Improvements in the Means and Apparatus for Effecting Electrical Traction on Railways and Tramways by a Contact Rail and Trollies at the Ground Level.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
Improvements in the Means and Apparatus for Effecting Electrical
Traction on Railways and Tramways by a Contact Rail and
Trollies at the Ground Level.
I, RAOUL DEMEUSE, of. 5 Boulevard Anspach, Brussels, Belgium... Civil
Engineer, 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 means and apparatus for effecting electrical traction by
contact rails and trollies at the ground level on railways or tramways.
For this purpose, in the middle of the ordinary line of rails, which is not
interfered with; is arranged a third rail insulated by means of pitch or other
suitable, material. This rail is divided into separate sections insulated from each
other, each section being made to communicate with the main supply cable through
the medium, of an: automatic. interrupter, acting in such manner that when the
vehicle entirely covers one of these sections, this will be electrically connected; to
the supply cable, but when on the advance of the vehicle this no longer entirely
covers the said section, the connection hereof with the supply cable will! be
interrupted. As the length of a section is less than half the length of the vehicle,
there will always be a section supplying current to the latter, while the sections
which it leaves behind it can be touched without danger. Eách, vehicle carries
underneath it three contact trollies or brushes, which slide on the central rail; the
middle trolley serves for the propulsion in either direction, while of the two outer
ones, one serves for the advance in the one direction and the other. for. the advance
in the other direction, the one. or the other being, therefore always raised. A single
trolley, might be used,, but in that case there. would be strong.sparking.
The above mentioned interrupter is shewn diagrammatically, on Fig. 2 of the
accompanying drawing.. It consists mainly of an electromagnet A A with fine wire
coil, so as only to allow a weak current to pass, sufficient to attract its armature
lever B B.
1
This armature lever can oscillate on; its axis.C so that the metal contact. piece: R
can engage with the contact clamp E. This contact clamp.communicates with the
cable D which supplies the current while the contact R:communicates through B
and C with the central rail, the pivot C being fixed to the latter.
On the armature lever B. B, is: fixed, a metal tongue Kiterminating in a metal
contact piece O, which can come in contact with the clamp.contact.L..which
communicates with the second cable for.the.return current or. with the rails of the.
line if the return current, passes through them to earth. This tongue. K can be
moved by the stud N engaged, in a slot M fixed to the lever B...
At II is a second electromagnet through which passes: the main current.
The entire apparatus is fixed on a plate. enclosed in a watertight box sunk in the
ground. Several such apparatus can be placed in one box, so as to decrease.
c. their
number.
The said apparatus acts as follows:-
Figure is a diagram shewing three successive central rail sections 1, 2, and 3,
the middle contact trolley A' and the rear one B', the third one being raised. When
the trolley A'in advancing in. the direction of the arrow, touches the rail 2,1a.shunt
current will pass through A¹ into rail 2 and passing through the path CKOLAT
(earth), it will actuate the electro-magnet A A. This will then attract the

page_text: lever B which in turning will connect E with C; consequently the rail section 2
will communicate with the cable D supplying the current. The current in passing
to the motor on the vehicle will follow the path DIERB C.
In passing through the electromagnet I it will cause this to attract B so as to
keep it in its raised position, the electro magnet A becoming inactive for the
following reasons.
The moment the metal contact piece R engages with the clamp E the stud N
will bear against the upper end of the slot M on lever B which has the effect of
disengaging the contact piece O from the clamp L. The communication of the
rail with the return cable is consequently interrupted at and the electro-
magnet A A which was in circuit becomes inactive. When the trolley B¹ leaves
the rail 2, the circuit being broken, the lever B is turned by gravity or by the
action of a spring, and the apparatus then reassumes its primitive condition, as the
contact piece O will be raised again by the slot M fixed to B.
For insuring that the disconnection is effected with certainty, a third electro-
magnet W W may be provided, arranged in series with the electro magnet AA of
the box fixed to the rail section 3, so that when the vehicle passes on to this rail 3
this will cause the lever B of rail 2 to be drawn downwards, if this has not yet been
effected.
In order to avoid sparking on breaking contact, there is added in series with the
second trolley a resistance, the use of which will be readily understood. For
starting, the vehicle is provided with a small accumulator battery which enables
the necessary current to be passed for producing the required action on the
apparatus.
When the vehicle stops for a short time, a weak current may be passed through
the apparatus for charging the accumulators instead of entirely cutting off the
current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In electric railways and tramways worked by a contact rail divided into
sections and trollies at the ground level, the employment of fixed distributing
commutators operated from a current derived from the preceding rail section or
from a battery, which current produces the engagement of a contact piece R
whereby one of the rail sections is connected to the main supply cable, the main
current thus supplied being made to maintain the said engagement after having by
any suitable means broken the circuit of the branched current which effected the
engagement, means being provided for effecting the disengagement of the piece R
and for bringing the several parts back to their primary condition at the moment
when the trolley is made to leave the rail section by the advance of the vehicle,
substantially as described.
2. In combination with means for electrical traction by trollies referred to in the
first claim, the use of a second contact trolley in the circuit of which is included a
resistance for the purpose of preventing wear, substantially as described.
3. In combination with means for electrical traction by the aid of trollies referred
to in the first claim, the use of a second electro-magnet W for effecting the
disengagement of the contact piece R in the event of this not having been effected
by the action of gravity or a spring, substantially as described.
.
Dated this 16th day of January 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.