provements in or relating to the Steering Wheels of Mechanically Driven Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 27th 'Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or relating to the Steering Wheels of Mechanically
Driven Vehicles.
We, ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY of 16 Elm
Street, Gray's Inn Road in the County of London, Electrical Engineers, and THE
ELECTRIC MOTIVE POWER COMPANY LIMITED of 3 Salter's Hall Court,
Cannon Street, London, Motor Carriage Builders, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the steering wheels of mechanically driven.
vehicles.
According to our invention we pivot and support these wheels at the theoretically
correct point viz. their centre, so that perfection of steering is obtained.
In carrying out our invention we mount each of the steering wheels upon a
bearing around which it rotates and we mount this bearing upon a vertical axis in
a continuation of the fixed axle so that the bearing is free to be turned on this axis..
When the bearings are turned in the one direction or the other, the wheels turn
with them and the vehicle is consequently steered. The turning movement may be.
effected by levers or other devices worked by a.steering handle or otherwise.
As the wheel bearings are comparatively large it is desirable to place anti-friction
rollers, balls or the like between them and the central portion of the wheels.
If necessary, the bearing and axle end may take the form of a ball and socket.
joint, which answers the same purpose as the device previously described.
Dated this 27th day of June 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered. Patent Agents.
Improvements in or relating to the.Steering Wheels of Mechanically.
Driven Vehicles.
We, ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY both of
16 Elm Street, Gray's Inn Road in the County of London, Electrical Engineers
and THE ELECTRIC MOTIVE POWER COMPANY LIMITED of 3 Salter's Hall Court,
Cannon Street, London, Motor Carriage Builders, do hereby declare the nature
of the said 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 has reference to the steering wheels of mechanically driven
vehicles.
According to our invention we pivot and support these wheels at the theoretically.
correct point, namely their centre, so that perfection of steering is obtained.
In carrying out our invention, we mount each of the steering wheels upon a
bearing around which it rotates, and we mount this bearing upon a vertical axis in

page_text: a continuation of the fixed axle, the end of the axle being in the geometrical centre.
of the steering wheel, so that the bearing is free to be turned on this axis. When
the bearings are turned in the one direction or the other the wheels turn with them,
and the vehicle is consequently steered. The turning movement may be effected
by levers or other devices worked by a steering handle or otherwise.
As the wheel bearings are comparatively large, it is desirable to place anti-
friction rollers, balls or the like between them and the central portion of the
wheels.
Or the same purpose may be effected by reversing the arrangement first described
and constructing the axle with forked ends within which the bearing of the wheel
is vertically pivotted, the point of pivotting in either case being inside the hub to
which the spokes are attached and in the plane of the wheel tyre.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section of so much of a
steering wheel of a mechanically driven vehicle as
is necessary to enable the
present invention to be understood;
Figure 2 is an elevation of the inner end of the bearing and Figure 3 is an
elevation of the outer end of the same.
Figure 4 illustrates diagrammatically another method of carrying our invention
into effect.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A is the steering axle of the vehicle, Bis
the box or hub of the steering wheel H, and C is the bearing mounted on or carried
by the axle. The bearing C is a casting or forging shaped to fit with slight play
inside the wheel box or hub B. The weight transmitted between the axle and the
wheel is carried on antifriction balls D working on or in ball races or paths E and F,
respectively attached to or forming part of the wheel hub B and bearing C.
Instead of the balls D as shown, antifriction rollers might be employed, but in such
a case the races or paths would have to be modified accordingly.
The bearing C is formed on its inner side with a central recess in which fits at
top and bottom the enlarged end A' of the steering axle A. A cylindrical pin G,
made a working fit in a vertical hole bored in the enlargement A, extends through
the latter, and its projecting ends are made a driving fit in corresponding holes
formed in the top and bottom walls of the recess. The pin G thus acts as a vertical
axis about which the bearing C, and consequently also the hub of the wheel H, are
at all times free to turn or swivel. The pin G is arranged with its vertical centre
line or vertical axis in line with the central resultant vertical line of pressure
passing through the weight-transmitting contact surfaces of the wheel hub and
bearing, and it is also arranged with its horizontal centre line in line with the
common centre line or axis of the wheel and the axle.
By reason of the wheel being capable of rotating freely around the bearing C
through the medium of the ring of balls D, and the bearing C being in its turn
capable of rotating freely within certain limits around the vertical pin G, great
ease and freedom of steering are obtained, combined with great strength of
construction. The steering axle A is arranged to be turned by suitable connections
(not shown) from a steering handle.
Referring now to Figure 4, which illustrates a modification of the wheel box or
hub B in which the male and female portions of the pivotted bearing are inter-
changed, the wheel hub being in this case formed with a central and inwardly
projecting journal or extension B', carried by and free to rotate inside the horizontal
bearing sleeve C' in which it is retained by the usual lock-nuts C. The sleeve C
is formed at top and bottom with vertically fixed pins or studs G' taking respectively
into the upper and lower members A2 A3 of a forked part attached to or forming
part of the steering axle A. By means of this arrangement the wheel is enabled
to revolve freely in the sleeve C³, whilst it together with the said sleeve is also free
to swivel about the vertical axis constituted by the pins or studs GG. The
position of the pivotting point, i.e. the vertical line drawn through the centres of
the pins G¹ G' is determined in the same manner as in the case of the arrangement
previously described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

page_text: 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 :-
1. In mechanically driven vehicles, supporting the steering road wheels by
bearings pivotted vertically at the geometrical centre in the plane of the tyres for
the purposes described.
2. In a steering wheel of a mechanically propelled road carriage, placing the
vertical pivot, on which the wheel turns to steer, inside the hub to which the spokes.
are attached.
3. The alternative forms of centrally pivotted hubs for the steering wheels of
mechanically propelled road carriages, the wheel bearing being in one case inside.
and in the other outside the vertical pivot, substantially as and for the purposes.
described and as shown in the drawings.
Dated this 26th day of March 1897
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.