IMPROVE- MENTS IN OR RELATING TO DYNAMO OR MAGNETO ELECTRIC MACHINES AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES CARS OR VEHICLES ELECTRICITY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas John Handford of 42 Southampton Buildings,
BY
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent for an invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR RELATING TO DYNAMO OR MAGNETO ELECTRIC MACHINES AND
APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES CARS OR VEHICLES
ELECTRICITY A communication from abroad by William Adler Stern
Electrician and Henry Marison Byllesby Engineer both of the City County
and State of New York United States of America.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas John Handford
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th May 1882.
THOMAS JOHN HANDFORD of 42 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO DYNAMO OR
MAGNETO ELECTRIC MACHINES AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
CARS OR VEHICLES BY ELECTRICITY a communication from abroad by William
Adler Stern, Electrician and Henry Marison Byllesby, Engineer, both of the City
County and State of New York United States of America
"
The primary object of this invention is the lighting of railway carriages, or cars
by the combination as hereinafter described of a generator, storage batteries, and
switches for operating the same, and secondly to change the circuit connections of
a dynamo electric machine automatically and in such a manner that the polarity
of the field magnet of the generator remains the same, and the current in the main
line always flows in the same direction no matter which way the armature may be
revolved; this allows the armature to be revolved by a connection to the wheels of
a carriage car, or locomotive, and the parts work equally well when the locomotive,
carriages or cars are going in either direction
The storage batteries are situate between the generator and the lights, and a
circuit changing device is provided, whereby the generator is connected with one
storage battery or set of cells while the lights are being supplied from a second
storage battery; then the circuits are reversed, so that one storage battery is being
D..

page_text: charged while the lights are run by the other battery; the connections are changed
periodically so as to insure uniformity of light, and the lights do not burn dimly
while the carriage or car is stationary These storage batteries are each to be
adapted to the supply of the necessary current to the lamps for any desired period,
say two or three hours so that the lights will burn during any ordinary stoppage
of a train
An automatic circuit breaker is provided between the storage batteries and the
generator, so that the current will not react on the generator.
In carrying out this Invention the magneto or dynamo-electric machine is of any
desired character, having field inagnets with their helices, and a revolving armature
on a shaft, and the circuit connections are made so that the machine will supply
current for its own field circuit
The current is taken off by commutator springs which are U shaped where they
rest upon the commutator plates so that the armature may be revolved in either
direction, and it is to be remarked that the said armature is to be driven by a belt
or gearing to one of the axles, or by a wheel kept in contact by a spring with one
of the carriage, car, or locomotive wheels so that the armature of the magneto
generator will be revolved whenever the carriage, car, or engine is in motion The
current passes away from the springs and if it went directly through the field
helices there would be a reversal of polarity of the field magnets when the direction
of rotation of the armature is reversed. In order to avoid this the automatic current
director next hereinafter described is employed.
Upon the armature shaft, near one end there is a screw thread, with a plain
portion at each side of the screw thread. A nut is made to fit upon the shaft,
and it is guided by a rod around which are two helical springs at opposite ends
of it.
When the armature is revolved in one direction the screw will be revolved so as
to cause the nut to move towards one spring and compress it; when the nut
reaches the end of the screw, the shaft and the screw continue to turn without
moving the nut; so soon as the armature shaft is revolved the other way the
spring which has been compressed expanding presses the nut towards the screw
and the screw runs into the same moving the nut the other way, and thereby com-
pressing the other spring, and then the nut running off the screw, the nut remains
in a fixed position until the armature shaft and the screw are again reversed. The
nut carries the circuit closing points, upon spring arms, which are in pairs, and are
supported by insulating material between the springs and the nut.
There are insulated binding screws with separate spring contacts, against which
the springs of the nuts are pressed in either one direction or the other by the
action of the nut as it is moved one way or the other by the rotation of the armature
and shaft.
The wire from one commutator spring is connected to two binding posts and
springs, and the other from the other commutator spring to two other binding
posts and springs. The + wire to the field helices is connected to two binding
posts and springs respectively at opposite sides, and the:- wire to the field helices
is connected to two other binding posts and springs respectively at opposite sides
When the circuit closing springs or the nut is in contact with one spring of each
of the four pairs before referred to the plus current from one commutator spring
goes by one route to + wire of the field helix, and the negative current from the
other commutator spring to negative wire of the field helix
When the nut is moved the other way by reversing the direction of rotation of
the armature and the currents in the revolving armature are also reversed, the +
current goes by another route to + wire of the field helix and the current to the
negative wire of the field helix. By these devices the magnetism of the field
magnets is maintained, regardless of reversal of the armature currents by changing
the direction of revolution, and the direction of the current in the main line is
unaltered, so as not to affect the charging and discharging of the storage
batteries.

page_text: The circuit wires after passing through the field helices or having branches to
such helices continue to the commutators or current changers; but a switch is
placed in one wire, (say for example the + wire) and an electro-magnet is used in
à branch circuit between the two wires; the switch is operated by the armature
of this magnet. When the dynamo-generator is at rest the current ceases to flow
and the electro-magnet liberates the switch so that there is no possibility of the
current from the storage cells reacting on the dynaino generator to demagnetise
the field magnets, but when the generator is again set in action the current in the
electro magnet closes the switch in the circuit to the storage batteries
Let it be assumed that there are two conductors leading to the lamps (which
may be incandescent carbons in multiple arc, or lamps of any other suitable
character) and that two storage cells or batteries of any suitable size and character
are provided between the lamps and the generator; in the circuit wires there arc
introduced circuit changers which connect the generator periodically with first onc
storage battery and then the other, and simultaneously connect the other storage
cell with the light circuit. These circuit changers are constructed and arranged in
the manner next hereinafter described.
According to one modification a shaft supported in a frame carries four wheels
and the said shaft is revolved by clock work or turned periodically a half revolution
by hand or by any suitable means Each of the wheels is made up of two halves,
one half is of wood or other non conductor the other half is of metal
Eight insulated springs each being provided with a binding post are placed in a
row with the ends of the springs resting in pairs on the edges of the wheels, and
the wheels are placed on the shaft so that a metal half wheel coincides with the
next wooden half wheel in such a manner that on turning the shaft and wheels,
and causing the division between metal and non conducting material to pass below
the ends of the springs two pairs of such springs, which had rested on metal are
caused to rest on wood and the other two pairs which had rested on wood are
caused to rest on metal. It is preferable to make the surfaces slightly eccentric, so
that there may be a sudden snapping of the springs as they pass from one surface
to the other.
The negative wire branches to the negative elements of the two storage batterics
one conductor from the lights branches to the positive elements of such storage
batteries. The positive wire branches to two of the binding posts and springs,
the other conductor branches to two other of the binding posts and springs. The
negative elements of the batteries are also connected to two other binding posts
and springs.
When the metal of two of the wheels is in contact with their springs the
positive current passes to one storage battery thence to the negative wire and
generator at the same time the current from the other storage battery passes to the
lamps.
When the wheels are changed the current passes to the other storage battery,
thence to the generator, at the same time the lamps are supplied from the storage
battery which was previously out of action.
A switch stops the action of the dynamo generator by breaking the circuit when
the developement of electricity is not required.
These devices allow for the lights being run under all the ordinary circumstances
of use in carriages, cars, or on railway trains and it is to be remarked that ono
complete apparatus may be placed in each carriage or car, or only in one carriage
car or engine with the circuit wires to the lamps running through the train. The
head light and rear lights may be electric lamps if desired
Instead of the nut bringing its springs into contact flatwise with contact
springs to the binding posts and springs it may be arranged so as to be moved
along edgewise and slide over and rest upon contact studs in a slab of insulating
material.
According to another modification the circuit changer is acted upon by friction
instend of by a screw. The shaft is provided with a double arm which is split and

page_text: provided with a clamp screw so that more or less friction can be applied to the
shaft at the eye upon the arm. Stops (one at each side) limit the movement of
this arm, and when the armature shaft is turning in one direction the pairs of
insulated spring contact points will be in contact with one set of studs, but when
the armature shaft is revolved the other way the pairs of insulated spring contacts
will be moved with the arm by the friction of the said arm on the shaft and the
circuit connections will be reversed.
The friction arms may be used with springs which come together flatwise the
said springs being arranged in the manner last hereinbefore described but nearer
together, and the pairs of contact springs being moved by a rocking or oscillating
motion given by friction at the eye of the arm.
In place of the frictional arm upon the shaft of the armature being swung by
the friction thereof upon the shaft there may be a sector forming the circuit
changing device, the edge of the said sector being in contact with the armature
shaft so as to roll the sector either one way or the other according to the direction
of rotation.
It will be observed that in all instances the circuit changer acts between the
armature belices and the line connections as well as botween the armature helices
and the field helices, so that the direction of the current and the lines is not reversed
by changing the direction of the carriage or car
It will be apparent that the circuit changer wheels may be revolved by a small
electric motor and gearing which reduces the speed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas John Handford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th November 1882.
THOMAS JOHN HANDFORD of 42 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO DYNAMO OR
MAGNETO ELECTRIC MACHINES AND APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
CARS OR VEHICLES BY ELECTRICITY a communication from abroad by William
Adler Stern Electrician and Henry Marison Byllesby Engineer both of the City
County and State of New York United States of America
"
The primary object of the said Invention is the lighting of railway carriages or
cars by the combination of a generator storage batteries and switches for operating
the same arranged and combined together as hereinafter described an important
feature of the invention being the provision of means for changing the circuit
connections of a dynamo or magneto electric machine automatically and in, such
a manner that the polarity of the field magnet of the generator shall remain the
same and the current in the main line always flow in the same direction no matter
which way the armature may be revolved. this allows the armature to be revolved
by a connection to the wheels of a carriage car or locomotive and the parts
work equally well when the locomotive carriages or cars are travelling in either
direction.
The storage batteries are situate between the generator and the lights and a
circuit changing device is provided whereby the generator is connected with one
storage battery or set of cells while the lights are being supplied from a second
storage battery, then the circuits are reversed, so that one storage battery is being
changed while the lights are run by the other battery; the connections are changed
periodically so as to insure uniformity of light and the lights do not burn dimly
while the carriage or car is stationary; these storage batteries are each to be
adapted to the supply of the necessary current to the lamps for any desired period
say two or three hours so that the lights will burn during any ordinary stoppage
of a train.
An automatic circuit breaker is provided between the storage batteries and the
generator so that the current will not react on the generator.
The said Invention is carried out in the manner next hereinafter described
reference being had to the several figures on the sheet of drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagram of the circuit connections
Figure 2 is an elevation (partly in section) of the circuit director hereinafter
described on the shaft of the armature Figures 3 and 4 are side views of the
circuit closing springs hereinafter referred to detached. Figure 5 is a side view
and Figure 6 is an end view of the commutator or circuit changer hereinafter
described between the storage cells and the generator Figure 7 shews the circuit
changer in a modified form and Figure 8 shews a circuit changer in the form of a
sector
The magneto or dynamo electric machine A is of any desired character having
field magnets aa with their helices, a revolving armature b on a shaft c and the
circuit connectious are made so that the machine will supply current for its own
field circuit.
The current is taken off by commutator springs d d which are some-what
U shaped or bowed where they rest upon the commutator plates so that the
armature may be revolved in either direction and it is to be remarked that the
said armature is to be driven by gearing or by a belt from one of the axles as

page_text: indicated diagrammatically at X or by a wheel kept in contact by a spring with
one of the carriage car or locomotive wheels so that the armature of the magneto
generator will be revolved whenever the carriage car or engine is in motion. The
current passes away from the springs d d and if it went directly through the field
belices there would be a reversal of polarity of the field magnets when the direction
of rotation of the armature is reversed. In order to avoid this the automatic
current director represented in Figures 2, 3 and 4 is employed.
Upon the armature shaft c near one end there is a screw thread 3 with a plain
the
portion at each side of the screw thread. The nut i is made to fit upon
shaft c and it is guided by the rod 4 around which are two helical springs 5 and 6.
When the armature is revolved in one direction the screw will be revolved so as
to cause the nut to move towards the spring 5 and compress it; when the nut
reaches the end of the screw the shaft and the screw continue to turn without
moving the nut; so soon as the armature shaft is revolved the other way the
spring 5 expanding presses the nut towards the screw and the screw runs into the
same moving the nut the other way and thereby compressing the spring 6 and
then the nut running off the screw the nut remains in a fixed position until the
The nut carries the circuit
armature shaft and the screw are again reversed.
closing points upon spring arms which are in pairs as represented in Figure 3 and
There are
are supported by insulating material between the springs and the nut.
insulated binding screws k with separate spring contacts against which the springs
of the nuts are pressed in either one direction or the other by the action of the
nut as it is moved one way or the other by the rotation of the armature and
shaft
The wire from one commutator spring is connected to the binding posts and
springs 10 and 11 and the wire from the other commutator spring is connected
to the binding posts and springs 12 and 13. The wire to the field helices is
wire to the field
connected to the binding posts and springs 14 and 15 and the
helices is connected to the binding posts and springs 16 and 17.
-
When the springs 18 and 19 or the nut is in contact with 11 and 14 and 13
and 16 respectively as shown in the diagram Figure 1 the plus current, from 22
goes by 11, 18, 14 to + wire 25 of the field helix and the negative current from 23
goes by 13, 19, 16 to negative wire 24 of the field helix.
When the nut is moved the other way by reversing the direction of rotation of
the armature and the currents in the revolving armature are also reversed the
+current goes by 23, 12, 21 and 15 to + wire 25 of the field helix and the
current by 22, 10, 20, 17 to the negative wire 24 of the field helix. By these
devices the magnetism of the field magnets is maintained, regardless of reversal
of the armature currents by changing the direction of revolution and the direction
of the current in the main line is unaltered so as not to affect the charging and
discharging of the storage batteries.
The circuit wires 25 and 24 after passing through the field helices or having
branches to such helices continue to the commutators or circuit changers 31, 32,
33, 34 (hereinafter fully described), the said wires taking in their circuit the
storage cells p q. These cells which may be of any suitable size and character are
situate between the generator and the lamps the latter being incandescent carbons
in multiple arc circuits from the main conductors n, o or lamps of any other
suitable character.
In one of the circuit wires (25) there is placed a switch m and an electromagnet l
is used in a branch circuit x between the wires 24, 25, the switch in fact being
formed by the armature of this magnet l. When the dynamo generator is at rest
the current ceases to flow and the electro magnet liberates the switch so that
there is no possibility of the current from the storage cells p q reacting on the
dynamo generator to demagnetise the field magnets but when the generator is
again set in action the current in Z closes the switch in the circuit to the storage
batteries.
I shall now proceed to describe the circuit changers which are interposed in the

page_text: circuit wires and serve to connect the generator periodically with first one storage
battery and then the other and simultaneously connect the other storage cell with
the light circuit.
Referring to Figures 5 and 6 r represents a shaft supported in a frame and
carrying four wheels 31, 32, 33, 34 and the said shaft is to be revolved by clock-
work or turned periodically a half rovolution by hand or by any suitable means.
Each of the wheels is made up of two halves one balf is of wood or other
nonconductor the other half is of metal.
Eight insulated springs 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 (each being provided with a
binding post ) are placed in a row with the ends of the springs resting in pairs on
the edges of the wheels and the wheels are placed on the shaft r so that a metal
half wheel coincides with a wooden half wheel in such a manner that on turning
the shaft and wheels and causing the division between metal and nonconducting
material to pass below the ends of the springs two pairs of such springs which had
rested on metal are caused to rest on wood and the other two pairs which had
rested on wood are caused to rest on metal. It is preferable to make the surfaces
slightly eccentric as shewn in Figure 6 so that there may be a sudden snapping of the
springs as they pass from one surface to the other.
P
The wire 24 branches to the negative elements of the two storage batteries
and q the conductor o from the lights branches to the positive elements of such
'storage batteries the wire 25 branches to the binding posts of springs 44 and 48.
The conductor n branches to the binding posts of springs 41 and 45. The negative
elements of the batteries are also connected to the binding posts and springs 42
and 46 the positive elements being connected to 43 and 47.
When the metal portions of 32 and 33 are in contact with their springs 43, 44,
and 45, 46, the current from 25 passes by 44, 32, 43 to storage battery p thence to
the wire 24 and generator at the same time the current from 9 passes to the lamps
by o 40, 33, 45, and n.
When the wheels are changed and the metal of 31 and 34 is brought into contact
with springs 41, 42 and 47, 48, the current from 25 passes to 48, 34 and 47 to
storage cells q thence by 24 to generator at the same time the lamps are supplied
from storage cells p by wire o and through 42, 31 and 41 to n.
A switch at w stops the action of the dynamo generator by breaking the circuit
when the development of electricity is not required.
These devices allow for the lights being run under all the ordinary circumstances
of use in carriages cars or railway trains and it is to be remarked that one
complete apparatus may be placed in each carriage or car or only in one carriage
car or engine with the circuit wires to the lamps running through the train.
The head lights and rear lights may be electric lamps if desired.
Instead of the nut i bringing its springs into contact flatwise with contact
springs to the binding posts and springs it may be arranged as illustrated in the
diagram Figure 1 so as to be moved along edgewise and slide over and rest upon
contact studs in a slab of insulating material.
с
In Figure 7 I have shewn a circuit changer acted upon by friction instead of by
a screw. The shaft c is provided with a double arm c¹ which is split and provided
with a clamp screw c² so that more or less friction can be applied to the shaft at
the eye upon the arm. Stops e³ and e' limit the movement of this arm and when
the armature shaft c is turning in the direction indicated the pairs of insulated
spring contact points will be in contact with the studs 11, 14, 13 and 16 as shewn
corresponding to the binding posts similarly marked in Figure 1 but when the
armature shaft is revolved the other way the pairs of insulated spring contacts will
be moved with the arm by the friction of the said arm on the shaft and the circuit
connection will be reversed.
The friction arms may be used with springs similar to those in figure 2 which
come together flatwise the said springs being arranged as in Figure 7 but nearer
ogether and the pairs of contact springs being moved by a rocking or oscillating
motion given by friction at the eye of the arm as in Figure 7

page_text: In place of the frictional arm upon the shaft of the armature being swung by the
friction thereof upon the shaft the modification shewn in Figure 8 may be adopted
in which a sector Y is used forming the circuit changing device the edge of the said
sector being in contact with the armature shaft c so as to roll the sector either one
way or the other according to the direction of rotation.
It will be observed that in all instances the circuit changer acts between the
armature helices and the line connections as well as between the armature helices
and the field helices so that the direction of the current and the lines is not reversed
by changing the direction of motion of the carriage or car.
It will be apparent that the circuit changer wheels may be revolved by a small
electric motor and gearing which reduces the speed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
recited Letters Patent is:-
nature of the said
used or carried into
be novel and original
hereinbefore in part
First The combination with a dynamo or magneto electric machine supplying
its own field, of means for maintaining a constant direction of the current in the
field helices without regard to the direction of rotation of the armature substantially
as herein before described.
Second-The combination with a railway carriage car or vehicle, of a dynamo or
magneto electric machine driven by the movement thereof, electric lamps, two or
more storage batteries, means for alternately throwing the storage batteries into
connection with the lamps and generator, means for maintaining a constant
direction of the current in the field helices and main line of the generator, and
means for preventing the storage batteries from reacting on the generator, all
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas John Handford have to this my
Specification set my band and seal this eighteenth day of November in the
year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two