Improvements in and relating to Electric Contact Bars for Electric Cars.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Contact Bars for
Electric Cars.
I, REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co. 18, Buckingham
Street Strand, W.C. London Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention a communication to me from abroad by Leon Piguet of 17-25 Rue de
Saint Syr, Lyon-Vaise in the Republic of France Constructive Engineer and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The contact bars for taking electric current for supplying the motors of cars in
underground feed traction systems are made as long as possible in order to
diminish the number of contacts of the current and to diminish the price of
construction of the track. But this length has certain inconveniences for instance
in curves of small diameter the bar Day touch the rail or road way producing a
short current, and on steep inclines it may miss the contacts and interrupt the
supply of current to the car.
In order to avoid these inconveniences I have divided these bars into several
parts, and maintain them by means of springs in adherence upon the track and lift
a part thereof by means of arms or levorder to obtain on curves of small
diameter a bar of reduced length whic!. cannot touch the rail or the road way.
In the use of contact bars receiving movement by the magnetisation of this I
connect all the electro magnets in derivation to a small battery of accumulators
placed in series in the motive current or simply charged at the station.
By means of a Planté coupler I can also couple all the electro magnets in a series
and connect them in derivation to the principal current and then couple them all in
derivation to a primary or secondary battery in order to reinforce the current in
the car.
Fig. 1 of the annexed drawing shows the bars arranged for movement in a straight
line or on curves of large diameter and on a level.
Fig. 2 shows the car traversing an elevation or a curve of a small diameter.
Fig. 3 shows the arrangement for the coupling of the electro magnets in
derivation to a battery of accumulators connected in series with the motor circuit.
Fig. 4 shows electro magnets operated by an independent primary or secondary
battery.
In these figures the bar is made up of parts C1 C2 C3 C4 etc. each supported
by rods N and springs M G are contact boxes in the track E represents the
cut outs, N 1 the operating lever, O the feeder P the return lead Q the generator
R the motor.
I can also divide the contact bars electrically the bar being mechanically rigid as
indicated by Fig. 5. The parts A and A1 indicate insulations which can be
composed of caoutchouc, ebonite fibre, paraffined wood, amianthus etc. Each section
of the bar is connected with the commutator B within the reach of the conductor
who can at pleasure intercalate or exclude from the circuit the two pieces C1 and C3
by a simple operation of the commutator, the part C2 remaining always in circuit.
Between each section and the commutator B a cut out E is interpolated in order
to protect the material from false operation.
On straight lines and in curves of large diameter the commutator is placed as

page_text: shown in Figs. 5 and 7 and on the curves of a small diameter it is placed as shown
in Fig. 6.
In order to allow motion on inclines, the two extreme parts C1 C3 of the bar
can be movable as indicated in Fig. 7. The hinges A 2 are electrically insulated.
In order to allow contact when the bar is lifted in the shuntings, level crossings etc.,
1 arrange next to the contact box G in the track a pivoted bar or arm H put into
electric communication with the upper part of the contact box G and moved by a
lever J placed between the rail K and the counter_rail K 1 when the carriage passes
the flange of the wheel pressing upon the lever J the cleat rises and serves as an
intermediary between the contact box G and the contact bar on the car the latter
being lifted in order to avoid the short circuit with the rails which it traverses as
shown in Figs. 8 and 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I
claim is :-
nature of this inven-
declare that, what I
(1) Divided bars for the collection of the electric current intended for vehicles
with electrical traction with underground cable, each section of which bar being
supported or not by springs so that it may embrace the form of the track, the
parts of said bar being adapted to be lifted in order to diminish the length thereof
in order to facilitate its passage on curves of a small diameter.
(2) Electro magnets coupled in derivation with a battery of accumulators placed
in series in the circuit of the motors, in order to provide for continual magnetisation
of the bar.
(3) A contact bar divided into 'several electrically insulated parts each of the
parts being put into communication with a commutator placed within the reach of
the conductor for the purpose set forth.
(4) A contact bar having its two extreme parts movable in order to be able to
pass curves of a small diameter and to embrace the track on inclines.
(5) Cut outs between the commutator and the various sections of the bar to
protect the material in the case of a wrong operation.
(6) A pivoted bar or arm placed next to the contact boxes placed at crossings,
switches, junctions, and the like to be operated by a lever in order to rise at the
passage of the carriage in order to allow the contact with a contact bar which has
been lifted in order to avoid short circuiting by contact with the rails which the car
traverses.
DL: 10-1 Jam of Dreamber 180
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents to Applicant.