An Improved Device for Regulating or Controlling the Movement of Motor Cars.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1899-Accepted, 1st July, 1899
An Improved Device for Regulating or Controlling the Movement
of Motor Cars.
A communication by THE VICTORIA FAHRRAD-WERKE VORM. FRANKENBURGER AND
OTTENSTEIN A.G., of Nuremberg, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 :-
In motor cars driven by petroleum or benzine the regulation or control of the
movement is effected as a rule by means of a series of hand levers, which serve for
throwing the motor in or out of gear, for accelerating or diminishing the speed, for
travelling forwards and backwards, and the like.
In the event of unforeseen obstacles it frequently happens that the driver of the
car loses his presence of mind so that he is not in a position to execute quickly
enough the correct manipulation of the correct levers.
This invention has for its object to avoid this drawback which has already frequently
been the cause of great mishaps, and thereby to essentially facilitate the driving of motor
cars by enabling the movement of the latter to be suitably regulated or controlled
by means of a single hand lever. For this object the levers which operate the
two clutches for the various movements are compulsorily connected with one
another in such a way that on their being moved, both clutches are simultaneously
operated or adjusted. By a suitable arrangement of the lever mechanism and gearing
the desired action is obtained in each case as will now be explained with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figures 1-4 are sectional views of a form of construction of the improved regula-
ting mechanisin for operating motor cars in 4 successive positions, whilst Figure 5 is
an elevation. Figure 6 is a detail.
Three toothed wheels 61 62 63 are mounted to run loosely on the rear axle of
the motor car, which wheels are driven from the driving axle either directly or by
means of intermediate gearing, the wheel & travelling rapidly forward, the wheel 62
travelling slowly forward and the wheel 63 slowly backward. On the same axle a,
two clutches c c² are mounted by means of a tongue and groove so as to be adjustable
longitudinally, which clutches as may be seen in Figures 1-4 according to their
position transmit one of the three movements previously mentioned to the three
toothed wheels on the axle a. Such a gearing is already known, forming the subject
of a prior patent.
In order to render it unnecessary to employ two separate levers for operating the
clutches c¹ c², the following arrangement is adopted.
The clutch c¹ is operated by both levers d pivoted on a shaft f mounted in the
frame e, Figure 5, and may be adjusted by means of a hand lever g.
The ends of

page_text: the levers & are connected by means of links h with the ends of two levers i pivoted
on shafts mounted in the frame e. In the position shown in Figure 1 the clutch c²
is pressed forward by a spiral spring 1, held in place by a cap q, but cannot engage
with the clutch teeth of the toothed wheel 62 as rollers n mounted on a collar m of
the clutch bear against cam discs o firmly connected with the levers i. The clutch c¹
is however maintained by the lever d in engagement with the wheel 61 which is rota-
ting rapidly forwards so that the movement of this latter is transmitted to the wheel-
axle a and thus the whole motor car travels at a rapid speed forward.
If then the hand lever g be moved, to the right, the apparatus comes into the
position shown in Figure 2. The two rollers n in this case drop into recesses or
notches o¹ in the discs o so that the clutch c² in consequence of the pressure of the
spring engages with the wheel 62 which is travelling slowly forward and thus the
wheel axle is also rotated slowly forwards and the car travels slowly forwards. The
clutch c¹ is also simultaneously released by the lever & from the toothed wheel b¹.
On the lever g being further moved the regulating device comes into the position
shown in Figure 3.
The rollers n have here emerged from the notches o¹ of the discs o so that the
clutch c² no longer engages with the toothed wheel b².
The clutch c¹ is also in this position of the lever d, held out of engagement with
the toothed wheels and the wheel axle thus does not share in the rotation of the
toothed wheels, i.e. the motor car becomes stationary.
Finally in Figure 4 the lever g is in its extreme end position. In this case the
clutch is also as in the last case held out of engagement with the toothed wheel b²
by means of the disc o, but the clutch c¹ is engaged by means of the lever & with the
wheel 63 which is rotating slowly backwards, so that the wheel axle also rotates
slowly backwards.
As appears from the foregoing by a single manipulation of the lever g any desired
kind of travel of the motor car may be obtained. Of course a suitable pointer or
indicating mechanisin may be connected with the lever g in such a way as to indicate
on a suitably divided scale the actual direction of travel of the motor car in the
various positions of the said lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
A regulating device for motor cars characterised by two clutches (c¹ c2) mounted on
the wheel axle (a), one of which (c) is arranged for rapid forward travel and slow
backward travel, the other (2) for slow forward travel, being operated by means of two
levers (d and i) connected with one another and with a hand lever (g) combined with
the action of a pressure spring (1) and a cam mechanism (on) in such a way that on
the hand lever (y) being suitably adjusted the clutches (c¹ and c²) are
respectively engaged with toothed wheels (61 62 63) travelling loosely on the wheel
axle (a) whereby the said axle is operated in the direction of rotation of the
toothed wheel which is at the moment engaged, substantially as described.
Dated this "let day of April 1800
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.