Improved Driving Gear or Mechanism, more particularly intended to be used for Actuating the Driving Axles of Horseless Carriages.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Driving Gear or Mechanism, more particularly intended
to be used for Actuating the Driving Axles of Horseless
Carriages.
I, GEORGES DELANNOY of 1 Rue Nationale, Beauvois, Nord, France,
Manufacturer, 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:-
The present invention relates to a driving gear more particularly intended to be
used for actuating the driving axles of horseless carriages, and which, owing to
its particular arrangement and to the elastic coupling thereof with the axle to be
driven, is capable, during the effective stroke of the to-and-fro moving part
operated from the motor of storing up power, which is subsequently restituted
during the return stroke or idle, stroke of the said part. By this means this
entire gear or mechanism can be applied directly to the shaft or axle to be driven
without the interposition of any toothed wheel or chain between the said shaft
and the motor or between the said shaft and a speed-varying gear receiving
to-and-fro motion directly from the said motor.
In-the-accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved gear in section on the line 1-1 of
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
a. is the shaft or axle to be driven, upon which is fastened a collar b the
periphery of which is provided with radial arms 6. Around the collar is loosely
mounted a driving sleeve c from the inner periphery of which radiate similar
arms c which fit in between the arms 6¹ of the collar b. Between the arms &¹ & c¹
are interposed springs d, as shown in the drawing.
The cheeks of the driving sleeve c are hollowed out on each side so as to form
two annular cavities, into which are fitted two crowns e, el within and around
which the sleeve c can rotate with slight friction; the said crowns are themselves
prevented from rotating by means of a stationary link f, the forked end of which
is connected to the gear through the agency of two studs g, gl driven into the
crowns e, e, whilst its other end (not shown) is made fast at a suitable stationary
point of the horseless carriage or machinery.
In a portion of the outer periphery of the crowns e, e¹ are formed gripping
surfaces h, h between which and the inner surface of the crown c of the sleeve c
are lodged rollers i, i Fig. 1. Finally around the sleeve c is loosely mounted a
crown, j. which, through the agency of a connecting rod k, receives its motion
directly from the piston rod of a motor or from a to-and-fro moving part actuated
by the said piston rod. At certain places of the inner periphery of the crown-j
are formed gripping surfaces between which and the external cylindrical surfaces
of the crown of the sleeve o are located rollers m, m.
As shown in the drawing, the gripping surfaces h. l are formed at such parts of
the periphery of the crowns e, el & j that, owing to the peculiar arrangement
thereof the rollers i, m are always ready to tend to produce a gripping action by
their own weight and that at the same time the greatest possible surface remains
available for bearing with a view of reducing wear and tear.

page_text: Cheeks or plates n, o act to guide the parts and prevent the same from being
accidentally displaced sidewise with reference to each other, as will be readily
understood from Fig. 2.
The operation of the hereinbefore describe:l device is as follows:
During the effective-stroke of the connecting rod k, that is to say when the said
rod moves in the direction of the arrow . Fig. 1, the crown j has imparted to it
an oscillating motion in the direction of the arrow y Fig. 1, whereby, owing to the
gripping action of the roller m between the outer surface of the crown o of the
sleeve c and the surfaces 1, 1 causes the said sleeve to be carried along in the same
direction. The motion of the sleeve e causes the springs d to undergo compression
until such compression balances the inertia of the axle or shaft a or the power to
be overcome in starting it, whereupon the said shaft will like-wise be carried.
along in the same direction.
During the return or idle stroke of the connecting rod k the crown j has
imparted to it an oscillatory movement in the opposite direction to that of the
arrow y and returns freely backward since the rollers m then roll upon the crown o
without gripping. At that moment, the crowns e, el will come into play. As j
oscillates in the direction opposite to that of the arrow y the crown and the
sleeve e being disengaged, it follows that the tension of the springa d (obtained as
hereinbefore stated at the beginning of the oscillation of; in the direction of the
arrow y) tends to cause a to move backward in a reverse direction to that shown
by the arrow y and in so doing, takes a bearing upon the collar b fixed upon the
shaft a which offers a resistance to be overcome.
But such tendency of the sleeve e to rotate in an opposite direction to that of
the arrow y has immediately for its effect to cause the rollers i to grip between
the inner periphery of the crown and the surfaces h of the crowns e, e which as
herein before stated are prevented from rotating by means of the stationary link f
It follows that, as the gripping action prevents the sleeve c from turning back-
wards, the re-action of the springs d will be exerted upon the shaft a and that
the said compressed springs, as they expand; will restitute, on the return stroke of
the crown and connecting rod k, the power which has been stored up in them
during the preceding effective stroke of the same parts in the direction of the
arrows & y. I thus secure the result that no loss of power is produced in
transmitting the motive power and when the hereinbefore described gear is
directly applied to the driving axle or motive-power shaft of a self propelled
vehicle, I am enabled by actuating the connecting rod k directly from a motor
running at a sufficiently high rate of speed, to cause a sufficiently continuous and
uniform rotary motion to be imparted to the shaft or axle a to prevent jerks during
the progressive motion of the vehicle and otherwise fulfil the usual requirements
of ordinary practice.
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 :-
1. In a driving gear the employment of springs d which, on the effective stroke
of a connecting rod k or other driving part, undergo compression for the purpose
of accumulating power which, on the return or idle stroke, is restituted and
applied in transmitting further movement to the axle a or other driven part,
substantially as herein described and shown.
2. The hereinbefore described driving gear based on the employment of springs d
for the purpose set forth in Claim 1, and comprising, in its essential parts: a
driving sleeve e hollowed out for receiving crowns e, e crowns e, el within and
around which the sleeve e rotates and having gripping surfaces & formed in them;
a crown c³ forming part of the sleeve c; rollers i interposed between the inner
periphery of o' and the surfaces ; a stationary link f for preventing the crowns e, e
from rotating; a crown j receiving alternate rotary driving motion from any
suitable source and having gripping surfaces I; and rollers m interposed between

page_text: the outer periphery of o² and the surfaces 1, all substantially as and for the purpose
set forth, constructed and operated as described and shown.
3. The hereinbefore described improved driving gear constructed and operating
substantially as & for the purposes set forth and as described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 16th day of September 1896.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.