US850117A

US850117A - Electric railway.

Info

Publication number: US850117A
Application number: US12463402A
Authority: US
Inventors: William B Potter
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1902-09-24
Filing date: 1902-09-24
Publication date: 1907-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 1924-04-09

Description

v .PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. W. B. POTTER. ELECTRIC RAILWAY. APPLIOATION F ILED 8321. 24. 1902 Witnesses "it unlkl; PITIRS co., wullnlarnl, n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. POTTER, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed September 24:, 1902. Serial 110- 124,634.

To all whom'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to improvements in electric railways operated by the well-known closed-conduit or surface-contact system, wherein the working conductor consists of normally deenergized sections which are connected with the line or the feeder successively as the car proceeds. These conductor-sections, which may be either rails or small studs located in the road-bed, are adapted to be connected with the feeder by electromagnetic switches located along the Way, the actuating-coils of which are successively energized as the car proceeds by CllI'I'6I1t flowing from the feeder through one of the electromagnetic switches which has already been closed. To obtain the initial current to start the car, the. actuating-coil of an electromagnetic switch is energized by an auxiliary source of power, such as a battery carried by the car.

The object of my invention is to so arrange the circuits-such as the motor, heating, and lighting circuits-on the car relative to the auxiliary source of power that the said auxiliary source of power may be used for various purposes other than picking up the electromagnetic switches initially.

A further object is to provide for recharging the auxiliary source of power with all or any desired part of the current flowing through the motor and heater circuits.

My invention consists of improvements in the car-circuits of the system shown and described in my Patent 589,786, issued September 7, 1897, as will be' clearly pointed out in the following specification and specifically stated in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing represents diagrammatically a surface-contact electricrailway system, such as is shown and described in the patent above referred to, embodying my invention.

Referrin now to the figure, A A, &c., represent e ectromagnetic switches of a surface-contact railway which are ada tedto connect the positive contact-studs C C 860., with the feeder F, connected with the generator G. The negative contact-studs D D, &c., are connected to the return-circuit (shown in the diagram as the service rails R) through the actuating-coils of the electromagnetic switches A and A. The contact-shoes B and B, carried by the car, are adapted to engage, respectively, with the rows of positive and negative contactstuds.

The .car equipment comprises a motorvor motors, such as M, a storage-battery or auxiliary source of power E, heater or heaters H, a controller K, and a lighting-circuit L. The cylinder of the controller K is shown in development, as is customary in illustrating railway motor-controllers of this type, The fixed contacts of the controller are represented by 1 to 10, inclusive, and the movable contacts or segments mounted on the rotatable drum or cylinder of the controller are' represented by 1 to 10 inclusive, and 7 The arrangement of the circuits shown provides means for charging the storage battery E with the full current taken by the motor or motors or by such portion of said current as may be found necessary to replace energy required for initially energizing the actuatin -coils to pickup the switches and to light t e car.

When it is desired to start the car and the electromagnetic switches A A, &c., are all open, the controller K is moved into its first operative position and a circuit is completed from the auxiliary source of power carried by the car through the actuating-coil of one or more of the electromagnetic switches, thereby picking up said switch or switches. This circuit may be traced as follows: from the storage batteryE through the conductor 17, switch S fixed contact-finger 9'of the controller K, contact-segments 9 and 10,fixed contact-finger l0, conductor 12, contactshoe B, contact-stud D, through the actuating-coil of the electromagnetic switch A, service-rails R, through thecar-wheel w, contact-finger 6 of the controller K, contactsegments 6 and 7 contact-finger 7, conductor 16, to the other side of the battery E. The circuit from the feeder F through the car-motors, which is completed upon the closing of one of the electromagnetic switches, may be traced as follows: through the switch A, surface contact-stud C, contactshoe B, conductors 11. and 14, contact-finger 1 of controller K, contact-segments 1 and 2,

contact-finger 2, resistance R, through the motor M, battery E, conductor 16, contactfinger 7 of the controller K, the contact-segments 7 a and 6 contact-finger 6, to the service-rail return R, through the car-wheel 'w. A branch circuit leads from the motor-circuit just traced at 20 and conducts current through the conductor 17, switch 5", contact-fingers 9 and 10 of controller K, through the actuating-coil of switch A, to return It, as above described. Consequently a portion of the current taken by the motors serves to re charge the storage battery and another portion of the current operates to maintain the switch A closed.

In moving from the first to the second position of the controller K the battery is connected in series with the pick-up coils of the electromagnetic switches instead of being connected directly to the return through the car-wheel w, as in the first position of the controller. When changing the battery connections from those shown as corresponding to the first position of the controller to those shown as corresponding to the second position of the controller, there is great liability of shortcircuiting the battery. The resistance R which is cut into the battery-circuit by means of the contacts 8 and 8 of the controller K, is provided for the purpose of preventing such a short circuit.

In the second and subsequent operative positions of. the controller the storage battery receives the full current taken by the m0 tors, as also does the actuating-coil of the electromagnetic switch. Should it be desired to regulate the charge of the battery by closing the switch S and adjusting the re sistance R, the battery will be shunted of any predetermined portion of the current.

The arrangement of circuits shown on the drawing also provides for connecting the heaters H in series with the storage battery or in shunt thereto, depending upon whether or not the additional current passing through the heaters is required to maintain the charge of the battery. This is accomplished by means of the switches S and S which are adapted to connect the heater H to the positive contact-shoe B through the conductors 11 and 15 and to the connection between the motor M and the battery E when in the positions shown in the diagram. By throwing the switch S into register with the contact 17 the heater is connected in shunt to the car .motor and in series with the actuating-coils switch S, so that the lamps in said. circuit will be maintained at approximately their full candle-power independent of the operation of the electromagneticswitches, which necessarily will be dropped. when the controller K is moved to its off position and the car stopped. As the controller is moved from its first to its fourth operative position the resistance R in the motor circuit is gradually cut out.

The arrangement of circuits shown on the diagram and described herein is merely a preferred form and many modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an electric railway, the combination with a feeder, of conductor-sections, electro magnetic switches for connecting the feeder to the conductor sections, an auxiliary source of power carried by the car, a motor or motors, means for completing a circuit through said auxiliary source and said switchcoils to initially energize the latter, means for connecting said auxiliary source of power in series with said motor or motors and said switch-actuating coils, and an adjustable resistance in shunt to the auxiliary source of power whereby the rate of recharge of the said auxiliary source of power may be varied as desired.

2. In combination, a main source of ower, an auxiliary source of power, transating devices, means for connecting said auxiliary source and one of said translating devices in series with each other to said main source of ower, and means for connecting another of said translating devices to said main source of power either in shunt or in series with said auxiliary source of power.

3. In an electric railway, the combination with a feeder, of conductor-sections, switches for connecting the feeder to the conductorsections, motors and an auxiliary source of power carried by the car, and a cont-roller for completing a circuit through said auxiliary source and actuating-coils for said switch to initially energize the latter and for connecting said auxiliary source in series with said motors and said coils.

4. In a sectional-conductor electricrail way system, electromagnetic switches for connecting the feeder with the sectional conductor, car-motors, an auxiliary source of power carried by the car, and a controllingswitch adapted when in one position to connect the auxiliary source to the actuating coils of the switches and when in another position to connect the motors and auxiliary source of power and the switch-actuating coils in series.

5. In combination, a main source of power, an auxiliary source of power, a translating said connections are being changed.

source, a controller device adapted to be energized from either source, a controller so constructed and arsa1d translating device power, a controller adapted when in one position to complete a circuit through the auxiliary source of power and the actuating-coils source of ower, connected in shunt to said auxiliary source of power whereby the rate of recharge of the latter may be varied.

In combination, a main source of power, auxiliary source of power and the switch-acan auxiliary source of power, l in series with each other bedevice adapted to be energized from either I tween the feeder and the return.

so constructed and ar- In a sectional-conductor electric-rail said translating device way system, electromagnetic switches for connecting the feeder with the sectional conductor, a car-motor, an auxiliary source of a controller adapted when in one posource, and means for preventing said auxiliary source from being short-circuited while of power and the actuating-coils of the electromagnetic switches to close said switches and when said switches are closed to connect the auxiliary source of power and the actuating-coils of said switches in shunt to each other and in series with the car-motor between the feeder and the return, and when 7. In combination, a main source of power, an auxiliary source power, a translating device adapted to be energized from either source, a resistance, and a controller so confor preventing said auxlliary source of power from being short-c1rcu1ted when the controlfrom one of sald positlons to the 8. In a sectional-conductor electric-railway system, electromagnetic switches for connecting the feeder with the sectional con ductor, car-motors, an auxiliary source of power carried by the car, a controller adapted when in one position to connect the auxiliary source to the actuatingcoils ofthe switches nected in shunt to said auxiliary source of and when in another position to connect the power whereby the whole or any desired part motors, the auxiliary source of power and the of t e current taken by said translating devices may pass through said auxiliary source of power to var r the rate of recharge of the latter.

In witness whereof I have hereunto hand this 22d day of Se tember, 1902.

WILLIAM B. POTTER.

, ower, an auxiliary power, transating devices, a controller for connecting said auxil ary source of ower to said main source of power through t 1e translating devices and an adjustabl eresistance adapted to be confor preventing said auxiliary source from being short-circuited wl e the controller is passing from one of said positions to the other.

9. In a sectional-conductor electric-rail- Way system, connecting the feeder'with the sectional conductor, a car-motor, an auxiliary source of set my Witnesses:

GEORGE DE ,3. GREENE, HELEN ORFORD.