Year: 1896

page_text: I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in power propelled vehicles and refers
more particularly to vehicles in which a high speed motor carried in the body
of the vehicle is used as a source of power and mechanism employed to gear down
on to the road wheel.
The present invention has for its object to so arrange the driving gear that no
excessive stresses shall be incurred when the vehicle is passing over a rough road.
In vehicles as heretofore constructed the gearing down is effected sometimes in
one stage and sometimes more than one and in a frequent arrangement small
chain pinions are arranged on the extremities of intermediate shafts one on each
side of the vehicle body and these gear on to chain wheels of much larger diameter
attached to the respective road wheels. This chain drive forms one of the stages
of the gearing down. When a vehicle constructed as above described passes over
a rough or uneven road the chain is drawn suddenly into tension first in one
direction and then in the other end is thereby liable to injury or breakage, and the
object of the present invention is to so arrange the driving gear that these sudden
and varying stresses are avoided.
In one mode of carrying this invention into effect I arrange the whole of the
gearing down mechanism on the same frame as the motor or connected to the body
of the vehicle and in order to convey the power to the road wheels, I arrange
chain drives with chain wheels of equal or nearly equal diameter and place these
chain wheels relatively to one another so that the motion of the axle of the
vehicle as permitted by the spring, is about at right angles to the general run of
the drive.
In one modification I arrange in lieu of the driving chain wheel in the above
arrangement a dummy wheel of the same diameter as the chain wheel it replaces
and the chain is arranged to pass round this dummy wheel and round a driving
pinion of suitable diameter, so that the dummy wheel is embraced by the driving
chain.
In another modification the slack and taut sides of the chain drive are
maintained parallel to one another by means of a small guide pulley bearing on
the chain on one side only this palley can also serve the purpose of tightening
the chain when required.
Dated this 30th day of Santambe 100%
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.

page_text: I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Cobley Hill, Near Alvechurch, in the
County of Worcester, 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 improvements in power propelled vehicles and refers
more particularly to vehicles in which a high speed motor carried on the body
of the vehicle is used as a source of power and mechanism employed to gear down
on to the road wheel.
The present invention has for its object to so arrange the driving gear that no
excessive stresses shall be incurred when the vehicle is passing over a rough road.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the arrangement at present in use and
the different modifications of this invention applied to a similar type of car.
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the type of gear at present in use.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of one mode of applying the present
invention.
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic elevation of another modification.
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic elevation of a third modification.
Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, in vehicles as heretofore
constructed the gearing down is effected sometimes in one stage and sometimes
more than one. A very frequent arrangement is such as shown on Figure 1,
where a motor A is mounted upon a carriage body B drives an intermediate shaft C
also attached to B, this intermediate shaft having small chain pinions D
arranged on its extremities and gearing by chains E to chain wheels F of much
larger diameter attached to the road wheels G. This chain drive D E F forms one
of the stages of the gearing down. When a vehicle constructed as above described
passes over a rough or uneven road the chains E are drawn suddenly into tension
first in one direction and then in the other and are thereby liable to injury or
breakage and the object of the present invention is to so arrange the driving gear
that these sudden and varying stresses are avoided.
Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings where one modification applied to the
same type of car is shown, the motor A is mounted upon the carriage body B and
drives by chain gearing a shaft X which by means of the pinions Y and Z drives
an intermediate shaft C both of these being mounted upon the carriage body,
while at either extremity of this intermediate shaft chain wheels H are mounted
connected by driving chains I to chain wheels J of equal or nearly equal diameter
attached to the driving wheels G. Connecting spars K between the intermediate
shaft C and the driving axle L are arranged as shown, the chain drive I being
practically horizontal, and the effect of this is that when the vehicle is travelling
over a rough road, the movement of the axle L as permitted by the spring M is
about at right angles to the run of the chain drive I, and consequently owing to
the equality of the diameter of the chain wheels no undue tension or strains are
put upon the chains I or the axle and intermediate shaft bearings, and thus a
compensating drive is formed.
Referring to the further modification illustrated at Figure 3 of the drawings,
the motor A is mounted upon the carriage body B and there is an intermediate
shaft C similar to the previously described modification also mounted upon the
carriage body, but in lieu of the driving wheels H Figure 2 there are placed
dummy wheels N of the same diameter as the chain wheels they replace and the
chain drive O is taken direct from a small secondary shaft P and chain wheels Q

page_text: and passes round the dummy wheels N on to the driving pinions R (of the same
diameter as N) attached to the road wheels G. It is preferable to arrange the
centre of the driving axle L, the intermediate shaft C and the secondary shaft P
The strain on the
all in one line and where possible horizontal or nearly so.
chain drive and bearings in such an arrangement when the wheels pass over a
rough road is insignificant compared with the old methods especially when the drive
is arranged as nearly as possible parallel with the road. The chain drive O is
thus made compensating by the action of the dummy wheels N.
Referring to the modification illustrated at Figure 4 of the drawings, a motor A
drives an intermediate shaft C both mounted on the carriage body B and also in
the carriage body and immediately underneath the intermediate shaft guide
pulleys S are placed at either end of a shaft T similar in size to the chain wheels U
fixed to either end of the intermediate shaft C. The chain wheels V are attached
to the driving wheels G and the relative size and position of the chain
pulleys S are so adjusted that the slack and taut sides of the chain
drive W are maintained parallel to one another and practically parallel
with the roadway. The chain pulleys $
adjustable in
made
are
slots X SO that they can also serve the purpose of tightening the
chain when required. The effect of this arrangement in relieving undue strains
on the driving chains and bearings is similar to the previously described modifi-
cations in effecting a compensating drive on the road wheels.
Instead of a chain drive from an intermediate shaft pinion wheels may be
mounted upon the road wheel and equal or nearly equal diameter pinion wheels
may be mounted upon either end of the intermediate shaft and as a means of
communicating the motion idle pinion wheels may be mounted upon spars similar
to the spars K Figure 2 and gear with each pair of intermediate shaft pinions and
road wheel pinions.
Where it is convenient to arrange the compensating drive horizontal and its
inclination becomes considerable it is advantageous to make the gear wheels on
the carriage or road wheels somewhat smaller in diameter or with reference to
Figure 3 of the drawings, for example, the dummy wheel N should be of
increased diameter compared with the wheel R or referring to Figure 4 the small
wheels U and S would be placed further apart.
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. In power propelled vehicles in which a high speed motor is attached to the
carriage body and geared down to the road wheels the arrangement of a compen-
sating drive constructed and operating substantially in the manner herein before
described.
2. In power propelled vehicles in which a high speed motor is attached to the
carriage body and geared down to the road wheels, the arrangement of a dummy
wheel or wheels attached to the superstructure for the purpose of rendering the
last drive compensating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of June 1807
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.