Improvements in or relating to Electrically Propelled Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Electrically Propelled Vehicles.
We, FREDERICK JACOB NEWMAN, Electrical Engineer, and JOSEF LEDWINKA,
both of Number 107, Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America,
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;-
Our invention relates to the propulsion of vehicles by the use of electricity as
a motive power, and has for its object to furnish a means for the application of
said power to any vehicle, in such a manner as not to change or disfigure the
general appearance of the vehicles now in use, by exhibiting the mechanical
parts involved in the construction thereof. And in order to accomplish our
purpose, we have selected the hub of the wheel in which to install the electric
motor for driving the vehicle; said motor to receive electric power from electric
batteries, which batteries may be placed in any convenient part of the vehicle.
Our invention principally consists in the housing of the electric motor and
driving mechanism, in the hubs of the driving wheels, which support the vehicle,
and also in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and
operation of the various parts of the device, as will be hereinafter more fully set
forth and specifically claimed.
In the accompanying drawings of our invention, Figure 1, represents a central
longitudinal sectional view of a vehicle hub, and a part of the axle, with our
device installed therein, and showing the parts in position ready for use.
Figure 2, is a similar view, illustrating a modification in the construction of
the device. And-
Figure 3, is a detached view of the spring-actuated contact plates.
Referring to the drawing, like numerals indicate like parts:
5, represents a stationary axle of a vehicle, to which is securely fastened the
inner part of the motor-field 6, to which is securely fastened the field-magnet-
projections 7, with their windings, and also the outer motor-field-shell S, around
which is the hollow hub, which hub is preferably made up of the parts 9, and 10,
and the caps 11, and 12; said hollow hub is journaled on the bearings 13 and 14,
and so arranged that it can revolve about the motor-field; 15, are broken spokes
of the wheel; 16, is the armature mounted on the shaft 17, which shaft is
journaled on the bearings 18, and 19; 20, are adjusting screws to adjust the end
play of the armature shaft; 21, is a gear pinion, securely fastened to shaft 17;
22, and 23, are intermediate gears fastened securely together and rotating on the
bracket 24, fastened securely to the motor-field-shell 6, and rotating in a slot
formed in said shell; 25, is an internal gear fastened securely to the interior of the
hub 9; gear 21, meshes with gear 22, and gear 23 meshes with gear 25; 26, is
he commutator; 27, is the brush and holder; 28, are the wires carrying the
electric current to the motor.
In the above described form of our device, when the current is applied, the
notor armature revolves, carrying with it, the pinion 21. which turns
3002

page_text: which turns gear 23, which meshes with and turns gear 25, carrying with it the
hub, thus causing the wheel to revolve and move the vehicle. From the fore-
going, it will be understood that the field-magnets are held in a fixed position
on the axle of the vehicle, but as the propulsion may be effected in other ways,
and as we do not desire to limit ourselves to the construction above set forth, we
have shown in Figure 2, of the drawings, a modification of our device, which we
may sometimes employ, and in which 29, is the armature of the electric motor,
which is rotatably and independently journaled on an axle 5, of the vehicle;
30, is the field magnets of said motor, which are securely fastened to the interior
of the hub of the wheel; 31, is the commutator; 32, is an electric
brush; 33, is a ball-bearing, with proper cups and cones; 34, is
a gear pinion, fastened to the armature; 35, is a gear wheel, which
is journaled in suitable bearings 36, on the bracket 37, which is
securely fastened to the axle; 38, is an internal gear, rigidly fastened
to the interior of the hub 39, which hub, is preferably composed of four (4)
members, namely; the rear member 40, which serves to enclose the rear of the
hub, and contains the dust guards, also the rear member 41, central member 42,
and front member or cap 43; 44, is the ball-bearings for the hub 39, with which
said hub is preferably provided, and which bearings are furnished with cups and
cones, on the axle 5, as usual. 45, are the broken spokes of the vehicle wheel,
in position in the hub. 46, ard the electric conductors which make electric con-
nections between the electric supply and the motor. These conductors are prefer-
ably carried in a receptacle or groove, made lengthwise in the axle, and brought
out at the rear of the hub and extending thence to the electric supply, their other
euds being connected to the spring-actuated contact plates 47, located in the
end of the axle. The objects of these plates, which are insulated from one
another, is to insure perfect contact and to independently conduct the current to
their respective motors in the hubs of the wheels. While we have shown four (4)
of them, yet it is evident, two (2) or more may be used.
In this modification, now under consideration, when the parts are assembled,
The operation of our device is as follows;
The electric armature being journaled independently on the axle 5, and con-
nected as shown and described, by gear wheel connections with the hub 39, and
said hub being also journaled on the axle, therefore, when the electric current
is turned on to the motor armature, said armature will revolve in one direction,
and the gear 35, will revolve in the opposite direction, thus causing the vehicle
wheel, the interior of the hub of which, carries the field-magnets, to revolve in
the opposite direction to the armature thereof, and thus carry the vehicle along,
at whatever speed is desired.
From the foregoing, and by reference to the drawings, it will be seen and
understood, that the field-magnets, used in the construction illustrated in Figure 2
of the drawings, being secured to the hub, will rotate therewith around the axle
and armature, while in the construction shown in Figure 1, of the drawings, the
field-magnets are held in a fixed position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;-
-
I: The combination with an electric motor mounted on the axle of a vehicle,
of the vehicle wheel hub journaled on the axle, and means connecting the motor
to the hub for turning the same.
II: The combination with an electric motor mounted on the axle of a vehicle,
of the vehicle wheel hub journaled on the axle and provided with a gear, and
intermediate gears connecting the gear of the hub with the motor and so jour-
naled as to impart rotary motion to the hub.
III: The combination with an electric motor mounted on the axle of a vehicle,
of a vehicle wheel hub overlapping the motor and provided with an internal gear,

page_text: the rotary armature of the motor, and gears journaled so as to connect the hub
and armature and to impart rotary motion to the wheel hub.
IV The combination with an electric motor mounted on the axle of a vehicle,
of the hollow hub of the vehicle wheel enclosing the motor, the rotary armature
journaled within the hub, the field-magnets interposed between the hub and
armature, and means connecting the hub and armature, so that when the arma-
ture is caused to revolve its revolving motion will be transmitted to the hub.
V: The combination of an electric motor mounted on a vehicle axle, the
hollow hub of a vehicle wheel enclosing said motor, said hub journaled about
said motor, the armature of said motor connected with the interior of said hub,
so that when said armature is caused to revolve its revolving motion will be
transmitted to the vehicle hub.
VI: The combination of a hollow hub of a vehicle wheel enclosing an electric
motor, the stationary field-magnets of said motor rigidly fastened to the vehicle
axle, the armature of said motor carrying with it a gear meshing with inter-
mediate gearing properly supported and journaled, said intermediate gearing
meshing with an internal gear fastened rigidly to the interior of said hub, thus
causing the said hub to rotate when an electric current is applied to said motor.
VII: The combination with a shell fixed on the axle of a vehicle wheel and
having on its interior field-magnets, of a shaft journaled within the shell, an
armature rigidly secured on said shaft, a gear fixed on the said shaft, the hollow
hub of the vehicle wheel journaled on the axle and surrounding the shell and
provided with an internal gear, and intermediate gears connecting the gear on
the armature shaft and the gear in the hub, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th November 1899.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicants.