Improvements in Petrocars, or Motor Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: * Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Petrocars, or Motor Vehicles.
We, JAMES ROOTS and CUTHBERT EDWARD VENABLES, of 100, Westminster
Bridge Road, London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
The frame is of steel tube. There are preferably three wheels, two steering
wheels in front and one at the back, the driver. The two front wheels are con-
nected together by a straight or nearly straight cross piece of tube
and the rest of the frame is formed by two parallel pieces of
tube connected to this cross piece, which extend to the back of the
driving wheel where they are joined together by a short cross tie of tube.
Intermediate cross ties of tube may be made. The long pieces of tube enclosing the
back wheel may be expanded in the front to be brazed to the head of each front wheel.
The oil motor is fixed on the parallel part of the frame as close to the back wheel as
possible, it may be geared down first to the countershaft on the motor, then to
a countershaft under the frame carrying friction clutches, each friction cone
being attached to one chain wheel, from which wheel a chain connects directly to
a chain wheel fixed on the hub on the same spindle as the driving wheel, so that
the high or low speed chain can be thrown into gear at will by a lever. The exhaust-
box is preferably fixed at the back end of the frame. The water tank is attached
on the side opposite to the flywheel to balance it, and a coil is attached made of
copper tube surrounding the flywheel and forming a cover for it, through which
the water is pumped and cooled, wings or webs may also be attached to the fly-
wheel to increase the volume of air delivered by centrifugal action upon the coils,
the water then passes round the vehicle frame before returning through the water
tank to the motor jacket. Tube arms attached to the top of the head of each front
wheel extend backward behind the front seat preferably at an angle with the
centre line of the car, and are linked together by a tube rod carrying handles for
steering. Brake levers with brakes are fitted to each front wheel, the brake handle
being just below the steering handle. A lever fitted at the right-hand side of the
back seat is used to operate the friction clutches so as to bring into gear the set
of high-speed chain and chain wheels or the low-speed set at will. For reversing,
gear-wheels or a cross strap may be added. A rack with notches cut in it, one,
two, or three for each speed and one in the centre for the non-driving position
is attached to hold the lever and clutches in position: Spiral springs are fitted
between the fork-heads on the front wheels and the fork-head sockets, and flat
springs are fitted to the back wheel. The two tandem seats are fitted on ordinary
vehicle single elliptic springs. A box is fitted under the front seat for carrying.
articles in, upon the sides of which, outside, projecting ledges are provided for
the feet of the back rider. Hooks or ledges are provided beneath these seats for
carrying a roll of waterproof, which upon being unrolled and fixed in position;
forms a complete protection from rain for the riders. Two curved tubes may be

page_text: fitted to form a frame for the waterproof cover. Instead of the front seat and in
the same position, a bath-chair body may be attached, which with a more powerful
motor may be made wide enough to carry two persons instead of one, in which
case the three seats may be conveniently arranged and constructed similar to the
body of a hansom cab, only lighter. As a carrier, instead and in the place of the
front seat or seats, a box may be attached to carry parcels or goods, preferably
fitted on the same springs as the driver's seat behind it. In each case double
instead of single tube may be used.
Datal thin Thind dass of Hanah 1907
Improvements in Petrocars, or Motor Vehicles.
We, JAMES ROOTS and CUTHBERT EDWARD VENABLES, of 100, Westminster
Bridge Road, London, Engineers, da 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 frame is of steel tube. There are three wheels, two steering wheels in front,
and one at the back, the driver. The two front wheels are connected together by a
straight or nearly straight cross piece of tube and the rest of the frame is formed
by two parallel pieces of tube connected to this cross piece, which extend to the
back of the driving wheel where they are joined together by a short cross tie of tube.
Intermediate cross ties of tube may be made. The oil motor is fixed on the parallel
part of the frame as close to the back wheel as possible, it may be geared down first
to the countershaft on the motor, then to a countershaft under the frame carrying
friction clutches, each friction cone being attached to one chain wheel, from which
wheel a chain connects directly to a chain wheel fixed on the hub and on the same
spindle as the driving wheel, so that the high or low speed chain can be thrown
into gear at will by a lever. The exhaust box is preferably fixed under the frame.
The water tank is attached on the side opposite to the flywheel to balance it, and a
coil is attached made of copper tube surrounding the flywheel and forming a
cover for it, through which the water is pumped and cooled, wings or webs may also
be attached to the flywheel to increase the volume of air delivered by centrifugal
action upon the coils, the water may then pass round the vehicle frame before
returning through the water tank to the motor jacket. Tube arms attached to
the top of the head or joint of each front wheel extend backward behind or under
the front seat preferably at an angle with the centre line of the car, and are linked
together by a tube or rod carrying handles for steering. A lever fitted at the right-
hand side of the back seat is used to operate the friction clutches so as to bring
into gear the set of high-speed chain and chain wheels or the low-speed set at will.
For reversing, gear wheels or a cross strap may be added, if desired, but are not
shewn. A rack with notches cut in it, one, two, or three for each speed and one in
the centre for the non-driving position is attached to hold the lever and clutches
in position. The two tandem seats together with the frame may be fitted on
ordinary vehicle elliptic springs. A box may be fitted under the front seat for
carrying articles in, at the sides of which, projecting ledges are provided for the
feet of the back rider. Hooks or ledges are provided beneath these seats for carry-
ing a roll of waterproof, which upon being unrolled and fixed in position forms
a complete protection from rain for the riders. Two curved tubes may be fitted to

page_text: form a frame for the waterproof cover. Instead of the front seat and in the same
position, a bath-chair body may be attached, which with a more powerful motor
may be made wide enough to carry two persons instead of one, in which case the
three seats may be conveniently arranged and constructed similar to the body of a
hansom cab, only lighter. As a carrier, instead and in the place of the front seat
or seats, a box may be attached to carry parcels or goods, preferably fitted on the
same springs as the driver's seat behind it. In each case double instead of single
tube may be used.
The same letters refer to the same parts in each figure.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a three wheel vehicle.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
Fig. 3 is a modified steering arrangement.
A is the frame preferably formed of square steel tube, B is the motor having
the valve and power countershaft C. D is the motor crank chamber. E is the
flywheel, G is the chain transmitting the power from the crankshaft F to the
countershaft C. H is the chain conveying power from the valve countershaft C
to the clutch countershaft I. J is the high-speed friction clutch driving the
chain J and K is the low-speed friction clutch driving the chain K¹, the corre-
sponding chain wheels for which, of different sizes, are fixed to the back driving
wheel L of the vehicle, which supports the frame A upon ordinary springs L'. Mis
the exhaust box bolted to the under part of the frame. N is the seat for the
driver, O is the seat for two persons in front Figs. 1 and 2, Z Fig. 3 a seat for a
single rider. The front part of the frame A rests on the vehicle springs P which
are bolted to the ordinary Ackerman axle Q, the jointed arms of which are fitted
to the front steering wheels R. The wheels R are operated by the hand lever S
placed at the left hand of the driver having its fulcrum on the frame A. The
link S¹ connects the bottom of the lever S with the centre lever S2 which operates
the usual Ackerman link $3. The steel tubes T Figs. 1 and 2 are fixed at one
end to the back of the seat N and are held down under tension by the wires T¹
fixed to the seat O or to the front of the foot-board 01. The cover U is kept rolled
up at the back of the seat N or alongside the frame A and when required is drawn
over the steel tubes T, the side flaps T2 being fixed to the wire T¹. The lever Y
is for the purpose of operating the vehicle when the motor is running by putting
either of the friction clutches J or K into use at will. It is held in position by
notches in the rack Y¹.
In Fig. 3 a modification of the steering is shewn. The springs l' are fixed at
the top to the bottom of the vertical head pins or pivots P¹ upon which the wheels R
turn. The levers P2 are fixed to the top of the pivots P, and are joined together
by the link P3 which forms a handle for the driver. The springs P turn in steering
with the pivots 1" and the wheels R when the link 13 is operated by the driver.
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 a three wheel vehicle in which the back wheel is the driver and the two
front wheels steerers the combination of the motor placed more or less in the
centre of the frame and over the driving wheel with the two friction clutches and
chains driving substantially as described and shewn.
2. The method of steering by means of a lever connected by a link with the
usual link of the Ackerman arrangement of wheels, in a three wheel vehicle as
described.
3. The combination of the parts as described and shewn herein forming the
three wheel vehicle with the single back driving wheel.
4. In a three wheel vehicle as described in the preceding claims the balancing
the flywheel E of the motor by a small water tank W on the other side of the
frame.
5. The combination of the motor in three wheel vehicles with a coil flywheel

page_text: cover for the purpose described, with the arrangement for steering, and the method
of driving by chains and clutches substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this Fifth day of December 1897
JAMES ROOTS.
C. E. VENABLES.