US576933A

US576933A - ageron

Info

Publication number: US576933A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1914-02-09

Description

(No Model.) I 4 sheet -sheet 1. J. A. AGERON. BLEGTRIG LIGHTING FOR VEHICLES.

Patented Feb. 9; 1897.

W/ 7W E SSE S.

H Ana/Mrs.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Ho Hodel.)

' J. A. AGERON.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING FOR VEHICLES. 7

- Patented Feb. 9,1897.

m IHHIIIIIIIIIII II III IN VENTG/i:

WITNESSES.

' )1 Won/wars 4Sheets-Sheet 3f muodeli) J. A.-AGERON.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING FOR VEHIGLES.

No. 576,933. Patented Feb. 9, 1897.

, INVENTOH: I

m/QW

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 4.

J .A..AGERON. ELECTRIC LIGHTING FOR VEHICLES.

4 Patented Pb, 9, 1897. I

FIG-lllhvrrnn Tar-es .arn v'r tries.

JULES ALBERT AGERON, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

etscrsio Licsrme roe VEHEGLESL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,933, dated February 9, 1897. Application filed August 2, l895. Serial lie. 558,000- (No model.) Patented in France May 18, 1895, No] 247,509.

5 Vehicles, Cars, Carriages, Velocipedes, and

the Like, (for which I have obtained Letters Fatent in France, No. 247,509, dated May 18,

1895,) of which the following is a full, clear;

and exact description.

lhe object of my invention is to provide devices for the electrical lighting of wheeled vehicles, such as railway-carriages, automo- {oile carriages and others, veloc'lpedes, and the ice.

The principle on which my invention is based is to derive the power for driving the electric machine from the vehicle itself and to conduct the current to lamps located at suitable places on the vehicle.

it is contemplated in my invention to provide means whereby the lighting will he effected not only during the forward travel of the vehicle, but also while'the same is stationary or traveling backward. These objects 25 l attain by simple devices the dimensions and weight of whichare such as not to interfere with the progress of the vehicle. 1 cmploy for the production of the electric current a continuous-current ,magnetoel'ectric ma 3o chine having its brushes so disposed as to permit of a rotation in either direction. In order to provide for the lightingof the vehicle during stoppages, an accumulator and an au tomatic circuit-breaker are interposed in the 5 circuit. The accumulator supplies the required electric current when the magnetoelectric machine is out'of action, and at the same time the circuit-breaker interposed between said machine and the accumulator a o prevents a, discharge from the accuml llator 4 5 provided with two brushes.

- into the circuit of the machine.

Finally, in order to enable the lamps .to remain lighted during the rearward travel of the v'ehicle' l employ. four automatic circuit breakers each During the forward travel two of these circuit-breakers establish a, communication between the poles of the machine andthose of the ace um nlator,

while the other two circuit-breakers are out go of contact and thus prevent the-passage of the current into the circuit wherewith they are connected, 7 During backward travel-the two first-named circuit-breakers are out of contact, while the two others establish communication between the poles of the machine and those of the accumulator, so that the current'which now flows through the machine in the opposite direction will always pass in the same direction through the accumulator; During stoppages the four circuit-breakers will be out of contact, time interrupting all communication between the accumulator and the machine as iithere were only one circuit breaker. The electric lamps which are provided at suitable places on the vehicle are connected directly to the accumulator.

, Reference is to be bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a' part of this specification, in which similar characters'oii reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are diagrammatic representations showing the application of my improved lighting system to a rnilway-carriage, an ordinary wheeled carriage, and a velocipede, respectively. Fig. 4 is a broken end elcvation,-partly in section, of a railway-carriage with theimproved electrical lighting dedetail sectional view of the magneto-electric machine and-its connections. Fig. 9 is another sectional view thereot, taken at right angles to Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a detail view oi the means for throwing the electromagnetic machine into or out of action. 7 elevation, partly in section, of the improved electromagnetic machine employed in connection with the velocipede; ".Fig 12 is partly an end view and partly a cross-section on the line 1 2 of Fig. 11 of the said machine. Figs. 13 and 14 are a cross-section and a. longitudi-' Fig. 11 is an nal section, respectively, of the modified elec- I t-romagnetic machine; and Figs. 15 and 16 are a longitudinal and a cross-section, respectively, of the automatic circuit-breaker em.-

ployed in connection with myinvention.

When the invention is applied to railwaycarri'ages, it is necessary to so construct the lighting device that it will remain in action during movement of the car in either dircc-.

loo

travel.

n' o i) lion and during stoppage thereof. The device first shown in Fig. 1 therefore comprises the following main parts: the driving or transmission gear .s- .5" 5' the magneto-electric ma' chine M, four automatic cireuit-breakers D l) D- D, an accumulator E, and electric lam ps.

in the case of ordinary carriages adapted for animal tract-ion it. is not necessary to provide for lighting the vehicle during backward The device in this case, therefore, comprises the following parts: the transmission-geur f i l'-, the continuous-current eleciromi igneto nmchine ill, n single automatic circuit-breaker D, an accumulator E, and electric lamps. v

in the ease of velocipedcs, Fig. 3, it is superfluous to have the lump lighted in case of stoppage, and it will suihce to provide for the lamp being lighted during iorwurd travel of the machine. may be ponsiderubly simplified, thereby reducing the weight oi the uttuehmenuu point which is of great importance in this class of vehicles. The device comprises only a transmittengeur, as indicated at it n o it", the electric machine Ill, and one lump a.

[is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, the im-- proved lighting device when applied to a rsilway-carriage is arranged under the -floor A of the said carriage in suitable hangers, as indicated at B, said hangers carrying bearings for the shaft 0 of the msgnciao-electric machine M. The shaft carries a sprocketwheel r, engaged by a chain 1' to another sprocket-wheel r on the axle of the car-wheel.

3 D are four automatic circuit-breakers of the class in which a body of mercury is used, said circuit-breakers being journuled in the frame or hangers B and in the crossbar I), attached thereto. The brushes or contact-pieces for the said circuit-breakers are secured upon the frame B, but insulated therefrom. The shzift c of the machine currics two friction-disks (Z d", which are constructed to screw upon the said shaft and are adopted for engagement with the frictiondisks d d (1 (t upon the circuit-breakers D l) i) D The friction-disks d and (l are held bet-ween springs e e e c", respectively, with force sufiicient to prevent their rotation as long as the said friction-disks engage with the screw-threaded portions of the shaft 0. Thus when the machine is started the said friction-disks will be held from turning on the shaft and thereby they will be obliged to travel-longitudinally thereof until they come into frictional engagement with-two of the friction-disks d d (l d". At the same time the friction-disks (Z and d-havereached the end of the screw-threaded portions of theshuft c, and are thereby compelled to rotate with the shaft. If desired, stops may be provided on the shaft at the ends of the said screwthreaded portions, asinclicated at e e e e.

During the forward travel of the carriage the friction-disk (1 will be in engagement The arrangement, therefore,

negative pole of the machine and to the negative pole oi the accumulator. One of the brushes of the circuit-breaker D is connect ed to the negative pole of the machine and "the other to the positive pole of the accumulater, and of the brushes of the circuitbrezilier i) one is connected to the positive pole of the machine and the other to the negative pole of the accumulator.

It will be understood that during forward travel only the circuit-breukers D and D will be rotated. The mercury which is contuined in each of them will establish a contact between the corresponding wires, as will be presently described, and the circuit is closed. During rearward travel only the circuit-breakers D D will turn. The polarity of the machine is reversed, but it will be understood that the current is supplied tothe accumulator E in the same direction as before. Figs. 1 and 4 indicate the circuits as they are during rearward travel.

\Vhen applying my improvements to the lighting of ordinary vehicles adapted for ani mal traction, it is sufficient to secure the machine indirectly upon the axle of the vehicle, (see Figs. 2, 5, and 6,) said axle being held against rotation. Between the axle and the surface upon which rests the magnets of the machine'I interpose a disk or plate F, of diamugnetic material, such as copper. Motion is derived directly from the hub of the wheel by meanspf a. toothed rim g, having internal engagement with the pinion g the rim 9 being secured to a disk g, fixed upon the hub by means of screws and nuts and a conical recess; as shown. The pinion g is mounted upon a shaft 9 supported in bearings g and g extending upwardly from the bracket G, which is secured upon the axle. end of the shaft g carries a'toothcd wheel g, engaging with the pinion g upon the shaft 0 of the machine M. The accumulator E is arranged at any suitable point on the vehicle. A single circuit-breaker may be employed, as shown at D. The supports h h, between which-the said circuit-breaker is held, are so urranged as to permit the circuibbreakcr to rotate about its axis.

On the support 71. are secured the brushes of the circuit-breaker, one of which is connectedto the positive pole of the machine and the other to the positive pole of the accumulator. Rotary motion is transmitted to the circuit-breaker D by means of bevel The other friction-disks h 71 one of which is mounted upon the machine-shalt c and the other upon the gearing of the circuit-breaker D.

"When applying the invention to the lighting of velocipedes and bicycles, as shown in Figs. 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10, the construction of the i5 friction-gear, whereby motion is transmitted to the machine. On one endof the said shaft 1 is secured a rubber disk or Wheel 1, which engages the inner and side surface of the rim of the bicycle-wheel, and the other end of 2c the said shaft carries a sprocket-wheel Z from which motion is transmitted to the shaft 6 of the electric machine M by means of a chain 1- and a sprocket Z on the said shaftc.

in order to prevent binding of the small 2 5 wheels Z on the rim of the wheel'and to keepthese two parts in good contact, the rod j is surrounded by a spring 3' which is coiled between two collars j and 3' of which the latter is fixed to the rod 7' In order to throw c the friction-wheels Z out of gear when it is desired to extinguish the light, the rider raises the handle m, which rests upon the wheel Z at one side and passes through aper-v tures m in the rod j and the sleeve j. As

soon as the handle an comes out of the aper-".

ture or recess of the sleeve the rider may turn the rod j-, thereby removing the wheel Z from contact with the rim. in this construction no aceumulatoror circuit-breakeris required.

0 The lamp no is placed in a reflector m", whichmay have parabolic shape and may be provided with a lens, as shown.

The preferred construction of my continu ens-current electric-light machine is shown 5 in Figs. 11 and 12. This machine is distinguished by high efficiency with reduced Volume and weight. The magnetic field is produced by six magnetsn of the particular shape shown and connected in series of three by means of soft-iron pieces or. The two series are placed opposite each other with similar poles adjacent to each other, but separated loy means of the strip if, of copper or other diamagnetic material. This construetion allows of the utilization of almost the whole magnetic field.

The armature comprises the followin g parts: first, the iron core secured to the drive-shaft 0; second, the cores oft-he induced circuit; third, the commutator of the collector o; lfourtln the commutator-brushes 0' 0 The core is composed of a skeleton or drum 1), whose outei'surface is grooved longitudinally, so as to,form ten recesses 12', separated by ribs 13 and adapted to receive the armature-- cores. Thedrnm p is connected to the shaft 0 by means of arms or spokes p and the space 1) between the drum and the shaft 0 is filled with soft-iron filings. By this construction'I reduce to a minimum the lost energy due to Foucault currents and to hysteresis. After the armature-wire is coiled on the drum 1) the cylinder thus formed is surrounded by an iron shell p This increases thepermeability of the magnetic circuit. The wire is coiled in substantially the same manner as in the machine oi the Siemens type, and the collector may be of the usual construction. The brushes 0. o? are so arranged that they will allow the machine to turn in either direction, which is indispensable in the application of the invention to railway-carriages. For this purpose each brush-comprises an elastic metallic rod 0 which is slidable upon a support 0 fixed to the frame of the machine through the medium of an insulating-piece One of the ends of the rod 0 is provided with a sleeve 0 adapted to receive the carbon block 0 which tie-tapering, so as to be of the shape I of a truncated pyramid, and which is held in position by means of a clamping-screw. .The elastic rod 0 may hold the small end of the carbon block 0 against the collector, and thus rotation may take place in'either direction.

In the case of bicycles wherein small diinen'sions and small weight are indispensable i prefer to employ a slightly-modified construction. The machine employed in that case is an alternating-current machine and therefore has no collector. (See Figs. 13 and 14.) The conductors of the field-magnets are the same as in the continuous-current machine hereinbefore described. The armature is or" much simpler construction, and consists of a single coil or spool. Finally,- 1 have provided an improved arrangement whereby the brushes may he done away with, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The automatic circuit-breaker which I employ in connection with my invention consists (see Figs. 15 and 16) of a cylinderwhosc outer wall 11 is made of fibrous material at its center and of metal at two ends, as shown at q g The brushes 7' r of the circuit-breaker are in cont-act with the parts q and g ithin the ebonite cylinder q is placed ametallic cylinder made in two portions 1 and (1 which are separated by an annular rim projecting from the inner side of the cylinder Each of the said hollow pieces or sleeves g and g is madeintegral with one of the ends q and q".

The brush 'r, for instance, may be connected with the positive pole of the machine and the brush 1" to the positive pole of the accumnlater. The negative poles of the machine and of the aecumulatorare connected directly.

In the circuit-breaker D there is a body of mercury reaching about to the level of the upper end of the sleeve g v During the travelof the vehicle and the rotation of thccircuitbreakerthe mercury, in accordance with welli emcee will rise suiiiciently to establish com n'iunica-, tion between the sleeves q and q". As soon as the motion of the vehicle ceases the mercury will resume its horizontal level and thus break the circuit.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Iatent 1. The herein-described automatic circuitbreaker consisting of a rotatable hollow body adapted to contain a conducting fluid and constructed of two sections of conducting material insulated from each other, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described automatic circuitbreaker, consisting of a hollow body mounted to-rotate about a vertical axis and adapted to contain a conducting fluid, said body being constructed of two sections of conducting material separated by a horizontal ring of insulating material, substantially as set forth.

3. In a rotary ci rcuit-breaker, a cylinder for containing mercury formed of two metallic end sections, and an insulating-sleeve receiving the end sections and provided with an annular rim projecting between the ends'of the said end sections, as specified.

4. The combination, with a wheeled vehicle, of an electricgenerator operated by the rotation of the wheels, an accumulator electrically connected to the said generator, rotatable circuit -breakers in said connection, drivingdisks movable from one circuit-breaker to the adjacent circuitbreaker, means controlled from the generator-shaft for rotating and iongitudin-ally moving the said disks on their axes, and a lamp in circuit with the accumulator, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a wheeled vehicle, of an electric generator operated by the rotation of the wheels, an accumulator electrically connected to the said generator, rotatable ciruit-breakers in said connection, drivingdisks screwing upon the generator-shaft and movable from one circuit-breaker to the adjacent circuit-breaker, means for holding the said disks against rotation while they travel longitudinally of the said shaft, and a lamp in circuit wit-h the accumulator, substantially as described. 7

6. The combination, with a wheeled vehicle, of an electric generator operated by the rotation of the Wheels, an accumulatorelectrically connected to the said generator, rotatable circuit-breakers in said connection, drivingdisks screwing upon a shaft rotating with the generatorshaft, said disks being movable from one circuit-breaker to the adjacent circuit-breaker, springs clasping the said driving-disks between them to hold the disks against rotation while they travel longitudinally of the said shaft, and a lamp in circuit with the accumulator, substantially as described.

7 The herein-described electric generator, comprising two series of field-magnets, each magnet having its poles facing each other, and the magnets of diiferent series having their similar poles located adjacent to each other, magnetic bars connecting similar poles of the magnets of one and the same series, diamagnetic strips separating the adjacent conducting-bars of different series, and an armature mounted to rotate between the poles of two field-magnets, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a velocipede,f an electric generator thereon, a rod fitted to slide and turn in a bearing on the machineframe, a shaft mounted in one end of the rod, a friction-wheel on one end of the shaft, a spring on the rod for holding the friction- -wheel in engagement with one of the groundwheels of the machine, gearing between the said shaft and generator, and a locking lever or handle for preventing the said rod from turning in its bearing, substantially as described.

In witnesswhereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

JULES ALBERT A'GERON.

Witnesses:

- GAUREND,

EUGENE WATTIER.