, if it is not
lit up; and keep it lit if it is lighted, the act of slipping a coach shall not
unnecessarily light up the main portion of the train; and yet, so that the same
coupling that has come apart from the slip coupling shall, when again connected
with an ordinary coupling and pulled apart, light up the coach to which it is
attached, and all other coaches electrically connected with it.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed
to describe the accompanying drawings in reference thereto―
Figure 1. is a perspective view, and Figures 2 and 3 are cross sections, and
Figures 4 and 5, longitudinal sections, of one form of coupling, to which my
invention is applied. Similar letters refer to corresponding parts. A A¹ are outside
metal segments, (preferably of gun metal) attached to one cable, to which one end
of all the lamp leads are joined, and which forms the lamp circuit throughout the

page_text: train; and B is a centre contact piece, to which a second cable is attached, and in
connection with which one pole of the accumulators, and the other end of all the
lamp leads throughout the train are attached. CC¹are two similar, and corre-
sponding segments, attached to a third cable in connection with the opposite poles of
all the accumulators throughout the train.
It is obvious therefore, if segments A A', are placed in electrical communication
by means of a contact piece D, with segments C, C, the whole of the lamps
throughout the train will thus be placed in circuit with all the accumulators
throughout the train. The contact piece D, for thus joining these segments together,
is securely attached to spring D, which in its turn, is screwed by means of screws e el
(Figure 1) to segments A A¹ and in its normal position, electrically connects
segments A A' with segments CC. When two halves of the coupling (as shown
in sections Figures 2 and 3) are put together, as shown in Figure 1, the inclined
plane of insulating material Z' in each half of the coupling raises the contact
piece D' in the opposite half of the complete coupling out of electrical communication
with segments ( C¹. And therefore if the lamps in the train are illuminated
through this contact in the coupling, when the two halves of the coupling are
apart, the act of placing or pressing the two halves of the coupling together, puts
the lights out, and consequently, when the coupling is again pulled apart, the lamps
are again lighted.
Now it is obvious, that if a coach is slipped in daylight, the closing of the circuit
by means of this coupling contact D¹, when the carriage is slipped, the whole of the
train would be lighted up when the lights were not wanted, and to prevent this each
spring and contact piece D D' is provided with a movable slide F secured by the
rivets X X (Figure 1) to G (Figure 4) which has a prong or push piece H and the
stud K. When this slide is in the position shown in Figures 4 & 5 the contact
piece D' is held by means of stud K out of contact with segments C C. The
rivets XX pass through a slot in the spring D. Therefore the slide piece F. G. H. K.
(Figure 4) is free to move backwards and forwards when pushed back by means of
prong H or drawn forward by the catch on the end of slide piece F.
Therefore when H is pushed back, stud K is placed over the cavity M. in the
insulating core of the coupling. The inclined plane Z, when in the act of lifting the
spring contact piece D1, also pushes back the prong H to effect this, whilst the collar E
(which is only attached to the half coupling fixed at the slipping end of a slip coach
as shown in Figure 1) passing beyond the catch on the end of the slide piece F
so engages with this catch when the coupling is being pulled apart, as to again
draw forward the slide piece F. G. H. K. into the position shown in Figure 4.
It only therefore remains to leave this collar E off all couplings, except that half of
the coupling attached to the cables at the slipping end of a slip coach to effect, in
this form of coupling, the object of my invention.
It will thus be seen, that without this collar E when the couplings are placed
together the contact piece D¹ is raised out of electrical connection, and when the
couplings are pulled apart, the contact piece D', which is free to fall, will be placed,
by means of the spring D again into electrical connection with segment C C¹.
But when a coupling, having the collar E is pulled apart from another half
coupling, the contact piece D' is held as described, by the stud K, out of contact
with segments CC; and when any other half coupling, is again joined with the half
coupling, in which the contact piece is thus held up, the slide piece F. G. H. K. is
again pushed back so as to allow the contact piece free movement, until again actuated
by means of a half coupling, having a collar E as described.
Figure 5, shows another method of drawing forward the slide piece, and thus
prevent the contact piece from falling. In this case, the prong H is pulled forward,
when the coupling is pulled apart, by the spring hook or catch W. This spring hook
is only required on the slip coupling. When the coupling is being put together, the
spring hook, or catch W, rides underneath the book, on prong H, and passing
beyond, enters a cavity, provided for the purpose, in the insulating material, but not
shown in the drawing, and Z.then pushes back. the slide piece, until the stud K, is

page_text: .
over the cavity M. The other parts are described previously, being the same as in
Figure 4.
Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views, and Figures 8 and 9 cross sections, of a
similar form of coupling, but with a different method of contact piece arrangement,
for effecting the same purpose. Again similar letters refer to corresponding parts.
By this arrangement a better electrical contact (a rubbing contact) is made, by
means of the contact piece 1). The segments of the coupling, are attached to the
cables, precisely the same as in the previous case, and contact piece D is free to move
on the axis I and is made to join segments A A¹, and segments C C¹, by means of
the stud H on the spring F, engaging with a small lever, or catch piece E, which
forms a part of the contact piece D, and this contact piece D is drawn from the
position shown in Figure 6, into the position shown in Figure 7, when the coupling
is pulled apart.
When the coupling is again put together, the stud H on spring F, presses against
contact piece D and turns it back into the position shown in Figure 6.
Now the small lever or catch piece E is not so thick (see Figure 8) as contact D
itself, and is rounded on its under side, so that when the coupling is apart, and the
contact piece D is in the position shown in Figure 6 and the coupling is then placed
together, stud H rides underneath (spring F bending sufficient to allow this) and
springs up on the other side as shown in Figure 6, ready to engage with and pull
round the contact piece D into the position shown in Figure 7.
Now it only remains to make the stud H, fitted on the half coupling, fixed at the
slipping end of a slip coach, shorter than the studs H, in all the ordinary couplings,
to effect what is desired. The stud is left sufficiently long to push back the contact
piece D into the position shown in Figure 6, but is not sufficiently long to engage
with the small lever or catch piece E when the coupling is pulled apart. The result
is, that when the ordinary couplings are pulled apart, the lamps are lighted, but
when the balf coupling at the slipping end of a slip coach, is pulled apart from any
other half coupling, the lamps are not lighted, the contact piece remaining as shown
in Figure 6. But when an ordinary coupling is again put together with this coupling,
with the contact piece left as shown at Figure 6, the stud H, on the spring passing
underneath the small lever or catch piece E, engages with it as previously described.
Figures 10, 11, and 12, show a similar arrangement, but instead of the semicircular
segments, slotted bars A. B. C. are used, to attach to the three cables, and instead
of making the stud H in the half coupling, fixed to the slipping end of a slip coach.
half the size, it is attached to the bottom bar C, (as shown in Figure 10) which
effects the removal (when the coupling is put. together) of the contact piece D, out
of contact with the bar B, but when the coupling is again pulled apart, it does
not draw forward the contact piece D, into contact with the bar B; but an ordinary
coupling, having the spring F, and stud H, when put together, does engage with.
the small lever or catch piece E and effects the necessary closing of the circuit.
In the drawings, only the necessary portions are shown, but in actual practice,
the couplings are within an insulated metal cover, or case, with guide pieces, to
assist in putting the couplings together, and which also prevents them from being
put together, in any but the correct manner. Such covers and guide pieces are fully
shown and described in Langdons Specification 9171 of June 23rd 1888.
As regards the dummy coupling, which is fixed at either end of every coach..
This is so arranged (as in the above recited patent 9171 of 1888) so that the
act of putting the coupling on the dummy, will put the lights out, when they
are lighted through the contact piece of the coupling, because the contact piece
is raised by an inclined plane in the dummy, precisely similar to the one shown at Z,
in Figures 2 and 3, when the coupling itself is of the same kind as shown in Figure 1..
But when the coupling is the same as at Figure 6, the dummy contains a spring
and catch pin, the same as the spring F and pin H Figures 6 and. 7. It is merely
screwed to an insulated block, and acts the same to a coupling placed upon it,, as
would an ordinary half coupling, that is, if the contact piece D is as shown in
Figure 7, it pushes it back and draws it forward again, when the coupling is taken

page_text: off the dummy. If the contact piece D is in the position shown in Figure 6, then the
pin H on spring F in the dummy, rides under the small lever, or catch piece E, in
the coupling placed upon it, and engages with it, when the coupling is again taken
from the dummy.
I am aware that there are many means by which the same object may be effected,
which is by making the half coupling, attached to the cables at the slipping end of a
slip coach, different to the ordinary half couplings, so that the ordinary couplings
when pulled apart, will close the circuit and light the lamps, but when a slip coach
coupling is drawn apart from any other coupling, the lamps shall not be lighted.
I may, or I may not, as I choose, make the slip coupling close, or not close, the
lamp circuit with the battery circuit in the slip coach. And I am aware, that this
arrangement may be applied to purposes other than electric lighting trains. For
instance, may be applied to a system of electrical brakes, so that when an ordinary
coupling comes apart, the electrical brakes may be brought into operation, through
a part, or the whole of the train, but when the slip coupling comes apart, it shall
not apply the electrical brakes throughout the train, except, if desired, on the slip
itself.
1 am also aware, that in Patent 9171 of 1888, granted to W. E. Langdon, a
device is described and shown, by means of which, by turning a tap or switch,
fixed to each half coupling, the contact piece may, or may not, be allowed to fall, in
any one or more coaches, and make contact, or join two parts of a circuit together.
But by that method it is always necessary for care to be exercised, and for someone
to go over the train to see that all the taps or switches are set right to act or not
act as may be desired during the journey. Whereas by my invention the whole
arrangement is automatic and self adjusting by the mere act of coupling up. The
differentiation of the slip coupling from all other couplings being all that is
required.
And having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. In electrical couplings the device and arrangement, by means of which,
when the circuit closing device is held up after a slip coach is slipped it is auto-
matically by the act of coupling up again or placing on the dummy coupling put
into position ready to fall and close the circuit or circuits when the couplings come
apart substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth and described.
Secondly. In electrical couplings used for railway trains, the device and arrange-
ment by means of which, whilst the ordinary couplings when pulled apart close an
electrical circuit, or circuits, the same couplings will not have their circuits closed
when a slip coupling is pulled apart from them, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose set forth and described.
Thirdly. In electrical couplings for railway trains, the device and arrangement,
by means of which, the circuits are not closed, when a slip coach is slipped, but
when an ordinary coupling is again joined up to the other ordinary coupling, and
pulled apart, the circuits are closed, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
set forth and described.
Fourthly. In electrical couplings for trains, the combination of parts, substantially
in the manner, and for the purpose set forth and described.
1000