Improvements in Working Railways by Electricity.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd May, 1889-4ccepted, 6th July, 'S89
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Working Railways by Electricity.
I, CHARLES ERNEST SPAGNOLETT. of The Poplars, Aberdeen Place, W., in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
The main object of my invention is to effect improvements in Working Railways
through the medium of Electricity, such improvements consisting in a motor having
certain novel features of construction, and in the arrangements which I employ for
supplying the current to the said motor. The motor is constructed substantially in the
following manner :-
Two or more field magnets are so wound with wire as to cause their poles, and pole
pieces, to be permanently magnetised North and South, when a permanent current is
sent through the wire from a dynamo machine; the pole pieces being so placed as to
be effective on arms or projections on the axle of the armature. The coil or coils of
the armature, is or are wound on a stationary sleeve or tube, through which the axle
of the armature runs and turns freely, being supported on bearings at each end. If
desired one of the wheel axles of the vehicle, which is driven by the motor, may be
utilised as the axle of the armature, the aforesaid arms or projections being fixed on
such wheel axle. The wire instead of being wound on a sleeve or tnbe may be wound
round these arms.
When it is wound on the sleeve the resistance is made a little in excess of the field
magnets.
By means of a commutator, and brushes, or contact spring, the polarity of the
armature axle is reversed as frequently as required, the field magnets act upon the
arms at each end, first by attracting one such arm and then through the commutator,
the polarity of the armature axle being changed, the field magnets then repel the said
arm, and thus by these alternating actions (attraction and repulsion) I get rotation,
which can be reversed, by reversing the current from the dynamo supply.
Alternating current dynamos may be used instead of permanent current dynamos to
drive these motors.
For controlling the current from the dynamo, which actuates the motor, so that the
trains may be safely worked, I deal with the said current in the following way, siz
An electrical main is laid throughout the line of railway, capable of carrying the
current required for working each section of the said line, at the same time. From
this main à lead is taken, capable of carrying the maximum current required for
working a full loaded train, (allowance being also made for gradients and curves) to a
conductor or strip of metal, (by preference copper), which is divided into sections.
At each station there is a short section, and between stations a long section; these.
short sections are charged at the stations, at the will, and by the action of the
signalman, in a nanner hereinafter described. The long sections are also charged
and are under the control of the signalman at the station to which the train is running.
In connection with this system I use the Electric Locking arrangements, for which
Letters Patent were granted to me No. 10952 and bearing date 15th September 1885,
so that the signalman at the station in advance controls the lever of the starting signal
at ibe station in the rear, and the mode of working is as follows:-When a train is
required to leave a station, which may be called A, the signal-man there, by bell-code,
telephone, or telegraph instrument, asks the signalman at the next station in advance
which may be called B, to unlock the lever of his (A's) starting signal. If the line is
clear and B's instrument shows that the previous train has cleared the section and left
his station, he sends a current of electricity by a key or plunger &c., which takes off
the lock of the lever of the starting signal at A. Upon the signalman at A seeing

page_text: this by his indicator, he pulls the lever over to lower the arm of his starting signal,
and his lever is so arranged that by pulling it over, he at the same time joins the lead,
which conveys the dynamo current from the main to the short sectional conductor,
and thus charges it with the required electrical current for working the motor on the
train about to proceed, so that as soon as the driver of the train makes the necessary
connection to start. he can do so. After starting he soon clears the short sectional
conductor, which is charged and is receiving the current from the main, as above
described. On reaching the commencement of the long sectional conductor, which is
under the control and charged electrically by the signalman at the station B in
advance, by the movement of his lever or levers, which actuate his home and distant.
signals, (either or both) the motor of the train, by such electrical charge, receives
from the said long sectional conductor its power to proceed to the station B. The
signalman at A, after the train has passed the short section, replaces his signal arm to
danger and on puiting his lever back to do this, it is locked up and out of his control
until it is again released by the signalman at the station B in advance, so that he (A)
cannot pull his signal arm down again, nor can he get the lever over to electrically
charge his short sectional conductor to enable a following train to leave his station,
until the signalman at B again unlocks it for him to do so, and this the signalman
at B cannot do until the train that previously left A has cleared station B, and is on
its road to the next station. The "long sectional" conductor is entirely controlled by
the signalman at B, by his taking off either or both the home or distant signals, which
it is his duty to do after releasing the lock on A's starting signal for a train to come
on and while either or both of these signals are showing alright" to the approaching
train, it receives the current from the long sectional conductor, which is joined to the
main by the lever of the home or distant signal, either or both, worked by the signal-
man at B, and he thus keeps perfect control over the approaching train, for if from
any cause he desires to stop its progress, whether it has passed his signal or not, he
has but to put his signals to danger and the putting bis lever back to do this cuts off
the current from the main to the long sectional conductor, and the train is thus
deprived of its power of motion, until it can be allowed to proceed by his lowering his
signal again and recharging the long sectional conductor. This system is carried
throughout the line in the required number of long and short sections, that the
working of the line demands.
*
It is obvious that the use of the improved form of motor described is not necessarily
confined to railway traction.
נט
33
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S. W., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE specificATION.
Improvements in Working Railways by Electricity.
I, CHARLES ERNEST SPAGNOLETTI of The Poplars, Aberdeen Place, W., in the
County of Middlesex, 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:-
The main object of my invention is to effect improvements in working railways
through the medium of electricity, such improvements consisting in a motor having
certain novel features of construction, and in the arrangements which I employ for
supplying the current to the said motor.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2
an end elevation of my improved motor. Fig. 3 is a diagram shewing the general
arrangement of a railway worked according to my system, and Fig. 4 is a diagram
representing a node of releasing the lock on the signal lever.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
The motor is constructed substantially in the following manner.
Two or more field magnets A A are so wound with wire as to cause their poles, and

page_text: In
pole pieces B B, to be permanently magnetised North and South, when a permanent
current is sent through the wire from a dynamo machine, and these pole pieces are
so placed as to act upon arms or projections CC on the axle D of the armature.
the drawing four arms are shewn but the nuinber may be varied if desired. The coil
or coils E of the armature is or are wound on a stationary sleeve or tube through
which the axle D of the armature runs and turns freely, being supported on
bearings FF at each end. By means of a commutator H, and brushes or contact
springs JJ, the polarity of the armature axle is reversed as frequently as required;
the field magnets A A act upon the arms Cat each end, first by attracting two
such arms and then through the commutator, the polarity of the armature axle being
changed, the field magnets then repel the said arms and thus by these alternating
actions (attraction and repulsion) I get rotation which can be reversed by reversing
the current from the dynamo supply.
Alternating current dynamos may be used instead of permanent current dynamos
to drive these motors.
If desired one of the wheel axles of the vehicle, which is driven by the motor, may
be utilised as the axle of the armature, the aforesaid arms or projections CC being
fixed on such wheel axle, or the said wheel axle may be connected by suitable gearing
with the armature axle. The wire instead of being wound on a sleeve or tube may be
wound round these arms. When it is wound on the sleeve the resistance is made a
little in excess of the field magnets. For controlling the current from the dynamo
which actuates the motor so that the trains may be safely worked, I deal with the said
current in the following way as shewn in the diagram Fig. 3. An electrical main K
is laid throughout the line of railway K' capable of carrying the current required for
working each section of the said line at the same time. Lis the dynamo supplying
the current. From this main, leads M M are taken capable of carrying the maximum
current required for working a full loaded train (allowance being also made for
gradients and curves) to a conductor or strip of metal (by preference copper) which
is divided into sections N. P, each section being connected to the main by a separate
lead M. At each station there is a short section N and between stations a long
section P these short. sections are charged at the stations at the will, and by the
action of the signalinan, in a manner hereafter described. The long sections are also
charged and are under the control of the signalman at the station to which the train
is running. In connection with this system I use the Electric Locking arrangements
for which Letters Patent were granted to me No. 10952 and hearing date
15th September 1885 so that the signalman at the station in advance controls the
lever of the starting signal at the station in the rear, and the mode of working is as
follows: When a train is required to leave a station which may be called "A" the
signalman there, by bell code, telephone or telegraph instrument asks the signalman
at the next station in advance which may be called "B" to unlock the lever Q of
his ("A's") starting signal R. If the line is clear and B's" instrument shows that
the previous train has cleared the section and left his station and automatically
reset "B's" instrument by passing over the treadle t in advance, he is then able to
send a current of electricity by a key or plunger &c. which takes off the lock of the
lever Q of the starting signal R at "A." Upon the signalman at. "A" seeing this
by his indicator he pulls the lever over to lower the arm of his starting signal R and
his lever is so arranged that by pulling it over, he at the same time joins the lead M
which conveys the dynamo current from the main K to the short sectional conductor N
and thus charges it, with the required electrical current for working the motor on the
train about to proceed, so that as soon as the driver of the train makes the necessary
connection to start, he can do so. After starting he soon clears the short sectional
conductor N which is charged and is receiving the current from the main conductor
as above described. On reaching the commencement of the long sectional conductor P
which is under the control and charged electrically by the signalman at the station "B"
in advance by the movement of his lever or lovers S which actuate his home or distant
signal T, either or both, the motor of the train, by such electrical charge, receives
from the said long sectional conductor P its power to proceed to the station "B."

page_text: 2
A
"
The signalman at "A" after the train has passed. the short section N replaces his
signal arm R to danger and on putting his lever Q back to do this, it is locked up and
out of bis control until it is again released by the signalinan at the station "B" in
advance so that he ("A") cannot pull his signal arm down again, nor can he get the
lever over to electrically charge his short sectional conductor to enable a following
train to leave his station, until the signalman at "B" again unlocks it for him to do
so, and this the signalınan at "B" cannot do until the train that previously left"
has cleared station "B" and is on its road to the next station. The "long sectional"
conductor P in entirely controlled by the signalman at "B," by bis taking off either
or both the home or distant signals T which it is his duty to do after releasing the
lock on
A's starting signal for a train to come on and while either or both of these
signals are showing alright" to the approaching train, it receives the current from
the long sectional conductor P which is joined to the main by the lever S of the home
or distant signal either or both, worked by the signalman at. "B" and he thus keeps
perfect control over the approaching train, for if from any cause he desires to stop its
progress, whether it has passed bis signal or not, he has but to put his signals to
danger and the putting his lever back to do this cuts off the current from the main to
the long sectional conductor and the train is thus deprived of its power of motion,
until it can be allowed to proceed by his lowering his signal again, and recharging
the long sectional conductor P. This system is carried throughout the line in the
required number of long and short sections that the working of the line demands.
The lock on the signal lover at station "A," may be taken off by the signalman
at "B" by means of the arrangement shewn in Figs. 13 and 14 in the drawings of
my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 10952 of 1885 or I may employ the arrangement
shewn in Fig. 4 in which a permanent current is used to take off the lock.
case the armature 7, of the electro magnet 6, 6, which locks the signal lever 1, is
pulled off by a permanent current from the station "B" in advance. This is done
by means of a relay U at the said station "B." When the instrument at "B" is
worked, contact is made at the point V, which puts the relay U and coils 6, 6, in
circuit with the battery W, the armature X being thereby attracted makes connection
at Y so that the current still passes through the coils 6, 6, after the connection at V is
broken. When the lever 1, is pulled over by the signalman at "A" it breaks the
contact at Z so that the armature X falls and breaks the circuit at Y and the
armature 7 is released ready to lock the lever 1 when it is replaced to danger.
In this
By a slight mechanical alteration in the instrument, can also use the relay
coils U for controlling the circuit of the treadle for automatically resetting the
instrument.
Although I have only described the locking arrangements as applied to the signal
levers, they may also be applied to point levers.
In applying the system of making and breaking contact by the working of a signal
or point lever, which opens or closes a spring, to the working of junctions and
sidings, I divert the current to release the locks required without the use of hand
switches and thus relieve the signalman of the extra duty and risk involved by the use
of these hand switches.
It is obvious that the use of the improved form of motor described is not necessarily
confined to railway traction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
.
1. An electro-motor having the axle of the arinature working within a fixed sleeve
on which the armature coil is wound, substantially as herein set forth with reference
to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement for working a railway electrically consisting in charging
sectional conductors from a main conductor by the same levers which work the signals
or points, the said levers being controlled by electric locking, substantially as herein
set forth, with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. The arrangement for taking the lock off a signal lever from the station in
advance, or releasing the instrument for the signalman himself to do so, by means of
a permanent current sustained by a relay, substantially as herein set forth with
reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In the working by electrical locking of junctions or sidings, directing the current
to the lock required to be released, by the action of a signal or point lever, without
the use of a hand switch, substantially as herein set forth.
Bandh: 32nd
1000
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur, Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.