Year: 1898

page_text: I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Ladywood Road, Birmingham, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in gear for the transmission of power
and refers more particularly to an improved form of change speed friction gearing
suitable for application to power propelled vehicles but also applicable to other
purposes where it is desired that the speed of revolution or direction of motion shall
be immediately under control.
In one mode of carrying my present invention into effect as applied to a single
driving motor cycle the driving road wheel is fitted with a cushion or pneumatic
tyre and is actuated frictionally by a wheel fitted with a revoluble tyre the con-
struction of which will be hereinafter described this wheel which is hereinafter
referred as the vortex wheel" is in turn driven by a rubber faced friction wheel
on the motor shaft whose axis is preferably at right angles to the road wheel axle
and at some distance from it. The vortex wheel is so mounted that its axis is
adjustable so that it may either lie in a direction parallel to that of the road wheel
or parallel to the motor shaft or any intermediate direction that may be desired.
The revoluble tyre of the vortex wheel is preferably built up of a number of
separate sections each mounted on a ball bearing and capable of revolving indepen-
dently about the rim as an axis, each of these sections or rollers coming in turn
into contact with the motor friction wheel on the one hand and the tyre of the road
wheel on the other and it will be seen that the vortex wheel is thus capable of act-
ing as a worm gear of variable pitch and that the gearing ratio will be modified
with every change in the direction of its axis and that the direction of motion of
the road wheel may be reversed at will.
When the axis of the vortex wheel is parallel to that of the road wheel then no
motion will be transmitted and the rollers in contact with the motor friction wheel
spin idly round; if now a movement of the axis in one direction cause the vehicle
to go ahead then a movement in the reverse direction will cause it to go astern
and the greater the movement the higher the gearing ratio obtained till when the
vortex wheel axis becomes parallel to that of the motor shaft the motor is of
necessity brought to rest and the vehicle is at liberty to run free.
Instead of gearing on to the tyre of the road wheel direct a special friction wheel
may be fitted and the surfaces of both this and the motor friction wheel may be
with advantage made slightly concave.

page_text: I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of Ladywood Road, 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 follow-
ing statement;-
This invention relates to improvements in gear for the transmission of power
and refers more particularly to an improved form of change speed friction gearing
suitable for application to power propelled vehicles but also applicable to other
purposes where it is desired that the speed of revolution or direction of motion
shall be immediately under control.
The invention consists generally in fitting the road wheel with a cushion or
pneumatic tyre and actuated frictionally by a wheel fitted with a revoluble tyre,
the construction of which will be hereinafter described, and this " vortex wheel" is
in turn driven by a rubber-faced friction wheel on the motor shaft whose axis is
preferably at right angles to the road wheel axle and at some distance from it.
The "vortex wheel" is so mounted that its axis is adjustable so that it may either
lie in a direction parallel to that of the road wheel or parallel to the motor shaft
or any intermediate direction that may be desired. The revoluble tyre of the
vortex wheel" is preferably built up of a number of separate sections each
mounted on a ball bearing and capable of revolving independently about the rim as
an axis, each of these sections or rollers, coming in turn into contact with the
motor friction wheel on the one hand and the tyre of the road wheel on the other
and it will be seen that the vortex wheel" is thus capable of acting as a worm
gear of variable pitch and that the gearing ratio will be modified with every change
in the direction of its axis and that the direction of motion of the road wheel may
be reversed at will.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates the means employed to carry
the invention into effect as follows:-
Figures 1 and 2 show an arrangement of gearing for transmitting power between
two pneumatic wheels whose axes are at right angles, and,
Figure 3 is a detail section of one of the small rollers that form the rim of the
vortex or transmission wheel.
""
66
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the driver, B the follower and C' the adjustable
transmission or "vortex wheel. The wheels A and B may be pneumatic tyred
wheels of ordinary construction, but the tyres are preferably of large diameter
compared to the rim, and the wheel B may be used as a road wheel in power pro-
pelled vehicles or it may be a special wheel geared on to the road wheel by chain
or other means. The transmission or vortex" wheel C is preferably constructed
and mounted as follows: -A central hub M has mounted on it two covers K and L,
the former being made hollow on the outside to permit of the end of the hub spindle
being hinged on to the fixed bracket at E, a point that should be approximately
in the centre plane of the wheel, while the other end of the hub spindle is attached
to an operating link F whereby the transmission or vortex wheel may be set
over to any desired angle in either direction. The two covers K and L are
furnished with a number of radial jaws G whose function is to hold securely a
corresponding number of small rollers D carried upon spindles H with adjustable
milled cones such as J so that they can be accurately set and locked in position on
tightening the bolts N.
"
In the position shown in the drawings the mechanism is idle, that is to say,

page_text: the driving wheel A simply runs free spinning the roller or rollers with which
it happens to be in contact but if the plane of the transmission or vortex" wheel C
be inclined in either direction by operating the link F then the rollers will be
running in an oblique direction on the face of the driver A and cause the gear
to at once become operative, the direction of motion of B being according to the
direction in which the transmission or "vortex" wheel is inclined, and the speed
of rotation being proportional to the tangent of the angle of inclination assuming
a constant speed and direction for the driving wheel.
Instead of gearing on to the tyre of the road wheel direct a special friction wheel
may be fitted and the surface of both this and the motor friction wheel may be
with advantage made slightly concave.
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 gearing for the transmission of power a wheel furnished with a revoluble
tyre arranged to gear in contact with one or more friction wheels or drums sub-
stantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
2. In friction gearing the construction of wheel with revoluble tyre substan-
tially as herein before described.
3. The improved power transmission and control gearing for motor propelled
vehicles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3
of the accompanying drawings.
1011
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.