Improvements in Differential Motion-transmitting Gear.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Differential Motion-transmitting Gear.
We, COUNT ALBERT DE DION, GEORGES BOUTON and FREDERIC CHAPLET, all of
12, Rue Ernest, Puteaux (Seine), in the Republic of France, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The object of this invention is to provide an improved differential motion-trans-
mitting or driving gear applicable to vehicles, whether propelled by machinery
or otherwise, and, in all cases where motion is transmitted from an explosive motor
engine; the said vehicles being thus enabled to move at full speed and to start
without difficulty and without the employment of any clutch or coupling.
The invention will be described as applied to a vehicle driven by machinery (or
motor carriage) the said invention permitting the usual pitch-chain usually
employed in such vehicles to be dispensed with, and renders the vehicle capable
of moving backwards and forwards at any desired rate of speed, without the
operation of any special coupling device, also, of starting quietly, stopping without
concussion, no matter what the speed of the vehicle may be, and of performing the
proper relative differential movements at the turnings of the road.
On the crank-shaft of the motor engine, two cone or bevel pulleys are keyed with
their smaller ends adjacent or facing each other. The axle of the vehicle to be
driven is in two parts connected together, for purposes of steering merely, by an
axial pin or pivot entering axial recesses in the two parts of the said axle. On each
of the adjacent ends of the two parts of the divided axle is rigidly mounted a bevel
wheel and mounted loosely on the bosses of these wheels are two other bevel wheels
and on the bosses of these last mentioned bevel wheels cone pulleys are mounted and
secured, the slope of which last mentioned pulleys inclines in the direction oppositė
to that of the inclination of the pulleys carried on the motor shaft. The cone
pulleys on the motor shaft are arranged opposite those on the axle of the vehicle
and passing round one of these pairs of cone pulleys is an open belt whilst passing
round the other pair of these pulleys is a crossed belt, so that the two pulleys on
the axle of the vehicle are caused to revolve in opposite directions, and in consequence
of the respective pulleys sloping in inverse directions, variable rates of speed, within
the limits, can be imparted to the two pulleys, and to the bevel wheels to which
they are fixed, by shifting the straps or belts on the said pulleys by means of any
suitable strap shifter so as to move both straps or belts simultaneously.
Gearing with the bevel wheels which are mounted upon the bosses of the bevel
wheels keyed to the axle of the vehicle are bevel wheels which are loose on a shaft
or spindle arranged transverse to the axis of the axle of the vehicle or driven shaft
and provided in its centre with an eye through which the pin or pivot which
connects the two parts of the said axle or shaft is passed.
On this transverse shaft or spindle are also loosely mounted two equal pinions
gearing with the bevel wheels, hereinbefore referred to, fast on the two parts of the
divided axle or shaft.
By adjusting the position of the driving straps on the conical drums or nulloys

page_text: by means of the strap shifter the said pulleys can all be caused to rotate at the
same speed.
As the said drums or pulleys on the driven axle or shaft revolve in opposite
directions together with the bevel wheels keyed thereto it follows that these wheels
cause the wheels which are loose on the transverse shaft or spindle simply to turn
about their axes, the axle of the vehicle or the like remaining stationary although
the motor engine is in operation at its normal rate of speed.
If the driving straps be shifted so as to cause the pulleys on the two portions of
the divided axle or strap to rotate at different speeds the wheels on the transverse
shaft or spindle will be caused to start a planetary motion about the pin or pivot
which connects the two parts of the divided axle and carry with them the said
transverse shaft. By this rotary motion of the transverse shaft in a plane perpen-
dicular to the axis of the pin or pivot, the pinions which are loose on the said
shaft will act as a rigid key between the teeth of the wheels, keyed on the axle and
will thus compel the said wheels to turn about their axis and with them the axle
of the vehicle, and, consequently, the vehicle itself.
If from any cause the resistance of one of the wheels should differ from the
resistance sustained by the other wheel, this inequality of strains will simply cause
the loose pinions on the transverse shaft or spindle to turn upon the said spindle,
without in the least interfering with the general motion of the conveyance.
Instead of bevel wheels the same effects may be obtained by means of differential
gearing consisting of cylindrical wheels, fitted with teeth either externally or
internally.
י
1000
Improvements in Differential Motion-transmitting Gear.
We, COUNT ALBERT DE DION, GEORGES BOUTON, and FREDERIC CHAPLET, all of
12, Rue Ernest, Puteaux (Seine), in the Republic of France, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide an improved differential motion-trans-
mitting or driving gear applicable to vehicles, whether propelled by machinery
or otherwise, and, in all cases where motion is transmitted from an explosive motor
engine; the said vehicles being thus enabled to move at full speed and to start
without difficulty and without the employment of any clutch or coupling.
The invention will be described as applied to a vehicle driven by machinery (or
motor carriage) the said invention permitting the pitch-chain usually employed in
such vehicles to be dispensed with, and rendering the vehicle capable of moving
backwards and forwards at any desired rate of speed, without the operation of any
special coupling device; also of starting quietly, stopping without concussion, no
matter what the speed of the vehicle may be; and of performing the proper relative
differential movements at the turnings of the road.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing
in which the improved motion-transmitting arrangement is shewn complete; in
elevation partly in section.
On the crank-shaft A. of the motor engine two cone or bevel pulleys BB¹ are

page_text: keyed with their smaller ends adjacent or facing each other. The axle of the
vehicle to be driven is in two parts C C connected together for purposes of steering
merely, by an axial pin or pivot a entering axial recesses in the two parts of the
said axle. On the adjacent ends of the two parts of the divided axle are rigidly.
mounted bevel wheels E E¹ and mounted loosely on the sleeves or bosses 1) 11 of
these wheels are two other bevel wheels H H and on the bosses G G of these
last mentioned bevel wheels cone pulley's I I¹ are mounted and secured by screws,
the slope of which last mentioned pulleys inclines in a direction opposite to that
of the inclination of the pulleys BB carried on the motor shaft. The cone
pulleys B B are arranged opposite those I I' on the axle of the vehicle and passing
round one of these pairs of cone pulleys is an open belt a whilst passing round the
other pair of these pulleys is a crossed belt y, so that the two pulleys II on the
axle CC of the vehicle are caused to revolve in opposite directions. In conse-
quence of the respective pulleys sloping in inverse directions, variable rates of
speed, within the limits can be imparted to the two pulleys, and to the bevel
wheels to which they are fixed, by shifting the straps or belts on the said pulleys
by means of any suitable strap shifter J so as to move both straps or belts
simultaneously.
Gearing with the bevel wheels H H' are bevel wheels K K' which are loose on
a shaft or spindle L arranged transverse to the axis of the axle of the vehicle or
driven shaft and provided in its centre with an eye M through which the pin or
pivot a connecting the two parts of the said axle or shaft is passed.
On this transverse shaft or spindle L are also loosely mounted two equal
pinions N N gearing with the bevel wheels E E.
By adjusting the position of the driving straps, y, on the conical drums or
pulleys II by means of the strap shifter J the said pulleys can all be caused to
rotate at the same speed.
As the said drums or pulleys on the driven axle or shaft revolve in opposite
directions together with the bevel wheels H H¹ keyed thereto, it follows that these
wheels cause the wheels K K' which are loose on the shaft L simply turn about
their axes, the axle C C of the vehicle or the like remaining stationary although
the motor engine is in operation at its normal rate of speed.
If, the driving straps be shifted so as to cause the pulleys I I¹ on the two portions
of the divided axle or shaft to rotate at different speeds, the wheels K K' loose on
the transverse shaft or spindle L will be caused to start a planetary motion about
the pin or pivot a and carry with them the said transverse shaft L. By this rotary
motion of the shaft L in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the pin or pivot a the
pinions N N which are loose on the said shaft will act as a rigid key between the
teeth of the wheels E E¹ keyed on the axle and will thus compel the said wheels
to turn about their axes and with them the axle of the vehicle and, consequently,
the vehicle itself. If from any cause the resistance of one of the wheels should
differ from the resistance sustained by the other wheel, this inequality of strains
will simply cause the loose pinions N N to turn upon the said spindle without in
the least interfering with the general motion of the conveyance.
Instead of bevel wheels the same effects may be obtained by means of differential
gearing consisting of cylindrical wheels, fitted with teeth either externally or
internally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The application of differential motion for transmitting the motion of a driving
engine to the wheels of motor carriages, so as to readily obtain the reversal of the
motion of the vehicle, its instantaneous stoppage, and its forward progress at all
rates of speed, substantially as described.
2. Applying differential motion for the transmission of motion from explosive
motor engines, such application permitting of the driven vehicle being stopped

page_text: without the necessity of throwing the motor engine out of gear, or stopping the
same, substantially as described.
3. The improvements in differential motion transmitting gear substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of November 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.