Patent GB-190011845-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Motor Road Vehicles.
Inventor: FREESTONE GEORGE
Filed: 1900-06-30
Granted: 1901-06-29
Abstract: 11,845. Freestone, G. June 30. Motor road vehicles.-Comprises various constructions of vehicles in which the steering-wheels are driven either alone or in conjunction with the other wheels. The transmission gear employed is of various kinds, some of which are suitable for wheels mounted in steering-forks, and others for wheels mounted on stud-axles. Fig. 1 shows one of the forms, in which a steering-wheel mounted in a fork is driven. The motor A is supported on a frame I, through which passes the neck or spindle K<1> of the wheel fork K, and drives the wheel through variablespeed friction gear. The neck K' is surrounded by a sleeve C' carrying a large flat disc C gripped between a pair of friction-wheels D, D<1> which are revolved by the motor. The wheels D, D<1> can be slid along their shafts towards or away from the centre of the disc C, so that the latter can be driven at various speeds. The motion is communicated to the wheel J through the vertical shaft E<2> by means of suitable spur and bevel gear. A gear of this kind may be used to rive the rear wheels of a three-wheeled cart, the motion being transmitted through bevel gear and an inclined shaft. In another form, similar to the first in respect to the disposition of the sleeve C' and the motor A, motion can be given to the sleeve at one or other of two speeds. In this arrangement there are two toothed wheels on the sleeve C', with each of which one of two wheels capable of sliding on a vertical shaft driven by the motor can be made to gear. The sleeve drives the wheel through bevel and chain gear in this case. Fig. 7 shows a two-speed belt gear applied to a wheel mounted in a steering-fork. The sleeve C' carries two pulleys C, the bands on which pass over guide-pulleys D, D<1> and round pulleys on the shaft of the motor A. The guide-pulleys are supported in a frame pivoted at B<2>. By turning the frame slightly, either of the belts can be slackened while the other is tightened at the same time. Motion is transmitted to the wheel J also by a band passing over guide-pulleys E'. Fig. 8 shows a variation of the disc friction gear. In this case. the friction disc B, driven by the motor A, is mounted in a pivoted frame b. so that its face bears against the edge of the disc C. By means of a hand-lever c the frame b can be raised or lowered so as to vary the speed. One of the discs is toothed at the edge, so that, when put at the lowest speed, it gears with a starting wheel and handle at F<3>. Fig. 13 shows in end elevation, and Fig. 14 in plan, a four-wheeled military wagon with dished wheels, all steerirg and all driven. The wheels J are mounted on stud-axles carried by frames pivoted in jaws at the ends of the stationary axles E<3>. These frames each support a pinion I<3> gearing on one side with a toothed ring J' on the road wheel, and on the other side through bevel gear with a divided shaft E<2> driven by balance gear H. The balance gears of the front and back wheels are both driven from the same longitudinal shaft c', which is rotated through variable-speed friction gear, such as that described above, by the motor A. The shaft c<1> is supported in bearings in the frame I, so constructed and connected to the vehicle body as to allow the axles E<3> to tilt relatively to each other in passing over rough ground. A similar gear is shown in the Specification applied to the front and back pairs of steering-wheels of a six-wheeled vehicle, the middle pair being non-steering and driven by chain gear. A similar arrangement suitable for application to existing vehicles is also shown.