Improvements in Mechanically Propelled Road Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanically Propelled Road Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK LAMPLOUGH, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in the United States
of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:—
The invention consists in dividing the body of the vehicle, say, for example, an
omnibus, so that the fore part thereof can turn in relation to the rear part whilst
being held rigidly in the same common plane. For this purpose I divide the fore
part of the vehicle from the rear, quadrant fashion, and fit the two parts with
vertical trunnions or axes and bearings at the centre from which the quadrant
is struck and I provide the two parts with interfitting slides of quadrant form.
I also fit the fore part of the carriage with wheels of suitable dimensions and so
arranged as to permit of the "locking" of the fore part of the vehicle. By these
means the fore part of the vehicle is enabled to act with its wheels as its own
turntable.
Any suitable form of motor power is fitted in the fore part of the vehicle as also
the steering apparatus which latter can be effected by retarding either wheel for
the purpose of deviating from the straight course or of rounding a corner. Or
by placing one motor on each wheel one wheel can be reversed and the other
allowed to go ahead for turning.
The advantages of the above construction are that the whole of the motor
machinery is placed in the fore part of the vehicle, the vibration of the machinery
does not seriously affect the rear portion of the vehicle, the vehicle is pulled from
the front instead of being propelled from the rear wheels and it can be turned in
its own length which is impossible with existing arrangements of motor
carriages.

page_text: London, 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:-
The invention consists in dividing the body of the vehicle, say .for example, an
omnibus, so that the fore part thereof can turn in relation to the rear part whilst
being held rigidly in the same common plane.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is
an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of an omnibus constructed according to my
invention and Figures 3 and 4 are detail views.
According to my invention I divide the fore part a of the vehicle from the
rear b, quadrant fashion, the part a being shown circular in plan whilst the front
portion of the part bis of quadrant form approximately fitting the curve of the
part a. I fit the part a with vertical trunnions or axes al and the part b with
bearings b¹ to receive such trunnions, said trunnions and bearings being at the
centre from which the quadrant is struck. These bearings 61 are formed at the
outer end of a frame 62 the inner ends 63 of which are fixed to the roof of the
part with capability of adjustment as shown more clearly at Fig. 4 or other
means of fixing and adjustment may be adopted.
I also in order to give strength and rigidity to the joint between the
parts a and b, fit the part 6 with a quadrant shaped piece of T iron 64 and the
part a with grooved rollers a² (see Fig. 3) to run on said T piece 6. In the
drawing the parts b and a² are shown only at the top of the carriage but if desired
they may also be applied to the lower part thereof whilst other forms of inter-
fitting parts may be employed..
;
I also fit the fore part a of the carriage with wheels c of suitable dimensions
and so arranged as to permit of the "locking" of the fore part of the vehicle. By
these means the fore part a of the vehicle is enabled to act with its wheels c as its
own turntable. The part of the vehicle is provided with wheels c¹.
Any suitable form of motive power is fitted in the fore part a of the vehicle as
also the steering apparatus which latter can be effected by retarding either wheel
for the purpose of deviating from the straight course or of turning round a corner.
Or by connecting one motor with each wheel, one wheel can be stopped or reversed
and the other allowed to go ahead for turning.
I have not shown any steering or driving mechanism in the drawing as such
may be of any suitable or well known description and form no part of my present
invention.
The advantages of the above construction are that the whole of the motor
machinery is placed in the fore part a of the vehicle and the vibration of the
machinery does not seriously affect the rear portion thereof whilst the vehicle
is pulled from the front instead of being propelled from the rear wheels and it can
be turned in its own length which is impossible with existing arrangements of
motor carriages.
In Fig. 1 I have shown the upper platform and seats of the vehicle as extending
over the part a, the said upper platform being of course free from contact with
the part a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
my said
I claim is:-
1. A mechanically propelled road vehicle comprising a fore part to contain the
driving and steering mechanism, a rear part to accommodate passengers and loads,
trunnions and bearings at top and bottom of the vehicle to connect the two parts
together and permit of motion of such parts in relation to each other, a pair of
wheels to support the front part and another pair of wheels to support the rear
part of the vehicle, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A mechanically propelled road vehicle comprising a fore part to contain the

page_text: driving and steering mechanism, fitted quadrant like to the rear part which is to
accommodate passengers and loads, trunnions and bearings at top and bottom of
the vehicle to connect the two parts of the vehicle together and permit of motion
of such parts in relation to each other and a pair of wheels to support the front
part and another pair to support the rear part of the vehicle substantially as
herein shown and described.
Dated this fith dox of Santambor 1808
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents.