US385034A - woods - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. T. WOODS.

ELEGTRO MOTIVE RAILWAY! No. 385,034. Patented June 26, 1888.

N. PETERS, Phblo lilhogmpher. Washington, D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

G. TFWOODS.

ELEGTRO MOTIVB RAILWAY.

No. 385,034. Patented June 26,1888.

N. ruins, Fhwunw mr, Walhingtun. 0.11

GRANVILLE T. WVOODS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VOODS ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

(SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,034, dated June 26, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRANV1LLE T.WooDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electro-Motive Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical railways, and embodies improvements in the system of construction and mode of operation, as set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a diagram plan view showing the arrangement of conductors in its simplest form for operating locomotives in series; Fig. 2, a plan diagram showing the arrangement of conductors preferred for actual use; Fig. 3, a diagram showing the arrangement of independent conduct ors for side tracks in connection with a main line; Fig. 4, a diagram of main line and two side-track systems, with switches, generators, automatic shunts, ears, and an auxiliary sys tem of lighting by means of the motor-current. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the conductor-conduit, showing the conductors in po sition and the shunt apparatus attached; Fig. 6, an enlarged detail section of the conductor and elevation of its supporting-bracket; Fig. 7, a plan of the shunt, showing its magnet and armature coniactsj Referring now to the drawings,A B are two metallic conductors constituting independent parts or branches of a single outgoing conductor, which as a whole is continuous and unbroken throughout the line. These are preferably arranged in a suitable conduit beneath thesurface of the road way,supported on brackets, and formed as hereinafter more fully de scribed, to enable a brush or system of brushes attached to the car to maintain asliding contact therewith as the car moves upon the track. They may, however, be arranged overhead or at the side of the track, aboveground, eitherin or out of a covering-tube. C designates a current-generator, and D a return-conductor, united with the terminals of both branches or the main conductor and con1- pleting a metallic circuit for the distribution of the motive power along the line.

Referring now to Fig. 1 for purposes of preliminary explanation, the line of railway is dividedinto blocks ofany convenient length, (indicated by the numbers 1, 2,73, &c., in the drawings.) The outgoing conductoris divided into two parallel branches, (designated generally by theletters A B, )and further divided into sections corresponding with the blocks of the system, and each section of the conductor is numbered to indicate the block to which it belongs-thus, A A B B", &c. The same use of the numbers is made to localize the other parts hereinafter described.

The letter used without an indicating-number will be understood to designate a part or element in reference to its general function merely, without reference to its place in the blocks.

At thebeginning of each block is arranged a transverse contact-switch, E E E, &c., extending from A to B, A to 13 ,850., held normally closed by a retractile spring, but thrown open by an electro-magnet, m m" m'flwhen the latter is temporarily energized. The magnet is in a short normally-open circuit composed of a section, as A B A 850., of the outgoing conductor and a short auxiliary conductor, a b a &c., a portion of which is laid parallel with the said section of the main conductor in such relation that the contact-brush of the 10- comotive, while on a given block and during its travel thereon, will close the magnebcircuit in a shunt loop with the main conductor to hold the transverse switch E open while the locomotive is on said block Alternating in the successive blocks in each branch of the conductor A B a resistance, 0- r", 850., is interposed just at the generator side of each transverse switch E-that is, in the conducting-line from the source of electrical energy to said switch.

Supposing no locomotive to be on the line, Fig. 1, the circuit from the generator 0 is traced as follows: From generator C the cur rent on line A divides. The greater portion, following the line of least resistance, passes by switch E, line B, switch E line A switch E",

line B and back by returneonductor D to gen of the outgoing conductor, but in unequal quantity upon the corresponding sections of each block. Thus while a relatively great quantity is flowing on B' a relatively small quantity flows upon A, because of the resistance r, interposed at the end of the block between A and A and similarly as to the succeeding blocks.

It may now be explained that my system of propulsion contemplates a traveling brush contact upon the two branches A B of the outgoing conductor, connecting them at corresponding points through the motor apparatus, and depending upon the unequal pressure or potential between the branch conductors at said points and the tendency of the current toward an equilibrium of electro-motive'force on both. Supposing, now, a locomotive to be traversing block 1, its contact-brushes would complete the magnet-circuit a, energize the magnet m by a small shunted portion of the current, and open the switch E. The entire current would now flow upon the branch A, and the traveling motor-brush would become a moving substitute for the switch E and conduct the excess of current over to the branch B, a limited portion continuing on through resistance r. When the locomotive passes from block 1 to block 2, the brush leaves the auxiliary conductor a, thus opening the magnet-circuit, and the switch E closes. The main current there flows upon B, and as the brush passes upon the auxiliary conductor b the switch E opens, the brush-contacts of the locomotive transfer the excess of. current over to branch A and so on throughout the line. It will be seen that in this case the direction of flow through the locomotive is reversed at each successive block, which would reverse 'the direction of the propelling apparatus unless the same were provided with a suitable switch acting in unison with such reversal to counteract such tendency. I do not herein show or describe such switch, as many forms of such apparatus are known to and in use among electricians and may be used here.

While the construction referred to is practicable and illustrates to some extent the fundamental principles of my invention, I have adopted as a preferred form of construction that illustrated in Fig. 2 et seq. In these illustrations I have preserved the same system In Fig. 2 the system of conductors is shown The as arranged between the track-rails R, such location presu pposin g the conductors to be laid in a sub-surface tunnel or conduit, which will be described more fully later in connection with other mechanical and constructive features. Continuing now thedescription ofthe electrical system employed, Fig. 3 represents the mode of operating abranch line orswitch upon which an independent motive power is desired. such case the same system of outgoing conductors is used, theelements of which are indicated in the drawings by the same letters used double. Thus A A and B B are the two side-track branches of the main conductor, the side track being divided, if necessary, into blocks in the same manner as the main line,and designated by numerals indicatingthe blocks in the same manner-thus, A A B B, 850. The junction being, for example, near the outer end of block 2 of the main line, the side-track conductors A A B B start at corresponding points adjacent to the main conductors A B", so that the locomotive-brushes in leaving the main line at once engage with the conductors of the side track and open the first transverse switch E E by closing thelocal magnet-circuit a a. The outer terminals of the side-track conductors are electrically connected by line 0 with the independent generator 0 O, and the latter by line 0, through aswitch, S, with the branch conductors A of main line. The inner terminals of the side'track conductors are electrically connected by line d, through the switch S, with the branch B of the main line, the usual connection between B and A being severed. The switch S is preferably a double plug-switch, consisting of two outer segments of conducting material separated by an interposed filling of insulating material.

When turned in the position indicated in Fig. 3, the electrical connections are as just described-that is, the circuit upon the side track line is from main-line branch conductor A, line 0', generator 0 0, line a, side-track branches A A B B, (and their switch-connections,) lines at, and switch S to main branch conductor B". In this case the electro-motive force of both generators is combined upon both the main andside track lines, which are brought intoonegeneral circuit,ofwhich thelineDisthe return-conductor; but by turning the switch S all electrical connections between the main line and the side track are cut off and the lines 0' d connected at each side of the switch S, thus restoring the main-line circuit to its independent operative condition, the connection B A being now formed through the switch S. The side-track circuit is also rendered independently operative by the connection d S c, forming a return-conductor.

The side-track system thus described, embodying an auxiliary generator, may be useful in many cases where a side track or branch road of some length is to be operated, or where for any special reason-such, as heavy gradients it is desirable to employ the larger amount of electro-motive force realized by combining an additional generator with the main system. For the ordinary side-track purposes such additional generator will not be required, in which case it may be omitted, and the arrangement otherwise will be such as already described and as indicated in Fig. 4, which figure is a diagram of the entire system, in eluding both systems of side-track connections, together with certain other features, which I will now describe. In this figure are shown four blocks of the main'track conducting sys tem, with locomotives M M in position upon two of them, with their brushes a a bridging and completing the circuit between conductors A B. The mode of operation by which'the motor force is transmitted to the locomotives has been already sufficiently explained, and it will be obvious that so long as but one locomotive occupies a block it receives the full effect of the equalizing tendency ofthe transmitted current, and thus locomotives occupying different sections of the conductor will be connected in series.

Lamps may be interposed in the outgoing conductor, as at L, or in the return-conductor, as at L or a lamp, L, for temporary signal purposes, may be broughtinto circuit by a local shunt-loop, Z, constructed and energized in the same manner as the magnet-loops a b, &c., already described.

Having now described the salient features of the system as a whole, reference maybe made to certain minor features of importauccaffecting the details of operation. Thus the branch conductors A B and the local magnet-circuit conductors to I), 810., are so arranged that the brushes an b'rcalc the magnet circuit before passing from the section or block, thus allowing its switch E to close while the brushes a n are still in contact with conductors AB of the given block, whatever he the direction of loco motion. This arrangement prevents the sparking and burning out of the contacts of the switches. Again, the block-junctions are arranged so that the locomotor has no electrical connection with the conductors while passing over junctions. The electrical connection between conductors and motors is, therefore, not constant, and shortcircuiting is thereby avoid ed. The advantage gained by having the con ductors continuous and unbroken is that if any ofthe circuits upon the locomotives should by accident fail or become broken no sparking can occur, as the main current has an unbroken outlet to follow while the active shunts are closin The shunt-circuits, it will be observed, are not placed in the main circuit, but form a temporary loop-connection with the same. Therefore the operation of the shunts does not break the main circuit at all.

Lamps may be arranged, in the manner and in the position shown, in the return-conductor or at thejunction of blocks.

Lamp L is incandescent, and its temporary shunt-circuit may also operate a bell-signalas, for example, in crossing bridges or avenues.

Referring,now,to the features of mechanical construction, the conductors and conduit are preferably formed and arranged as follows: The conduit F, Fig. 5, is composed of wood or other suitable material, preferably placed in the ground between the track-rails It. It may be made of two separate strips, 6 e, grooved and bolted together to form a tunnel-Way opening by a continuous narrow slot through the surface of the roadway. The opposite sides, edges, and top of the slotway are faced with iron suitably secured and placed at such an elevation and inclination as to shed water away from the slot; The inner roof of the tun nel proper is formed, as shown, with overhanging projectionsff, to shed water approximately in the central vertical plane of the slot, and the bottom of the tunnel is suitably formed and provided to conduct to the proper sewerconnections any water penetrating into the tunnel. The overhanging roof-sidesf of the tunnel afford shelter for the conductors A B, which are supported upon brackets. g at the sides of the tunnel.

The preferred cross-sectional form of the conductor is indicated in Fig. 6. They consist of strips of conducting material (preferably copper) of inverted-U section insulated upon their supports 9. The magnet or shunt circuit conductors a b &c., may consist of or dinary rectangular sectioned strips secured at the side of the main conductor, separated by an insulating-strip, h, therefrom, as shown.

The preferred form and arrangement of the shunt magnets and connections are indicated in Fig. 7. The magnet m is of ordinary construction; but its armature i is provided with a fiuger,j, forming a sliding contact with a corresponding finger,j, of the contact-piece k,

and is normally held in electrical contact by its retractible spring 8. This form of contact produces a rubbing friction at each action, which assists in preserving a perfect electrical contact, improving by use. The magnet and its connected parts are mounted in a suitable box or casing, preferably of glass or otherinsulatiug material, and the whole inclosed in a protectingcasing, G, attached to the side 0 the tunnel, as shown in Fig. 5.

The conductors being used in sections separated by resistance-connections at points of non-contact with the motor-brushes, provision for the lineal expansion and contraction may be made at such points. If required at intermediate points, rabbeted expansion joints may be used.

The returning conductor is located within the conduit, preferably near the bottom, as shown in Fig. 5, and receives the benefit of any moisture contained therein. I have not described herein the construction and arrangement of the locomotive, as various construetions are known and used which are adapted for operation upon the railway herein described. It may be mentioned, however, as a general constructive condition for motors adapted to operate upon my improved railway, that they must be provided with a'traveling contact brush acting upon and preserving electrical connection with the outgoing conductors and shunts, and derive their propulsive force from the current transmitted from branch A to branch B of the conductor, there being several known constructions answering these conditions.

I claim as new and of my invention- 1. The combinatiomin an electric railway, of an outgoing and incoming conductor constituting a closed metallic circuit, the outgoing conductor being divided into two branches and having resistances interposed in opposite branches at successive intervals, normallyclosed switches connecting said branches at the generator side of said resistances, adapted to be opened automatically by the passage of the motor-contacts, and locomotives forming traveling contact-bridges between the two branches of the outgoing conductor in the intervals of such resistances, and operated by the excess of current passing from the branch of greater to the branch of lesser resistance, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electro-motive railway, a closed metallic circuit, the outgoing portion of which consists of two continuous parallel branches in sections or blocks having resistances interposed in opposite branches at successive block-junctions, and a normally-closed switch connecting opposite branches at the beginning of each block, in combination with locomotives forming traveling contact-bridges between said branches, and means, substantially as described, for causing the locomotive contacts to open said switches automatically in succession, thereby alternating the resistances of the branches and shunting the excess of current from one to the other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in an elcctro-motive railway, of a double outgoing conductingtpath in parallel branches of the same polarity, but of unequal resistances, arranged in successive blocks, and electric motors having traveling contacts electrically bridging said branches and in series with each other upon successive blocks, and normallyclosed switches connecting the branches at the generator side of said resistances, adapted to be automatically opened by the passage of the motor-contacts, substantially asset forth.

4. The combination, in an electro-motive railway, of an outgoing conducting-path composed of two parallel branches having resistances interposed alternately at predetermined intervals in said branches, with electricallyoperative normally-closed switches controlled by magnets connecting said branches in the intervals between said resistances, said switches being in normally-open loop-circuits formed in each case by one of said branches, and a third independent conductor adjacent to and parallel therewith, and adapted to be closed by an extension of the locomotive traveling contact bridging between said third conductor and its adjacent branch of the main conductor, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electro-motive railway, a double outgoing electrical conducting-path of the same polarity divided into blocks of predetermined lcngth, the respective branches of said conductor crossing each other at the junctions of successive blocks, so as to be out of contact with the motor-brushes, and provided alternately with high resistances at said crossings, and normally-closed switches controlled by the motor-contacts connecting the opposite branches, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in an electric railway, of a conductor-conduit constructed and arranged as described, two parallel outgoing conductor-branches secured therein in sheltered positions beneath the overhanging roof sides, and a return-conductor arranged at or near the bottom of the conduit, substantially as set fort-h.

7. The combination, in an electric railway, of the motorsupporting rails and an openslotted conduit parallel therewith upon or in the roadway, two bared parallel conductors within said conduit, adapted to maintain sliding contact with the traveling motor-brushes, said conductors being insulated from each other and from other conductors (such as return-conductors) and the conduit and carrying electric currents in the same direction, and

a third conductor within said conduit arranged as a common return to complete a con tinuous metallic circuit with the .first-mentioned conductors, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electro-motive railway, in combination with the two branches of a divided currentconductor, a connecting-shunt and a magnet for operating the same in a normally-open loop-circuit with one of said branches, a portion of which said loop-circuit is formed by a conductor laid parallel with said main conductor'branch, so as to be temporarily closed by the traveling contact-brush of the electromotor, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with an electro-motive railway such as described, a connecting-rail way or side track having an electrical conducting-path constructed and arranged in the same man ner---that is to say, with an outgoing conductor divided into two parallel continuous branches of the same polarity and a return conductor, said outgoing and return conductor being looped into one branch of the outgoing .conductor of the main line, substantially as set forth.

-10. In combination with an electro-mot-ive railway having an outgoing conducting-path in two parallel continuous branches of the same polarity and arranged in successive blocks, as described,wherebylocomotives upon a block are in series with those of another block, a side track or connecting-railway having a similarly-arranged conducting-path and ZOO locomotives upon one of its blocks in series with those upon other blocks, substantially as set forth.

11. In combination with an eleetro-motive railway having an outgoing conducting-path in two parallel continuous branches of the same polarity, arranged in successive b1ocks,as described, whereby locomotives upon a block are inseries with those of another block, a side track or connecting-railway electrically connected with the main line by means of a switch and similarly arranged, whereby electric motors upon the several blocks of the side track are in series with those upon other blocks of the same and with those of the main line, substantially as set forth.

12. In combination with an electric railway having an outgoing conducting-path composed of two members of the same polarity, a side track or branch looped into said main outgoing conductor, one side of saidloop being the branch outgoing conductor and the other or return side of said loop being composed of two parallel branches of unequal re sistances, and motors on said side track provided with brushes bridging said return branches of the loop, substantially as set forth.

13. An electric railway having a conducting-path such as described, combined with a side track or branch railway having a conduetingpath looped in the main outgoing conductor, an independent generator interposed in the outgoing side of said loop, and a double or two-way switch, arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GRANVILLE '1. \VOODS.

\Vitnesses: i

L. M. Hosea, E. L. KERR.

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