Year: 1896

page_text: We, the STEAM CARRIAGE AND WAGON COMPANY LIMITED, and JOHN EDWARD
THORNYCROFT, both of Homefield, Chiswick, W. Steam Carriage Builders, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements having for their object the production
of motor-propelled vehicles of simple construction that may be readily steered with-
out the use of the so called Jack-in-the-box motion on the counter-shaft sometimes
employed in such vehicles.
For this purpose each driving wheel of a pair is driven from a separate counter-
shaft, these two counter-shafts being arranged with their axes in a common straight
line, and each having fixed on one of its ends a pulley: the two pulleys are juxta-
posed and are driven by a common belt, itself driven directly or indirectly by a motor
of any suitable kind; the arrangement being such that normally the two pulleys will
be driven at a common speed, and that consequently the two driving wheels will be
driven also at a common speed for propelling the vehicle in a straight line. In
connection with the steering gear there is provided a belt shifting or striking device of
any convenient construction such that when the steering gear is actuated, to cause the
vehicle to depart from a straight course, the belt shifting or striking device will be
operated so as to shift the belt wholly or mainly on to the pulley from which is driven
that driving wheel of the pair which is then to travel through the greater distance
in a given time. This may be effected in various ways. According to one arrangement
the two counter-shafts are geared by chain or other suitable gear at the outer ends of
the said shafts, one with each driving wheel, and the pulleys are fixed one on the inner
end of each counter-shaft, each pulley having one face, so that the two pulleys
constitute, as it were, one broadfaced pulley composed of two parts a slight distance
apart, and the driving belt is normally equi-distant from either ontside edge of pulley
face. The striking device is, by springs, held normally in a position to keep the belt
on the central portion of the periphery of the compound pulley. For shifting the
striking device there is a bell crank lever connected by a rod to a crank disc that is
partially rotated when the steering gear is operated. The steering gear may be of any
known or suitable kind, in one form the steering wheels each running on a separate
short axle able to be turned about a vertical axis by a bell crank and rod operated
through suitable connections from the steering handle as well understood.
Amongst other arrangements in lieu of the above, one modification would be the
provision of a lever of the first order pivoted between the counter-shafts and the shaft
whose ends carry the axles of the steering wheel, such lever having slot and pin or
link connections to a moving part of the steering gear and to the striking device.
Instead of driving the two pulleys by a common belt, according to a modification
each is driven by a separate belt provided with a jockey pulley suitably connected with
the steering gear, the arrangement being such that normally both belts are kept taut, but
that when the steering gear is operated to turn the vehicle from a straight course the
one jockey pulley will relieve or release its belt sufficiently to slacken the driving of,

page_text: or to cease driving, that wheel which has to pass for the time being through the
shorter or no distance.
Sometimes in connection with an arrangement wherein the two counter-shaft
pulleys are driven by a common belt, there is provided for keeping the driving belt
taut when required a jockey pulley suitably connected, so as to be operated by a
hand lever (with a locking rod) the arrangement being such that the speed of the
driving may be regulated by applying more or less pressure through the jockey pulley
upon the belt even whilst the motor is running at a constant speed.
Dated this 13th day of October 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
16 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
We, THE STEAM CARRIAGE AND WAGON COMPANY, LIMITED, and JOHN EDWARD
THORNYCROFT, both of Homefield, Chiswick, W. Steam Carriage Builders, 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 has reference to improvements having for their object the production
of motor-propelled vehicles of simple construction that may be readily steered without
the use of the so-called Jack-in-the-box motion on the countershaft sometimes
employed in such vehicles.
For this purpose each driving wheel of a pair is driven from a separate counter-
shaft, these two counter-shafts being arranged with their axes in a common straight
line, and each having fixed on one of its ends a pulley: the two pulleys are juxtaposed
and are driven by a common belt, itself driven directly or indirectly by a motor of any
suitable kind, the arrangement being such that normally the two pulleys will be driven
at a common speed, and that consequently the two driving wheels will be driven also
at a common speed for propelling the vehicle in a straight line. In connection with
the steering gear there is provided a belt shifting or striking device of any convenient
construction such that when the steering gear is actuated, to cause the vehicle to
depart from a straight course, the belt shifting or striking device will be operated so
as to shift the belt wholly or mainly on to the pulley from which is driven that driving
wheel of the pair which is then to travel through the greater distance in a given time.
This may be effected in various ways.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of so much of a motor-propelled vehicle as is
necessary to illustrate our invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan;
Fig. 3 a front view, and
Fig. 4 a detailed view hereinafter referred to.
1, 1 are the driving wheels and 2, 2ª are the two counter-shafts which are geared
by chain or other suitable gear at the outer ends of the said shafts as shown, one with
each driving wheel; pulleys 3, 3ª are fixed one on the inner end of each counter-
shaft, each pulley having one face, so that the two pulleys constitute, as it were, one
broad-faced pulley composed of two parts a slight distance apart, and the driving belt 4
is normally equi-distant from either outside-edge of pulley face. 5 is a motor of any
suitable kind on the shaft of which is fixed a driving pulley 6 around which the belt 4

page_text: passes. The striking device, which is shown in detail in Fig. 4 comprises a slide 7
adapted to be moved cross-wise in guides fixed to the underframe of the vehicle and
carrying a pair of depending arms 7 between which the belt passes and which are or
may be fitted with rollers 7. At their lower ends they are connected by a bar 7° that
extends laterally through a slot in one arm of a bell crank lever 8, said arm being
connected to the bar 7 by means of springs 7d interposed between it and fixed
collars 7 on the bar. The striking device is, by these springs, held normally in a
position to keep the belt on the central portion of the periphery of the compound
pulley. The springs also allow the steering gear to be rapidly operated as they permit
it to be moved in advance of the belt which is subsequently caused to move over by
the spring compressed during the movement of the steering gear. For shifting the
striking device the bell crank lever 8 is connected by a rod 9 to a crank disc 10 that
is partially rotated when the steering gear, which may be of any known or suitable
kind, is operated. In one form, the steering wheels 11, 11 each run on a separate
short axle 12 able to be turned about a vertical axis and forming one arm of a bell
crank whose other arm 12" is connected by a rod 13 which is operated through suitable
connections from the steering handle as well understood.
14 is a hand wheel with handle 15; the spindle 16 of the hand wheel has fixed to
its lower end a sprocket wheel 17. The crank disc 10 is formed with sprocket teeth
around its periphery and is driven from the wheel 17 by a chain 18. For keeping the
driving belt 4 taut when required, a jockey pulley 19 (Fig. 1) is journalled in bearings
at the end of a lever 20 that is connected by a rod 21 with a hand lever 22 fitted with
a locking rod 23, the arrangement being such that the speed of the driving may be
regulated by applying more or less pressure through the jockey pulley 19 upon the
helt, even whilst the motor is running at a constant speed.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views corresponding to Fig. 1, 2 and 4 of a modification of
the arrangement above described in which a lever 24 of the first order is pivoted
at 24 between the counter-shafts 2, 2ª and the shaft 25 whose ends carry the axles of
the steering wheels; the lever 24 is attached by a slot and pin connection 26 to the
disc 10 of the steering gear and to the striking device, as shown. In this example the
striking device comprises a pair of arms 7 projecting upward from a bar 7 that works
in guides fixed to the underframe of the vehicle; the bar 7 passes through a slot in
the end of the lever 24 between which and fixed collars 7 on the bar 7° are interposed
the springs 74,
Figs. 8 and 9 are views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 of a further modification
wherein instead of driving the two pulleys 3, 3 by a common belt 4, each pulley is
driven by a separate belt provided with a jockey pulley 10 similarly mounted to that
shown in Fig. 1 and connected with the steering gear by rods 27 and springs 28, the
arrangement being such that normally both belts are kept taut, but that when the
steering gear is operated to turn the vehicle from a straight course, the one jockey
pulley will relieve or release its belt sufficiently to slacken the driving of, or to cease
driving, that wheel which has to pass for the time heing through the shorter or no
distance.
The normal position of each jockey palley is midway between the two positions
indicated; the full lines indicate the position when the belt is first put on and the
dotted lines indicate the position when the belt has become stretched and the pulley
has been adjusted to keep it taut.
In this case there is no provision for varying the speed by slackening jockey
pulleys.
In some cases motor-propelled vehicles may be provided with driving arrangements
constructed according to this invention but without striking devices, jockey pulleys
such as above described or the like adapted to be operated from the steering gear; in
such cases the relative speeds at which the pulleys 3, 3 are driven will, on the steering
gear being operated, automatically vary owing to the difference in resistance to driving
then offered by the respective wheels 1, 1 to which said pulleys are geared and the
consequent slip of the belt on the pulley geared to the wheel which has to travel the
shorter distance,

page_text: 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 :-
1. In a motor-propelled vehicle a driving arrangement in which each of two
driving wheels is driven from a separate countershaft, the two countershafts have their
axes in line, each has on its inner end a pulley and the two pulleys are juxtaposed,
and driven by a motor-driven belt or belts, the arrangement being such that normally
the two pulleys, and consequently the two driving wheels, will be driven at a common
speed, substantially as described.
2. A motor-propelled vehicle wherein each driving wheel of a pair is driven through
a separate countershaft carrying a fixed pulley, and a motor-driven belt that is common
to the pulleys of the two shafts which are juxtaposed, the belt being under control
of belt shifting or striking gear that is combined with and operated from the steering
gear, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. Motor-propelled vehicles provided with combined driving and steering mechanism
of the kind referred to in the preceding claim constructed and arranged as herein-
before described with reference to and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 and in
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 respectively of the accompanying drawings.
4. A motor-propelled vehicle wherein each driving wheel is driven through a
separate countershaft, an independent pulley fixed thereto, and one of a pair of motor-
driven belts, each of which belts is provided with a jockey pulley connected with the
steering gear in such a manner that normally both belts are kept taut, but that, when
the steering gear is operated to turn the vehicle from a straight course, the one
jockey pulley will relieve or release its belt sufficiently to slacken the driving of, or to
cease driving that wheel which has to pass for the time being through the shorter or
no distance, substantially as described.
5. A motor-propelled vehicle provided with combined driving and steering
mechanism of the kind referred to in the preceding claim constructed and arranged
as hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the
accompanying drawings.
1005
VERTO TOCIA
day of July 1887.
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.