Improvements in Electric Lighting Apparatus for Railway Cars and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Nov., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Lighting Apparatus for Railway Cars and
the like.
We, WILLIAM BIDDLE, of No. 821 Herkimer Street, Engineer, and PATRICK
KENNEDY of No. 105 Johnson Street, Machinist, both in Brooklyn in the State
of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention is made for supplying an electric current to incandescent lamps
in railway cars and similar vehicles.
With this object in view a storage or secondary battery is provided in multiple
arc with the lamps, and a dynamo is driven from the car axle, and the parts are
constructed and the circuits arranged in such a manner that the current passes into
and through the secondary battery for energizing the same, or directly through
the lights, or both, and when the car is standing still or running below the minimum
speed, an electro-magnet in the circuit is provided for acting upon a switch in such
a manner as to break the main circuit passing through the secondary battery from
the field magnets and armature and throw in a resistance to prevent the current
equalizing through the dynamo, and an automatic three-point switch is made use of
so as to give the same direction to the current in passing through the battery,
whether the car is running in one direction or in the other direction.
In constructing and fitting the dynamo, a sleeve is applied around the axle, and
it is advantageously made of "Babbitt " metal or similar material cast in a mould
and between segmental rings bolted together to grasp the axle, and in one form' of
our improvement the armature itself surrounds the axle and is bolted to the same
and revolves with it, and the frame of the dynamo which carries the field magnets
is formed with divided rings bolted together, and within which the axle and the
sleeve revolve, and the frame and field magnets are held from turning by an arm
that is slotted and receives a stationary cross-bar, supported by the equalizing lever
of the truck or by any other portion of the car, so that the movement of the car
upon the springs is provided for and the frame and field magnets are held from
rotating.
In the other form of our dynamo the field magnets and frame are suspended at
one end from a portion of the car or truck, and the other end of the frame is made
in the form of a divided ring bolted together and surrounding the axle or sleeve
thereof, so that the axle and sleeve are free to rotate in the bearings of the dynamo
frame, and a gear wheel around the axle is made use of to rotate a pinion upon the
arbor of the armature, and a coupling device is employed for connecting or
disconnecting the gear wheel, so that the rotation of the armature may be stopped
when desired.
A case is provided around the apparatus which is tightly closed to exclude dust
or moisture and is separable to give access to the parts of the dynamo; and we
remark that the brushes of the commutator are made so as to stand radially or
nearly so, in order that the plates of the commutator may be revolved freely in
any direction beneath such brushes.
Provision is made for lubricating the sleeve and the divided rings around the
same by cavities in the respective parts containing rings that revolve with the

page_text: sleeve, and serve to lift up the lubricating material from the cavities in the divided
rings.
Dated this 10th day of Anril 1894.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicants.
Improvements in Electric Lighting Apparatus for Railway Cars and
the like.
We, WILLIAM BIDDLE, of No. 821 Herkimer Street, Engineer, and PATRICK
KENNEDY, of No. 105 Johnson Street, Machinist, both in Brooklyn in the State
of New York, United States of America, 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. :-
This invention is made for supplying an electric current to incandescent lamps
in railway cars and similar vehicles.
With this object in view a storage or secondary battery is provided in multiple
arc with the lamps, and a dynamo is driven from the car axle, and the parts are
constructed and the circuits arranged in such a manner that the current passes into
and through the secondary battery for energizing the same, or directly through the
lights, or both, and when the car is standing still or running below the minimum
speed, an electro-magnet in the circuit is provided for acting upon a switch in such
a manner as to break the main circuit passing through the secondary battery from
the field magnets and armature and throw in a resistance to prevent the current
equalizing through the dynamo; and an automatic three-point switch. is made use of
so as to give the same direction to the current in passing through the battery,
whether the car is running in one direction or in the other direction.
In constructing and fitting the dynamo, a sleeve is applied around the axle, and
it is advantageously made of Babbitt metal or similar material cast in a mould and
between segmental rings bolted together to grasp the axle, and in one form of our
improvement the armature itself surrounds the axle and is bolted to the same and
revolves with it, and the frame of the dynamo which carries the field magnets is
formed with divided rings bolted together and within which the axle and the sleeve
revolve, and the frame and field magnets are held from turning by an arın that is
slotted and receives a stationary cross-bar supported by the equalizing lever of the
truck or by any other portion of the car, so that the movement of the car upon
the springs is provided for and the frame and field magnets are held from rotating.
In the other form of our dynamo the field magnets and frame are suspended at
one end from a portion of the car or truck, and the other end of the frame is made
in the form of a divided ring bolted together and surrounding the axle or sleeve
thereof, so that the axle and sleeve are free to rotate in the bearings of the dynamo
frame, and a gear wheel around the axle is made use of to rotate a pinion upon the
arbor of the armature, and a coupling device is employed for connecting or
disconnecting the gear wheel, so that the rotation of the armature may be stopped
when desired.
A case is provided around the apparatus which is tightly closed to exclude dust
or moisture and is separable to give access to the parts of the dynamo; and we
remark that the brushes of the commutator are made so as to stand radially or
nearly so, in order that the plates of the commutator may be revolved freely in
any direction beneath such brushes.
Provision is made for lubricating the sleeve and the divided rings around the
same by cavities in the respective parts containing rings that revolve with the

page_text: sleeve and serve to lift up the lubricating material from the cavities in the divided.
rings.
In the drawing
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the dynamo and section of the car wheel axle.
Fig. 2 is a plan view partially in section showing the supporting devices for the
dynamo.
Fig. 3 is a diagram of the circuits and of the automatic circuit changing devices.
Fig. 4 is a section longitudinally of the axis and the parts therewith connected.
Fig. 5 is a section of the oil lifting ring around the sleeve.
Fig. 6 is an end view with the axle in section and directly carrying the armature
of the dynamo.
Fig. 7 is a side view partly in section.
Fig. 8 is a section of the sleeve on the axle, and
Fig. 9 is an end view of the sleeve and rings.
Upon the axle A of the car a sleeve B is secured by bolts 2 which pass through
the lugs near the respective ends of the sleeve, such sleeve being in halves so as to
be applied upon the car axle, and the bolts clamp the half sleeves firmly to the
axle and such sleeves are fitted to receive the respective parts at one end of the
dynamo.
The frame of the dynamo consists of the poles C and D connected by the core
of the electro-maguet E, and extending across from one pole to the other are
frames F that support the armature shaft G, which armature shaft, armature E¹
and electro-magnet are of any desired character and the field magnet is to contain
two coils, one of which is in a shunt and the other in series, as hereafter described.
The poles of the dynamo are connected by the bolts 3 and 4 to a divided ring H
which surrounds the sleeve B near one end thereof, and this divided ring H is
recessed at 5 for the reception of oil or other lubricating material for lubricating
the surface of the sleeve B that revolves within the divided ring H, and in this
recess 5 and connected with the sleeve it is advantageous to employ an oiling ring 6,
which, extending down into the oil holding recess, serves to lift up the oil and
cause it to flow and distribute upon the surface of the sleeve and within the divided
ring H to effect a perfect lubrication.
Upon the armature shaft G is a pinion I which gears with a wheel K upon the
sleeve B and adjacent to the divided ring H; and this wheel K is loose upon the
sleeve and adjacent to it there is a suitable coupling as at L for connecting and
disconnecting the gear K and sleeve B. This coupling L is preferably upon a
feather projecting from the sleeve and provided with a neck for the reception of
the fork of the clutch lever M by which the coupling L is slipped towards or from
the gear wheel K; and we find it advantageous to employ the wedges 7 connected ⚫
with the coupling ring L and acting upon the divided friction ring 8 to grasp or to
liberate the gear wheel K and either actuate the dynamo or allow the same to
remain quiescent. The lever M may be actuated in any suitable manner, either
from the car while in motion, or by hand when the train is stationary.
It is advantageous to make the gear wheel K hollow to form an oil receptacle 9
within which is an oiling ring 10 clamped upon the sleeve and adapted to rotate
within the oil receptacle and raise the lubricating material and lubricate the
surfaces of the sleeve and gear wheel that are in contact, so that the axle and
sleeve may be revolved freely when the dynamo is at rest.
At the opposite end of the dynamo frame to the divided ring H we provide one
or more projections 11 to which are connected the link or links N and which links
pass through a bar or frame O upon the truck frame, the upper end of the link N
being rounding, so that the truck frame, as it rises or falls by the action of the
weight of the car upon the car springs, may raise or lower this end of the dynamo
freely, thus suspending the dynamo at its outer end and allowing it to accommodate
itself to the movement of the truck frame in relation of the axle without there
being any undue strain or torsion upon the dynamo or any portion thereof.

page_text: We prefer to make use of radial brushes P for the commutator Q, such radial
brushes being pressed towards the commutator by the springs 12, and it is to be
understood that the respective parts are insulated in any well known manner.
We make use of a three-point switch R for changing the direction of the current,
and this switch is actuated by a rocking lever S intervening between the switch
and the armature shaft G, and upon this armature shaft G is a cam or eccentric G¹,
so that when the armature is revolving in one direction, the rocking lever S will be
moved to one side and the circuits closed in one direction, or when the armature
lever is rotating in the opposite direction the rocking lever S will be moved into
the other position to reverse the circuit connections so as to cause the current to
flow in the same direction through the external circuit, no matter which way the
car may be running.
Referring now to Fig. 3, it is to be understood that the external circuit contains
the conductors 13 and 14 passing through the car and the incandescent lamps 15
are in multiple arc, and the secondary or storage battery T is also in multiple arc,
and in consequence of the three-point switch R being automatically changed
according to the direction of rotation of the dynamo and of the car axle, the
current set up in the dynamo passes through the external circuit and through the
storage battery in the same direction and when the dynamo is not in operation
the current from the storage battery is adapted to actuating the lamps, and when
the dynamo is in operation the lamps will be actuated by the current therefrom
and the current will also pass through and energize the storage battery according
to the respective resistances and the saturation of the storage battery.
We make use of an electro-magnet or solenoid U, the armature of which is
connected with the switch V that is moved between. the contacts 18 and 19 according
to the magnetism in the electro-magnet U, and the switch V remains in contact with
the plate from the binding post 20, and there is a rheostat or resistance W in the
circuit between 18 and 19.
From one of the commutator brushes P the circuit passes to the switch R and
a branch from the same commutator brush passes through the shunt winding of
the field magnet and also through the helix of the magnet U, and thence back to
the other commutator brush; and there is a connection between the binding
post 20 and the switch R, and the series winding of the field magnet is in the circuit'
from one of the commutator brushes through such field helices to the contact 18,
and when the armature 16 is upon the contact 18 the circuit passes through such
switch V to the binding post 20 and thence to the switch R, thus placing one of the
field helices in series to the external circuit.
If now the speed of the dynamo armature slows up or stops, the current
.through the electro-magnet U is lessened or ceases, and the spring of the switch V
draws the same back, closing contact at 19 so as to throw the rheostat W into the
external circuit, and this rheostat is of sufficiently high resistance to prevent the
storage battery discharging through the dynamo, but as soon as the speed of
the dynamo armature is sufficient to energize the electro-magnet U the switch V
is again attracted and the resistance W cut out by the armature closing the circuit
upon the contact 18, thereby the entire current is passed through the external
circuit containing the series wound helices of the field magnet.
By this improvement we are enabled to provide for lighting separate cars with
incandescent electric lamps, and the circuit connections are so changed automatically
that the lamps will either be energized by the storage battery or by the storage
battery and dynamo jointly, and there is but little loss of energy when the dynamo
is out of action.
It is advantageous to surround the dynamo and the gearing with a case which
will exclude dust and moisture from the respective parts. With this object in
view we prefer to make the case Y in two parts and of sheet metal, the two parts of
the case having edge bars 21, 22 fastened upon the adjacent edges of the case and
bolted together, there being a strip of rubber at 23 to make a tight joint, and where

page_text: the shaft or axle passes through the case we provide glands or stuffing boxes
formed of the rings 24 permanently fastened to the case and the followers 25 with
the intermediate fibrous material closely surrounding the axle A to which the parts
are connected, and where the link N passes out through the case it is prefer-
able to introduce a rubber washer 26 so as to exclude dust and moisture as far as
possible.
We have represented a portion of the case in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 4 the case is
represented with the glands around the axle, the axle sleeve and the connected parts
being in section.
The case may rest upon the top of the pole piece or there may be lugs or washers
intervening between the case and the top pole piece, as indicated at 30.
In cases where the armature is directly around the axle of the car wheel the
parts are arranged as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and the frame sustaining the field
magnets receives its support from the axle and is provided with bearings thereon
and held by a cross-bar to the equalizing levers of the axle boxes.
With this object in view the axle is provided for the reception of the other parts
by applying to the surface thereof at suitable distances apart the clamping rings G G¹
which are preferably made as half rings with flanges for the clamping bolts 3, and
the screws or bolts 4 pass through the respective clamping rings and their ends enter
recesses in the axle F, so that the rings may be firmly and reliably connected with
the axle, and should there be any inaccuracy in the axle itself, the rings are to be
adjusted by these screws 4 so that the exterior surfaces of the rings G G' are concentric
to the axis of rotation, and we apply around the axle a mould that is guided by the
rings G G, and into this mould the sleeve H of Babbitt metal or similar material is
cast, so that the same forms a reliable bearing surface for centering the armature
and for the frame carrying the field magnets.
Around the sleeve H are firmly clamped the end frames I l¹ of the armature E¹.
These frames are preferably in the form of divided rings provided with clamping
bolts 5 by which such end armature frames are firmly clamped upon the sleeve Hof
Babbitt metal or similar material, so that these end frames are held properly in
position by the clamping action and they also serve to confine the Babbitt metal
firmly upon the axle, and the projecting arms T of the frames I l' are adapted to
receive and support the armature, the connections between the arms and the
armature being of any desired character, and the armature is cylindrical and
rotates by and with the axle F and between the poles C and D of the field magnets,
and at one end of the armature and outside the end frame I is the commutator
formed with bars K which are confined in position at their outer ends by the
clamping ring L and the commutator bars are to be of any desired character.
The frames M N serve for supporting the field magnets upon the sleeve H, and
such sleeve and the axle rotate within the bearings 6 of such frames M N, and these
bearings 6 are made in halves so as to be easily applied around the sleeve H and
held in position by the bolts 7 that pass through the flanges of the bearings 6, and
by which such bearings can be set up more or less tightly upon the sleeve H, and the
frames and field magnets are connected by the bolts 10.
We provide on one side of the dynamo a projecting bracket or arm O which is
preferably slotted and receives through the slot the cross bar P¹, the ends of which
rest upon and are connected with the equalizing levers Q that are provided in
ordinary trucks and extend from the axle boxes of one pair of wheels to the axle
boxes of the adjacent pair of wheels, and such equalizing levers may be of any
desired character and only one end of such equalizing lever is represented on the
drawing, it being understood that there is a second equalizing lever and that the
ends of the cross bar P¹ are clamped thereto by suitable clips or bolts 8.
It will now be apparent that the cross bar P₁ holds the field magnets and frames
of the dynamo from rotating and that no movement can be given of the field
magnets in relation to the armature except the slight vibration which may result
from the travel of the wheels upon the railway track and that the armature is to be
rotated by and with the axle F.

page_text: The cross bar P¹ may be connected to any convenient part of the car or truck
frame. The commutator brushes P P are applied to the electric circuit connections
as aforesaid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First: The combination with the external circuit containing the electric lamps
and secondary battery in multiple arc, of a pole changing switch, a dynamo and a
connection for driving the same from the car axle and a revolving cam and lever
for moving the pole changing switch according to the direction of rotation of the
armature shaft and car axle, substantially as set forth.
Second-The combination with a car axle and a dynamo, of a divided sleeve
bolted upon the car axle, a divided ring around the sleeve and bolts for con-
necting the same to the dynamo frame, and a connection between the dynamo
frame and the truck frame for holding the dynamo, substantially as set forth.
Third-The combination with the car axle and truck frame, of a dynamo, a
divided sleeve and bolts for securing the same to the car axle, a
ring around
the sleeve and bolts for connecting the same to the dynamo, a connection from
the dynamo to the car truck, a divided gear wheel around the sleeve, and a
pinion upon the armature shaft, and a coupling or clutch for connecting and dis-
connecting the gear wheel and sleeve, substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The combination with the car axle and truck frame, of a dynamo, a
divided sleeve and bolts for securing the same to the car axle, a ring around the sleeve
and bolts for connecting the same to the dynamo, a suspending link from the dynamo
to the car truck, a divided gear wheel around the sleeve, a pinion upon the armature
shaft, a coupling or clutch for connecting and disconnecting the gear wheel and
sleeve, there being recesses in the divided gear and in the ring of the armature
frame for containing lubricating material, and rings around the sleeve and within
the recesses for supplying the lubricating material to the surfaces of the sleeve,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth-The combination with the external circuit and incandescent lamps and
storage battery in multiple are and within a railway car, of a dynamo, a pole
changing switch and an automatic means for moving the same for maintaining
uniformity in the direction of the current in the external circuit, regardless of the
direction of rotation of the armature of the dynamo; a magnet and armature
controlled by the magnet and acting as a switch, a resistance thrown into the
external circuit by the movement of the armature when the rotation of the dynamo
armature is lessened or stops, one helix of the armature field being in a shunt
and the other in series with the external circuit, substantially as set forth.
Sixth-The combination with the dynamo, of the axle, a sleeve upon the axle, a
supporting ring around the sleeve and connected with the dynamo, a gear surrounding
the sleeve, a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the sleeve and the gear, and a
pinion upon the axle of the armature, a two-part case with edge bars for supporting
the meeting edges of the case, and an elastic intervening packing, and packing
glands around the axle and connected with the case for excluding dust and moisture
from the dynamo and gearing, substantially as set forth.
Seventh-The combination with the car wheel axle, of the divided rings G G¹
clamped upon the axle, a sleeve of metal between the said rings cast around the
axle, an armature surrounding the axle and armature rings in halves at the ends of
the armature, screws for clamping the same to the sleeve, the field magnets at
opposite sides of the armature, the supporting frames for the same and half circle
bearings surrounding the sleeve upon the axle and the bolts for connecting the half
circle bearings, substantially as set forth.
Eighth The combination with the car wheel axle, of the divided rings G G'
clamped upon the axle, a sleeve of metal between the said rings cast around the
axle, an armature surrounding the axle and armature rings in halves at the ends of.

page_text: the armature, screws for clamping the same to the sleeve, the field magnets at
opposite sides of the armature, the supporting frames for the same and half circle
bearings surrounding the sleeve upon the axle, the bolts for connecting the half
circle bearings, a slotted bracket extending out at one side of the dynamo, and a
cross bar connected at its ends with the truck, substantially as set forth.
:-
Ninth The combination with the car wheel axle, of the divided rings G G¹
clamped upon the axle, a sleeve of metal between the said rings cast around the
axle, an armature surrounding the axle and armature rings in halves at the ends of
the armature, screws for clamping the same to the sleeve, the field magnets at
opposite sides of the armature, the supporting frames for the same and half
circle bearings surrounding the sleeve upon the axle, the bolts for connecting
the half circle bearings, commutator plates at one end of the armature, the
clamping ring for the outer ends of the commutator plates and by which they
are held to the sleeve, and commutator brushes supported by the frames of the
dynamo, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of November 1894
BREWER & SON,
Agents.