Improvements.in Steering and Supporting Gear for Motor Cars and other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, Sth Mar.,
4000
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
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Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements.in Steering and Supporting Gear for Motor Cars and
other Road Vehicles.
I, RICHARD STEPHENS, of No. 9, The Triangle, Clevedon, Somerset, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved steering gear and to appliances for con-
necting the front wheels of motor cars and the like to the body or frame of the
yehicle; and has for its object to provide means for reducing the vibration and
sudden shock to the carriage when either of the. front wheels passes over any
obstacle or uneven surface in the road, and also to simplify the appliances for
steering the vehicle
My invention consists in supporting each of the front corners of the frame
or body of the car on the head of a fork resembling the front fork of a bicycle,
so that the front practically rests on the fork head of two magnified bicycle
wheels running side by side without any connection below the forks, but con-
nected at the top by a rod and levers or the like, so that the two wheels always
travel parallel to each other.
.
In carrying this invention into effect, two strong forks are made with tubular
heads to engage in similar fittings in the frame of the car; these forks have
slots or similar contrivances at their. lower ends for receiving the spindles of
the wheels and the guide blocks attached thereto; inside these outer forks
smaller forks are fitted with heads engaging in the tubular heads of the outer
forks, with springs above the ends of the inner forks, if required, to equalise
the pressure and reduce the vibration the lower part of the fork is connected
to the hub of the wheel, like as in a bicycle wheel, the spindle being extended
and guide blocks placed on each side to engage in slots or the like made in
the ends of the outer forks; A spring, similar to an ordinary carriage spring,
is attached by a bolt or pin in its centre, and pivotted to the lower part of the
frame, this bolt acts as a balancing pin for the front of the car; at each end
of the spring, a calliper shaped fork is made to surround and be suspended to
swivel bearings at the top ends of the inner forks, and hanger links, enlarged
in the centre, are placed over the ends of the spring forks and the swivel
bearings in such a manner that they are firmly connected without screws or
bolts and nuts, provision is thereby made for the expansion or contraction of
the spring, and each end of the spring is supported on the head of the inner fork
which is attached to the wheel, and this again engages with the outer fork,
which is placed within the tubular bearings on the frame of the car.
Instead of the spring attached to the base of the car frame, a lever may be
used and connected in a similar manner to the frame, and by hanger- links. to

page_text: the swivels on the heads of the inner forks; in this case, springs will necessarily
be placed at the top of the lower fork bead to receive and reduce the vibration
from each wheel, which would otherwise be done by the cross spring already
described.
With the front wheels arranged in separate forks, each engaging in other
forks, and connected to swivels and springs in the manner described, any
vibration or shock in one wheel will be reduced or neutralised by. the resiliency
of the corresponding end of the cross spring or by the spring in the fork head,
without communicating it to the other side of the frame or car; the upper ends
of the forks are connected by a rod and levers, and attached to the usual steering
gear, so that each wheel is turned simultaneously, and a uniform parallel
motion maintained.
.
If desired, the springs at the top of the inner forks may be made to do the
whole work of receiving and equalising the vibration, and thus to dispense with
the cross spring and lever, with their hanger links and swivels for connecting
them to the inner fork and the frame of the car, but it is preferable to use the
spring or lever as described.
Improvements in Steering and Supporting Gear for Motor Cars and
other Road Vehicles.
I, RICHARD STEPHENS, of 9, The Triangle, Clevedon, Somerset, 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 fol-
lowing statement::
1
This invention relates to motor cars and other road vehicles. It consists in
improvements in suspending the body frames of such vehicles at the front in
such manner as to minimise vibration of the body due to travelling over inequali-
ties in road surfaces, and to more nearly equalize the load on the vehicle. This
invention further relates to means for steering such vehicles with frames so
suspended.
According to this invention, the front wheels of the vehicle are centred in forks
of a kind resembling the front forks of a bicycle. These forks have, as in a
bicycle, tubular extensions termed head tubes which are telescoped, as in a
bicycle, into an outer tube constituting part of the body frame of the vehicle.
These forks are, for convenience in description, hereinafter referred to as the
outer forks. The spindle about which the wheels turn are passed through slots
provided in the limbs of the outer forks and through blocks which are free to
travel up and down in the slots with the spindles. Within each outer fork
is a second fork. The latter forks are, for convenience in description, herein-
after referred to as the inner forks. The spindles of the wheels are passed also
through the inner forks which are not slotted. The inner forks have tubular
extensions or heads which are telescoped into the heads of the outer forks. The
front part of the body frame of the vehicle is pivotally connected to a laminated
spring like an ordinary spring of a carriage. This spring extends across the
front of the vehicle. It is grasped at or about midway by an arm which is
pivotted on a pin passed through the arm and through another arm fixed to
and extending downwards from the vehicle frame, which latter is, accordingly
free to rock on the pivot pin The laminated spring aforesaid car-

page_text: ries at each end a fork. Each of these forks is loosely coupled by links
to a swivel bearing situated above the crown of each of the .inner forks respec-
lively above mentioned. The connection is so arranged that the laminated
spring aforesaid has free play in compression and extension. Vibration due to
inequalities in the road travelled over is. taken up at either side of the front
of the body frame of the vehicle by the laminated spring to which such vibration
is transmitted from the wheels through the inner forks immediately above the
crowns of which are situated the swivels to which the forks. of the laminated
spring are coupled.
Accordingly, vibration and shock are cushioned by the spring, and the load
is equalized or more evenly distributed by virtue of the pivotal connection of
the spring and the franie.
Vibration-and-shoecks-may-be-further enshimed-by-placing-coiled-springs-in-the
head-tubes-of-the-outer-forks-above-the-upper-ends of the head-tubes of the inner
forks, such coiled-springs-always-exerting-a-downward-pressure-on-the inner fork
head-tubes. This-part-of-my-invention, namely; the provision of coiled springs, is
applicable-to-the-hends-of-bicycles-und-trieveles
The outer forks are coupled by a rod which extends across the front of the
vehicle and is connected at each end to levers which are secured to the corners
of the outer forks. To the upper end of one of the outer fork head tubes is
attached one end of a steering handle by actuating which the front wheels are
turned in unison in steering. The swivel bearings aforesaid permit the forks
at the ends of the spring to be connected to the inner forks while still affording
freedom in steering.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Fig. I thereof
represents in front view the front part of the body frame of a motor carrfitted
and arranged in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the
frame. Fig. 3. is a vertical section of one of the swivel bearings at which the
front spring is connected to the head tubes of the inner forks. Fig. 4 is a
plan of Fig. 3 and is partly sectional as along the line,, Fig. 3, but with
the cover of the ball-bearing and superposed nut removed.
The front wheels a of the vehicle are made and fitted in a manner resembling
the wheels of a bicycle.. The wheels are centred in outer forks b, the head
tubes of which are, as in a bicycle,: telescoped into the outer tubes c. consti-
tuting the body frame of the vehicle. The spindles about which the wheels a
turn are passed through slots and through blocks e, in which slots the blocks e
are free to travel up and down with the spindles. Within each outer fork b
is an inner fork f through which the spindles a¹ of the wheels a are passed.
These forks fare not slotted; the spindle has therefore no vertical play
independently of the forks f. The inner forks f have head tubes f which are
telescoped into the head tubes of the outer forks b.. The front part of the body
frame to which the body proper of the vehicle is connected consists of the forks b,
outer tubes e, and the members 'g. Across the front of the vehicle extends a
laminated spring like an ordinary carriage spring. This spring his grasped
at or about midway by a short arm i which is free to rock on the pin j passed
through it and through a short arm firmly fixed to and extending downwards
from the body frame. At each end the spring carries a fork 7. The forks. /
are loosely coupled by hanger links m to the swivel bearings n situated above
the crowns of the inner forks f. These swivel bearings, which are shown at
an enlarged scale at Figs. 3 and 4, consist each of a collar n free to turn on
ball bearings about the head tube f and having necks to receive the links m
which are prevented from coming off the collars by the heads of larger
diameter than the necks. Vibration and shock due to inequalities in the road
surfaces travelled are transmitted to the spring which cushions the same to
the body, and as the said spring is, as aforesaid, pivotally connected to the body
frame of the vehicle, the load is equalized or more evenly distributed over the
frame. The body frame being free to rock on the pivot prevents or reduces

page_text: twisting and torsional strain on the frame. Hence the frame, can be made
lighter accordingly.
Vibration-and-shocks-may be further-cushioned-by-placing-coiled-springs-in-the
head tubes 1-of-the-forks-b-and-bearing on-the-upper-ends of the head-tubes-f--of
the-forks-fThis part of my-invention, namely, the provision,-in the heads, of
coiled-springs-is-applicable-to bieyeles-and-tricycles.
The steering arrangement is as follows; To the crowns of the outer forks b
are firmly connected the levers o which are coupled by pivot-joints to-the-con-
necting rod extending across the front of the vehicle. The head tube of one
of the forks has a steering handle g fixed to it towards its upper end. As
the steering handle is actuated, so the two forks move together in unison, the
swivel bearings n permitting the forks to be turned while still affording free
play of the inner forks f under vibration and shocks as above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. Method of and means for suspending at front the body frame of a motor
car or like vehicle, that is to say, by outer forks such as b constituting part
of the frame, inner forks such as f acted upon by a spring such as h, coupling
the said forks f and pivotally connected to the frame, the forks f being free
to work up and down independently of the outer forks; the arrangement being
such that vibration and shocks are transmitted to the said spring and thereby
cushioned to the body of the vehicle, substantially as hereinabove described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a motor car, or like vehicle, having a body frame suspended as set forth
in the preceding claim; means for steering while permitting freedom of travel
up and down of the inner forks, said means consisting of the swivel bearing n.
hanger links m, forks 7 of the spring h, and steering handle y fixed on the head
tube of one of the outer forks; all constructed, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as hereinabove described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The provision,-in-the-hend-tubes-of-the-frames-of-motor-cars-and-like vehicles:
and-in-the head-tabes-of-the-front-forks-of-bicycles, tricycles, -and-the-like, of coiled
springs-or-the-like-arranged-to-eusliion-and-reduce vibration and--shocks, substan
tially as hereinabove-set-forth.
..
1
1
1000
NICHOLAS WATTS.
Chartered Patent Agent, Bristol.