IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRICAL RAILWAYS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas John Handford of 42 Southampton Buildings
"
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRICAL RAILWAYS Communicated to
him from abroad by Thomas Alva Edison of Menlo Park in the State of New
Jersey, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas John Handford at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1883.
THOMAS JOHN HANDFORD of 42 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRICAL
RAILWAYS. A communication to me from abroad by Thomas Alva Edison of
Menlo Park in the State of New Jersey, United States of America
"
Heretofore in electrical railways wherein the two lines of traffic rails have been
used as part or all of the conductors, for carrying the current to and from the
motor, or wherein a third or central line of rails has been used for one half of the
circuit, it has been attempted to lessen the resistance, and secure good conductivity
by perfecting as far as possible the joints between the ends of the rails; but this
has been only partially successful, from the fact that loose joints have to be
provided at the ends of the rails, to permit of expansion, and contraction, and the
surfaces of the parts in contact becoming oxidized, the contact becomes bad, making
the combined resistance of the large number of joints in any section of the railway
considerable.
The object of the present invention is to reduce the resistance of the circuit to
the minimum.
This is accomplished by providing each line of rails used as a conductor, with
two or more continuous conducting wires, on one or on each side of the line of rails,
which continuous wires pass beneath the fish-plates at the joints of the rails, and
are clamped by such fish-plates against the rails. These wires may be bare copper
wires or they can be insulated between the fish-plates, and left bare where they
pass under such fish-plates.

page_text: The insulation is scraped from the web of the rails at the ends, and the surfaces
so scraped are cleaned and may be electro-plated with nickel, or silver, or other
metal not easily oxidized by exposure to air and moisture, in order to make good
contact with the continuous wires.
One of the conductors from the electrical generators is connected with the
continuous wires of the line of rails, and with the rails directly, or with the wires
only.
It will be seen that the resistance of the lines of rails provided with the con-
tinuous conducting wires will be greatly reduced thereby, since the wires will
form a continuous metallic circuit to and from the rails over which the motor
is passing no matter where the motor may be on the track, more or less current
being conducted through the line of rails according to the resistance at the joints.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas John Handford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1883.
THOMAS JOHN HANDFORD of 42 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRICAL
RAILWAYS" a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Alva Edison of
Menlo Park in the State of New Jersey, United States of America
Heretofore in electrical railways, wherein the two lines of traffic rails have been
used as part or all of the conductors for carrying the current to and from the
motor, or wherein a third or central line of rails has been used for one half of the
circuit, it has been attempted to lessen the resistance and secure good conductivity
by perfecting as far as possible the joints between the ends of the rails; but this
has been only partially successful, from the fact that loose joints have to be provided
at the ends of the rails, to permit of expansion and contraction, and as the surfaces
of the parts in contact become oxidized, the contact becomes bad, making the
combined resistance of the large number of joints in any section of the railway
considerable.
Now the present Invention has for its object reducing the resistance of the
circuit to the minimum, and this object is accomplished by providing each line of
rails used as a conductor, with one or more continuous conducting wires, on one
or on each side of the line of rails, which continuous wires pass beneath or behind
the fish-plates at the joints of the rails, and are clamped by such fish-plates against
the rails, These wires may be bare copper wires, or they can be insulated between
the fish-plates, and left bare where they pass under or behind such fish-plates.
The insulation is scraped from the web of the rails at the ends, and the surfaces
so scraped are cleaned, and may be electro-plated with nickel, or silver, or other
metal not easily oxidized by exposure to air and moisture in order to make good
contact with the continuous wires. One of the conductors from the electrical
generators is connected with the continuous wires of the line of rails, and with the
rails directly, or with the wires only.
It will be seen that the resistance of the lines of rails provided with the con-
tinuous conducting wires, will be greatly reduced thereby, since the wires will
form a continuous metallic circuit to and from the rails over which the motor is
passing, no matter where the motor may be on the track, more or less current
being conducted through the line of rails according to the resistance at the joints
And in order that the said Invention may be perfectly understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the two figures on the accompanying sheet of drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in both the figures.
Figure 1, of the accompanying drawings is a perspective view of a portion of
two lines of rails, having the continuous conducting wires, in accordance with the
present Invention; and ;
Figure 2 is a cross section of a rail near the end of the same, showing the fish-
plates in elevation.
A, and B represent two lines of T-rails; the rails of each line of which are
connected together by fish-plates a, b, and bolts c, passing through the fish-plates,
and rails as usual. The rails are used as conductors of the current, and are
insulated in any suitable manner from the cross-ties, and the earth.
E, E, represent continuous conducting wires, which are placed on one side, or
(as shown in the drawings) on each side of the rails of each line, and are clamped

page_text: by the fish-plates against the ends of the rails. The continuous wire may be bare
copper wire, or it can be insulated, except where it passes beneath or behind the
fish-plates.
The webs of the rails at their ends have the insulation removed therefrom, and
are cleaned, and preferably electro-plated with nickel, silver, or other metal not
easily oxidized by exposure to air and moisture, in order to make as good contact
as possible with the continuous wires; but the plating may be dispensed with.
The conductors from the electrical generators are connected with the wires and
also with the rails, or with the wires alone.
The current is conducted to and from the motor, through wheels resting on the
rails, and a continuous metallic circuit will be formed to and from the rails over
which the motor is passing by the conducting wires, while part of the current will
pass through the rails themselves.
The same device is used in connection with a third line of rails when such-third
line-of rails is employed as part of-the circuit.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
-effect, I would observe in conclusion-that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
A line of connected rails used as part of an electric circuit, having its cop-
ductivity increased by means of one or more continuous conductors attached
thereto so as to be in permanent electrical connection therewith substantially as
herein before described.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas John Handford have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twentysecond day of August in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
: