Improvements in Gear for Transmitting Motion from Electric-motors to Driving Axles of Vehicles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted. 28th Sept.,
1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gear for Transmitting Motion from Electric-motors
to Driving Axles of Vehicles.
1, EDWARD HOPKINSON, of Salford Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
In vehicles which are propelled by electric motors it is usual to carry the motor on
the framework of the vehicle and not directly on the axles of the vehicle, and to
connect the shaft of the motor with the driving axle of the vehicle by gearing. In
order to compensate for the movement of the framework relatively to the axles
thereof the gearing employed must be to some extent flexible or self adjusting. To
this end chain gearing has been frequently employed. The object of my Invention
is to connect the shaft of the Electric motor with the driving axle (or axles) of
the vehicle by positive gearing which will give the necessary freedom without the
introduction of a chain, which, for several reasons, is objectionable. Between the
shaft of the motor and the axle of the vehicle I introduce an intermediate shaft
which is carried in bearings fixed on double arms, one member of which has its
other extremity carried on the axle of the vehicle in such wise as to allow angular
motion round it, whilst the second member has its other extremity similarly carried
on the shaft of the electric motor with freedom of angular motion round it. The
intermediate shaft carries a spur wheel, which engages with spur wheels on the
shaft of the electric motor and the axle of the vehicle and acts as a carrier wheel
between the said shaft and axle. Since the shaft upon which this carrier wheel is
mounted has freedom of angular motion round both the shaft of the motor and the
axle of the vehicle, the carrier whee! is also free to roll on either of the wheels on the
said shaft and axle as their relative position is changed. I may make use of two such
carrier wheels so as to drive from one motor shaft on to two driving axles of the
vehicle or there may be a train of gearing in connection with either the shaft of the
motor or the axle of the vehicle with the bearings rigidly connected, and the carrier
wheel inserted in the manner herein before described at any point most convenient.

page_text: In cases where the motor is so fixed that its shaft is at right angles to the axle of the
vehicle it is necessary to employ either worm gearing or bevel gearing, and in this
case in order to give the necessary freedom of relative motion between the said shaft
and axle I make the shaft carrying the worm or the driving bevel wheel independent
of the shaft of the motor and allow the first named shaft freedom of angular motion
round the axle of the vehicle and connect it to the axle of the vehicle by
coupling which will allow relative motion there-between in the plane passing through
their axes.
a flexible
In place of the flexible coupling I may employ a flexible shaft connecting the
rigid shaft upon which the armature of the dynamo is carried and the rigid shaft
carrying the worm.
Dated this 3rd day of Novambor 1007
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents for the said Edward Hopkinson.

page_text: Improvements in Gear for Transmitting Motion from Electric Motors
to Driving Axles of Vehicles.
I EDWARD HOPKINSON of Salford Iron Works Manchester in the County of
Lancaster 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:
In vehicles which are propelled by electric motors it is usual to carry the motor on
the framework of the vehicle and not directly on the axle of the vehicle and to
connect the shaft of the motor with the driving axle of the vehicle by gearing,
In order to compensate for the movement of the framework relatively to the axles
thereof the gearing employed must be to some extent flexible or self adjusting. To
this end chain gearing has been frequently employed. The object of my invention is
to connect the shaft of the Electric motor with the driving axle (or axles) of the
vehicle by positive gearing which will give the necessary compensation or
accommodation without the introduction of a chain which for several reasons is
objectionable. Between the shaft of the motor and the axle of the vehicle I introduce
an intermediate shaft which is carried in bearings fixed on double arms, one arm of
these having its other extremity carried on the axle of the vehicle in such wise as to
allow angular motion round it whilst the other of the said arms has its other extremity
similarly carried on the shaft of the electric motor with freedom of angular motion
round it.
The intermediate shaft carries a spur wheel which engages with a spur wheel on the
shaft of the electric motor and with a spur wheel on the axle of the vehicle and acts as
a carrier wheel between the said shaft and axle. Since the shaft upon which this
carrier wheel is mounted has freedom of angular motion round both the shaft of the
motor and the axle of the vehicle the carrier wheel is also free to roll on either of the
wheels on the said shaft and axle as their relative position is changed. I may make
use of two such carrier wheels so as to drive from one motor shaft on to two driving
axles of the vehicle or there may be a train of gearing in connection with either the
shaft of the motor or the axle of the vehicle with the bearings rigidly connected and
the carrier wheel inserted in the manner herein before described at any point most
convenient. In cases where the motor is so fixed that its shaft is at right angles to
the axle of the vehicle it is necessary to employ either worm gearing or bevel gearing
and in this case in order to give the necessary freedom of relative motion between -
the said shaft and axle I make the shaft carrying the worm or the driving bevel wheel
independent of the shaft of the motor and allow the first named shaft freedom of
angular motion round the axle of the vehicle and connect it to the axle of the vehicle
by a flexible coupling which will allow relative motion between them in the plane
passing through their axes.
In place of the flexible coupling I may employ a flexible shaft connecting the rigid
shaft upon which the armature of the dynamo is carried and the rigid shaft carrying
the worm.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I refer to the accompanying
drawings wherein Figures 1. and 2 show in elevation and plan the application of iny

page_text: Invention to the driving of a car by means of one intermediate shaft with one carrier
spur wheel.
a is the axle of the car or vehicle and the motor shaft or spindle. The carrier
wheel c rotates on and is carried by the intermediate or carrier shaft d. In order that
this shaft may have freedom of motion round the centres a and b it is carried in
bearings on the double arms or levers et e which are centered together on the shaft d
and have their other ends carried on the axles or shafts a and b respectively as shown
or in any other convenient way so as to allow of their angular motion round those
centres. If the position of the shaft be changed relatively to that of the shaft a by
the rise or fall of the car the arms e e turn about a and b, and their inclination is
altered and the carrier wheel c rolls upon a and b still remaining in gear with both.
The dotted lines shown in figure 1 illustrato such a motion. Although for the sake
of clearness spur gear has been shown friction gear can be used if desired. The
shaft a need not necessarily be the axle of the vehicle but may be on an independent
shaft fixed in position relatively to the axle of the vehicle and geared to it by any of
the ordinary methods of gearing. Similarly the shaft & need not be the shaft of the
motor but may be an independent shaft geared to it.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show arrangements I employ for driving the axle of the
vehicle when the motor shaft and the car axle are at right angles Figure 3 showing
my Invention applied to bevel gearing and Figures 4, 5 and 6 to driving by worm
gearing.
to
In Figure 3 the carrier or intermediate shaft is shown as being independent of
the motor shaft 6 but coupled directly to it by any suitable flexible coupling
allow for any slight inequality in the setting of the shafts. The shaft d is carried in
bearings d, the former in a bracket capable of turning on the axle a of the car and
the latter carried by a collar piece made in parts bolted together so as to embrace and
be capable of turning on the axle a. The parts may however be mounted in any other
convenient manner which will allow of the angular motion of the shaft round the
axlo a.
The carrier bevel wheel is placed between the car axle a and the
coupling 62 and gears direct with the wheel a² on the axlo.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a similar method applied to driving by worm gearing
e being the worm on the shaft d which is mounted in a bracket & turning on the
shaft a which carries the worm wheel a². I may also use two such carrier wheels and
shafts connecting the motor shaft to two driving axles on the car, or the carrier wheel
may be inserted at any convenient point of a train of gearing in connection with
the motor or car axle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. For transmitting motion from electric motors to driving axles of vehicles a
carrier wheel between the driving and driven wheels mounted substantially as
herein before described so that it has freedom of angular motion round the driving and
driven wheels compensating for change in their relative positions.
2. For transmitting motion from electric motors to the driving axles of vehicles
the combination of a flexible coupling and carrier wheel with bevel or worm gearing
arranged in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described, and for the purpose
indicated.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1888.