Improvements relating to Electric Traction.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Traction.
I ALEXANDER LOGIN LINEFF of 88 High Road, Chiswick, in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to improvements on Letters Patent granted to me, bearing
date July 11th 1888 No. 10092.
In the specification of this patent, the current is described as being conveyed from
the main conductor to the car motor by means of an intermediate rail of iron or mild
steel, which I term the surface piece, and which is brought into connection with the
main conductor by means of a flexible strip. The rail is in short lengths, insulated
from each other and from earth, and the car or vehicle is provided with an electro
magnet which is of such a length that its opposite poles, as they travel along the rail,
are never over the same length thereof. Consequently, opposite polarity is induced in
the two affected lengths of the rail.
Now according to my present invention, this magnetic polarity in taken advantage
of, to induce opposite polarity in another set of rails, lying parallel with the former
set. The second set of rails is of lower height than the other, and is therefore
completely buried in the insulating compound, the lower flanges of each set being on
the same level. At a short distance below these flanges, is placed the continuous
flexible strip of soft iron above referred to, which plays the part of an armature, and
is attracted and held firmly against the flanges until the magnet placed under the
vehicle, in moving along the line, releases that portion of the strip that is left behind,
and in the meanwhile lifts such fresh parts as it is immediately over.
The continuous iron strip being placed on a bare charged conductor, will
communicate the current to those lengths of the contact rail which it touches, and
from the upper surface thereof the current is collected by means of a brush, roller, or
the poles of the magnet itself, sliding or rolling on the rail.
In order to increase the area of contact between the iron strip and what I will
now term the magnetic rail, the hidden iron lengths are metallically connected to the
collecting portions of the rails in pairs, so as to establish electrical connection between
them, but these connections are preferably of copper or brass, in fact, of some non-
magnetic substance, so as to keep each length magnetically insulated from every
other.
Generally speaking, the principal object of the magnet attached to the car or
vehicle is to induce magnetic lines across the two sets of rails, and by diverting them
through the continuous iron strip, to cause an electrical contact between the main
conductor and such lengths of rails as are immediately under the car, while the
remaining portions of the rails remain idle.
The continuous iron strip, resting on the main conductor, which I prefer to make
in the form of two cables placed parallel to each other, is placed in a completely
sealed channel, of which the contact and hidden rails serve to form the roof. To
keep this channel perfectly dry and free from moisture, besides providing suitably
trapped drain pipes at intervals between the sealed channel and the main sewer, I
cause a current of dry air to be passed through the channel by means of fans
worked by small electric motors placed under the pavement at suitable points along the
line.
The requisite distribution of magnetism is more readily effected when the ends of
the hidden lengths are made to break joint with those of the contact rail. If, how-
ever, the distance to which the end of one rail overlaps the other is equal to half the
length of the rail, there is the disadvantage of having so much of the rail unsupported

page_text: except by the wall of the channel, and also the length of rail in contact at any one
time with the strip that carries the current is increased, so that surface leakage goes
on to a greater extent. I therefore prefer to adopt an arrangement in which the
overlap is considerably less than half the length of the rail.
The magnet which I use for magnetizing the magnetic rails, consists of a
straight rod of soft iron forming a core round which is placed a bobbin of fine wire.
The pole pieces are in the form of hollow iron drums, of which the lower part is
cut away, so as to clear the rails, on which roll heavy iron wheels placed inside the
drums. The magnet is guided along the magnetic rail and held at a fixed distance
from the running rail, by means of any suitable device which will allow of a
certain amount of vertical play to make up for inequalities in the level of the
rails.
In order to save expense and inconvenience attendant upon laying down a third
rail, the place of the magnetic rail may be taken by the running rail, which is cut
into short lengths, so as to effect the necessary distribution of magnetism. The
separate magnet is then done away with, the car wheels themselves taking the place
of the magnet wheels. This may be arranged either by placing bobbins on the wheel
axles, or between bosses and tyres of the two wheels on one side of the car, the other
pair of wheels being in either case insulated from the axles, to prevent the current
returning through them to the earth.
On points and crossings, two expedients may be adapted. In the first place, the
channel may cross the running rails, the latter being interrupted, and the two ends so
shaped as to give a good support for the car wheels when crossing the magnetic rail.
At this point, the magnetic rail might be interrupted by an idle insulated piece of
iron or steel provided with a groove for the flange of the wheel to pass over it, and so
shaped that the magnetic rail is never allowed to touch it.
thus
On the other hand, the magnetic rail and the channel which contains it, might be
entirely interrupted, so as to perinit the running rail to pass through the gap
formed. In this case, a small length of such rail must be insulated from earth, thus
preventing any short circuiting, while the magnet crosses the above gap. Of course
the two ends of the "main are electrically connected by an underground, well
insulated cable.
11
501 L
0 T
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Traction.
I ALEXANDER LOGIN LINEFF of 88 High Road, Chiswick, in the County of Middle-
sex, 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 :-
In the specification of Letters Patent granted to me and dated July 11th 1888,
No. 10092, an invention is described, a characteristic feature of which is the use, for
traction purposes, of a magnetic circuit composed of (a) a magnet attached to the car
or vehicle; (b) surface magnetic pieces electrically and magnetically insulated from
each other; and (c) a continuous flexible magnetic conductor forming a component
part of the main electric conductor conveying the working current.
Now the present invention has for its object improvements in the means for more
effectually taking advantage of the magnetic circuit above referred to, and generally
to improve the working of electric tramways.
According to the present improvements, the current is collected from an inter-
mediate rail of iron, or mild steel, which I term the contact rail, or surface magnetic
piece, placed along the whole track, and brought into connection with the main
conductor, as will be explained. The lengths of such rail are insulated from each
other and from the earth, and a special electro-magnet is provided under the car or

page_text: one crime being are opposite the pores of the magnet. imis magnetic condition of
two separate lengths is taken advantage of, to ice opposite polarity in another set
of rails, made in lengths equal to those of the contact rail, but of a lower height, and
buried alongside it in the insulating material surrounding the contact rail.
In the accompanying Drawings:-
-
Figs. 1 and 2 represent diagrammatically the distribution of the magnetism in the
parallel rails under two different conditions.
Figs. 3 and 4 show two modes of coupling up the lengths of the parallel rails.
Fig. 5 shows in cross section the permanent way arranged according to the present
invention; and
Fig. 6 shows a slight modification in the arrangement of the main conductor.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation, parily in section.
Fig. 8 is a plan view, partly in section, and
Fig. 9 is an end view, of an electro-magnet, and showing the manner of attaching
the same to the car.
Fig. 10 is a partial cross section of the roller or wheel of the magnet.
Fig. 11 is a plan view, and
Fig. 12 is an elevation, partly in section, of a bogie carrying the magnet.
Fig. 13 is a plan of a point or turn-out, showing an arrangement of the magnetic
rails, and
Figs. 13, 13 are two cross sections of same.
Figs. 14 and 15 are plans, and
Figs. 14", 15, and 15 sections, showing two arrangements adopted at points where
the conductor crosses a running rail.
A is the contact rail, and B the hidden rail. In Fig. 1, the poles N and S of the
magnet are facing or touching the consecutive lengths 2 and 3 of the contact rail A,
inducing opposite polarities in the hidden lengths 1*, 2*, 3*. Such parts of the
rails as have the northern polarity, are shown rule-shaded in the drawing.
Fig. 2 shows another position of the magnetic poles, with one length of rail
intervening between them, and the consequent distribution of magnetism. It will be
seen from the above diagrams, that in each case the two sets of rails are of opposite
polarity, and if a continuous strip of iron is placed at a certain vertical from the
bottom flanges of the two sets of rails, it will play the part of an armature, which
will be attracted and held firmly until the magnet placed under the vehicle, in moving
along the line, releases the portion of the strip left behind, and in the meanwhile
lifts such fresh parts of the strip as are under the immediate influence of the
magnetized rails above it.
From the preceding, it will be easily understood, that if the continuous iron strip
referred to, is placed on a bare conductor electrically charged, it will communicate
the current to the lengths of rails in contact with the iron strip, and the current can
be collected from the upper surface of the rail A by means of a brush, roller, or the
poles of the magnet itself, sliding or rolling on the rail.
In order to increase the area of contact between the iron strip and the collecting
rail, the hidden lengths are metallically connected to the collecting portions of the
rails in pairs, so as to establish electrical connection between them, but these
connections are preferably of copper or brass; in fact, of some non-magnetic sub-
stance, so as to keep each length magnetically insulated from every other.
Generally speaking, the principal object of the magnet attached to the car or
vehicle, is to induce magnetic lines across the two sets of rails, and, by diverting them
through the continuous iron strip, to cause an electrical contact between the main
conductor and such lengths of rails as are immediately under the car, while the
remaining portions of the rails remain idle.
I will now describe and illustrate my invention more fully, in order to show the
various designs I adopt for my conductor, all of them, however, based on the same
principle, namely, that of producing cross magnetic lines in two sets of divided rails,

page_text: with the object of effecting attraction of a continuous iron strip, and thus producing
an electric contact between the main proper and the surface contact rail.
Referring, then, to Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, A is the exposed
magnetic or contact rail, through which the necessary current collected to feed the
car motor. B is the hidden rail, in which the magnetism is induce by the magnetic
action of the rail A. T is a specially shaped earthenware tile, to serve as a support
to the two sets of rails. A narrow strip of some hard insulating material, say,
earthenware, may be employed to support the asphalt between the two rails. The
tiles T may be placed in an iron trough, placed close to the running rail M. & supported
by the same chairs as the running rail, or they may be set in any other convenient
manner. Recesses are provided in the tiles to receive a bare electric conductor (or
conductors), which constitutes the "main" of the system. This conductor may,
however, he a feeder connected at certain intervals with an insulated "main
running along the line. On the top of the conductor is placed the iron strip F,
which, under the influence of the magnetism imparted to the rails, is attracted against
the bottom flanges of said rails, and thus makes connection between the conductors
and the contact or surface rail A. When two conductors are used, the space between
the two may be trough shaped, so as to allow any water which may accidentally
gain access to the covered channel to drain off, (see Fig. 6). The trough containing
the tiles and the two sets of rails is filled with asphalt or other suitable material, so
as to form a level surface flush with the road and rails.
In order to keep the covered channel perfectly dry and free from moisture, besides
providing suitably trapped drain pipes at intervals between the sealed channel and
the main sewer, I cause a current of dry air to be passed through the channel by
means of fans worked by small electric motors placed under the pavement at suitable
points along the line.
An
The requisite distribution of magnetism is more readily effected when the ends of
the hiddon lengths B are made to break joint with those of the contact rail A.
arrangement on this plan is shewn at Fig. 3, where, as hefore, A represents the
contact, B the hidden rail. The two are connected together in pairs by bolts, and
distance pieces CC, of some non-magnetic metal, which, besides preserving the
relative positions of the rails, also establish electrical connection between them, so
that the lower flange of the hidden rail B is also useful in helping to take the current
off the iron strip, when it is attracted under the influence of the passing magnet.
At the same time, the bolts and distance pieces do not cause any magnetic leakage,
being of a non-magnetic metal.
If the distance to which the end of one rail overlaps the other, is equal to half the
length of the rail Fig 3. there is the disadvantage of having so much of the rail
unsupported, except by the tiles T; on the other hand, the length of rail in contact,
at any one time, with the iron strip that carries the current, is increased, so that
surface leakage goes on to a greater extent. I therefore prefer to adopt the arrange
ment shewn at Fig. 4, where the overlap is considerably less than half of the length
of the rail.
The magnet which I use for manetising the contact rails (see Figs. 7, 8, and 9)
consists of a bar or rod of soft iron, forming a core round which is placed a hobbin
of fine wire. The pole pieces are in the form of hollow iron drums D D1, the lower
part of which is provided with two projecting masses of iron E E, which form the
true poles. Inside these hollow drums, heavy iron wheels P are free to rotate, and
roil on the surface of the cont.ct rail A, the lower part of the drums being cut off, so
as to just clear the said rails. At the points where the wheels touch, there is, in
consequence, a double action, firstly, that due to the direct contact of the wheel P,
and secondly, an inductive magnetic action, due to the proximity of the projections E. E¹.
With the object of securing independence of the slight inequalities that may exist in
the distance of the contact rail from the running rail at various points, it is advisable
to have the wheel somewhat wider than the contact rail.
The action of the rolling magnet will be readily understood by a reference to Fig. 7,

page_text: which shows the contact rail at the moment when the magnet is passing over the joint.
The pole piece D has, for example, the northern polarity, whilst the pole D' is a south
pole. A distribution of magnetism similar to one of those represented in Figs. 1
and 2, is thereon set up in the contact and hidden rails, and the cross magnetic lines
are produced, which, in their tendency to shorten themselves, attract the strip F till
it is in contact with the lower flanges of the contact and hidden rails, as shewn in the
Figure. The current then passes from the conductors (which are in contact with the
iron strip every where, except at the point where it is momentarily raised) through
the iron strip F, to a few lengths of the contact and hidden rails, and through them
to the pole pieces of the magnet. From this point, it is taken off in two parallel
circuits, one of which goes through the car motor, and the other through the coil of
wire that charges the magnet, and the return is led through the car wheels and
running rails, or in any other convenient manner, back to the generating
station.
For the purpose of securing the rolling magnet to the car, Fig. 7, the pole pieces
are provided with pins H, H', which fit loosely in sockets in, but thoroughly insulated
from, brass or other non-magnetic metal brackets II', which are themselves bolted
to cross pieces J J', forming part of a non-magnetic frame-work supported by the
axle-boxes of the vehicle. The pins H H in the pole pieces are free to play in a
vertical direction in the sockets of the brackets I, '1', so that slight inequalities in the
road will not affect the contact of the wheels P of the electro-magnet. In order to
keep the contact rail clean, brushes may be provided at both ends of the car, and the
magnet whee's may be formed with grooves, as shewn at figure 10, so as to form a
series of sharp edges, which will readily cut through any dirt that may be left on the
rail, and so establish good contact.
In order to render the magnet to a certain extent independent of the car, so that,
in the event of the latter leaving the rails, connection with the main conductor nee
not necessarily be broken, I provide the magnet with one or more extra wheels flanged
so that they may run in the grooves of the running rails, thereby making the magnet
into a separate bogie. Figs. 11 and 12 show in plan and end elevation respectively,
one method of effecting this. The core of the magnet is here represented as being
of a curved shape, with the object of reducing the leakage between the pole pieces
and the iron car wheels to a minimum. O is a third wheel, here shewn occupying
a position between one pair of the car wheels, and connected to the magnet by the
axle Q, which is bolied to, but insulated from, the central or neutral portion of the
magnet core, so that it does not cause any loss either of the current or of magnetism.
The magnet is carried along with the car by means of the pins H H secured to the
spindle Q. These pins fit loosely in, but are thoroughly insulated from, sliding
pieces K K, in which they are free to move in a vertical direction. The sliding
pieces are capable of moving in a transverse direction in guides secured to the
car framing, the direction of their motion being indicated by the dotted lines.
Under this or any similar arrangement, it will be seen, that should the car leave the
line, it will not necessarily be disabled by the magnet leaving its rail, and so losing
the conductor.
As a further precaution against losing the conductor, owing to derailment, and
also to guard against the same result occurring, owing to a temporary stoppage of
the current in the main circuit, I may make use of a subsidiary winding on the
magnet bobbin, consisting of a comparatively small number of turns of thick wire
connected with one or more primary or secondary cells, carried on the car. An
automatic cut-in puts these thick wire coils in circuit with the battery, in the event
of any cessation of the current in the fine wire winding, from whatever cause it
may arise.
The system above explained of arranging my magnetic rails and conductor, adapts
itself very readily to the requirements of points and crossings. Fig. 13 shews, in
plan, the positions in which I place the magnetic rails at a turn-out, the systein
illustrated being that in which one only of the magnetic rails is exposed on the

page_text: surface of the road, and the former occupies a central position between the running
rails. A', A2, A3, represent portions of the exposed magnetic rail. An exposed
portion A takes the position that would ordinarily be occupied by the hidden rail
corresponding to the portion A2, that is to say, the first portion of the bidden rail
after the commencement of the curve at X X. When the car, carrying with it the
magnet, is running on the straight portion of the line, this surface portion A* acts
in precisely the same manner as the hidden portion which it replaces would have done,
magnetic polarities opposite to those in corresponding parts A2 of the rail, being
induced in it. When, on the other hand, the car is travelling on the curve, the
magnet wheels are guided by onto A, which thus becomes the contact rail, from
which the current is derived, and A2 now performs the functions of the hidden rail,
until the first portion B¹ of the hidden rail of the branch line comes into operation.
The iron strip F in the curved channel may be continuous whilst that in the straight
part F may be cut off at an angle, so as to meet, but not overlap the former, at the
spot where the two channels join.
Figs. 13 and 13b show cross sections of the conductors on the lines Y Y, Z, Z,
respectively, the asphalte being removed in order to show clearly the positions of the
magnetic rails.
The crossing of the conductor and the running rail may be effected in either of the
ways shewn in Figs. 14 and 15. In figure 14, the magnetic rails are cut off, so that
the cut ends are, on both sides, parallel with the running rail, and at a short distance
from it, so that the iron of the running rail shall not interfere with the distribution of
magnetism in the magnetic rails. In this arrangement, the channel containing the
magnetic main terminates before reaching the running rail. The latter is mechanically
continuous throughout, though, to avoid short circuiting the current, when the
electrically charged magnet wheel is passing over the crossing, a short length of
the running rail is insulated both from the rest of the running rail and from earth,
by being placed in a bed of asphalte U, and supported at its extremities by fish
plates V, V, between which and the rail is placed some insulating substance, such
as vulcanite. The distance between the termination and recommencement of the
exposed magnetic rail, is considerably less than that between the wheels contained
in the pole pieces of the rolling magnet, so that the second portion of the magnetic
main is raised into contact with the surface rail, before the first is dropped. To
secure a continuous passage for the return current which passes through the running
rails, the break caused by the insulated length is bridged over by the cable S, which
of course may be bare, as it only forms part of the earth return.
In the same way,
the ends of the conductor carrying the current G G are connected by the insulated
cable R which passes under the running rail; or when the conductor G G is made
in sections connected by feeders to a distinct main, feeders from the main are taken
from the conductor on each side of the crossing.
To show clearly the way in which the conductor channel terminates, I have
represented, in Fig. 14ª, a section of the crossing along the centre line of the
tiles T. T.
In figure 15 is shewn another arrangement in which the conductor channel is
continuous throughout, and the running rail is cut off parallel to the magnetic rail,
so as to allow of the crossing, and the space between the two filled in with asphalte.
In order to make the gap in the running rail as short as possible, it is undercut so
as to overhang the hidden magnetic rail, which may also have its web cut down so
as to leave the running rail M with sufficient depth to be able to stand the weight
of the car wheel. This is shewn in Fig. 15b, which is a section of the crossing along
the central line of the running rail. A groove is cut across the top of the magnetic
rail A to allow of the passage of the flange of the car wheel, and this groove is
continued in the asphalte intervening between the magnetic and running rails, as
shewn in Fig. 15. The two ends of the running rail are Lolted to a shoe W, which
serves both as a support & as the electrical connection necessary to make the earth
return continuous.

page_text: Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The use, for electric traction purposes, of two parallel magnetic rails, one rail
projecting onto the surface of the road, the other hidden, the said rails being made
up of short insulated lengths, the lengths of one rail being arranged on a hit and
miss principle in relation to those of the other, for the purpose of inducing cross
magnetic lines between the two rails, under the influence of an electro-magnet placed
under the car or vehicle, the poles of which at all times face or touch two distinct
and separate lengths of the projecting rail, as described.
2. The use, for electric traction, of the attractive power of cross magnestisin
induced in two parallel rails, as above described, for lifting a continuous strip of
iron place underneath such rails and in contact with the main conductor, in order
to temporarily connect the main conductor with the parallel lengths of rails, whereby.
the current may be conveyed from a sealed channel to the surface of the road, to be
utilized for driving a tramcar, or for other purposes, as described.
3. The use, for the purpose specified, of a magnet with pole pieces so arranged
as to face respectively two distinct and separate lengths of magnetic rail, such pole
pieces being provided with rollers to make a magnetic contact, and at the same time
to collect the current from the electrically charged lengths of the contact rail, as
described and shewn.
4. The use of a bogie carriage for supporting the magnet as herein shewn &
described, whereby, to a certain extent, the magnet is made independent of the car,
as set forth.
5. The arrangements of magnetic rails for points & crossings, substantially as
herein shewn & described.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1890.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.