US506237A - Electric car-lighting system - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. F E KINSMAN ELECTRIC OAR LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Patented Oct. 10, 1893.

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IN VEN TUFI" Frawl Efjfu'zsnwn (No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

F. E. KIN SM-AN. ELECTRIC GAR LIGHTING. SYSTEM; No. 506,237. Patented Oct. 10, 1893.

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P E KINSMAN ELECTRIC GAR LIGHTING SYSTEM. No. 506,237.

Patented 001:. 10, 11893.

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ATV-NEST! UNITED S ATES PATENT Onmcn.

FRANK E. KINSMAN, OF PL A INFIEL D, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC CAR-LIGHTING SY'STEM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 506,237, dated October 10, 1893.

Application and September 18.1290. Serial in. 866,815. on model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK E. KINSMAN, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Means for Charging Storage-Batteries from Moving Vehicles, &'c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus wherein means are provided for driving adynamo machine from a moving wheel or axle of a vehicle such for instance as a railway car or a locomotive, or} from any other wheel driven or rotated by a steam engine or ether machine of variable driving power used for other work besides operating such dynamo, and the current generated by such dynamo is employed for charging a storage'battery orv Myinvention is, how.

for any other purpose. ever, especially useful in train lighting when the current from the dynamo supplies the lights directly, alone or in combination with the storage battery, or feeds the battery alone as in systems of train lighting well known in I the art. p

My'invention consists in providing means whereby the dynamo may be connected and disconnected from its driving wheel at pleasme in accordance with the steam or other pressure employed in propelling the vehicle or turning the Wheel so that when the pressure rises above that required for turning the 'wheel at the desired speed, the surplus power may be utilized for operating the dynamo.

My invention consists further inautomati cally regulating the electrical etficiency of the dynamo in accordance with changes in the speed of the wheel so thatthe current employed in charging the storage battery or in running the lamps, or in other ways, may be kept normally at an adj usted'or constant strength and may not rise to a point where it would damage or derange the apparatus. To prevent the back flow of current from the battery through the'dynamo when the speed falls or the dynamo comes to rest, any of the usual devices employed in the art may be used.

My invention consists further in the special combinations of devices and organization of parts whereby I amenabled to produce a ed to drive a dynamo machine from a locomotlve drive wheel or car wheel or axle, or from other moving wheel kept in operation simple, strong and edective apparatus adaptby a steam orfiother engine or driving machine of variable. power. p

The invention consists also in certain special details of construction and combinations of devices that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For the purpose of varying -the output of the dyna'moin accordance with changes in the speed of the vehicle,.l may vary such output either by changing the speed of the dynamo itself, by shifting its commutator brushes, by changing the strength of its field,

or by other means known to electricians.

The connection and disconnection of the dynamo with the driving wheel may be brought about at will by .the locomotive engineer when he observes that he has a greater coupling of the dynamo to the wheel. Such steam pressure may operate either directly or indirectly to move a member of the clutching devices.

In" the accompanying drawings, I have shown in Figure 1, in side elevation, an or ganization of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the frame supporting the dynamo and other parts. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the armature shaft in' proximity to the commut'ator. through the devices which connect the armature shaft with means for imparting longitudinal movement thereto. Fig. 5 is an end view of the spider orframe which supports the armature on the shaft. Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof, the parts being shown .in longitudinal section. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate modificationsin the ways of varying the output of the dynamo machine. Fig. 9 shows a Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section modification in the devices for gearing the dynamo to the vehicle wheel, and for changing the speed. Fig. 10 illustrates a further modification ofmy invention.

A, indicates a suitable frame in which the various parts of the apparatus are mounted in proper position.

B, B,-are the field magnets of the dynamo machine, the armature of whichis indicated at B C, is the shaft of the armature,-= which shaft is provided with a spline c, that engages with a groove in a tube or cylinder carrying the spider D, of the armature for the machine. The heads of the spider D, or the ends of the tube carrying them engage with cross pieces on the frame A, so that the armature may from the dynamo and connected therewith in the wheel F, as shown.

any suitablemanner upon the vehicle.

F, indicates a Wheel of the vehicle upon which the dynamo is carried. The wheel F,

is preferably the drive wheel of a locomotive. The apparatusis mounted so that the shaft (J, is practically parallel to the vehicle wheel shaft and such shaft 0, carries a cone friction wheel O adapted to engage with the edge of As will be obvious, when the shaft 0, is moved inward, a larger diameter of the cone comes into engagement with wheel F, and the speed of the armature will be thereby diminished. Conversely, on a movement of the cone C and shaft (1, in the opposite direction, the speed will be in creased. This device constitutes a well known form of changeable speed gear, and in place of it other changeablespeed gears might be gmployed-without departing from my invenion.

By arranging the parts so that the friction wheel C may be moved away from the edge of the wheel F, a simple friction clutch device is provided whereby the dynamo may be, at pleasure, thrown out of operation or may be thrown into operation so as to be driven by the vehicle wheel when desired. The frame A, in order to permit this movement to be'produced is properly pivoted at the point W, as indicated and is guided by suitable pins and slots as shown when it swings around the center F Aspring F tends to swing the frame so as to nncouple the dynamo from wheel F, to move the clutch in the opposite direction or into gear. I provide a cylinder G, the piston of which carries a rod .63, through which movement is communicated to the frame A, as shown.. The cylinder G, connects at its upper end by a pipe G with any suitable source of air, steam or other fluid or liquid under pressure, and in said pipe G a cock G maybe interposed for the purpose of coptrolling the fluid pressure. The cock (1,

- should be any suitable form of three way cock so that the pressure on the piston may be produced or may be relieved as desired. Preferably, I connect the pipe G with the boiler space of the locomotive so that the steam pressure will act directly on the piston though this is not absolutely necessary, my invention consisting, so far as the automatic operation of the devices is concerned, in gov erning or controlling the movement of the clutching devices C or other clutches by means of the variations inthe steam pressure employed in propelling the vehicle. \Vhen' the pipe G connects directly with the boiler steam space the spring F should be in effect a weighing spring that will hold the clutch C disengaged until the steam pressure rises above a certain predetermined amount for which the spring F may be set. Normally the'spring F will hold the parts disengaged and the armature shaft will be at rest but when the pressure reaches the predetermined amount the spring F will be overcome and the dynamo shaft will be coupled to the driving wheelF, so that the surplus power may be now utilized in driving a dynamo and storing energy in the secondary battery or performing other work. It is obvious that the wheel F, might be anywheel kept in rotation by variable driving power, such for instance, as a steam engine,'though 'my invention'is of especial utility when the driving wheel F, is a locomotive drive wheel.

In order that the outputof the dynamo may remain practically constant, despite changes in speed of the vehicle while the dynamo is too charging the battery,I provide means for adjusting the speed of the armature shaft with relation to that of wheel F,which devices are controlled by a ball governor I, or other speed responsive device driven by or connected .to the armature shaft in any suitable manner. The ball governor I, is here shown as driven by a belt taken from the armature shaft and is made to control a valve indicated at 1*, placed in a pipe or passageleading, from any source of pressure to a cylinder 1 for the purpose of operating a piston therein. The piston of cylinder 1', connects with the shaft 0, and imparts the longitudinal movement thereto required for changing the speed in the manner before described. The piston carries a rod 1 as shown in Fig. 4, which is coupled to the armature shaft 0, bya head I, engaging with a revolving sleeve or barrel I, attached to shaft C. By this means free rotation of the shaft may take place at all times without rotation of the rod 1*. A suitable spring I, connects to the piston rod of the by pressure introduced the shaft longitudinally so as to adjust the changeable speed gear device O ,-in a manner to cause decrease of speed of the armature shaft. Conversely, when the speed falls, an opposite adjustment takes place to keep the speed at practically normal.

In Fig 7, I have shown how the output of the machine might be adjusted by setting or ad usting the brushes of the commutator in the well known manner. Inthis instance the yoke K, that carries the commutator brushes connects with a ball governor K which is driven by any suitable belt connected to the armature shaft 0. The operation is substantially the same as already described, an increase of speed causing an adjustment of the devices-through the operation of the ball governor so as to cut down theoutput and conversely, adecrease of speed moves the adjusting'devices back in a direction to increase 'the output just asin the case of Fig. 1, the

movement of the. changeable speed devices was such as to operate in the direction of increasing or decreasing the output by changing the relative speed under the conditions described, so as to keep the output practically constant.

Instead of employing a ball governor I, as

I shown in Fig. 1, to control another force which shall operate to move the changeable speed device, I might, as indicated in Fig, 8,.employ a ball governor or other speed responsive or feed controlling mechanism attached to the shaft 0, directly in proper manner to .move the same longitudinally with the variations or tendencies to variation in'the speed of the armature.

- Instead'of a coned changeablespeed device, I might employ a changeable speed gear depending upon differences in friction as indi-. cated in Fig. 9, where I have shown a wheel M, of some magnetic material bearingupon the wheel F, of the vehicle. The wheel M, is

' secured directly to the armature shaft and is provided with means for changing its magnetism so that the amount of frictionbetween it and the wheel F, may be varied. A device suitable for so changing the magnetism is a coil 0, on the iron shaft carrying the wheel M. The coil 0, may be in a circuit'taken from the armature circuit-of the machine in any suitable manner and including a variable resistance the box of which is indicated at speed-responsive device I, as driven from the armature shaft 0, I prefer to drive it from an axle of the vehicle as indicated in Fig. 10.

The ball governor or other speed responsive device may be used in this casein any of the ways before described or in any otlier'suitable way to regulate the output of the dynamo in accordance with the changes in the speed of the vehicle.

I do not limit myself to any particular form ofball governor or other device for regulating the output of the dynamo in theways before described or in any other desired manner.

It is obvious that the speed of the armature shaft might also be governed by other forms of changeable speed mechanism without departing from my invention, and that other means for throwing the clutch into andout of gear by the action of the steam pressure might be employed. It is generally, preferable, however, to use a cylinder G, connected directly with the boiler space. The cylinder G,however, permits the employment ofany fluid or liquid pressure properly governed by hand or otherwise for the purpose of bringing the dynamointo gear with a wheel or axle of the vehicle. 7

What I claim as my invention is- '1. The combination, substantially as described, with the armature, of a longitudinally movable shaft O, changeable speed gear connected with said shaft,- and'a piston operating on the shaft to impart longitudinal movement thereto, as and for the purpose described.

2."The'combination, substantially as described, of a storage battery, a charging dynamo therefor driven from the moving vehicle, and means for connecting and disconmeeting the dynamo from the driving wheel,

governed by the steamtpressure used in propelling the wheel.

,3. The combination, substantially as described, with a vehicle wheel, of a' dynamo driven therefrom, a storage battery charged steam pressure so as to disconnect or connect the dynamo with the driving wheel as the pressure rises and falls.

4. The combination, substantially as described, of' a locomotive drive wheel, a .dynamo machine, aclutch for mechanically con-' meeting the armature of said motor to the ing said clutch,-and means upon the locomo tivefor controllingthe pressure on said p1ston while the locomotive is running and in- -dependently of the operation of the brakes,

as and for the purpose described,

5. The combination with a locomotive drive .by. said dynamo, and a clutch adjusted. by

locomotive drive wheel, a piston for operatwheel, of a dynamo machine mounted in a.

movable frame, an armature shaft carrying a wheel adapted to engage with the said drive fa wheel, av storage battery charged from such dynamo, and a piston bearing on the frame and having its cylinder connected with the locomotive boiler space.

6. The combinatmn with the drive wheel, of a magnetic clutch. and means for decreasing the magnetism of said clutch as the speed increases and vice versa, as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination, substantially as described, of a locomotive drive wheel, a dynaino machine the armature of which gears to said drive wheel, a storage battery charged from such dynamo, and means for connecting or disconnecting the armature mechanicallywith the drive wheel according to the changes in the steam pressure.

8. The combination of the dynamo, a storage battery charged thereby, a vehicle wheel driving the dynamo, a clutch, means for operating the clutch in accordance with the steam pressure which drives the vehicle, and

devices for automatically adjusting the output of the dynamo in accordance with changes in the speed of the vehicle. I

9. The combination with a locomotive drive wheel, of a dynamo machine, a storage battery charged therefrom, a clutch between the armature shaft and the drive Wheel, a spring orretractor tending to disengage the clutch, and a cylinder connected with the steam space of the locomotive boiler and having a piston for causing the clutch to engage.

scribed, of a storage battery, a charging dynamo therefor driven from a suitable wheel, and means for connecting and disconnecting the dynamo from'the driven wheel, governed by the steam pressure used in turning the same.

12. The combination, substantially as described, of a dynamo machine, adriving mechanism therefor, and means for automatically connecting and disconnecting the dynamo from the driving mechanism, as the driving power varies,

-13. The combination, of a dynamo, a storage battery charged thereby, a wheel driven by any suitable power, means for connecting anddisconnectingth'e dynamo from said wheel as the strength of the power varies,

and devices for automatically adjusting the output of the dynamo in accordance with changes in the speed of the driving wheel.

14. The combination, with a wheel, of a dynarno machine driven therefrom, a storage battery chargedby such dynamo, a clutch between the armature shaft and the driving Wheel, a spring or retractor tending to disengage the clut'ch, and a cylinder connected with a steam space of the boiler for the engine which operates the driving wheel, said cylinder havinga piston for causing the clutch to engage.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 8th day of September, A. D. 1890.

FRANK E. 'KlNSMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, HUGO KOELKER.

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