Improvements Applied to Vehicles to Facilitate their Draught.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 17th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Applied to Vehicles to Facilitate their Draught.
A communication from abroad by EUGÈNE PIERRE CROULBOIS, 12, Rue de Palestine,
Paris, France, Constructeur.
I WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11 Wellington Street, Strand, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements applied to vehicles with the object of lessening
the power required for their traction.
Traction upon ordinary roads has long remained without great amelioration, only
the means of suspension of the vehicle have been modified as metallurgy has produced
more perfect springs and traction has profited thereby without any perceptible altera-
tion of means.
The springs of a vehicle have not only for object to render the suspension more
easy by lessening or deadening jolts or shocks but they favour the traction by
regulating the required effort.
The vis viva developed and accumulated in one direction by the effect of the jolts
arising from the irregularities of the road are restored in an opposite direction and
during the same time by the spring, therefore there results a draught nearly constant
instead of efforts or strains always varying.
The reactions or counter effects produced by the springs being vertical and perpen-
dicular to the ground the forces developed by the load in its constant rise and fall
are continually accumulated in the spring but they mutually destroy each other without
utilisation.
The object of this invention is exactly that of utilising these forces by adding them
to those developed by the traction.
There will therefore be obtained either a saving of these or an increase of the load to
be displaced.
I have above stated that the reactions produced by the springs are vertical and tend
to press the ground. I have therefore changed the direction of them and these
reactions instead of acting in a direction perpendicular to the road act in a parallel
direction and behind the axle.
The result, is that the power developed by the spring when yielding to the impulsion
of the load is utilised in combination with a lever which increases its power and serves
to push the axle and per contra to cause the wheel to move forward.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figures 1 and 2 represent the principle of
transformation.
A is an ordinary spring fixed to the axle, it is attached to the vehicle by two
pivoting pieces or levers B and B', that B is held in front by a spring C constantly
repelling the spring A. The result of this arrangement is that the spring A in tension
repels the spiral spring G which is antagonistic to it, an arrangement allowing the
vehicle an oscillating movement.
A lever F is jointed by one end to the axle by means of the movable rod or bar E
and is fixed by the other to the vehicle behind the axle.
This lever carries a shoulder or plate fi almost perpendicular to it, this plate
carries a spring G which bears against the axle in a direction almost parallel with the
ground. The spring G is held by two seats cups or cases g and g₁ Figure 5. The
case g is set on a box M fixed to the axle P.
The result is that the reactions produced by the load meet in the lever F which
carrying them on to the spring G gives to each of them a push upon the axle ; a
similar arrangement is placed right and left of the axle near the nave.

page_text: In short the entire principle of this invention is based upon the change of direction
given to these reactions, which change is utilised by the traction.
The spring A obeys the impulsion given in compressing the spring G, the reaction
of which being added to that of the spring A tends to lift the load by a return move-
ment in order to permit it to act again when it redescends.
Figure 3 shows an application of this principle to a hand cart or vehicle.
Figure 4 shows the same application to a four wheeled vehicle.
For heavy vehicles and in order to permit proportioning the course and the power
of the reaction the lever F is set upon the screws H Figure 4.
This arrangement by lowering the end of the lever F causes its plate or shoulder fl
to take a direction almost parallel with the roadway which further favors the pushing
action.
For heavy waggons there is coupled upon a single bar L (Figure 7) a certain
number of springs G set in as many caps or tubes and all bearing upon the axle P.
The springs Carranged in front are in the same proportion. The Figures 5, 6, 7 show
the details and the adjustment of the lever F on the axle.
Dated this Eleventh day of July 1880
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Applied to Vehicles to Facilitate their Draught.
A communication from abroad by EUGÈNE PIERRE CROULBOIS, 12, Rue de Palestine,
Paris, France, Constructeur.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11 Wellington Street, Strand, London, in
the. County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 improvements applied to vehicles with the object of lessening
the power required for their traction.
Traction upon ordinary roads has long remained without great amelioration, only
the means of suspension of the vehicle have heen modified as metallurgy has produced
more perfect springs and traction has profited thereby without any perceptible altera-
tion of means.
The springs of a vehicle have not only for object to render the suspension more
easy by lessening or deadening jolts or shocks but they favor the traction by
regulating the required effort.
The vis viva developed and accumulated in one direction by the effect of the jolts
arising from the irregularities of the road are restored in an opposite direction and
during the same time by the spring, therefore there results a draught nearly constant
instead of efforts or strains always varying,
The reactions or counter effects produced by the springs being vertical and per-
pendicular to the ground the forces developed by the load in its constant rise and
fall are continually accumulated in the spring but they mutually destroy each other
without utilisation.
The object of this Invention is exactly that of utilising these forces by adding them
to those developed by the traction.
There will therefore be obtained either a saving of these or an increase of the load
to be displaced.
I have above stated that the reactions produced by the springs are vertical and
tend to press the ground. I have therefore changed the direction of them and these
reactions instead of acting in a direction perpendicular to the road act in a parallel
direction and behind the axle.
The result is that the power developed by the spring when yielding to the impulsion
of the load is utilised in combination with a lever which increases its power and
serves to push the axle and per contra to cause the wheel to move forward.
1

page_text: On the Sheet of Drawing left with the Provisional Specification Figures and 2
represent the principle of transformation.
A is an ordinary spring fixed to the axle, it is attached to the vehicle by two
pivoting pieces or levers B and B, that B is held in front by a spring C constantly
repelling the spring A. The result of this arrangement is that the spring A in
tension repels the spiral spring C which is antagonistic to it, an arrangement allow-
ing the vehicle an oscillating movement.
A lever F is jointed by one end to the axle by means of the movable rod or bar E
and is fixed by the other to the vehicle behind the axle.
This lever F carries a shoulder or plate almost perpendicular to it, this plate
carries a spring G which bears against the axle in a direction almost parallel with the
ground. The spring G is held by two seats cups or cases g and y Figure 5. The
case is set on a box M fixed to the axle l'.
The result is that the reactions produced by the loud meet in the lever F which
carrying them onto the spring G gives to each of them a push upon the axlo; a
similar arrangement is placed right and left of the axle near the nave.
In short the entire principle of this Invention is based upon the change of direction
given to these reactions, which change is utilised by the traction.
The spring A obeys the impulsion given in compressing the spring G, the reaction
of which being added to that of the spring A tends to lift the load by a return move-
ment in order to permit it to act again when it redescends.
Figure 3 shows an application of this principle to a hand cart or vehicle.
Figure 4 shows the same application to a four wheeled vehicle.
For heavy vehicles and in order to permit proportioning the course and the power
of the reaction the lever F is set upon the screws H Figure 4.
This arrangement by lowering the end of the lever F causes its plate or
shoulder to take a direction almost parallel with the roadway which further favors
the pushing action.
For heavy waggons there is coupled upon a single bar L, (Figure 7) a certain
number of springs G set in as many cups or tubes and all bearing upon the axle P.
The springs C arranged in front are in the same proportion. The Figures 5, 6, 7
show the details and the adjustment of the lever F on the axle.
Upon the Sheet of Drawing filed with this Complete Specification and marked
Sheet II, Figure 8 represents the apparatus applied on one side of the axle. Figure 9
plans of the front seats or cups and of the jointing of the spring. Figure 10 plan
of the arrangement in which a main spring replaces the spiral springs, and Figure 11
elevation of same.
The spring A upon which the axle P is fixed, is attached as before to the vehicle
by the jointed attachments B, B by the aid of the bolt h.
The cup or seat which receives the spiral spring pivots on the axle h; this
arrangement gives to this seat the possibility of a nearly rectilineal travel which
does not weaken the spring C under the strains produced by the lowering of the
load.
This direction is also maintained by the rod pushing into an eye provided at
the bottom of the cup or seat gl
The other parts of the mechanism are as previously described.
Springs of other form might be substituted for the spiral spring C.
Figures 10 and 11 show for example a special kind of arrangement.
The springs A placed right and left of the wheels are jointed to each of the ends
of a large plate spring C which receives the strains of the horizontal push, to relift
the load when it reacts, its action is the same as that of the spiral springs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
ion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The application of the principle of conversion or change of direction given to
he reactions produced by the weight of the load in order to exercise a push or

page_text: propelling action upon the axle and facilitate the draught of the vehicle substantially
as described.
2. The arrangement with this object of a rocking lever (F) giving a horizontal
direction to the efforts developed by the load at each oscillation substantially as
described.
3. The arrangement of spring in front of the suspension spring of the vehicle
and on the shoulder or plate of the lever in order to continue the oscillations giving
rise to the reaction to be utilized, substantially as described.
4. The application to a vehicle of any kind of springs for the purpose of continuing
the horizontal oscillations.
W. E. GEDGE.