Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Wheeled Vehicles
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan.,
1898
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Wheeled Vehicles
I, JOSEPH JOHN STATHAM, of 10, New Church Road, Camberwell, London, S.E.,
Amateur Cyclist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the propulsion of wheeled vehicles particularly road
vehicles and for the sake of example I will describe my present invention as
carried out in the case of a velocipede viz. a tricycle as follows:-
The weight of the rider or the weight of the load is supported on two side
bars or a pivotted frame such bars or frame being pivotted or hinged to or mounted
on the fixed part of the velocipede in suchwise as to be adapted to pivot or turn.
or move at the point or points where same is so suspended or mounted and then
to the said side bars or pivotted frame I attach suitable downwardly extending
supports advantageously laminated or other suitable springs for instance two
such springs each side one such spring on each side being fixed to or supported
on or near the wheel axle and the other said spring on each side (or on one side
only) being attached to a forked arm or device carrying a loose wheel or roller
in close proximity to the rim of the vehicle wheel the said roller being adapted
to bear against the underside of said rim which latter is constructed or adapted
for this purpose--the aforesaid forked arm bearing this wheel or roller being
jointed to a supporting arm for same mounted on the axle of the vehicle wheel
or adjacent thereto and extending towards and near to the rim.
Thus when downward pressure is put upon said pivotted frame (for instance
by unevenness of the road or jolting etc.) it is swung or moved and consequently
compresses the aforesaid springs and thereby the aforesaid loose roller is forced
against the inside of the rim of the wheel and thus the vehicle is propelled or
an impulse imparted thereto.
It will be obvious how the foregoing is to be applied in the case of vehicles other
than velocipedes and therefore I need not separately describe same here.
1
0011
Tony 1900
Improvements in or relating to the Propulsion of Wheeled Vehicles.
I, JOSEPH JOHN STATHAM, of 10, New Church Road, Camberwell, London, S.E.,
Amateur Cyclist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
Price 8d.1

page_text: manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
:-
This invention relates to the propulsion or assisting the forward movement
of wheeled vehicles particularly road vehicles and for the sake of example I will
describe my present invention as carried out in the case of a velocipede viz.; a
tricycle as follows:-
The weight of the rider or the weight of the load is supported on two side bars
or a pivoted frame such bars or frame being pivoted or hinged to or mounted on
the fixed part of the velocipede in suchwise as to be adapted to pivot or turn or
move at the point or points where same is so suspended or mounted and then to
the said side bars or pivoted frame I attach suitable downwardly extending sup-
ports advantageously laminated or other suitable springs for instance two such
springs each side one such spring on each side being fixed to or supported on or
near the wheel axle and the other said spring on each side (or on one side only)
being attached to a forked arm or device carrying a loose wheel or roller in close
proximity to the rim of the vehicle wheel the said roller being adapted to bear
against the underside of said rim which latter is constructed or adapted for this
purpose the aforesaid forked arm bearing this wheel or roller being jointed to
a supporting arm for same mounted on the axle of the vehicle wheel or adjacent
thereto and extending towards and near to the rim.
Thus when downward pressure is put upon said pivoted frame (for instance by
unevenness of the road or jolting etc.) it is swung or moved and consequently
compresses the aforesaid springs and thereby the aforesaid loose roller is forced
against the inside of the rim of the wheel and thus the vehicle is propelled or an
impulse imparted thereto.
It will be obvious that the foregoing may be applied in the case of vehicles other
than velocipedes.
In the accompanying drawings, my invention is illustrated as carried inte
practice on an ordinary four-wheeled road vehicle. Fig. 1 being side view and
Fig. 2 back end view of said vehicle.
a is the carriage frame, the rear end of which is supported on laminated
springs which latter are carried on the axle c in the usual or any suitable manner.
dare the back wheels each of which is provided with a concentric channel or
track e on the inner side thereof.
In each track e a small idle wheel or roller f is adapted to run freely-said
wheels f being pivoted on the shaft or axle y carried by the arms h pivoted at a¹
to the frame a.
i is spring, one end of which is attached at a² to frame a and the other end
attached to the axle g-so as to thereby normally keep the wheels f drawn for-
wardly in the tracks e.
It will thus be seen that when the rear part of the carriage frame a descends
(by jolting etc.) and compresses the springs 6 thereby the arms force the rollers f
against the inside of the wheels down which they roll and thereby the propulsion
of the vehicle is assisted.
The forepart of the frame a is supported on the front (steering) wheels in
the usual or any suitable manner and the latter may be similarly propelled if
desired all the necessary apparatus being of course arranged and mounted on
the "fifth wheel" or that part of the fore carriage which turns or swivels with
respect to the frame a.
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. Assisting the movement forwardly of wheeled vehicles in the manner and
by the means herein before described.
2. The herein-described method of assisting the movement forwardly of wheeled

page_text: vehicles which consists in transmitting the vertical vibrations of the spring-
mounted frame of the vehicle to the inside or inner circumference of the rim or
felloe of the wheel in the manner and by the means substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.