Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 20th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 21st June, 1887.
1 CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The use of Volta inductors or secondary generators for transmitting electrical
energy offers the advantage of enabling a much higher tension to be employed than
is possible with transmission by continuous current, so that considerabe energies
can be transmitted through great distances by means of comparatively small
conductors, while at the same time the regulation of the power of the motion is
capable of being effected much more easily.
For the purposes of this invention any known construction of alternate current
machine is employed for generating the current, while for the motor to be driven by
the current there is employed a dynamo machine that can produce continuous
currents.
In applying this invention to electric railways, in which the motors on the carriages
receive the current from the rails or from conductors extending alongside of the
rails, the volta inductors are employed as follows.

page_text: On the carriage is placed a Volta Inductor whose primary coils are connected in
the known manner through sliding or rolling contacts to the conductor which conveys
alternate currents, generally of high tension, thereto, while the secondary coils convey
induced currents of generally low tension to the electric motor on the carriage.
Or, according to another arrangement, Volta Inductors are placed at certain
distances apart along the line of rails, the primary coils receiving the currents from
the generator and being arranged either in parallel arc or in series, or each having a
separate circuit, while the terminals of the secondary coils are connected respectively
to one of the two rails, when these are used as the conductors, or to the separate
conductors when these are employed.
It is preferred to arrange the Volta-inductors either in parallel arc or on separate
circuits as by this means only an automatic regulation thereof can be obtained.
By the automatic or non-automatic regulation of the alternate current machine the
tensions at the terminals of the primary coils would then be always constant.
As the secondary coils of all the Volta-Inductors are arranged parallel to the rails
or conductors of the current, all the Volta Inductors will be active at the same
time. Each one will produce work in proportion to the resistance of its secondary
circuit. Owing to the motion of the carriage, this resistance will vary according to
the distance of the carriage from the particular inductor.
The tension difference at the terminals of the secondary coils will have to be taken
comparatively low, having regard to the difficulty of effecting a perfect insulation of
the rails or separate conductor.
The above described method of employing volta inductors for electrical railways
can, however, not be practically employed without providing the motors with specially
arranged regulating devices so that the speed of the carriage can be regulated or the
stopping effected in a simple manner.
For this purpose the following methods are employed.
According to one arrangement a Volta Inductor is provided on the carriage having
its primary coils supplied with the current from the rails or conductor by sliding or
rolling contacts, while the secondary coils are connected to the motor.
The one connecting wire is, however, not connected directly to the terminal of the
coil, but to a reversing switch by means of which it is possible to connect the several
layers of coils at will, either in series or parallel, in varying degrees.
In the case of all the layers being connected in series, the arrangement may also
be such that the ends of all the layers are connected to insulated metal plates arranged
side by side, without interfering with the interconnection of the layers, a slide being
provided on the metal plates which is connected to the one lead of the motor and
which is always in contact simultaneously with two or three of the plates.
In this way all the layers of coils can be gradually cut out of or included in the
secondary circuit without interrupting the secondary current, thereby decreasing or
increasing the electromotive force of this current, and consequently varying the speed
of the motor in a corresponding manner.
If the motor comes to a standstill in con-
sequence of all the secondary coils being cut out, the counter force exercised by the
Volta Inductor upon the primary circuit will be a maximum, and thus the supply of
current will be correspondingly reduced.
According to another arrangement, the current from the conductor is passed through
a wire bobbin of suitable size that will absorb more or less energy according to its
resistance. If it be desired to reduce the speed of the motor an iron core is
introduced into the bobbin to an extent corresponding with the reduction of speed
required. By this means a counter force will be exercised on the primary circuit
and the supply of current will be correspondingly reduced.
According to another arrangement instead of constructing Volta Inductors with
wire coils and iron cores a construction of Inductors proposed by Dr. Werner
Siemens may be employed, in which the wire coils are surrounded by iron. If the
iron envelopes surrounding the coils are made of two iron tubes split longitudinally
in two, the outer tube being made just to enclose the inner one, and capable of being

page_text: rotated thereon, then by turning the outer tube the envelope may be closed or opened,
and thus the constant of induction be made either great or infinitely small.
By imparting a helical form to the division line of the one tube, any desired inter-
mediate degree of the constant of induction may be obtained, and thus a corresponding
weakening of the tension of the current acting on the motor be effected.
The above described method of regulating the electromotive force of a motor may
obviously be employed in connection with electro-motors employed for other purposes
beside electrical railways.

page_text: Improvements in the Application of Volta Inductors or Secondary
Generators for Distributing Electrical Energy and for Regulating
Alternate Current Motors, more Particularly Applicable to
Electrical Railways.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent 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 use of Volta inductors or secondary generators for transmitting electrical
energy offers the advantage of enabling a much higher tension to be employed than
is possible with transmission by continuous current, so that considerable energies can
be transmitted through great distances by means of comparatively small conductors,
while at the same time the regulation of the power of the motor is capable of being
effected much more easily.
For the purposes of this invention any known construction of alternate current
machine is employed for generating the current, while for the motor to be driven by
the current there is employed a dynamo machine that can produce continuous
currents.
In applying this invention to electric railways, in which the motors on the carriages
receive the current from the rails or from conductors extending alongside of the rails,
the volta inductors are employed as follows.
On the carriage is placed a volta inductor whose primary coils are connected in the
known manner through sliding or rolling contacts to the conductor which conveys
alternate currents, gonerally of high tension, thereto, while the secondary coils convey
induced currents of generally low tension to the electric motor on the carriage.
Or, according to another arrangement, Volta Inductors are placed at certain
distances apart along the line of rails, the primary coils receiving the current from
the generator and being arranged either in parallel arc or in series, or cach having a
separate circuit while the terminals of the secondary coils are connected respectively
to one of the two rails, when these are used as the conductors, or to the separate
conductors when these are employed.
It is preferred to arrange the Volta-inductors either in parallel are or on separate
circuits as by this means only an automatic regulation thereof can be obtained.
By the automatic or non-automatic regulation of the alternate current machine the
tension at the terminals of the primary coils would then be always constant.
The accompanying drawing shews a diagram of the above described arrangement,
X being the stationary generator, R the line of rails, and SP the volta inductors,
the primary coils P of which are arranged in parallel arc on the circuit of the
generator, while the secondary coils S are connected to the rails.

page_text: As the secondary coils of all the Volta Inductors are arranged parallel to the rails
or conductors of the current, all the Volta Inductors will be active at the same time.
Each one will produce work in proportion to the resistance of its secondary circuit.
Owing to the motion of the carriage, this resistance will vary according to the distance
of the carriage from the particular inductor.
The difference of potential at the terminals of the secondary coils will have to be
taken comparatively low, having regard to the difficulty of effecting a perfect
insulation of the rails or separate conductor.
The above described method of employing Volta Inductors for electrical railways
can, however not he practically employed without providing the motors with specially
arranged regulating devices so that the speed of the carriage can be regulated or the
stopping effected in a simple manner.
For this purpose the following methods are employed.
According to one arrangement a Volta-Inductor is provided on the carriage having
its primary coils supplied with the current from the rails or conductor by sliding or
rolling contacts, while the secondary coils are connected to the motor.
The one connecting wire is, however, not connected directly to the terminal of the
coil, but to a reversing switch by means of which it is possible to connect the several
layers of coils at will, either in series or parallel, in varying degrees.
In the case of all the layers being connected in series, the arrangement may also be
such that the ends of all the layers are connected to insulated metal plates arranged
side by side, without interfering with the interconnection of the layers, a slide boing
provided on the metal plates which is connected to the one lead of the motor and
which is always in contact simultaneously with two or three of the plates.
In this way all the layers of coils can be gradually cut out of or included
in the secondary circuit without interrupting the secondary current, thereby
decreasing or increasing the electro motive force of this current, and consequently
varying the speed of the motor in a corresponding manner. If the motor comes to a
standstill in consequence of all the secondary coils being cut out, the counter force
exercised by the volta inductor upon the primary circuit will be a maximum and thus
the supply of current will be correspondingly reduced.
According to another arrangement the current from the conductor is passed through
a wire bobbin of suitable size that will absorb more or less energy according to its
resistance.
If it be desired to reduce the speed of the motor an iron core is introduced into
the bobbin to an extent corresponding with the reduction of speed required. By this
means a counter force will be exercised on the primary circuit and the supply of
current will be correspondingly reduced.
According to another arrangement instead of constructing Volta Inductors with
wire coils and iron cores a construction of Inductors proposed by Dr. Werner Siemens
may be employed in which the wire coils are surrounded by iron. If the iron
envelopes surrounding the coils are made of two iron tubes split longitudinally in two,
the outer tube being made just to enclose the inner one and capable of being rotated
thereon, then by turning the outer tube the envelope may be closed or opened, and
thus the constant of induction be made either great or infinitely small.
By imparting a helical form to the division line of the one tube any desired inter-
mediate degree of the constant of induction may be obtained, and thus effect a
corresponding weakening of the tension of the current acting on the motor.
The above described method of regulating the electromotive force of a motor may
obviously be employed in connection with electro motors employed for other purposes
beside electrical railways.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of regulating the action of an electrical motor supplied from an
alternate current generating machine by means of a volta inductor whose primary
coils are connected to the supply circuit while the secondary coils are connected to the

page_text: motor through a reversing switch so arranged as either to cause the current to pass
through the coils in parallel arc or in series, or to cut one or more of the coils out
of the circuit whereby the electro motive force of the motor circuit will be varied
substantially as herein described.
2. In regulating the action of an electrical motor by means of volta inductors as
set forth in the preceding claim the use of a resistance coil included in the primary
circuit of the volta inductor having an iron core that is introduced into the coil to a
greater or less extent according as the electro motive force of the motor requires to
be increased or diminishod.
3. In regulating the action of an electrical motor by means of volta inductors as
set forth in the first claim, the use of volta inductors having their coils surrounded by
two concentric split iron tubes of which the outer one is rotatable so that by turning
this so that the splits of the tubes coincide to a greater or less extent the constant of
induction and consequently the tension of the current acting on the motor may be
varied substantially as herein described.