IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC RAILWAYS AND LOCOMOTIVES OR ENGINES USED WITH THE SAME
Year: 1883

page_text: "1
LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt of Sutton in the County of Surrey, for ân
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC RAILWAYS AND LOCOMOTIVES OR
ENGINES USED WITH THE SAME" communicated to him from abroad by Leo
Daft of Greenville State of New Jersey United States of America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th August 1883..
"
SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIO
RAILWAYS AND LOCOMOTIVES OR ENGINES USED WITH THE SAME communicated
to me from abroad by Leo Daft of Greenville State of New Jersey United States of
America
The invention relates first to an improvement in electric locomotives or engines
especially to the mechanism for driving and stopping the same. By means of this
improvement a number of engines can be run upon the sathe section by means
of contiguous conductors carrying independent currents The weight hitherto
necessary to insure traction is dispensed with by substituting therefor magnetic
attraction on the rail which is a very important feature of the invention. By
means of an electric brake of peculiar construction the rapidity of motion of the
engine may be arrested.
The improvement will be readily understood from the accompanying. Drawings
in which Figure 1 represents a vertical view of part of the engine Figure 2 a plan
view through Figure 1 on the line X X the platform being removed. Figure 3 an
end view taken at the dynamo end Figures 4 and 6 means of applying the electric
brake. Figure 5 is a diagram of a railway, conducting rails and two locomotives
on the same track section. Figure 7 is an end view showing the contact roller and
adjusting appliance, and Figure 8 is a side view of the same:
B represents generally the frame of the engine. A the dynamo In thể méthod
shown in Figures 1. 2. 3. the electricity is conveyed to the engine by means of a
separate conductor C placed between the rails. Upon this conductor O & wheel E
runs which is forced against the conductor. by means of a spring as shown in

page_text: Figure 1. Upon either side of this wheel are placed brushes D adapted to clean
this rail or conductor before the wheel E comes in contact with it. In order to
run a number of trains upon the same section a number of independent conductors
Care provided shown in Figure 3 and the wheels E and brushes are arranged so
that they may be laterally adjusted to come in contact with any one of said
conductors at pleasure, this wheel may be supported upon a laterally adjustable
dovetailed slide S provided with a screw V to move it; or other suitable
device may be used; thus if five trains are to be run upon the same section
their wheels would be arranged to come in contact each with an independent
conductor which might if desired be supplied from an independent dynamo
at the power station. The driving wheels are linked together by connecting
rods so
as to insure all the 'traction possible. Between the driving wheels
traction magnets F are arranged preferably over both rails. These magnets are
arranged as near as possible to the rails and should be carried upon some part.
of the frame of the truck which is not supported on springs. As soon as a current
is passed through these magnets the driving wheels will be drawn tightly against
the track thereby increasing the traction of the locomotive to any desired extent.
An electric brake is preferred to arrest the engine. In the form shown in
Figures 4 and 6 a coil surrounds the iron axis of the wheels which axis is
magnetically connected with said wheels a current passing through said coil will
magnetise the wheels thereby increasing their tractive power upon the rails. An
iron brako Lis provided which is withdrawn from contact with the surface or
'tread of the wheels by a spring. When the wheels are magnetized the spring will
*be pressed and the shoe of the brake brought in contact with the surface of the
wheel. It is preferred to make an independent shoe P as shown in Figure 6 to
prevent absolute. contact..
-
It is obvious that these brake arrangements may be applied instantly the whole
length of the train as well as upon the engine.
Instead of using the independent strips for conductors the rails may be used but
even if the strips OCC are used as the current returns upon the rails it is.
desirable that the rail resistance should be reduced. Therefore a rail is used which
is provided with an iron wearing surface and an independent conductor not
presented to the wearing action of the wheel. In the Drawings Figures 9. 10.
and 11 represent different forms of rail. In these Drawings M represents the iron
or steel portion and N the copper portion. The copper portion in each case it will
be observed is protected from wear. The object of this invention is to have a
-wearing surface upon which the wheels shall run of different material from the
conducting body within the rail. This conducting body may be also arranged to
extend between the ends of the rails so that when the rails are in position &
continuous conductor will be formed. In this case an allowance should be made
within the body of the rail for the expansion and contraction of the independent
copper conductor. Other good conductors beside copper might be employed.
What I claim as the invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
: First. The combination of two or more engines running upon the same section
of track and two or more independent conductors laid side by side at different
distances from the rails and extending parallel to the track and adapted to supply
electricity to the different locomotives substantially as described.
Second The combination of an electric locomotive, a conductor parallel to the
track, a wheel in continuous contact with the conductor and a brush or brushes
clearing the conductor in advance of its contact with the wheel substantially as
described
Third The combination in an electric railway engine of a wheel and means for
magnetizing the same and a brake adapted to be attracted to said wheel when said
wheel is magnetized by being made the pole of a magnet thereby braking the
wheels and preventing the slip of the wheel upon the track simultaneously
substantially as described.
1.
Fourth-A rail for electric railways which consists of an iron or steel wearing

page_text: surface and a copper or equivalent centre or conductor electrically connected
therewith and itself not exposed to the wear of the wheel running upon the track
substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Sydney Pitt have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty first day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
SYDNEY PITT (L.S.)