IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING THE WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES AND VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson and Jonathan Phillips, both of Ripley,
in the County of York, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING
THE WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES AND VELOCIPEDES."
Sealed the 26th April 1876, and dated the 17th January 187
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson and
Jonathan Phillips at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th
January 1876.
WILLIAM JOHNSON and JONATHAN PHILLIPS, both of Ripley, in the County of
York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING THE WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES AND
VELOCIPEDES."
The chief object of this Invention is to provide a means of driving the leading or
steering wheel or wheels of traction engines, in addtion to the hinder or ordinary
driving wheels.
Supposing there to be one steering wheel we mount it on its axle through the
intervention of a ball-and-socket joint of peculiar construction.
The nave of the wheel is fitted internally with two cup-shaped plates, which
embrace between them a ball that is keyed to the axle of the wheel. This ball is
slotted through its centre to receive a pin, which extends through the ball, and
is either attached to the cups or to the hub itself external of the cup.
The slot through which the coupling pin passes is so shaped as to permit of the
pin rocking therein, the axis of its motion being the centre of the ball. The hub of
the wheel may be extended longitudinally to receive at its opposite ends a yoke or
strap piece connected with a steering apparatus of any approved construction. The
steering frame or fork we prefer to operate by means of a worm and segment rack,
by turning which the steering wheel may be set at any desired angle to its axle.
Upon the axle we fit a bevil wheel or other suitable gear, and drive the same by
means of a pinion receiving its motion through bevil gearing from the crank shaft
of the engine.
The above-described mode of mounting the steering wheel on its axle may be
applied to velocipedes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
tho said William Johnson and Jonathan Phillips in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th July 1876.
WILLIAM JOHNSON and JONATHAN PHILLIPS, both of Ripley, in the County of
York. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING THE WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES AND 5
VELOCIPEDES."
The chief object of this Invention is to provide a means of driving the leading or
steering wheel of wheels or traction engines in addition to the hinder or ordinary
driving wheels.
Supposing there to be one steering wheel we mount it on its axle through the
intervention of a ball-and-socket joint of peculiar construction, and thus allow of its
being guided without affecting the position of the axle, which is capable of being
driven by means of gearing from the main driving shaft..
In the accompanying Drawing we have shewn our Invention as applied to a
traction engine, with a single front steering wheel, and also to an engine provided 1
with a pair of steering wheels, which last arrangement is applicable also to
velocipedes.
Fig. I is a side elevation of an engine with a single steering wheel.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation, shewing the steering wheel in vertical section.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the steering wheel detached.
And Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the steering gear.
The ordinary driving wheels are shewn at A, and they receive motion through
bevil gearing a from the driving shaft B. C is the steering wheel furnished with a
double coned hollow nave or hub C¹; D is the axle of the steering wheel, having a
central spherical extension, which is embraced by cup-shaped plates c made fast to
the nave C. A pine passes through a double coned slot made in the centre of the
spherical extension d, and is secured at its opposite ends to the cup plates or to the
nave of the wheel. This arrangement allows of the play of the wheel to the limits
indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 on either side of the central line, drawn at right
angles to the axle. The nave of the wheel is extended longitudinally, and carries
at its opposite ends a steering frame or fork E, while the axle D turns in bearings
attached to the arms or bracket supports F of the boiler. Keyed to the vertical
stem of the frame or steering fork E is a segment rack G, into which gears a
worm G keyed to a longitudinal shaft G2 supported in bracket bearings affixed to
the boiler. The rear end of this shaft is provided with a handle G, by turning.
which the steering wheel can be set at any desired angle to its axle. Upon the
axle D is keyed a bevil wheel d, into which gears a bevil pinion d on the shaft d³,
which receives rotary motion from the driving shaft B through a bevil pinion
thereon gearing into the bevil wheel on the shaft (3.
It will now be understood that although the steering wheel C is free to answer to
the steering handle the action of the gearing for driving the wheel will in no way
be affected by its change of position.
Fig. 5 shews a modified form of ball-and-socket joint which we may sometimes
prefer to employ. In this example the ball or spherical projection & of the axle D
is slotted at its opposite sides to receive the segment shaped head of a swivel pin e,
which forms the connection between the axle and the nave or hub of the wheel.
This form of ball-and-socket-joint-renders.it unnecessary to make a slot through the
axle for the transverse key e of Fig. 3 to play in.
When employing a pair of steering wheels, whether for a traction engine or a
velocipede, we use the arrangement shewn in transverse section at Fig. 6, that is to
say, we mount the steering wheels C, C, loosely on the ends of the shaft D, and
connect them with the shaft by means of friction brakes c, which will allow of the
requisite slip taking place when turning sharp corners. The shaft D is connected,
as before described, to an elongated hollow nave or bass C¹ by a ball-and-socket
joint, and this nave, upon which rests the front end of the engine (see the partial

page_text: side view, Fig. 7) is furnished with a spur wheel C2, by which the shaft D is driven.
This wheel C is connected by gearing to the crank axle of the engine. Upon the
shaft D are fitted loose collars d', to which are attached the opposite ends of a
chain g, which passes round the chain pulley g¹, mounted on a stud axle below the
boiler. The chain pulley is cast with a spur wheel g, into which gears a pinion on
the lower end of a vertical shaft g³. The upper end of this shaft carries a segment
rack, into the. teeth of which gears a worn that receives motion from the steering
handle G³. As therefore this handle is turned the pair of wheels C will be steered
through the chain g without interfering with the driving of their shaft D.
The modifications requisite to adapt the last described arrangement to velocipedes
will be obvious to any practical mechanic, and no further explanation will therefore
be required.
Having now set forth the nature ofour Invention of "Improvements in Mounting the
Wheels of Traction Engines and Velocipedes," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent we claim, mounting the steering wheels of traction engines and
velocipedes in the manner above described, whereby we are enabled to drive the
axles of such wheels without interfering with the steering action of the wheels.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Johnson and Jonathan Phillips, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
(L.S.)
JONATHAN PHILLIPS. (L.S.)