Improvements in Electrically Propelled Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application 1st Dec. 1891-Accented 2nd Jan. 1802
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrically Propelled Vehicles.
I, MARK WESLEY DEWEY, of the City of Syracuse, in the County of
Onondaga, in the State of New York, United States of America, Electrician, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to electric motor mechanism for electrically propelled
vehicles and especially those vehicles having wheels on opposite sides thereof
adapted to turn relatively to each other to facilitate in turning corners.
The objects of my invention are, to dispense with a compensating gear for the
purpose of allowing a relative movement of the wheels on opposite sides of a vehicle,
and, to propel a vehicle by an electric motor mounted upon an axle thereof, and
having parts adapted to rotate in opposite directions.
To this end my invention consists in the combination with wheels on opposite
sides of the vehicle adapted to turn relatively to each other, of an electric motor
having its armature and field-magnet adapted to rotate in opposite directions
and cach connected independently with the said wheels.
My invention consists also in the combination with an axle divided in two
parts to turn relatively to each other, of an electric motor having its armature
and field-magnet adapted to rotate in opposite directions, the said field-magnet
being connected to and arranged to communicate motion to one part of the axle
and the said armature being connected to and adapted to communicate motion
to the other part of the axle and in the same direction as the first mentioned part.
And my invention consists further in certain other arrangements and com-
bination of parts hereinafter described and specifically set forth in the claims.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure is a plan view of a rumming gear of a vehicle provided with my
invention,
Figure 2 shows the motor mounted upon the driving axle,
Fig. 3 is a view on line,, of Fig. 2,
Fig. 4 shows two motors arranged for the purpose of my invention, and
Fig. 5 illustrates a motor with two independently rotable armatures to accomplish
the same purpose.
I do not limit myself to the particular form of gearing shown, nor to the styles
of electric motors shown for connection therewith, as many other arrangements
and constructions may be employed without departing from my invention.
In the drawings A is the driving axle of a vehicle or car, A' is the steering
axle when one is employed; a and a are the wheels carried by the driving axle
and B is the frame of the vehicle. Between the two axles and upon the truck
or frame B mount the electric motor as shown in Figure 1. The said motor is
journaled upon a stationary shaft or axle C which is parallel with the driving axle.
Both of the movable parts of the motor or the armature D and the field-magnet D'
are sleeved upon the shaft C and are free to revolve by the electric current in
opposite directions. Upon the sleeves of the armature and field-magnet are pulleys
or sprocket wheels d and d'. These pulleys or wheels are connected with pulleys
or sprocket wheels on the driving axle by belts or chains e and c. The
driving axle is divided in the centre and the ends are enlarged and bear against
each other as shown in dotted lines. A stationary sleeve e envelops the central
part of the said axle to hold it securely in place. The wheels a and a' and the
sprocket-wheels and are keyed to their respective parts of the driving axle,
so that the driving wheel a' will be rotated by the armature of the motor and the
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page_text: driving wheel a by the field-magnet of the motor. In order that both driving
wheels may be rotated in the same direction one of the chains is twisted. In Fig. 1
of the drawing. the chain e is shown twisted.
It will be noticed that by allowing both members of the motor to revolve in
opposite directions the speed of either member is reduced to one-half of what it
would be if one of the members was stationary, and, the speed of the driving wheels
is correspondingly reduced.
When both axles of the vehicle are driving-axles, both may be divided and
operated by the same motor or separate motors as desired.
The axle A is shown in Figure 1 secured at its centre to a vertical shaft at
the upper
end of which is a hand wheel for turning the axle. Said shaft is
journaled in a block bolted to the front part of the frame B. 1 do not limit
myself to the steering apparatus shown as any other suitable means may be employed
for steering the vehicle.
In the same figure I show a storage or secondary battery E mounted upon the
gear or rear part of the frame of the vehicle, an electric circuit E' including the
battery and motor, and current controlling devices F and F connected in
the circuit.
In Figures 2 and 3 the motor is shown mounted upon the driving axle. To
derive the requisite movement of the driving wheels with this arrangement only
the wheel is keyed to axle A, and the wheel a is secured upon the end of an
extension of the sleeve of the field-magnet D'. Both members of the motor are
arranged as before to revolve in opposite directions and in oriler to rotate both
driving wheels in the same direction, I secure to the sleeve of the member D, a
disk having a flange extending from the side thereof opposite to that attached to
the sleeve, at right angles, and concentric with the axle A. and on the inner side
of the said flange, I form a circular rack. Upon the axle A concentric with the
rack is keyed a small spur gear g.
On opposite sides of the axle A. and between the gear wheely and the rack !
place two small gear wheels ii in mesh with the said gear wheel and rack. The
gear wheels are each keyed to a short shaft which is journaled in the frame B
and a bar parallel with and secured to the frame, but close to the hubs of said
wheels. The unfeathered arrows in Figure 3 show the direction of movement of
the gear wheels when the armature of the motor rotates in a direction opposite to
the movement of the hands of a clock. The gear wheel is rotated in a direction
opposite to the movement of the armature.
It will be obvious that resistances being equal on both driving wheels, both will
be rotated at the same time and in the same direction with equal velocities, the
effort exerted by the motor being equal at both wheels at all times. If the
vehicle be turning a corner, however, the greater resistance on the inside wheel
retards that, while the outer wheel necessarily moves more rapidly over its
longer path as the relative speed between the two members of the motor is
maintained, although one member is allowed to move faster than the other. A
similar effect may be derived by means of two independent electric motors as
shown in Figure 4, or by means of a single electric motor having two inde-
pendent rotable armatures, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. The armatures
or movable parts of the motor mechanisms in the two last figures may be con-
nected or geared to the driving wheels as hereinbefore described in reference to
the other figures. The field magnets or the stationary parts of the motors may
be in this case, fixed to the frame of the vehicle in any suitable manner.
I prefer to employ two pinions on diametrically opposite sides of the gear
wheel as by this arrangement side thrust upon the axle is obviated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination with wheels on opposite

page_text: sides of the vehicle adapted to turn relatively to each other, of an electric motor
having its armature and field magnet adapted to rotate in opposite directions and
each connected independently with the said wheels.
2. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination with wheels on opposite
sides of the vehicle adapted to turn relatively to each other, of an electric motor
having its armature and field-magnet adapted to rotate in opposite directions, the
said field-magnet being geared to and arranged to communicate rotation to one
wheel and the said armature being geared to and adapted to communicate rotation
to the other wheel, substantially as described.
3. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination with an axle thereof
divided in two parts to turn relatively to each other, of an electric motor having
its armature and field-magnet adapted to rotate in opposite directions, the said
field-magnet being connected to and arranged to communicate motion to one part
of the axle, and the said armature being connected to and adapted to communicate
motion to the other part of the axle and in the same direction as the first mentioned
part.
4. In an electrically propelled vehicle, the combination with wheels on opposite
sides of the vehicle adapted to turn relatively to each other, of an electric motor
having two independently movable parts and each connected with the said wheels.
5. In an electrically propelled vehicle, the combination with the running gear
thereof having two axles one of which is adapted to turn upon a vertical axis and
the other stationary, of an electric motor having its armature and field-magnet
adapted to rotate in opposite directions and each independently connected to the
stationary axle of the vehicle.
6. In an electrically propelled vehicle, the combination with the running-gear
thereof having wheels on opposite sides adapted to turn relatively to each other, of
an electric motor having its armature and field-magnet adapted to rotate in opposite
directions and each independently connected to the running-gear of the vehicle,
and a secondary battery supported by said gear to supply current to the motor.
7. In an electrically propelled vehicle, the combination, with an axle, wheels
carried by said axle adapted to rotate relatively to each other, of an electric motor
having its armature and field-magnet adapted to rotate in opposite directions, and
mounted upon said axle, and each connected independently with the wheels of said
axle.
8. In an electrically propelled vehicle, the combination with an axle, wheels
carried by said axle adapted to rotate relatively to each other, of an electric motor
having two independently rotable parts mounted upon said axle, and each connected
to the said wheels, substantially as described.
9. In an electrically propelled vehicle, the combination, with an axle, wheels
carried by said axle adapted to rotate relatively to each other, of an electric motor
having its armature and field-magnet adapted to rotate in opposite directions,
and mounted upon said axle, and one of the parts of said motor fixed to one of
said wheels and the other part connected to the other wheel through gearing to
rotate both wheels in the same direction as and for the purpose described.
Dato this 10th day of Nov 1801
MARK WESLEY DEWEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.