US352265A - Electrical eailwat - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 1.

E. E. RIBS.

BLBGTRIGAL RAILWAY.

Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

An /v? INVENTOR E56 a; 15.226 e6,

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. E. RIBS.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY.

Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

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(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 3.

E. E. RIBS.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY. No. 352-265. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

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Patent-ed Nov. 9, 1886.

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ELECTRICAL RAILWAY.

I (No Model.)

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E. B. RIBS.

ELEGTRIGAL RAILWAY.

No. 352,265. I Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

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2 .dttorney N PETERS. Phclo-Ullwgnphar. Wilmington. OTC.

NiTE STATES ELIAS n. RIES, on BALTIMORE, MD,

ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ELECTRICAL RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,265, dated November 9, 1886.

Application filed January 9, 1886. Serial No. 186,084.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS E. RIEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Railways; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and fig- V ures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electric railways of that. class in which either the track-rails or eX- tra conducting-rails convey the electric current from stationary generators to brushes, wheels, or wipers in frictional contact with the said rails, and connected with electric motors mounted upon cars and employed to propel the same.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby designated sections of the rails used as conductors may be automatically cut out of circuit under certain circumstances and the circuit preserved by means of loops or shunts bridging such cut-out sections and connecting the conductors which are severed from one or both ends thereof.

The chief circumstances under which it is desirable that sections or portions of the couducting-rails shall be cut out are as follows, though the invention is applicable for cutting out sections for other purposes.

First. \Vhen the said sections or portions are submerged by freshets or overflowsas,

- forinstauce, in low-lying districts-or when the conductingrails are arranged in conduits in which water accumulates from rain, melting snow, defective drainage, or extraordinarily high tides rising through sewers connected with the conduits. In any of these cases the current would be diverted by the water from the conducting-rails to the earth, or from one conductor to the other in case of two insulated conductors being employed, to such an extent that not only would an iusufficient portion of the current reach the motors'upon the cars upon such portions of the railway as are adjacent to the submerged section, but the potential of the No model.)

seriously disturbed, even if a numberof generating-stations are used, that the'motors on such portions of the road as are still suppliedcurrent upon the conducting-rails would be so all times, except when in actual use, in order to obviate injury by the electric current to living beings coming in contact with said rails, and to prevent interference with the motors on the line by the temporary short-eireuiting of the current due to the passage of vehicles, 850., over such crossings.

The invention consists, mainly, in the novel combination, with the electric-railway conducting rail or rails, of a loop or loops bridging a section or sections ofsaid rail and automatic switching devices by means of which the portion or portions of said conducting-rails bridged by said loop or loops may be cut out of the direct circuit, which is preserved at such times by said loop or loops.

The invention also consists in certain novel details of constructions by which are carried out the main principle.

The invention will be fully understood from the following particular description in 0011- nection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line x m of Fig. 2, through a portion of the conduit inclosing an electric-railway conducting-rail, a portion of which traverses a depressed orlow-lying portion of the route. Fig.

2'is a horizontal section of the conduit and a side chamber on the liner :0 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the principle of construction in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an electrical railway using two conducting-rails and employing a current of low potential which is supplied to' the m0- tors in multiple arc. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the conduit and side chamber of such a road, say, at the point 00* of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram also illustrating an electrical railway using two conducting-rails and traversing in tion of the conduit and side chamber of such a road at the lowest portion of a low-lying mechanically detached section of the main conductors, or in a plane corresponding to that of the line a: w in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a View of a device for taking the current from an overhead conductor when the underground conductor is cut out.

In the Various figures I have not deemed it necessary to show the surface or track rails upon which the ears travel, the road-bed being supposed to be constructed in any ordinary or desired manner, as my invention may be applied to any ordinary surface construction.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the letter a indicates the side walls of a conduit supposed to be arranged longitudinally between the surface-track rails of an electrical railway. These walls are preferably formed of concrete; but may be made of any other suitable material. The conduit is covered at top by curbplates I) b, resting upon the walls and having their inner edges separated at c by a space or slot, through which the wipers or brushes or other current-collecting devices from cars on the railway extend into the conduit and come in contact with the conducting-rails d, which are mounted upon a non-conducting foundation, e, at the bottom of the conduit. As shownin Fig. 1, a section of this conducting-rail, between the points 3 and 1 is severed at each end from the main portion of the conductingrail, and is bridged by an insulated wire loop t or cable, f, the ends of which are connected with the conducting-rail at opposite ends of the detached intermediate section. This bridge or loop is preferably located inside of the conduit and supported by pins 9, though of course the loop or cable may be ditferently located,so long as it, accomplishes the object of making metallic connections between the portions of the main conducting-rail at opposite ends of the detached section. This detached section of the conducting-rail traverses'a low'lying district, in which water is liable to accumulate in the conduit and submerge the rail, and the object of its detachment is that it may be readily electrically disconnected or cut out from the main cireuitwhen submerged, so as to obviate the dissipation of the current. At

- one side of the conduit, at its lowest portion,

where the cross-section is taken on the line 00,

is a side chamber having outer side wall, a,

inclined bottom wall, a and a removable top plate, I). In this side chamber, and fastened against one of the walls of the conduit, is a watertight box, h, from one wall of which projects a metallic pin, i, connected with the wire loop f by a conductor, 70, a portion of which passes through the wall of the conduit, as shown in dotted lines. From the wall of the conduit a metallic pin, 1, projects within the water-tight box and has pivoted to it a metallic switch-arm, m, which is normally pressed against the pin 1' by a spring, n. The pin Z is connected with the detached section of the conducting rail by means of an insulated conductor, It. (Shown in dotted lines as embedded in the conduit-wall and founda tion'of the conducting-rail.) In the wall of the wafer-tight box h is a stuffing-box, 0, through which plays a pin, 1), of non-conducting material, theinner end of which is arranged opposite the switch-lever on, while its outer end is arranged to receive the pressure of the upper end of a bent lever, q, which is pivoted at its elbow to a projecting lug of the box h,and has secured to its lower downwardlyinclined arm a float, r. The conduit is connected with the side chamber by an opening through the lower part of the conduit-wall at 8. Normally the float 1- will rest on the bottom wall of the side chamber, thus allowing the spring n to force the switch-lever m in contact with the metallic pin 1.

By referring to the diagram, Fig. 3, it will be seen that thus the detached rail-section d is brought into metallic connection with the main portion of the conducting rail through the conductor is, pin 1, switch-lever m pin i, conductor 70, and wire loopf, and now if a mo tor on a car were connected with the rail-section (1 said motor would receive the direct electrical current which is supplied to the conducting rail from a stationaryv generator located at any suitable point on the line of the road, the return-circuit in this case being supposed to be formed by the earth or by one of the surface or track rails. If the parts were to remain in this position, and the low-lying rail-section (1 should become submerged either wholly or partially by water accumulating in the conduit, it is obvious that the electrical current will be diverted from the-conducting rails to the earth, and the motors on the cars would not receive a sufficient portion of current to operate them at any point of the line of railway. Bymy invention, however, this great loss of current is prevented and the continuous operation of the motors secured, for as soon as water shall rise sufiiciently high in the conduit to come in contact with the con ducting-rail, as indicated by the dotted lines .2 2, it will raise the float r, causing the lever q to press inwardly the pin p,which forces the switch-leverm out of contact with the pin 77, thus breaking metallic connection between the railsections d and the main portion of the conducting-rail, so that the current, instead of being diverted to the earth, will travel from one portion of the main conducting-rail to the other by way of the loop f. WVhen a low detached section of the conducting-rail is thus submerged, the cars upon the corresponding portion of the track must be propelled by some other means than a current taken from the conducting-rail, of course, as the current-carrying portion of said rail is then not in contact with the wipers or brushes of the cars. The cars may be propelled over such portions of the road by horses or any other suitable temporary means, but preferably by means of electrical current from accumulators or second arybatteries located on the cars and charged and brought into action in the manner and by the means described andillustrated in the ap plication filed by me of even date for an iniprovement in the art of operating electric railways. I do not, however, limit myself to the means shown in said application; but in cases where low-lying districts liable to be submerged are comparatively few I prefer to carry the connecting loop or loops above ground on posts alongtheline of way, and provide means for connecting such overhead conductors with the motors on the cars somewhat after the manner shown, for instance, in Letters Patent No. 285,853, ofS eptembcr l8, 1 83,and No. 322,859, of July 21, 1885. These patents show aerial or overhead conductors connected with motors on railway-cars by flexible conductors, the upper ends of which are in electrical connection with the overhead line conductors through wheels of trucks or carriages which travel upon said line-conductors. I propose to use, in lieu of the flexible connecting-conductors, jointed rods, which may" be elevated on the cars, and have their upper ends provided with collecting devices to come in contact with the overhead conductors,'while their lower ends are connected with the motors on the cars, as shown in Fig. 11, in which A represents the car on which the motor is mounted; B the motor; (3*, the aerial conductor, and D the I lever pivoted on top of the car and havingthe contact-wheel at its upperend for making connection with the conductor. The lower end of the lever is provided with an operatinghandlcand moves along a sector shaped guideplate, E which has an insulated portion, e with which the conducting portion of thelever is in contact when lying upon the top of the car, as shown in dotted lines. One terminal from the motor may be connected with the scctorguide E so thatwhen the lever is thrown up it will be switched in circuit automatically, the return-circuit being completed through the gcneratorand ground to the wheels of the car; or, if desired, double-contact ortwo contact-wheels and two aerial conductors may be employed, and the current taken from and returned through the aerial lines.

In the diagram, Fig. 4, and cross-section, Fig. 5, the conduit is supposed to be provided with two conducting-rails, d d, the low-lying sections d d of which are separated only at one end from the main portions of the conducting-rails, and are bridged by insulated tact-plates t and t*.

wire loops f f which lead from the high portions at one side of the low sections to contact-plates t t at the opposite upper ends of thelow-lying sections, which arerespectively connected by wires 76 and k with switch con= The main portions of the conducting-rails where severed from the low-lying sections at the point 0 are connected by wires k with switch-levers m of, which are normally held in contact with the plates 11 t by a spring, a. The levers m m are connected by a non-conducting bar, a, so that they will move together, and to the lower end of this bar is attached the longitudinally-movable core 2; of a solenoid, V. One terminal of this solenoid is, by wire it, connected with the rail-section d in the conduit, and the other terminal is, by wire k connected to a metallic plate, j, carried by a pivoted float, 7', at the bottom of the conduit, very near or at its lowest portion. A similar plate, j, attached to one of the side walls ot'the conduit, is connected with the rail section (1 and extends a little below the same.

Now, in the normal condition of affairs and with the conduit clear of water, or at most having the water not high enough therein to raise the float j" so that its plate j will contact with the plate j, the spring a will hold the switch-lever m and m in contact with the plates t t, and metallic connection is complete from portions of the conducting-rails on the left of the low lying sections (1 and (1 through the wires k" If, the switch-levers, contact-plates t t, and wires [62 It, and if the parts should remain in this position, and the low sections (1 and (1) should become connected to the earth and with each other by water rising in the conduit, the main portion ofthe current would be shortcircuit-ed between the rails where thus connected, and a portion would be diverted to the earth. However, when the Watcr rises in the conduit to a sufficient height to connectthe metallic platesj and j, a circuit will be completed from the positive conducting-rail to the negative or return condurting-rail through the solenoid V, which will thus be caused to draw the core adownward, moving the bar uto shift the switch-leversinto contact with the plates t t", in which position the low-lying sect ons of the conducting-rails will be bridged by the loop-wires f f, and these low-lying sections will be practically cut out of circuit, inasmuch as in this arrangement of the rails and circuits is used a current of low electro-motive force, and the loop-w res equal or exceed the rails in conductivity. Even when the two rail-sections are directly connected by the water, a metallic circuit will still be complete through the solenoid, so that it will hold the switches in position to out out the submerged sections.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cross-section of the con duit and the sidechainbcr of an electrical railway,.as just described, the loop-wires being supported by the pins 7, and the switching devices being shown as supported by a nonconducting plate, h, located in the side chamber and fastened at one edge to the wall of the conduit.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the electrical features of an electric railway employing two conducting-rails in a conduit, one being the direct and the other the return portion of the circuit. In this arrangement it is designed to supply the motors with a current of high elecfro-motive force, though it is applicable also to multiplearc systems. In this diagram the conductor-sections d d", which traverse a low lying district, are at each end severed mechanically from the main portions d of the conductingrails, and cross sections at the points 0 and c are substantially the same as shown in Fig. 5. In this view similar letters indicate parts similar to those shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The loop-wires f f connect the contact-plates t t at the left-hand ends of the low-lying conducting-rail sections with the pivoted ends of the switchlevers m m, and the main portions of the conducting-rails severed from the low-lying sections on the right. Normally the springs n hold the switch-levers at both ends of the low-lying sections in contact with the plates t and t, and then electrical connections are made from the main portions of the conducting-rails d through the wires it contact-plates 15 t, and wires k If. The brushes or wipers from the cars on the track thus take the current from one of the conducting-rails and return it to the other. The current having a high potential quickly goes to earth if either or both of the conducting-rails should be grounded, and the efficiency of the circuit would be fatallyimpaired. The switch-operating solenoids Vare' included in a circuit formed of conductors k and 70 and having its terminals formed by metallic plates jj, arranged in the conduit below the conducting-rails at the lowest point of said conduit. This circuit also includes a galvanic battery, X, which I' have simply shown conventionally in Fig. 6, but which may be encased in one of the side chambers, which are understood to inclose the switching devices, the same as in Fi 5. \Vhen the plates j 3' are electrically connected by water rising in the conduit, as shown at W, the current of the battery X flows over the circuit of the solenoids V V, which will thus be caused to simultaneously draw down their cores, which will shift the switch-levers from their normal positions, as shown in dotted lines, to the position shown in full lines, so that the loopwires f? and f bridge the conducting-rail sections (1" and d, and these sections are completely cut out from electrical connection with the main portions of the conducting-rails, the

electrical continuity of which is maintained by the loopwires as long as the plates j and are electrically connected by the water in the conduit, and the circuit of the battery X is closed through the solenoids, causing them to draw downward their cores. While these cores remain drawn downward, the switchlevers will be so connected with the loop-wires that said 1oop-wires will bridge the cut outlow-lying sections of the conducting-rails, and this condition of affairs will continue so long as the plates j 3' are connected by the water, whether the conducting-rail sections are submerged or not.

The sectional portion ofthe figure at the lower part ofthe diagram, Fig. 6, representsa cross-section on the dotted line as x.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a diagram of amodified arrangement of electrical-railway circuits suitable for either multiple-arc or series systems of supplying currents to motors on track. In this arrangement two conducting-rails are used in the conduit, and sections are detached electrically from the main portions of the conducting-rails where the conduit traverses dis tricts liable to overflow, and these detached sections receive their current in multiple are from the loop-conductors. Thedetached conducting-rail sections in this diagram, as also in .Fig. 6, are designated by the letters d and d,

and are separated at points 0 c from the main portions of the conducting-rail (I. These detached conducting-rail sections are completely bridged by loop or cable wires k L", which permanently connect the main portions of the conducti ng-rails arou nd said detached sections. These loop or cable wires are connected by conductors is k with contact-points t t, and the detached conducting'rail sections are connected by wires k k with contacts t t". A solenoid, V, has its core v connected to a bar, a, of non-conducting material, which carries two metallic cross-bars, m" and m, and is normally drawn by a spring, n, in a direction to cause the cross-bar m to connect the contact-points t and t, and the cross-bar m to connect the contacts i and i One of the terminals of the solenoid V is connected with the loop-wire k and the other terminal is connected by a wire, it, with a metallic 'plate, j, arranged in the conduit below the conducting-rail sections, whileasimilar metal plate, j", at about the same level, butinsulated from the plate j, is connected by a wire, In", with the bridge-loop k.

The preferred arrangement of the plates jj is shown in the cross-section, Fig. 8, the plate j being against the wall of the conduit below the coiiductingrail, and the plate j, standing outat a little distance from the other and supported by an interposed insulating-block, j. When the water 'rises in the conduit sulficiently high to connect the plates jj", a portion of the current will [low from the positive rail over loop k", conductor is", plate j through the water to plate j, thence over conductor k to the solenoid, through the solenoid to loop k and the negative conducting-rail. An electrical circuit being thus completed th rough the solenoid, it will draw in its core, causing the switch cross-bars to break connection-between the contact-points, and thus cut the detached conducting-rail sections (1 (P. out of electrical connection with the main portions of the conducting-rails, and this state of affairs will continue as long as the plates j 3' are both submerged, even though the water should rise high enough to submerge the conducting-rail sections.

In the present instance, Fig. 8, I have indicated the loop-conductors k k as being embedded in the walls of the conduit, this being a preferable construction when said walls are made of concrete. The cross-section, Fig. 8, .is supposed to be taken in the plane ofthe lowest portion of the detached conducting-rail sections, the side chamber containing the switching devices being located at this point and made, preferably, watertight. It is not, however, essential to so locate the switching devices, as they may be placed at any other desired point, and the various conductors may be disposed in any convenient manner while performing their essential functions.

If found convenient, the switching devices may be placed in suitable boxes upon posts along the line of way, or at other points convenient for purposes of inspection and occasional testing, the proper electrical connections being made through the circuit-wires or underground cables.

In the double conductor systems, which I have heretofore described, I have shown only electrically-operated switching devices; but in such systems I may use a double mechanical switch, such as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. The switch-contacts and connecting devices are located in a water-tight box, h, as in Fig. 2, the detached-conductor sections being separated from the main portions of the conductors at the points y and y, as in Fig. 1. The loops ff are supported by the pins 9. The loop f is connected with the contact 13, which is a metal pin projecting from one wall of the water-tight box h, and the loop f is connected by a wire, is, with a similar contact, 2'. One of the conductor-sections is connected by a wire, k,with a contact, 6, and the other is, by a wire, k tcounected with a contact, 2". \Vhen there is no water in the conduit,the float 1*, attached to the lever q,lies on the bottom ofthe side chamber or against any suitable stop, and through the bar 19 draws the metallic-cross-bars m m, respectively, in contact with the pairs of pins t" and i 2', thus bringing the low-lying or detached conductor-rail sections in multiple arc electrical connection with the main portions of the conducting-rails through the loops f and f. It is obvious that when water rises in the conduit and flows therefrom into the side chamber through the passage 8 the float will be raised before the water reaches the conducting-rails, and this float, acting through its lever and the bar 1), will cause the cross-bars to break connection between the contacts in the water-tight boX,and the low-lying or detached conductor-sections will be thus disconnected from the main portions of the conductors, and so kept as long as there is sufficient water in the conduit and side chamber to raise the float.

The object in placing the switch-contacts and connections in the water-tight box in this arrangement, as well as in Fig. 2, is to prevent the making of electrical connection between the contacts by water, in case it should rise sufficiently high to fill the side chamber or submerge the switching devices, as it is necessary that these mechanical switches shall be located at or near the lowest portion or 'portions of the conductor-sections.

In all the arrangements illustrated it will be understood that the cars are to be propelled over the portions of the surface-rails corresponding to the cut-out sections of the conductors by some motive power supplementary to the electric currentderived from stationary generators through the conducting-rails, the preferred means of propelling the carsat such times being electrical current supplied by ac cnmnlators or secondary batteries, as in my application of even date heretofore referred to.

Having now described my invention as applied to conductingrails located in conduits, it will be obvious that similar or suitable switching devices maybe applied to detached sections of surface conductiug-rails such, for instance, as located at cros'singsin order that they may be normally cut out of circuit and automatically thrown into circuit by the action of approaching cars, which may also automaticall y cut out such sections by operating switches as they pass therefrom.

I do hot limit myself, of course, to any positions of'the conductors, switches, or connections; but

I claim, broadly- 1. In an electrical railway, the combination, with the conducting rail or rails having a detached section, of a loop or loops bridging said section, and an automatic switch device operated by a rise of water, tending to shortcircuit the conductingrails, to cut saiddetached section out of circuit, substantially as described.

2. In an electrical railway, the combination, with the main conducting rail or rails having a detached section located at portions of the roadway subject to inundation, of a loop or loops bridging said detached portion, and switching devices arranged to be operated'by a rise of water, tending to shortcircuit the .conducting-rails,to out said detached sections out of circuit, substantiallyias described.

3. The combination, with the conducting rail or rails, of a break therein, a loop bridging said break and extending some distance on one side thereof, and switching devices for cutting out of circuit the portion of the conducting rail or rails lying between the end of the loop and the break, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, with the conducting rail or rails located in conduits and having electrically-detached sections, one or more, of a loopor loops arranged to bridge said de tached sections, electricallyoperated switch-' ing devices arranged to shunt the current from said detached rail-sections to the loop-or loops,

and circuit-closing devices arranged to automatically close the circuit of said electrical switching devices, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the conductingrails located in the conduit and having electrically-detached depressed sections, of the loops arranged to bridge said section, the switches and connections for bringing said loops into or out of connection with other conductors, the solenoid or solenoids arranged to operate said switches, and means,substantially as described, for automatically closing an electrical circuit through said solenoid or solenoids, essentially as set forth.

6. In an electrical railway, the combination, with the conducting-rails having depressed elect'rically-detaehed sections, of loopconductors permanently bridging said detached depressed sections, and switches and conductors arranged to connect said depressed sections in multiple arc with the bridgingloops, and to automatically break such connection as required, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the conductingrails having depressed detached sections, of the loops bridging said detached sections, the switches and conductors arranged to connect said detached sections with the bridging-loops, a solenoid arranged to actuate said switches, and the terminal plates arranged to close an electric circuit to said solenoidwvhen water rises in the conduit to connect said terminal plates, as set forth.

8. In an electrical railway, thecombination, with the conducting-rails inclosed in a conduit and having detached sections, of the loop or cable conductors bridging said detached sections, and suitable switches for connecting the bridging-loops to and automatically disconnecting them from said detached conductingrail sections, substantially as described.

9; In an electrical railway, the combination, with the conducting-rails inclosed in a conduit and having depressed or low-lying detached sections, of a loop for connecting said depressed sections electrically with the main portions of the conducting-rails, and a switchdevice operating by a rise of water in the conduit to antomatically break the connection between the detached section and the main portion of the conductors, substantially as described.

10. In an electrical railway employing conducting-rails inclosed in a conduit and having detached sections, the combination,- with the electrical connection between the detached sections and the main portion of the conductingrails, said switches being arranged to be operated by the rising of water in the conduit, as set forth.

11. In an electrical railway having one or more conducting-rails provided with detached conducting-sections, said sections being normally in electrical connection with the main portions of the rails, switch devices operated by a solenoid in a derived circuit, and means for completing said derived circuit for breaking said electrical connection, substantially as described. 7

12. In an electric railway, the combination, with the main conducting-rails inclosed in a conduit and having detached or insulated lowlying conductingsect-ions, of the loop-conduct ors or cable bridgingsaid detached sections, suitable switches for alternating the main conducting-rails with their detached sections and with the loop-conductors, one or more solenoids or equivalent electromagnetic devices for operating said switches, a source of electricity,

and means, substantially as described, consist" ing of a suitable arrangement of circuit-eonnections and terminal or circuit-closing plates, whereby when water rises in the conduit beyond a predetermined height the solenoid or solenoids or their equivalent devices will be energized to out out the said detached or lowlying sections, substantially as set forth.

13. In an electric railway, the combination, with the conducting rail or rails having lowlying detached or insulated conducting-sections normally in electrical connection with the main portions of said rail or rails and carried in an underground conduit, of automatic switching devices operated by the action of water rising in the conduit to shunt the current around said detached orinsulated lowlying sections through one or more supplementary overhead loopconductors connected with the main portions of the conducting rail or rails at both sides of said sections, and means, substantially as described, whereby an electric motor traveling upon said detached or cut-out section of the railway may be supplied with current from the-- supplementary .conductor or conductors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of December, 1885.

ELIAS E. RIES.

Witnesses:

LEOPOLD RIEs, Jim. T. IVIADDOX.

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