Improvements in Power-propelled Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st July, 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Power-propelled Road Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in power propelled vehicles and in part
refers to the general arrangement and disposition of the propelling mechanism
and in part to the construction of the vehicle and other arrangements connected
therewith. The objects of the present invention are to so construct a vehicle that
the mechanism shall be as far as possible isolated from the vehicle body and that
the whole of the driving gear shall be connected to a single solidly built frame-
work, and the transmission of power from the vehicle body to the wheel or wheel
axle shall be avoided. Part of this invention further has for its objects to con-
struct a vehicle body of great stiffness and little weight also to so arrange the
various parts of the vehicle that the steering and controlling mechanism shall
not be affected and that no excessive stresses shall occur when travelling on rough
or uneven roads.
In one mode of carrying this invention into effect in the construction of a four
wheeled motor carriage I provide a framework preferably constructed of steel
tubes securely brazed into connecting lugs in the customary manner with suitably
placed facings to which the motor is attached, and I arrange bearings carrying a
balance gear box with right and left hand axles and driving wheels and I arrange
suitable gearing connecting the motor shaft and gear box axle which may be
chain or worm, or other form of toothed gearing or belt gearing may be employed;
if the gearing down is effected in two stages a countershaft is arranged to run in
bearings provided in a convenient position on the frame work, the whole of the
gearing and moving parts being thus carried by a single rigid structure which
will be hereinafter referred to as the subframe of the vehicle. A carriage body
constructed as will be hereinafter described is mounted on the subframe by means
of springs and a front frame is provided carrying the steering wheels; this front
frame may either be rigidly attached to the carriage body or connected thereto
by a suitable spring; in the latter case I arrange an extension on the subframe
to which the front frame is attached by means of a horizontal or slightly inclined
joint pin, so that the vehicle shall pass easily over inequalities in the roadway.
In order that the steering gear shall not be interfered with by the movements
of the front frame and springs I arrange the steering bar or shaft to rotate freely
and slightly loosely in a socket on the carriage body and the lower extremity of
the bar terminates in a ball fitting into a cylindrical box from which a lever pro-
jects to actuate the steering mechanism; on each side of the said box a keyway
or groove is formed and a pin is arranged passing through a hole in the ball at
the extremity of the steering bar so as to project into the said keyways at either
end. This arrangement permits of a considerable range of freedom to the steering
bar in every direction consistent with its proper working.

page_text: In constructing a carriage body in accordance with the present invention I
arrange side plates and cross tubes connected by lugs preferably brazed to the
cross tubes and rivetted to the side plates the whole being trussed with steel wires
arranged diagonally between each pair of tubes. A light woodwork false frame is
arranged bolted and screwed to the above described metal framework and the 5
body is then finished with panelling etc. in the customary manner.
Doted this 1st day of October 1806
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham Agents.
Improvements in Power-propelled Road Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester 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 improvements in power propelled vehicles and in part
refers to the general arrangement and disposition of the propelling mechanism
and in part to the construction of the vehicle and other arrangements connected
therewith. The objects of the present invention are to so construct a vehicle that
the mechanism shall be as far as possible isolated from the vehicle body and that
the whole of the driving gear shall be connected to a single solidly built frame-
work and the transmission of power from the vehicle body to the wheel or wheel
axle shall be avoided. Part of this invention further has for its object to con-
struct a vehicle body of great stiffness and little weight also to so arrange the
various parts of the vehicle that the steering and controlling mechanism shall
not be affected and that no excessive stresses shall occur when travelling on rough-
or uneven roads.
The methods of carrying this invention into effect are illustrated in the accom-"
panying drawings in which-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a motor car showing the applications of the
invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of one part of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of the remaining part of Fig. 1.
Referring to the accompanying drawings I provide a framework A preferably.
constructed of steel tubes securely brazed into connecting lugs in the customary
manner with suitably placed facings to which the motor B is attached and I
arrange bearings C C carrying a balance gear box D with right and left hand
axles lettered respectively E and F & driving wheels and I arrange a worm G
driven directly by the motor B to gear with suitable worm wheel teeth cut on
the outside of the box D. Any other suitable gear connecting the motor shaft
and gear box axle such as chain or toothed gearing or belt gearing may be
employed and if the gearing down is effected in two stages a countershaft is
arranged to run in bearings provided in a convenient position on the frame work A
the whole of the gearing and moving parts being thus carried by a single rigid
structure which will be hereinafter referred to as the sub frame A of the vehicle.
A carriage body H constructed as will be hereinafter described is mounted on the
sub frame A by means of springs I and any suitable under frame may carry the
steering wheels J this frame may either be rigidly attached to the carriage body H
or connected thereto by a suitable spring; in the latter case I arrange an extension

page_text: on the sub frame to which the front frame is attached by means of a horizontal
or slightly inclined joint pin, so that the vehicle shall pass easily over inequalities
in the roadway.
Referring more particularly to Figure 3 of the rawings, in constructing the
carriage body H in accordance with the present invention I arrange sideplates K K
and cross tubes L L connected by lugs M M preferably brazed to the cross
tubes L L and rivetted to the side plates K K the whole being trussed with steel
wires N N arranged diagonally between each pair of tubes. A light woodwork
false frame is arranged bolted and screwed to the above described metal frame-
work and the body is then finished with panelling etc. in the customary manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In power propelled vehicles the arrangement of parts hereinbefore described
vith reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying urawings.
2. In power propelled vehicles the arrangement of a carriage body consisting of
side plates held together by cross tubes with lugs rivetted to the side plates and
brazed or otherwise attached to the tubes and having cross diagonal stays of steel
wires or their equivalents.
Dated this lot do. of T... 1907
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham Agents.