Improvements in Motor Carriages, the Driving Wheels of which are Actuated by Endless Chains.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Carriages, the Driving Wheels of which are
Actuated by Endless Chains.
We, CHARLES GAUTIER, and XAVIER WEHRLE, both of 31, Boulevard
Henri IV, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, 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, and
accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
Up to the present time carriage builders have been unable to use, in motor
carriages of different kinds, the ordinary method of dishing the wheels,-which
implies the arrangement of the part of the axle on which the wheels turn at a
slight inclination to its central or horizontal part,-in all cases where the wheel is
driven by an endless chain, on account of the torsion which the latter would
undergo in gearing with two toothed wheels the planes of which are not parallel.
The chain also, in fact, has a tendency to come off. On the other hand, as dished
wheels are stronger and more durable, there is great advantage in making them in
this way. Our present invention has for its object a method of construction by
which the difficulty mentioned is overcome.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of our invention, Figure 1
shows at A the nave of a wheel provided with its inner axle box B, and with the
inclined part of the axle C, upon which the wheel turns, in its place. It will be
seen that this inclined part makes at a a very slight angle with the main part C¹
of the axle.
Instead of fixing the toothed chain wheel D, (Figures 3 and 4), upon the nave
of the wheel, in which case its plane would be perpendicular to the inclined part
of the axle, as has heretofore been done, we fit it upon a turned part 6 of the
body of the axle, on which it can turn freely when set in motion by the driving
chain.
It is necessary that it should be able to carry the wheel with it as it turns,
although the latter is somewhat inclined as described.
For this purpose we form upon the axle-box, or fix upon the latter in any suitable
way, an annular piece E, carrying any desired number of arms or pins F, (two of
which are shewn in Figures 1 and 2), each of which enters into an opening G, G,
(Figure 3), widened at each side towards the front of the toothed wheel D, in
which they are made.
It will be understood that, by this arrangement, when the driving chain causes
the toothed wheel D to revolve, the latter, by means of the pins F will carry round
with it the wheel of the carriage. During this movement, each of the pins will
advance and recede in its respective opening.
In the drawing, the angle between the two wheels has been exaggerated in order
to better show the object of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The new or improved method of construction, for preventing the torsion of the
driving chain, and allowing the dishing and inclination of the wheels, of motor
carriages, consisting of an axle of which the ends upon which the wheels turn are
slightly oblique and carry a piece or disc connected to the wheel and provided with

page_text: pins projecting at right angles, which pins continually engage more or less in
oblong holes in the boss of the chain wheel, the latter being fitted and revolving
freely upon the horizontal body of the axle, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this 11th day of August 1896.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.