Improvements in or relating to the Electric Propulsion of Railway Trains.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Electric Propulsion of Railway
Trains.
I, OTTO HERRMANN EMIL KASELOWSKY, of 17-18, Chaussee Strasse, Berlin,
in the German Empire, 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 present application relates to certain improvements in the electric pro-
pulsion of railway trains, in which the electric power is generated upon a travelling
station, which moves along with the train, and is distributed to the motors
arranged throughout the whole length of the train.
The moving power station is preferably attached to the end of the train. But
the same could equally well be attached to the front of the train, without serving
to draw the train by means of the couplings as is the case in the well known
locomotive of Heilmann.
The essential principle of the present invention consists in the special connections
between the separate cars each provided with special motors, and the travelling
power station on the one hand, and a second controlling station on the other hand,
which in general is devised as the main controlling point for the conductor of
the train, and placed at the front thereof, whilst the travelling power station is
conveniently placed at the hinder end of the train. With regard to this construc-
tion and especially with regard to the arrangement of the separate cars into
one train, which can be controlled both from the travelling power station and
also from the secondary controlling point, in the most reliable and economical
manner, the main points to be kept in view are the greatest possible simplicity,
and comprehensiveness in working.
According to the present invention the arrangement is so devised that the
operator on the travelling power station is dependent on the secondary controlling
station, and vice versa, so that the actuation of the separate motors is only
possible in case of the agreement of both controlling stations. Con-
sequently, neither the conductor of the train nor the driver on the moving power
station can proceed against the will of the other, but on the other hand, each
of these two can, independently, discontinue the operation.
Both controllers can operate the motors of the separate cars according to re-
quirements either partially, and moreover consecutively, commencing with those
on the car which is at the front end of the train in the journey in question, or
altogether. Further, my controlling device is so arranged that the putting
together of a train can be carried out without difficulty, even by workmen not
electrically instructed, and any desired car can be either independently shut out
or placed at any other desired position. Moreover, cars without electromotors can
also be interposed without difficulty in the train, or the motors of particular cars
can be quite disconnected. All cars are provided exactly alike with connections
and controllers, and the requisite alterations according to the position of the
car in the train, are effected by easily visible controlling devices.

page_text: Each car receives a strong conducting cable, which serves as a common con-
ductor, and also a number of return conductors corresponding to the number of
cars, as well as two conductors between which the motor or motors of one and the
same car are placed. According as the position of the car in the train is arranged,
the motors are connected in the first or the second or the third or other return
circuit, whilst the remaining return circuits are connected directly from car to
car.
In this new arrangement and controlling device, there are a number of im-
portant technical advantages, because on the one hand an actuation is attained
both simple and reliable, and on the other hand in all cases where a specially great
power is required, as for instance, on starting, on the ascent of inclines, and so
forth, the whole of the motors can be actuated, whereas when the required speed
has been attained, or while travelling on a level road, or on the descent of inclines,
the tractive force can be varied according to requirements. Consequently, there
will always be only so many motors actuated that those actually at work can
continuously operate with the most advantageous load. Moreover, this enables
the apparatus to be operated at all times with the greatest possible efficiency.
The surplus energy which is thus rendered, from time to time, available in the
moving power station, can with particular advantage be collected in a secondary
battery placed upon the said moving power station, and this collected energy can
subsequently be utilized either together with the power delivered direct from the
dynamo, or by itself alone. Consequently, the maximum load of the dynamo can
be very considerably reduced, and at the same time, the dynamo may be utilized
very efficiently. In climbing steep inclines and in passing round curves of small
radius, the energy stored in the secondary battery can be added to the energy
produced by the moving power station, whilst on the other hand, when descending
inclines and travelling on level roads, the dynamo may be partially employed
in charging the secondary battery. Further, the secondary battery can be
charged whilst the train is at a stand still, consequently, both before the beginning
of the journey and also at the separate stations. In consequence of this pro-
vision of a collecting battery considerable distances could be travelled without
the necessity of the dynamo working, which is of special advantage as enabling
small repairs and other contingencies during the journey to be provided for.
Finally, there is attained the very important advantage that the cars which stand
first in the direction of the motion, together with their electromotors, invariably
receive current first. This insures that in all cases the front cars are acting as
traction cars, which is necessary to secure a reliable motion free from jerks.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a view of a railway train.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 is a diagram of the connections and controlling devices, which illustrates
the arrangement of the two controlling points, and the connection of the separate
conductors with the motors.
Fig. 4 illustrates a special arrangement of the controlling device between motors
and conductors in the middle of the car.
Fig. 5 shows a similar device at the end of the car.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of Fig. 5.
The moving power station is assumed to be at the end of the train, and consists
of the car a supporting the steam boiler band of the car e supporting the steam
engine d, and dynamo e. In the said care there is also placed a secondary battery
which, when the train is stopped or when inclines are being descended, or also
when a level road is being traversed, can be charged, for the purpose of being
utilized on the ascent of inclines, as well as generally for the assistance or re-
placing of the power ordinarily supplied from the dyname. The current/ is
transferred to the separate motors h distributed throughout the
the train. the mannanting of the
whole length of

page_text: by means of couplings, which are connected in a similar manner to the well known
tubular couplings.
A common cable k delivers the current from the dynamo on the power station
over a preliminary resistance to a controller, which consists of separate individu-
ally insulating contact pieces f and a connecting bar fl. The latter can from
both sides be so placed with regard to the contacts f, that the latter come into
connection in series with the cable k. On the travelling power station the dynamo
is likewise connected over a preliminary resistance to a similar controlling device
(consisting of the contacts f and the contact bar f¹). Between the contact f and
the two devices are placed the conductors 1, 2, 3, and which are connected
between the separate cars by means of the couplings g¹, g², g³, g and g³. About
in the middle of the car the conductors to are interrupted by means of two
contact clips to . These clips can be connected directly with one another by
means of the contact bars v, so that the conductors provided with the said bars v
simply pass the current through the respective car.
The motors of each separate
car lie between two conductors m¹, m² which can be so connected either by means
of flexible cables (Fig. 3) or by means of suitable controllers (Fig. 4) to any
one of the conductors to after removal of the respective bar in such a
manner that the motors receive the current. Thus for instance, in the second car
the bars are in contact with the conductors ¹, 3, 4, ; but the bar is not in
contact with the conductor 2. Instead of this, the motors conductors m¹, m² are
in contact with the terminals 12, 12 of the second car. In like manner in the
fourth car the contact bars are connected to the conductors i¹, 2, 3, and and
the motor conductors m', m² are connected to the terminals, of the fourth
car. In this manner the natural serial number of the car in the direction of the
train motion determines invariably which bars must be absent, and to which
of the conductors to the motor conductors are to be connected. In the arrange-
ment shown in Fig. 4, two simple shunts and are made use of, which effect
the connection of the motor conductor in the respective cable after the removal of
the respective contact bar, without involving any alteration in the permanent
connections of the cable.
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the connections to proceed un-
interrupted through each car, and are connected at one end of the car to the
terminals to, whilst the ends of the cables serving to connect the separate
cars are connected to the terminals s¹ to s placed below the same. The motor
connections m¹, m² are then again attached to two simple shunts, which permit of
the cutting in of the motors between each pair of terminals r, s, ², 5², qu³, 5,
4, 4, 5, s. In the second car again there is wanting the respective connecting
bar v, and the motor conductors m¹, m² are attached to the terminals, s². In
this manner it is possible for any workman, even one not electrically instructed,
to effect the proper connections, and to arrange the cars in their proper places, or
also to insert cars without motors; the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are to be under-
stood, of course, as relating only to the cars provided with motors. In consequence
of the two controlling points, and by the actuation of the two shunt bars f',
the motors can be cut in and out both from the moving power station as also
from the secondary controlling station. For the cutting out no agreement is
required between the two controlling points, because by turning the respective
mechanism f, the motors of the separate cars beginning from the last can be
cut out.
For the cutting in of the motors there is, however, necessary, agreement
between the two controlling stations, inasmuch as the piece f¹ must already be
inserted at the one controlling point, before it is possible to cut in the motors, by
means of the piece fl at the other controlling point. Consequently, it becomes
quite impossible for the train to be started from the one or the other controlling
point if the conductor at the second controlling point, is not yet ready to start.
The conductor who does not desire the start to take place, has only to leave
his controlling bar f¹ unconnected. Further, it is possible to cut in the motors

page_text: from the one or from the other controlling point in such a manner consecutively,
that the affected motors always are in front in the direction of the motion. More-
over, it is possible according to requirements to use the first, or the first two, or
the first three of the cars for traction, and so on, and thus always to allow the
motors to work under the conditions of maximum efficiency, no matter in what
direction the motion of the train may be. If it is desired to entirely cut out
the motors of a car, it is only necessary to insert the respective connecting bar v
and to cut out the respective motor connections. Finally, it is possible to insert
ordinary cars which are merely provided with the conductors to and k passing
through them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
-
In the electric propulsion of railway trains, in which the electric energy is
generated on a moving power station travelling with the train, and is supplied
to motors distributed over the whole length of the train, the arrangement of the
two separate controlling places each provided with a controlling apparatus f, f',
and in which the controller bars (f¹) are connected with the dynamo, as also with
a secondary battery placed in the travelling power station, by means of a common
conductor provided with couplings g between the cars, and the separate contacts f
of both controlling apparatuses, each with a conductor 1, 2, 3 and 5 provided
between the cars with corresponding couplings g' to g which by means of the
contact bars can either be conveyed through the cars, or after the removal of
the respective contact bars, be utilized to connect to the motor conductors m¹, m²
of each separate car, for the purpose of attaining on the one hand, an easily con-
trollable and simple composition of the train, and on the other hand, a thoroughly
reliable and extremely economical actuation.
Dated the 20th day of Tuna 1908
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.