Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application. 7th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
I, CHARLES NICODEMI, of 2, Rue Croix de Marbre, Nice (Alpes Maritimes),
in the Republic of France, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:
This invention relates to an improved motor vehicle in which the motor and
its accessories are arranged in the front portion of the vehicle in such a manner
as to enable the driver to see the operation of the mechanism without leaving
his seat.
Driving is effected by means of belts passing over drums which are rigidly
connected with the fly-wheels of the motor, and operating pullers mounted upon
an intermediate shaft, which is in communication, by means of speed-reducing
gear, with the differential mechanism and consequently with the driving wheels,
these being the rear wheels of the vehicle
The drums mounted upon the fly-wheels of the motor are of the same diameter,
but the pulleys respectively actuated by each of them are of different diameters,
in order that two speeds may be obtained.
At the side of each of the driving pulleys is provided a loose pulley, upon
which the belt which is not being utilised for driving the vehicle is passed; the
two shifting forks are independent. The motor may thus be allowed to rotate
whilst the vehicle is at a standstill.
The vehicle is provided with two brakes; one of which is operated by hand
by means of a lever and acts upon the rim of the rear wheels, whilst the other
is operated by means of a pedal and actuates a brake shoe which is applied
externally upon the rim of one of the driving pulleys, preferably upon the
larger of the two, that which effects the low-speed driving.
The motor is preferably a two cylinder motor having a cycle of four phases,
it is provided with a centrifugal governor which acts upon the shaft carrying
the cams operating the exhaust valves, in such a manner as to displace this
shaft longitudinally, and thus withdraw each of the two valves successively from
the action of their cams, should the speed of the motor become excessive
In order to obtain this result, the two cams, which are of the same shape,
are made of different widths in such a manner that the larger of the two remains
operative whilst the shorter has become inoperative owing to the displacement
of the shaft which is common to them both; if the movement of displacement
of the cam-shaft continues, the smaller cam becomes further removed from
the valve which it operates and the second cam escapes in its turn when the
shaft carrying the cams is sufficiently displaced.
The two cylinders are thus successively thrown out of action; they again
commence to operate one after the other in inverse order, when the speed of
the motor has been sufficiently reduced. The cooling of the motor is effected
by means of a circulation of water coming from a reservoir situated in front of
the vehicle and returning automatically into such reservoir. This water is

page_text: cooled by passing through a radiator before reaching the casing of the cylinders
and of the valve boxes.
The frame of the vehicle, which is composed of tubes, is indeformable, and
the driving shaft is independent of the frame; the seat is jointed at its front
portion upon the frame. It rests upon the rear suspension springs. The body
of the vehicle may be readily removed and changed at will
In carrying my invention into practice the frame is made of two longitudinal
beams connected by three cross-pieces. The two rear cross-pieces are also con-
nected in the longitudinal direction by means of two supporting tubes between
which is left sufficient space for the reception of the speed-reducing gear
The two portions of the diving axle are connected with the transveise tubes
which themselves stay the supporting tubes and the longitudinal beams or bars
by means of bearings.
The frame rests in front upon springs fixed upon a false axle carrying the
pivots of the steering wheels, at the rear are the springs the extremities of
which engage in the iron work of the body, which latter is also pivoted upon
the frame work.
The motor may be a hydrocarbon motor having two cylinders and a cycle of
four phases, it is provided with two fly-wheels to each of which is attached a
drum.
Over each of these diums passes a belt which also surrounds the pulley
mounted upon the shaft rotating in the bearings fixed to the rear of the frame
work. By means of a pinion the said shaft drives a gear wheel the hub of
which forms a casing for the differential mechanism by means of which the
two driving wheels of the vehicle are operated in the ordinary manner.
Two of the pulleys are fixed, and two are loose.
A fork operated by means of a system of levers actuated by means of a handle
causes the belt to pass upon one or other of the pulleys; in the same manner,
a fork having two vertical teeth which is operated by means of a lever and con-
trolled by means of a second handle, serves to shift the belt upon one or other
of the low-speed pulleys.
In the front of the vehicle is provided a water reservoir provided at its lowest
portion with radiators from which the water which has been cooled by the
current of air produced by the motion of the vehicle proceeds to a small turbine
driven by friction from one of the fly wheels of the motor, in order that it
may be forced into the jacket of the cylinder and also into the jacket of the
exhaust valve and of their various passages for communicating with the cylinder
and for discharge into the atmosphere.
The burned gases pass to an exhaust box through the pipe and leave it without
noise through the nozzle. This exhaust box is divided into several compartments
by means of perforated partitions and the outlet aperture is provided internally
with a kind of plug formed of metal turnings in order to the better divide the
current of gas.
The cooling water, upon leaving the jacket of the motor returns to the reservoir
through the pipe. It thus circulates continuously, becoming cool in the radiators
before reaching the turbine.
Ignition is effected in any suitable manner, for example, by means of an
incandescence burner arranged with the motor in the front chest, and fed from
a reservoir at the rear of the body of the vehicle.
The carburettor arranged is supplied from a reservoir fixed beneath the seat.
A multiple lubricator arranged within view of the driver, distributes the
lubricant to all parts of the mechanism.
The speed of the motor is regulated in the following manner.
Each of the rods of the exhaust valve is operated by a pivoted lever. These
levers are respectively provided with rollers upon which act the cams carried by
the driving shaft in the ratio of one revolution of the cams for two of the
driving shaft.

page_text: For this purpose, the driving shaft carries a toothed pinion connected by
means of a chain with a wheel of twice its diameter mounted upon the cam
shaft.
The cams are rigidly attached to a sleeve which is capable of sliding upon a
second sleeve connected by means of the connecting rods to the ball governor
fixed upon the shaft of the wheel. The second sleeve is formed with a tenon
entering elongated apertures of the first sleeve carrying the cams; this tenon
also enters a long mortice formed in the shaft. The whole is adapted to rotate
together.
The cam operating the one exhaust valve 1od is much narrower than the cam
which operates the other 10d.
When the speed of the motor exceeds the desired number of revolutions the
ball governor displaces the sleeve towards the right hand the tappet reaches
the extreme edge of the aperture of the first sleeve and displaces this latter not-
withstanding the action of the counter spring both the cams then move in a right
hand direction, and the cam escapes from the 1oller of the exhaust valve iod
and the corresponding rod consequently ceases to operate the exhaust valve
which it contiols The second cylinder only is operative at this moment.
if the speed increases still further the balls of the governor become separated
to a greater extent, the sleeve carrying the cams continues to be displaced and
the second cam also escapes from its roller, the motor then works with empty
cylinders.
When the speed decreases, the sleeve moves back to the left hand, the spring
displaces the first cam sleeve in the same direction and the cams resume their
positions successively: in inverse order to that of the preceding movement,
again binging into action first of all the second cylinder and then the first.
The vehicle is steered either by means of a lever or by means of a hand wheel
ananged within each of the diver.
The vehicle is provided with two brakes, one of which is a hand brake acting
upon the rear wheels, and the other a foot brake operating a brake-shoe which
18 applied upon the large driving pulley.
The hand biake is provided with two brake-shoes which are mounted at the
extremities of the transverse axis at the rear of the framework.
An arm
mounted upon this axis, is connected by means of a rod to a vertical pivoted
lever. This lever is provided with a stop 1ack which is pivoted upon and fui-
nished with a handle maintained by means of a spring.
By pushing the lever forward the brake shoes are applied upon the rear
wheels.
The foot brake consists of a shoe carried by a rod honzontally operated by
the lever.
The brake shoe is applied upon the rim of the large diving pulley by the
said lever pivoted to a rod which is itself connected with the pedal lever By
pressing upon this pedal it is caused to oscillate around the point, the connecting
iod is pressed back and the brake-show is applied upon the rim of the pulley
effecting the braking of its shaft.
The vehicle may also be provided with a device for enabling backward travel,
for example by means of a third belt duven by the motor and acting upon a
pulley rigidly fixed upon the shaft of the rear pulleys but this belt would be
open instead of being crossed as are the driving belts for said pulleys.
The motor may also be provided with a disengaging device, acting by means
of a pedal at the moment when braking is effected.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I. CHARLES NICODEMI, of 2, Rue Croix de Marbie, Nice, (Alpes Maritimes),
in the Republic of France, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and r what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved motor vehicle in which the motor and
its accessories are arranged in the front portion of the vehicle in such a manner
as to enable the diver to see the operation of the mechanism without leaving
his seat.
Driving is effected by means of belis passing over drums which are rigidly
connected with the fly-wheels of the motor, and operating pulleys mounted upon
an intermediate shaft, which is in communication, by means of speed-reducing
gear, with the differential mechanism and consequently with the driving wheels,
these being the rear wheels of the vehicle.
The drums mounted upon the fly-wheels of the motor are of the same diameter,
but the pulleys respectively actuated by each of them are of different diameters,
in order that two speeds may be obtained.
At the side of each of the driving pulleys is provided a loose pulley, upon
which the belt which is not being utilised for driving the vehicle is passed, the
two shifting forks being independent. The motor may thus be allowed to 10tate
whilst the vehicle is at a standstill.
The vehicle is provided with two brakes, one of which is operated by hand
by means of a lever and acts upon the rim of the rear wheels, whilst the other
18 operated by means of a pedal and actuates a brake shoe which is applied
externally upon the rim of one of the driving pulleys, preferably upon the
larger of the two, or that which effects the low-speed driving.
The motor is preferably a two cylinder motor having a cycle of four phases,
it is provided with a centrifugal governor which acts upon the shaft canying
the cams operating the exhaust valves, in such a manner as to displace this
shaft longitudinally, and thus withdraw each of the two valves successively fiom
the action of their cams, should the speed of the motor become excessive.
In order to obtain this result, the two cams, which are of the same shape,
are made of different widths in such a manner that the larger of the two remains
operative whilst the shorter one has become inoperative owing to the displacement
of the shaft which is common to them both; if the movement of displacement
of the cam-shaft continues, the smaller cam becomes further removed from
the valve 1od which it operates and the second cam also in turn becomes
inoperative.
The two cylinders are thus successively thrown out of action, but again
commence to operate one after the other in inverse order, when the speed of
the motor has been sufficiently reduced. The cooling of the motor 18 effected
by means of a circulation of water coming from a reservoir situated in front of
the vehicle and returning automatically into such reservoir. This water is
cooled by passing through a cooling device before reaching the casing of the
cylinders and valve boxes.
The frame of the vehicle, which is composed of tubes, is indeformable, and
the driving shaft is independent of the frame; the seat or body portion is
Jointed at its front end to the frame and rests upon the rear suspension springs.
The body of the vehicle may be readily removed and changed at will.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown a motor vehicle constructed
according to my present invention.

page_text: elevation of the improved motor vehicle.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the valves of the motor on the
line 33 of Figure 4.
Figure 4 is a section taken upon the line 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3
Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Figures 3 and 5.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section taken through the axis of the governor.
Figure 8 is a corresponding plan, and
Figure 9 is a cross section shewing the method of operation of one of the
exhaust cams.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are especially intended to shew the anangement of
the exhaust box common to the two cylinders, and also the manner in which
the cooling water circulates at the upper portion of the motor.
The frame consists of two longitudinal beams A .connected by three cross-
pieces B.
The two rear cross-pieces are also connected in the longitudinal
direction by means of two tubes C between which is left sufficient space for
the reception of the speed-reducing gear
The two portions D of the diving axle are connected with the transverse
tubes E, which themselves stay the tubes C and the longitudinal beams or
bars A, by means of bearings E.
The fiame rests in front upon springs F fixed upon a false axle G carrying
the pivots of the steering wheels H, at the rear are provided springs I the
extremities of whih engage in the brackets J of the body K, which latter is also
pivoted at L upon the frame work.
The motor is a hydrocarbon motor having two cylinders and a cycle of
four phases, it is provided with two fly-wheels N° N to each of which is attached
a drum O or O¹.
Over each of these drums passes a belt P P which also surrounds the pulley
RR or SS mounted upon the shaft T 1otating in the bearings U fixed to the
ear of the frame work By means of a pinion T the said shaft T dives a gear
wheel T the hub of which forms a casing for the differential mechanism T
by means of which the two diving wheels of the vehicle are operated in the
oidinary manner.
The pulleys R and S are fixed to the shaft, while the pulleys R' and S₁ are
loose thereon.
[11
A fork operated by means of a system of leveis V₁ actuated by means of
a handle causes the belt P' to pass upon one or other of the pulleys R R1:
the same manner, a fork X having two vertical teeth which is operated by means
of levers X and controlled by means of a second handle, seives to shift the
belt upon one or other of the low-speed pulleys S S
In the front portion of the vehicle is provided a water reservoir, having
at is lower portion cooling devices from which the water which has been
cooled by the current of a produced by the motion of the vehicle passes to a
small turbine or rotary pump a diven by fuction from one of the fly wheels N
of the motor, and from which pump the water is forced into the jacket of the
cylinder (Figures 3-6), and also into the jacket of the exhaust valve d and
of their various passages e for communicating with the cylinder and f for
discharge into the atmosphere.
The burned gas passes to an exhaust box g through the pipe h and issues
therefiom without noise through the nozzle f. This exhaust box is divided
into several compartments by means of perforated partitions and the outlet
aperture is provided internally with a kind of plug formed of metal turnings
in order to the better divide the current of gas.
The cooling water, upon leaving the jacket of the motor returns to the
eservoir Z through the pipe It thus circulates continuously, becoming cost
in the cooling devices Z before reaching the pump.

page_text: Ignition is effected in any suitable manner, as for example, by means of an
incandescence burner Figure 1 arranged with the motor in the front chest,
and fed fiom a ieséi voir at the rear of the body of the vehicle.
The carburettor arranged at n is supplied from a reservoir m fixed beneath
the seat.
A multiple lubricator o arranged within view of the driver, distributes the
lubicant to all the parts of the mechanism requiring lubrication.
The apparatus for regulating the speed of the motor is shown in Figures 7,
8 and 9.
Each of the 1ods and g of the exhaust valve is operated by a pivoted lever pl
01 g pivoted at 2 or 3. These levers are respectively provided with rollers S
adapted to be acted upon by the cams tu operated by the driving shaft in the
1atio of one revolution of the cams for two of the diving shaft.
For this purpose, the diving shaft carries a toothed pinion
means of a cham with a wheel 3 of twice its diameter mounted upon the
cam shaft.
connected by
to the ball
y is formed
carrying the
The whole
The cams are rigidly attached to a sleeve which is capable of sliding upon
a second sleeve y, connected by means of the connecting rods
governor fixed upon the shatt of the wheel 2. The sleeve
with a tenon y enteng elongated apertures of the sleeve
cams; this tenon also enters a long moi tice formed in the shaft
is adapted to rotate together
The camt operating the rod p is much narrower than the cam
the rod q.
3.
which operates
When the speed of the motor exceeds the desued number of revolutions the
ball governor displaces the sleeve y towards the right hand (Figures 7, 8) so
that the tappet y comes in contact with the extreme edge of the aperture a
of the sleeve and displaces this latter notwithstanding the action of the counter-
spring both the cams then move in a right hand duection, and the cam t
escapes from the roller of the lever and the corresponding rod p conse-
quently ceases to operate the exhaust valve which it controls. The second
cylinder only will therefore be operative at this moment.
If the speed increases still further the balls of the governor become separated
to a greater extent, the sleeve carrying the cam continues to be displaced and
the second cam also escapes from its iolle », whereupon both cylinders of
the motor are out of action.
When the speed decreases, the sleeve moves back to the left hand, the
sping displaces the cam sleeve in the same direction, and the cams resume
their positions successively, in inverse order to that of the preceding movement,
agam bringing into action first of all the second cylinder and then the first
The vehicle is steered either by means of a lever, as represented in Figure 1
of the drawings or by means of a hand wheel arranged within reach of the
driver.
The vehicle is provided with two brakes, one of which is a hand brake acting
upon the rear wheels, and the other a foot brake operating a brake-shoe which
is applied upon the large driving pulley.
The hand brake is provided with two brake-shoes a³ ³ which are mounted
at the extremities of the transveise axis at the rear of the fiame-work. An
arm 62, mounted upon this axis, is connected by means of a rod 3 (Figure 1)
to a vertical lever ³ pivoted at 2. This level is provided with a stop rack f
which is pivoted upon it at g, and furnished with a handle maintamed in
position by means of a spring.
By pushing the lever
wheels.
forward
The foot brake consists of a shoe
zontally operated by the lever ³.
the large driving pulley by the lever
the brake shoes a² are applied to the rear
(see Figure 2) carried by a rod hon-
This brake shoe is applied to the rim of
pivoted at 12 to a rod m³, which is itself

page_text: connected at n³ with the pedal lever o (Figure 1). By pressing upon this
pedal it is caused to oscillate around the point n2, the connecting rod m² is forced
back and the brake-shoe 21s applied to the rim of the pulley S, thus effecting
the braking operation.
The vehicle may also be provided with a device for enabling it to travel back-
wards, for example by means of a third belt driven by the motor and acting
upon a pulley rigidly fixed upon the shaft of the pullers R and S, but this belt
would be open instead of being crossed as are the driving belts P and P1
The motor may also be provided with a disengaging device, acting by means
of a pedal at the moment when the brake is applied.
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. A motor vehicle constructed in the manner above described, and charac-
terised by the arrangement of its driving mechanism in the front of the vehicle,
the disposition of the parts in such a manner as to enable the driver to watch
their operation without leaving his seat, the rear wheels being driven by means
of belts acting upon speed-reducing gear provided with differential mechanism.
2 In a motor vehicle as described in Claim 1, the arrangement of a two
cylinder motor with water cooling jacket formed around the cylinders exhaust
passages and valve chambers, the cooling water being supplied from a reservoir
arranged in front of the vehicle and provided with cooling devices from which
the water passes to a rotary pump or the like which effects the circulation
through the said jacket, the said water after being thus utilised returning to
the reservoir.
3. In a motor vehicle as described in Claims 1 and 2, the arrangement of a
centrifugal governor acting upon the shaft which carries the cams for operating
the exhaust valves, these cams being of different widths in order to escape
successively from the levers which they actuate and consequently to render
inoperative one after the other the two cylinders of the motor when the speed
of the latter becomes too great.
4. In the motor vehicle described in Claim 1 the arrangement of a brake with
a shoe acting upon the rim of one of the driving pulleys and operated from a
pedal by means of a system of levers.
1
T
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.