An Improved Construction of Vehicle Frame, Driving Mechanism, and Controller for Motor Road Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 30th July, 1898
[Communicated from abroad by The AMERICAN ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMPANY, of
100, Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.]
An Improved Construction of Vehicle Frame, Driving Mechanism,
and Controller for Motor Road Vehicles.
I, JOHN LIDDLE, 154, St. Vincent Street, in the County of the City of Glasgow,
North Britain, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to an electric vehicle, the object being to provide an im-
proved construction of vehicle frame, driving mechanism and controller.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a view of the frame in elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the controller.
Figure 4 is a side view thereof.
Figure 5 is a detail view of the guide of the front axle.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of the motor.
Like letters refer to like parts in the several figures.
C
At
The frame comprises a pair of rear castings a a to which is secured the rear
axle b carrying the rear wheels which support upon the hubs the gear wheels b' b
meshing respectively with the pinions 62, mounted upon the shafts bb.
the front of the frame is provided a pair of castings c joined by a pair of
tubes cc, the castings a and c being joined by longitudinal tubes d d'. The
motor is supported between the axle band a transverse tube 2, brace bars e e
extending from the transverse tube to the centre piece el to which is journalled
the centre piece e by means of the journal pin c³. The centre piece e² supports a
pair of tubes or rods ee carrying at the ends the castings ee, upon which are
mounted the front wheels of the vehicle. Resting against the under face of the
tubes e, e, at the opposite ends thereof is a pair of brackets f f secured to the
tubes through the agency of the plates fl fl resting upon the tops of the tubes, a
bolt f passing through each plate and into the bracket f. The brackets f each
carry a roller f³ one adapted to engage the face of each of the castings c c to
guide the front axis in its oscillation and remove the strain upon the journal
pin e³.
The motor is provided with an armature gl mounted on a hollow shaft g
carrying upon the end a box g³ on the inner faces of which is journalled a pair
of bevel gears h h meshing with the bevel gears h² h³. The bevel gear is
mounted on the end of the shaft b+ which extends through the hollow shaft g²

page_text: and carries upon the end the pinion ; the bevel gear 3 is mounted on the end of
the shaft 63 carrying upon the end the pinion 62. The armature in revolving thus
imparts rotation to both of the shafts 63 64 while the presence of the bevel gear
wheels permits said shafts to rotate at relatively different speeds when the vehicle
is turning a corner or moving in a curve.
"
The controller roller for opening and closing the electrical circuits as illustrated
in Figures 3 and 4 comprises a series of collars placed side by side upon a support
and carrying radial contact arms; thus, the collar k carries a radial arm the
collar carries a radial arm 3 and the collar carries the radial arms 15.
The collars are relatively insulated and some of the arms are laterally dis-
placed to bring the arms in a common plane. The contact finger with which the
arms engage as the roller is rotated comprises a pair of resilient members
carrying inward projections 12 13 on their inner faces. Between the faces of these
projections, the arms are adapted to pass. The entering and leaving edges of the
inward projections are bevelled to facilitate the movement of the contact arm.
The rotation of the support carrying the radial contact arm causes the same to
successively pass between the members of the contact fingers to thereby close and
open the electrical circuits. As many of the contact fingers and groups of contact
arms as may be desired may be provided, the same being arranged side by side.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
my said
I claim is:-
1. The combination with a number of collars mounted side by side upon a rotat-
able support, of contact arms carried upon said collars, the ends or contact portions
of the contact arms of the several collars lying in a common plane perpendicular
to the axis of rotation of the support, and a contact with which said arms severally
engage as the support is rotated, substantially as described.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a contact finger for circuit controllers comm-
prising two parallel members carrying at the ends inwardly projecting contact
faces extending throughout a portion only of the length of the member, whereby
a contact arm may be passed between said resilient members to make and break
contact with said projecting contact faces, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a contact finger comprising two resilient members,
each member carrying at the end on the inner face an inwardly projecting contact
face extending throughout a portion only of the length of the member, of a con-
tact arm moving in an axial direction between the resilient members of said con-
tact fingers and making and breaking contact with said finger by passing into and
out of contact with the projecting contact faces of the resilient members, substan-
tially as described.
4. In an electric vehicle the combination with an electric motor of a hollow shaft
upon which the rotating element thereof is mounted, a pair of shafts journaled
within said hollow shaft and geared respectively with the opposite wheels of the
vehicle, bevel gears mounted on the opposite ends of said shafts, a pair of pinions
engaging therewith and mounted on the frame or casing secured to and rotat-
ing with said hollow shaft, substantially as described.
5. In an electric vehicle, the combination with an electric motor of a hollow
shaft on which the rotating element thereof is mounted, a pair of shafts journalled
thereon, a pinion mounted upon the outer end of each of said shafts, a pair of vehicle
wheels each carrying a gear wheel meshing with one of said pinions, a pair of
bevel gears mounted upon the opposed end of said shafts, a pair of pinions engag
ing therewith and mounted on the frame or casing, secured to and rotating with
said hollow shaft, substantially as described.
6. In combination, the front lateral member of a vehicle frame having vertical
guiding faces on the ends, an oscillating axle journalled thereou, and rollers
mounted on said axle and engaging said guiding faces, substantially as described.
7. In combination, the front lateral member of a vehicle, brackets at the ends

page_text: thereof connected with the longitudinal members and carrying guiding faces, an
oscillating axle journalled thereon, and rollers mounted on said axle and engag-
ing said guiding faces, substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of April 1898.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Patent Agents.