Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Steering of Power-driven and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Steering of Power-driven
and other Road Vehicles.
I, ANDREW AINSLIE COMMON, of 63, Eaton Rise, Ealing, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object the improvement of the ordinary method of
steering, where this is effected by a tiller working in an approximately hori-
zontal plane, and actuating one or a pair of steering wheels, as in the ordinary
bath chair, and also where two wheels are used, and where the simple tiller
would not give sufficient command over the mechanism.
In the first case, in place of connecting the tiller direct to the vertical axis
of the fork of steering wheel, as in an ordinary bath chair, I place the fulcrum
for the tiller some distance in front of the fork of the steering wheel. To the
fork I attach a crank extending backwards, with a pin engaging in a slot cut
in the tiller. The distance of the fulcrum of the tiller from the fork, and the
length of crank, are made so that any desired angular motion of the tiller will
give the required angular movement to the crank. The effect of this arrango-
ment is that, in running straight, or when the tiller is in the normal position,
a small angular movement of the tiller produces nearly the same angular move-
ment of the crank, but as the tiller is moved further from the normal position,
an increasingly greater angular movement is given to the crank, as, for instance,
an angular movement of the tiller of 30° can be made to give an angular
movement of 70° to the crank, this proportion being determined by the distance
of tho fulcrum of tiller from the axis of fork, and the length of the crank.
For heavy vehicles, with two steering wheels, I mount these wheels on separate
axles, pivotting these axles near the wheels, so that they can be turned to any
required angle in a vertical plane. To the axles I attach a toothed quadrant,
into which I gear a toothed wheel so arranged as to gear into the toothed
quadrant of each axle; this toothed wheel, when turned, will move each
quadrant in opposite ways, keeping the wheels parallel to each other, but inclin-
ing them to the axis of the vehicle. The hind wheels may be similarly mounted,
and the toothed wheel working the quadrants connected to the first arrangement,
when it is desired to use four wheels for steering.
The radius of the quadrants on the axles, and the size of the toothed wheel,
When the front and
can be made to suit any required speed of movement.
back toothed wheels are connected to actuate all the four wheels, they must
move in opposite directions.
For ordinary use, it is sufficient to have the steering wheels parallel to each
other, but when quick turning is required, without dragging the tyres, it is
advisable to have the wheels turned, not parallel to each other, but so that they
shall each be tangential to the curves described in turning. I effect this by

page_text: making each quadrant cam-shaped, with the longer radius in front, in the case
of the front steering wheels; making the toothed wheel of a suitable form to be
always in gear; and providing a separate toothed wheel to each quadrant, but
gearing both on the same vertical steering shaft; the amount of inclination of
the steering wheel which is at any time on the outside in turning, is thus leas
than that of the other, and this amount varies according to the amount of move-
ment given to the vertical shaft, as determined by the shape of the quadrants
and the toothed wheels gearing into them, but it can be arranged so that each
wheel is always very nearly tangential to the curve it describes, thus obviating
any drag of the tyre.
Dated this 9th day of December 1897
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Steering of Power-driven
and other Road Vehicles.
I, ANDREW AINSLIE. COMMON, of 63, Eaton Rise, Ealing, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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:—
My invention has for its object the improvement of the ordinary method of
steering power-driven and other road vehicles, where this is effected by a tiller
working in an approximately horizontal plane, and actuating one or a pair of
steering wheels, as in the ordinary bath chair, and also where two wheels are
used, and where the simple tiller would not give sufficient command over the
mechanism.
In the first case, in place of connecting the tiller direct to the vertical axis
of the fork of steering wheel, as in an ordinary bath chair, I place the fulcrum
for the tiller some distance in front of the fork of the steering wheel. To the
fork I attach a crank extending backwards, with a pin engaging in a slot cut
in the tiller.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 2 a plan view, the improved steering gear.
A represents a portion of the vehicle, to which is attached, in any convenient
manner, a pivot pin B and a socket C.
On the pivot pin B is mounted the steering handle or tiller D, and the socket C
receives the spindle E of the steering fork.
The tiller is formed with a slot F, and upon the spindle E is keyed the
arm or crank G. The outer end of this arm G has a pin H, which enters and
works in the slot of the tiller D.
The distance of the fulcrum B of the tiller D from the fork E, and the
length of arm or crank G, are made so that any desired angular motion of the
tiller D will give the required angular movement to the crank G. The effect of
this arrangement is, that in running straight, or when the tiller D is in the
normal position, a small angular movement of the tiller produces nearly the
same angular movement of the crank, but, as the tiller is moved further from
the normal position, an increasingly greater angular movement is given to the
crank, that is to say, an angular movement of the tiller of 30° can be made to

page_text: give an angular movement of 70° to the crank, this proportion being determined
by the distance of the fulcrum of tiller from the axis of fork and the length of
the crank.
The dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the effect of moving the tiller D over to the
left or right, and the increased angular motion given to the arm or crank G, for
a given angular motion of the tiller D.
When there are two steering wheels mounted in separate steering forks, the
same arrangement is adopted for each steering fork, but in order that the move-
ment of each may synchronise, the handles D, or the cranks G, may be connected
by suitable means, and thus one motion will actuate both wheels.
The fulcrums B of the handles D are placed on lines slightly inside
those of the forks E, and not on the same line, as with a single fork, by which
means the inside wheel will be caused to turn to a greater angle than tho
outside wheel.
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:-
The steering gear for power-driven and other road vehicles, substantially as
deseribad