US718183A - Electric-railway system. - Google Patents

Description

No .7l8,1 83. PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903. G. T. WOODS. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30,1896.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENIOB W Gran ville ZZZ 7700076 I B'Y MW M I ATT.0RNEY No. 718,183. PATE'NTED JAN. .13, 1903.

V G; T. worms.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM. g

APPLIOATION'PILBD 00T.30,1896. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR r wanvilze znwaods BY ATTORNEY 'mE NORRIS own; no. Pnoro-uruq, WASHINGTON. D c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANVILLE T. WOODS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRlC-RAI LWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,183, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed October 3t), 1896. Serial No- 610,550. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GRANVILLE T. Woons, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of NewYork and 5 State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Electric-Railway System, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical-railway systems, and particularly to that class of such systems wherein the current for driving the car-motor is taken from working contacts or conductors along the road-bed, to which,preferably through the agency of electromagnetically-controlled switches along the line of way, the current is fed only at the time the current-collectors on the car are in engagement with said conductors.

The object of the invention is to construct an electric-railway system of this sort in a manner such as to insure perfect safety from shock at the working conductor or contacts,

reduce leakage to a minimum, economize current in the operation of the system, and at the same time provide asystem which can be easily constructed and perfectly controlled.

lVith these objectsin view my invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and circuits, as hereinafter fully described, and I set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figural diagrammatically represents the system, showing the apparatus of one car .in operative position. Fig. 2 is a similar representation of the system modified in some of the details.

In the d raWings,A A A represent the trackrails, which by preference carry no current either to or from the driving-motor, though one of them may be divided into insulated sections, as A A to serve in lieu of an extra set of contacts or conductors, a car-wheel, as P, serving as a contact-maker.

13 indicates the generator forsupplying our- 5 rent over feeder C and return-conductor C, which extend along the line of way and are properly insulated in any suitable manner.

Along the road lines of working contacts or conductors are placed at suitable intervals and carefully insulated from each other and from the ground. They may be of any desired length. In Fig. 1 they are represented as short lengths or sections of rails 1 2 3 4. In Fig. 2 the working conductors are shown as circular blocks 1 2 3 4.

The term working contacts or conductors is here used with reference to all the contacts employed in the operation of the trackswitches and the car-motor.

The electromagnetic switches for controlling the flow of current to the working conductors may be variously constructed and connected up. I prefer, however, to use one in which the circuit is initially closed by current shunted from the main feeders around the driving-motor and which when closed will be maintainedclosed by the power-current as it flows through. the car-motor and the shuntcircuit.

The switch-magnets may be of any suitable form, though I have shown them at E as having a single core bearing two coils, one of which is designed to initially energize the magnet to saturation for drawing up or picking up the armature to close the sWitch-contacts, while the other is in the motor-circuit to hold the switch closed in casethe pick-up circuit should break whilethe motor is taking current over that particular branch. The

movable part of the electromagnetic switch is normally free and disconnected from all of the circuits and is provided with contacts for engagement with contacts 11 12 at either side of a break in the branch D, which branch passes about the core E of the magnet, as illustrated. The said movable part of the switch is provided with an extension 13, composed of insulating material, to which a conducting-plate 14 is secured. This plate connects and disconnects contacts 15 and 16, so 0 that return-conductor 1 may. be placed in communication with the main return 0' through conductor 17 or completely disconnected therefrom.

The pick-up coil 1 of each magnet is in cir- 5 cuit 18, which extends from work-conductor 3 to rail A For engagement with the several working conductors there are carried by the cars suitable contact makers or shoes J J of such 10o. length that they may span the distance be tween any two of the working conductors, and

thereby engage with any in advance before leaving the onein immediate contact.

The circuits and mechanism just described constitute what may be termed the track system, while the circuits and apparatus on the car for operating and controlling the motor may be termed the car-motor system.

Upon the car are carried two electrodynamic machines in series, one of which, F, is used for propelling purposes only. The other, G, is for regulation and is provided with an adjustable switch H in its field-circuit for cutting in or out thereof more or less resistance. The speed of the armature G may be controlled in any suitable manner and may be made to assist in propelling the car.

The field of the motor F is maintained in a separate circuit, and the electromotive force supplied to its armature is varied by the counter electromotive force of motor F and also by the variable counter electromotive force of machine or motor G, approximately in proportion to the work performed. This provides for regulating the speed of the carmotor and also for varying the energy passing through the working conductors and the points of contact, and thereby limiting the heat at said points at the time at which the car-motor is started. It is well known that in starting motors in systems where a resistance is used in the armature-circuit to control the current a large amount of energy is converted into heat at points of temporary contact-as, for instance, between the contact-makers and the Working conductors'and also between the fixed and the movable switch-contacts in the branch circuits. The variation in the current passing through the coil K on magnet E does not cause the pressure between the contacts of the switch to vary, because the current through the pick-up coil maintains the energy of the core. The said machines carried on the car are connected between the contact-makers J and J.

In the armature-circuit of motor F is shown at L a switch for reversing the motor. The current for operating the pick-up magnets or electromagnetic switches E is shunted from a branch of the main circuit at contact ll and passed through coil I, and in this shunt is placed a resistance, preferably the motorarmature of a motor-generator W on the car.

Any suitable means may be employed to initially operate the pick-up-magnet switches or to close the circuit when it becomes interrupted between the magnet and the main cir cuit. I have shown a simple battery M as indicative of any means suitable for this purpose.

The inotor-generator W, aside frominterposing the necessary resistance in the picking-up shunt for the track-switches, furnishes current to the field-coil of the working motor F over circuit 25, as indicated. There is a great saving effected in carrying on the car the resistance necessary in the switch-operating shunt, since thereby is avoided the necessity of placing a resistance at each switch. The circuits will be hereinafter traced by setting forth the operation of the system.

One of the principal objections to railway systems having exposed working conductors on the street-surface is that of danger resulting from said conductors remaining alive after a car has ceased taking current therefrom and passed over it. In my system, constructed as described, each working conductor or contact is cut out of circuit as soon as it is left by a car, because the switch-magnet becomes denergized as soon as the contactshoes leave said conductors. This separation of the switch-contacts is also assisted by making one member of each pair from carbon and the other from some alloy containing zinc or some other one of the group of silver metals. I have also provided means for absolutely preventing a conductor from remaining alive even if a switch should from any unforeseen cause remain closed after its contact on the street-surface is left by the contact-shoe. Such means may consist of any suitable cut-out device responsive to an abnormal increase in current; but by preference I employ simply a fuse, as at 20, in the motor-circuit on the car, and a test-contact maker, as N, carried by the car and connected to contact-maker J. Then along the line of way in the path of contact-maker N, I place test-contacts 5, Fig. 1, or 5 6 7 8 9 10, Fig. 2. I have shown these contacts aslocated between the rails; but they may obviously be located in any other position desired. In Fig. l the contacts 5 are arranged with relation to the working conductors so that each test-contact will be engaged by the contact-maker N after contact-maker J leaves the work-conductor of that section. Thus it will be seen that should a switch stick, N will short-circuit the motor, and thereby cause the fuse or other automatic device at 20 to act. This is an exceedingly important feature in systems of this class. It is obvious that if I place a second fuse 21 in the circuit near pick-up magnet E the second fuse will be caused to act simultaneously with the first fuse, provided both fuses are of the same current-carrying capacity. However, I preferably employ but one fuse or like device to thus operate, and that one I place upon the car. I have shown test-contact 5 connected to the return-conductor side of the system only; but I may, if I so desire, arrange another test-contact, as shown by dotted lines at X, near contact 5 and connect it with the opposite conductor, so that test-contact maker N may touch both contacts simultaneously, thus creating a direct short circuit in that section and blowing the fuse at 21. The test-contact only operates, of course, when a switch fails to open. The switch in block 1 then being closed, the circuit completed by N on contacts 5 and X would be from B, over 0 D K 12, switchcontact 11, 1S, 3, X, N, 5, 19, 1, 17, 15, 16, and C, back to B.

I have discovered by experiment that when a test-contact maker follows or trails after the car it has many disadvantages. For instance, when a car is rounding a short curve the trailer swings beyond the outer rail of the road, thereby avoiding connection with the contacts, or it must be made very wide or be provided with some sort of guide to keep it in line with the contacts. By my improved system I am enabled to locate the test-contact maker about midway between the ends of the other two contact-makers and between the trucks under the car, as indicated in Fig. 2, which is my preferred arrangement. In

this latter plan I lead a conductor from one of the working contacts both up and down the track, connecting each end to a contact located about midway between the working contacts of two adjacent sections of the road. I also overlap the ends of the connecting-con- ,ductors in the manner shown to provide for cars moving in either direction. Then by properly placing the test-contact makerN with relation to the working contacts and their engaging shoes contact N will engage and leave the test-contact of a section before the motor is cut into that section by the movement of the car. Then after the car is cut into that section and out of the preceding section the test-contact maker will engage with the test-contact of the said preceding section.

The operation of the system is as follows: Suppose the motive apparatus in Fig. 1 is at rest and no current flowing over the mains. To start the machinery, we first move switch 0 to the right, so as to connect the terminals of battery M to conductors 22 and 23, respec tively, when current will flow from the battery over conductor 23, to contact-maker J, thence over work-conductor 4, conductor 18, contact 11, coil I, to rail A, thence over carwheel P and conductor 22 back to the battery. Magnet E will then draw up its armature R and close the main circuit from conductor 0, over conductor. D, one coil of magnet E, and contacts 12 and 11. At this point the main current divides. A portion shunts through coil I to rail A, over car-wheel P, motor-armature S, conductor T, to contact-maker J and return work-conductor 2, thence through contacts 15 16 and circuit 17 to the main return-conductor G. The other portion of the current flows over conductor 18 to work-conductor 4, over contact-maker J, fuse 20, armature of machine G, switch L, armature of machine F, conductor 24, to contact-maker J,

thence over return work-conductor 2 and con-,

after the battery closes the switch R switch 0 is thrown to connect the battery M in circuit with conductor 22 and the field of motor S to maintain the energy of said field. In the meantime motor S has started up and its generator-armature supplies current to the field of motor F. The counter electromotive force of motor S assists the mechanical resistance of the armature (by reducing the electromotive force) to cut down the current to a suitable degree to operate the switch or pick'up magnets in series therewith. The resistance at H is cut out more or less to start and regulate the speed of the motor. Ourrent having once been supplied to the motor the battery M is no longer needed to operate the pick-up magnets unless there should happen to be an open circuit between the feedconductor and a section of the work-conductor, as the shoes J J are made long enough to span the space between adjacent contacts, and so transmit the current of.the pick-up shunt through coil I of the next switch, the current flowing from B over 0, D, K, 12, 11, 18 of the section from which the car is passing, thence by conductor 4, shoe J to conductor 3, and over conductor 18, connected thereto, through contact 11, coil I, rail-section A wheel P, which precedes shoe J, then through armature S to shoe J, conductor 2, contacts 15 and 16, and conductors 17 and 0 back to generator B. Coil I of the advance switch being thus energized, the switch is closed thereafter and the motor-circuit completed as hereinbefore described.

It should be understood that the length of shoes J J is not limited to the distance between two work-conductor sections or contacts in series, because the greater the length of the shoes in proportion to the distance between the work-conductor sections or contacts the greater may be the speed of the car.

In Fig. 2 the circuits are substantially the same asin Fig.1. In both instances the working conductors are all cut otf from the mains by a break controlled by the electromagnetic switch and are devoid of ground connections. The rail-sections, as A A are likewise normally disconnected from the line-circuit and have no ground connections.

By the regulation of the electromotive force supplied through machine G the motor F is perfectly controlled. When the field of motor G is varied, the counter electromotive forces of the two motors will vary dilferentially. The motor-generator W, in addition to supplying to the pick-up shunt the mechanical resistance of its motor-armature and the counter electromotive force, also supplies the field of motor F with current. The action of the motor side of motor-generator W upon the pick-up shunt is that of a counterelectromotive-force regulator to vary the current in said circuit.

. When snow, ice, dirt, and otherlike debris have collected upon the working conductors, the accumulation will increase the resistance between the said working conductors and the contact-maker or current-collector carried by the car. Then the speed of the motor-generator armature will automatically vary,thereby varying the counter electromotive force thereof. In other words, the counter electromotive force in the pick-up circuit automatically compensates for the varying resistance in said circuit by decreasing approximately proportionally to the increase of the resistance of said circuit, and vice versa. Therefore the pick-up magnet is supplied with an operative current which is practically independent of the varying resistance in said pick-up circuit. It will be observed from the foregoing description that the energy for operating the pick-up magnetin advance of the car is primarily taken from the main or power feeder through one working contact or conductor and delivered to the magnet through another working contact or conductor.

The construction, arrangement, and location of the various adjustable controlling devices and other parts above set forth for the purpose of demonstrating my invention may be varied in ways other than those suggested without departing from my invention.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the series of working contacts or conductors upon the line of way and electromagnetic switches for controlling the current thereto, of three contact-makers carried on a car and arranged to engage with the working contacts, and connections from one of these contact-makers to each of the others, the car-motor in one of these connections and a source of counter electromotive force consisting of a motor-armature in the other in series with a coil of the switch-magnet for controlling the flow of current to the switchmagnet, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electric railway having electromagnetic track-switches controlling the flow of current from the track system to the car-motor system, a shunt from the motor system for energizing the magnets of the track switches, and a motor-generator on the car having the armature of its motor side in said shunt, and having its generator side so connected to the car-motor system that the work and therefore the counter electromotive force of the motorgenerator armature is regulated, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a sectional-contact electric railway, the combination with contacts located along the line of way in the track system, of cooperating contact-makers carried on a car and connected in the car-motor system, test-con.- tacts for the track system also located on the line of way and out of alinement with the other contacts, and an independent test-contact maker carried by the car and connected to a device in the car-motor circuit, which is affected by an abnormal increase of current.

L. The combination with the normally dead sectional working contacts or conductors, of switches for connecting them to the powercurrent as a car moves over the road, test-contacts along the line of way in addition to the working contacts and in circuit therewith, an auxiliary con tact-maker carried by the car for engagement with only the test-contacts, and

d uctors, of automatic switches controlling the how of current thereto, an automatic cut-out upon the car in the circuit to said conductors, and an auxiliary contact-maker carried by the car and directly connected to the motor-circuit and adapted to operate said cut-out upon the flow of current over said auxiliary contact-maker, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric-railway system, substantially such as described, the combination with the normally dead working contacts or conductors, of electromagnetic switches controlling the How of current thereto, an automatic device upon the car in the circuit of the motor, and means upon the car for causing said device to interrupt the action of the motor when said means finds any track-switch has failed to open as soon as the car-motor ceased to take current from the working conductor controlled thereby, for the purpose set forth.

7. In an electric sectional-conductor, railway system, the combination with sectional conductors and the switches along the line of way for throwing said conductors into and out of circuit, of an automatic device on the car for interrupting the action of the motor, and means for electrically connecting said device to sectional contacts in the rear of the car, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an electric sectional-conductor railway system,the combination with the switches along the line of way for throwing the conductors into and out of circuit, of automatic circuit-controllers in electrical communication with said conductors, test-contacts located along the line of way and also in electrical communication with said contacts or conductors but out of alinement therewith, and a contact-maker carried by the car for engagement with only the test-contacts, as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In an electric-railway system havingsectional contacts or conductors and switches for throwing them into and out of circuit with the source of motive current, the combination with the car-motor, of an automatic circuitinterrupter located on the car in the motorcircuit, test-contacts along the line of way and in electrical communication with said contacts or conductors, and a contact-maker carried by the car in the path of the test-contacts and connected to the motor-circuit between said circuit-interrupter and the motor, as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In an electric-railway system, the combination with two lines of working contacts 1 or conductors extending along the road and connected respectively with the feed and return conductors from the source of current, of test contacts or conductors located out of alinement with the working contacts butelectrically connected thereto, normally open electromagnetic switches controlling the flow of current through said working conductors, an automatic cut-out in electrical communication with said working conductors, contact-- makers carried by the car for engagement with said working conductors, the car-motor connected between two of said contactmakers, and a third contact-maker carried by the car and adapted to engage with the feedconductor on one side and the return-conductor on the other side (as the car moves along) through the test conductors or contacts, the arrangement being such that the automatic cut-out will act if the third contact-maker touches a live test-contact and thereby completes a short circuit between the feed and return conductors.

11. In an electric-railway system substantially as described, the combination with two series of working contacts or conductors ex tending along the road and connected respectively with the feeding and return circuits from the source of current, of normally open electromagnetic switches controlling the flow of current through said conductors, a fuse in the circuit through the car-motor and carried by the car, contact-makers carried by the car for engagement with said conductors, the carmotor connected between two of said contactmakers,te'st-contacts connected to the circuitconductors, and a third contact-maker connected to the motor-circuit between the fuse and the motorand adapted to engage with each test-contact, as and for the purpose described.

12. In a sectional-contact electric railway, the combination of branches electrically communicating with the main circuit, working contacts and test-contacts connected tosaid branches,,said test-contacts and working contacts "being located along the line of way out of alinement with each other, and contactmakers carried by the car for engagement with only their respective contacts, as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a sectional-contact electric railway, constructed for traffic in both directions, the combination with the branches of the main circuit terminating in working contacts or conductors, of test-contacts located out of alinement with the working contacts, and connected in pairs to said branches and the pairs arranged to overlap each other, as and for the purpose set forth.

14. In an electric sectional-contact railway system, the combination with a pick-up shunt from the motor-circuit, of a motor-generator armature in said circuit, a pickup source of current in a local circuit, and a switch for ineluding said source in the initial pick-up circuit or for connecting it to the field-coil of the motor-generator, as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In an electric sectional-conductor railway, the combination With the working-circuit contact-makers, of test-contacts located along the way, and a contact-maker for engagem ent therewith carried under the car intermediate the terminals of the working-circuit contact-makers, for the purpose set forth.

16. In an electric-railway system, the combination with the car-motor, of a motor-generator on the car having the armature of its motor side in a shunt from the motor'circuit and having its generator side connected to the field-coil of the car-motor, as and for the purpose set forth.

17. In a sectional-conductor electrical-railway system having track-switches controlling the flow of current to said conductors, the combination with the car-motor taking current from said conductors, of a motor-generator on the car having the armature of the motor side in a branch from the car-motor circuit through a coil of the. track-switches and having the generator side connected to the field-coil of the car-motor, substantially as set forth.

18. In a sectional conductor or contact electrio-railway system, the combination with the switches along the line of way for throwing said contacts into and out of circuit, of testcontacts located along the line of way and also in electrical communication with said conductors, but out of alinement therewith, and contact-makers carried by the car and out of alinement with each other for engagement with said contacts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I 19. In a sectional conductoror contact electrical-railway system, the combination of branches electrically communicating with the main circuit, a line of working contacts and a line of test-contacts connected to said branches, said working contacts and test-contacts being located along the line of way out of alinement with each other, and contactmakers carried by the car and out of alinement with each other for engagement with only their respective lines of contacts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

20. In an electric railway having electromagnetic track-switches controlling the flow of current from the track system to the can motor system, a shunt from said motor system for energizing the magnets of the trackswitches, and a motor-generator on the car having the armature of its motor side in said shunt.

21. The combination with the pick-up-magnet circuit, of a counter-electromotive-force generator, a battery for maintaining the field thereof, and means for switching said battery onto the pick-up circuit at starting.

22. The combination with the pick-upanagnet circuit, of a motor-generator the motor portion of which is in said circuit while the generator portion supplies another circuit.

23. The combination with the driving-motor, of the pick-up magnets along the line of Way each in a shunt from the power-circuit, and a motor-generator the motor side of which is brought successively into the shunts containing the pick-up magnets while its gener 7 current.

25. The combination of a driving-motor, of a motor-generator the generator side of which supplies the field of said motor, and an independent regulating-motor the armature of which supplies a variable and regulating electromotive force in the armature-circuit of said driving-motor.

26. In an electric railway having electromagnetic track-switches controlling the flow of current from the track system, the carmotor system, a shunt from said track system to said car-motor system, and a motorgenerator on the car having its fields maintained practicallytconstant and the armature of its motor side in said shunt and its generator side so connected to the car-motor system that the work and therefore the counter electromotive force of the motor-generator armature is regulated.

27. The combination with the pick-up-magnet circuit, of an automatically-acting device connected in said circuit whereby the counter electromotive force in the pick-up-magnet circuit will be varied, for the purpose set forth.

28. In an electricrailway system of the character described, the combination of electromagnetic pick-up switches located along the line of way and the movable part thereof normally disconnected from all of the circuits, and sectional contacts or conductors each normally disconnected from the main source of current atsaid switches, each switch controlling the current to the separate sets of contacts or conductors of a given section and having its magnet coil or coils in the power-circuit, one set of switch-contacts serving to connect a contact or conductor to the return-circuit and another set to connect the feeding-main to the motor through another contact or conductor, substantially as set forth.

29. The combination in an electric-railway system of the character described, of a supply-main, a working conductor divided into 1 sections having normally open connections to the supply-main, electromagnetic pick-up switches'for completing said connections, and

. means for varying the amount of current passing through the pick-up coils of said switch-magnets, the arrangement being such that when the car is brought to rest the magnet in the circuit immediately under the car will continue to receive operative energy.

30. The combination in an electric-railway system, substantially as described, of a supply-main, a work-conductordivided into sections having normally open connections to the supply-main, electromagnetic pick-up switches for completing said connections as the car moves along, circuits including the pick-up coils of said magnets, and means in said circuits for varying the current passing therethrough, the arrangement being such that the current, passing through said circuits, delivers its energy to said magnets, and also to the car-motor.

31. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination ofa supply-main, a work-conductor divided into sections having normally open connections to the supply-main, switches operated by electromagnets for completing said connections in advance of the car as it moves along, and means forvarying the amount of current passing from the supply-main through the pickup coils of said magnets, the arrangement being such that the magnet-circuit immediately in advance of the car is closed by the switch controlled by the magnet in said magnet-circuit before the driving-motor is connected to the supply-main.

32. In an electric-railway system of the character described, the combination of a supply-main, a work-conductor divided into sections having normally open connections to the supply main, electromagnetic pick up switches (normally operated by energy taken from the supply-main) for completing said connections as the car moves along, and means for varying the current in said magnet-circuit, the arrangement being such that the said magnets will hold the switch connections closed, when the driving-motor is present, independently of the variations of current through the driving-motor.

33. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, a regulating resistance carried by the car and adapted to be connected in circuit with the successive magnet-coils as the car proceeds, and means for connecting the magnet-coils successively with the feeder as the car proceeds.

34. In an electric railway, the combination with the feederfof conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, a motor on the car adapted to be connected in circuit with the successive magnet-coils as the car proceeds, and to serve as a regulating resistance in the circuits of said coils, and means for connecting the successive magnet-coils with the feeder as the car proceeds.

35. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, a translating device on the car adapted to be connected in circuit with the successive magnet-coils, and to serve as a regulating resistance therefor, and means for connecting the successive magnet-coils with the feeder as the car proceeds.

36. In an electric railway, the combination with a feeder, of working-conductor sections independent of thetrack-rails, switches for connecting the feeder with said sections, carmotors, a collector carried by the car and connecting said sections with the motors, coils in branch circuits from between the feeder and motors for actuating said switches, coils in series with the feeder and motors for holding said switches closed, and track-rails serving with the car-wheels as part of said branch circuits.

37. In an electric railway, the combination with a feeder, of working-conductor sections independent of the track-rails, switches for connecting the feeder with said sections, magnet-coils in branch circuits from said conductor-sections to the return for actuating said switches, magnet-coils between the feeder and said sections for maintaining said switches closed, and track-rails serving with the carwheels as part of said branch circuits.

38. In an electric railway, the combination with a feeder, of working-conductor sections independent of the track-rails, switches for connecting the feeder with said sections, magnet-coils in branches from said conductorsections to the return for actuating said switches,a resistance in circuit with said coils, magnet-coils in series between the feeder and said sections for maintaining said switches closed, and trackrails serving with the carwheels as part of said branches.

39. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor sections, switches for connecting thelatter with the former, magnet-coils in branches from said conductor-sections foractuatingsaid switches, magnet-coils in series between the feeder and said conductor-sections for maintaining the switches closed, and means for insuring the opening of the circuits of the actuating-coils in order that the conductor-sections may not remain alive after the car has passed over them. t

40. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of working-conductor sections, switches for connecting the latter with the former anxiliary-cond uctor sections, magnet-coils connected between the working conductor sections and the auxiliary conductorsections for actuating said switches, magnet coils in series between the feeder and said working-conductor sections, and contact devices carried by the car for engaging with the working and auxiliary conductor sections.

41. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, and

electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, the magnet-coils being connected in branches from the power-circuit which extend from, and return to, the car.

42. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor -sections, switches for connecting the former with the latter,magnet-coils for actuating the switches, a car, a car-collector for engaging said conductor-sections, and means carried by the car foropening said feeder connectionsindependent of the operation of said switches.

43. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor -sections, switches for connecting the former with the latter, magnet-coils for actuating the switches, a car, a car-collector for engaging said conductor-sections, and means independent of said switches for opening the feeder connection of a switch which may have remained closed after the car-collector has left the section controlled by said switch. 7

44C. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder,of conductor-sections,switches for connecting the latter with the former, a car, a motor thereon, a car-collector for engaging said conductor-sections, and means whereby a conductor-section which remains alive after the car-collector has left it, causes the carmotor to be disconnected from the feeder.

45. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the former with the latter, a car, a car-collector for engaging said conductor-sections, and means for stopping the car when a switch which the car-collector has just left, remains closed.

46. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, normally open electromagnetic switches for conmeeting the latter with the former, means for energizing the switch-magnets successively as the car proceeds, and means independent of said switches for opening said circuits so as to prevent'the switches from remaining closed after the car has passed.

47. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting'the latter with the former, a car, a car-collector for engaging said conductor-sections, auxiliary test-sections connected in pairs to said conductorsections, each section of each pair being located between the sections of another pair, and an auxiliary contact on the car for engaging said test-sections.

48. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the former with the latter, a collector carried by the car for engaging said sections, and an auxiliary contact device carried by the car and adapted to open the connection of the feeder with a conductor-section which may be alive after the collector has left it, said connection fig being opened before the switch controlling said section is opened.

49. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, a collector carried by the car for engaging the said sections, auxiliary test-contacts connected with said conductor-sections, and a contact device carried by the car for engaging said test-contacts, the test-contacts being located between successive conductor-sections whereby the auxiliary contact device may be located substantially midway of the car so that it cannot be carried away from the test-contacts when the car passes around a curve.

50. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections for supplying the motor and the switch-magnets with current, electromagnetic switches for connecting the feeder with conductor-sections, and auxiliary contacts along the way, which control the feeder connections made by the switches.

51. In an electric railroad, the combination with a feeder, of conductor-sections,normally open switches energized successively as the car proceeds for connecting the latter with the former,and means for automatically opening the connections between the conductorsections and feeder independent of the switch in said connection if the said connection is complete after the car has passed owing to the failure of the switch to open.

52. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches energized successively as the car proceeds and normally tending to open for connecting the conductor-sections with the feeder, and means for breaking the connections made by said switches by current flowing from one conductor-section to another, in case the switches fail to open.

53. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections for supplying current to the motor and to the switchmagnets, electromagnetic switches for connecting the feeder with conductor-sections, auxiliary contacts along the Way, and a contact device carried by the car and cooperating with said auxiliary contacts to break the connections closed by said switches independent of the operation of said switches.

54. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor sections, switches for connecting the latter with the former, coils for actuating said switches, said coils being connected in circuits whereby they normally receive energy from the feeder, and an auxiliary source of current carried by the car and adapted to be cut in circuitwith said coils when the feeder or the conductor-sections are dead.

55. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, means for connecting the magnet-coils successively with the feeder as the car proceeds, and a regulating resistance in series with the magnet-coils.

56. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor sections, switches for connecting the latter with the former, a collector carried by the car and connected with the car-motors, an auxiliary collector carried by the car, a connection from each switch to the sections engaged by the latter collector, and magnet-coils in said connections for actuating said switches.

57. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of a sectional conductor, an electromagnetic switch for connecting a section of the latter with the former, a branch from the feeder around the car-motors and containing the coil for said switch, and an adjustable resistance in said branch.

5b. The combination with the feeder, of feeder conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, auxiliary or switch-energizing sections, and means for automatically compensating for any variation of resistance in the circuits of the electromagnets.

59. The combination with the feeder, of feeder or power conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, and a generator of counter electromotive force on the car which opposes the electromotive force in the circuits of the electromagnets.

60. The combination with the feeder, of feeder or power conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches for connecting the latter with the former, and a motor-generator carried by the car having its motor-armature in series with the switch-magnets, and its generator portion supplying current to translating devices on the car.

61. In an electric railway system, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, an electromagnetically-actuated switch for connecting the latter with the former, and an electric motor carried by the car and connected in series with the pick-up coil of said switch in the normal operation of the system.

62.- The combination with a car-motor, of collectors carried by the car, one car-collector being connected with the field of the carmotor, and the other connected with its armature.

63. In an electric railway, the combination with the feeder, of conductor-sections, electromagnetic switches normally energizedsuccessively by the feeder-current as the car progresses to actuate said switches, collecting means carried by the car which engages said sections to convey current to the car-motors and switch-coils, an auxiliary source of current, and suitable circuit connections whereby a local circuit can be established to include said auxiliary source through one of said conductor-sections and through the established to include said auxiliary source through the car collecting device, through 15 the feeder-section engaged by said device and through one of the magnet-coils which is normally energized by the feeder-current.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of 20 October, A. D. 1896.

GRANVILLE T. WOODS.

Witnesses:

WM. H. GAPEL, D. H. DECKER.

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