Patent GB-190120464-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Motor Cars.
Inventor: FOUILLARON GUSTAVE
Filed: 1901-10-12
Granted: 1902-08-28
Abstract: 20,464. Fouillaron, G. Oct. 12. Motor road vehicles,-Relates to a construction of motor car especially characterized by its gear for changing speed, for unclutching, for braking, and reversal. In t h i s construction the motion is transmitted from the motor, as shown diagrammatically in plan in Fig. 1, through a pair of extensible pulleys 3, 8 connected by a band 20, and through a friction clutch 9 and differential gear 10 to two sprocket wheels 62, 65, each of which drives one of the hind wheels of the vehicle. Each of the extensible pulleys consists of two opposite cones having openings as shown in Fig. 5, so that they can penetrate each other to form a V-shaped bearing-surface for a speciallyconstructed band of triangular section. The construction of this band is shown in Figs. 12, 16, and 17. It is composed of elementary parts built up of several thicknesses of leather glued together. These parts are threaded on catgut cords disposed in two groups of six each, and passed through the holes in such succession as to produce a spiral twist whereby the elementary blocks are kept a fixed distance apart. The method of connecting the ends by metal stirrups is also shown. To alter the diameters of the pulleys, one cone in each is made movable lengthwise on the shaft. The change of speed is effected by changing, through the medium of a lever 19, the diameter of the front pulley 3 which is driven by the motor 2, the other pulley being constructed so as to change automatically to a corresponding extent, keeping the band always equally stretched. This result is attained by subjecting the movable cone of the pulley 8 to the action of a coiled spring operating through a lever 26 and furnished with special means for regulating the tension. This spring always urges the pulley towards its greatest diameter. The braking may be effected either by means of a pedal 90 acting on a brake on the differential gear 10, or by a hand-lever acting on a brake on one of the hind wheels, suitable mechanism being provided on the shaft 67 for first operating on the lever 78 when either brake is applied, so that the differential gear is disconnected from the driving-clutch 9 before the brake goes on. The clutch 9 and the differential gear are shown in section in Fig. 6. The clutch is disconnected by the lever 78 in opposition to springs 50, which have abutments in adjustable screwed sockets 48. Backward motion of the vehicle is obtained, after applying the foot-brake, by depressing at the same time the pedal 128, and thereby through the lever 131 simultaneously disconnecting one of the sprocketwheels 65, and clutching the pulley 8 to the shaft 38, by the means shown in Fig. 5. The drum of the differential gear 10 being held stationary by the brake, the other sprocket-wheel 62 is driven in the opposite direction to the pulley 8. In order to facilitate taking apart and repairing, the driven pulley 8, the friction clutch 9, the differential gear 10, the foot-brake, and gear for reversal are all mounted on a removable underframe 7 detachably fixed to the main frame 1 so that they can be removed entire.