Improved Mode of and Apparatus for Starting and Drawing Wheeled Vehicles
Year: 1885

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mode of and Apparatus for Starting and Drawing
Wheeled Vehicles:
I, LEON DUHAMEL of 95 Rue de Prony, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
STARTING AND DRAWING WHEELED VEHICLES to be as follows:-
In vehicles with four wheels the ordinary mode of applying the traction to the
front wheels has the disadvantages that the jolting to which these wheels, which
are of comparatively small diameter, are subjected, greatly fatigues and injures
the horses, in addition to which the power is not applied to the best advantage,
as the greater part of the load usually falls upon the hind wheels.
One part of my present invention consists in obviating these disadvantages by
applying the traction to the hind wheels of a vehicle instead of the front wheels,
thus limiting the functions of the latter to the guiding of the vehicle. For this
purpose, rods extend forward from the axle-tree of the hind wheels, and have the
traces attached to them while the shafts or pole, are so connected to the harness
that no pull is exerted upon them by the horses, but only a lateral motion in
turning.
According to another part of my invention I provide means whereby, at starting,
a greatly increased power of traction can be exerted or whereby, in certain cases
such as in going up hill, instead of having to apply the traction continuously it can
be applied intermittently in jerks with greatly increased force, whereby the horses
are much less fatigued, means being provided for preventing at will the backward
motion of the vehicle. For this purpose, I provide on the naves of the hind wheels
of the vehicles ratchet wheels in gear with which are pawls carried by double ended
levers on spindles carrying other longer levers the ends of which are either con-
nected directly to the traces of the horses, or to rods, that pass to the front end of
the vehicle and are there connected to the traces, so that the pull of the latter upon
the levers causes the pawls to act on the ratchet wheels so as to partially rotate the
road wheels. The levers carrying the pawls are connected by links to springs, that
draw back the pawls to their original position when the pull upon the traces is
relaxed, and thus by a succession of pulls of short duration the horses are enabled

page_text: to impart to the road wheels a step by step forward motion with greatly increased
power, while with a continued pull on the traces the traction will be applied in the
ordinary manner to the wheels through the levers. Other pawls pivotted to the
framing of the vehicle are made to gear with the ratchet wheels so that these
cannot turn in the contrary direction and the vehicle is thus prevented from
running down hill when the pull on the traces is relaxed. These pawls have an
arm connected to a cord that is wound on a spindle that can be turned by a hand
wheel by the driver when, for the purpose of backing, it is desired to allow of the
turning backwards of the wheels.
The above described arrangements for applying increased traction are also
applicable to two wheeled vehicles.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mode of and Apparatus for Starting and Drawing
Wheeled Vehicles.
I, LEON DUHAMEL, of 95 Rue de Prony, Paris, France, 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
.'
In vehicles with four wheels the ordinary mode of applying the traction to the
front wheels has the disadvantages that the jolting to which these wheels, which
are of comparatively small diameter, are subjected greatly fatigues and injures the
horses, in addition to which the power is not applied to the best advantage, as the
greater part of the load usually falls upon the hind wheels.
One part of my present invention consists in obviating these disadvantages by
applying the traction to the hind wheels of a vehicle instead of the front wheels,
thus limiting the functions of the latter to the guiding of the vehicle. For this
purpose, rods extend forward from the axletree of the hind wheels, and have the
traces attached to them while the shafts or pole are so connected to the harness
that no pull is exerted upon them by the horses, but only a lateral motion in
turning.
According to another part of my invention I provide means whereby, at starting,
a greatly increased power of traction can be exerted or whereby, in certain cases,
such as in going up hill, instead of having to apply the traction continuously it
can be applied intermittently in jerks with greatly increased force, whereby the
horses are much less fatigued, means being provided for preventing at will the
backward motion of the vehicle. For this purpose, I provide on the naves of
the hind wheels of the vehicles ratchet wheels in gear with which are pawls carried
by double ended levers on spindles carrying other longer levers the ends of which
are either connected directly to the traces of the horses, or to rods, that pass to the
front end of the vehicle and are then connected to the traces, so that the pull of
the latter upon the levers causes the pawls to act on the ratchet wheels so as to
partially rotate the road wheels. The levers carrying the pawls are connected by
links to springs, that draw back the pawls to their original position when the pull
upon the traces is relaxed, and thus by a succession of pulls of short duration the
horses are enabled to impart to the road wheels a step by step forward motion with
greatly increased power, while with a continued pull on the traces the traction will
be applied in the ordinary manner to the wheels through the levers. Other pawls
pivotted to the framing of the vehicle are made to gear with the ratchet wheels so
that these cannot turn in the contrary direction and the vehicle is thus prevented
from running down hill when the pull on the traces is relaxed. These pawls have
an arm connected to a cord that is wound on a spindle that can be turned by a
hand wheel by the driver when, for the purpose of backing, it is desired to allow
of the turning backwards of the wheels.
The above described arrangements for applying increased traction are also
applicable to two-wheeled vehicles.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shows a side elevation of a four wheeled
vehicle with my above described invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 shews a half
plan, Fig. 3 shews a cross section, Fig. 4 shews a plan of the arrangement of the
traces when three or more horses are employed. The traces A are connected at a
to rods A¹ pivotted to the ends of levers B fixed on shafts B¹ carried in brackets C
bolted to the framing of the vehicle; the shafts B¹ also have fixed upon them a
double ended lever D, the end d of which carries a pawl E in gear with a ratchet
wheel H fixed on the nave of the wheel R. The other end d¹ of the lever D is
connected by a rod F to the end of a lever G pivotted to the bracket C at g and
connected by a rod I to a disc spring J that bears against a flange K on the bracket.
Thus when a pull is exerted by the horses on the traces, the levers B to which they
are connected are pulled forward thus causing the pawls E to act on the ratchet
wheel H so as to rotate the road wheels R to a certain extent. On the pull on the
levers B being relaxed, they, and, consequently, the pawls E are drawn back again
by the before described connection with the spring J. A second pawl Q pivotted
at q to the framing gears with the ratchet wheel H so as to prevent the turning
backwards of the wheel R, a tail Q¹ on the lever being connected to a cord r passing
over a guide pulley and wound on a barrel S that can be turned by a hand
wheel so as to keep the pawl Q out of gear when required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Baid
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of four-wheeled vehicles having the traces or other means of
traction connected to the axle tree of the hind wheels, substantially as herein
described.
2. The combination with the road wheels of a vehicle of a lever or levers
connected to the nave or axle of the wheels by a pawl and ratchet wheel or
equivalent device, the said lever being connected either directly or indirectly to the
traces so that the pull of the latter upon the lever will cause the road wheels to be
turned through part of a revolution, while on the pull on the lever being relaxed
this is moved back into its original position by a spring, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
3. The combination with the traction bars A¹ of lever B shaft B¹ lever D pawl E
ratchet wheel H and road wheel R, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. In combination with the lever B, shaft B¹, lever D and pawl E, the link F
lever G rod I and spring J, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In combination with the road wheel of a vehicle, a ratchet wheel and pawl or
equivalent appliance, whereby the turning backwards of the road wheel is prevented
unless the pawl is moved out of gear with the ratchet wheel substantially as herein
described.
6. The combination with the road wheel R of the ratchet wheel H, pawl Q
cord and barrel S rotated by a hand wheel, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
7. The combination with the road wheel R of the ratchet wheel H pawl E
levers D and B, trace rod A¹, pawl Q cord r and barrel S, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant