US470095A - La motte g - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

LA MOTTE 0. ATWOOD. MOTOR. No. 470,095.

Patented Mar. 1, 1892 UNTTED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

LA MOTTE O. ATWOOD, OF T. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGN OR TO: THE ATl/VOOD v ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,095, dated March 1, 1892. Application filed September 1, 1890. Serial No. 363,654. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LA MOTTE O. ATWOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in M0- tors, more particularly for locomotion, of which the following is such a full, clear, and

exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates more particularly toa fluid system of transmitting power from a prime motor to one or more shafts to be driven, and is more especially adapted for propelling cars and the like wherein an electric motor is carried by the car and is employed as the prime motor.

The invention consists of one or'more prime motors or armatures for drivingone or more pumps, which actuate a plurality of fluid-motors that transmit the power to the desired object, in combination with means for shutting off one of the fluid-motors, whereby the force of the pumps may be concentrated upon one of said fluid motors to increase the speed. The invention also consists in certain other features and details of construction, which will be hereinafter described, and then pointed out in the claims making a part hereof.

The invention will best be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a'plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention applied to a car; and Figs. II, III, IV, V, and VI are sectional views of details.

The same figures of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

8 is the coil of a field-magnet, having polepieces 9' 9, and between two opposite polepieces at each end of the field-magnet is armature 10. This constitutes a double armature-motor, as set forth in an application for patent filed by me on the 27th of March, 1890, No. 345,616. The said double armature-mot-or is preferably sustained by side bars 11, supported from the axles 12 of the car.

Preferably at each end of the armaturegas may beused for the same purpose.

shafts 13 I place pumps 14. These pumps are connected by means of pipes 16 with res ervoirs 15, carried by the car-frame. These reservoirs may contain oil, water, or other suitable liquid, which is used to transmit the power from the electric motor to the axles of the car. Any fiuidsuch as air-or any case air is used it will be taken from the atmosphere and the reservoirs dispensed with. The objection to using air or gas is that they overheat the apparatus. The objection to using any compressible fluid for this purpose depends upon the well-known lawthat heat is generated on compressing any body or sub stance. I preferably, therefore, use oil or water, which is incompressible, and therefore does not heat the apparatus.

The pumps 14 deliver the liquid to pipes 17, which are connected together by a pipe 18, that connects by a pipe 19 with the main valve or cook 20. This main Valve is clearly shown in Figs. II and III, and is composed of a central plug 21, with a Y-shaped opening 22 therethrough and D-recesses 23 and 24 at each side thereof, which are adapted to comm-un-i-' cate with pipes and ports in the casin'g25 thereof, which will be hereinafter described.

The plug 21 of the main valve or cook 20 may be turned in one of three which positions are represented in Figs. II and III. When the plug is turned, as shown in Fig. II, the pipe 19 may communicate with a pipe 26,which turns upon itself and branches into two pipes 27, as clearly shown in Fig. VI. The pipes 27 pass to valves 28, from which lead pipes 29, that deliver the liquid to fluidmotors 30, which are arranged upon axles 12 of the car. From the fluid-motors the liquid returns to the valves 28 by pipes 31 and leaves said valves 28 by means of pipes 32, which unite in a pipe 33, through which the water passes back to the main valve 20. This main valve, in addition to the connection already described, is provided with three ports 34, which are all connected together. The

liquid leaves pipe 33 and passes through the D-recess 24 of the main valve through the port 34 on the right-hand side of the said main valve to the central port 34, whence it positions,- two of 1 passes through a pipe 35, which leads to a pipe 36, that connects the two reservoirs together, by which the liquid is returned to the starting-point. The fluid is prevented from takin g any other course through the main valve, as all other paths are closed by the plug 21.

Fig. IV represents the normal position of the plugs in the cut-out valves 28, and particularly the cut-out valve 28 at the left hand of Figs. I and VI. This view shows how the plug permits the fluid to circulate through the valves 28 to the fluid-motors and back again through said valves.

If the plug in the righthand valve 28 be turned, as shown in Fig. V, the current through the fluidmotor controlled by said valve will be cut off, and consequently the current from the pumps will be thrown upon the other fluid-motor. This will increase the speed of rotation of the axle 12 and the car will proceed with greater rapidity, owing to the fact that the cross-section through which the fluid travels is reduced one-half, while the quantity of fluid pumped remains the same. Therefore the velocity of the fluid-current in the pipes and fluid-motor will be increased. The valves 28 are used merely to cut outone or the other fluid-motor in order to increase the speed.

It will be noted, of course, that the valves 28, when they cut one of the fluid-motors out of circuit, permit the current generated by the otherfl'uid-motor, which will then act as a pump as the car travels along, to circulate fronrthe fluid-motor cut-out, via the pipe 29 or 31, (as the case may be, depending upon which way the car is going) through the valve 28, by way of the pipe 31 or 29, back to said fluid-motor.

If the plug of the main valve 20 be turned, as shown in Fig. III, the'course of the current will be from the pumps through the pipes 17 and 18, as before, by way of the Y-opening 21 in the plug of said valve to the pipe 35, and thence by way of the pipes 36 back to the reservoirs. Neither of the fluidmotors will therefore receive any of the current, and in course of time the car will come to a standstill, although the prime motors-that is, the arm atures in the present case-sway continue to revolve. By this means I utilize the momentum of the constantly-running armatures to start the car.

Street-car motors are often made heavier and more powerful than is necessary to draw cars after they are started, in order that such motors will have suificient power to get the car under way when at a standstill. 1, however, do not increase the weightof my motor, but make it of a weight and size only to propel the car after it is started and utilize the momentum of theconstantly-running motor to start the car. 1 do not start and stop the motor at all, but allow the motor to run constantly and at, if anything, an increased speedwhen the car is stopped, (by reason of the workhaving been taken off of it,) and thus utilize the momentum thereof in starting, and do not have the inertia of the motor to overcome in starting. Before the car has come to a standstill the fluid-motors will be revolved by the car-axles, and will thus act themselves as pumps. In this condition of affairs the discharge from the fiuid-motors will be either through the pipe 31 and valve 28, and thence through the pipe 32 to the pipe 33 and ports 3i of the main valve to the pipe 35, and thence by way of the pipes 36 to the reservoirs, or will be through the pipes 29, via the valves 28, to the pipes 27, to pipe 26, port 34:, and D- recess 23 of the main valve to pipe 36, depending which way the car is going. \Vhen the discharge from the fluid-motor takes place through one of said courses, water will be drawn by the fluid-motors from the reservoirs through the other course stated. The discharge or current so generated has, however, no eifect upon the apparatus.

I hereby disclaim, first, a pump, in combination with a rotary motor, suitable passages between the pump and motor. a valve intermediate the pump and motor for controlling communication between the same, and a directdischarge-port separate from and independent of the motor controlled by said valve,

whereby the pump may be short-circuitedindependently of the motor, and,second, apump, in combination with a rotary motor and a distributing-valve intermediate the pump and motor and passages of the pump, valve and motor directing the liquid impelled by the pump either way through the motor and back to the pump, according as the valve is set; also, a passage normally directing the liquid back to the pump independently of the motor.

By throwing the Y-opening 21 of the plug of the main valve in communication with the pipes 19 and 33 and the D-recesses of said plug in communication with the two opposite ports 34: the course of the fluid-current will be reversed and the fluid-motors driven in an opposite direction, and will cause the car to proceed in the other direction. The course of the current in this instance will be from the pumps through pipes 17 and 18, via the pipe 19, thence through the pipes 32 to the valves 28, thence through the pipes 31 to the fluid-motors, and from the fluid-motors, by way of the pipes 2.), to the valve 28 again, leaving said valve by way of thepipes 27, and passing to the pipe 26 through the D-recess 23 of the main valve, via the port 34, to the pipe 35, and by way of pipe 36 to the reservoirs. The function of the main valve 20 is to reverse the motion of the car and allow the armatures to run freely without propelling the same.

If while the current is reversed the plug of either of the valves 28 be turned so as to close the port 32, the fluid-motor nearest that valve will be cut out of the fluid-circuit and the current from the four pumps be caused to pass through only one of the fluid-motors and will increase the speed of travel of the car.

This feature is a valuable one in starting a car. When it is necessary to have power, as in starting a car or in ascending a heavy grade, the pumps may actuate both of the fluid-motors, and after the car has gotten under way, or is on a level, the speed may be increased by throwing the work of the pumps on one of thefluid-motors. By utilizing the power of two fluid-motors to start the car, in connection with the momentum of a constantly-running motor, great economy of power is secured and efficiency obtained. All of the above-described apparatus is arranged out of the way below the floor of the body of the car and is stored away out of sight.

Various changes may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention.

WVhat I desire to claim ters Patent of the United tion is 1. The combination of a prime motor, one or more pumps driven by said motor, a plurality of fluid-motors connected with and actuated by said pumps, and one or more cut-out valves located in the connections intermediate the said pumps and fluid-motors for cutting off connection with one or more of the said fluid-motors, whereby one or more of the fluidmotors may be shut off at will and the propelling-power thrown upon the motor or motors remaining in connection, for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a prime motor, one or more pumps driven thereby, a plurality of fluid-motors and pipe connections intermediate the same and the saidpumps, which actuate the motors for supplying the fluid to the fluid-motors and discharging it therefrom, one or more cut-out valves for cutting out at will one or more of said fluid-motors and diverting the propelling-fluid to the other motors, and a second valve located in the pipe connections and adapted to connect the supply directly with one or more of the fluid-motors or directly with the discharge, whereby one or more of the fluid-motors may be shut off from the pumps and the power concentrated upon those remaining in connection therewith and whereby the prime motor and pumps may be run continuously, while the fluid motor or motors may be rendered effective or ineffective in propelling the car.

3. The combination of a prime motor, one or more pumps driven thereby, a plurality of fluid-motors and pipe connections intermediate the same and the pumps for supplying the and secure by Let- States as my invenfluid to the fluid-motors and discharging it therefrom, a reversing-valve located in the pipe connections and adapted to connect at will the supply with one or more of the fluidmotors and reverse the course of the fluid and to connect the supply directly with the discharge to render ineffective the fluid-motors, and an independent cut-off valve for each of said fluid-motors for shutting them off at will to concentrate the power upon the fluid motor or motors remaining in connection, for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with a prime motor, of one or more pumps driven thereby, a plurality of fluid-motors and pipe connections intermediate the same and the said pumps, which drive the motors, and anindependent cut-outvalve for each of the said fluid-motors for shutting it off and concentrating the propelling-power of the fluid upon the remaining motor or motors and allowing the fluid-motor so shut olf to act as a pump while the car is running without affecting the apparatus.

5. The combination, with a prime motor and one or more pumps 14 driven thereby, of the drive shafts or axles 12 12 and a .fluid-motor 30 for driving each of said shafts or axles, a valve 20 and a supply-pipe 19, connecting the same with the said pump or pumps, pipe connections 26, 27, and 29,intermediatethe said valve and the fluid-motors 3O 30, pipe connections 33, 32, and 31, also intermediate the said valve and fluid-motors, and a discharge-pipe 35, leading from said valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with a prime motor and one or more pumps 14 driven thereby, of the drive shafts or axles 12 12 and a fluid-motor 30 for driving each of said shafts or axles, a valve 20 and a supply-pipe 19, connecting the same with the said pump or pumps, pipe connections 26, 27, and 29, intermediate the said valve and the fluid-motors 30 30, pipe connections 33, 32, and 31, also intermediate the said valve and fluid-motors, the said pipe connections 27 and 32 connecting with each other near each of said fluid-motors, and a shut-off valve 28, located at said connectingpoint for shutting off the fluid-motors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this 26th day of August,l890, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LA MOTTE O. ATVVOOD. [L. S.]

Witnesses:

A. O. FOWLER, EDW. B. ROTH.

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