Improvements in or relating to the Steering Gear of Autocars and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 22nd Sept., 1900-Accepted, 27th Oct.,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Steering Gear of Autocars
and the like.
We, Tом BOUSQUET BROWNE and FRANCIS LEIGH MARTINEAU, both of
155, Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of London, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the steering gear of autocars and the like, and has
for its object to provide a steering gear of simple construction in which an
equal movement of the steering handle to right or left will produce an equal
deflection of the car to right or left, or vice versa as the case may be; and which
will not be adversely affected by the movements of the body of the car relatively
to the steering wheels.
To attain our object, we mount the steering wheels on stud axles with vertical
or like pivots and say rearwardly projecting steering arms. The ends of these
arms are connected by a single cross bar, the extremities of which are jointed
thereto. On the middle of this cross bar we secure a third arm in such a way
that it may be adjusted and locked either exactly in the centre, or somewhat
out of centre if the other parts of the steering gear should require it. The
steering handle is preferably fixed to the top of an inclined steering stem
mounted revolubly in a socket or the like on the body, and similarly mounted
in a second socket or the like jointed to the under frame of the vehicle by longi-
tudinal and transverse radius bars, so that the motion of the body and springs
does not materially affect the position or movement, rotatively considered, of
the foot of the steering stem. To the said foot of the steering stem is secured
a fourth arm which is also preferably rearwardly directed.
We connect the third and fourth arms by a transverse member with ball and
socket joints. For this purpose we preferably employ a tube and enlarge the
bore of each end thereof for a suitable distance, so as to form shoulders, and
we tap each enlarged part. We screw a cup into each end of the tube and bed
the back thereof against its corresponding shoulder. We provide the ends of
the third and fourth arms with spherical parts and insert these parts, through
holes provided for the purpose in the tube, into the said cups. We next screw
other cups into the said ends of the tube so as to complete the sockets.
joints thus constructed may be adjusted by rotating the outer cups, and the
adjustment may be locked by nuts on the projecting ends of the said outer cups
bearing against the end faces of the tube. or otherwise.
The
In action, rotary movement of the handle is transmitted through the stem to
the fourth arm: thence through the transverse arm, the third arm and the cross
bar as a mainly lateral movement; and thence again to the steering arms, stud
axles and steering wheels as a rotary movement about the respective steering
centres. The respective movements of the steering wheels are preferably propor-
tioned by arranging the steering arms obliquely in the well known manner.
We do not confine ourselves strictly to the above description which is intended

page_text: to indicate the manner in which we attain our object without excluding modifi-
cations or other suitable applications.
Dated this 1st day of December 1899.
DOUGLAS LEECHMAN, M.Cy.E.I.,
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry,
9, Exchange Chambers, New Street, Birmingham, and
ancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to the Steering Gear of Autocars
and the like.
We, Toм BOUSQUET BROWNE and FRANCIS LEIGH MARTINEAU, both of
155, Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of London, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
-
Our invention relates to the steering gear of autocars and the like, and has
for its object to provide a steering gear of simple construction in which an
equal movement of the steering handle to right or left will produce an equal
deflection of the car to right or left, or vice versa as the case may be; and which
will not be adversely affected by the movements of the body of the car relatively
to the steering wheels.
And in order that the manner in which we attain our objects may be properly
understood we will describe the same with the aid of the accompanying drawings,
wherein
Fig I is a sectional elevation and Fig. II is an inverted plan showing an
application of our invention.
The same numerals refer to the same parts in both figures.
We mount the steering wheels 2,2 on stud axles 3, 3 with vertical or like
pivots 4, 4 and say rearwardly projecting steering arms 5, 5. The ends of these
arms are connected by a continuous cross bar 6 the extremities of which are
jointed thereto by pins 7, 7 standing parallel to the pivots 4, 4. On the middle
ox the cross bar 6 we secure a third arm 8, either exactly in the centre, or
somewhat out of centre if the other parts of the steering gear should require
it. The said arm 8 may be either a fixture or may be adjustable by any suitable
means on the cross bar 6.
The wheel or other steering handle 9 is preferably fixed to the top of an
inclined or vertical steering stem 10 mounted revolubly in a socket or the like 11
firmly secured to the body or frame 12. To the foot of the steering stem 10 is
secured a fourth arm 17 which is also preferably rearwardly directed. We
connect the arms 8 and 17 by a transverse member 18 by means of universal
joints 19, 19 of any suitable construction.
In action, the rotary movement of the handle 9 is transmitted through the
stem 10 to the arm 17: thence through the transverse member 18, the arm 8
and the cross bar 6 as a mainly lateral movement: and thence again to the
steering arms 5, 5, stud axles 3, 3, and steering wheels 2,2, as a rotary move-
ment about the respective steering centres 4.4. The respective movements of
the steering wheels are preferably proportioned by. arranging the steering

page_text: arms 5, 5 obliquely in the well known manner, and the ratio of leverage may
be varied by altering the proportions of the arms 17 and 5, 5, the length of 8
being immaterial.
With steering gear constructed according to this invention, if a move-
ment of the handle to the right, through an angle of say 10° causes the car
to turn to the right at an angle of 5°, a movement of the handle to the left
through 10° will cause the car to turn to the left at an equal angle, i.e. 5°, while
with steering gear in which the movement of the handle is communicated to an
arm centred about one of the steering pivots an equal movement of the handle
to right and left causes the car to turn to right or left at unequal angles.
We do not confine ourselves strictly to the above description but hold ourselves
at liberty to make such modifications as fairly fall within the scope of our inven-
tion. For example, instead of fixing the arm 17 directly to the stem 10, chain,
worm or other suitable gearing may be introduced between the said arm and
stem so as to make the steering more or less sensitive by varying the ratio of
leverage in this way also. If an underframe be employed, the steering stem
may pass through a second socket jointed to such underframe by longitudinal
and transverse radius bars so as to maintain the said second socket in an
approximately constant position. In the more usual construction described and
illustrated the springs 16 take the thrust in the ordinary way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. Steering gear for autocars and the like constructed, arranged and adapted
to operate substantially as herein described and illustrated.
2. In steering gear for autocars and the like, the combination with the steering
arms such as 5,5 of a continuous cross bar jointed to the said arms, an arm
at or near the middle of the said cross bar, a steering stem, an arm on or in
gear with the said steering stem, and a transverse member connecting the arm
on or in gear with the steering stem with the arm on the cross bar, substantially
as set forth.
1
1
PATCu
CHIS
Cast day of September 1900.
DOUGLAS LEECHMAN, M.Cy.E.I.,
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry,
9, Exchange Chambers. New Street, Birmingham, and
87, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.