IMPROVE- " MENTS IN TRAM WAYS AND IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING TRAM CARS BY ELECTRIC OR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Holroyd Smith of Halifax in the County of
York Consulting and Mechanical Engineer, for an Invention of IMPROVE-
"
MENTS IN TRAM WAYS AND IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING TRAM CARS BY
ELECTRIC OR STEAM ENGINES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Holroyd Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1883.
MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH of Halifax in the County of York Consulting and
Mechanical Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAM-WAYS AND IN APPARATUS FOR
PROPELLING TRAM-CARS BY ELECTRIC OR STEAM-ENGINES."
The invention aforesaid is mainly designed for propelling electric tram cars and
relates to improved Apparatus for collecting and transmitting the power from the
conducting bands to the electric motor
To improved Apparatus for containing the conducting bands and forming the
main driving rail of the tram way and to improved driving gear the latter being
applicable to steam tram engines
According to one arrangement of this my invention I employ three lines of rail
the additional one being midway between the ordinary side rails, the central rail
is hollow being formed of two I plate girders or channel irons placed side by side
and having on their inner sides protecting ledge or shelve on which the conducting
bands are laid and insulated from the rail, the two I plates are sunk in the ground
and rest upon sleepers the upper surface of the said plates forming the central rail.
The contact maker is mounted upon a small trolly which runs upon the conducting
bands within the hollow central rail a metal plate on the trolly passes through a
alit or opening between the upper parts of the two II plates and carries the
חד

page_text: conducting wires to and from the electric motor and the power is transmitted by
gear or driving bands-there being on the main shaft a large diameter driving
wheel which runs on the central line of rails; this shaft and wheel is in addition
to the ordinary side wheels and along with the central rail is applicable to other
as well as electric engines for propelling tram cars.
Where but two lines of rails are used one or both the rails is hollow and a trolly
or trollies are employed (as for the central rail already described) or the trollies
may be dispensed with and a plate connected with the car or engine may pass
through the slit in the rail having attached to it a brush so arranged as to collect
the electricity from the conducting wires or bands and transfer it to the motor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Michael Holroyd Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd August 1883.
MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH of Halifax in the County of York Consulting and
Mechanical Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAM WAYS AND IN APPARATUS FOR
PROPELLING TRAM CARS BY ELECTRIO OR STEAM ENGINES
.
"
The invention aforesaid is mainly designed for propelling electric tram cars and
relates to improved apparatus for collecting and transmitting the power from the
conducting bands to the electric Motor.
.
To improved Apparatus for containing the conducting bands and forming the
main driving rail of the tram way and to improved driving gear.
U
According to one arrangement of this my invention I employ three lines of rail
the additional one being midway between the ordinary iside rails the central rail is
hollow being formed of two I plate girders or channel irons placed side by side
and having on, their inner sides protecting ledge or shelve on which the conducting
bands are laid and insulated from the rail, the two I plates are sunk in the ground
and rest upon sleepers the upper surface of the said plates forming the central rail:
The contact Maker is mounted upon a small trolly which runs upon the conducting
bands within the hollow. central rail, a metal hollow plate on the -trolly passes
through a slit or opening between the upper parts of the two I I plates and carries
the conducting wires to and from the electric motor and
And power is
transmitted by gear or driving bands there being on the main shaft a large diameter
driving wheel which runs on the central line of rails.
i
Where but two lines of rails are used one or both the rails is hollow and a trolly
or trollies are employed (as for the central rail already described) or the trollies
may be dispensed with and a plate connected with the car or engine may pass
through the slit in the rail having attached to it a brush so arranged as to collect
the electricity from the conducting wires or bands and transfer it to the Motor.
Such being the nature and object of this my said invention I will now proceed
to describe the particulars thereof and in order that the invention may be fully
understood I have hereunto annexed ten sheets of drawings illustrative thereof in
which at
i
Figs. 1-2-3 side elevation, end elevation and Plan of tram car engine and
line.
Figs. 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 are drawings of collecting trollies or bogies.
Figs. 12 13 14 are drawings of the channel showing different methods of
fixing the conducting bands or rails.
f
- !
Figs. 15-16-17-18 show modification of both channel and collectors.
Fig. 19 shows method of regulating the pressure on the driving wheel and
further method of communicating with the centre channel.
j Fig. 20 being section of latter.
I preferably employ three lines of rails 1-2-3 the additional rail 2 being midway.
though it may occupy other position between the rails 1 and 3: The rail 2 consists
of two I shaped plates or girders forming a channel within which the conducting
bands 4-5 are laid upon insulators 6-7, 8 is the surface line of the ground 9 is a
sleeper on which the rails rest the electric collector 10 consists of a trolly which
runs upon the conducting bands 4-5 and is provided with contact makers 11 free
to slide or rise and fall in the parts 12 so as to compensate for vibration of the car
when running. The stems 13-13, are in all cases insulated and pass through the
slit or opening in the rail 2 and carry the conducting. wires 13 to and from the

page_text: -
electric motor 16. The current being regulated and controlled by means of
the switch 14 and resistance coils 15. Power is transmitted by gear or driving
bands from the electric motor 16 to the large driving wheel 17 which runs upon
the central rail 2-The gear employed consists of a pinion wheel 18 gearing with
peg or lantern wheel 19, loose or free to revolve on its axle 20 and containing
friction clutch 21 operated by the lever 22 and by worm and hand wheels 23-23,
the latter being placed one at each side of the tram engine for convenience and
instant operation of putting in or out of gear the friction motion-24 is a pinion
wheel keyed upon shaft 19 and gears with and drives the wheel 25 the latter being
attached to or forming part of the large driving wheel 17-At 26-26 are brake
blocks acting on the inner part of the wheel and connected to the axis 27, the latter
being operated by lever treadle 28-The details of construction of the trolly 10 will
be fully understood on reference to Figs. 4-5 and 6 sheet 4-It will be seen that
the contact makers 11-11 are slotted and free to slide and rise or fall within their
holders or carriers 12 so as to compensate for vibration of the car and maintain
contact. The parts 12 are bolted to the side frames 30-30 and the latter are
insulated from one another by the block of wood vulcanite, or other insulating
substance 31 and to which the side frames are attached. Figs. 7-8 sheet 5
illustrate a collector consisting of brass plates or blocks 11-11 threaded upon two
copper wires 12 attached to the ends of the frame 13 the latter has grooves or
slots 14 within which the ends of the box 15 are received the underside of the said
box rests upon the top of the brass plates or blocks 11 and by weighting the box
the pressure of the plates upon the collector band 4-5 can. be regulated and
adjusted as requisite A like construction of trolly and collector is illustrated by
Figs. 9-10-11 sheet 6-but wherein the collectors Il revolve the wheels or
runners 11 having slotted holders or carriers 12 the latter being bolted to the side
frames.30, and may be set at an angle to the line of the conducting bands 4-5
thereby to obtain both rolling and frictional contact-At Fig 12 the wheels 1 of
the trolly also serve as revolving collectors-the conducting bands 4-5 being
secured to the inclined insulator blocks 6-7 and 13 is the stem, and parts 2-2
form the central rail. Fig. 13 is a section of channel and trolly about full size
illustrating two arrangements of conducting rails for trolly-At 1 is a brass chair
insulated by sheet of vulcanite 2 the chair being secured by pin 3 to the sleeper
4-5 is the conducting wire secured by the brass wedge and 7 the angle iron
conducting rail. On the left hand of the trough the angle iron 1 is bolted to the
side of the trough and insulated by means of felt at 2 and the vulcanite bush 2 or
other nonconducting substance. Fig. 14 illustrates full sized section of trough
wherein a ledge of the lower portion of the trough serves as rails for the wheels of
the trolly the position of the conductor bands 5 is changed. In the one case being
attached to the insulating block 2 at the side of the trough in the other case the
conductor bands are attached to the insulator block 3, and in each case the
collector 4 is kept in contact with the conducting bands by means of the blade or
spiral springs 6-7. In these cases two bands may be used one for the flow and
one for the return or only one for the positive the return being by way of the
wheels of the trolly through the metal of the channel.
Figs. 15-16-17 show modifications of channel and trolly, 15 side elevation
with one plate removed showing trolly-16 plan with top of channel removed
17 sectional elevation.
The metal forming the channel is champered at the top and bottom and when in
position these champers form a V groove at top and bottom of the channel.
The collector consists of a side plate 2 carrying four studs 3-3-3-3 upon
which are placed angle wheels 4 that run in the bottom V groove and two in the
top the stem is at 13 cranked and passes through the slit in channel and is provided
with a cavity through which passes an insulated copper band 14 this is connected
with a Spring or brush attached to but insulated from its plate. The spring 15
presses against the conductor band carried upon insulators fixed against the side of
the trolly, return contact is made by means of the trolly wheels the plate passing

page_text: through the slit and may be assisted by a spring attached to the other side of the
frame pressing against the other side of the channel. Fig 19 is a side elevation in
Section and 20 a cross Section illustrating method of regulating the pressure of the
main traction wheel 17 upon the mid channel and rails 2 by means of lever 3 the
boss on which encloses or spans the axle 3 the other end of the lever having screw
and spring adjustment 6, whereby pressure can be put upon the axle and wheel
and jolting is prevented-In this illustration the wheels of the trolly act as
collectors and the plates 7 act as ploughs for clearing the slit of the midchannel and
connecting with the trolly. At 20 is shewn a cross drain employed at intervals of
the length of the line.
In Figs 4-5-6-9-10-11 the trollies are designed to work in wooden
channels and the stems 13. 13 forming part of the side frames are therefore
used to convey the electricity but in all cases where the channel is of metal, the
plates or stem 13 passing through the Slit cannot be used as a conductor are
therefore insulated from the side frames of the trolly, and provided with bottom
spaces through which insulated copper bands or wires attached to the side frames
are passed.
In all the forms shown the main idea remains always the same and that is an
enclosed or partially enclosed channel protecting the conducting bands from
inflicting or imparting injury or from being injured said channel being adapted
to receive or contain collecting trollies travelling with the car and imparting or
passing the current so collected to the Motor thus enabling the car to be driven.
The main driving wheel 17 is adapted to take the greatest portion of the load and
travelling upon a flat surface enables the car to pass around curves with great
facility and increases the tractive efficiency of the car.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and how the same may
be practically employed What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
1 In electric tramways an enclosed or partially enclosed channel carrying
the conducting bands and forming the support for and combined with a central
driving wheel substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2nd In electric tramways an enclosed or partially enclosed channel or channels
carrying the conducting bands, a collector adapted to travel therein and collect and
pass the current to the electro motor substantially as described.
3 For electric tramways in which an enclosed or partially enclosed channel
carrying the conductors is employed, the improved forms of collectors or trollies
herein before described and as illustrated in the drawings for the purposes set
forth
In Witness whereof I the said Michael Holroyd Smith have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty second day of August in the Year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness
WALTER BRIERLEY
Patent Agent
Halifax
MICHAEL HOLROYD SMITH (L.S.)