Improvements in or relating to Motor-driven Road-vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1895-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Motor-driven Road-vehicles.
I, GUSTAVE MOYSAN, of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris, France, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for the motor-propulsion on roads of ordinary
vehicles whether furnished or not with fore-carriages. According thereto, the
motor and driving steering and brake mechanism are mounted on a pair of wheels
so as to form a separate attachment which can be readily substituted for the horses
used at other times to draw a vehicle without its being necessary to make any
alteration in the vehicle with the exception of the removal of the shafts from their
sockets so that after removing the motor-attachment from the vehicle and
replacing the shafts the vehicle can again be drawn by horses.
The object of the invention is therefore, not a self propelling vehicle, itself
carrying its means of locomotion, nor yet a locomotive which can propel itself and
at the same time draw a vehicle along with it by means of the friction of its
wheels.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 show diagrammatically in elevation and in plan respectively, a
vehicle provided with a motor attachment according to this invention; and
Figs. 3 and 4 show to a larger scale and also in elevation and in plan respectively,
a form of driving, steering, and brake mechanism with which the attachment may
be provided.
A motor attachment according to this invention comprises a truck or frame A,
which serves as a support for the motor B and is carried by two loose wheels C
and Cmounted on the ends of an axle D. This axle, which is greatly eccentric
to the fifth wheel F of the truck A is fixed to the lower fifth wheel ring F. Gis
the shaft of the motor, the rotatory movement of which is transmitted to the
wheels H, H' of the fifth-wheel I and 11 of the vehicle, when the vehicle is provided
with four wheels, or to the carrying wheels J and J¹ when the vehicle has only
two wheels.
In order to cause the vehicle to move in a straight line it is sufficient to make
the wheels H and H' rotate equally by means of chains K and K'; and in order to
steer the vehicle, the rotation of the left hand wheel H when it is desired to turn
to the left, or that of the right hand wheel H' when it is desired to turn to
the right, is suppressed by means of disengaging-devices and brakes.
The pro-
pulsion and the steering are obtained by the action of appropriate mechanical
parts operated by means of reins L, L¹ which are similar to those employed
for guiding horses and are handled by the conductor, from the ordinary seat of the
vehicle.
The truck A is attached by bolts to the sockets M and M' of the shafts and
also, by means of lateral links N, N¹ jointed at their ends, to the axle O of the
fore-carriage of the vehicle, so that this truck and the shaft are solidly
connected together. This solidarity would exist in the same way between the
truck and the entire vehicle if the latter were two-wheeled.
In order to deaden vibrations, I suspend the back of the truck A. by means of
blade-springs Q Q' from cranks R which are themselves suspended from pieces S
fixed to the axle O. This clastic connection transfers a portion of the weight of
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the motor-attachment to the axle O and, moreover, increases the friction of the
wheels H, H', which are although loose on their axles, the true motive wheels of
the vehicle.
It will be seen that the addition of the motor-attachment transforms vehicle
any
with two wheels into a four-wheel vehicle, and any four-wheeled vehicle with a fore
carriage into a six-wheeled vehicle, the wheels of the vehicle always being the
motive wheels.
To the pulleys T, T', which receive their rotary motion from pulleys U, U' on
the shaft G of the motor B, are secured two crank-pins V, V₁ which are placed
opposite to each other and to which are jointed connecting rods X, X¹ that operate
In these slides there are arranged to
oscillating radially-slotted slides Y. Y
slide blocks to the trunnions of which are jointed at one end connecting rods p, P³
the other ends of which are furnished with pawls 2, 2', which act by traction on
ratchet-wheels Z Z¹.
1
The shaft a on which the wheels Z Z are fixed is formed of two distinct parts,
each parallel to the axis of the corresponding bearing of the axle of the vehicle;
and these two parts are connected in the middle at b by a universal joint of the
kind known as a la Cardan.” The chain-wheels c & c₁ are loose on the shaft a
but are united to brake-pullies d & d¹ and are connected to the shaft a through
clutch-sleeves e & el. Each of the forked bell-crank levers ff of the clutch-
sleeves e e¹ is connected by a link a¹ to one of the levers g, g' which are operated
by the reins L, L' and are connected at the lower parts 1, by means of links m, m¹
to the straps of the brake-pulleys d d', the arrangement being such that by drawing
one or other of the reins L, L' one cau disengage either the right or the left chain-
wheel c or c' and by drawing both of the reins, disengage both of them, and that by
pulling the reins sufficiently the brake can be applied to the corresponding brake-
pulleys; the rotation of either of the chain-wheels c, c¹ or of both, can therefore be
arrested immediately; and as soon as the conductor slackens one of the reins, or
both of them, the chain wheel or wheels are again engaged, the disengaging
forks f, and the levers g, g³, to which they are attached being brought back to
the position of engagement by an antagonistic spring as soon as the traction of
the reins ceases. The reins, as well as the levers and links operated by them,
and the antagonistic spring may, however, act in an inverse sense.
The speed of the vehicle is regulated by means of a lever h, which is placed
within reach of the conductor and acts on a shaft i at each end of which is a
lever or attached, near the block that slides on the slide Y or Y', to the
corresponding connecting-rod p or p¹, by a pendent link kor k'. The stroke of the
pawls, that act on the ratchet-wheels Z, Z may be increased to the maximum
or diminished to zero-i.e. to the complete stoppage of the vehicle-although the
motor-shaft G continues its rotation.
If preferred, the truck A with its appurtenances might be placed behind the
vehicle instead of in front thereof, the various parts of the mechanism being
arranged to be operated from the same seat in front as before.
It will be understood that the mechanical parts mentioned, or some of them,
might be modified, and that any suitable motor and any suitable transmitting
arrangements may be employed in lieu of those herein described..
. Dated this 15th.day. of March 1895..

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Motor-driven Road-venicies.
I, GUSTAVE MOYSAN, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France, 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 relates to means for the motor-propulsion on roads of ordinary
vehicles, whether furnished or not with fore-carriages. According thereto, the
motor and driving, steering, and brake mechanism are mounte 1 on a pair of wheels
so as to form a separate attachment which can be readily substituted for the horses
used at other times to draw a vehicle without its being necessary to make any
alteration in the vehicle with the exception of the removal of the shafts from their
sockets; so that after removing the motor-attachment from the vehicle and
replacing the shafts, the vehicle can again be drawn by horses.
The object of the invention is, therefore, not a self-propelling vehicle, itself
carrying its means of locomotion, nor yet a locomotive which can propel itself
and at the same time draw a vehicle along with it by means of the friction of its
wheels.
In the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification,
Figs. 1 and 2 show diagrammatically, in elevation and in plan respectively, a
vehicle provided with a motor-attachment according to this invention; and
Figs. 3 and 4 show, by way of example, to a larger scale, and also in elevation
and in plan respectively, an arrangement of driving, steering, and brake mechanism
with which the motor-attachment may be provided.
A motor-attachment according to this invention comprises a truck or frame A,
which serves as a support for the motor B and is carried by two wheels C and Oi
mounted to rotate freely on the ends of an axle D. This axle, which is greatly
eccentric to the fifth-wheel F of the truck A, is fixed to the lower ring of the
fifth wheel. G is the driving shaft of the motor, the rotatory movement of which is
transmitted to the wheels H, H₁ of the fore carriage I l' of the vehicle, when the
vehicle is provided with four wheels, or to the carrying wheels J and J' when
the vehicle has only two wheels. In order to cause the vehicle to move in a
straight line it is sufficient to make the wheels H and H' rotate equally by means
of chains K and K'; and in order to steer the vehicle, the rotation of the left-hand
wheel H when it is desired to turn to the left, or that of the right-hand wheel H¹
when it is desired to turn to the right, is suppressed by means of disengaging-
devices and brakes. The propulsion and the steering are effected by the action of
appropriate mechanical parts controlled by means of reins L, L' which are similar
to those employed for guiding horses and are handled by the conductor, from the
ordinary seat of the vehicle.
The truck A is attached by bolts to the shaft sockets M and M¹ and also, by
means of lateral links N, N' jointed at their ends, to the axle ( of the fore-carriage
of the vehicle, so that the truck and the shaft O are rigidly connected together.
This solidarity would exist in the same way between the truck and the vehicle to
be driven, if the latter were two-wheels.
In order to deaden vibration, I suspend the back of the truck A by means of
blade-springs Q, Q' from arms or cranks R, which are themselves suspended from
pieces S fixed to the axle O. This clastic connection transfers a portion of the
weight of the motor-attachment to the axle O and, moreover, increases the friction
of the wheels H, H', which are, although loose on their axle, the true driving
wheels of the combined motor-attachment and vehicle.
It will be seen that the addition of the motor-attachment transforms any vehicle
with two wheels into a four-wheel vehicle, and any four-wheeled vehicle having a

page_text: fore-carriage, into a six-wheeled vehicle, the wheels of the vehicle always being
the driving wheels.
T T' are pulleys rotated from pulleys U, U' which are driven from the shaft G
of the motor B. To the pulleys T, T¹ are secured two crank-pins V, VI, which
are placed opposite to each other and to which are jointed connecting-rods X, X¹
that operate oscillating radially-slotted slides Y, Y. In these slides there are
arranged to slide, blocks to the trunnions of which are jointed one end of two
connecting-rods p, p, the other ends of which are jointed to lever arms mounted on
a shaft a and furnished with pawls z, z, which act by traction on ratchet-
wheels Z, Z, respectively, fixed on the said shaft a.
This shaft a is made in two distinct parts, each arranged parallel to the axis of
the corresponding bearing of the axle of the vehicle; and these two parts are
connected in the middle at b by a universal joint of the kind known as "a la Cardan."
c and care chain wheels loose on the shaft a but united to brake-pullies and d¹
and adapted to be connected to the shaft a through clutch-sleeves e and el controlled
by forked bell-crank levers f and f'. Each of these levers f, f¹ is connected by a
link a¹ to one of the levers g, g₁ which are operated by the reins L, L' and are
connected at their lower parts 1, 1 by means of links m, m' to the straps of the
brake-pulleys d, d' the arrangement being such that by drawing one or other of
the reins L, L', one can disengage either the right or the left chain-wheel c or c¹
from the corresponding shaft a, and by drawing both of the reins disengage both
of them, and that by pulling the reins sufficiently the brake can be applied to the
corresponding brake-pulleys. The rotation of either of the chain-wheels c, c', or
of both, can therefore be arrested immediately; and as soon as the conductor
slackens one of the reins, or both of them, the chain wheel or wheels are again
re-engaged, with the corresponding driving shaft a the disengaging forks f, f¹ and
the levers g, g', to which they are connected, being brought back to the position of
engagement by an antagonistic spring as soon as the traction of the reins ceases.
The reins, as well as the levers and links operated by them, and the antagonistic
spring may, however, act in an inverse sense.
The speed of the vehicle is regulated by means of a lever ½, which is placed
within reach of the conductor and acts on a shaft i at each end of which is a leverj
or j attached, near the block that slides in the slide Y or Y', to the corresponding
connecting-rod p or p¹, by a pendent link k or k'. The stroke of the pawls z, z¹
that act on the ratchet-wheels Z, Z may thus be increased to the maximum or
diminished to zero-that is to say, to the complete stoppage of the vehicle-
although the motor-shaft G continues its rotation.
If preferred, the truck A with its appurtenances might be placed behind the
vehicle instead of in front thereof, the various parts of the mechanism being
arranged to be operated from the same seat in front as before.
It will be understood that the mechanical parts mentioned, or some of them,
might be modified, and that any suitable motor and any suitable transmitting
arrangements may be employed in lieu of those herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to he performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For propelling an ordinary road-vehicle, a motor-attachment comprising a
separate truck A which is adapted to be readily yoked to the said ordinary road
vehicle, carries a motor provided with driving-mechanism adapted to rotate carrying
wheels mounted loosely on the vehicle with their axes inclined to each other in the
ordinary way, and is provided with apparatus, capable of being operated from the
vehicle itself, for controlling both the speed and the direction of motion imparted
to the vehicle by the said motor, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a motor-attachment of the kind specified in the preceding claim, driving-
mechanism comprising a shaft a made in two parts connected together by a universal
joint and each of which has loose upon it a chain-wheel that is in driving connection

page_text: with one of the carrying wheels of the ordinary road vehicle and is adapted to be
put into rotary connection with the shaft a by means of a clutch, and apparatus,
adapted to be controlled from the said ordinary road vehicle itself, for operating
the said clutch, whether or not there be provided in connection with each chain
wheel a brake-pulley provided with a brake strap connected to the said apparatus
so as to be operated thereby, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a motor-attachment of the kind specified in Claim 2, driving each portion
of the shaft a from an oscillatory slide y' through a rod pl that is connected at one
end to a lever carrying a pawl 2 in gear with a ratchet wheel Z' on one portion of
the shaft a, and at the other end is connected to a block that is capable of being
adjusted endways within a radial slot in the said oscillatory slide Y¹ by apparatus
adapted to be operated from the vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described for
the purpose specified.
4. My improved means for the motor-propulsion of ordinary road-vehicles
constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to and shown in the drawings referred to.