US688337A - Means for electrically connecting railway-cars. - Google Patents

Description

No. 688,337. Patentedl Dec. lo, ism. E. s. w. Hamm-1|..

MEANS FOR ELE-CTRICALLY GONNEGTING RAILWAY GARS.

' [Application med Feb. .19, 1900. v -(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Dec. I0, |901.

E. B. W.4 REICHEL. MEANS FOR ELECTRIGALLY CONNECTING RAILWAY GARS.

(Applicltion led Feb. 19, 1900.)

. v3 Sheets-Shut 2.

(llo Model.)

Qwmn A Patented Dec. I0, |90|. E. B. W. REICHEL. v MEANS FDR ELECTRIUAL'LY GUNNECTING RAILWY GARS.

(Application led Feb. 19, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Shoot 3.

(llo Modem,

Tn: Noam; Pzrzns cq.. PHOTO-uma.. wAsmNaTuN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL BERTHOLD WALTER REICHEL, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SIEMENS & HALSKE ELECTRIC COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING RAlLWA-Y-CAR'S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Bai-.ent No. 688,337, dated December 10, 1901 Application filed February 19,1900. Serial No. 5,790. (No model.)

To au whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, EMIL BERTHOLD WAL- TER REICHEL, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Markgrafenstrasse 94, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, have invented .a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Electrically Connecting Railway- Cars, (Case No. 334,)v of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,`

1o reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electric railways, and more particularly to that class of electric railways in which current for driving elec- I5 tric motors is conducted along several cars of a train, and has for its particular object the provision of an improved form of electric coupling for electrically uniting circuits upon adjacent cars.

Electric car-couplings as at present constructed require a great 'amount of attention and care and do not provide an efficient coupling under all conditions of service, the jars and vibrations of the cars being occasionally z5 sufficient to cause a rupture of the contact between the couplings. A good contact is therefore not secured at all times; and it is the prime object of my invention so to construct electrical couplings that there will be 3o uniform good contact between themv at all times, independent of the relative movement between the cars, and which are insensible to train vibrations and other exacting conditions of service.

My invention also provides means whereby the couplings may be constructed in a very simple manner,so thatthe time spent in coupling anduncoupling is reduced to a minimum, the uncoupling being preferably in all 4o cases done automatically.

Generally speaking, my invention consists in providing two contact-pieces, one upon each en d of a car, which are preferably rotatably mounted about horizontal axles placed transverse to the direction of travel of the cars, these contact-pieces upon coupling assuming positions one about the other,thereby providing a good electrical connection which may be retained under all conditions of serv- 5o ice, inasmuch as I preferably7 construct the contact pieces of sufficient weight to produce considerable friction between the two. I also preferably make the height of these contact- -by reference to the accompanying drawings,

illustrating the preferred embodiments there- 6o of, in which- Figure lis aside View of my improved coupling, the car ends being indicated diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a side View of one-half of the coupling in position for being coupled. Fig. 3 is a top View of my improved coupling. Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of my invention, one-half of a coupling being shown inY its normal position. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same, two couplings being shown in engagement. Fig.,6 is a top view of the coupling shown in Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are side and top views, respectively, of another embodiment of my invention.

Like parts are indicatedby similar characters of reference throughout the figures.

Referring now-'particularly to Figs. l, 2,3, and 4, I have shown two adjacent cars l and 2 as being supplied with my improved coupling, bumpers 3 Sbeing indicated diagrammatically. I preferably provide one or more contact-shoes 4 at the ends of each car, these contact-shoes being preferably wedge-shaped at their ends and provided with a projection Y j 5 on the upper portion thereof.' I preferably 85 rotatably mount these contact-shoes about a horizontal shaft 6, placed, preferably, transversely to the direction of travel of the train, brackets 7 7, mounted at the ends of the cars l and 2, being employed for supporting the said shaft. I'also preferably rotatably mount EMU-shaped frame 8 upon the shaft 6, the said frame being rigidly fastened to a handle 9, disposed angularly thereto. I preferably interpose insulators l0 upon the frame 7, so that there is no electrical connection between the shaft 6 and the car-body, the said insulators being provided with a lateral extension ll, against which the handle 9 is adapted to rest when in its normal position.

In this po- 10o sition the shoes 4 are prevented from rotating below a given distance, inasmuch as their free ends are supported by the frame 8, thereby holding them in positions ready for coupling.

contact-shoes and not to unnecessarily increase the weight thereof, I preferably make them hollow. I preferably use more than one contact-shoe upon the end of each car, so that a break in the contact which might accidentally occur between two contact-shoes will not cause a rupture of the whole circuit, inasmuch as the remaining contact-shoes would remain in electrical connection. I preferably construct these shoes in the form of a wedge, so that they may couple automatically; but I have provided the handle 9, so that one set of the contact-shoes may be preferably raised in the position shown in Fig. 2 when ready for coupling. It will be seen that good electrical contact may be readily maintained between the contact-shoes, inasmuch as the weight thereof is sulicientto create a frieiional engagement between them irrespective of the jars and vibrations of the adjacent cars of the train. The closer the center of gravity of the contact-shoes to the line of contact the better will be the electrical connection between them. Circuit connection is established bctween terminals ofthe main circuit 12 12 and the shaft 6 in anysuitable manner.

In Figs. 4 to 6 I have shown an embodiment of my invention in which I preferably reinforce gravity by means of springs 13 13, which are preferably placed .inside the hollow contact-shoes 4 and which are rigidly mounted upon the insulating-frame 7. I preferably so adjust the springs that the contact-shoes occupy normally a horizontal position, heilig capable of a movement in both directions thereof, the movement in the downward direction being limited by a projection 14 upon the lower surface of the contact-shoe, which engages a corresponding projection 15 upon the insulating-bracket 7. The springs 13 are preferably reinforced by auxiliary springs 16 16, which are brought into action when the two portions of the coupling are in contact. As will be evident from the gure, both contact-shoes are displaced when coupled, a double spring actuating each one to press against the opposite shoe.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown another embodiment of my invention in which gravity is reinforced by magnetic attraction. In this embodiment I preferably construct the contact-shoes t as a U-shaped body, about the central portion of which I preferably dispose an energizing-coil 1 7, which may be supplied with current in any suitable manner either in series or in shunt of the main circuit, the contact-shoe upon one car then furnishing a return path for magnetism of the contact- In order to obtainthe desired height of the shoe of the other car when in engagement. Auxiliary meansare provided whereby one coil is preferably made inactive upon coupling, as the energization of both coils would cause a neutralization of the lines of force through the contact-shoes.

IVhile I have shown and described my electric coupling in connection with electric railways, I do not wish to be limited to its use in that particular branch in the art.

While I have herein shown and particularly described preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise constructions and arrangements shown, as modifications thereof may readily be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof, and

I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. Means for electrically connecting railway-cars, comprising a couple of swinging members, one for each car, rests upon which said members can be supported, said membersbeing adapted to come into contact with one another, and one of the same being adapted to slide above the other, the latter resting upon its rest and the upper one tending to descend and thereby to exert a pressure between the two members, substantially,7 as set forth.

2. The combination with the railway-cars, of buffers therefor, and means for electrically connecting the cars, comprising a couple of swinging members,one foreach car, said members being adapted to come into contact with one another when the cars come together, supports for said swinging members adapted to permit the members to move, the members being arranged thereupon so as to tend to restore themselves to their original positions, whereby good cont-act will be retained and the members being also arranged so as to come into contact with one another when the buffers of the car meet,substantially as described.

3. The combination witha pair of connecting members, of means for supporting the same so as to permit their slight displacement upon coming together,and differential springs provided for said members, said springs being arranged to act with greater force as the displacement of the members increases.

.t. The combination with a pair of connecting members, of means for supporting the same so as to permit their slight displacement upon coming together, and springs 13, 13 and 1G, 16 arranged within said members and connected with the supporting means therefor, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of January, A. D. 1900.

EMIL BERTHOLD WALTER REICHEL.

Witnesses:

HENRY HAsPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

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