Improvements in and relating to Automobile or Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1900 - Accepted, 14th July, 1900
Improvements in and relating to Automobile or Motor Vehicles.
Communicated by GEORGE BAXTER UPHAM, of No. 74, Chestnut. Street, Boston,
County of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Attorney-
at-Law.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
This invention relates to automobile, or motor vehicles, and it has for one of
its objects the production of a vehicle of the class referred to wherein the motor
may be run at a comparatively slow speed thus reducing the wear and tear of the
motor, and greatly extending its life.
Again, the actuating connections in my present invention, between the motor
and driving wheels, are substantially free from injury by mud or dirt, and the
parts are better protected from wear due to the action of grit and dust than is a
sprocket or other geared connection commonly employed to transmit power from
the motor to the driving wheels of the vehicle.
The improved vehicle may comprise a two-part frame, and a removeable body,
the two parts of the frame being hereinafter designated as the main and auxiliary
frame, yieldingly connected The main frame comprises side bars or perches, a
front cross-bar, a rear cross-bar, made in two parts and connected between its ends
by preferably a double truss, and a reach connecting the perches and front cross
bar, the frame being preferably constructed of tubing to secure lightness, strength
and a certain flexibility, the parts being securely connected and held together by
suitable joints or couplings.
.
The two side bars at their front ends enter slip joints or sockets forming part
of suitable T-couplings, the latter being secured to the cross-bar while the
coupling is loosely mounted on the cross bar and held from lateral movement by
suitable collars on the bar, the side bars having at times a slight twisting move-
ment in the joints or sockets.
The reach is substantially V-shaped and is connected at or near its extremities
with the side bars by pivot bolts and at its apex by a pivot bolt to the front bar,
the pivotal connection permitting of flexure of the frame while at the same time
preventing separation of the side bars and front cross bar.
The side bar which enters the rigid coupling is at its rear end rigidly secured
to a sleeve-like coupling which loosely embraces the rear cross bar and is pre-
vented from lateral movement thereon by suitable collars, while the, rear end of
the other side bar is braced or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear cross har
by a coupling.
A vehicle standing or running over an uneven surface cannot maintain contact
between the several wheels and the ground unless there is flexibility of the frame
10 compensate and this flexibility is accomplished thus,

page_text: The tubular members of the frame may for strength be filled with elastic bars
of wood.
The cross bars may be provided with like seats those on the rear cross bar
being mounted upon the outer bearings for the driving shaft, the several seats
being slightly recessed on their upper faces and having secured thereto upright
standards or rods preferably threaded at their upper ends to enter hollow bosses
forming parts of straps or brackets of the auxiliary frame, these threaded ends
having screwed upon them retaining nuts to prevent separation of the frames.
Springs surrounding the standards rest at their lower ends in the recessed
seats and bear against the bosses to thus yieldingly support the auxiliary frame.
To the springs any suitable shield or guard may be employed each seat and
corresponding member of the auxiliary frame may be provided with shields respec-
tively telescoped one into the other to permit the free up and down relative move-
ment of the main and auxiliary frames while protecting the spring and other
parts, or a flexible tube of suitable material could be employed.
The auxiliary frame comprises side bars, a front cross bar, an auxiliary front
cross bar and a rear cross bar the auxiliary frame being preferably more rigidly
secured together than is the main frame.
The vehicle body, is detachably mounted upon the auxiliary frame and ordi-
narily adapted to conceal and protect the motor.
The driving shaft may be constructed substantially as described in Application
for Patent No. 10020, dated May 2, 1898 and comprise outer wheel carrying
members to which the driving wheels are rigidly secured and an intermediate
crank member provided with two cranks set quartering and with their crank
pins respectively adapted to be connected to the motor.
The spur gear is rotatable with the one driving wheel; while the bevel gear
is rotatable with the other driving wheel, the said wheels being connected with
the crank member of the driving shaft by compensating mechanism such as shown
in the application referred to, whereby notwithstanding the intervening crank
member the driving wheels rotate differentially as in turning corners, and pinions
are rotateably mounted in the crank pins and connected by a sprocket chain
meshed respectively with spur gears connected with one of the bevel gears corre-
sponding to the spur gear the intermediate spider having usual bevel pinions
as in the patent referred to, fhe spider being fast on the crank member of the
driving shaft and through the compensating mechanism transmitting rotation
of the shaft to the driving wheel.
The two centrally separated members of the rear cross bar of the main frame
are connected by a double truss, one member of the truss extending horizontally
back of the central line of the cross-bar, while the other truss is upturned, this
construction providing for sweep of the cranks, but also strengthening the frame.
A band brake may be applied to the actuating member of the compensating
mechanism.
The front cross-bar is embraced by a collar having an upright sleeve bearing
in which is secured a tube extended above and below the sleeve and preferably
provided at its upper and lower ends with bushings for a rock shaft to receive
the hubs of arms one rearwardly extended beneath the frame, the other extended
from the upper end of the rock-shaft.
The front cross-bar has pivotally mounted at its ends spindles on which the
front wheels are mounted said spindles rocking on upright pivots, and attached
to the said spindles are inwardly inclined lever arms pivotally attached at their
free ends to rods extended toward each other and pivotally connected at their
inner ends to the rear end of one of said arms.
By swinging the rock shaft in. one direction or the other the wheel spindles
will be swung bodily on their vertical fulcra.
The cross bar of the auxiliary frame may have an upright tubular standard or
support secured to a coupling fastened to the cross bar forming a support for the
steering head bent at its upper end to form an extended arm the head having a

page_text: shoulder to rest upon the upper end of the support maintaining the head in
place.
The lower end of the head is provided with a bushing extending below the
head with an external taper and threaded, said tapered portion having forced upon
it the hub of a foot extended in parallelism with the arm of the vertical rock-shaft.
A tubular nut internally threaded and provided with a vertical lip or feather.
is screwed tightly upon the threaded end of the said bushing and aids in main-
taining the foot in place, said nut receiving upon it a sleeve provided with a
vertical slot to receive the said lip.
The said sleeve has parallel segmental lips to form a guideway the lower end
of the sleeve being threaded cut oppositely to the threaded part nut, the two
threaded portions referred to engaging an internal double threaded nut having
right and left hand threads to correspond to the two parts referred to.
This double threaded nut is connected with a shaft extended through the ver-
tical portion of the steering head and below the lower end of the sleeve so that
the nut will rotate when the said shaft is rotated, but the latter may be moved
longitudinally relatively to the double threaded nut.
By rotation of the nut the sleeve is slid up or down upon the nut the double
threading effecting a greater vertical movement of the sleeve for a given amount
of rolation of the shaft than with a single thread.
The segmental guideway of the sleeve engages a bell crank on a 'suitable
bracket on the auxiliary frame, said bell crank being connected by a rod with a
second bell crank mounted upon the motor, in turn, connected by a rod with a
lever to control the throttle of the motor.
A second bell crank lever is connected to a second bell crank which operates
a reversing device for the motor.
The last named bell crank jointed to the lower end of the shaft controls the
reversing device rotative movement of said shaft controlling the speed regulating
device.
The overhanging arm has a rotative longitudinally extensible member with
grip, a cap at end of the arm forming a bearing for said extensible member,
while at its inner end the member is provided with a bearing block substantially
barrel-shaped so that it will slide freely in the overhanging arm and at the same
time form a support for the inner extensible member.
The inner end of this member is connected with the upper end of the shaft
so that rotative movement will be imparted to the said shaft.
The upper end of the shaft has a cylindrical bearing block and the flexible
connection may comprise a series of bearing blocks with holes at each end to
receive the bent ends of connecting links.
Each link may be of wire with one end bent laterally to enter one of the bearing
blocks while its other end is also bent laterally.
The latter end loosely enters the next bearing block and two blocks are thus
connected by a link with a species of universal joint, so that while rotation of
the extensible member will be transmitted by this connection to the shaft, said
connection will be sufficiently flexible to travel around the curved portion of the
steering head between it and the lower end of the overhanging arni.
The inner extensible member constitutes a controller for the vehicle whereby
the latter can be steered, its speed regulated and its direction of movement
forward or back controlled.
By swinging the controller to the right or left the steering head will be
rocked in its vertical support to steer the vehicle, the foot being connected with
the arm by a link and by rotative and longitudinal movement of the hand con-
troller the speed and direction of movement of the vehicle front or backward will
be controlled.
The steering head mounted on the auxiliary frame may be yieldingly con-
nected with the main frame, and the vertical rock-shaft mounted on the latter
frame, freedom of movement between the foot of the steering head and the arm

page_text: being attained by the link being connected with the said arm and foot respec-
tively by ball and socket joints, the outer end of the arm having an upturned
projection while the end of the link forms one part of the socket, a cap holding
the socket part in place.
The other end of the link is provided with a similar socket member and the
foot has a depending pin with a ball end to enter the socket member of the link.
The motor may comprise a boiler say a vertical with offset casing in which are
located the cylinders, preferably a plurality of cylinders, and piston rods.
The boiler may have rigid web-like brackets the ends of the brace being
extended beyond the brackets and made spherical to enter socket members of
distance members rearwardly extended towards the back of the vehicle, and trans-
versely jointed to ears on collars rigidly secured to the upturned ends of the truss.
The motor is yieldingly supported from the vehicle wheels and the distance
members serve to maintain a constant distance between the motor or the actuat-
ing members thereof and the crank driving shaft of the vehicle while permitting
by the jointed connections the movements of the motor relatively to the shaft.
The reciprocations of the piston rods of the motor are transmitted to like
rocking members such as bell cranks fulcrumed side by side in bearings con-
nected with a suitable bracket secured to the cylinder casing there being con-
necting rods between the piston rods and the upper arms of the rocking actuators.
These actuators may be formed of two parallel bell crank or two-armed plates
connected by a hub or bushing at their fulcrum point, the extremities of the
depending arms being connected by a pin having a nearly spherical central portion
which is embraced by two members of a socket member, being in turn attached
to one end of the connecting rods interposed between the actuators and the crank
pins of the driving shaft.
This provides an universal joint between the connecting rods and its corre-
sponding actuator, the other end of the connecting rod is also universally jointed
to the crank shaft.
Each of the crank pins is embraced by the two parts of the box connected and
held in place by bolts which pass through caps the latter retaining in place the
T-shaped end of the connecting rod, which is rounded to form journals having
bearings in a semi-cylindrical recess in the part of the box and a corresponding
recess in the caps.
This forms another species of universal joint and by attaching the longitudin-
ally rigid connecting rods to the actuating members of the motor and to the
crank shaft respectively I make provision for the lateral up and down and rocking
movements which may be set up relatively between the motor and the crank
shaft and obtain the advantages of a direct connection between the motor and
driving shaft by combined tension and compression members.
A flexible power transmitting connection between the motor and driving shaft
has a number of advantages permitting great flexibility of the different parts, but
it wears out with considerable rapidity, and is thrown out of its path of travel
by travelling over rough roads..
The direct mode of connection is simpler, cheaper and more powerful and
by my invention imports flexibility.
With such connection the necessity of maintaining a fixed distance between the
motor and the driving shaft will be manifest and the utility of the distance mem-
bers obvious.
WM BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Automobile or Motor Vehicles.
1, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent (a communication from George Baxter Upham,
of No. 74, Chesnut Street, Boston, County of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Attorney-at-Law), 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 automobile or motor vehicles, and it has for one of its
objects the production of a vehicle of the class referred to wherein the motor may
be run at a comparatively low speed thus reducing the wear and tear of the
motor and greatly extending its life.
Again, the actuating connections in my present invention, between the motor
and driving wheels, are substantially free from injury by mud or dirt, and the
parts are better protected from wear due to the action of grit and dust than is a
sprocket or other geared connection commonly employed to transmit power from
the motor to the driving wheels of the vehicle.
Other novel features of the invention will be hereinafter described in the
specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 in side elevation and partial section, represents a motor vehicle embody-
ing one form of my invention, the side of the body and the wheels nearest the
observer being omitted to clearly show. the important parts of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the main frame shown in Fig. 1, the driving
and steering wheels being partly indicated by dotted lines, the auxiliary frame,
motor and body being omitted, but I have shown in Fig 2 the connection between
the motor and the crank driving shaft and also the distance members to. be
described.
Fig. 3 is a detail in end elevation and partial section showing a convenient
manner of yieldingly connecting the main and auxiliary frames, the body of the
vehicle resting upon the latter.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a part of the steering head
shown in Fig. 1 and the parts contained therein.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line X-X Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the vertical rock-shaft
mounted on the main frame taken on the line XX, Fig. 2.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the actuating members of the
motor showing the universal joint between said member and one of the con-
necting rods.
Fig. 8 is a right hand end elevation of said actuating member, a part of it
being, shown in section, and with one of the socket members removed to show the
ball member of the joint carried by the actuating member and
Fig. 9 represents in section one of the crank pins of the driving shaft and
the journal box surrounding the latter, and also illustrating the transverse joining
of the connecting rod to the box.
I have herein shown the vehicle as comprising a two part frame, and a remov-
able body, the two parts of the frame being herein after designated as the main
and auxiliary frame, yieldingly connected, as will be described, and referring
to Figs. 1 and 2 the main frame comprises side bars or perches a, a. front cross-
bar a¹, a rear cross-bar a³, made in two parts and connected between its ends by
preferably a double truss, as will be described, and a reach a³ connecting the

page_text: perches and front cross bar, the frame being preferably constructed of tubing to
secure lightness, strength and a certain flexibility very desirable to the efficient
construction of a motor vehicle which is to travel over all kinds of roads, good
and bad, the parts being securely connected and held together by suitable joints
or couplings to maintain its rectangular shape while providing for flexibility.
The two side bars at their front ends enter slip joints or sockets a forming
part of suitable T couplings A, A, the latter, as herein represented, being brazed
or otherwise rigidly secured to the cross bar a, while the coupling A is loosely
mounted on the cross bar and held from lateral movement by suitable collars
on the bar, the side bars having at times a slight twisting "movement in the
joints or sockets at.
The reach is substantially V-shaped, as shown, and is connected at or near
its extremities with the side bars by pivot bolts 3, and at its apex by a pivot
bolt 4 to the front bar a¹, the pivotal connection permitting of flexure of the
frame while at the same time preventing separation of the side bars and front
cross bar a¹.
The side bar which enters the rigid coupling A¹ is at its rear end rigidly
secured to a sleeve-like coupling A2 which loosely embraces the rear cross bar 2
and is prevented from lateral movement thereon by suitable collars 5, while the
rear end of the other side bar is braced or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear
cross bar by a coupling a³.
It will be manifest that when a vehicle stands or is running over an irregular
and uneven surface the several wheels cannot maintain firm contact with the
ground unless there is a certain flexibility of the frame to compensate for the
different levels at which the wheels stand, and this flexibility is accomplished
in the present case by the construction described.
If desired and in order to secure additional strength the tubular members of the
frame may be filled with hickory or other stout elastic bars of wood.
I have herein shown the cross-bars as provided at or near their ends with like
seats, those on the rear cross bar being mounted upon the outer bearings a for
the driving shaft, to be described, the several seats being slightly cupped or
recessed on their upper faces, and having secured thereto upright standards or
rods a preferably threaded at their upper ends at 8, Fig. 3, to enter hollow
bosses forming parts of the straps or brackets a⁰ secured to or constituting a
part of the auxiliary frame to be described, the threaded ends of the standards
having screwed upon them retaining nuts a¹² to normally prevent accidental
separation of the main and auxiliary frames.
S
Spiral springs surrounding the standards rest at their lower ends in the
recessed seats and at their upper ends bear against the bosses to thus
yieldingly support the auxiliary frame and whatever may be carried thereby.
To prevent access of dust and dirt to the springs any suitable shield or guard
may be employed; and herein I have shown each seat and the corresponding
member of the auxiliary frame as provided with tubular shields a, a, respec-
tively telescoped one into the other to permit the free up and down relative
movement of the main and auxiliary frames while protecting the spring and
other parts, instead of such a telescopic guard it will be manifest that a flexible
tube of suitable material, such as leather, could be employed.
The auxiliary frame comprises side bars, a front cross bar 6, an auxiliary
front cross bar 6x and a rear cross bar 62, the auxiliary frame being preferably
more rigidly secured together than is the main frame, as flexibility is not neces-
sary to the same degree.
The vehicle body B may be of any suitable shape, construction or arrangement,
and is detachably mounted upon the auxiliary frame as herein shown, the body
being ordinarily adapted to conceal and protect to a greater or less extent the
motor.
The driving shaft. or axle in my present invention is constructed substantially
as described in the Complete Specification of Application for Letters Patent

page_text: No. 12671 dated June 17th 1899, made by the present applicant and comprises
essentially outer wheel carrying members c to which the driving wheels Ware
rigidly secured, and an intermediate crank member, herein shown as provided
with two cranks c¹, c² set quartering and with their crank pins 3, c, respectively
adapted to be connected, as will be described, to the motor to be actuated thereby.
The spur gear Fig. 2 is rotatable with the adjacent wheel W, while the
bevel gear is rotatable with the other driving wheel, the said wheels being
connected with the crank member of the driving shaft by compensating mechan-
ism, such as shown in the specification referred to, whereby notwithstanding
the fact of the intervening crank member the driving wheels are permitted to
rotate differentially as in turning corners, and I shall not herein describe such
compensating mechanism in detail it being sufficient to say that pinions and
rotatably mounted in the crank pins and connected by a sprocket chain mesh
respectively with the spur gears and the latter being rigidly connected with
one of the bevel gears, not shown, corresponding to and placed opposite the
gear the intermediate spider C having the usual bevel pinions to simultaneously
mesh with the bevel gears as in the Application for Patent No. 12671 of 1899
referred to the spider being fast on the crank member of the driving shaft and
through the compensating mechanism transmitting rotation of the shaft to the
driving wheel.
The two centrally separated members a² of the rear cross bar of the main frame
are connected by a double truss shown in Figs 1 and 2: one member of the truss,
as A 10, extending horizontally back of the central line of the cross-bar, while
the other truss, as A 12, is upturned at substantially right angles to the truss A 10,
this construction providing not only a proper space for the sweep of the cranks,
but also stiffening and strengthening the back end of the frame, and the inner
crank shaft bearings are preferably mounted at the intersection of the trusses
and cross bar members 11².
A band brake is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as applied to the actuating or driving
member C of the compensating mechanism, as the same is not broadly claimed
herein it will be sufficient to state that the resilient brake bend 650 surrounds a
suitable friction surface on the exterior of the spider C, and is operated by a
link connected to a bell crank rocked by a rod 3 lead to any suitable
part of the vehicle, the bell crank being mounted on the upright truss A 12, while
the other end of the brake band 750 is connected by a rod or strap 4 to a fixed
point on the truss.
The front cross bar a is embraced by a collar 20 having an upright sleeve
bearing in which is braced or otherwise suitably secured a tube extended
above and below the sleeve and preferably provided at its upper and lower ends
with bushings 23, see Figure 6, for a rock shaft a, shown as tapered at its
ends at a to receive the hubs of arms 26 and 27 respectively the latter arm being
rearwardly extended beneath the frame: while the arm 2 is extended from the
upper end of the rock-shaft substantially at right angles to the arm 7,
clearly shewn in Fig. 2.
as
Suitable retaining nuts 26 and 27 serve to retain the arms in place on the
rock-shaft.
The front cross-bar a has pivotally mounted at its outer ends outwardly-
extended wheel spindles 20, see dotted lines Fig. 2, on which the front wheels (20
are rotatably mounted it being understood that said spindles will rock on up-
right pivots, and attached to the said spindles are inwardly inclined lever arms
pivotally attached at their free ends to rods, extended toward each other and
pivotally connected at their inner ends to the rear end of the arm 27, by a suit-
able holt.33, one of said rods in Figure 1, being shown in section.
By swinging the rock shaft 2 in one direction or the other the wheel spindles
will be swung bodily on their vertical fulcra, this manner of mounting steering
wheels being of well known construction and is substantially as shown in the
Specification of Application for Patent No. 12671 of 1899 referred to.

page_text: The cross bar 6x of the auxiliary frame is herein shown as provided with an
upright tubular standard or support H*, rigidly secured to a coupling B, braced
or otherwise fastened to the cross-bar, said standard forming a support for the
steering head or post H, shown best in Fig. 4 made tubular and bent at its upper
end to form an overhanging rearwardly extended arm H¹, the head having an
external annular shoulder h to rest upon the upper end of the support H* and
maintaining the head in place vertically.
The lower end of the head is shown in Fig. 4 as provided with a bushing h¹.
brazed in place and extending below the head with an external taper 2 and
threaded at its extremity at h³ said tapered portion having forced upon it the
hub of a foot h, shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, the said foot being extended sub-
stantially in parallelism with the arm of the vertical rock-shaft, but, as shown
in Fig. 2, it is shorter than the arm 26.
A tubular nut h internally threaded at h and provided with a vertical lip or
feather is screwed tightly upon the threaded end 3 of the bushing ¹ and aids
in maintaining the foot h* firmly in place, said nut receiving upon it a sleeve H5
provided with a vertical slot 40 to receive the lip or feather h of the tubular
.nut .
The sleeve H³ is also provided exteriorly with two parallel segmental lips to
form between them a guideway 18 see Fig. 4, for a purpose to be described the
lower end of sleeve being threaded at hoppositely to the threaded part h³ of the
nut h the two threaded portions referred to engaging an internal double threaded
nut N* having right and left hand threads to correspond to the two parts referred
to.
*
Referring to Fig. 5 this double. threaded nut N* is connected, as by a spline n
with a shaft 10 extended through the vertical portion of the steering head and
also below the lower end of the sleeve H, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, so that the
nut N* will rotate when the said shaft is rotated, but the latter may be moved
longitudinally relatively to the double threaded nut.
By rotation of the nut the sleeve H³ is slid up or down upon the nut 4, the
double threading effecting a greater vertical movement of the sleeve for a given
amount of rotation of the shaft 10 than with a single thread.
The segmental guideway 48 of the sleeve engages a bell crank *, Fig. 1,
mounted on a suitable bracket on the auxiliary frame, said bell crank being con-
nected by a rod r with a second bell crank mounted upon the motor to be
described, this latter bell crank in turn being connected by a rod 2 with a
lever to control the throttle T of the motor, in the present instance of my
invention, as I have shown a steam motor, but any other speed controlling device
for a motor could be operated by connection with the sleeve H³ without departing
from my invention
A second hell crank lever t, Fig. 1, is connected by a link to a second bell
crank which, in turn, operates a reversing device R for the motor, such revers-
ing device being of any well known or usual construction and forming no part
of this invention.
The bell crank t is jointed to the lower end of the shaft 10 and manifestly
longitudinal movement of said shaft will, in the present instance, control the
_reversing device of the motor, while rotative movement of said shaft will control
the speed regulating device for the motor.
A mere reversal of these parts is clearly within the spirit and scope of my
invention, for if desirable or necessary the longitudinal movement of the shaft
could be made to regulate the speed and the rotative movement to effect reversal
of the motor.
The overhanging arm Hi is provided with a rotative longitudinally extensible
member H2 provided at its outer end with a suitable hand piece or grip H³, a
cap at the end of the arm forming a bearing for said extensible member,
while at its inner end the member is provided with a bearing block 13 shown as

page_text: substantially barrel-shaped so that it will slide freely in the overhanging arm, and
at the same time form a support for the inner extensible member H³.
The inner end of this member is connected with the upper end of the shaft ho
by any suitable flexible connection of such a character that rotative movement of
the member H2 will be imparted to the said shaft.
The upper end of the shaft is shown in Fig. 4 as provided with cylindrical
bearing block 14 and the flexible connection herein shown is very simple, strong
and effective, and it comprises essentially a series of bearing blocks e, substantially
shaped exteriorly like the block 13, and provided with holes at each end to receive
the bent ends of connecting links el.
Each link is made of strong heavy wire it may be, with one end as e², bent
laterally to enter one of the bearing blocks; while its other end, as e³, is also bent
laterally but a right angles to the end ².
The end e³ loosely enters the next bearing block and two blocks are thus con-
nected by a link with a species of universal joint, so that while rotation of the
extensible member H2 will be transmitted by this connection to the shaft 10, said
connection will be sufficiently flexible to travel around the curved portion of the
steering head between it and the lower end of the overhanging arm H¹.
The member H2 constitutes a controller for the vehicle whereby the latter can
be steered, its speed regulated and its direction of movement forward or back
controlled.
By swinging the controller to the right or left it will be obvious that the
steering head will be rocked in its vertical support to steer the vehicle, the foot h*
being connected with the arm 26 by a link a, and by rotative and longitudinal
movement of the hand controller the speed and direction of movement of the
vehicle front or backward will be controlled.
The steering head is mounted on the auxiliary frame which in the present
embodiment of my invention, is yieldingly connected with the main frame, and
the vertical rock shaft a is mounted on the latter frame, so that it is necessary
to provide great freedom of movement between the foot * of the steering head
and the arm a26.
For this purpose the link 30 is connected with the said arm and foot respec-
tively by ball and socket joints of any suitable description; the outer end of the
arma, as shown in Fig. 1, having an upturned projection 45 terminating in a
ball not shown, while the end of the link forms one part of the socket a cap 46
being bolted thereto around the ball to hold the socket part in place.
The other end of the link 30 is provided with a similar socket member 47, and
the foot has a depending pin 48 with a ball end to enter the socket member
of the link.
This connection provides for all of the various relative movements of the main
and auxiliary frame without interfering in the least with the steering of the
vehicle.
Referring to Fig. 1 a motor is therin represented, and it may be substantially
such a motor as shown in the Complete Specification of Application for Letters
Patent No. 12670 dated June 17th 1899 made by the present applicant, and com-
prising a boiler M having an attached offset casing in which are located the
cylinders, I preferring to use a plurality of cylinders, the piston rods P of two
cylinders being shown in Fig. 1, the boiler being of the vertical type, and it is
provided with rigid web-like brackets or standards m* see Fig. 2, the ends of the
brace being extended beyond the brackets and made spherical, as at m, see dotted.
lines Fig. 2, to enter socket members m¹ of distance members, shown as longi-
tudinally rigid rods m², rearwardly extended towards the back of the vehicle, and
transversely jointed at m³ to ears m² on collars m³ rigidly secured to the upturned
ends of the truss A 12.
The motor is yieldingly supported in any suitable manner relatively to the
vehicle wheels, and herein I have shown the motor as adapted to be carried by
the auxiliary frame, and the distance members, described, serve to maintain a

page_text: constant distance between the motor or the actuating members thereof, to be
referred to, and the crank driving shaft of the vehicle, while permitting by the
jointed connections referred to the up and down movement of the motor relatively
to the shaft, and also permitting rocking or tipping movement or any resultant
of such movements.
The reciprocation of the piston rods of the motor are transmitted to like rocking
members M2, shown as bell cranks fulcrumed side by side at m in bearings m
connected by struts m8 with a suitable bracket m³ bolted or otherwise secured to
the cylinder casing M¹, the short connecting rods P¹ between the piston rods and
the upper arms of the rocking actuators being shown in dotted lines Fig 1.
A convenient construction for the actuators is shown on a larger scale in Figs. 7
and 8, the said actuators being formed of two parallel bell crank or two armed
plates m2, connected by hub or bushing m3 at their fulcrum point, the extremi-
ties of the depending arms being connected by a pin m³, see Fig. 8, having a
nearly spherical central portion m which is embraced by the two members 50
and 51 of a box forming a socket member, securely connected by suitable bolts 52,
the socket members or boxes being in turn attached to one end of the connecting
rods M interposed between the actuators and the crank pins of the driving shaft,
the bolts 52 not only connecting the two parts of the socket member, but also
passing through the upset or flattened end m120 of the connecting rod.
This construction described provides one form of universal joint between the
connecting rod M and its corresponding actuator, and as most clearly shown in
Figs. 2 and 9 the other end of the connecting rod is also universally jointed to
the crank shaft.
Referring to Fig. 9, one of the crank pins, as c³, is shown in section and
embraced by the two parts 60 and 61 of the box, the said parts of the box being
connected and held in place by suitable bolts 62, which latter also pass through
caps 63, the latter retaining in place the T-shaped end m130 of the connecting
rod, which is rounded to form journals having bearings in a semi-cylindrical
recess 64 in the part 60 of the box and a corresponding recess in the caps 63,
the T-end m30 of the connecting rod being set a right angles to the crank pin.
This connecting of the rod with the crank shaft forms another species of sub-
stantially universal joint, and by attaching the longitudinally rigid connecting
rods m¹ to the actuating members of the motor and to the crank shaft respec-
tively I make provision for the lateral, up and down and rocking movements
which may be set up relatively between the motor and the crank shaft, and I
obtain all of the advantages of a direct connection between the motor and
driving shaft by combined tension and compression members, while at the same
time adapting such mechanism to a motor vehicle of the character described.
A flexible power transmitting connection between the motor and driving shaft,
as by a sprocket chain, has a number of advantages, as such construction admits
of great flexibility of the different parts, but the disadvantages are also numerous
as a chain is expensive, wears out with considerable rapidity, and is also apt to
be thrown considerably out of its proper or theoretical path of travel by the
relative movement of different parts of the vehicle in travelling over rough roads.
The direct mode of connection is simpler, cheaper and more powerful, and by
my invention has substantially the important feature of flexibility.
With such connection the necessity of maintaining a fixed distance between the
motor and the driving shaft will be manifest and the utility of the distance mem-
·bers, hereinbefore described will be obvious.
While I have herein. shown one practical embodiment of my invention, various
changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of my invention, for so far as I am aware it is broadly
new to provide a universally jointed and direct connection between the motor
and driving shaft of a road vehicle; the term direct connection"
here in contradistinction of the use of a belt, band, chain or other endless flexible
being used
device

page_text: Among the advantages accruing from the use of a vertical acting motor, such
substantially as herein shown, one of the most important is the reduction or
neutralization of the vibrations which the operation of the motor tends to set up,
as the vibrations of the vertical and horizontal acting members to a very con-
siderable degree operate against each other.
Again the close proximity of the engine proper to the steam generator shortens
the necessary steam passages or connections, thereby reducing to a minimum the
condensation due to such connections, and by its elevated position the engine is
further removed from and better protected from the action of the dust of the
highway over which the vehicle travels.
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 In a motor vehicle, a crank shaft provided with driving wheels, compen-
sating mechanism connective of said shaft and wheels to permit differential rota-
tion of the latter, a motor, and direct connecting means between the motor and
crank shaft, universally jointed to each.
2: In a motor vehicle, a crank shaft provided with driving wheels, compen-
sating mechanism connective of said shaft and wheels, to permit differential rota-
tion of the latter, a yieldingly supported motor, direct actuating means between
the motor and crank shaft universally jointed to each, and means to maintain a
constant distance between the motor and the shaft while permitting relative
movement thereof.
3: In a motor vehicle, a flexible frame, steering and driving wheels mounted
upon the frame, a crank shaft to actuate the driving wheels, a motor, longitudin-
ally rigid actuating means between the motor and crank shaft and universally
jointed to each, and distance members jointed respectively to the motor and crank
shaft bearings, to maintain a constant distance between the motor and crank shaft.
4: In a motor vehicle, a motor provided with rocking transmitting members, a
crank shaft provided with driving wheels, connecting rods between and univer-
sally jointed to the crank shaft and rocking members of the motor, and means to
maintain a constant distance between the motor and crank shaft while permitting
relative movement thereof.
5: In a motor vehicle, a main frame, a driving shaft mounted thereupon and
provided with driving wheels, an auxiliary frame yieldingly connected with the main
frame, a motor on the auxiliary frame, actuating connections between the motor
and driving shaft universally jointed to each, and means to maintain a constant
distance between the motor and the driving shaft while permitting relative move-
ment of the main and auxiliary frames.
6: In a motor vehicle, a frame, a truss mounted thereon and provided with
bearings, a crank driving shaft mounted in said bearings and provided with
driving wheels, a yieldingly supported motor, and actuating connections between
the motor and crank shaft and universally jointed to each.
7: A flexible frame for motor vehicles provided with driving wheels, a front
cross bar forming a part of said frame, and wheel spindles pivotally mounted upon
said bar, a vertical rock-shaft mounted upon the said cross-bar and having a rear-
wardly extended rigid arm, connecting rods jointed to said arm and to the spindles
to swing the latter, a second arm extended from the rock shaft at an angle to the
rearwardly extended arm, a steering head yieldingly supported relatively to the
frame and a jointed connection between the head and said second arm, to steer
the vehicle by movement of the steering head.
8: A motor vehicle having a main frame provided with driving wheels, -a
front cross-bar forming a part of said frame, and wheel spindles pivottally mounted
thereupon, a vertical rock-shaft mounted upon said bar, a rearwardly extended
arm fast on the shaft, connecting rods jointed respectively. to the spindles and to
the said arm, a second arm on the rock-shaft, an auxiliary frame yieldingly

page_text: connected with the main frame, a steering head mounted on the auxiliary frame
and having a laterally extended foot, and a link universaily jointed to said foot
and to the second arm of the rock-shaft to steer the vehicle by rotative movement
of the steering head.
9: A frame for motor vehicles comprising side, and front and rear cross bars,
the rear cross bar being made in two parts, a double truss rigidly connecting the
parts of said bar and provided with bearings, a crank driving shaft mounted in
said bearings, driving wheels connected with said shaft, steering wheels carried
by the frame, and a yieldingly supported steering head operatively connected with
and to control the steering wheels.
10: In a motor vehicle, a crank driving shaft provided with wheels, a yield-
ingly supported motor comprising a vertical boiler and cylinders, rocking trans-
mitting members, longitudinally rigid connecting rods universally jointed to the
transmitting members and the crank shaft to rotate the latter, and distance rods
jointed to the motor and crank shaft support to maintain a constant distance
between the motor and crank, shaft.
11: In a road vehicle, a main frame provided with wheel spindles pivotally
mounted thereupon, an arm set at an angle on each spindle, and rods jointed
to the extremities of the said arms, combined with an auxiliary frame yieldingly
connected to the main frame, a tubular upright support on the auxiliary frame, a
steering head rotatable in said support and having at its lower end a rigidly
attached foot, a vertical rock-shaft provided with a rearwardly extended arm
jointed to the inner ends of the rods connected with the spindles, and connec-
tions between the foot of the steering head and the rock-shaft to rock the wheel
spindles by rotative movement of the steering head.
12: In a road vehicle, propelling mechanism, speed regulating and reversing
devices therefor, a rotative steering head having an overhanging arm at its upper
end, a transverse segmental guideway vertically movable on and carried by the
lower portion of the head to turn therewith, a right and left hand threaded nut in
continuous engagement with the guideway and with a threaded portion of the
steering head, operative connections between one of the propulsion controlling
devices and said guideway, operated by vertical movement of the latter, a hand
controller carried by an overhanging arm and adapted to be rotated and also longi-
tudinally moved, a rotatable longitudinally movable shaft in the head and con-
nected with and to rotate the threaded nut, a flexible connection between the
shaft and the hand controller, and connections between the other of said pro-
pulsion controlling devices and the shaft, operated by longitudinal movement of
the latter:
13: In a road vehicle, propelling mechanism, speed regulating and reversing
devices therefor, a rotative steering head having an overhanging arm at its
upper end, a hand controller carried by the overhanging arm and adapted to be
rotated and also longitudinally moved, connections between the propulsion con-
trolling devices and said shaft, one of said devices being actuated by longitudinal
and the other by rotative movement of the said shaft, and a flexible connec-
tion between the shaft and the hand controller, said connection comprising a
plurality of rocking bearing blocks supported within the arm and head, and links
between adjacent blocks jointed to the latter, the joint with one block being sub-
stantially at right angles to the joint with the adjacent block.
pro-
14: In a road vehicle, propelling mechanism, speed regulating and reversing
devices therefor, a rotative steering head having an overhanging arm at its upper
end, a hand controller carried by the overhanging arm and adapted to be rotated
and also longitudinally moved, a shaft in the head, connections between the
pulsion controlling devices and said shaft one of said devices being actuated by
longitudinal and the other by rotative movement of the said shaft,
and a flexible connection between the shaft and the hand controller,
said connection comprising rounded bearing blocks adapted to slide
and rock within the head and overhanging arm, and links connecting adjacent

page_text: blocks, said links being bent at right angles at their opposite ends and inserted in
holes in the blocks, the end of one link. being substantially at right angles to
the end of another link connected to the same block.
15 In steering mechanism for motor vehicles, a tubular steering head having
an overhanging arm, a rotative and longitudinally movable controlling member
mounted in the arm, a shaft in the head, and a flexible connection between said
shaft and controlling member, comprising a plurality of rocking bearing blocks
supported within the head and arm, and connecting links between adjacent blocks
and jointed thereto, the joint with one block being substantially at right angles
to the joint with the adjacent block.
16: In a motor vehicle, a crank member, a substantially vertical acting,
yieldingly supported motor,, means to convert the substantially vertical action
thereof to a substantially horizontal action, and a longitudinally rigid universally
jointed power transmitting connection between said converting means and the
crank member, and distance means to maintain said crank member and motor at
a substantially constant distance apart.
17 In a motor vehicle, a frame, a crank shaft fixedly mounted thereon and
provided with propelling wheels, steering wheels connected with the frame, the side
bars of the latter maintaining a fixed distance between the shaft and steering
wheel connections, a body yieldingly connected with the frame, a' motor mounted
to partake of its movements, actuating connecting means between the motor and
crank shaft, universally jointed to each, and means to maintain a constant dis-
tance between the motor and crank shaft, while permitting yielding movements of
the motor with the body..
7
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.