An Improvement in Mechanically Propelled Common Road Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Mechanically Propelled Common Road
Vehicles.
We ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY, both of 16, Elm
Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to mechanically propelled vehicles for common roads and
has for its object to prevent the transmission of vibrations from the driving wheels
to the motor shaft through the driving chain or other gearing.
The invention consists essentially in the interposition between the motor shaft
and the shaft of the intermediate pinion (from which the driving wheel is driven by
chain or other gearing in the usual manner) of a flexible coupling which while
transmitting the driving motion permits of the intermediate pinion partaking in the
vibratory motion of the wheel consequent on the play of the vehicle springs without
transmitting such vibration to the motor shaft.
The intermediate pinion shaft is mounted in a frame carried by the driving
wheel axle so as to maintain the proper relative position of the gearing through
which the driving motion is transmitted.
The flexible coupling through which the intermediate pinion shaft is connected
to the motor shaft, may be similar to a double universal joint in order that rotary
motion may be transmitted notwithstanding that the shafts are in different parallel
planes, means being provided by a sliding or spring connection to allow for the
variation in length consequent on the variable relative position of the shafts
coupled.
Instead of using a universal coupling of the Hooke type, we may use a flexible
or spiral spring shaft which permits both of reversed flexure and of the necessary
extension and contraction of length.
Dated this 17th day of July 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
An Improvement in Mechanically Propelled Common Road
Vehicles.
We, ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY both of 16, Elm
Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to mechanically propelled road vehicles whatever may be
the source of motive power (that is to say steam, explosive gases, or electricity)
wherein the driving mechanism is protected from the effects of vibration by being

page_text: springs to any suitable manner and it has for its object to prevent the
transmission of vibrations from the driving wheels travelling upon the road to the
motor shaft and actuating mechanism.
The invention consists in the interposition at a suitable point in the shafting, of
a double universal joint or coupling or in some cases of a spiral spring coupling
whereby rotary motion will be transmitted between the parts of the shaft so coupled
whilst permitting the flexure of the shaft necessary to allow of the one part
partaking in the vibrations above mentioned without communicating such vibrations
to the other part.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein
Figure 1 represents the mode of applying the double universal joints to live axles
rotating with the vehicle wheels.
Figures 2 and 3 are elevations illustrating the application of the same joint to
the motor shaft or to a shaft intermediate of the motor shaft and the gearing by
which the vehicle wheel is driven the wheel axle being in this case dead or
stationary.
Figure 4 is a part elevation illustrating a flexible or spiral spring coupling which
may be applied in lieu of the universal joint couplings illustrated in Figures 1 and 3,
in the case of carriages of light weight in which small driving power is used. It
would be of advantage to employ a spiral of greater length than that shewn in the
figure.
The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
The double universal joint may be of any of the usual forms of Hooke's joint,
that shewn comprising a central piece a in each of whose forked ends are pivoted
two opposite arms of a cross whose other two arms at right angles to the first two
are pivoted in a fork c forming part of the driving or driven portions of the shaft ;
but instead of crossed pivots the central portion might terminate in ball ends received
in corresponding sockets the balls being provided with lugs engaging in grooves
in the sockets so as to combine the transmission of rotary motion with freedom of
flexure as well understood. In either case the variation in length consequent on
the reversed flexure and variable relative position of the portions of the shaft
coupled is provided for by one of the forks c being coupled to its part of the shaft
by a tenon and socket e provided with a groove and feather d or equivalent
connection capable of transmitting rotary whilst permitting of longitudinally sliding
motion.
In the case of the spiral spring coupling shewn in Figure 4 this is rigid enough
to transmit rotary motion but of such length as to permit both of the required
reversed flexure and also of the necessary variation of length without the use of
the above mentioned sliding connection.
In Figures 1 and 4, B B are the two parts of the axle of the travelling wheel C
which may have a pneumatic or ordinary tyre and D is the gearing (shewn in
Figure 1 only) through which the part B of the shaft is driven from the motor,
the motor and gearing being in this case supported by the body of the vehicle
resting by the ordinary carrying springs E upon the axle bearings.
In Figures 2 and 3, is the motor shaft or an intermediate shaft driven therefrom
and G is a pinion on the part F' of said shaft mounted in a radius arm H fixed
upon the wheel axle and holding the pinion G in gear with a ring of teeth I fixed
to the travelling wheel C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a mechanically propelled vehicle the combination of the driving mechanism
carried by springs so as not to partake of the vibrations of the driving wheel or
wheels with a double universal joint or joints or flexible couplings interposed

page_text: between the driving shaft and the driving wheel or wheels and permitting of double
reversed flexure and of corresponding longitudinal extension or contraction as and
for the purpose described.
Dated this 17th day of April 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.