Improvements in Motor Tricycles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Tricycles.
I, JOSEPH GREFFE, of 34, Rue Philippe de Gerard, Paris, France, Inventor,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new motor tricycle with the motor at the front.
The tricycle comprises a vertical motor-wheel (constituting the front wheel
of the vehicle) which is keyed upon a horizontal shaft driven by an electric,
heat, or other motor. The bearings supporting the said shaft are fitted below
a horizontal ring made of 1 or double channel iron and upon which are arranged
stays or cross bars from which the motor and its accessories are suspended. The
wheel and the ring are thus firmly secured the one to the other and constitute
a traction device which can be turned round about a vertical line passing through
the point of contact of the wheel with the ground.
For steering this traction device upon the road and the maintenance of it in
equilibrium, no matter what direction is given to it, the steering or directing
ring, operated by a guiding device, rolls between horizontal rollers movable
about their axes; all these axes being regulatable and disposed upon the hori-
zontal branches of a frame constituting a prolongation of the shafts of the
vehicle, and which takes a polygonal shape within which polygon the said
directing ring is enclosed. The periphery of each roller bears against the said
directing ring.
The guiding or steering device consists of a horizontal bar provided with
four inclined arms which latter are secured to the bar at their upper ends and
to the directing ring at their lower ends.
The polygonal supporting frame remains in all the positions perfectly rigid.
The position of the centre of gravity necessary to give equilibrium and the
adherent weight necessary for the motion of the vehicle are obtained by a judi-
cious distribution of the parts of the motor and its accessories, suspended below
the directing ring and at each side of the motor wheel.
The motor with the parts connected with it constitutes an independent trac-
tion device capable of drawing, in the same manner as a horse, a two wheeled
carriage arranged at the back. The frame of the vehicle, having the prolonga-
tion constituting the polygonal frame in which the directing ring turns, is
carried upon the two back wheels by means of ordinary carriage springs.
Dated this 14th day of December 1898.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.

page_text: I, JOSEPH GREFFE, of 34, Rue Philippe de Gerard, Paris, France, Inventor,
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 a new motor tricycle with the motor at the front
and it has more especially for its object the construction of a tricycle of this
kind in a simple and solid manner so as to obviate the complications which
arise in the working and steering of such motor vehicles with the motor carried
by the front wheel.
My tricycle is constructed on the following principle:-
There is a vertical driving wheel which is keyed upon a horizontal shaft
driven by means of a motor and the bearings of this shaft are fixed upon a
horizontal steering ring said ring carrying the motor and its accessories. The
whole being arranged in such a manner that the wheel the ring and the motor
constitute a solidly built traction device which can be turned round a vertical
line passing through the point of contact of the wheel with the ground.
For steering this traction device upon the road and the maintenance of it in
equilibrium, no matter what direction is given to it, the steering ring, operated
by a guiding device, rolls between horizontal rollers movable about their axes;
all these axes being regulatable and disposed upon the horizontal branches of
a frame constituting a prolongation of the shafts of the vehicle and which
takes a polygonal shape within which polygon the said steering ring is enclosed.
The polygonal supporting frame remains in all the positions perfectly rigid.
The position of the centre of gravity necessary to give equilibrium and the
adherent weight (i.e. adhesive power) necessary for the motion of the vehicle
are obtained by a judicious distribution of the parts of the motor and its acces-
sories suspended below the steering ring and at each side of the motor wheel.
The motor with the parts connected with it constitutes an independent trac-
tion device capable of drawing, in the same manner as a horse, a two wheeled
carriage arranged at the back.
The annexed drawings show by way of example a convenient method of carry-
ing out the invention.
On the drawings the same reference letters wherever repeated indicate the
same parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the vehicle.
A is the vertical driving wheel whose horizontal axle or shaft a revolves in
the bearings a¹, a³, a³, etc. fixed below the steering ring.
B is the steering ring having a T shaped profile and provided with cross
bars 61, 62, 63. The motor with its accessories is suspended to these cross bars.
C is the thermic, electric, or other motor for actuating the shaft a.
,,, represent the various accessories of the motor such as reservoirs of
hydro-carburets and water, carburators, accumulators.
Dare the steering bars with handle at the rear end. These bars are rigidly
connected to the steering ring by means of forks and cross bars d,. d, &².
E, E, are the shafts of the framework and as will be seen from Fig. 2 they
are made at the front end of the vehicle to form a polygonal frame. If so
desired they may be made to form a circular frame. The polygonal frame
carries rollers e, el, e, etc. and the shape of each of these rollers is such as to
correspond with the profile of the steering ring.

page_text: F represents the carriage which is supported on springs fixed to the axle of
the back wheels.
The vehicle is operated in the following manner:-
The traveller, seated in the carriage, having within handy reach the various
organs of the starting gear, accelerating gear, and stopping gear which are all
arranged in the most appropriate way for the motor, actuates the steering
handle so as to direct the front wheel in the direction desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is:-
:-
1. In a motor tricycle, the combination with the vehicle frame-work having
its front end made in the form of a polygonal frame, of a steering ring made
of Tiron, cross bars fixed upon the ring, a motor with its accessories suspended
from the cross bars, a driving wheel keyed upon a horizontal shaft or axle which
runs in bearings secured to the steering ring, and rollers fitted to the polygonal
frame, substantially as described.
2. In a motor tricycle, the combination with the vehicle frame-work having
its front end terminating in a polygonal frame, of a steering ring, a driving
wheel keyed upon a shaft turning in bearings secured to the steering ring,
rollers secured to the said polygonal frame and rolling upon the steering ring,
and of a steering bar (or bars) with handle connected to the steering ring, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In a motor tricycle the combination with the frame work of the vehicle,
of a front-wheel traction device which is independent of said framework and
has its motor and its accessories suspended from a steering ring, and of a steer-
ing bar (or bars) connected to said ring, substantially as described.
4. A motor tricycle constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Data h 1541
1000
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.