Improvements in or relating to the Steering of Vehicles, particularly Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 18.6
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr.; 1997-Accepted, 26th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Steering of Vehicles, particularly
Motor Vehicles.
I. EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON of Bramlea, Hersham Road, Walton-on-Thames,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the steering of vehicles especially motor vehicles being
particularly applicable to tricycles, since one of the objects which I seek to attain by
its use is to increase the safety or stability of the vehicle in going round curves. I
will describe the invention as applied to a tricycle or three-wheeled vehicle. The
object of the invention is to throw the centre of gravity of the vehicle or
the passengers or load or both towards the centre of the circular are described by the
vehicle so as to counteract the centrifugal force operating in the opposite dire. tion.
This effect may be obtained either by tilting the necessary parts of the apparatus so
as to relatively lower those parts to the inside of the curve and to raise those to the
outside of the curve, or it may be effected by bodily moving the necessary portions-
particularly the load to that side of the vehicle adjacent to the inside of the curve;
various mechanical devices may be employed to effect this purpose, but I will describe
one which will serve the purpose. The framework of the tricycle may be of a rigid
Tshape, the two leading steering wheels being carried upon the cross and the driving
wheel in a fork at the back of the stem of the T. Upon this framework which miay
be permanent in its relation to the carrying wheels is pivotted the frame or platform
which carries or forms the seating accommodation of the vehicle; the pivotting
would be upon a longitudinal axis so that the seats would tilt to the right or left of
the central line of the vehicle. The movement may be effected by inclined planes,
cranks, levers, or the like, preferably connected directly or indirectly with the steering
mechanism so that when the steering apparatus is turned to direct the vehicle in a
curve to the right hand, the seat or seats at that side of the vehicle will be lowered
and the seat or seats at the other side of the vehicle will be raised and vice versa.
In the case particularly of a vehicle intended always to go round curves in the same
direction as in the case of a pacing vehicle for cycle tracks, the seating arrangement
may be pivotted at one side of the vehicle and the other side either raised or lowered,
the effect being substantially the same as that already described.
If preferred the whole frame may be moved in relation to the wheels, particularly
the two steering wheels, the forks containing which may be connected with the T or
equivalent frame by vertical slides-which may be set to a circular sweep-so that
while the wheels maintain their same positions in relation to the ground, the T frame
would vary, one side approaching the ground and the other receding from it.
Where it is desired to affect the driving portion of the vehicle only, the stem of
the T may be jointed or the connection between the T and the cross may be jointed
so as to allow of the necessary movement of the back portion of the frame which
would carry the seating accommodation in relation to the front portion of the frame
which would always remain substantially parallel to the ground.
Where the load is moved bodily sideways the movable portion may be carried upon
slides, slings, links, or equivalent, and moved by any convenient arrangement of

page_text: levers, screws, or other suitable devices operating as before in conjunction with the
steering.
It will be easily appreciated that the invention can be applied in a more or less
similar manner to vehicles with more than three wheels.
Dated this 30th day of T... 190
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Steering of Vehicles, particularly
Motor Vehicles.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON of Bramlea, Hersham Road, Walton-on-Thames,
in the County of Surrey, 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 :-
This invention relates to the steering of vehicles, especially motor vehicles, being
particularly applicable to tricycles, since one of the objects which I seek to attain by
its use is to increase the safety or stability of the vehicle in going round corners. I
will describe the invention as applied to a tricycle or three-wheeled vehicle. The
object of the invention is to throw the centre of gravity of the vehicle or
the passengers or lead or both towards the centre of the circular are described by the
vehicle so as to counteract the centrifugal force operating in the opposite direction.
This effect may be obtained either by tilting the necessary parts of the apparatus so as
to relatively lower those parts to the inside of the curve and to raise those to the
outside of the curve, or it may be effected by bodily moving the necessary portions-
particularly the load to that side of the vehicle adjacent to the inside of the curve;
various mechanical devices may be employed to effect this purpose.
The framework of the tricycle may be of a rigid T shape, the two leading steering
wheels being carried upon the cross and the driving wheel in a fork at the back of
the stem of the T. Upon this framework, which may be permanent in its relation
to the carrying wheels, is pivotted the frame or platform which carries or forms the
seating accommodation of the vehicle; the pivotting would be upon a longitudinal
axis so that the seats would tilt to the right or left of the central line of the vehicle.
The movement may be effected by inclined planes, cranks, levers, or the like, preferably
connected directly or indirectly with the steering mechanism so that when the steering
apparatus is turned to direct the vehicle in a curve to the right hand, the seat or seats
at that side of the vehicle will be lowered, and the seat or seats at the other side of the
vehicle will be raised and vice versa.
In the case particularly of a vehicle intended always to go round curves in the
same direction as in the case of a pacing vehicle for cycle tracks, the seating
arrangement may be pivotted at one side of the vehicle and the other side either
raised or lowered, the effect being substantially the same as that already described.
If preferred the whole frame may be moved in relation to the wheels, particularly
the two steering wheels, the forks containing which may be connected with the Tor
equivalent frame by vertical slides-which may be set to a circular sweep-so that
while the wheels maintain their same positions in relation to the ground, the T frame
would vary, one side approaching the ground and the other receding from it.
Where it is desired to affect the driving portion of the vehicle only, the stem of
the T may be jointed or the connection between the T and the cross may be jointed
so as to allow of the necessary movement of the back or driving portion of the

page_text: frame in relation to the front portion of the frame which would carry the seating
accommodation and would always remain substantially parallel to the ground.
Where the load is moved bodily sideways the movable portion may be carried upon
slides, slings, links, or equivalent, and moved by any convenient arrangement of
levers, screws, or other suitable devices operating as before in conjunction with the
steering.
It will easily be appreciated that the invention can be applied in a more or less
similar manner to vehicles with more than three wheels.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Figure is a side elevation and
Figure 2 a plan of a Pennington motor tricycle provided with one form of my
improved tilting apparatus.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of an alternative form of a detail of the machine shown
in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of a motor cycle having an alternative construction of
tilting apparatus.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and an end or front elevation of
part of a motor tricycle provided with a second form of the apparatus.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a tricycle provided with a further form of the
apparatus.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2. the framework A A' of the tricycle may be substan-
tially of a rigid shape the two leading or steering wheels B being carried in
forks B' pivotted in or to the cross or member A of the T and the rear or driving
wheel being carried in a fork A' formed in or connected to the stem or member A¹
of the T. Upon the bar or tube A³ rigidly connected to or forming an integral part
of the T frame A A', is pivotted a frame or platform D carrying seats or saddles D'
and footboards D2 or otherwise arranged for providing the necessary seating
accommodation. The bar or tube A³ is situated in the longitudinal central plane of
the vehicle so that the seats D' may tilt to the right and left of the central line of the
vehicle. At the back of the vehicle is provided a saddle E for the steersman; this
saddle is secured to the bar or tube A³ and, unlike the saddles D' has no tilting
motion. The steering pillar F may be connected to the steering forks B¹ by chain
gear F, and connected by any convenient gearing with the tilting frame or platform D).
In Fig. 1 it is shown as provided with a preferably forked or slotted arm F³ which
engages an arm D³ of the frame D, projecting downwards beneath the bar or tube A³.
By this arrangement, when the steering pillar F is turned to direct the vehicle in a
curve to say the right hand, the sent D (or seats, if more are provided) at the right-
hand side of the vehicle will be lowered and the seat (or seats) at the left-hand side
of the vehicle will be raised or rice versa. As an alternative connection between the
parts F and D there could be a drum F³ on the steering pillar F connected by a
chain F to arms D³ on the frame D in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, so that on
rotation of the steering pillar F the chain F cants the frame to one side or the other
by means of the arms D³.
M is the motor which is mounted on the stem A¹ of the T and from which motion
is transmitted to the driving wheel B through any suitable gearing.
In the case particularly of a vehicle intended always to go round curves in the
same direction as for example a pacing vehicle for cycle tracks, the seating arrange-.
ment or frame may be pivotted at one side of the vehicle, and the other side of the
seat frame either raised or lowered, the effect being substantially the same as that
previously described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the forks have stems B B³ upon which are
quick-threaded screws, engaging with similar screws formed on the interior of
sockets or fork-bearings A A' fixed at the ends of the transverse frame-member A.
The screws on the stems B2 B3 are threaded reversely that is to say if the screw

page_text: on the stem B2 is left-handed, that on the stem B³ is right-handed. By this construc-
tion the stems B2 B3 when rotated together by the operation of the steering-gear, screw
one end of the transverse member A up and the other end down, thereby canting
the whole body of the machine to one side or the other as desired. Instead of the
screw-threaded stems B2 B3 cams could be employed and controlled by the
steering gear for canting the frame relatively to the steering wheel forks in like
manner.
As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the steering forks B' are connected to the frame
member A by vertical slides G which as shown in Figure 5 may be set to a
circular sweep, so that while the steering wheels B maintain their position in
relation to the ground, the frame A A¹ would vary, one end of the transverse
member A thereof approaching the ground, and the other receding from it and
the driving wheel C being also inclined all as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6.
In Fig. 7 I have represented an arrangement wherein only the driving portion
of the vehicle is affected when travelling in a curve. In this example the stem
or member A of the T frame is pivotted at its front end in the member A and
at its rear end conveniently in the tube or frame A3 on or to which seats D'are
rigidly attached, and the member A' is provided with an arm A+ with which engages
an arm F on the steering pillar F. When the steering pillar F is turned to
direct the vehicle in a curve the arm Facting on the arm A causes the driving
wheel C and motor M to be canted over so as to throw the centre of gravity of the
vehicle towards the centre of the circular arc described by the vehicle, the steering
wheels throughout this operation maintaining their perpendicularity in relation to the
ground.
It is not necessary that the devices by which the movement of the centre of gravity
is effected should be directly connected with the steering mechanismn; the desired
result would be obtained if the mechanism for shifting the centre of gravity
were controlled independently of, but operative in conjunction with, the steering
mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. In a self-propelled vehicle, moving the centre of gravity for the purpose of
facilitating the passage of the vehicle round a curve.
2. In a self-propelled vehicle the combination with the steering gear of mechanism
operated thereby or in conjunction therewith to shift the centre of gravity laterally
for the purpose described.
3. In a self-propelled vehicle the combination with the steering gear of mechanism
operated thereby or in conjunction therewith to shift the centre of gravity by tilting a
portion of the vehicle for the purpose described.
4. In a self-propelled vehicle the combination with the fork bearing or other
support for one or more of the road wheels, of a worm or cam device for the purpose
of raising or lowering that side or portion of the vehicle.
5. In a self-propelled vehicle, tilfing it or a part thereof by means of screws upon
or operated by one or more of the steering forks for the purpose described.
6. In a self-propelled vehicle the combination of a steering fork or other support
for a steering wheel, a worm or cam, and a connection with the steering mechanism
of the vehicle for the purpose of altering the level of one or both sides of the vehicle
substantially as described.
7. In a self-propelled vehicle the combination of two steering forks having worms
or cams so arranged that as the forks are turned they raise or lower their respective
sides or parts of the vehicle, and a chain and chain wheel connection to the steering
mechanism substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figure 4
of the accompanying drawings.
8. In a self-propelled vehicle the combination with the steering mechanism of

page_text: apparatus to move a portion of the vehicle to one side substantially as and for the
purpose described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 or Figures 5 and 6 or Figure 7
of the accompanying drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.