Improvements in or relating to Controllers for the Motors of Railway, Tramway or similar Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1899-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1899
Improvements in or relating to Controllers for the Motors of Railway,
Tramway or similar Vehicles.
A communication from THORSTEN VON ZWEIG BERGK, Electrician, of 44, Chestnut
Street, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to controllers primarily adapted for railway or tramway
motors. One of its objects is to provide an arrangement whereby the usual
power-governing switch may be operated in its usual positions to govern a brake
applied by another device whereby the necessity of a special brake-governing
switch is obviated.
In seeking to accomplish this result in the simplest manner possible, the
reversing lever is provided with brake-applying positions and the governing
cylinder is so connected that when its operating lever is at the off position the
reversing lever may connect an electric brake and turn the governing cylinder
to govern that brake. This is the form shown in the present application. It
has the advantages of being very simple, and cheap in construction, and of taking
up little space, but it has the limitation that the reversing lever is only adapted
to apply the brake when the car is running forward, and not when it is running
backward.
The invention consists in part in the combination with suitable power and
brake circuits of a governing switch and a reversing switch, the former being
organized to govern a motor in the power circuit, and the latter not only to
reverse such motor, but by a continued movement, while maintaining the re-
versed condition, to actuate the governing switch to control the motor in the
brake circuit.
In the practical operation of controllers, it has been found that in going from
parallel to series, if a motor is shunted a serious self-induction will result when
the shunt is opened. The invention includes such an arrangement of the con-
tacts of the governing switch that in going from parallel to series the circuit
shall be opened for a sufficient time to prevent this strain of self-induction and
also to stop sparking of the brushes of the shunted motor, but shall not be
opened long enough to materially affect the velocity of the motors. The invention
also includes a very efficient arrangement of blow-out coils and shields to pre-
vent the harmful effect of sparking at the controller; and simple means for
allowing the brake current of the motors to build up rapidly when first applied.
All these points are hereinafter explained and are definitely included in the
claims.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the controller, the enclosing
cover being removed. Figure 2 is a plan, and Figures 3, 4 and 5 are horizontal
sections on the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 respectively, of Figure 1. Figure 6

page_text: is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;
Figure 7 is a vertical section on the line 7-7 of Figure 5. Figure 8 is a dia-
gram illustrating the connection and operation of the controller.
Referring to the parts by letters, B represents the frame of the controller.
Webs, and 63 extending integrally from the frame form, with their cap
plates, the bearings for the different shafts of the controller. The shaft of the
main or governing switch is designated C and is journalled in the bearings b² b³.
This shaft carries the segments c¹ to c" which have hubs surrounding the shaft
and are separated into groups by insulating washers, the segments c¹ to c¹³
being all electrically connected together, as are the segments to e, the seg
ment c being insulated from the rest and connected with the ground. The
disposition of the segments and their connection will be understood from the
diagram Figure 8, and will not be further elaborated herein.
At the upper end of the shaft C is a gear c which is adapted to mesh with a
gear e on the shaft E to the upper end of which is secured (and preferably locked
by the thumb screw e¹) the operating lever e². The gear c may likewise mesh
with a gear on the shaft J of the reversing switch. The upper end of this
shaft is engaged by the reversing lever, while below the gear are the contact
segments disposed and connected as illustrated in the diagram.
«
As will be seen from Figure 3, the teeth on the gear e are stripped at the
point which is opposite the gear when the governing handle is at the
off"
position, and the teeth on the gear jare stripped for such portion of the cir-
cumference as is opposite the gear c when the reversing lever is at the reverse,"
the off," or the "ahead" positions. Thus it follows that if the reversing lever
is at the " ahead
or the reverse position the gear c may be rotated by the
rotation of the shaft E and thus the turning of the governing handle turns
the governing cylinder to govern the motors.
"
"
The diagram shows in the left hand half the governing switch, the contact
fingers which engage with it, the blow-out coil P', the lines to the various parts
of the resistance to R6. The lines from the governing switch to the revers-
ing switch for the first and second motors are designated M¹ and M² respectively;
and at the right hand is indicated the reversing switch and the two motors, the
armatures and fields of which are designated A¹ A² F¹ F². The contact seg-
ments of the reversing switch are placed in three vertical rows, one of which is
for the reverse position, one for the ahead, and one for the electric brake position,
--the connection by this switch for each of the electric brake positions being
just the same. With the exception of the contact segments i to which engage
with the upper three contact fingers the remaining segments for the ahead and
reverse positions are connected as usual in a reversing switch and the segments
for the brake positions are connected in the same manner as those for the reverse
position.
"
"
66
As will be seen by the diagram, when the reversing switch is in its ahead"
or its reverse position, the current coming in from the trolley T passes by
reason of the segments or 2 and the line Rª to the governing switch (and
through such resistance as it cuts in) through the motors, and finally to the
ground; while if the reversing switch is in any of its brake positions, numbered
I to 6, the connections with the field and armatures of the motors are the same
as the reverse position but the trolley is disconnected and the line Re from the
controller is grounded by the segment 2. The motors are thus short-circuited
through whatever resistance the governing switch has in and they thus act as a
brake.
When the reversing lever is being turned from the "ahead" to the first brake
position, the teeth on the gear j mesh with the gear c and turn the governing
cylinder to complete the connection through the resistance, and the continued
forward movement of the reversing lever simply rotates the governing cylinder
to cut out resistance.
In the present form, there are 6 brake positions with varying resistance,

page_text: and hence are 6 series positions of the governing switch, the motors being
coupled in series when used as a brake. The brake however requires more
resistance than is desirable to have in the circuit when the trolley current is
on, and hence the first two positions of the governing switch have no correspond-
ing notches in the indicator wheel, and the first stop made when the governing
switch is turned on by the governing handle is at the position # 3.
The indicator wheels on the shafts E and J are designated as ³ ³ respec
tively. They are each engaged by one of the rollers carried by a pair of
arms L L which are journalled on the same pivot pin L which has its bearings
in the web b¹ of the frame and a web projecting forward below the web b¹,
the two webs being joined by the integral vertical plate b. The rollers are
drawn toward their indicator wheels by the springs which take around the
rods K which at one end have T-heads taking behind the arms L L' and at the
other end nuts k¹ by which the springs are adjusted.
Behind the pivot L the arms L L extend in the form of a pair of opposite
toes 18.
*
"
These toes are far enough apart when the indicator plate e³ is at the
"off" position and the reversing switch at either the "ahead" or the reverse
position so that either indicator plate, and hence either switch, may be moved.
When either switch is moved, however, the corresponding roller is moved rear-
ward and the corresponding toe 12 is moved up against the other toe and prevents
the movement of the other lever and hence locks the other cylinder. This forms
a very simple and efficient interlock, preventing the operation of the governing
lever when the reversing switch is at the "off" position, and preventing the
operation of the reversing lever whenever the governing lever is at an on
position.
"
The governing cylinder being released entirely by the governing and reversing
levers when the former is at the "off" position and the latter is not at an electric
brake position, another indicator wheel or detent plate is provided to prevent
the accidental displacement of this cylinder. This indicator plate, designated 2,
is locked at the lower end of the shaft C and has on its rear side a notch into
which takes a roller h carried by the pivoted arm H which is forced toward the
shaft C by the spring h¹ between the arm and the back of the frame.
The contact fingers which engage with the governing cylinder are desig-
nated D. They are carried by a strip of wood N secured to the controller frame.
Boxes p containing solenoids P are placed between the contact fingers to blow
out the spark when the contact is broken. In order that this spark may neither
pass to the controller casing in front of the contact finger or to the support for
the contact finger or its adjusting screw, suitable shields are provided between
the boxes . These shields are indicated by p¹ and are made by extending
beyond the upper and lower surface of the boxes the front and side walls thereof,
as shown in the drawing. The shields which extend rearward on the outer side
of the contact fingers furnish means for securing the boxes in place, screw bolts C
clamping this portion of the shields to the wooden bar O. A lug 7 is formed
on this shield in front of the adjusting screw of the contact finger to protect
that screw from sparks. The boxes are all united by pins p² which connect
the upper and lower half of each box and by pins p³ which connect proximate
boxes together through their contacting shields.
The wooden bar O is supported on vertical pivots at its upper and lower end
and thus the bar and all the boxes as a whole may be swung away from the
contact fingers to adjust or clean them. The pivoting of this wooden bar is caused
by studs which project integrally from plates at each end of the bar, and
take into plates which are secured to the upper and lower ends of the wooden
strip N. On the upper and lower sides of the top and bottom shields are the
fiber plates or arms p³. These arms furnish convenient means for locking the
whole blow-out device in place, the means shown being the thumb nut u²
which screws onto a bolt u¹ projecting loosely through the arm 25 from a lug u

page_text: carried on the strip U which stands between the governing and reversing
switches.
In the series-parallel controllers, if there is a large enough gap between the
last series position and the first parallel position to prevent the arching over of
the current with which they are adapted to operate (500 volts, for example) the
velocity of the motors will diminish, while the controller is moving from this
distance, to a great enough extent to give a serious jerk when the connection is
made. On the other hand, if the motor is shunted, and in going from parallel
to series this shunt is suddenly broken, a serious induction "kick will exist,
which is liable to injure the motors and also causes a spark at the brushes of this
shunted motor.
23
Each of these disadvantages can be overcome by opening the circuit for a short
distance between the last series and the first parallel positions, the distance not
being great enough to allow the velocity of the motors to materially decrease.
This is shown in the diagram by the close approach of the parallel segments c¹º,
c12 and 17 to the series segments c³, 11, 14 and 16.
In order to allow the motor to build up rapidly when it is used as a brake, an
automatic switch is provided between the reversing or brake applying switch
and the resistance, which short-circuits that resistance as soon as the brake is
applied, but opens such short circuit as soon as the current builds up to the
desired amount. This is illustrated in Figure 8 wherein z represents an electro-
magnet placed in the line R leading from the reversing switch to the resistance.
This electro-magnet when energized operates to draw toward it the armature 2¹
which thus opens the line Z leading from the reversing switch to the other end
of the resistance. This latter line is out of engagement altogether except when
the reversing switch is at one of its electric brake positions, and at these positions
is thrown out as soon as the brake current has risen sufficiently to energize
the magnet with the desired force. Thus no delay is experienced in the applica-
tion of the brake, and at the same time the current generated is perfectly
governable as the governing resistance is brought back into the circuit as soon
as the current of the motor builds up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. The method of applying an electric brake, substantially as here in shown
and described.
2. The construction and arrangement of the blow out for reducing the spark-
ing at the controller contacts, substantially as described.
3. The device connected and operating substantially as described for allowing
the braking current to build up rapidly.
4. The combination, with suitable power and brake circuits, of a governing
switch and a reversing switch, the former being adapted to govern a motor in the
power circuit and the latter to reverse such motor and to change the connections
thereof from the power to the brake circuit, said reversing switch having a
plurality of positions where these changed conditions are maintained, and means
whereby the movement of the reversing switch in these positions governs the
motor in the brake circuit, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a governing switch, a reversing switch having a
position for reversing a motor and a plurality of positions in which
it is adapted to apply an electric brake, the electrical connections
made by the reversing switch being the same at each of these electric
brake positions, combined with a governing switch, and a connec-
tion between it and the reversing switch whereby the movement of the reversing
switch from one brake position to another moves the governing switch to govern
such brake, substantially as described.
6. A reversing switch and a lever for operating it which is adapted to be moved,

page_text: in addition to the usual reversing positions, into a plurality of positions where
it applies an electric brake, combined with a governing switch and suitable
gearing between it and the reversing switch whereby the reversing lever when
moved from one brake applying position to another shall move the governing
switch to govern the brake.
7. The combination with a governing switch and a lever for operating it,
of a reversing switch and another lever for operating it, said reversing
lever being adapted to turn the reversing switch to positions where it
connects a motor ahead" or "reverse," and to move also to positions where the
motor is connected as an electric brake, said reversing lever being movable in
these last positions to vary the force of the brake action, substantially as described.
8. A series-parallel controller so constructed that in going from series to
parallel the circuit shall be open for a sufficient time to prevent injurious self-
induction but not long enough to materially affect the velocity of the motors,
substantially as described.
9. In a series-parallel controller, in combination, contact fingers, contact seg-
ments adapted to connect motors in series and other segments adapted to connect
them in parallel, said segments being so placed that in going from series to
parallel the circuit is opened, said open portion being materially less than the
distance from the last series to the first parallel position, substantially as
described.
10. A series-parallel controller adapted by a movement in one direction to
perform the following sequence of operations, first connecting the motors in
series, second opening this series connection, third grounding the motor next to
the trolley, and fourth connecting the two motors in parallel.
11. The combination with a switch, a series of contact fingers, a hinged bar,
a series of boxes carried thereby and adapted to stand between the contact fingers,
and means carried within said boxes for blowing out sparks at the fingers, sub-
stantially as described.
12. The combination of a series of contact fingers, a series of boxes containing
blowing out means and placed between the fingers, a series of shields connecting
the boxes, a hinged bar to which said boxes and shields are secured, and means
for holding the same in closed position, with the boxes between the fingers and
the shields on the front and the sides thereof, substantially as described.
13. The combination of a motor, a governing resistance, a governing switch
adapted to control such motor by varying the resistance in circuit, means for
closing the motor circuit on itself through the resistance, a magnet in such
closed circuit, a normally open shunt around the resistance, means for closing
said shunt when the brake is applied, and means whereby said magnet when
sufficiently energized opens said shunt, substantially as described.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.