US380060A - speed - Google Patents

Description

(No M0061. 2 Shebts-Sheet 1:

F. M. SPEED. I

BLEGTRIG RAILWAY. v

No. 380,060. Patented Mar. 27, 1888.

/III/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (No Model.)

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

4 F. M. SPEED.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

' No. 380,060. Pa tented Mar. 27, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. SPEED, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO IHE TELPHERAGE ELECTRIC RAILWAY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE;

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,060. dated March 27, 1888. Application filed February 12, 1887. Serial No. 227,375. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. SPEED, of the city and countyof San Francisco, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Electric Railways; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to that class of electric railways in which the conductor is divided into to sections and has switches which normally bridge from one section to the other, and de vices operated by the vehicle to move said switches successively and divert the current through the motors of said vehicle, so that the r 5 motors are connected in series through the divided conductor.

My invention consists of an improved means for operating said switches and a peculiar arrangement of the conductors to permit of said 7 2o switches being operated automatically without interference with the current operating the motors.

It further consists of a novel shuttle and connections with the vehicle for the purpose of maintaining'electrical connection between the 'motor which drives the vehicle and conductor either in a channel-way beneath the roadway or on supports above it and electrically operating the switches, all of which I shall herein- 0 after fully describe.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the vehicle and its accompanying shuttle in the channel-way. Fig. 2 is a view showing the chan- 3 5 nel-way in cross-section,a portion being broken away, and the contained parts and traveling shuttle. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electric system in its normal condition. Fig. 4. is a diagram of same, showing the motor in circuit.

A is theroadway, upon which travels the car B, carrying and propelled by an electric motor, (represented by X, Fig. 1.)

C is a channel-way in the roadway, having a slot, 0, similarto the slot of a cableroad.

5 D are parallel insulated non conducting shuttle-guides and conductor-supports located in the channel-way.

. E is a shuttle moved by the car, and fitted and traveling between the parallel insulated 5o shuttle-guides and conductor-supports D.

F is a divided and sectional conductorof the current operating the motors. One part is secured to the under side of one support and the other to the under side of the other support, and these parts are made in sections, which in 5 the diagram, Fig. 3, are designated by f f 2 f, &c., on one side and by f f f &c., on the other side. The sections of the conductor on either support are electrically disconnected; but a section on one side is electrically connected with the succeeding section on the other side by wire G, as shown-that is, f with f i f withfflf withf, &c.

F represents a dynamo supplying acurrent through the conductor F, for operating the electro-motors X.

H is a divided and sectional conductor of a supplemental switch-operating current. This conductor is secured, one part to the upper side of one support D and the other to upper side of the other support, and these parts are made in sections corresponding to those of the motor-circuitconductor F. These sections are shown in the diagram, Fig. 3, and are designated by hh hh &c., on one side and hh h h, 5 800., on the other side.

Wires I electrically connect each section on one side with the succeeding section on the other side 'at the point shown -that is tosay, h with h it with h", h with h, 850.

H' is a dynamo supplying a current to thesupplementarycircuit and operating the switches through the conductor H.

In addition to the connections of the conductor H by the wire I, the sections on one 8 5 side-namely, h h h* h, &c.are electrically connected by wire j, which includes thecoils of the electro-magnet J, and in addition tothe electrical connection of the sections of the conductor F by the wire G the sections on one 0 side-namely, ff? f f &c.-are electrically connected by wires k, forming a circuit which maybe openedand closed at p and ip 'by themovement of the armature K of the electromagnet J. 7 I

The operation of the system is as follows: The current from the dynamo H passes throughh, the wire j, and coils of the included electromagnet J h, and by similar connections into,

h, and so on through each succeeding section r00 of one side of the conductor H, energizing the electro-magnet J, which, attracting its arma-' through one side of the conductor F, Fig. 3.-

Thisis the normal condition of thesystem when no motors are in circuitthat is to say, the switch-circuit is complete through one side of the conductor, and all of the armatures of the electro magnets are attracted, the switches kept closed, and the motor-circuit uninterrupted through one side of the conductor F.

The body of the shuttle is made of wood or other non conducting material. It is supported, travels in, and is guided between the insulated non-conducting shuttle-guides and conductor-supports D. It is drawn along in that position by the metal draw bars L L, Fig. 1, which are pivoted to the car and to the upright metal rods L L. These draw-bars are sufiiciently long that they will occupy a sloping position with reference to the channelway, the purpose of which is to prevent the up-anddown movement of the car, caused by irregularities in the track, from being communicated to the shuttle. The rods L L extend down through the slot 0 into the conduit 0 without touching the channel-irons, the guides below and the guard-piece S (a little thicker than the rods L L) on the top of the shuttle preventing it. The metal rods L L are insulated from each other by the non-conducting material of the body of the shuttle.

To each side of the lower portion of the shuttle is attached a metal plate, the righthand plate being here designated by l and the left-hand plate by I. These plates move under and in electrical connection with the parts of the motorcircuit conductor F, directly above, by means of the springs, brushes, or other suitable yielding contacts, Z and P, respectively, Fig. 2. The plates 2 l are insulated from each' other by the non-conducting material of the body of the shuttle, but are each electrically connected with the rods LL by wires Z 2 It will be seen that a complete circuit may be established from one side of the conductor F through contacts I, plate Z, wire 2, rod L, into the motor, thence by the rod L, wire Z, contact Z, plate Z, into the other part of the conductor F, and this as the shuttle moves along; but in order to divert the current through the motor the motor-circuit must be broken at p 1), Diagram 4, so that the current, instead of passing through the switch, as it normally does, will pass by the wire G to the other part of the conductor F, and thence through the parts of the shuttle and motor into the other side of the conductor F. This is done by means of the metal contactstrip M M, transversely placed on the upper side of and insulated from all the other metal parts of the shuttle, and spanning the space between the supports D and moving in contact with both sides of the switchoperating circuit-conductor H thereon.

M M, to h", than that through the coils of the electro-magnet J. The magnet J, being cut out or shortcircuited, will release its arma-' ture, thus opening the switch-points p p, breaking the normal motor-circuit, and diverting it from f, through G, into f, thence, through the shuttle-contacts and the motor, to f. In other words, by means of a separate switch-operating current, the motor-circuit is kept normally whole throughout the system until when a car with its accompanying shuttle arrives upon any section of the system the switches are automatically opened and the motor-current diverted from its normal course to that through the motors, as described, and this throughout the whole system. The metal strips ll, with the contact-brushes l P thereon, are made sufiiciently long to span over the intervals between the sections of the motorcurrent conductor, and there are two of the metal contact-strips M M, the purpose of which is, that the forward one, M, may pass onto a forward sect-ion and open its switch before the strip M has passed 0d of and closed the switch of the preceding section to prevent firing atthe pointsp p.

The switch is double-pointed to prevent an are forming (in case of derangement of the system) when the switch is closed or opened.

I am aware that it is not new, broadly, to provide for operating motors in series on an electric railway by opening and closing switches (either mechanically or electrically) to divert the current through said motors; but there are serious objections to opening the switches mechanically, among which is the necessity of making the sections only as long as the vehicle or train of vehicles. To accomplish it electrically with electro -magnets included in the motor-circuit adds too much resistance to that circuit, and interferes also with the proper government of the engine turning the generator, the generator itself, and the motors.

By the use of a supplementary circuit and current the sections may be of any predetermined or of difi'erentlengthsin the same system and. the motor-current left uninterfered with.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a main conductor for the main current, divided into sections, switches which normally bridge from one section to the other, traveling vehicles having electric motors by which they are driven, a supplementary conductor for an independent current divided into sections corresponding to those of the main conductor, circuits containing electromagnets normally bridging from onesection of said supplementary conductor to the other and keeping the switches closed, a contact moved by the vehicle and establishing electrical connection between the main conductor and the motor on the vehicle, and a contact moved bythe vehicle and in electrical connection with the'supplementary conductor for shunting the electro-magnets successively of the supplementary or independent circuit, whereby the switches are opened and the main current diverted through the motors on the vehicles, and said motors connected in series, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a conductor divided into sections, switches which normally bridge from one section to the other, traveling vehi- 'cles having electric motors by which-they are driven, a supplementary conductor divided into sections, circuits containing electro-magnets which normally bridge from one section to the other of the supplementary conductor and keep the switches closed, and a contact device moved by the vehicle and establishing electrical connection between the main conductor and the-motor on the vehicle and moving in electrical contact with the supplementary conductor, whereby the supplementary current is shunted through the shuttle, the switches opened, and the main current diverted through the motors on the vehicles, so that saidmotors are connected in series, substantially as described.

3. In an electric railway having a sectional main-current conductor, the sections of which are bridged by switches, and a sectional supplementary currentconductor having its sections connected by circuits containing electromagnets, which hold the switches normallyclosed, a shuttle moved by the traveling vehicle, said shuttle having the double function of establishing a circuit from each successive section of the main conductor through the motor on the traveling vehicle, and of shortcircuiting the supplementary current,whereby the magnets are cutout and the switches opened to divert the main current through the motors, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a longitudinally-divided conductor,- the parts of"which extend parallel along an electric railway, said parts being divided into sections of any desired length, each section on one given side being connected with the succeeding section on the opposite side, switches which normally bridge from one section on said given side to the suc ceeding section on the same side, a supplementarylongitudinally-divided conductor,the

parts of which extend parallel along the road, said parts being divided into sections corresponding in length to the sections of the main conductor, each section on one given side being connected with the succeeding section on the opposite side, circuits containing electromagnets connecting successive sections on said given side and operating the switches, and a shuttle or other contact device moved by the vehicle, said shuttle establishing electric connection between the motor on the vehicle and the main conductor, and moving in electrical contact with the supplementary conductor, whereby the switches are operated successively and the main current diverted through the motors on the vehicles, substantially as described.

5. In an electric railway, the combination of the parallel insulated non-conductingshuttle-guides D, the divided and sectional main conductor under said guides, opposite successive sections being connected,.as described, the electric switches connecting the sections on the same side, the divided and sectional supplementary conductor on top of the guides, opposite successive sections being connected, as described, the circuits containing electromagnets bridging the sections of the supplementary conductor on the same side and keepsive sections being connected, as'clescribed, I

the electric switches connecting the sections on the same side, the divided and sectional supplementary conductor on top of the guides, opposite successive sections being connected, as described, the circuits containing electromagnets bridging the sections of the supplementary conductor on the same side and keeping the switches closed, and the shuttle moved by the vehicle and traveling between and supported by the guides, said-shuttle having the contacts below moving in electrical connection with. the main conductor, and the cross-contacts M M above, one in advance of the other, and spanning the space between the sides of the supplementary conductor and moving thereon, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANCIS M. SPEED.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, H. 0. LEE.

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