Improvements in Motor Cars.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Motor Cars.
I, ANTHONY GEORGE NEW, of The Voltage, Woking, Surrey, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to diminish the amount of attention required
from the driver of a motor vehicle, and to avoid the necessity of throwing into
and out of gear by means of separate actions the various gears with which such
vehicles when driven by oil or equivalent engines are provided. These various
operations as also the application of the brake are in accordance with my inven-
tion replaced by a preferably single operation namely that of adjusting a lever
or speed indicator in a position corresponding to the speed at which it is desired
that the car shall proceed. This being done the necessary alterations of gear_as
also the application of the brake or brakes are then effected automatically by
means of the system of arrangements forming the subject of invention.
my
In order that the general nature and principle of my invention may be the
more readily understood I will describe it as being applied in the first instance
to a vehicle driven by an engine of practically constant speed which is geared
to the driving wheels of the car by means of a regularly variable gear such as
may be provided by a pair of cone and belt gear, or by a belt running on two or
more expanding pulleys or other equivalent means.
In this case
arrange the governor of the engine which is preferably of the
centrifugal type in such a manner that when it is revolving more slowly and
therefore acting in such a way as to increase the speed of the engine and if it
continues to reduce in speed after giving the engine maximumn power possible it
tends to act upon the gear between the engine and driving wheels of the car.
and reduce the relative speed of the latter while when the speed of the engine
increases at such position it operates the said gear in the opposite sense, bringing
it back to its original position, before acting upon the engine control in the
usual manner.
One method which I adopt of effecting this consists of connecting the governor
and preferably by its ordinary sleeve which is moved to and fro by the balls of
the governor by means of a system of levers or equivalent appliance to the fork
This system
or striking gear which varies the position of the belt on the cones.
of levers is connected with and controlled by the speed indicator or lever, so as
to adjust the gear to the correct position for the speed of car required when the
engine is running at its normal speed.
Let it be assumed now that the belt running upon the cones and forming the
gear between the car and the engine is fixed at a certain position and that
the speed of the engine is practically speaking constant for the time being, then the
speed of the car on the flat will be constant also. Let it be assumed that the
system of levers and the speed indicator are so adjusted as to cause the car to
proceed at and indicate on the speed indicator dial a speed of 10 miles per hour.
If now it be desired to reduce the speed of the car, say to 8 miles an hour, the
speed indicator lever is altered till it stands at a corresponding position on the

page_text: indicator dial. The effect of this is to alter the position of the belti on the cones
and thus to lower the gear assuming the speed of the engine to remain unaltered
so as to proportionately reduce the speed of the car. This will be the case the
governor merely keeping the engine running at its normal speed. but not affect-
ing the gear in any way. If however from any cause such as the car travelling
up a gradient the load on the engine materially increases then the governor
will first give the engine its maximum power and if the speed of the engine still
decreases it will then commence (by connecting engine governor to the striking
gear) to permit the mechanism to alter the gear between the engine and the car
so as to tend to bring the engine up to its previous speed.. Thus the effect of
the whole arrangement is to keep the car going at whatever speed corresponds
to the position of the speed indicator lever, and if this cannot be done to so alter
the gear and the speed of engine as to bring up the speed of the car as near to
the required speed as possible. It is of course understood that when the engine
is again able to drive the car at the required speed the mechanism automatically
re-arranges the gear.
Whenever owing to any cause such as going down hill the speed of the car
increases or tends to increase beyond the speed for which the speed indicator is
set, the engine being geared to the driving-wheels by at the moment a certain
fixed gear, of necessity tends to go faster and faster. The engine governor in
this case after having reduced the speed of the engine in the usual way as far as
possible may actuate the mechanism so as to reduce the gear until the car again
travels at the speed for which the speed indicator is adjusted this action taking
place when the moveable part of the engine governor has reached the limit of
the travel which it performs when the speed of the engine is increasing. If,
when in this manner the gear has been reduced to the lowest point, the engine
still revolves above its normal speed or as an entire alternative the governor is
arranged to actuate a mechanism automatically applying the brakes.
I have described my arrangement as applied to a regularly variable gear such
as that provided by a belt running on expanding pulleys; but where a number
of different gears are employed, the movements of the governor above described
are arranged so as to effect corresponding changes of gear.
When I employ an engine or inotor which is capable of considerable variations
in speed for the propulsion of the vehicle, I may arrange a second centrifugal
or equivalent governor on a countershaft of the car which is directly and fixedly
geared to the driving wheels. This governor is connected to the engine governor
above described, so as to vary the points at which it alters the variable gear or
gears or puts on the brakes. And or it may be so arranged as to control the
speed of the engine by being connected to the engine governor in such a manner
as to alter the points at which it begins to increase or diminish the engine speed
thus obtaining an additional source of variations in speed of the car. This
counter-shaft governor may be arranged to apply the brakes whenever a certain
speed is exceeded.
Instead of employing a second governor on the counter-shaft I may arrange
one part of the engine governor in connection with the system of levers controlled
by the speed indicator in such a manner as to cause the said governor to pro-
portionately increase the speed of the engine whenever the ordinary action of
that governor tends to reduce the gears which would otherwise slow down the
car beyond or below the speed indicated by the speed indicator.
In addition to or instead of certain of the above appliances I may also make
use of the angle made by a heavily loaded pendulum with some fixed portion
of the car to vary the gears or increase or decrease the power of the engine or
both according to the gradient on which the car is travelling.

page_text: I, ANTHONY GEORGE NEW, of The Voltage, Woking, in the County of Surrey,
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:-
The object of the present invention is to provide automatic means of reducing
the attention required of the driver to the various controlling mechanisms used
for propelling and retarding motor-driven vehicles.
The invention applies more particularly to those systems in which explosion
engines supply the motive power, but the devices are equally applicable to steam,
electric or other motors where regulating devices are required.
For convenience, in the following description, I assume and explain its appli-
cation to explosion engines:-
It is usual to provide motor-vehicles with two or more speed gears or with a
variable-speed gear so that the relative speeds of the engine and the driving
wheels may be varied; the necessity for this provision is due to the considerable
variation in pull required owing to the undulating nature of the roads. Provi-
sion is also sometimes made for regulating the speed of the engine. It is also
usual to equip motor-vehicles with brakes and also with reversing gear.
These provisions are so arranged 'at the present time as to be under the control
of the driver. It is obvious that, since the driver has also to steer the vehicle,
reduction of continuous attention and hand regulation is desirable, and that any
regulation required by the working conditions should be promptly and correctly
effected. This is one object of this invention.
Motor cars are made both with constant speed and variable speed engines.
With the former, the speed of the vehicle depends upon the gear ratio between
the engine and the driving wheels, whereas with the latter the speed of the
vehicle depends upon the speed of the engine also. It is obvious that with the
former type of engine a governor is required and that this governor is almost
always causing the engine to be working below full power; explosion engines
do not lend themselves to efficient or regular governing. The power exerted by
an explosion engine varies almost proportionately with its speed and hence the
combination of a variable speed engine with a variable speed-gear renders regu-
lations of both possible by which no governing of the engine in the ordinary
sense is necessary during normal working, and only becomes necessary when the
engine is generating more power at its minimum speed than is being used.
This invention also enables these regulations to be automatically effected and
the consequent advantages in governing the engine obtained.
The chief controls which the driver has hitherto worked as and when required
by variations of gradient are (1) to reduce the relative speed of driving wheels
to engine in the engine becomes overloaded (2) to keep the engine fully loaded,
by means of the variable speed-gear, if he wishes to travel at maximum possible
speed (3) to apply the brakes, either varying the driving mechanisms also or
not, if he wishes to reduce his speed.
It is obvious that with mechanisms known hitherto, in order to regulate the
actual speed of the vehicle to a certain rate of travel and to keep the mechanisms
adjusted so that this speed remains constant, or (in the event of the engine being
temporarily overloaded) remains as nearly as possible constant, continual atten-
tion is required if the road gradient varies continually and considerably. My
invention however provides means by which no attention is required, after once
a hand control is adjusted.

page_text: The invention relates to devices by which a governor (preferably centrifugal)
driven by the motor, in some cases in conjunction with and in some cases replaced
by a similar governor driven by some other moving part of the mechanism (1)
varies the transmission of power variable speed-gear, which is sometimes used
for altering the relative speeds of the motor and the driving wheels of the
vehicle (2) varies the retarding action (from nil) of any brakes or similar devices,
with which the vehicle may be fitted (3) regulates the output or speed of the
engine according to the speed of the governor or governors.
These devices are contrived in such a manner that a hand control can regulate
the speed at which the vehicle is normally driven, can cause the mechanism to
cease from propelling the vehicle, or can stop the vehicle (preferably without
stopping the engine), that the devices can automatically adjust the engine speed,
the gear ratio and the brake pressure to maintain the desired speed of the vehicle
under all variations of road-surface or gradient within the power of the motor,
and to only reduce the speed of the vehicle temporarily and so much as is essen-
tial under any conditions where the engine power is insufficient to obtain the
required speed.
Either constant speed or variable speed engines may be used.
In order to more particularly show and describe my invention, I will refer
to the drawings attached hereto.
Figure 1 shows diagrammatically one manner in which a constant speed engine,
fitted with a governor in its main shaft, regulates its own speed and also the
variable gearing etc.
A represents the crank of the engine (not shown), B its main shaft, C is a
centrifugal governor whose sleeve D is moveable longitudinally along the shaft 13
according to any variations in their speed, of rotation. The sleeve D is so
arranged that if it is moved in the direction towards the engine (and A) i.c. if
its speed decreases, it acts upon the rod E which moves the belt E from a loose
pulley to a fixed one upon the screwed shaft F. The shaft F is then rotated in
the same direction as the engine shaft B and moves the nut F¹ (from right to
left), which in its turn alters the position of F3 and F. F is a lever which is
connected to a brake F4 which presses against the wheel F5 on the shaft B when
the nut presses against it (from left to right). 2 is a lever which is moved
about its centre by the nut Fi and which is connected with the ordinary engine
control by the rod F7; the spring F tends to pull the lever F2 to that position
in which the engine obtains maximum power. This movement of the sleeve D
therefore tends to give the engine its maximum power; if the movement in this
direction continues, .e. if the speed is still below normal the nut F1 continues
to travel along the screwed shaft F until it comes into contact with the rod G³,
which is then moved in the same direction and causes the variable gear G, G¹
to reduce the relative speed of the shaft G2, to which it transmits the power from
the engine shaft B. The variable speed gear G, G is here represented by a
pair of cones, the one driven by the shaft B through a clutch G13, and the other
driven at various speeds by means of a belt G and rigidly fixed to a shaft G³,
which is fixedly geared to the driving wheels of the vehicle. When the nut Fi
pushes G3 against the compression spring G5 the belt G is moved to a position
on the cones of G which reduces the speed of the vehicle and consequently the
load on the engine. Thus the gear ratio between the engine or motor shaft and
the driving wheel or wheels is controlled by the automatic governing device. If
the engine is still overloaded, after the governing mechanism. above described
has reduced the gear G to its minimum, the lever G6 becomes engaged and the
clutch G13 thrown out.
This series of actions only occur if the engine continues to revolve at a lower
speed than its normal; if however it assumes normal speed the sleeve D causes
the rod E to move the belt E¹ back to its original position, on the loose pulley,
when the nut F1 remains stationary.
If the engine increase in speed above its normal, then the sleeve D is moved

page_text: in the opposite direction (away from A) and in so doing moves the crossed belt E*
from a loose pulley on to a fixed pulley on the screwed shaft F, which then
revolves in the opposite direction to the shaft and causes the nut FT to bring
about the same series of operations in the opposite sense and order to that
explained above until normal speed is again obtained.
A hand control H enables the normal position of the variable gear G to be
altered and regulated at will by means of the link H' which connects the handle H
with the striking gear. The position of H determines the maximum and normal
speed at which the vehicle will be propelled, because it fixes the normal position
of the belt on the variable gear cones G. The hand control H is shown at the
fastest speed position and produces reductions of vehicle speed, which may be
marked in figures (miles per hour) on a suitable dial, as it is moved towards J'.
When H is moved to the position J¹, it causes the lever Go to throw out the
clutch G and consequently causes the mechanism to cease propelling the vehicle.
When H is moved to the further position J, the lever Go is caused to move the
relief valve G which it closes. An oil pump (not shewn) continually delivers oil
into a pipe at G and, if the relief valve G7 is closed forces the hydraulic
brake G8 to retard the wheel G and shaft G2. This causes the vehicle to be
stopped although the engine continues to run.
Figure 2 shows, also diagrammatically, a variable speed engine fitted with
one form of automatic control of the driving mechanism which is worked by a
single governor on the engine shaft. This arrangement is similar in most res-
pects to that shewn on Figure 1 and similar letters are used for similar parts.
In this case however the actual engine speed at which the governor C regulates
the position of the nut F¹ can be varied by moving the position of the fulcrum E³.
If the fulcrum E3 be moved to the right hand (in the fig.) reduced engine speed.
will be secured and vice versa. The range through which E3 can be moved is
determined by the maximum and minimum speeds at which the engine is
arranged to work, and is further determined by the strength of the spring C¹,
which, as will be seen later, must be suited to the variable gear G.
The fulcrum E is attached to a rod having a spring E sufficiently strong to
control the position of the fulcrum independently of the position of the governor
and the striking gear.
This spring tends to move the fulcrum in the direction
away from the engine (and A); it is however only permitted to be moved by
the spring when a lever E which is pivotted at E and fixed at its further end
to G allows it to do so. This lever is so arranged that as 'G³ is moved so as
to reduce the gear ratio of the variable gear G, the fulcrum E is allowed to
increase the normal engine speed in such a proportion that the speed of the
cone G and shaft G2 remains the same. The result of this inter-arrangement
is that, so long as the speed of vehicles required and the road-gradient are within
the power of the engine and the range of the variable gear, the governor C will
not only keep the vehicle at the required speed, but will also keep the speed of
the engine at the minimum at which its power is sufficient to secure this rate
of travel: It will also be seen that the engine will be controlled to minimum
speed when the vehicle is at rest.
Since, in practice, neither the engine nor the variable gear can have infinite
range, the former of speed and the latter of gear ratio, both the maximum and
minimum speeds at which the vehicle can travel are fixed for any given machine;
the power of the engine moreover determines the maximum: speeds at which the
vehicle can be propelled on any given road.
For these reasons provisions are made to ensure automatic regulation in cases
where the driver wishes to travel faster than the mechanism. can propel the
vehicle and where the adjustments of the governor-speed range relatively to the
variable-gear range cause the two ranges to become non-coincident. In Figure 2
the cones G and G₁ are cylindrically prolonged for this purpose and the lever E³
only presses against the one side of the fulcrum E3, and is therefore free to allow

page_text: G³ to travel further towards the variable gear after it has allowed the fulcrum E³
to permit the engine to run at maximum speed. These provisions are, as shown,
so arranged as to ensure necessary re-adjustments to normal working as soon
as all conditions admit.
It must be understood that the mechanisms indicated in these figures are
purely diagrammatic and that any form of governor, represented by C, E, E¹,
and E3, or variable speed gear, indicated by G, G¹ and G4, may be used; also
that instead of a variable speed gear a series of different speed gears of any
known usual kind may be employed and actuated by similar means.
It must also be understood that a reversing gear, gears or variable gear of
any known usual kind may be added and actuated by equivalent means.
In the foregoing figures and descriptions I have shown one method by which
I automatically control the various regulations required for motor-vehicle mech-
anisms from a governor on the engine shaft; I do not however restrict myself
to this arrangement, but may obviously arrange the governor on the driven
shaft (G2 in the Figs. 1 & 2) or other moving portion of the mechanism. Any
such governor would be able to control the variable gear or the vehicle brakes
in a similar manner to the engine shaft governor shown; a hand control would
regulate the speeds at which it would operate these controls, and any such speeds
would represent rate of travel of the vehicle.
An engine governor in addition to such governor would be optional and a
variable or constant speed engine could be used.
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 motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor power, the motor speed, the vehicle brakes and the gear ratio between
the motor shaft and the driving wheel or wheels substantially as described.
2. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor speed, the vehicle brakes and the gear ratio between the motor shaft
and the driving wheel or wheels substantially as described.
3. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor power, the vehicle brakes and the gear ratio between the motor shaft
and the driving wheel or wheels substantially as described.
4. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor power, the motor speed and the gear ratio between the motor shaft and
the driving wheel or wheels substantially as described.
5. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor power, the motor speed, and the vehicle brakes substantially as
described.
6. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor power and, vehicle brakes substantially as described.
7. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor power and gear ratio between the motor shaft and the driving wheel
or wheels substantially as described.
8. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor speed and vehicle brakes substantially as described.
9. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the motor speed and gear ratio between the motor shaft and the driving wheel
or wheels substantially as described.
10. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the vehicle brakes and gear ratio between the motor shaft and the driving wheel
or wheels substantially as described.
11. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling
the vehicle brakes substantially as described.
12. In motor cars, an automatic governing device for automatically controlling

page_text: the gear ratio between the motor shaft and the driving wheel or wheels substan-
tially as described.
13. In automatic governing devices of the kind claimed in any of the preced-
ing claims the provision of means for adjusting the same so as to vary the
normal speed of the driving wheels substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of February 1899
ANTHONY G. NEW.