Improvements in connection with Electrically Propelled Vehicles for Running on Ordinary Roads.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug.. 1895-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Electrically Propelled Vehicles
for Running on Ordinary Roads..
I, FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street in the City of London, Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows
:-
My invention relates to electrically propelled vehicles for running on ordinary roads
and consists in providing each vehicle with steering gear operated by electricity in
such a manner that the vehicle can be directed with the greatest accuracy in any
desired course with facility and ease. According to my invention 1 arrange
beneath the floor of the vehicle an electric motor connected by suitable conductors
and a switching device with a source of power carried by the vehicle and prefer-
ably that by which the vehicle is propelled. On the shaft or spindle of this electric
motor is fixed a worm gearing, with a worm wheel fast on a vertical shaft which
also carries a pinion gearing with a spar wheel or toothed sector fixed to the frame
or carriage which carries the steering wheel or wheels of the vehicle. The
switching device for starting this steering gear is situated in a convenient position
to be operated by the attendant and may consist of a lever handle provided with
contact pieces so that by moving this lever on its pivot in one direction or another
contacts can be made which will complete circuits to start the motor and cause the
said motor through the gearing herein before described to turn the fore carriage on
its axis and so alter the course in which the vehicle is travelling. The contacts
will complete circuits in reverse directions with reverse motion of the switch handle
and the motor will rotate in one direction or the other according to the direction in
which the switch lever is moved on either side of the central position and will
consequently cause the steering frame or carriage to turn correspondingly either to
the right or to the left. When the switch lever is placed in a central position or
out of contact with both contact pieces of the switch the circuit through the motor
is Broken and consequently the steering frame or carriage with the steering wheels
will remain in the position to which it had been moved. The rotating portion of
the steering frame or carriage is preferably supported on antifriction rollers or
halls to reduce friction between it and the stationary frame or ring or portion on
which it turns.
Dated this 6th day of November 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn. Fields, Agents.
Improvements in connection with Electrically Propelled Vehicles
for Running on Ordinary Roads.
1, FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street in the City of London; Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described' and' ascertained' in and' by the
following statement:
My invention relates to electrically propelled vehicles for running, on ordinary
roads and consists in providing such vehicles with steering gear operated by electricity

page_text: .
The
in such a manner that the vehicle can be directed with the greatest accuracy in any
desired course with facility and ease. According to my invention I arrange
beneath the floor of the vehicle an electric motor connected by suitable conductors
and a switching device with a source of power carried by the vehicle and prefer-
ably that by which the vehicle is propelled. On the shaft or spindle of this electric
motor is fixed a worm gearing with a worm wheel fast on a vertical shaft which
also carries a pinion gearing with a spur wheel or toothed sector fixed to the frame
or carriage which carries the steering wheel or wheels of the vehicle.
switching device for starting this steering gear is situated in a convenient position
to be operated by the attendant and may consist of a lever handle provided with
contact pieces so that by moving this lever on its pivot in one direction or another
contacts can be made which will complete circuits to start the motor and cause the
said motor through the gearing herein before described to turn the fore carriage on
its axis and so alter the course in which the vehicle is travelling. The contacts
will complete circuits in reverse directions with reverse motion of the switch handle
and the motor will rotate in one direction or the other according to the direction in
which the switch lever is moved on either side of the central position and will
consequently cause the steering frame or carriage to turn correspondingly either to
the right or to the left. When the switch lever is placed in a central position or
out of contact with both contact pieces of the switch the circuit through the motor
is broken and consequently the steering frame or carriage with the steering wheels
will remain in the position to which it had been moved. The rotating portion of
the steering frame or carriage is preferably supported on antifriction rollers or
balls to reduce friction between it and the stationary frame or ring or portion on
which it turns.
In order that my invention may be well understood I will describe with reference
to the accompanying drawings the manner in which it may be performed.
Figure 1 is a vertical side view partly in section and Figure 2 is a plan of my
improved steering gear. Figure 2A is a front elevation of part thereof.
A is the electric motor. B is the switching device, the connections between the
fixed contacts of which and the source of power and motor are shewn diagrammati-
cally in Figure 2 the conductors at a¹ a being continued to the source of power
carried by the vehicle and used for the purpose of actuating the motor A. C is a
worm attached to or forming part of the spindle or shaft of the electric motor A.
The motor and the bearings for the worm are carried by the fixed part X of the
frame. D is a worm wheel secured to a vertical shaft E mounted in bearings
carried by the fixed part of the frame and having secured to it at its other
extremity a pinion F, gearing with the spur wheel or toothed sector G which is
attached to the moveable part of the frame or carriage which carries the steering
wheel or wheels of the vehicle.
The switching device B for actuating the steering gearing is placed preferably
at B₁ as shewn in Figure 1 so as to be easily accessible to the operator on
the driving platform H of the carriage. The said switch B has its contacts
arranged as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2 so that reversal of
direction of motion of the switch handle will cause a reversal of the current to the
motor, and consequently reversal of the direction of rotation of the armature of
the motor A, thus producing the right or left handed motion of the turntable to
which the sector G is affixed. This will be readily understood by reference to
Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In or for electrically propelled vehicles for ordinary roads electrical steering
gear arranged and operated substantially as bereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with electrically propelled vehicles for common roads of an

page_text: electrically driven motor and a switching device therefor and gearing between the
said motor and the frame or its equivalent which carries the steering wheel or
wheels substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 6th day of August 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.