Improvements in or relating to Motor Road Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Motor Road Vehicles.
I, ERNEST EDOUARD COUTURIER, of 10bis, Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris,
in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The present invention relates to a new system of transforming motor cycles into
four wheeled motor vehicles whereby a two-wheeled vehicle of any desired con-
struction can be attached to the motor portion of a motor cycle.
Given a motor cycle of any construction (say a motor tricycle) for instance a
De Dion and Bouton motor tricycle, and on the other hand a small two wheeled
vehicle, such as a "Remorque as used for being drawn by tricycles, a method
in practical use, according to this invention they may be transformed into an
elegant four wheeled carriage.
The modifications carried out on the tricycle or motor cycle are as follows in
the case of the Dion & Bouton tricycle, which is taken as an example.
The tricycle is composed of a differential axis connecting the two back wheels
and a frame carrying the saddle, the handle bar and the fork to which is secured
the front wheel. On the frame of the tricycle are attached all the accessory parts
of the motor, such as the batteries, carburettor, oil or spirit reservoir, steering
and operating handles, brakes, pedals for starting, coils etc. Behind the tricycle
and attached to the frame is the motor which actuates, by a small gearing, the
toothed crown of the differential movement.
As regards the modifications I introduce in the tricycle, all the front part of
the frame, viz., the fork, the front wheel, the handle bar, the pedals, the saddle
tube and the tubes connecting the front with the back portion of the machine
are removed.
The only parts of the tricycle which I retain are the differential axle of the
back wheels, together with the said back wheels, the motor and the tube which
form a kind of bridge connected with the back wheel. I thus obtain an indepen-
dent two-wheel device. I now turn back on itself this wheel device, so that the
motor which formerly, when the tricycle was intact, was behind, will now be in
front of the device. To this two wheel device which thus becomes the front
portion of my carriage I connect, by means of a vertical sleeve with ball bearings
and stays, the front frame of a "Remorque" carriage or other two-wheeled vehicle.

page_text: This combination thus forms a four-wheeled carriage with a front motor and
steering device. But the motor which was behind the wheels when on the tricycle
being now placed in front of the wheels, having made a half-turn around itself,
the motor mechanism must turn in the opposite direction to its previous motion
in order to produce a forward motion. In order to obtain these changes, I alter
the exhaust and ignition operating cams or device so as to produce the rtation of
the parts in the required direction.
The sleeve which serves as a pivot for the front part, is provided with a steering
rod and handle, and a convenient handle for effecting ignition of the motor
charge is also provided. The batteries are preferably placed in the box of the
carriage, and connected with the coils by wires. The coil may remain fixed on the
hand bridge as in the tricycle. The steering bar being united with the front
portion is provided with the motor-operating and brake handles.
Dated this 29th day of March 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Motor Road Vehicles.
I, ERNEST EDOUARD COUTURIER, of 10bis, Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris,
in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement: —
The present invention relates to a new system of transforming motor vehicles
into four-wheeled motor vehicles, whereby a two wheeled vehicle or support of
any desired construction can be attached to the motor portion of the motor cycle.
Given a motor tricycle of any construction, for instance, a Dion et Bouton motor
tricycle, and in addition a small two wheeled vehicle such as a "Remorque"
as used for being drawn by tricycles, a method in practical use according to this
invention, they may be transformed into an elegant four-wheeled carriage.
An important feature in the invention consists in its being possible to discon-
nect the motor portion of a motor tricycle and apply it to a voiturette, when such
a motor vehicle is required, whilst the parts may be taken apart again and the
motor tricycle reconstructed in a very short space of time.
The modifications carried out on the tricycle are as follows, a Dion and Bouton
tricycle being taken as an example.
The tricycle comprises a differential axle connecting the two back wheels and
a frame carrying the saddle, the handle bar and the fork to which is secured the
front wheel. On the frame of the tricycle are attached all the accessory parts
of the motor, such as the batteries, carburettor, oil or spirit reservoir, steering
and operating handles, brakes, pedals for starting, coils, etc. Behind the tricycle
and attached to the frame is the motor which actuates by a small gearing the
toothed crown of the differential movement.
In making the change or transformation all the front part of the frame of the
motor tricycle, cir. the fork, the front wheel, the handle bar, the pedals, the saddle
tube and the tubes connecting the front to the back, are removed.
The only parts of the tricycle which I retain are the differential axle of the
back wheels, together with the said back wheels, the motor and the tube which
surrounds the differential rear axle. I thus obtain an independent two wheel
device. I now turn round this wheel device so that the motor which formerly,
when the tricycle was intact, was behind, will now be in front. To this two
wheel device which thus becomes the front portion of my carriage I connect the
front frame of a "Remorque" carriage or other two wheeled vehicle or support
by means of a vertical socket with ball bearings or the like, and the back stays

page_text: of the tricycle and horizontal supports connecting the lower portion of the socket
to the casing of the rear axle. This combination thus forms a four-wheeled
carriage with a front motor and steering device. But since the motor which was
behind when on the tricycle is now placed in front of the vehicle having been
turned round, the motor mechanism must turn in the opposite direction to its
previous motion in order to produce a forward motion of the vehicle. In order
to effect this change I alter the exhaust and ignition operating cams or devices
so as to produce the rotation of the parts in the required direction.
The socket which serves as a pivot for the front part is provided with a steering
rod and handle, and a convenient handle for effecting and controlling ignition of
the motor charge is also provided. The batteries are preferably placed in the
box of the carriage, and connected with the coils by wires. The coil may remain
fixed on the rear bridge, as in the tricycle. The steering bar being united with
the front portion is provided with motor operating and brake handles. In order
to render clearer the above description, I have represented, by way of example,
in the accompanying drawings in Figure 1 a tricycle of the type Dion et Bouton.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the carriage obtained by means of the transformation
above described.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
In Figure 1 the direction of the travel is indicated by the arrow A B, that
of the back motor wheels by the arrow Z, and that of the motor by the arrow N;
M being the motor. ] represents the differential gear, C the carburettor, P the
batteries, V the fly wheel, y the approximate line on which the tricycle is
supposed to be divided and H is the motor operating handle.
In Figure 2, A-B indicates the forward direction of travel of the carriage,
Z that of the front motor wheels (formerly the back wheels) N the direction of
the motor movement. S represents the steering rod sleeve, S¹ the horizontal stays,
S the back stays, T is the steering handle, R the reservoir, P the battery and H
the motor operating handle.
In Figure 3, F represents the coils and E the exhaust chamber of the motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An automobile vehicle obtained by the transformation of a tricycle in
which the differential rear-axle provided with its wheels and with its surround-
ing tube is disconnected from the front wheel and from the rest of the tricycle
frame this differential axle being then turned and connected by a vertical socket
mounted on ball bearings or in other suitable manner to the front frame of a
"Remorque" voiturette, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the body of a voiturette of a motor-tricycle differential
axle with its motor appurtenances and frame for the production of a four-wheeled
motor vehicle substantially as described.
3. In a vehicle of the kind described the addition to the socket connecting the
front portion with the voiturette of a steering handle for the purpose of steering
the vehicle substantially as described.
4. The convertible vehicle substantially as described or illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.