Year: 1898

page_text: I, JAMES TIBURCE FÉLIX CONTI, of 8, Rue Weber, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows;-
The present invention relates to a new apparatus or device for enabling
vehicles which are at present drawn by horses, to be converted into motor cars.
After having removed the fore-carriage of the vehicle with all its accessory.
parts, I arrange the box or driver's seat so as to bear directly upon two springs
which are supported upon a rigid frame fixed to the existing rear axle and under
the springs. (To enable this connection of parts to be effected, it will only be
necessary to lengthen the straps which serve at present to fix the springs).
Arranged beneath the vehicle is a rigid frame the front parts of which
terminate in two horizontal bars which carry two collars that serve as a point of
support and as a pivot for the front axle.
This axle is held by two suitable bearings in a frame which serves as the
framing for all the elements and accessory parts of the motor and which is con-
nected to the rigid frame by means of a vertical shaft.
A convenient way for actuating the driving axle is by means of a pinion
mounted thereon containing the differential gear and which is driven by a small
pinion keyed on the shaft of the vertical motor.
The boiler or steam generator, if the motor is a steam engine, is fixed at any
desired point of the frame carrying the motor.
The steering of the vehicle might be easily effected by means of a sprocket
wheel keyed on the vertical shaft which may be formed in one with the frame
carrying the motor and actuated by means of a chain gearing with another smaller
sprocket wheel operated by the driver. As regards the controlling of the motor,
it will be sufficient in order to enable the driver to have from his seat a rigid
connection with the various operating or controlling devices, if the said operating
or controlling devices shall all pass through the vertical shaft.
For example in the case of the Stephenson link gears, the two links being con-
nected together by a rigid rod, it will be sufficient if said rod be connected by
means of a bent lever with a collar which is capable of moving along the vertical
shaft. A second bent lever, arranged within the reach of the hand of the driver
and which ends in a handle, is easily adapted to move the said collar.
It is to be well understood that motion may be imparted to the driving axle in

page_text: any desired manner and by means of any motor, whether working by steam,
petroleum, compressed air, carbonic acid gas or the like.
Or if desired, the rear axle might be driven instead of driving the front axle,
which latter would then become simply a steering axle, whilst the rear axle
would become the driving axle.
Also I may if desired employ the rear axle as the steering axle, when the front
axle would be simply the driving axle.
The conversion according to this invention is applicable to vehicles of any
type, such as victorias, omnibuses or to existing two-wheeled vehicles, such as
cabs.
Improvements in and relating to Road Vehicles.
I, JAMES TIBURCE FÉLIX CONTI, of 8, Rue Weber, Paris, in the Republic of
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:--
The present invention relates to a new apparatus or device for enabling
vehicles which are at present drawn by horses, to be converted into motor cars.
In Figures 1, 2, 3 the same letters refer to the same parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating a converted vehicle.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in plan of the apparatus or device which I
wish to patent.
Figure 3 is a section taken in a vertical plane passing through the axis of
the front axle which is both a driving axle and a steering axle.
After having removed the fore carriage of the vehicle with all its accessory
parts, I arrange the box or driver's seat so as to bear directly upon two springs
which are supported upon a rigid frame fixed to the existing rear axle and under
the springs. (To enable this connection of parts to be effected, it will only be
necessary to lengthen the straps which serve at present to fix the springs).
In the vehicle shown in the accompanying drawing which I give solely by
way of example, the front part of this rigid frame terminates in two horizontal
bars which carry the two collars C¹ and that serve as a point of support and as
a pivot for the front axle.
This axle is held by the two bearings P¹ and P2 in a frame K (Figure 3) which
serves as the framing for all the elements and accessory parts of the motor and
which is connected to the rigid frame by means of the shaft A.
For the purpose of enabling my invention to be better understood, I have
assumed that the driving axle is actuated by means of a pinion p¹ which contains
the differential gear (Figure 3) and which is driven by a small pinion p² keyed
on the shaft of the vertical motor M.
The boiler or steam generator, if the motor is a steam engine, is fixed at any
desired point of the frame K, for instance at Ch (Figure 2).
The steering of the vehicle might be easily effected in the manner indicated
in Figure 1, that is to say, by means of a sprocket wheel p³ keyed on the shaft A
formed in one with the framing K and actuated by means of a chain and the small
'

page_text: sprocket wheel operated by the driver. As regards the controlling of the
motor, it will be sufficient in order to enable the driver to have from his seat a
rigid connection with the various operating or controlling devices, if the said
operating or controlling devices shall all pass through the shaft A.
For example in the case of the Stephenson link gears, the two links being
connected together by the rigid rod t, it will be sufficient if said rod be connected
by means of a bent lever with a collar C3 which is capable of moving along the
shaft A. A second bent lever f, arranged within the reach of the hand of the
driver and which ends in a handle, is easily adapted to move the collar C³.
It is to be well understood that motion may be imparted to the driving axle in
any desired manner and by means of any motor, whether working by steam,
petroleum, compressed air, carbonic acid gas. Or if desired, the rear axle might
be driven, instead of driving the front axle which latter would then become simply
a steering axle.
The conversion according to this invention is applicable to vehicles of any
type, such as victorias, omnibuses or to existing two-wheeled vehicles, such as
cabs.
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 new mode of converting ordinary vehicles into motor cars or auto-
motive vehicles, which consists in removing the fore-carriage of a horse-drawn
vehicle or omnibus and in arranging the fore-part of said vehicle to bear upon
springs supported on a rigid framing connected at one end to the existing hind
axle, and serving, in front, as a fixed point and as a pivot for a two-wheeled
bogie arranged externally of the vehicle and carrying all the motive parts;
said bogie being provided with a differential gear and acting at the same time
as a driving device and as a steering device and being controlled from the
driver's seat.
(2) Any arrangement having the result of shifting or displacing one of the
axles of an existing type of horse drawn vehicle or omnibus, with the object of
arranging externally of the vehicle the whole or a part of the devices necessary
for automatic propulsion..
(3) An apparatus or device for converting an ordinary vehicle into a motor car,
characterised by an axle carrying a motor and combined with a frame pivotted or
movably jointed on said axle, and constructed in such a manner that its free end
shall, after the removal of the fore-carriage be adapted to be connected to the rear
axle of the vehicle the front portion of the said frame serving to support the
suspension springs, and the driving axle forming the steering axle of the vehicle,
as set forth.
(4) In a road vehicle, the combination of a device or apparatus consisting
essentially of a frame carrying a motor and an axle on which is mounted the
driving and steering wheels, with a road vehicle having its fore-carriage removed,
as set forth.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.