Improvements in Electrically-propelled Common Road Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
Improvements in Electrically-propelled Common Road Vehicles.
I, WALTER CHARLES BERSEY of 16 Elm Street, Gray's Inn Road, London,
W.C. Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to enable electro-motive propelling mechanism to
be readily applied to existing horse vehicles.
Between the wheel axles and the body of the vehicle a main frame is interposed,
to which frame the electric motors, accumulators, or batteries, steering gear and
all appliances necessary for the electric propulsion of the vehicle are secured, the
steering gear switches, and brake operating handles being arranged in front of the
driver's seat which is situated at the front part of said frame. This frame or
bogie is entirely independent of the vehicle body which is hung on the frame by
springs or otherwise attached thereto. The axle of the hind wheels is fixed
rigidly to the frame or through the interposition of springs whilst the front wheel
axle is mounted in a swivelling under carriage with a turning plate operated by
the steering gear from the driver's seat.
A small well is constructed in the main frame into which the accumulators are
slid from the back of the vehicle, the axle being cranked to accommodate the well
or the accumulators may be suspended in a suitable box by springs or otherwise if
a straight axle be used.
The motor or motors are mounted either on the main frame or on an independent
frame pivoted on the rear axle at one end and supported by the main frame at the
other end.
Power is conveyed from the motor or motors in either of the following ways:—
(a) By driving from two independent motors through chain or spur gear two
independent intermediate spindles, or two independent sleeves running on a fixed
spindle, which spindles or sleeves are geared in turn by chain gear with a ring or
wheel on the rim or loss of the respective travelling wheels.
(b) By driving from one motor, by chain or spur gear through an intermediate
spindle, the shell or casing of a differential or balance gear which is mounted on
the driving wheel axle, which in this case is a live axle revolving with the wheels,
and by means whereof the one motor is enabled- to drive both wheels and at the
same time allow one wheel to run faster than the other when travelling in a curve.
Where a second slow speed is required for hill climbing, two sets of chain or
spur wheels are provided between the motor and intermediate shaft with clutches
to put either set in gear.
Dated this 11th day of April 1894.
WALTER C. BERSEY,
By A. M. & Win. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Electrically-propelled Common Road Vehicles.
I, WALTER CHARLES BERSEY, of Grosvenor House Gore Road South Hackney
London, E., Electrical 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 for its object to facilitate the application of electro-motive
propelling mechanism to existing four-wheeled draught. vehicles, particularly
omnibuses and vans. It is not practicable to apply such mechanism to the vehicle
as it stands, but by my invention I am enabled to use, without alteration, the
body and also parts of the under-carriage.
The invention consists essentially in the interposition, between the vehicle body
and the axles, of an under frame supported on springs on the fore carriage and hind
wheel axle and upon. which the accumulators, motors, driving and steering gear,
brakes, and all other appliances necessary for the electric propulsion of the vehicle
are carried, so that it forms in itself a vehicle complete in every respect save the
body. The body, is seated directly ou the under frame which is adapted to receive
it, so that the body is merely dropped on to the frame and fixed thereto by bolts,
without being in any way altered or disfigured.
The accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification, illustrate the
general construction and arrangement of the parts,
Figure 1 being a part sectional side elevation of an omnibus, and
Figure 2-a half-sectional plan of the under frame and the fittings carried thereon.
A is the horizontal under frame supported through springs B on the axle C of
the hind wheels D, and upon a swivelling fore carriage E. The omnibus body is
merely seated. on the frame A, its sills resting on and bolted to the side members
and its floor or bottom upon the cross members of the frame A. F is a downwardly
projecting box or well carried by the frame in which the motors G and accumulators H
are carried, the former. being arranged in advance, and the latter in rear, of the
.hind wheel axle C, the well having a door at back at which the accumulators
are introduced. The two motors Gare carried by the same base plate I suspended
by brackets ¹ at one end from the. hind wheel axle C, the other end. resting,
through a roller i, on the floor of the well. Upon the same base is mounted an
intermediate stationary spindle L. on which rotate sleeves K through which the
motors are geared to the respective driving wheels D, by a pinion g on the motor
spindle gearing with, a wheel. k on the sleeve K. The stationary spindle L is
fixed in brackets 1, 1, on the base plate I each end of the spindle and the sleeve
mounted thereon, passing out through the side of the well F and the sleeve being
provided with a sprocket pinion m gearing through. a. pitch chain M with a chain
rim 'M' fixed to the wheel D. If a two-speed gear. is required, two sets of wheels
and pinions g, k, having different ratios, would be provided, the two wheels & being
in that case loose on a live shaft with which one or other of said wheels is
connected by an intermediate clutch.
The fore carriage E is unaltered, except that its swivelling connection with the
frame A is preferably by means of a ball bearing turning plate and centre bolt
the swivelling under carriage being provided-with a toothed ring N with which
gears a pinion n on the lower end of a vertical shaft O passing up through &
tubular standard fixed on the forward end of the frame A and rising in front of
the vehicle body to a convenient height to bring the hand wheel P and worm gear
through which the shaft O is operated within easy reach from the driver's seat.

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 :-
The herein described means of applying electro-motive propelling mechanism to
existing four-wheeled vehicles of the omnibus and van type, said means consisting
essentially of an intermediate horizontal frame adapted to receive the vehicle
body and provided with a pendent well or box in which the accumulators
and motors are arranged, as described, said frame being spring supported on the
driving wheels and fore carriage and constituting a vehicle independent of the body,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 10th day of January 1895