IMPROVED ROAD VEHICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macdonald at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1882.
JOHN MACDONALD of Wimbledon in the County of Surrey "IMPROVED ROAD
VEHICLES
"
This invention has for its object the construction of improved Road Vehicles
wherein Electric Motors are applied as an auxiliary power. to aid and thus reduce
the animal force required to propel, the same.
According to one mode of carrying out this object for Tricycles and other
Velocipedes I attach to the axle of the driving wheel a toothed wheel into which a
pinion is fitted this pinion is attached to the spindle of an Electric Motor the size
of the pinion and toothed wheel being governed by the speed at which it is required
to drive the velocipede..
1
The Motor and Battery are fixed to the vehicle by any suitable means and
pedals are attached to a crank or cranks (also working in connection with the
driving wheel of the machine) which. are worked by the feet as in the ordinary
way or levers may be attached to work by means of the hands; or both may be
employed.
By this means as soon as the connection is made from the Electrical source to
the motor, power is exerted on the driving shaft of the vehicle and thus very little
power is required to be exerted by the rider. For ascending bills the Battery can
be so arranged that more power may be switched on as may be required,
According to another mode of constructing Tricycles or Velocipedes the pedals or
hand levers are used and act on the communication between the Electrical source
and the commutator, and so regulate the current and work the electric motor.
In order to apply my invention to Tramcars, I attach the motor by gearing to
one or both of the axles of such car whereby the wheels attached to such axles
become driving wheels and in the case of vehicles where the wheels revolve on the
axle I attach the motor to the box of the wheel or wheels by means of suitable
gearing. The animal force employed keeping the motor in motion so long only as
such animal force is exerted.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Macdonald in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th April
1883.
JOHN MACDONALD of Wimbledon in the County of Surrey "IMPROVED ROAD
VEHICLES"
This invention has for its object the construction of improved road vehicles
wherein Electric Motors are applied as an auxiliary power to aid and thus reduce
the animal force required to propel the same.
According to one mode of carrying out this object for Tricycles and other
Velocipedes I attach to the axle of the driving wheel a toothed wheel into which a
pinion is fitted this pinion is attached to the spindle of an Electric Motor the size
of the pinion and toothed wheel being governed by the speed at which it is
required to drive the velocipede.
The Motor and Battery are fixed to the vehicle by any suitable means and
pedals are attached to a crank or cranks (also working in connection with the
driving wheel of the machine) which are worked by the feet as in the ordinary
way or levers may be attached to work by means of the hands or both pedals to be
worked by the feet and levers to be worked by the hands may be employed.
By this means, as soon as the connection is made from the Electrical source to
the motor power is exerted on the driving shaft of the vehicle and thus very little
extra power is required to be exerted by the rider. For ascending hills the
Battery can be so arranged that more power may be switched on as may be
required.
4.
According to another mode of constructing Tricycles or Velocipedes the pedals or
hand levers are used and act on the communication between the Electrical source
and the commutator and make and break contact and so regulate the current and
work the electric motor.
In order to apply my invention to tramcars I attach the motor by bands or
gearing to one or both of the axles of such car whereby the wheels attached to
Buch axles become driving wheels and in the case of vehicles where the wheels
revolve on the axle I attach the motor to the box of the wheel or wheels by means
of suitable gearing the electric force being applied by the tram car driver working
crank treadles or hand levers to operate upon the commutator so as to complete or
break the circuit the animal force employed keeping the motor in motion so long
only as such animal force is exerted.
71
And in order to explain my said invention more fully I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows one
way of applying the same to a tricycle for example.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
14

page_text: for example (shown more clearly at Fig 3.) to which are connected the leading wires II
in such a manner that when pressure is exerted on the plates HH the electric
circuit shall be completed through the motor by reason of these plates coming into
forced contact with the plates HH. It will be seen that the plates H H are
arranged so as to spring up when force is not being exerted on the treadles by
which the circuit is broken so that the motor may not work without a certain
amount of force being extered continuously by the rider on the treadles thus
employing electricity as an auxiliary only to the animal force so long as such force
is exerted to propel the tricycle.
Although I have described and shewn my said invention as applied to tricycles it
will be obvious that it is equally applicable to other road vehicles and especially to
tram cars the several parts being altered so as to suit the varying requirements as
will be easily understood by any competent mechanician.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said invention and the
manner of carrying the same into practical effect I would remark in conclusion
that I do not intend to limit myself to the precise details herein set forth but what
I claim as my invention and and desire to secure by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is
First the apparatus herein described for applying electric motor power as an
auxiliary to the animal force employed to propel tricycles and other road vehicles
substantially as set forth
Secondly Tricycles and road vehicles constructed and propelled partly by
animal and partly by electric force substantially as set forth
In Witness whereof I the said John Macdonald have hereunto set my hand
and seal this eighteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three. "
JNO: MAUDONALD
(L.S.)