Improvements in and connected with the Running Gear and Frames of Road Vehicles and Motor Road Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in and
connected with the Running Gear and
Frames of Road Vehicles and Motor Road Vehicles.
I, HIRAM PERCY MAXIM, of No. 1, Columbia Street, in the City and County of
Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, Mechanical 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 in general to the construction of motor vehicles of that class
which are intended for use as road vehicles or horseless carriages. One main object
which I have had iu view in the present invention has been to make the use and care
of such vehicles by those who are mechanically unskillful perfectly safe and feasible
and free from danger of injury either to the vehicle or to the person through ignorance
or carelessness. I have also sought to improve the general construction of such
vehicles so that they shall be better adapted to the conditions of use.
Certain of my
improvements relate especially to the means of propulsion, the source of power being
an electric storage battery carried by the vehicle, but other features of the invention
might be applied to vehicles propelled by other motive power. I have improved the
construction of the running gear to the end that it may be very strong and well adapted
to withstand rough usage without being exceedingly heavy. I have also devised efficient
and desirable means for supporting the considerable weight of the storage batteries or
other source of power. Another part of my invention relates to the construction and
suspension of the motor and the driving connections thence to the driving shaft of
the vehicle. I have also provided novel and desirable means for securing the driving
wheels to the driving shaft. The various features of my invention will be more fully
described Lereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which they are
represented, in convenient and practical embodiments, as applied together to a suitable
vehicle, although it is obvious that they are not necessarily applied to a single structure.
In the drawings,—
Figure is a side elevation of the vehicle, with the wheels removed and with the
body partly broken out ;
Figure 1 is a detail view of a clip secured to the front axle ;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the running gear with a portion of the body in horizontal
section;
· Figure 3 isa front and view of the running coar

page_text: Figure 4 is a rear end view of the running gear with the body in vertical transverse
section and the battery boxes in elevation ;
Figure 5 is a detail view in sectional elevation of the rear shaft or axle and the
motor and their supports and connections, partly broken ont-to save space;
Figure 6 is a detail view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, illustrating
particularly the reducing gears between the motor and the balance gear on the shaft
or axle ;
Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 5, looking toward the left;
Figure 8 is a view in elevation, similar to Figure 5 but showing the encasing of the
motor and gears;
Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8, looking toward the left;
Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Figure 8, looking toward the left.
One part of my present invention relates to the running gear, which has been
designed with a view to securing strength and durability without excessive weight.
To this end the side members of the running gear frame are composed of two rods or
bars A and A¹, preferably tubular, which are disposed, one above the other, substan-
tially in the same vertical plane, and are firmly united at or near their ends to the
front and rear. end members and to each other, as by means of suitable union
pieces A2 and A³. The two rods or bars may also be united at intervals between
their ends, as by suitable clips a a which also serve as means of attachment for the
springs B B, hereinafter referred to. The two rods or bars thus united by the clips
practically form a girder which gives the required strength without excessive weight.
I prefer also that both rods or bars A, and A' shall be curved or arched upwardly,
substantially as shown in Figure 1; the lower rod or bar A¹ having considerable
curvature near its ends to bring it into substantial parallelism with the upper rod or
bar A for the greater portion of its length. The end portions thus act as braces or
knees to most rigidly support the front crab-jaw and rear driving shaft bearing
respectively against horizontal strain. The front end member of the running gear is
also composed preferably of two rods or bars C C¹, preferably tubular, which are
disposed one above the other, substantially in the same vertical plane, and are firmly
connected to the side members and to each other at or near their ends by means of
the union pieces A² heretofore referred to. The front member is preferably arched
or curved downwardly, inasmuch as it is supported by the front axle at its middle,
and therefore is better calculated to withstand the strain upon it, while the side
members, which are supported. at their ends and in turn support the weight of the
body between their ends, are better calculated to stand the strain upon them by
being arched or curved upwardly. The double construction of each side member and
front end member imparts greater rigidity and strength to the frame. The front end
member is provided at its middle portion with a bracket or fork 02 to which is pivoted,
on a horizontal pivot, the front axle. The latter is preferably composed of a tubular
rod or bar D which is curved or arched upwardly, and a tie-rod D¹, the said rods D
and D¹ being united at their ends by suitable union pieces D2 which also form the
forks for the support of the front wheels. As will be understood, the front axle swings
to a limited extent in a substantially vertical plane in order to permit the four wheels
of the vehicle to adapt themselves to inequalities of the surface of the ground, and as
the front wheels are made movable with respect to the front axle for the purpose of
steering, it is desirable to provide means to prevent swinging of the front axle in a
horizontal plane while allowing free movement in a vertical plane. Therefore the
union pieces A² are provided with crab-jaws or substantially vertical extensions a¹,
which stand in rear of the front axle and afford vertical bearing surfaces for the same.
Furthermore, each union piece D2 or each end of the front axle is provided with a
clip d¹, brazed or otherwise secured thereto, which is extended around and behind the
edge of the adjacent crab-jaw to prevent the front axle from being torn away from its
bearing against the crab-jaw when backing up, etc. This allows of a well braced or
webbed crab-jaw, without limiting the vertical movement of the axle.
The rear member of the running gear frame, as represented in Figure 4, may be a
substantially straight bar E, preferably tubular, which is rigidly secured to the union

page_text: pieces AS and is provided with depending brackets e e for the support of the rear
shaft or axle F and the motor and intermediate mechanism. In order that the rear
wheels may have a certain independence of movement,. I prefer that the rear shaft or
axle shall be in two independent parts coupled together by a balance gear of
substantially ordinary construction, as more fully described hereinafter, each portion
of the shaft being supported in ball bearings f or other suitable bearings, in the
hangers or brackets e e. The rear wheels are affixed directly to the respective
portions F and F¹ of the rear shaft or axle and may be secured by any suitable means,
but I prefer the device shown in Figure 5, in which the shaft has a taper shoulder f¹
and a reduced screw threaded end 2. The hub G of the wheel has at g a taper drive fit
upon the taper shoulder f¹ and the hub is forced to its seat on said taper shoulder
and there held by a nut g' and washer g² on the extremity of the shaft or axle, the
hub also having at g³ a seat upon the said reduced portion f2, the said reduced portion
being squared or flattened and the hub being correspondingly formed to fit thereon.
The taper drive fit of the hub upon the shaft, however, is mainly relied upon to
prevent wear and back-lash between the shaft and the wheel.
-
The springs B B, which may be of usual or suitable character and are preferably
disposed transversely, having their ends secured to the side members of the running
gear frame, support the body of the vehicle. In a storage battery vehicle, the body
should be constructed and supported with due regard to the very considerable weight
of the storage batteries, and I have consequently so arranged the parts that the
supports for the main weight should be disposed substantially beneath the centre of
gravity thereof. Accordingly, above each of the two rear springs shown in
Figures 1 and 2, which are disposed at equal distances, fore and aft, from the vertical
plane, which passes transversely through the centre of gravity of the set of battery
boxes, of which four are represented in the drawings, one of said springs being nearly
beneath the centres of the two forward boxes and the other beneath the centres of the.
two rear boxes, I arrange a channel iron H or other suitable bean, which rests upon
the corresponding spring B or upon a block B1 which is interposed between them.
These channel irons are bolted or otherwise secured at their ends, as at h h, to the
side beams or sills I of the body, and are in contact with the under side of the
flooring, which rests upon said bars or sills. The channel irons being. disposed
transversely with respect to the body, i secure upon the flooring (or, it may be, upon
the channel irons if no flooring intervenes,) longitudinal runners 2, preferably angle
pieces of plate metal which receive and guide the boxes between them, as clearly
shown in Figure 4, and also support the boxes, supporting their longitudinally
distributed weight over their entire length, while they in turn are supported on the
channel irons, so that the entire weight of the battery boxes is eventually borne by
the channel irons and the springs without excessive pressure or any strain upon the
floor or any other part of the body. Moreover, it will be evident that by the
described construction, the body subjected to the strain of the weight of.
the occupants only, and the greatest dead load (the source of energy) is carried.
directly on the springs to the side bars and axles and wheels-a great improvement
over other vehicles of this class. Except as described herein, the body of the vehicle
may be constructed and arranged in any desired manner.
I have found it a great advantage, in order to secure the best results in operation, to
have the field and armature coils of the motor mounted concentrically with the shaft
or axle driven by the motor. To this end I prefer the arrangement shown in
Figures 5, 6 and 7, in which the shell or frame L, which supports the field coils L',
is represented as bolted to brackets or hangers e¹, concentric with the axis of the
shaft F F which is supported by the corresponding brackets or hangers e, as
heretofore described. The armature coils M¹ are mounted upon a sleeve or hollow..
shaft M which supports the commutator m, preferably within the shell L, and
envelopes the shaft F concentric therewith but free therefrom, so that said sleeve and
shaft may revolve independently of each other. The sleeve M is supported in
suitable bearings m³, preferably ball bearings, in the brackets or hangers e¹, so that

page_text: This
it shall rotate freely, and so that the cases or other members of the bearings are
'practically integral with or otherwise form a part of the field housing. This insures
the perfect concentric rotation of the armature within the housing and therefore
within the field. Outside of one of said brackets or hangers e¹ the hollow shaft
receives a pinion M². The latter engages a large gear N secured to a counter-shaft N¹
which is supported to rotate in suitable bearings n in arms e2.which project from two
of the hangers e. The counter-shaft N' also carries a pinion N2 which meshes with
the large gear N³ of the differential or balance gear heretofore referred to.
balance gear forms no part of my present invention, but it may be described briefly as
comprising a shell O which carries upon a suitable frame one or more pinions 0¹
which mesh with oppositely disposed gears 02 and 03 which are secured respectively
to parts F and F1 of the rear shaft or axle. The operation of this balance gear is
well known and needs no description herein. I have represented the shell O as
provided with a brake wheel 04 for co-operation with a band brake O³, but the brake
mechanism, likewise, forms no part of my present invention. It will be understood
that the counter-shaft N¹ with its associated gears, constitutes a reducing gear
between the notor and the driven shaft or axle.
The motor and gearing of a motor carriage of the general class of that indicated
in the drawings are particularly exposed to dust and mud and small stones from the
roadway and I therefore prefer to protect them by casings adapted for the special
purpose. As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the motor is entirely encased by a shell of
light, waterproof material which is made in sections K, K1, K2, so that the shell can
be removed readily when necessary, the sections being secured together by bolts or
screws kk or by any suitable means. The outer ends of the sections K and K² are
reduced to fit upon the hubs of the shell or frame L which supports the field coils L',
the casing thus being supported by the hangers or brackets e¹ from the rear member É
of the running gear frame. The gear and pinion N, M² are protected by a shell or
casing K3 which is divided in the plane of the axes of the gear and pinion, the two
parts being held together by bolts ¹. The sides may be cut away for lightness, the
shell or casing being secured in position by fingers 2 which are bolted to the bracket e²
which is supported from the running gear frame. The pinion and gear N2, N3 and the
balance gear are likewise protected by a similar shell or casing K4 in two parts held
together by bolts 3 and having open sides with fingers by which they are bolted to
the brackets e e, which are supported from the running gear frame.
The functions of the several parts of the improved construction herein shown and
described have already been set forth sufficiently and require no further or more
detailed description herein. It will also be understood that said functions can be
performed in whole or in part by devices differing more or less in form and
arrangement from those shown in the accompanying drawings and that I do not
desire, therefore, or intend that my invention shall be limited to the precise
construction and arrangement of parts which have been shown and described herein
for the purpose of explaining the nature of said invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: --
1. A running gear frame for a vehicle having its side members composed each of
two rods or bars one above the other, curved or arched upwardly and connected
together at their ends and having a front member curved or arched downwardly and
connected to the side members at its ends, substantially as set forth.
2. A running gear frame for a vehicle having its side members composed of two
rods or bars one above the other, curved or arched upwardly and connected together
at their ends, and having a front member curved or arched downwardly and connected
to the side members at its ends, and an axle curved or arched upwardly and connected
to the front member at its middle, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination in a vehicle, with a running gear frame having its front

page_text: member composed of two rods or bars one above the other, curved or arched
downwardly, of an axle pivotally connected to said front member: to swing in a
substantially vertical plane and vertical bearing jaws extended downwardly from said
front member to support the axle against movement in a horizontal plane,
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination in a vehicle, with a running gear frame, having its front
member composed of two rods or bars one above the other, curved or arched
downwardly, of a front axle curved or arched upwardly and pivotally connected to the
front member to swing in a substantially vertical plane and vertical bearing jaws
extending downwardly from said front member to support the axle against movement
in a horizontal plane, substantially as set forth.
5. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the driving shaft or axle having a
taper shoulder and a screw threaded end, of a wheel having a hub with a taper fit upon
said taper shoulder and a nut to engage the threaded end of said shaft or axle and
force and hold the hub upon its seat on said axle, substantially as set forth.
6. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a driving shaft or axle having a
taper shoulder and a screw threaded end with flattened sides, of a wheel having a hub
with a taper fit upon said taper shoulder and formed to fit upon said end with
flattened sides and a nut to engage said threaded end of said shaft or axle and
force or hold the hub upon its seat on said axle, substantially as set forth.
7. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the running gear frame having a
rear member, a driven shaft or axle and a motor, of hangers or brackets supported
from said rear member and having bearings for said shaft or axle and hangers or
brackets supported from said rear member and having bearings for the armature
of said motor, and reducing mechanism between said motor and said shaft or axle,
substantially as set forth.
8. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the rear member of the running gear
frame, a driven shaft or axle and a motor, of hangers or brackets supported from said
rear member and having bearings for said shaft or axle, other hangers or brackets
supported from said rear member and having bearings for the armature of the motor,
arms projecting from the first-named hangers or brackets, a counter-shaft having
bearings in said arms and reducing gears connecting the armature of the motor, the
counter-shaft and the driven shaft or axle, substantially as set forth.
9. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the rear member of the running gear
frame, a two-part driven shaft or axle, a balance gear interposed between the two
parts of said driven shaft or axle, two hangers or brackets supported from said rear
member and having bearings for each part of said driven shaft or axle, two hangers or
brackets also supported from said rear member and having bearings for the armature of
said motor and reducing gears interposed between said armature and said balance gear,
substantially as set forth.
10. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the rear member of the running gear
frame, a driven shaft or axle and a motor, of hangers or brackets supported from said
rear member and having bearings for said driven shaft or axle, and two hangers or
brackets supported from said rear member and having bearings for the armature of
said motor and supporting the field coils of said motor, substantially as set
forth.
11. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the running gear frame having a rear
member, a driven shaft, a counter-shaft and a motor, of hangers or brackets having
bearings for said driven shaft, counter-shaft and motor, gears between said motor,
counter-shaft and driven shaft, and a two-part casing enclosing the gears between said
motor and counter-shaft and secured to said hangers or brackets, substantially as set
forth.
12. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the running gear frame having a rear
member, a driven shaft, a counter-shaft and a motor, of hangers having bearings for
said driven shaft, counter-shaft and motor, gears between said motor, counter-shaft
and driven shaft, and a two-part casing enclosing the gears between said counter-shaft

page_text: .
and said driven shaft and secured to said hangers or brackets, substantially as set
forth.
7
FK 349
JE
.i
Dated the 30th day of November 1897.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London. For the Applicant.