Improvements in Mechanically Propelled Vehicles for Use on Highways.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 30th Nov. 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
Improvements in Mechanically Propelled Vehicles for Use
on Highways.
1, HOWARD LANE, of 188, Corporation Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My present invention has for its object a novel meth id of construction by
which the starting or setting in motion of a mechanically propelled vehicle from
a condition of rest with its motor out of action, is easily and conveniently
effected.
It has been found inconvenient and wasteful of fuel to permit the motive power
engine of such vehicles to remain in action when the vehicle is standing at rest, aud
moreover by such a system a complicated arrangement of gearing and disconnecting
clutches, with speed regulating devices, is necessary.
My present improvement consists in the arrangement of a metallic or other
suitable spring which, during the ordinary operation of the vehicle when in
motion, is gradually wound up without interfering (except to a very limited
extent) with the propulsion of the vehicle. On reaching a predetermined degree of
tension the spring becomes disengaged automatically from its coiling gear, though
it still remains in tension ready for use. After the vehicle and its motor have
been stopped and it is desired to re-start, a lever, catch, or other equivalent device
releases the opposite end of the spring to that first operated on. The stored-up
energy is thus brought into effective action and the vehicle set in motion and its
motor carried over its dead centres or through its other ineffective phases until
proper working impulses are spontaneously obtained.
The arrangement as described is so geared and speeded at the opposite extremities
of the spring that although wound up slowly it can react, on starting, as rapidly as
necessary, or desired.
This improvement is of special value where oil or gas motors are employed or
other prime movers with considerable variation in the progression or occurrence of
their impulses.
I do not confine myself to the pr. cise details of the apparatus, which may be
varied more or less to suit different circumstances.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Mechanically Propelled Vehicles for Use
on Highways.
1, HOWARD LANE, of 188, Corporation Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, 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, and accompanying drawings, that
is to say :-
My present invention has for its object a novel method of construction by
which the starting or setting in motion of a mechanically propelled vehicle from
a condition of rest with its motor out of action, is easily and conveniently
effected.
It has been found inconvenient and wasteful of fuel to permit the motive power
engine of such vehicles to remain in action when the vehicle is standing at rest, and
moreover by such a system a complicated arrangement of gearing and disconnecting
clutches, with speed regulating devices, is necessary.
My present improvement consists in the arrangement of a metallic or other
suitable spring which, during the ordinary operation of the vehicle when in motion,
is gradually wound up without interfering (except to a very limited extent) with
the propulsion of the vehicle. On reaching a predetermined degree of tension the
spring becomes disengaged automatically from its coiling gear, though it still
remains in tension ready for use. After the vehicle and its motor have been
stepped and it is desired to re-start, a lever, catch, or other equivalent device
releases the opposite end of the spring to that first operated on. The stored-up
energy is thus brought into effective action and the vehicle set in motion and its
motor carried over its dead centres or through its other ineffective phases until
proper working impulses are spontaneously obtained.
The arrangement as described is so geared and speeded at the opposite extremities
of the spring that although wound up slowly it can react, on starting, as rapidly as
necessary, or desired.
This improvement is of special value where oil or gas motors are employed or
other prime movers with considerable variation in the progression or occurrence of
their impulses.
The accompanying drawings are in illustration of a method of construction and
arrangement which I adopt in carrying out my invention.
Figure is a plan, partly in section, showing the more important part of the
apparatus. Figure 2 is a side view of the same, and
Figures 3 and 4 are separate detailed views of some of the parts.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the different figures.
a and (Figure 1) represent the driving wheels of the vehicle to which my
invention is applied. These wheels are shown running loose upon the axle c which
is fixed in the frame d of the vehicle. This axle may, however, itself turn in the
frame, one of the wheels being fixed to it. e is a strong helical spring coiled
loosely round the axle e, one end of the spring being attached to a ratchet toothed
wheel turning freely on the axle, and its other end being attached to a chain
wheel y which also carries a ratchet toothed wheel h, which is provided with a pall
or detent i so arranged that it can be released from the wheel h by means of a lever
and handle (Figures 1 and 3) when required.
Parallel with the axle c is arranged a shaft carried by the frames d, and having
fitted freely upon it tubular axles m, n, retained in their places by collars o.
The tube m carries a chain wheel p of suitable diameter, connected with the chain
wheel g by a suitable chain. The chain wheel p is connected to its centre by a

page_text: friction clutch wheel of an ordinary well-known kind, as illustrated at Figure 5,
and each of the tubes m and n has also fixed upon it a chain wheel r and s, which
are connected by suitable chains with corresponding chain wheels taal z, upon the
driving shaft of a motive power engine v, (such as a gas or oil engine), the
wheels t, u, being driven by balance gear of the ordinary well-known kind, as
illustrated in dotted lines at io (Figure 1), so that either of the tubes m and may
revolve, if necessary, at a greater speed than the other one, (as when the vehicle is
going round curves).
y,
The outer ends of the tubes m, n, carry chain wheels and which are
connected with corresponding chain wheels A, B, upon the carriage wheels a and b.
These chain wheels A, B, are provided with friction clutches as illustrated
in Figure 4, of a kind similar to that already described. Upon the tube nis
fixed an excentric D of short stroke, which actuates a plunger E, working in
a cylinder Fagainst a sufficiently strong spring G, and the outer end of this
cylinder is connected to a lever H, turning upon the axle c and carrying a
pall I which gears with the ratchet toothed wheel and turning it round
one tooth for each revolution of the excentric D. A detent K holds the ratchet
wheel f.
When the vehicle is running, the engine drives the tubular axles m and n, and
by means of the chain wheels x, y, and A, B, the carriage wheels a, b, the chain
wheel p running freely on its friction clutch, without driving the chain. At the
same time, the excentric D actuates the ratchet toothed wheel tooth by tooth,
coiling up the spring e, until its tension is sufficient to overcome that of the spring G,
and the excentric then ceases to actuate the wheel f. When the vehicle comes to
rest, the spring e remains coiled, until is desired to re-start, when the detent i is
disengaged from the ratchet wheel h by the lever k, and it then uncoils, carrying with
it the wheel g and turning the wheel p which by its clutch turns the wheels r and t
and assists the vehicle and engine in starting and until the latter is properly
at work.
Although I have described and shewn a suitable method of construction and
arrangement of apparatus for the required purpose, I do not confine myself to the
precise details of the apparatus, which may be varied more or less to suit different
circumstances.
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 mechanically-propelled vehicles, the method of starting or setting in
motion of such vehicles from a condition of rest with the motor out of action,
by means of power stored up by the vehicle itself when running, and retained
so stored-up until it is required to re-start the vehicle and motor, when the
stored-up power is released and applied to effect or assist the starting substantially
as described.
2. In mechanically propelled vehicles of the kind described in Claim 1, the
apparatus for storing up power and assisting or effecting the re-starting of the
vehicle and motor, consisting of the axle c, spring e, ratchet toothed wheels f, h,
detent i and lever k, chain wheel and chain g, tubular axles m, n, chain wheel and
friction clutch p, chain wheels and chains s, r, t, and u, motor v, chain wheels and
chains x, y, chain wheels and friction clutches A, B, excentric D, plunger E,
spring G, lever H, pall I, and detent K, all arranged and operating substantially
as and for the purposes described and illustrated.
Deted this 20th doz of November 180
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.