Improvements in Steering Mechanism for Motor Road Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Mechanism for Motor Road Vehicles.
I, ALBERT AUGUSTUS POPE, of Cohasset, in the County of Norfolk, in the State
of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 in general to the construction of motor-vehicles of that
class which are intended for use as road-vehicles or horseless carriages and it has
for its object to improve and perfect the construction of such vehicles so that they
shall be better adapted for their intended use. The invention relates more especi-
ally to the steering mechanism, the object being to render it simple in construction,
direct and efficient in action and not liable to be affected by oscillation of the
vehicle body with respect to the running gear, or to transmit shocks to the hand
of the operator when the wheel on either side meets an obstruction.
In the acompanying drawings, wherein the improvements are illustrated,-
Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of a
motor vehicle to which the improvements are applied.
Figure 2 is a front view of the running gear, illustrating the means for supporting
the front axle and the front wheels and a portion of the steering mechanism.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 2.
The frame of the running gear comprises, as usual, side bars a a and front and
rear cross bars a¹ a², these bars being preferably tubular in construction. The
rear cross bar a³ has depending arms or hangers which support the rear axle c¹2
and the front cross bar a¹ furnishes support for the front axle b. The front axle b
is supported so as to be capable of oscillating to a limited extent to permit all four
wheels of the vehicle to rest upon the ground nowithstanding inequalities, by a
yoke 6', pivoted on a horizonal axis to the front cross bar. The axle does not swing
in a horizontal plane and is held from such movement by braces 64 which permit
the oscillation of the axle in a vertical plane.
Each of the front wheels c c is so supported as to be capable not only of rotating
upon a substantially horizontal axis, but also of swinging or oscillating upon a
substantially vertical axis to permit of the turning of the vehicle to one side or the
other. The means for attaching the front wheels to the axle may be variously
arranged, but as shown in the drawings, each end of the front axle is formed with
or has secured thereto a yoke, the plane of which is preferably inclined somewhat
to the rear. Each wheel c is mounted upon a stud axle c¹ which is secured to or
forms a part of a bent arm c³. The latter has pivot studs which are seated in
the arms of the yoke. As the arm ² is oscillated upon its pivots it is obvious that
the wheel will be turned or swung to one side or the other and at the same time,
by reason of the inclination of the pivotal axis, will be tipped more or less in one
direction or the other according to the direction and extent of its swinging.
C
It is evident that provision should be made whereby the two wheels shall be
oscillated or swung in the same direction at the same time and it is also desirable
that the inside wheel, or the wheel which traverses the arc of the circle of smaller
radius in turning a corner, shall be oscillated or swung through a wider angle

page_text: than the other so that the tendency of the wheels to slip upon the ground shall
be obviated. At the same time, however, the wheels are inclined from the vertical
in parallel planes, which reduces the liability to break-downs. These results are
accomplished by the arrangement presently to be described: The arms are ex-
tended to the rear of the axle b and are connected by links to the steering
mechanism which is disposed between them. The yoke or frame has rearwardly
extended arms 66 which support a short shaft 67. The latter has secured thereto
an arm 68, through which connection is established to the hand operated devices
carried on the body of the vehicle, and has also secured thereto a triangular plate
or yoke b, to the opposite corners or extremities of which the links are severally 1
pivoted, as at 10 and 6. It will be readily understood that when the shaft 67
is partially rotated to one side or the other, one of the points, as 610, while moving
in the arc of a circle towaru the point directly in rear of the axis of the shaft 'b',
will produce an angular, movement of the corresponding arm greater than the
angular movement of the other arm which is produced by the movement of, 1
the point away from the point directly in rear of the axis of the shaft 7,
therely effecting the greater angular movement of the inside wheel.
,༔
The means for effecting the desired movements of the short shaft 67 comprise
a shaft d supported at its rear end by a ball and socket bearing which is
carried by a suitable bracket secured to the carriage body, and at its forward-end 20
by a vertically slotted bearing also secured to the carriage body; the shaftid
is provided at its forward end with an arm which is forked as at; to engage
the end of the arm 68. The shaft d is provided near its rear end with a worm
wheel which is engaged by a worm d, of steep pitch, on the lower end of the
vertical shaft 8 which is supported in bearings in a suitable bracket d, carried 2
by the carriage body, and is provided at its upper end with a suitable hand wheel
or handle 10 The arrangement of the bearing of the shaft and of its connections
with the shaft 68 at one end and the shaft 8 at the other, permits the several parts
to remain in engagement notwithstanding the oscillations of the carriage body..
with respect to the running gear, while the steering of the vehicle is not in any 3
way affected or interfered with. It will also be evident that the interposition of
the worm and worm wheel or of other equivalent spiral gears, enables the vehicle
to be steered easily and at the same time prevents the transmission of 'shocks.to.the
steering handle when either of the wheels meets obstructions:
1-
ri
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in 3
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
.
1. In a vehicle having a running gear frame and wheels mounted to oscillate
with respect to the front axle, steering mechanism comprising a steering shaft and
handle (such as d8 d10), an arm (such as d) supported by the vehicle body to swing 4
and operated by said shaft, and connections including links (such as c) between
said arm and the bearings of said wheels, substantially as shown and described.
2: In a vehicle having a running gear frame and wheels mounted to oscillate with --
respect to the front axle, steering mechanism comprising a gear (such as d) carrying
and operating an arm (such as (4), operative connections between said arm and the 4
bearings of the wheels, and a second gear (such as 776) in mesh with the geared
and operated by a steering shaft, substantially as shown and. described.
...
3. In a vehicle, the combination with the running gear frame, the front axle, "
and wheels mounted to oscillate with respect to said axle, of a frame secured to
said axle and supported by said 'running gear frame, a short shaft supported by 5
the frame secured to the axle, an arm secured to said shaft, a link extended from
said arm to the bearing of the corresponding wheel, and mechanism to oscillate
said sliaft, substantially as shown and described.
:
T
4. In a vehicle, the combination with the running gear frame, a steering arm'ör
lever carried with said running gear frame, and a carriage body free to oscillate. 5
with respect to said running gear frame, of a shafts supported in bearings on said

page_text: carriage body and having a depending forked arm to engage said steering arm
and means to oscillate said shaft, substantially as shown and described.
5 In a vehicle, the combination with the running gear frame, a steering arm or
lever carried with said running gear frame, and a carriage body free to oscillate
with respect to said running gear frame, of a shaft carried by said carriage body,
a ball and socket bearing for the rear end of said shaft, a vertically slotted bearing
for the forward end of said shaft, an arm depending from said shaft to engage said
steering arm and means to oscillate said shaft, substantially as shown and described.
6. In a vehicle, the combination with the running gear frame, a steering arm or
lever carried with said running gear frame, and a carriage body mounted on said
running gear frame, of a shaft supported in bearings on said carriage body and
having a depending arm to engage said steering arm, a worm wheel on said shaft
and a vertical shaft having a worm to engage said worm wheel and having also a
handle, substantially as shown and described.
Dated 5th July 1897
For the Applicant.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
For the Applicant.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.