Improvements in Autocars or Self-propelling Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Autocars or Self-propelling Vehicles.
I, CHARLES CASMAN, of No. 4 Chaussée d'Acrschot Louvain, Belgium, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to autocars or self-propelling vehicles, and according
thereto I use a turbine as the motor, and employ mechanism which allows the
motion of the turbine to be transmitted to the front wheels of the vehicle, and
also a special arrangement to facilitate travelling around curves in which, as the
vehicle turns, the motion of the outer wheel of the driving axle is rendered
independent of the motion of the inner wheel.
In order to enable the nature of my invention to be properly understood I
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which,
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and
Fig. 2 a side elevation of the forepart of a vehicle to which my invention is applied.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the transmitting mechanism shown separately.
In these figures A is the turbine (for instance a steam turbine) for imparting motion
to the vehicle. B is a vertical shaft on which is a fluted or toothed pinion C by means
of which it transmits the motion of the turbine to a fluted or toothed wheel D keyed
on the upper part of a vertical shaft E which extends through the frame T of the
vehicle, and whose lower end is mounted in a hanger G in such a manner as to rotato
freely therein. As shown in Fig. 3, the vertical shaft E is, on a level with the axle of
the vehicle, provided with an endless screw or worm H which gears with the teeth of
a toothed wheel I keyed on a hollow shaft K in which or through which passes the
axle M of the vehicle. The hollow shaft K is square in cross section; and each of its
ends is provided with a clutch L adapted to slide freely along the said shaft and to
engage with a toothed rim or ring of teeth O on the boss or hub of the adjacent wheel
of the vehicle. Springs P arranged preferably around the hollow shaft K act to
constantly press the clutches L into gear with the toothed rings O.
The motion of the toothed wheel I is thus transmitted to the wheels of the vehicle
by means of the shaft K and the clutch mechanism or coupling L O. When the
vehicle turns or travels around a curve, the wheel situated on the outer side of the
curve, is able to move more quickly than the clutch with which it is in gear, and need
only overcome the very small resistance of the spring which presses said clutch against
the toothed ring with which its hub is provided. It is therefore capable of readily
turning on its axle with a greater speed than the other wheel.
The motion of the turbine may be transmitted to the rear wheels of a vehicle instead
of or in addition to the front wheels without altering in any way the characteristic
features of the mechanism.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Autocars or Self-propelling Vehicles.
I, CHARLES CASMAN, formerly of No. 4, Chaussée d'Aerschot, Louvain, Belgium,
but now of No. 50, Rue de la Gaité, Anderlecht, near Brussels, Belgium, Engineer, 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 has reference to auto-cars or self-propelling vehicles.
According thereto I use in combination with a turbine or other rotary motor, from
which motion is preferably transmitted to the front wheels of the vehicle, a special
arrangement that facilitates travelling round curves by allowing the outside wheel at
this time to rotate more rapidly than the inside wheel.
In order to enable my invention to be readily understood, reference is made to the
drawings filed with my Provisional Specification in which,
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and
Fig. 2 a side elevation of the fore-carriage of a vehicle provided with driving-
mechanism according to my invention actuated by a turbine, whilst
Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the transmitting mechanism separately.
Fig. 4, filed herewith, is a sectional side elevation showing the mechanism driven
by a rotary motor adapted to rotate at a less speed than a turbine.
In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A represents the turbine (for instance a steam turbine) for
imparting motion to the vehicle. B is a vertical shaft on which is a fluted or toothed
pinion C by means of which it transmits the motion of the turbine to a fluted or
toothed wheel D keyed on the upper part of a vertical shaft E, which extends through
the frame of the vehicle and whose lower end is mounted in a hanger G in such a
manner as to rotate freely therein. As shown in Fig. 3, the vertical shaft E is, on a
level with the axle of the vehicle, provided with an endless screw or worm H which
gears with a toothed wheel I keyed on a hollow shaft K into or through which passes
the axle M of the wheels of the vehicle T. Each of the ends of the hollow shaft K is
provided with a clutch sleeve L adapted to slide freely along the said shaft but to rotate
therewith and to engage with a toothed rim or ring of teeth O, on the boss or hub of
the adjacent wheel of the vehicle. Springs Parranged preferably around the
hollow shaft K constantly tend to press the clutch sleeves L into gear with the
toothed rings O.
The motion of the toothed wheel I is thus transmitted to the wheels of the vehicle
by means of the shaft K and the clutch mechanism or couplings LO.
When the vehicle turns or describes a curvo, the wheel situated on the outer
side of the curve has, in order to over-run or move more quickly than tho
clutch-sleeve L with which it is in gear, only to overcome the very small resistance
of the spring P that presses the said clutch-sleeve against the toothed ring O, with
which its hub is provided. It is therefore capable of readily turning on its axle
with a greater speed than the other wheel.
If instead of a turbine, there be employed, as shown in Fig. 4, a rotary motor a
adapted to rotate at a less speed than a turbine, the motion of the motor a may
be transmitted directly to the shaft e that carries the endless screw or worm h and
in that case steam may be supplied to the motor a by means of a flexible pipe r
for the purpose of allowing the fore-carriage of the vehicle to turn under the body.
The motion of the turbine or other rotary motor may be transmitted to the rear
wheels of the vehicle without departing in any way from the characteristic features of
the mechanism.
Instead of the clutch-arrangement for enabling one wheel to turn more rapidly than
the other one, any other mechanism fulfilling the same purpose may be used.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In an auto-car or self-propelling vehicle, mechanism for transmitting the motion
of a motor to the front wheels or to the rear wheels, comprising a vertical shaft carrying
a worm and receiving rotary motion from the motor, a toothed wheel gearing into the
said worm, a hollow shaft which surrounds the axle of the wheels and upon which the
said toothed wheel is keyed, and means for transmitting the rotary motion of the said
hollow shaft to the wheels of the vehicle.
2. In an auto-car or self-propelling vehicle in which rotary motion is transmitted
from the motor to a hollow shaft surrounding the axle of the wheels, mechanism for
transmitting the said motion to the said wheels, comprising two clutch sleeves arranged
on the ends of the hollow shaft in such a manner as to rotate therewith but so as to be
capable of sliding along the said shaft, a toothed rim on the hub of each of the said
wheels, and springs pressing the said clutch sleeves against the said toothed rims,
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
3. In an auto-motor or self-propelling vehicle, driving-mechanism constructed,
arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and
shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 or as modified according to Fig. 4.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.