Improvements in or connected with the Steering Mechanism of Motor Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application. 23rd May, 196
Complete Specification Left, 23r.1 Feb., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Steering Mechanism of
Motor Road Vehicles.
I CAMILLE ALPHONSE FAURE of 37 Avenue de la Republique, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to road vehicles driven by motors contained within, or
carried by, the vehicle; and the object of the invention is to so arrange the
steering wheels and their connections, that steering is effected with great
facility, and with a minimum of power and with less injury to the wheels than
hitherto,
The steering wheels are pivotted and constructed, or arranged, in such a way as
to reduce to a minimum the force necessary to turn them on the road, they being
mounted and operated so that they are turned on the central bearing point of their
periphery. They are each pivotted on a pin fixed to the end of the axle, a disc
being mounted on the said pin, this disc being received in the hub of the wheel.
The periphery of the disc and the interior of the hub preferably have
corresponding grooves, and anti-friction balls mounted in the said grooves, so as
to constitute ball bearings between the disc and hub. It is preferred to convey
the steering motion to the said wheels by means of arms secured to the discs and
connected by rods and levers to a pedal, or other operating device.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1906
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in or connected with the Steering Mechanism of
Motor Road Vehicles.
I, CAMILLE ALPHONSE FAURE, late of 37 Avenue de la Republique, now of
116 Boulevard Richard Lenoir, Paris, in the Republic of France, 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 road vehicles driven by motors contained within, or
carried by, the vehicle and the object of the invention is to so arrange the steering
wheels and their connections, that steering is effected with great facility and with
a minimum of power, and with less injury to the wheels than hitherto.
The steering wheels are pivotted and constructed, or arranged, in such a way as
to reduce to a minimum the force necessary to turn them on the road, they being
mounted and operated so that they are turned on the road on the central bearing

page_text: point of their periphery. They are each pivotted on a pin fixed to the end of the
axle, a disc being mounted on the said pin, this disc being received in the hub of
the wheel. The periphery of the disc and the interior of the hub preferably have
corresponding grooves, and anti-friction balls mounted in the said grooves, so as to
constitute ball bearings between the disc and hub. It is preferred to convey the
steering motion to the said wheels by means of arins secured to the discs and
connected by rods and levers to a pedal, or other operating device.
I will describe my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which-
Figure 1 is a plan shewing a pair of wheels mounted according to the said
invention, the wheels in this view being represented in the position which they
occupy when the vehicle to which they are attached is moving in a straight
course.
Figure 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section shewing the
arrangement represented in Figure 1, the wheels being shewn in the position which
they occupy when the vehicle is being turned.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively an elevation and a vertical section of a portion
of one of the wheels.
Figures 1 and 2 are drawn to a scale smaller than that to which Figures 3 and 4
are drawn.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.
A are the steering wheels in the hub of each of which is contained a disc D
mounted, and capable of turning, on a pin B fixed to the end of the axle C. The
periphery of each of the discs D and the interior of each of the hubs a are
preferably formed with corresponding grooves d a' respectively, and anti-friction
balls e are mounted in the said grooves as shewn most clearly in Figures 3 and 4.
The hub a is preferably provided with an adjustable ring a3 which is screwed into the
said hub and by it the ball bearings can be tightened or loosened; by removing
the said ring a from the hub a the balls can be removed or placed in position. If
desired the ring a2 may be dispensed with and the balls be placed in the grooves d a²
through an opening formed in the hub a the said opening being normally closed by
a plug
Each of the discs D is preferably formed in two parts for convenience of placing
it upon the pivot pin B, these two parts being fitted together in correct position
conveniently by means of dowel pins d¹.
The steering motion can be conveyed to the wheels A by any suitable means,
such as by means of arms d secured to the discs D, and counected by rods F and
a lever F to a pedal or hand lever or other operating device.
It will be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 2 that when the steering mechanism
is operated, the discs D, upon which the wheels A freely rotate, are correspondingly
deflected by turning on the pins B so as to cause the peripheries of the said wheels
to turn on a point on the road as a pivot and assume the positions necessary for
travelling in the desired direction.
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. The combination with a wheel and an axle therefor of a disc upon which the
wheel can rotate, and a centre-pin, or the like upon which the disc can turn, the
axis of the said pin or the like being in the plane of the wheel, substantially as
herein before described.
2. The combination with a wheel and an axle therefor of a disc such as D
pivotted to the axle in the plane of the wheel and upon or around which disc the
said wheel can rotate, and a lever arm connected to the said disc out of the centre
and means for operating the said lever arm, so as to cause the periphery of the
wheel to turn in steering upon a point on the road as a centre, substantially as
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.j

page_text: 3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the steering wheels
and operative mechanism substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.