Improvements in the Under Framing of Road Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Under Framing of Road Vehicles.
I, GARLAND BRAINARD ST. JOHN, of Kalamazoo, County of Kalamazoo,
Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention the rear axle of road vehicles and a front cross bar
are connected by the two side springs. The middle of the front cross bar is
formed with a conoidal or taper plug projecting downwards therefrom. This plug
takes into a corresponding socket formed on or attached to the front axle so that
this may turn on the fixed cross bar the socket being supplied with a lubricant.
The body of the vehicle is clamped to the two side springs which may be of an
arched or flatter form in side elevation. In the heavier class of vehicles the
weight of the body part will be sufficient to keep the plug of the front cross har
engaged in the socket of the front axle but in the lighter class of vehicles a spring
is employed to prevent disengagement under ordinary circumstances but in the
event of an accident such as the overturning of the vehicle the axle would twist
out of its seat and liberate the part to which the horses are attached.
Dated this 4th day of October 1893.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Under Framing of Road Vehicles.
I, GARLAND BRAINARD ST. JOHN, of Kalamazoo, County of Kalamazoo,
Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 has for object to improve the construction of the under framing
or running gear of vehicles by the construction, combination and arrangement of
certain devices.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 is a plan view of an under framing or running gear according to this
invention.
Fig. 2 a side elevation thereof partly in section, with the body attached.
Fig. 3 a similar view of a modified form of spring and body, arched for the
passage of the forward wheels under them.
Fig. 4 a fragmentary elevation of the forward axle and the cross bar above with
the axle partly in section to shew the construction of the coupling.
Fig. 5 a plan view of the middle portion of the forward axle.
Fig. 6 a fragmentary view of a spring and the rear axle shewing the manner of
clamping them together. Fig. 7 a rear elevation of the same.
Fig. 8 a rear elevation of a modified form of socket for the forward axle and
Fig. 9 a side elevation of the same.
The invention relates to vehicle gears in which the reach connection at the
forward axle is a cone and socket instead of the common fifth wheel, and more
particularly to light spring carriages.

page_text: A is the forward and B the rear axle. C a cross bar connecting pivotally with
the forward axle. D are springs extending from the rear axle to the cross bar
with both of which they connect. E are cross bars clipped to the middle portions
of the springs, and adapted to support the body F.suitably secured to them.
A special feature of the invention is the construction of the forward axle and its
connected socket G and the device for holding the pin or plug H in the socket.
A simple mode of attaching the socket to the axle is to perforate the axle and
shrink the socket in the hole so formed. This construction is more suitable for the
axles of heavy draught vehicles in which the lightness and symmetry of the axle
are not important considerations.
In the construction shewn in Figs. 8 and 9 the perforation of the axle is not
necessary and is therefore applicable to the small axles of light vehicles whether in
general use or made new with particular reference to this type of coupling. In
this case the socket is provided with flanges G, G", which fit over one corner of
the axle and are secured to it by an angular clip I. A further advantage obtained
by this construction, is that the pivot for the forward axle is shifted to the back
of the axle thereby permitting the vehicle to turn quicker and on less ground than
as ordinarily constructed. The pivot pin H is shewn as a part of cross bar C. It
will be seen that the body of the vehicle is held rigidly and prevented from tipping
as the taper socket is made of sufficient depth to sustain the taper pivot pin laterally
therein, thus performing the entire work of the upper half of the ordinary fifth
wheel, head block and cross bar.
It has been found in practice that while the form of coupling described is well
suited to the heavier kind of vehicles in which the weight of the body is all that is
required to hold the taper pivot in the socket, in the case of light vehicles adapted
for fast driving, it is desirable to so connect the taper or conoidal pivot and socket
as to prevent accidental disconnection of the parts by the natural jolting of the
vehicle. This is accomplished by means of a stirrup or.. hook J preferably con-
nected at one end only to the head block or reach the other end simply extending
a short distance under the socket or a flange thereon as shewn in Fig. 3 which
permits the wheel to turn clear under the body of the vehicle. Now as the only
purpose of the stirrup is to prevent accidental displacement of the pivot in ordinary
driving, it is not essential that it should extend entirely under or around the bottom
of the socket or axle or come into actual contact therewith or be of very strong or
rigid material, rather it may be made so light that in the event of overturning, the
forward axle will twist out of its seat between the pivot and the stirrup, thus
liberating the part to which the horses are attached. This would of course break
the stirrup if of frail material such as cast iron or bend it out of shape if of
malleable material, a matter of little importance as compared with the advantages
secured by the construction.
The springs may be attached direct to the axle and cross bar by clips K as
shewn in Figs. 2, 3, or they may be connected by an interposed right angle block L
as shewn in Figs. 6, 7. This angle block has ribs or flanges a fitting well against
both sides of the axle or cross bar, and ribs or flanges b fitting in the same manner
the sides of the springs. The parts being now fastened together by a clip are held
firmly and immovably at right angles to each other so that any twisting of the
spring with respect to the axle or cross bar is prevented. These angle blocks also
tend to horizontalise the movement of the body, since the springs are firmly
clamped in lateral alignment, and any depression of one side of the body more than
the other serves to make the parts bind by reason of the elongation of the spring
on that side, which of course arrests the depression of the body on that side.
With springs arched as shewn in Fig. 3, the forward wheels may be turned
under the body for convenience in turning round or getting into the vehicle, there
being no reach or other obstruction to this action of the wheels. This convenience
is more especially apparent in the case of phaetons and the like which are more
particularly used by ladies. The springs really serve
88 a flexible arohed
reach.

page_text: The seat is mounted over the highest portions of the springs. This does not
necessarily carry the occupant higher than in the ordinary carriage as the body may
be built lower in front of the seat as indicated in Fig. 3, following to some extent
the curvature of the springs, and allowing a lower place for the feet without
correspondingly elevating the seat.
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 coupling for the under framing or running gear of vehicles, the
combination of the front and rear axles, a suitable connecting device extending
from one to the other, a taper lubricant holding socket attached to the forward
axle, a taper pivot pin secured to the said gear connecting device, and adapted
for engagement with said socket and a stirrup or hook fastened at only one of its
ends to said gear connection, the other end extending a short distance under some
part of the socket whereby the pivot is held in place normally, but is not prevented
from wrenching out of the socket in case the vehicle overturns, substantially ns
described and shewn.
2. In a vehicle gear coupling, the combination with the front and rear axles and
suitable connecting means, of a taper or conoidal lubricant holding socket clipped
to the rear side of the front axle, a pivot engaging said socket secured to the gear
connection and a stirrup or hook secured at one end only to said gear connection,
the other end extending a short distance under some part of the socket, for the
purpose specified substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 29th day of December 1893.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.