Improvements in Running Gear for Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Man, 1999
Complete Specification Left. 21st Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
Date of Applicativity mat
Complete Specification Left. 21st Dec., 1899-Accepted. 27th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Running Gear for Vehicles.
I, FRANK VAN GIFFORD, of the City of Niagara Falls, State of New York,
U.S.A., Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the running gear of vehicles; the object of the in-
vention being to provide certain new and useful improvements whereby vehicles
are made capable of turning in a small space.
By this invention, the axles of a vehicle fitted with my improved running gear
have the wheel spindles connected to the ends thereof by vertical pivots. A pair
of arms project rearwardly from the spindles near the wheels, and the outer
ends of the arms are connected by transverse links. A substantially triangular
shaped link has its apex pivoted to the extremity of the inner one of each pair
A front steering head, to which the horse or horses are hitched, is
pivoted to the axle midway its length and has rearwardly projecting arms which
are connected to the bar, forming the base of the triangular link, in such manner
that the pivot pin or the like means employed, can slide thereon.
of arms.
The triangular shaped links, forming part of the mechanism pertaining to
the rear axle and which is the same as that of the front axle, are connected by
a transverse rod, from the centre of which an arm projects forwardly to a point
where it is pivoted to a cross-beam, and at which point arms project to each side
of the pivot and parallel with the axles. The extremities of these arms are con-
nected by rods with the steering head and cause the rear axle to move simul-
taneously with the front axle and its mechanism.
300
Improvements in Running Gear for Vehicles.
I, FRANK VAN GIFFORD, of the City of Niagara Falls, State of New York,
U.S.A., Inventor, 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 that class of short turning vehicle gears, in which
the axle-spindles are capable of swinging horizontally on the ends of the axle
and are connected with the tongue or thills, so that the turning movement of
the latter is transmitted to the spindles. To prevent crowding or dragging of the

page_text: wheels in turning of the vehicle, the spindle of the inner wheel should turn
about its pivot, through a somewhat greater arc than the spindle of the outer
wheel, so that when the tongue stands at an angle to the longitudinal centre
line of the vehicle the planes of the two front wheels are not parallel, but
converge rearwardly and preferably to such an extent that the wheels turn in
circles described approximately from the same centre.
The object of my invention is to produce an efficient running gear which
effects the differential adjustment of the wheel spindles and in which the
connections between the tongue and the spindles assume at all times such an
angle to the spindle arms as to afford an advantageous leverage for turning
the vehicles from one position to another.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of my improved
running gear, shewing the wheels in their straight position. Fig. 2 is a similar
view shewing the position of the parts in turning the vehicle. Fig. 3 is an
enlarged vertical longitudinal section of one of the sliding connections in
line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section in line 4-4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5
is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, of one of the spindles and
connecting parts in line 5-5, Fig. 1.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A is the front axle; A' the rear axle; B the side bars, and B₁ a cross-bar
connecting the side bars.
The body of the vehicle is not shewn in the drawings and may be of any
ordinary construction.
E represents the spindles of the front axle, on which the front wheels F
are mounted and which are pivoted to the ends of the axle by vertical pins or
bolts c, so as to be capable of swinging horizontally on the axle. Each of these
spindles is provided at its inner end with a rearwardly projecting shifting arm e',
arranged substantially at right angles to the spindle.
g represents longitudinal arms or links arranged on the inner side of the spindle
arms and each pivoted at its front end to the front axle by a vertical bolt and
having its rear end connected with the rear end of the adjacent spindle arm by
a transverse link g¹. The spindle arms and the longitudinal links g are of the
same length, so that the transverse links gl remain substantially parallel with
the front axle in all positions of the wheels.
H is a transverse steering bar or head pivoted centrally to the middle of the
front axle by a vertical bolt h¹, so as to be capable of swinging horizontally and
provided on opposite sides of its pivot with rigid rearwardly extending arms h.
The rear ends of these arms are connected with the transverse links or con-
nections by connecting frames I, so that the lateral movement of said arms,
due to the turning of the steering head, is transmitted to the wheel spindles
through said links and the shifting arms e¹ of the spindles. These connecting
frames I are preferably of elongated triangular shape and are rigidly secured at
their outer angles i to the transverse connecting links 9', so that the frames,
while capable of moving laterally with said links always remain substantially at
right-angles to the front axle. The arms of the steering head have a combined
sliding and pivotal connection with the inner longitudinal bars of the frames I,
so that when the steering head is turned out of line with the front axle its arms
slide in opposite directions on said bars and the rear ends of the arms are at the
same time permitted to swivel on the frames to prevent binding of the parts
to each other. The connection shewn in the drawings consists of a vertical stud
or pin, capable of turning freely in an opening of the steering arm h, and
having a horizontal opening ', through which the longitudinal or guide member
of the connecting frame passes loosely, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4.
K represents arms which extend forwardly from the steering head and to which
the thills L or the tongue is attached, as the case may be.
Upon swinging the steering head upon its pivot, the two points. of attachment
of its arms with the connecting frames I swing in arcs concentric with the

page_text: pivot of the steering head and in the same general direction, but in somewhat
different directions with reference to the front axle and its spindles. The point
of attachment which controls the spindle of the outer wheel swings more in a
transverse direction, while that which controls the spindle of the inner wheel
swings more in a longitudinal direction, so that the spindle of the inner wheel is
turned through a greater are about its pivot than is the spindle of the outer
wheel. This throws the two wheels out of parallelism in turning the thills or
pole and places the front wheels in positions in which their planes converge rear-
wardly, as shewn in Fig. 2. By this construction when the vehicle is turned the
transverse shifting link ', connected with the inner wheel spindle remains at
a considerable angle to the shifting arm of said spindle, even when the wheel
is turned inward to its extreme limit, as shewn in Fig. 2, thus obtaining a
favourable leverage for returning the wheels to their straight position.
The spindles of the rear wheels are preferably adjusted in a similar
manner and from the front steering head, although this adjustment of the rear
wheels is not indispensable.
The parts whereby the rear wheel spindles are adjusted are constructed as
follows: These spindles are connected to the ends of the axle in the same manner
as those of the front wheel, and each is provided at its inner end with a forwardly
projecting shifting arm c², arranged substantially at right angles to the spindle.
represents the links, similar to the links g, which are arranged parallel with
the shifting arms of the spindles and on the front side of the axle. ', are the
transverse links connecting the spindle arms and the longitudinal links g, and
I are connecting frames secured to said transverse links. H¹ is a rear T-shaped
steering head pivoted at its front end to the middle of the cross bar B by a
vertical pin m and having at its rear end a cross-har H². The outer ends of
this cross-bar are connected with the longitudinal members of the frames I'
by sliding and swivelling connections, similar to the corresponding connections
of the front steering head, by which construction and arrangement of parts a
differential adjustment of the rear wheels is effected corresponding to that of
the front wheels. The rear steering head is actuated from the front steering
head by longitudinal connecting rods attached at their front ends to the front
steering head on opposite sides of its pivot and at their rear ends to arms o,
extending laterally in opposite directions from the pivoted front end of the rear
steering-head.
In order to obtain a suitable differential turn of the wheels, the arms h of
the front steering head and the arms H² of the rear steering head should be
somewhat longer than the shifting arms of the wheel spindles-say about one-
fourth longer than said spindle arms-as shewn in the drawings.
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) The combination with an axle, of wheel spindles connected with the ends
thereof by vertical pivots and each having a shifting arm arranged substantially
at right-angles thereto, a steering head pivoted in the longitudinal centre line
of the vehicle and provided on opposite sides of said line with laterally extending
arms, guides or frames arranged substantially at right angles to the axle and
connected with said spindle arms, respectively, and sliding connections which
transmit the movement of the steering head to said guide or frames, substantially
as set forth.
(2) The combination with an axle, of wheel spindles connected with the ends
thereof by vertical pivots and each having a shifting arm arranged substantially
at right-angles thereto, longitudinal arms or links pivoted to the axle on the inner
sides of the shifting arms of the wheel spindles and arranged on the same side
of the axle as said arms, transverse links connecting said shifting arms with said
longitudinal links, guides or frames rigidly connected with said transverse links

page_text: and arranged substantially at right angles to the axle, a steering head pivoted
in the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle and provided on opposite sides of
said line with laterally extending arms, and sliding connections which transmit
the movement of said steering arms to said guides or frames, substantially as set
forth.
(3) The combination with the front axle and the wheel spindles connected with
the ends thereof by vertical pivots and having rearwardly projecting arms, of
longitudinal guide bars or frames arranged on the rear side of the axle and
connected with the arms of said spindles, so as to move laterally therewith, and
a steering head pivoted to the middle of the axle and provided on opposite sides
of its pivot with arms having a sliding and swivelling connection with said
longitudinal guide bars or frames, substantially as set forth.
(4) The combination with the front axle, and the wheel-spindles connected with
the ends thereof by vertical pivots, and having rearwardly projecting arms, longi-
tudinal arms or links extending rearwardly from the axle and arranged on the
inner side of said spindle-arms, transverse links connecting said spindle arm
with said longitudinal links, guides or frames rigidly connected with said trans-
verse links and arranged substantially at right-angles to the axle, a steering head
pivoted to the middle of the axle and provided on opposite sides of its pivot with
rearwardly extending arms and sliding connections between said arms and said
guides or frames, substantially as described.
(5) The combination with the rear axle and the wheel-spindles connected with
the ends thereof by vertical pivots and having forwardly projecting arms, of
guides or frames 'connected with the arms of said spindles and arranged sub-
stantially at right-angles to the axle, a steering head pivoted in the longitudinal
centre line of the vehicle and provided at its rear end with a cross-head and
sliding connections between the ends of said cross-head and said guides or frames,
substantially as set forth.
(6) The combination with the front axle and the wheel spindles connected with
the ends thereof by vertical pivots and having rearwardly projecting arms, of
longitudinal guide bars or frames arranged on the rear side of the axle, and
connected with the arms of said spindles, a front steering head pivoted to the
middle of the front axle and provided on opposite sides of its pivot with arms
having sliding connection with said guide bars or frames, a rear axle provided
at its ends with horizontally swinging spindles having forwardly projecting arms,
longitudinal guide bars or frames connected with the last named spindle arms,
a rear steering head pivoted at its front end in the centre line of the vehicle
and provided at its rear end with a cross head, sliding connections between said
rear guides or frames and the ends of said cross head, and connections whereby
the movement of the front steering head is transmitted to the rear steering
head, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of Do 1900
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.