Improvements in Electric Switching Apparatus, more especially intended for Use on Electrically Propelled Vehicles Carrying both the Source of Electricity and the Motors.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switching Apparatus, more especially
intended for Use on Electrically Propelled Vehicles Carrying
both the Source of Electricity and the Motors.
I FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street in the City of London Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The source
My invention relates to improvements in switching apparatus more especially
intended for use on electrically propelled vehicles (carriages or vessels) such as
carry on them the source of electricity as well as the electric motors.
of electricity so employed is usually a secondary battery, which it is necessary and
economical to arrange in various ways so as to put the battery entirely in series or
divide it up into smaller series having larger capacity in accordance with the
variations in speed or power required from time to time.
According to my invention I arrange a set of blocks or contact pieces in
permanent connection with subdivisions of the battery and I connect these sub-
divisions in two or more ways as required for the purposes mentioned.
For this purpose, when it is only necessarry to connect the battery in two
different ways I provide two series or sets of contact makers, which can be moved
by a lever or equivalent device so as to engage with the aforesaid permanent
The action of the lever or its
contact pieces and so connect the battery as desired.
equivalent may be such that its movement in one direction connects the battery
according to one arrangement thereof say for power and its motion in the other
direction connects the battery according to the other arrangement say for speed.
The moveable contact making devices can be supported upon a frame or frame
which may have parallel or radial motion, the effect of which is to cause the
movable contacts at either end of the motion to complete circuits by means of the
permanent contacts according to one or the other arrangement the circuit being
broken at the mid position.
If it be desired to arrange the battery so that it can be varied in more than two
(say in three) different manners, it is necessary that when one arrangement of
contacts is complete it shall be impossible for another set of contacts to approach
near enough to the permanent contacts to cause short-circuiting. To effect this, I
may arrange the movable contact making pieces radially around the permanent
contacts and provide slides whereby on actuating the contact makers they are
readily caused to approach or recede from the permanent contacts and on the
respective movable contact makers I support insulating material so that when a
movable contact maker is at the point of its traverse at which it completes the
circuit between the various portions of the permanent contacts, according to the
arrangement for the time being required to be in operation, any approach of either
of the remaining movable contact makers will be restrained by coming in contact
with the said insulating material.
The levers which actuate the respective movable contact makers are preferably
operated by means of separate handles, so that it may be at once evident to the
operator which arrangement of the battery at any time is in operation.
Dated this 4th day of January 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Switching Apparatus, more especially
intended for Use on Electrically Propelled Vehicles Carrying
both the Source of Electricity and the Motors.
I, FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street in the City of London, Electrical
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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in switching apparatus more especially
intended for use on electrically propelled vehicles (carriages or vessels) such as
carry on them the surce of electricity as well as the electric motors.
The source
of electricity so employed is usually a secondary battery or secondary batteries
which it is necessary and economical to arrange in various ways so as to put the
battery or batteries entirely in series or divide it or them up into smaller series
having larger capacity in accordance with the variations in speed or power required
from time to time.
connect
According to my invention I arrange a set of blocks or contact pieces in
permanent connection with subdivisions of the battery or batteries and
these subdivisions in two or more ways as required for the purposes mentioned.
For this purpose, when it is only necessary to connect the battery or batteries in
two different ways, I provide two series or sets of contact makers which can be
moved by a lever or equivalent device so as to engage with the aforesaid permanent
contact pieces and so connect the battery or batteries as desired. The action of
the lever or its equivalent may be such that its movement in one direction connects
the battery or batteries according to one arrangement thereof say for power and its
motion in the other direction connects the battery or batteries according to the
other arrangement say for speed. The moveable contact making devices can be
supported upon a frame or frames which may have parallel or radial motion, the
effect of which is to cause the movable contacts at either end of the motion to
complete circuits by means of the permanent contacts according to one or the other
arrangement the circuit being broken at the mid position.
If it be desired to arrange the battery so that it can be varied in more than two
(say in three) different manners, it is necessary that when one arrangement of
contacts is complete it shall be impossible for another set of contacts to approach
near enough to the permanent contacts to cause short circuiting. To effect this
I may arrange the moveable contact making pieces radially around the permanent
contacts and provide slides whereby on actuating the contact makers they are
readily caused to approach or recede from the permanent contacts and on the
respective moveable contact makers 1 support insulating material so that when a
moveable contact maker is at the point of its traverse at which it completes the
circuit between the various portions of the permanent contacts, according to the
arrangement for the time being required to be in operation, any approach of either
of the remaining movable contact makers will be restrained by coming in contact
with the said insulating material.
The levers which actuate the respective movable contact makers are preferably
operated by means of separate handles, so that it may be at once evident to the
operator which arrangement of the battery at any time is in operation.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the drawings represents in side elevation an arrangement of two
series or sets of movable contact makers and a set or series of permanent contact
blocks or pieces according to my invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal section and

page_text: Figure 3 a longitudinal vertical section of the same and Figure 4 is an end elevation
of the permanent contact blocks or pieces, Figure 5 is a front elevation partly in
section Figure 6 a horizontal section and Figure 7 a vertical section of an
arrangement of three series or sets of movable contact makers in combination with
a set or series of permanent contact blocks or pieces according to my invention.
Referring to Figure 1 to 4, A represents the set or series of contact blocks or
pieces which are permanently connected through suitable flexible conductors A
with subdivisions of the battery or batteries and B B2 are two sets or series of
movable contact makers one or other of which series or sets can be brought as
required into contact with the blocks A. The series or sets of contact makers B
and B2 are carried respectively on pieces C, C2, fitted to slide in slots, or grooves d
in fixed frames D. The pieces C, C are connected together by bars or rods E
which can be moved longitudinally by means of levers F centred to the frames D
the outer ends of the said levers being slotted to engage studs or projections e on
the bars or rods so that by oscillating the levers F in one direction or the other,
one or other of the series or sets of contact makers B or B2 are caused to make
contact with the permanent contact pieces or blocks A. As arranged in the
drawing it will be seen that when the contact makers B, are brought into contact
with the blocks A, the batteries will be connected in two parallels and when the
contact makers B2 are brought into contact with the blocks A the set B will be
disconnected and the whole of the batteries will be connected in series. By this
means either speed or power may be obtained as required. To ensure perfect
contact between the blocks A and the contact pieces B, B2 springs G are provided
and so arranged as to press on the blocks A so as to cause them to take a flat
bearing contact with the blade B or B2 when moved into position. To prevent
electrical connection between the contact blocks or pieces A insulating plates A³
are inserted therein upon which the springs G or their supports rest.
In the
arrangement illustrated by Figures 5, 6, & 7 the batteries may be connected to the
imotor in three different ways. In this arrangement there are three series or sets of
contact makers B B B arranged to move in a radial direction to and from the
permanent contact blocks or pieces A which are in connection by flexible'
conductors A2 with subdivisions of the battery or batteries. The series or sets of
contact pieces B and B are respectively carried on pieces CC2 fitted to slide in
slots din frames D arranged radially with reference to the blocks A. The
pieces CC2 are connected by rods E to crank levers F mounted on a rod or
spindle F2. The set or series of contact makers B³ is also connected by rods E*
and connecting link E³ to another crank lever F' mounted on the rod or spindle F².
As the three sets or series of contact makers are each operated by separate levers
the operator will readily see by the position of the handles which set is in contact
with the blocks A but should any one of the other levers be moved while the one
set is in contact, blocks of insulating material I on the supports of the contact
makers will prevent the other series from moving into contact, the blocks I being
so arranged that when one series or set of contact pieces is moved by its crank
lever into contact with the blocks A the other series of contact makers if moved
towards the blocks A will come into contact with the insulating block I of the
series already in contact with the blocks A thus preventing the possibility of the
batteries being short circuited by the switch.
When the contact makers B³ are in connection with the blocks A the whole of
the batteries are in series, when the series or set B of contact makers are in
contact with A two of the batteries are in series and two are in parallel and when
the set of contact makers B2 are in contact with the block A the whole of the
batteries are in parallel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An electrical switching apparatus having contact pieces in permanent connection

page_text: with subdivisions of a battery, in combination with movable contact makers by
means of which the subdivisions of the battery can be connected in two or more
ways substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the electrical
switching apparatus whereby the subdivisions of a battery can be connected in two
different ways substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figures 1,
2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the electrical
switching apparatus whereby the subdivisions of a battery can be connected in
three different ways substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 4th day of October 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.