Improvements in Driving Wheel and Axle Bearings for Self Propelled Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb.. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Wheel and Axle Bearings for Self
Propelled Road Vehicles.
We, ERNEST JOHN (LUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY both of 16, Elm Street,
Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to the driving wheels and axles of self propelled vehicles and
it has for its object to provide a thoroughly efficient bearing for the axle whilst
enabling the driving power to be transmitted to the wheel through the axle
and wheel hub instead of through gearing chains and sprocket rings as usual
heretofore.
In order to enable such vehicles to perform the sudden evolutions required
in common road travelling it is necessary that the driving axle should be divided
and either connected by balance gear or each part independently. Hence the axle of
each wheel is comparatively short and as it is furthermore necessary to interpose in
its length, or between it and the driving mechanism, pairs of universal joints for the
purpose of preventing the transinission of vibrations it becomes a matter of some
difficulty to provide an adequate bearing for the driving wheel axle.
According to this invention the difficulty is surmounted by mounting the wheel
hub to revolve upon a fixed axle which takes the weight and is made tubular to
form the bearing for the live axle of the wheel which passes through it and is
connected by a cap at its outer end to the hub of the wheel. The tubular fixed
axles at opposite sides of the vehicle are connected together by a cranked axle-tree
which takes the weight of the vehicle body and ensures perfect rigidity of the wheel
bearings whilst affording space for the driving, mechanism the live axles of the two
wheels being driven independently in the usual way.
In order to provide the necessary strength in the wheel hub it is preferably cast
in metal and cored out for lightness long sockets being provided for holding the
spokes.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in Driving Wheel and Axle Bearings for Self
Propelled Road Vehicles.
We, ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY both of 16, Elm Street,
Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, 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 relates to the driving wheels and axles of self propelled vehicles

page_text: and it has for its object to enable power to be transmitted to the driving wheels
directly through their independent driving axles and hubs instead of through chain or
other gearing from a countershaft as heretofore.
As in order that the driving wheels of road vehicles may be able to turn indepen-
dently it is necessary that the driving axle be divided, it is difficult. on account of
their short length to provide adequate support for independent driving axles if
besides transmitting power they are also required to support the load.
This difficulty is avoided as hereafter described with reference to the accompanying
drawings forming part of this specification wherein Figure 1 is a part sectional face
view and Figure 2 an axial section of the wheel hub and of its bearing and driving
axles..
According to this invention separate but concentric axles are used for transmitting
the power to the wheel and for supporting the load the driving axle revolving
within the load bearing axle. With this object the wheel hub A revolves upon a
fixed axle B which supports the weight of the vehicle and is made tubular to form
a passage for the live or driving axle C which passes through the fixed axle B and is
provided at its outer end with a head e which is firmly fixed to the hub of the
wheel by bolts D whilst to its inner end the driving mechanism is coupled either
'directly or preferably in the manner described in our Letters Patent dated the 17th day
of July 1895 No. 13713. The wheel hub A is provided with a bushing a and it is
retained upon the fixed axle B by a nut E screwing on the threaded end of the
fixed axle and enclosed by the head c of the live axle a metal washer e being
interposed between the nut E and axle B and a leather washer between the nut E and
the head c. The wheel hub A is cast with long sockets into which the spokes F of
the wheel are screwed or otherwise secured, and in order partially to relievo the spokes
of the driving strain a spider frame G may be rigidly bolted to the wheel hub as
shewn so as to engage with the spokes near the wheel rim or with the wheel rim
itself so that the greater part of the driving strain may be transmitted to the
periphery of the wheel through this frame instead of through the spokes. If desired
a bearing for the live axle C may be formed in the fixed axle B by the addition
of bushes as shewn at bb. The fixed axles B at opposite sides of the vehicle are
connected rigidly together by an axle tree H of cranked or frame form (part of a
cranked axle is shewn in the drawing) the cranked portion passing completely across
from side to side of the vehicle so as to be out of line with the driving axles C and
leave space clear for the gearing through which motion is transmitted independently
from separate motors or by means of balance gear to the live axles C of the two
wheels A. This cranked axle tree or frame H ensures perfect rigidity of the axles B
"and upon it the vehicle body is supported in any desired manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a power driven vehicle the combination of two tubular axles forming the fixed
bearings of the driving wheels, a cranked axle or frame connecting them, and
independent driving spindles passing through the said tubular axles and connected
to the driving wheels on the outside of their respective bearings, for the purposes
specified.
Dated thi. 02.
1000