Improvements in Motor-driven Road Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
Improvements in Motor-driven Road Vehicles.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, of Ferndale, Church Road, Moseley, near the
City of Birmingham, 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 has relation to motor-driven vehicles for use on common
roads, and its principal object is to provide a light simple and cheap form of
vehicle adapted to carry two persons, although parts of my improvements are
applicable to other classes of vehicles.
In its preferred form, the vehicle has four road wheels, the whole of which
are utilized for driving, whilst the front pair are employed as the steering
wheel. The live axles of the two pairs of wheels are driven in common and
through the intervention of suitable gearing, from a longitudinally disposed
shaft to which the toothed gearing of the steering wheels is connected by a
universal or swivelling joint, which enables the power from the said shaft to
be communicated to the live axle of front driving and steering wheels at the
same time as steering is being effected. Another and important feature of
this invention is the special form of joint by which the front axle is connected
to the rigid under-framing of the vehicle. This joint is arranged with a view
to obtaining a maximum of rigidity in a vertical direction with efficient
mobility in a horizontal direction, whereby the front axle is free to turn in a
horizontal plane for steering and also to rock transversely to enable its wheels
to successfully negotiate such obstructions as large stones or ruts or hollows
in a road at the same time that the two rear wheels may also be rocking, but
in an opposite direction.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a motor
driven road vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention, but without
the body of the car which may be of any suitable design or construction.
Figure 2 is a topside plan of the said vehicle.
Figure 3 represents upon an enlarged scale, and partly in elevation and
partly in longitudinal section the joint by which the front axle is connected
to the body of the frame.
Figure 4 is a cross section thereof upon the dotted line a and Figure 5 is a
plan view.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawings.
The main underframing a of the vehicle is constructed preferably from
tubing and is adapted to support the carriage body, the motors, the driving
and speed gear, the axle of the rear wheels and the bearings for the longi-
tudinal shaft by which the front and rear axles are driven in common and at
the same speed. The fore part a¹, of the said frame is somewhat of the figure
of a letter A in plan and comprises two obliquely disposed side members a²,
braced transversely by one or more stays, such as 12, with their fore ends
coming together and taking into the sockets a³, of a junction piece a³, whilst

page_text: their diverging after ends are suitably connected to the stationary sleeve b²,
within which the driven axle 1, of the rear wheels b, runs.
care a series of
brackets, adapted to carry the springs by which the vehicle body is supported,
whilst proceeding rearwardly from the axle sleeve b, are other frame members a",
terminating in the end caps d', of an exhaust silencer d; which is so arranged
as to form a rear stay or bracing member of the framing, and within the
space comprehended by the axle sleeve 61, side members a³, and silencer d, an
oil motor e, of the "de Dion" or other suitable type is detachably supported
by means of frame brackets, such as a", and other connections as may be neces-
sary. The drive of the motor is communicated from its crank axle e¹ to a counter-
shaft, through the medium of an expanding friction clutch such as f, whilst
the motion of the said countershaft e², is transmitted through spur pinions and
any suitable arrangement of differential speed gearing enclosed within the
casing e, to the longitudinal driving shaft g, which has bearings at g', g, in
the framing and may carry a pair of band brake drums g, whilst its rearward
end is fitted with a bevel pinion (not shown) driving, through the medium of
a balance gear located inside the casing 63, onto the rear axle 6', whose wheels
are made fast to its ends.
''
The fore end of the driving shaft passes through a bearing (to be hereinafter
further described) encircled by the junction piece, and terminates in a
universal or swivelling joint h, which conveys the motion of the said shaft to
the front axle, whatever may be the angular position of the latter relative to
the framing, through the medium of a bevel wheel connected with the shank
and ordinary balance gear enclosed in the casing 2, carried by the sleeve
the front axle k, carrying the front wheels k.
of
The special form of joint for swivelly connecting the steering axle to the
body of the framing, is designed to give all necessary rigidity vertically and
yet to allow for the axle turning freely in a horizontal plane for steering, and
also to admit of the said rocking transversely in either direction independent of
the framing, or of remaining stationary whilst the frame is rocking, thus
enabling either or both parts of the vehicle to readily negotiate. any mount
any obstacles or inequalities in their road. The said joint consists of a forked
or branched bracket such as i, carrying a pair of trunnions or joint centres,
disposed in a vertical line with the centre of the universal joint h, and having
a hollow or tubular shank constituting a bearing for the longitudinal driving
shaft which passes therethrough. This bracket is secured to the front end of
the framing, so as to be capable of swivelling therein, by means of the junction
piece at which is made in two longitudinally split sections 10, 11, adapted to
embrace the bracket shank 1, (which has a stop collar at the rear end) and be
secured together by transverse bolts, directed through opposite pairs of eyed
lugs, it being, of course, understood that although these sections are rigidly
secured to one another, yet sufficient freedom of movement is preserved between
them and the shank to allow of the swivelling of the bracket.
Swinging in a horizontal plane upon the vertical trunnions of this swivelling
frame bracket, are a separated pair of double-armed steering forks, whose
arms or branches 7, are respectively bolted or secured to the balance gear
box, above and below the axle sleeve, which is thus secured to the swivelling
bracket at four separated points, thereby providing a connection having absolute
mechanical rigidity both vertically and in every other direction but which
makes efficient provision for the axle rocking transversely relative to the frame
and turning horizontally upon the trunnions i, as centres in steering, whilst by
locating the universal joint in the position described, with its centre coming
in the same vertical line as the axes of the trunnions, the power of the driving
shaft is effectively transmitted to the front axle, whatever position the latter
may be in relative to the framing.
The steering of the vehicle may be either of the lever, hand wheel or tiller
form, as desired. In the drawings, I have shown a hand wheel j, connected to

page_text: the summit of a rod j¹, mounted at its lower end in bearings, carried by a
bracket, which is secured to the framing preferably by the same bolts which
connect together the split parts of the junction at. The foot end of the rod
carries a toothed pinion j, engaging with a toothed sector j³, which is swivelly
connected with the upper steering fork 6, in order to admit of the said sector
remaining always in the plane of the frame and consequently in effective gear
with the pinion *.
This method of steering by a pinion and swivelling sector operated by a
steering rod rigidly secured to the underframing of the vehicle may also be
adapted to vehicles in which the axle is rigid and the wheels move on joints
for steering, the necessary movement for this purpose being conveyed from the
sector to the wheels by a system of levers and connecting rods on the well-
known Ackerman principle.
If necessary, I may employ a pair of independent motors for the propulsion
of the vehicle, with the drive of each being communicated by friction clutches
to countershafts carrying pinions, both of which drive onto the speed gearing
enclosing within the casing as described. The spoke and construction of the
underframing may also be modified in any way as may be desired.
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: —
First In four-wheeled motor-driven vehicles in which the whole of the
wheels are utilized for driving; steering the vehicle by one pair of wheels-con-
nected with a horizontally-turning axle, and transmitting motion to the axles
of both front and rear wheels from a longitudinal driving shaft, one end of
which drives the one axle direct whilst the other end is in connecting with the
live steering axle through the medium of a universal or swivelling joint.
Secondly-In a motor-driven vehicle having four live wheels and steered by
a pair of such wheels carried by a horizontally-turning axle as referred to in
the preceeding claim, swivelly mounting the live steering axle to the under-
framing of the vehicle to admit of it both turning in a horizontal plane and
rocking transversely relative to the said frame substantially as and for the
purpose herein described and also as set forth in the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly-In motor-driven vehicles as referred to in the preceeding claims,
connecting the live steering axle to the underframing of the vehicle by means
of a swivelling joint, consisting of a rocking bracket provided with trunnions
or centres about which the carrier arms of the said swivelling axle, swing, in
a horizontal plane, the said trunnions being vertically lignable with the centre
of the universal joint between the longitudinal driving shaft and the steering
axle, substantially as and for the purpose herein described and also as set forth
in the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly: In motor-driven vehicles as referred to in the preceeding claims,
connecting the steering axle to the swivelling trunnion bracket in such a
manner as to obtain vertical rigidity in the joint, through the medium of an
arrangement of forked or branched carrier arms, swinging in a horizontal plane
and connected to the bearing sleeve or equivalent part of the said axle at
separated points, substantially as herein described and also as set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
Fifthly In motor-driven vehicles having swivelling steering axles, trans-
mitting motion for steering, to the said axle, or to the steering wheels, by
means of a toothed sector or quadrant, which is onerated by a toothed pinion
or wheel of a steering rod carried on the framing of the vehicle, and is swivelly
mounted to ensure it remaining in effective, engagement with the said pinion
in all positions of the steering axle, substantially as herein described and also
as set forth in the accompanying drawings.
Sixthly In motor driven vehicles having four live road wheels, a swivelly

page_text: mounted steering axle and a longitudinal driving shaft connected with the
steering axle by a universal joint, the construction, arrangement and combina-
tion of the several parts, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and set forth.
.
1000
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ROBERT FREDERICK HALL.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.