Improvements in Motor Cars Driven by Electrical or other Motive Power.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1899--Accepted, 22nd July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Cars Driven by Electrical or other Motive
Power.
I, WILHELM MÜLLER, of 60, Adalbertstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
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 object of this invention is a motor car for electrical or other motive power,
the frame of which is superior to those that have been constructed for the same
purpose, on account of its lightness and its special form of construction being
adapted for the attachment of electric battery or other kind of motor. On account
also of the way in which it is put together, it admits of being very readily taken
to pieces for the purpose of storing, for instance in a dwelling room if required.
In the accompanying drawing is shown an example of a three wheeled car to
be driven by electricity and to carry two persons.
Fig. 1. Side elevation.
Fig. 2. Front elevation.
Fig. 3. Front plan.
The frame of the car comprises two side frames a, which are made of tubes
or flat bars, and are similar in shape to the frames of the ordinary bicycle, each
of them being provide with a wheel with pneumatic tyre, and a chain-wheel c
fitted on separate axles. These two sides are connected by light detachable
transverse connecting bars def also by two removable diagonal ties g, and are
held firmly together in front by an arch shaped yoke h, which at the middle
is supported in the sleeve k of another arched piece i, which carries the steering
bar m of the front wheel n. The bar m may be either vertical or inclined and is
provided with a handle 7. The position of the transverse connecting bars def
is such that they leave perfectly free a space between the road-wheels which
is not interfered with by any axle between the wheels and which serves for the
reception of a series of batteries ooo, in number suited to the distance to be
travelled and which are interchangeable and slide on longitudinal bearers,
as well as for the electro-motor p.
Above the diagonal ties there is a seat for two persons provided with back
and arm rests s and carried on longitudinal spring bars which are supported
from the joints of the side frames a, the foot board being placed above the front
cross bar d.
The material of the parts of the frame, as well as its general conformation
is chosen according to the principles of cycle construction. All the loaded
parts the seat with the passengers, the batteries and the motor are so situated
that they produce an advantageous distribution of pressure on the joints e and f
of the side frame, and load the front wheel in a suitable manner as well as the
hind wheels.
For driving the car in this instance there is an electric motor driven by
batteries 0 0. A chain wheel on the driving axle drives the counter shaft w

page_text: journalled in the end of the lever by which it is adjustable, and by means of
chains this drives likewise the two chain-wheels c which are fixed on the separate
axles of the hind-wheels b. The switch apparatus for the circuit is at a point
convenient to the driver beneath the steering handle attached to the sleeve k.
The battery boxes o along with the leads and also the motor and the counter-
shaft admit of being removed immediately on loosing a few screws, and then
by detaching the transverse connecting bars, the diagonal ties and the yokes
of the front frame the whole structure is quickly and easily separated into its
constituent parts so that it may be stored in a very limited space.
Without departing from these principles of construction, two guiding wheels
side by side may be substituted for the single one, by making a suitable change
in the shape of the front arched yoke, and thus in certain cases the stability of
the whole may be increased. This latter arrangement may be adopted when the
car is intended to carry more than two persons as well as when some other
kind of motive power has to be employed, without making any change in the
general method of construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same, is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
A motor car driven by electric or other motive power constructed with two
side-frames a similar to the frames of ordinary bicycles, each furnished with a
wheel b fixed on a separate axle which does not extend through and so fixed
together by transverse connecting bars d e f diagonal ties. and by an arched
yoke carrying the front wheel n, that between and behind the wheels a space
is provided uninterrupted by any constituent parts of the car and sufficient for
the reception of the driving apparatus.
Dated this 1st day of June 1899
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London,
Patent Agents.