Improvements in and connected with the Mechanical Propulsion of Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Mechanical Propulsion of
Vehicles.
I, ANTHONY GEORGE NEW of Palace Chambers, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
One of the main objects of this invention is to enable a mechanically propelled
vehicle to be driven at variable speeds, although the motor itself may be running
at a fixed speed. A further object of the invention is to so arrange the parts
that when an electric motor driven from accumulators is employed, such motor
may under suitable conditions act as a dynamo and charge or partially charge
such accumulators.
The invention may be carried into effect by providing two or more driving wheels
so geared as to have different surface speeds, and so mounted in sets that either may
be brought into contact with the road, but under no conditions can one be brought
down when the other is driving, although where more than one set of such wheels
is employed each set may be independently operated, or the same sized wheels may
be coupled. The motor itself may form one of the driving wheels, and in this case
the slower speed wheels might be of the same size, but geared down by intermediate
gear so as to have only the desired surface speed. The two wheels are mounted on
a rock shaft or other device by means of which either could be brought into contact
with the road and pressed thereto by means of levers with springs inserted in the
connections, or by other devices which will when desired prevent slip of the wheel.
With a construction as above indicated the lower speed driving wheel could be
employed for starting the vehicle so as to avoid sudden shocks and strains on the
parts, and it could also be used with advantage when descending hills as an assistance
to the ordinary brake, and in this case if the vehicle be allowed to travel faster than
the ordinary surface speed of the wheel warrants, then the wheel will in fact drive
the motor and cause it to act as a dynamo as soon as the electro-motive force generated
therein exceeds that at the accumulator terminals and this current may be used to
recharge or partially charge the accumulators.
Instead of having but two speeds of driving wheels three or more may be arranged
in each set.
T

page_text: Improvements in and connected with the Mechanical Propulsion of
Vehicles.
I ANTHONY GEORGE NEW of Palace Chambers Bridge Street Westminster
Electrical 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 :-
One of the main objects of this invention is to enable a mechanically propelled
vehicle to be driven at variable speeds, although the motor itself may be running at
a fixed speed. A further object of the invention is to so arrange the parts that
when an electric motor driven from accumulators is employed, such motor may
under suitable conditions act as a dynamo and charge or partially charge such
accumulators.
The invention may be carried into effect by providing two or more driving wheels
so geared as to have different surface speeds, and so mounted in sets that either
may be brought into contact with the road, but under no conditions can one be brought
down when the other is driving, although where more than one set of such wheels
is employed each set may be independently operated, or the same sized wheels may
be coupled.
In the drawings which accompany this specification and to which reference is made
in order that the nature of the invention may be the more thoroughly understood the
arrangement is shown as applied to a tricycle and as actuated by an oil-motor of the
double cylinder type, but other forms of motor and notably an electric motor may be
employed alternatively.
In the said drawings Fig. 1 represents a side view of tricycle fitted with this
arrangement, with the guiding wheel and the two rear supporting wheels which latter
are only shown in outline, displayed as partially broken away.
Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.
F, F, F, is the tubing constituting the frame-work of the tricycle. Two upright
arms A A bolted to this form the supports and bearings for the axle a¹ on which
are pivotted the cylinders CC of the oil-engine which drives the two fly-wheels W W
through the cranks K, K. Plates gg forming continuations of one side of each
cylinder terminate in the bosses b b which form the bearings for the axle a. Pro-
longations of these armis form the double rack R', R' (not visible in Fig. 2) with
which engages the spring lever handle H' of the bent lever L' and the link L"
which jointed at P 5 is pivotted to the independent frame Y Y at P 3. A double
rack R forming the upper portion of the plates M M which are bolted to the upper
portion of the frame of the tricycle receives and holds the spring lever of the
handle H which forms the upper end of the bent lever L pivotted at and turning
on P 4. Through the extreme end of this lever passes the pin P susceptible of
movement in the link or guide-piece G which turns on the pivot P secured near the
periphery of a loose wheel or pulley W³ turning freely on the axle or shaft a.
The end of lever L is further firmly attached in the neighbourhood of P to the end
of a powerful spring S the lower horizontal end of which is forked so as to pass
freely over the pin P₁ and under the pin P on either side of the link or guide G.
O is the reservoir for the oil for driving the engine.
The two trolley wheels T and T' revolve upon the axles 6 and which are secured

page_text: in the lower angles of the frame Y, Y neither of them in the position shown in the
drawing being in contact with the ground. Keyed to them are the sprocket-
wheels W and W differing considerably in diameter and over them and the sprocket-
wheel W passes the driving chain X. When the oil-motor is in operation therefore
both the trolley-wheels T and T¹ revolve though with differing surface-speeds―
T necessarily revolving much more slowly than T¹.
When it is desired to start the vehicle the oil-engine is set in action whereupon
both T and T are caused to rotate neither being in contact with the ground. The
lever H¹ is then forced forward until its spring catch engages in the notch n. This
swings the frame YY turning on the axle a to the right and brings the trolley-
wheel T into a position vertically under a. The handle H is thereupon drawn
back into the position shown in the drawing which forces down the frame Y Y-the
oil-engine turning to the necessary extent on its axle a¹ to permit this movement--
till T is brought into contact with the ground when it propels the vehicle forward,
an elastic pressure being exercised upon it by the intermediary of the spring S.
When it is desired to change namely to increase the speed of the vehicle the handle H
is forced forward till the trolley-wheel T is free of the ground when H¹ is drawn-
back till its catch falls into the notch n² whereupon T' is brought vertically under a
and into contact with the ground by drawing H back into its original position namely
that shown in the drawing. A less satisfactory method is to effect the change merely
by moving H¹.
By arranging three or more trolley-wheels in a manner similar to that in which
T and T are arranged a greater number of differing speeds may be obtained, these
varying speeds being in all cases attainable while allowing the engine to run at one
uniform velocity.
Similarly, a single trolley-wheel arranged in the frame Y Y in a position inter-
mediate to that occupied by T and T¹ or on a single arm which in that case may
replace the frame YY may be adopted. In this case the lever L' the handle H' and
the rack R¹ may be omitted, and the vehicle will only have one speed if the motor
be kept, running at a fixed velocity, but this one trolley-wheel can be raised by the
action of the lever H so as to allow a certain amount of slip between it and the road
either at starting or when it is desired to diminish the speed of the vehicle while by
increasing the pressure on the handle H the slip between the trolley wheel & the road
may be reduced to a minimum.
When an electric motor is employed the fly wheels WW may be omitted and
the motor geared direct to the shaft or axle a the other arrangements remaining
unaltered.
In this system when a shunt-wound motor is employed the slow-speed trolley-
wheel T or the single trolley-wheel when one only is employed may advantageously
be brought into contact with the ground when running down hill or whenever else it
may be desirable to obtain a brake effect. It may thus drive the motor with sufficient
speed to cause it to act as a dynamo and charge the accumulators by which it is
supplied with current thus utilizing and storing up energy that would otherwise be
dissipated uselessly.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The arrangement for the propulsion of vehicles of two or more trolley-wheels
driven by a motor at different velocities in such a manner that one or other of them
can be brought into contact with the ground so as to propel the vehicle at different
speeds while the motor continues to run at a uniform speed in the manner shown
and described.
2. The employment of a trolley-wheel in the manner described so as to permit of
a certain amount of slip between said wheel and the road or to reduce that slip to
a minimum with the objects and for the purposes stated.
3. The employment of one of such trolley-wheels brought into contact with the

page_text: road and remaining in gear with an electric motor for charging accumulators on
the vehicle when running down hill or otherwise moving by its own momentum as
described.
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