Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 21st June, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
I, WILLIAM ROSE SMITH of 3, Laurence Pountney Hill, London, E.C., Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to driving and steering gear for motor cars, and has for
its object to provide for the ready and easy control of such cars more particularly
when applied for service upon common roads.
In carrying my invention into effect when applied to a motor car in which the
front wheels are employed as the driving wheels, and the hind wheels are provided
as the steering or following wheels, I mount the front or driving wheels loosely on
the driving axle which I also provide to run loose in the axle boxes in order to
facilitate the turning of the vehicle. The driving wheels are fixed to rotate with
the driving axle by means of a pair of friction clutches which are kept ordinarily
in gear by means of spiral springs butting against fixed collars on the axle. When
the motor car is caused to turn round on the centre formed by the intersection of
the lines of direction of the axles the driving wheel next the centre is set loose by
a lever pulling out the friction clutch, the lever being actuated by means of a stop
or catch on the steering chain or rope. The front wheels are thus controlled by the
same motion of the steering wheel as directs the steering wheels and axle, and the
motor car while turning is propelled from the outer wheel only.
When the engine or motor runs continuously in one direction I introduce
for reversing the direction of motion and reducing the speed of rotation, inter-
mediate toothed bevel gear preferably made helical for noiselessness and strength.
The bevel gear consists of a pair of loose pinions on the crank shaft gearing con-
stantly with a helical toothed bevel wheel on the intermediate shaft which is placed
preferably at right angles to the crank shaft. The intermediate shaft carries on
the rear end a helical toothed bevel pinion gearing into a helical toothed bevel wheel
on a sprocket wheel shaft which is placed parallel with the crank shaft. A clutch
sliding along the crank shaft gears either of the pinions alternatively for the forward
or backward motion of the motor car, or by throwing both pinions out of gear
enables the car to be stopped without stopping the engine.
A pair of strap or cord brakes are fastened on the outer cylinders of the friction
clutches and are tightened by means of a lever on the floor of the driver's box
pressed down by the driver's foot.
The speed of the motor car is adjusted to 3, 8 and 14 miles an hour or any
required rates of speed by an equivalent number of pairs of sprocket wheels and
pinions with suitable chains. The sprocket pinions are loose on the sprocket shaft
and the suitable pinion for the required speed is fastened on the shaft by means of
clutches.
The reversing and speed clutches are worked by means of levers in front of the
driver communicating with the clutches by cranks and rods.
The motor car consists of a truck containing the motor and machinery with the
wheels and axles upon which any carriage body may be mounted on springs and

page_text: the carriage bodies may be readily changed to suit the traffic. The truck is
mounted on a separate set of springs either spiral or flat, and the wheels may have
pneumatic or rubber tyres. The motor car truck is preferably made of tubes built
together by means of sockets into which the ends of the tubes are inserted and
hard soldered.
Dated this 21st day of September 1896
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
I, WILLIAM ROSE SMITH of 3, Laurence Pountney Hill, London, E.C., 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:-
This invention relates to driving and steering gear for motor cars and has for its
object to provide for the ready and easy control of such cars more particularly when
applied for service upon common roads.
This invention consists of a new combination of parts forming a speed varying
and reversing gear, a new arrangement of steering gear and a specially devised
brake in conjunction therewith; the whole forming an improved and simple
arrangement for complete control of the vehicle.
Two modes of carrying this invention into effect are illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of the improvements applied to a parcel delivery van.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1 with the superstructure removed.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the improvements applied to a tricycle.
Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 3.
Referring to the modification shown at Figures 1 and 2; A parcel van super-
structure A is mounted by suitable springs upon the tubular frame work B, C, D, E,
this frame-work having side girders of the shape shown in elevation and central
ties which carry upon them the twin cylinder oil engine supplying the motive
power; the whole frame-work being joined by elbows, sockets and tee pieces into
which the tube ends are inserted and hard soldered. Practically all the gearing
is carried upon the tubular frame-work B, C, D, E, thus permitting the easy
removal of the superstructure A and the substitution of any carriage body accord-
ing to the traffic engaged in.
The hind wheels G, G₁, of the van are used as the steering or following wheels,
while the front wheels H H are employed as driving or propelling wheels and they
are actuated by the motor F in a manner hereinafter described. The wheels H H
would revolve free upon the ends of the driving axle I were it not that à pair of
friction clutches whose sliding halves J J1 revolving with the axle I are forced by
the springs K K into contact with the other halves L L of the clutches fixed to the
wheels H H and they remain so as long as the vehicle is running in a straight line.
When the vehicle is going round a curve the wheels G G are swivelled in the
desired direction on the pivot M by the chain N N¹ the said chain being operated
from the steering wheel through the sprocket wheels QQ' with suitable guide
pulleys all as shown on Figures 1 and 2, and the centre of that curve is formed by
the intersection of the lines of direction of both driving and steering axles. Suppose
the driving wheel H to be nearest the aforesaid curve centre then the motion of

page_text: the chain N acting on the stop R and bell-crank S pulls the spring K and the half
clutch J out of gear with its other half L and thus allows the wheel H to run loose
upon its axle end, the car or vehicle being thus propelled from the outer wheel H
only.
As the oil engine F runs continuously in one direction only the following devices
for reversing the motion and varying the speed are employed. The reversing gear
consists of a pair of loose pinions TT on the motor crank shaft li gearing con-
stantly with a helical toothed bevel wheel V on the intermediate shaft W which is
placed preferably at right angles to the crank shaft. This intermediate shaft W
carries on its rear end, a helical toothed bevel pinion X gearing into a helical toothed
bevel wheel Y on a sprocket wheel shaft Z which is placed parallel with the crank
shaft U, all as clearly shown in plan on Figure 2. A double jaw clutch a sliding
along the crank shaft U connects when desired either the loose pinion T or the
loose pinion T with the motor shaft and thus drives through the intermediate gear
the sprocket shaft Z in either direction; or if the clutch a is kept in mid position
neither pinion is driven and the sprocket wheel shaft is stationary, so that the car
can be stopped without stopping the engine. On the sprocket shaft three
sprocket wheels be and d are placed loosely and these wheels are connected by
driving chains to three sprocket wheels b c and d keyed to the driving axle I of
the front wheels. Two double jawed clutches e and fare placed as shown in the
plan and so arranged that any one of the pinions be and d may be geared with the
shaft Z. Thus the speed of the motor car may be varied to suit the gradient of the
road on which it is running and the applicant prefers to arrange the proportions
of the sprocket wheels and gearing so that approximate speeds of 3 9 and 14 miles
an hour may he obtained though any number of speeds may be securel by using a
suitable number of sprocket wheels, chains and clutches. The reversing and speed
clutches a,, fare worked by levers in front of the driver communicating with
the clutches by cranks and rods by any of the methods well known to engineer.
The devices employed to secure an efficient and rapid brake when stopping or
slowing down the car are as follows:-
C
Wire ropes or straps are attached to the cross tube of the frame-
work B, C, D, E and from there, make several turns round the drums of the
halves L L of the friction clutches attached to the driving wheels H II' and from
there the ropes are fastened to pulleys h h on a way shaft i fastened to the bottom
of the van. This way shaft i is rotated by the action of the foot lever j at the will of
the driver and this puts a powerful brake upon the vehicle at the required moment.
Any of the well known forms of straps or toggle brake may also be applied.
Referring to the modification of this invention as applied to a tricycle shown in
the drawings at Figures 3 and 4, a twin cylinder oil engine & is mounted on the
framework I and drives a crank shaft m having two flywheels a fixed upon it.
This engine drives the rear axle o through the two speed gearing 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8, with clutches 12 and 13 all previously described and claimed in l'atent
No. 12041 of 1896 granted to the present applicant. To start the motor the pedals
are used to drive the chain 7 and the chain wheel p on the rear axle o and any
suitable form of pawl and ratchet wheel drive may be fixed to the pedal cranks so
that when the oil engine takes an explosive impulse the chain wheel y will over run
the pawl drive on the pedals allowing them to he then used as foot rests. Two half
clutches rare fixed to the driving wheels as while the other two sliding halves
of these clutches t t rotate with the rear axle o. To render the construction clear
the halves t t of the clutches are shown out of gear but when the tricycle is running
in a straight line these halves are in gear with their corresponding halves & s' and
the machine is thus driven forward. A pair of steel wires are attached to a
ring v on the front wheel fork and at their other ends are attached to the arms 10 10¹
of a three armed lever, while this third arm is coupled by two links to the
rocking levers al a the outer ends of these levers having half sleeves which
fit into grooves turned in the outside of the sliding halves t t. When the tricycle
is on a straight path the clutch bars CC are half way in but fully engaged, and
y

page_text: when the steering handle is turned the motion of the herein before described link-
work and levers pulls the clutch on the inner side of the curve (through which the
machine is travelling) out of gear thus causing the machine to be propelled by the
outer wheel only. Though the clutch on the outer wheel is pushed further home
it does not effect the engagement of that clutch.
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 vehicles in combination, wheels loosely mounted upon the driving
axle the driving axle loosely mounted in axle boxes, driving clutches arranged upon
the axle in contiguity with the driving wheel bosses and means for the disengage-
ment of the respective clutches with the driving wheels by the operation of the
steering gear substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. In motor vehicles means for the disengagement of the respective driving
clutches by the operation of the steering gear for the purpose and substantially
as hereinbefore described.
3. In motor vehicles in combination a motor crank shaft having bevel gear
mounted thereon disposed upon one side of the vehicle an intermediate shaft
transversely disposed and in gear therewith and a sprocket wheel shaft disposed
parallel with the crank and driving shaft but in gear with the intermediate shaft
and having sprocket pinion arranged for different speeds loosely mounted and
arranged with driving gear upon the opposite side of the vehicle substantially as
herein before described.
4. In motor vehicles the arrangement of a brake strap upon the exterior surface
of both or either of the clutch cylinders suitably actuated from a foot or hand lever
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The motor vehicle hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings.
6. The motor tricycle hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of June 1897
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.