Improvements in or relating to Driving and Guiding Mechanism for Self-propelled and Similar Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification, Left, 12th July, 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Driving and Guiding Mechanism
for Self-propelled and Similar Vehicles.
[A communication from GASTON LACOSTE and HERBERT OSBALDESTON DUNCAN,
both of 42 Bd. Bonne Nouvelle, Paris, in the Republic of France.]
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in self-propelled vehicles.
The improvements have for their object to dispense altogether with the use of
driving chains, as well as to providing an arrangement enabling the vehicle to
turn curves at a high speed without danger, which cannot be done with the
systems in use at the present time. For this purpose on the shaft operated by the
motor is keyed a conical pulley opposite a second conical pulley secured to an
intermediate shaft. Between these two pulleys moves an endless, belt guided in a
fork which is operated from the seat in any desired manner..
The two conical pulleys are separated from each other by the thickness of the
belt so that the driven cone is caused by the friction to revolve with speed varying
according to the position of the pulley. In order to stop it is sufficient to slightly
move the intermediate shaft by means of an endless screw operated by a crank;
the driven cone moves a little away from the driving cone and ceases to be rotated
by the latter.
The driven cone having for its object to transmit the motion of the motor to
the front wheels of the vehicle there is keyed on its shaft a pulley connected by
a belt to a pulley secured to a differential shaft. The latter has mounted on it
two pinions which engage with other pinions and thus rotate two vertical shafts
which in their turn cause level pinions or gearing to rotate the front wheels.
The shafts referred to are mounted in frames solid or rigid with the axle and
carry loose sleeves making one piece with shafts on which revolve the toothed
wheels secured to the road wls. These sleeves have arms which can be moved
by any convenient means to change the course of the vehicle.
The gears on the road wheels are thus satellites of the pinions as they turn
round the vertical shafts referred to as axes; the result is that whatever be the
position occupied by road wheels they will always be driven.
The described arrangements may be modified without departing from the spirit
of this invention.
For instance there is secured on the axle two friction cones which cause cones
loose on the spindles to rotate. These latter cones transmit the movement to the
wheels by means of other friction cones. The journals of the wheels continue to
rotate during the time that the latter turn round their vertical spindles as before
described.

page_text: The friction cones which are adjusted by nuts arranged on the forks may, of
course, be replaced by toothed wheels.
When the arrangement just described is used, it is necessary to have a second
intermediate shaft on which are mounted pulleys. One of the pulleys is driven by
the intermediate shaft by means of a belt or a "Galle" chain and the other
pulley is arranged in front of a third pulley mounted on the main shaft. An
endless friction belt is placed between the two pulleys which always remain in
contact and which, consequently, may be replaced by toothed wheels.
Dated this 12th day of October 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Driving and Guiding Mechanism
for Self-propelled and Similar Vehicles.
[A communication from GASTON LACOSTE and HERBERT OSBALDESTON DUNCAN,
both of 42 Bd. Bonne Nouvelle, Paris, in the Republic of France.]
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 improvements relating to self-propelled
vehicles, and are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a self-propelled vehicle provided with the improve-
ments.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the front axle.
Fig. 4 is also a vertical section through the same axle showing a modified
mechanism.
Fig. 5 represents another modification.
Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of gearing applicable to the arrangements shown
in Figs. 4 and 5.
The improvements have for their object to dispense altogether with the use of
driving chains, as well as to provide an arrangement enabling the vehicle to
turn curves without danger when travelling at a high speed, which cannot be
done with the systems in use at the present time. For this purpose on the
shaft A driven by the motor X is keyed a conical pulley B opposite a second
conical pulley D secured on a second shaft C. Between these two pulleys and
over the pulley D passes an endless belt E guided in a fork e which is operated
from the seat or other desired place on the vehicle in any desired manner.
The two conical pulleys B and D are separated from each other by the thick-
ness of the belt E so that the cone D is caused by the friction to revolve at a
speed determined according to the position of the belt E between the two cones.
In order to stop it is sufficient te slightly move the shaft C carrying the pulley 1)
by means of an endless screw operated by a crank whereby the driven cone D is
moved a little away from the driving cone B, and ceases to be rotated by the
latter.
The cone D having for its object to transmit the motion of the motor. X to the

page_text: front wheels of the vehicle, there is keyed on its shaft Ca pulley F carrying a
belt f passing over a pulley F secured to a differential shaft G. The latter has
mounted on it two pinions if H (Fig. 3) which engage with pinions II and thus
rotate shafts L L which in their turn cause bevel pinions or gearing M M' and
consequently the front wheels by means of the bevel wheels OU to rotate.
The shaft L L are mounted in frame or forks Q Q solid or rigid with the
axle Z and carry loose sleeves formung one piece with the shafts on
which revolve the bevel wheels secured to the road wheels. These
sleeves V V are provided with arms y y (Fig. 2) which can be moved by any
convenient means to change the direction of travel of the vehicle as indicated in
Fig. 2.
The gears 0 0¹ are thus as it were satellites of the pinions M M', as they can
turn ruund the shafts L L' as axes; the result is that whatever be the position
occupied by road wheels N N they will always be in engagement with the driving
mechanism.
As indicated in Figs. 4, 5 & 6 the described arrangement may be modified
without departing from the spirit of this invention.
For instance two friction cones K and K may be secured on the driven axle Z
which cones cause cones J loose on the spindles L L to rotate. These latter
intermediate cones J transmit their motion to the wheels N N by means of
other friction cones 0 0₁ fast on the driving wheels. The wheels continue to
rotate during the time that the gearing turns about the vertical spindles L L'
as before described.
The friction cones which are adjusted by nuts U arranged on the forks QQ'
may of course, be replaced by toothed or bevel wheels as shown in Fig. 5.
When the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is used, it is necessary to have
a second intermediate shaft on which are mounted pulleys 1' and Y. The pulley P
is driven by the intermediate shaft by means of a belt or a "Galle" chain and the
pulley Y is placed in front of a pulley W mounted on the shaft Z. An endless
friction belt is placed between the two pulleys which always remain in contact.
Instead of a band and pulleys toothed wheels may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An improvement in self-propelled vehicles by means of which the vehicle
is enabled to turn curves when travelling at a high speed and which consists in
making the wheels both driving and steering wheels, substantially as described.
2. In a self-propelled vehicle an axle provided at each end with a fork provided
with a vertical pin L on which is free to rotate a sleeve secured to the axle of the
road wheel which sleeve can be turned upon the pin from the seat or other place
by means of a lever or hand-wheel to change the direction of travel of the vehicle,
the pin also carrying bevel-pinions receiving and transmitting the driving motion
to a bevel-wheel secured to the road wheel, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. In a self-propelled vehicle driving and steering mechanism comprising vertical
driving cone, the axis of which coincides with that of the vehicle axle, said cone
transmitting its motion to a cone keyed on to the road-wheel, by means of two
intermediate cones, substantially as described.
4. In apparatus of the character described in Claim 3 the employment of toothed
or bevel gearing in place of friction cones, substantially as described.
5. A speed changing device for self-propelled vehicles comprising two oppositely
arranged cones having parallel axes between which and over one of which an
endless belt is placed for the purpose of changing the point of driving contact of
the cones whereby the speed of driving may be increased or decreased, substantially
as described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete driving

page_text: and steering mechanism for vehicles substantially as described and illustrated in
Figs. 1. 2. 3 or in Figure 4 or in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
1
1011 1 T..1.. 1907
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.