US517258A - Half to charles f - Google Patents

Description

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B. BIDWELL. ELECTRICAL EMU-WAY. No. 517,258. Patented Mar. 27, 1894.

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BENSON BIDWELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF T CHARLES F. BIDWELL, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,258, dated March 2'7, 1894. Application filed January 8, 1885. Serial No. 152,244. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENSON BIDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a part of a car and line of way illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2,isa diagram showing a modified arrangement of circuit connections for the motor and electric appurte- I 5 nances included in the car-circuit, and Fig.3

is an end view of a'further different arrangement or constructidn of line conductors.

My invention has relation to electric railways particularly to the car or the loop cir- 2o cuit for its motor, and to the formation and disposition of the line conductors; and it has for its objects to place the cars in telephonic communication with the station along the line of way at which is located the dynamo 2 5 electric machine for the line conductors in order,,that the attendant at such station may from time to time be informed of the conditions of travel both as regards the track, line conductors and the car as it makes its journey. My invention accordingly consists of the combination, construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and claimed having reference particularly first to a railway having a line conductor in circuit with 3 5 a generator located at a station along the line of way, a loop or branch for said circuit which includes a telephonic instrument in combination with a car having traveling connections with the line conductors for a loop or branch circuit in which is an electric motor, and a loop or branch from said connections, or the motor loop, in which is a telephonic instrument whereby said car and station are placed in oral or telephonic communication with one another.

In the drawingsA represents a line of railway which may be either a surface or an elevated road and B B the electric conductors in. circuit with a dynamo electric machine 0,

located at any convenient station along the line of wayand of which any desired number may be used. These conductors may be of any desired con figuration in cross-section, but I prefer to make them of strips of metal both of which are secured to a single right angled 5 or inverted L. shaped support D, suitably located adjacent to the track A. One of these conductors B is secured to the under side of the horizontal portion 61 of the support D and the other conductor B to the adjacent vertical side d of said support, but if desired they may both be secured to the under side of the horizontal portion of support D. In either case the support D protects the conductors from the weather or keeps their 65 contact surfaces clean.

E represents a car having traveling con nections e provided with contact rollers or brushes f f to connect the line conductors with a loop for an electric motor F suitably secured to the car and in gear with its axles.

The rollers or brushes ff are secured to a bracket f aflixed to car E and are provided with expanding springs f to give a pressure contact with the line conductors for main- 7 taining such contact under varying conditions of travel. If desired however spring brushes or plates may be substituted for said rollers as indicated at as Fig. l.

The car motor circuit or loop F is provided with a reversing switch G which when moved off of its contact points 9 breaks the motor circuit or disconnects it from the line circuit and stops the car, when said switch is moved to effect achange of polarity in the field magnets of the motor, its armature is reversely rotated and the direction of the travel of the car is changed. Such switch, therefore, in eifect, completely controls the movements of the car. go

I The motor circuit F has a loop or branch H in which is included incandescent or electric lamps h and telephonic instruments L. These branch circuits are provided with suitable well known resistance coils MM' for per- 5 mitting the use of the motor or high tension currents for the lights and telephone.

In the circuit 0 of the generator 0 isaloop or branch 0 which also includes atelephone 0 and resistance coil M for the purpose above described. By such circuiting or connection of the car circuits, line conductors, and generator circuit, the car is telephonically placed in communication with the generator station so that the attendant at the latter can be signaled to as desired.

Instead of circuiting the various loops or shunts of the car as shown in Fig. 1, they may be arranged as indicated in Fig. 2, anda simple switch lever substituted for the reversing switch in which case the brushes on the corn mutator will be duly moved to effect a reversal of rotation of the armature shaft. Suitable switches P may be placed in the loop of the car circuit for cutting out the lights h when not needed.

Instead of afiixing the conductors B B upon the angular insulating bracket D, such conductors may be angularly secured to and insulated from one another as shown in Fig. 3, in which case their inner adjacent sides form the contact surfaces for the brushes or rollers ff.

It is obvious that the loops of the car motor circuit, as well as, the latter itself, may be varied greatly Within the spirit of my invention, hence, I do not limit my invention to any particular form of circuiting therefor.

What I claim is- 1. In an electric railway having a line of conductors in connection with a generator located at a station along the line of way, a branch or loop in said generator circuit having telephonic instruments and resistance coils, in combination with a car having traveling circuit connector a motor circuit and a loop or branch from the motor circuit or loop, and including a telephonic instrument and resistance coils substantially as described.

2. In an electric railway the combination of a generator and its circuit, aline of track connected with said circuit, a car having a traveling connection, a circuit in the car, a motor in said circuit,a switch for cutting the motor in and out of the circuit, a telephone instrument arranged in the car circuit independent of the motor, and a telephonicinstrumentarranged in the generator circuit, whereby telephonic communication can be had between the car and generator station while the car is either in motion or at rest.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENSON BIDWELL.

Witnesses:

J OHN RODGERS, S. J. VAN STAVOREN.

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