Improvements in Spring Motors for Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Motors for Wheeled Vehicles.
I, FRIEDRICH RÜHS, of Burg on the Fehmarn, in the Empire of Germany,
Clockmaker, 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 refers to spring motors for wheeled vehicles of every description,
the springs thereof being wound or placed in tension or compression by means of a
handle or handles, and brought into action after each other, or in rotation as
required, whilst the wheel or the axle thereof is running.
The accompanying drawings shew and the following description clearly explains
the invention by the aid of two examples therein delineated and described;
Figs. 1 and 2 being respectively sectional elevation and plan of an arrangement
wherein flat or plate springs are employed, and Figs. 3, 4, and .5 shew respectively
in sectional elevation, sectional plan, and end elevation an arrangement wherein
coiled springs are employed, all as hereafter described.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A. is the bearer or frame supported on the axis or
shaft B of the driving wheels, the said frame being lengthened towards the hinder
end of the carriage and supporting the hand-lever or levers Cr, the motor mechanism
proper, and the springs intended to supply the power of the latter. Between the
sides of the frames A., toothed segments C are mounted being revolvable round a
pivot or shaft c.
The toothed segments gear with driving pinions which latter run loosely on the
main axle B of the carriage; suitable ratchet gear is placed say at S whereby the
forward motion of the pinions is communicated to the shaft B while during their
backward motion the pinions run free.
Onto the toothed segment C (describing one such segment for the sake of
clearness) a lever D formed with a clutch or hooked end is pivotted at the end
opposite to the clutch this clutch, after the winding of the motor, as hereafter
described, takes onto a bar or shaft & mounted in the frame A; a second lever E
turning upon a shaft e serves, by means of a short tappet attached to the same, to
unfasten the clutch of the lever D. The toothed segment C is brought from its
resting place into the acting position by means of a hand lever G, by which means
the first working spring F is put into tension. The toothed segment C described
and its connections, as likewise the spring F may be several times repeated, and the
whole may, if desired, be arranged to be drawn at the same time by a hand lever;
the tension of the spring F may also be made stronger or weaker by means of the
screws, and the spring may conveniently consist of three layers F, F¹, F".
In order to put a still stronger tension on the spring, which is especially necessary
in travelling over hilly ground, the following arrangement is employed. A rod P,
which takes under the spring F, is connected with a spindle J turnable by means of,
say, a hand-wheel H, so that the rod P presses against the spring F and the latter
is thus made tight. In order to stop or retard the carriage when necessary, a
brake K Fig. 2 is provided. This consists of a lever K, bearing on the driver B
and having its turning point upon the same axis cupon which the toothed
segments C revolve; by means of a piece M at the end of the hand lever L the
lever K may be pressed firmly against the driver B, whereby the latter is retarded
or stopped.
The arrangement of the seat N is shewn in the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
་ /་-. -
scrmont C

page_text: the spring F is tightened, the lever D connected with this particular toothed
segment C falls downwards until the clutch at the end of the lever or arm D takes
onto the shaft or rod d and retains the toothed segment C; by this movement of
the toothed segment the main axle B of the track wheel is uninfluenced, by reason
of the ratchet connection with the axis.
Upon the backward movement of the handle G the spring F of the first toothed
segment first exercises pressure on the same and imparts thereto a momenturn
upwards, whereby the driver B is put in more or less rapid rotation, and the main
axis of the carriage by the ratchet is compelled to follow the same movement. The
lever D is then released by means of the thumb piece attached to the lever E and
brings the second toothed segment into operation, and after it has run out, the third
toothed segment, and so forth, whereby a practical continuous working of the
apparatus is obtained.
The arrangement shewn at Figs. 3, 4, and 5, stores up the momentum acquired in
travelling down steep inclines so that upon the revolution of the main axis, a
number of springs are bent (or wound) which are afterwards let loose at the desired
moment, and can be used towards the further movement of the carriage. Upon
the shaft of the main wheel a bevel wheel B is keyed, which gears with the bevel
wheel C which can be driven by means of the handle E from the seat N by the
person occupying same.
By this arrangement the further movement of the carriage upon level ground can
be effected, and for the same object also, in addition thereto, a crank treadle
apparatus may be applied, coupled in the well known manner by means of chain
wheels as in velocipedes, this being omitted in the drawing, as such mechanism is
well understood. The arrangement used for steering is marked R, and is worked
by the foot of the rider.
The frame A serves to carry the motors. On the front of the same are situated
the springs F (from about 10 to 15 in number,-in the drawing only 6) whilst the
back part lying under the seat N is intended for the reception of a shaft c. Upon
the middle of the latter there is firmly keyed a spur-wheel T, which gears with
the driver of the main shaft. Upon the shaft there are as many pairs of
bevel wheels M M' arranged, as there are springs F provided, and the bevel
wheels M M can be shifted by the levers G upon the shaft c, so that either only
the bevel wheels M or only the bevel wheels M' of each pair will stand in gear
with the horizontal bevel wheels Q. The last mentioned bevel wheels O upon
their upwardly extending spindles are each provided with a small ratchet wheel O*
and a band wheel Q to receive a band or strap R*, the other end of which is
fastened to a spiral spring H, the action being as follows: When the carriage is
passing down an incline, the person driving the vehicle, by means of the lever G*,
couples the right cone wheel M with the horizontal cone wheel O of a single pair
if the declivity is small, or several pairs if there is a sharp incline. As now by
means of the driver T and the spur wheel T the shaft is connected with the
shaft c, the bevel wheels mounted on the shaft c also revolve, and with the latter
the coupled bevel wheels O, whereby the bands R* are wound upon the drums Q
and the springs are tightened. The object of the ratchet O* is to prevent the
springs F after being drawn up returning again to their normal position. When
the power stored up in the springs is to be used, the driver couples, (by a turn of
the handle or handles (*) one or more pair M M with the bevel wheel O and
loosens the ratchet Ox, whereupon the springs F by means of the bands R*, the
bevel wheels O and M' as well as tooth wheels T and T and therewith the shaft
are set in motion.
It is further to be noticed that the disconnecting lever G* (besides the two
already mentioned end positions, by which the turning of the shaft c to the left or
right is effected) has a further middle position, which throws the shaft c out of
gear, i.e. brings it out of mechanical connection with the main shaft f The
brake arrangement which is provided in the construction first described may be
employed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In spring motors for wheeled vehicles, a series of tightened springs, which
come after each other into action and thereby act continuously upon the driving
shaft, whilst during the running the loosened springs are again tightened, all
constructed and acting substantially as set forth.
2. In spring motors for wheeled vehicles, the arrangement for acting on the
springs, distinguished by several toothed segments mounted and revolving on the
same shaft, operated by a lever G by the driver of the vehicle, and acting to
tighten the springs F, the latter being locked by means of the shaft d and the
clutch or hook of lever D, while by drawing back the handle G and loosing the
lever D by thumb piece of lever E the power acquired by the springs F, F, Fis
employed to drive the main axis of the road wheel through the ratchet S, all acting
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. With the spring motor claimed by Claim 1 the arrangement for the tightening
of the springs F F F", consisting of the rod P, which can be pressed by means
of the spindle J against the springs F, and thereby tighten the latter, with the
object of facilitating a storage of greater power for movement upon mountainous
ground substantially as set forth.
4. With the spring motor as specified under Claims 1 and 2, the arrangement
of a brake, consisting of the lever K revolving round the axis of the toothed
wheel segment C which acts upon the driver Band can be pressed against the
latter by the thumb piece M of the hand lever L, for the purpose of braking the
carriage, substantially as set forth.
5. A spring motor for wheeled vehicles as specified under Claim 1, distinguished
by a number of spiral springs which are brought into mechanical connection with
the driving shaft of the carriage whereby the free running motion obtained on
descending an inline is used for the tightening of the springs, whilst the carriage
upon an ascending or horizontal track is driven by their stored power, all constructed
and acting as and for the purposes herein described with special reference to
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1892.
BREWER & SON,
Agents.