Improvements in or relating to Self-propelled vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Self-propelled vehicles.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON, of The Motor Mills, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:--
This invention relates to self-propelled vehicles-preferably three-wheeled-the
chief features of which are as follows:-
The frame work is tubular comprising two inclined longitudinal tubes bound
together where necessary by cross frames, and carrying at the front one or more
tubes to support the steering-heads for two wheels each carried in its
appropriate fork; the steering may be effected either from the front close by the
steering-wheels or from the back by means of rods or equivalent, in which case the
steering of the vehicle would be controlled by the back rider.
The rods may extend to near the steering-heads where they join pitch chains
that engage with corresponding wheels upon the forks, and passing round may be
joined together again by another rod; they may be similarly connected at the
steering end.
A central tube or frame carries various seats or saddles, the first and the last
being, by preference, so arranged that the persons using those seats sit facing
forward, the other seats facing sideways-bicycle saddles may be employed as the
seats: for the convenience of the riders, foot-boards, rests, or equivalent are
provided. The back rider whose seat is raised higher than the others and who is
provided with all the necessary handles etc., for starting, steering, braking, and
generally controlling the vehicle, is the one intended to have control of the vehicle,
and in order to start it assuming that explosion engines are employed for driving
it-cycle cranks and chain and chain wheels for revolving either one or more
road-wheels of the vehicle, or the engine shaft, are provided, and a cycle steering-
handle may be placed conveniently to the back rider to operate the steering at the
front as already described.
The engines are preferably of the well-known Pennington type carried by the
front cross tube and supplied with oil which may be carried in any suitable
reservoir upon the vehicle.
Any convenient gearing or connecting devices may be employed, chains being
suitable for connecting the crank-shaft of the engine with the driving wheel at the
back, and intermediate shafts may be employed if necessary to vary the proportion
of the gearing.
Between the before mentioned main side frames I may place a reversed-curvéd
stay tube of two or more preferably circular bends, the centre of the circle being in
the seat or saddle and the frame serving as a back or rest for the rider. A similar
arrangement may be provided for the front seat.

page_text: The framing is arranged in three tiers; the lowest being the main tubes, the
middle the one which carries the seats or most of them and the the top the curved
frame which supports the riders.
Provision may be made for carrying luggage or for other purposes.
Any suitable arrangement of brake may be employed conveniently of one or
more band brakes to the road-wheels of the vehicle, The road-wheels are preferably
provided with pneumatic tyres of large diameter.
The cycle cranks will be connected with the part to be driven by ratchet or
friction or other clutch mechanism, so arranged that if the rider works faster than
the other shaft, he will exert power to propel the vehicle or rotate the engine shaft,
but when the engine shaft runs away the cycle shaft will be left, and need not
operate. Preferably this action is automatic as in the case of a ratchet or similar
clutch, but ordinary friction or grip clutches may be employed if preferred.
I prefer to employ double driving gear of different gearing, adapted to be
connected with the road wheel by friction or other clutches, with the levers so
arranged that when one clutch is in gear the other is out of gear. Two or more
chains and chain wheels of different sizes may be employed for the purpose of
varying the gear.
Both oil and water may be carried in suitable vessels, conveniently placed upon
the machine, or portions of the whole of the tubular framework may be utilised for
this purpose.
A removable cover may be employed to protect passengers from the weather.
Doted th
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BOULT & WADE,
Agents-for-the-Applicant.-25
ericies.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON, of The Motor Mills, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, 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 self-propelled vehicles-preferably three-wheeled-the
chief features of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of
example in their application to a three-wheeled vehicle.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the said vehicle.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The framework is 'tubular and comprises two inclined longitudinal tubes A,
bound together where necessary by cross frames or connections A', and carrying
at the front end a cross tube A2, which forms another cross connection
between the two tubes A and supports the steering heads B for two
steering wheels CC, each carried in its appropriate fork B The
steering is effected from the back by a steering rod D, pivotted in the framing and
provided with a handle bar D¹ to be controlled by the rear rider, who sits upon the
sddle E; at the lower end of the rod D is a chain wheel D round which passes a
short length of pitch chain F connected by rods F1 to similar short lengths F2 of
pitch chain which gear with sprocket wheels B2 fixed upon the stem of the forks B',
a rod F3 being employed to connect the two portions of chain F2 at the opposite

page_text: sides of the machine, so that the three chain wheels 1 B B are geared together
by the endless connection F F F F under the control of the steering handle
bar D', whereby the forks B are movable to turn the wheels CC by which the
vehicle is steered.
The steering might be controlled from the front or other portion of the machine,
and the connections between the steering. handle and the road wheels under its
control are not necessarily such as are hereinbefore described by way of example.
The saddle E is carried on a central tube or frame A³, which carries also other
seats or saddles E E E, the first and last being, by preference so arranged that
the persons using those seats sit facing forward, though the persons using the
other seats face sideways.
For the feet of the riders, foot-hoards G, rests or equivalent are provided. The
person who uses the rear saddle E, which is raised higher than the others, is
intended to have control of the vehicle, all the necessary handles for starting,
regulating, steering, braking and generally controlling the vehicle are arranged
in proximity to that saddle."
I are the cylinders of the motor, which preferably should be an explosion
engine of the well-known Pennington type; they are carried by the cross tube, A³
and supplied with oil from a reservoir H, fixed on the framing. His the driving
shaft of the motor, which is geared through intermediate gearing, hereinafter
described, to the gear road wheel or driving wheel J, the shaft J of which is
journalled in bearings A fixed to, the main tubes,A of the frame. H³ are connect-
ing rods by which the movement of the pistons of the motor cylinders is converted
into rotary motion of the shaft H³, and H are pitch chains whereby the motor
shaft H is geared to intermediate sprocket-wheels K (Fig. 1) carried upon a
sleeve K3 (Fig. 2), which is rotatable upon the rearmost one of the stays A¹. Upon
this sleeve are fixed another pair of sprocket wheels K' which are geared by pitch
chains H to other sprocket wheels J, retatable about, the shaft J. The, two
sprocket wheels J4 are of different sizes so that when driven by the motor they
will turn at different speeds, either one of them at a time being coupled to the road
wheel J by means of clutches Je indicated in Fig. 2; and controlled by lovers such
as J, Fig. 1, which preferably should be so arranged that when one clutch is in
gear the other is out of gear; thus the speed of the road wheel J in relation to the
speed of the motor, depends upon which of the two sprocket wheels J* is caused by
the clutches to engage with the road wheel. The proportions of this chain gearing
are such that the angular velocity of the driven wheel J is considerably less than
that of the motor crank shaft H. He is a fly wheel fixed on the shaft H³.
N is a handle controlling a rod N connected to a valve at N whereby admission
of oil to the motor cylinders is regulated. O is an electric battery, and O' a switch
carrier on the handle D' to control the current led from the battery to the igniter
of the motor.
Instead of explosion engines any other suitable type of motor can be employed,
operating directly or through the medium of any desired type of gearing upon the
driven road wheel J.
Beneath each of the side foot-boards G is a quieting chamber L (Fig. 1) of any
suitable construction, into which the exhaust gases from the motor cylinder H are
delivered; the heat given up by these, gases in the quieting-chambers serves to
warm the side foot-boards G.
It is convenient, especially where explosion engines are employed to drive the
vehicle, that cycle cranks such as M should he provided, and geared as by the
chain M to the sleeve K as shown, which carries the intermediate gear K K; the
said sleeve K³ encircles the stay A¹, having fixed upon it the intermediate chain-
wheels K K hereinbefore referred to, and also a chain-wheel, concealed by the
chain M in the drawings, which by the said chain is connected to a similar but
smaller chain-wheel on the crank shaft M2 of the cranks M; which is supported
in a bearing A upon one of the frame tubes A and a bearing A on the frame
tube A. The cranks M are under the control of the person seated on the saddle E

page_text: and constitute a starting gear for the vehicle, and also a foot-rest for the rider in
that saddle. Instead of being geared to the intermediate shaft, the cranks could
Le geared the motor shaft, or to any one or more road wheels of the vehicle.
AT is a reversely curved stay-tube of two circular bends the centre of each hend
being in the seat or saddle placed within it, and the stay tube serving as a back or
rest for the rider in that seat. As are supporting tubes by which the curved stay
is connected with the main tubes A of the frame. It will be seen that at the front
end of the vehicle the tube A3 is connected to a similar curved tube A' forming a
rest for the rider, who occupies the front seat. E. Thus the framing is in three
tiers, the lowest tier being constituted by the main tubes A, the middle tier by the
tubes AA and the top tier by the tube A. A" are struts supporting the tube A",
which extends across the 'angle formed by the downward bend at the rear end of
the tube A. Provision may be made for carrying luggage upon the frame. Any
suitable arrangement of brake may be employed preferably one or more hand brakes
being applied to the road wheels of the vehicle, the said wheels being preferably
provided with pneumatic tyres of large size. Or the compression of air occurring
in the cylinders may be utilized, when the oil is shut off, to stop the motor and
vehicle
The cycle cranks M will be connected to the nart to be driven by ratchet or
friction or other clutch mechanism so arranged that if the rider works faster than
the other shaft, he will exert power to propel the vehicle or rotate the engine shaft,
but when the engine shaft runs away the cycle shaft will be left, and need not
operate. Preferably this action is automatic as in the case of a ratchet or similar
the machine, or portions or the whole of the tabular frame-work may be utilised
-clutch.-but-ordinary friction or grip clutches may be employed if preferred.
Both oil and water may he carried in suitable vessels conveniently-placed-upon-
for this purpose. A removable cover may be employed to protect passengers from
the weather.
There may be two trailing wheels, if desired, with one instead of two leading
or steering wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention. and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a motor vehicle the combination of side frame-tubes A, cross connec
tions AA, steering-wheels C C pivotted to the frame and a driven trailing wheel
or wheels rotating in hearings at the rear end of the frame substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings."
2. In a motor-vehicle the combination of side frame-tubes A, cross
connections A¹ A2, steering-wheels C C pivotted to the frame, a driven trailing-
wheel or wheels J rotating in bearings at the rear end of the frame and a motor
operatively connected with the driven road-wheel substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a motor-vehicle the combination of side frame-tubes A, cross-
connections AA, steering-wheels C C pivotted to the frame, a driven trailing
wheel or wheels J rotating in bearings at the rear end of the frame, a motor
operatively connected with the driven road-wheel and starting-gear operatively
connected with the other motive mechanism substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a motor-vehicle the combination of side frame-tubes A, and auxiliary
frame members A A A A A A A A" these parts being disposed to form a
three-tier frame substantially as described.
5. In a motor-vehicle the combination of foot-board and exhaust quieting-
chamber substantially as described.
6. In a motor vehicle the employment of the frame tubes A substantially as
described.

page_text: 7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete motor-
vehicle substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
T 0th day of July 1897
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.