Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Railway Trains and the like by Electricity.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Railway Trains and
the like by Electricity.
I, EMIL KASELOWSKY, of 17/18, Chaussée Strasse, Berlin, in the German Empire,
Royal Commercial Counsellor, 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 methods of electric traction for railway cars hitherto known and carried
out; may, be devided according to their essential difference of construction into
three systems.
1. In the first system an electric locomotive is employed; the current for which
is generated upon the machine itself which draws the train, and is transmitted
through electromoters directly to the axles of the locomotive for the purpose of
the traction.
2. In the second system a locomotive drawing the train is also made use of, but
its motive power is not generated upon the locomotive itself, but is supplied to the
same through aerial or subterranean conductors from electric power generating
stations placed alongside the track.
3. In the constructions forming part of the third system the locomotive is done
away with, & the current is supplied from fixed stations (as in system No. 2) to
the train, of which single cars, or the whole of the cars, are provided with electro
motors connected to their axles.
The supply of electricity is so arranged that the motors of the cars take up the
current passing through conductors arranged along the line or through the rails,
by means of suitable contact pieces.
The first system is represented by the electric locomotive of Heilmann, & is, in
view of the fact that in its use the expensive conductors along the track are dis-
pensed with, the cheapest is the first cost. It suffers, however, from the drawback
that the electric locomotive is utilised in precisely the same manner as the steam
locomotives hitherto usually in use. The locomotive has to draw the whole train
by means of its coupling hooks, & has consequently to overcome the great resis-
tances which occur on passing round curves, because by means of the fact, that all
the cars are drawn towards the inner side of the curve through the traction being
continuously exercised at a tangent to the curve, very considerable loss of power
through friction results. The locomotive, which must draw the train over all
inclines by the adhesion of its wheels, is necessarily heavy, & the breaking of a
coupling hook on a steep incline involves the same dangers as with the ordinary
locomotives.
As the constructions coming under system (2) also utilize a locomotive as the
means of traction, only with the difference that the current is not generated upon
it but is supplied to it from the outside, the same share, with regard to the appli-
cation of the traction; all the same drawbacks as occur with system 1. More-
over, the cost & loss of power which the aerial or subterranean electric conductors
occasion are added thereto.
In the third system the traction power can be much more efficiently utilised
because it is devided over several separate cars. The drawing of the whole train
from one point, & consequently the great side pressure of the wheels against the

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ails is viated, as well as the danger which arises through the breakage of the
upling-hoks & so forth. On the other hand the expensive electric conductor
and the loss of power, resulting therefrom, remain. More over, a train of thi
kind revives a large tati of officials, because a conductor is necessary for each
motor-car to control the speed, and the efficiency of the motors. These systems are all
distinguished from the system invented by me, & hereinafter set forth by the
following arrangement:-
I make use for the purpose of the electric traction of the train neither of loco-
motives nor of conductors from a fixed station, but I make use of a travelling
generating station, which may be placed as a rule at the front of the train like a
locomotive, but which is not devised to draw the whole train by means of its
coupling hooks, but to supply the electromotive force generated on it to the separate
cars, that is to say those of their axles which are provided with electromotors.
In this arrangement it is possible to provide all the axles with electromotors, as
for instance, when steep inclines must be traversed, or to supply only single cars,
so that the interposition of a suitable number of ordinary railway cars becomes
possible, according to the available electromotive force which is generated upon
the travelling power station.
By this arrangement all the above mentioned drawbacks which occur in the use
of an electric locomotive are obviated, and there is also avoided the expensive pro-
vision of conductors along the track. More over the control of the electromotive
force which is distributed throughout the train; may, be effected from this travel-
ling central station by means of one man only, thus obviating the expensive service
required under system, 3.
The accompanying drawing illustrates my new system.
Figure (1) shows the travelling power station with cars attached.
Figure (2) shews some further cars.
The car a carries the power engine b; & the dynamo c. The current is conducted
through through the cable conductors d to the separate cars.
Upon the axles e of the said cars work the electromotors f which motors can be
applied according to requirements to each car, and moreover, either to all the
axles or to a part thereof. Upon the track which is to be traversed by such a
train special appliances & arrangements are not requisite. A railway train
arranged on my system can traverse all tracks which posses the same gauge with-
out special appliances. This circumstance is of extreme importance from a
military point of view for the transport of troops & goods in war time not only
because any desired line is thereby rendered immediately available but also
because each train forms a complete whole & can consequently move more indepen-
dently, than the railway trains at present in use, whilst the actuating according to
systems 2 and 3 in time of war possesses the serious danger that by the cutting or
destruction of the electric conductors placed alongside the whole line, or by the
destruction of a central station, the entire circulation upon the length of the rail-
way in question may be easily interrupted.
The travelling power station can be provided both with steam boilers & steam
engines for the driving of the main dynamos thereon, as also with any other suit-
able generators of power according to the local circumstances, as for instance
petroleum engines, benzine engines, gas engines or the like.
From the dynamos of the travelling station are arranged cables along the train
in such a manner that between the separate cars connecting cables can be coupled
up in a like manner as the conductors for gas or compressed air. In order that
cars not provided with electromotors may also be inserted in the train, suitable
connecting cables must be provided. I further propose to provide the travelling
station or the nearest car connected thereto with an accumulator battery, in such
a manner, that, the machines generating the electric power can continue to operate
during the stoppages at the stations, in order that the power thus produced may be
stored up & effectively utilized (for instance in the case of steep inclines occuring
upon the track) in addition to the electromotive force continuously supplied by the
machines during the journey. The accumulator battery can also serve for the

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purpose of effectively storing in the said battery the power which a railway train
descending a steep slope is capable of generating, by means of the corresponding
reversal of the electromotors, so that the train is not only braked, to the requisite
extent during its journey, but, the surplus power thus obtained is accumulated in
the storage batteries. By this means practically the whole of the power which
must be expended in climbing steep inclines is recovered again during
the descent from the same, and thus very economical working
obtained. By the application of this system narrow gauge railways may
be constructed without difficulty, with steeper, inclines & sharper curves
than ordinary, and their construction will thereby be considerably facili-
tated, because in the ascent of steep inclines the power stored up in the accumulators
can be added to that generated on the travelling station, and in consequence of the
division of the tractive forces amongst the separate cars, which forms the essence
of my system, the sharpest curves can be traversed without loss of power, &
without danger.
The load of the travelling station can be divided over any desired number of
axles, so that only a moderate wheel pressure is caused upon the rails, con-
sequently a lighter rail may be used. No further electric driving of the locomo-
tive axles is necessary; than, that which is desirable for the convenience of the
service namely enough to place the locomotive in the position to move itself about
at the stations to travel to the sheds & in case of need to effect small shunting
operations. It is moreover not necessary to provide the front part, namely, the
part carrying the boiler, with locomotive power, as the car coupled thereto, which
serves as a tender, and holds water or accumulators, may be provided with loco-
motive power as the locomotive, for the traction of the whole train is not in view
& therefore does not require to be provided for. An essential advantage of my
new system consists in the fact that the breaking of the in consequence of the
numerous electromotors divided over the whole train can be effected with extreme
case from the travelling power station. It is no longer necessary to cause a single
large power engine to work in opposite direction; but, all that is requisite is a
reversal of the numerous, & relatively small motors.
In a moment of danger of collision or of running off the rails it will be possible
by the immediate reversal of all these motors to effect an almost instantaneous
stoppage. The circumstance. that in such cases the electromotors might possibly be
destroyed by the armature or the commutators being burnt need not be taken into
account in view of the saving of human life thereby secured.
Having now particularly described & ascertained, the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The construction & use of travelling electric power stations for the propul-
sion of railway trains so arranged that the electromotive power generated upon the
said stations in the same manner as in a stationary central station is utilized by
direct conduction by means of cables or the like on the cars distributed throughout
the train whose axles are provided with electric motors.
2. In combination with the arrangement characterized in Claim 1 the use of the
accumulator batteries for the purpose of collecting the electricity generated during
the stoppages of the train and the use of the same in aid of the power for the climb-
ing of steep inclines, as also for the accumulation of power; which can be
collected during the descent of the trains down such inclines which power can
subsequently be utilized for increasing the motor energy upon ascending grades.
Datett VILES
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.