Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE HENRY NEEDHAM of 7 Cologne Road, Wandsworth in the County
of Surrey, Gunmaker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce an axletree for carriages or other
articles so that they may be expanded and contracted as circumstances may
require.
According to my Invention the axle-tree to be expanded or contracted is divided
centrally and when the carriage has four wheels the axles are each connected by a
longitudinal bar or rod. Each axle is connected by bolt or any other convenient
manner to two cross bars which latter are pinned together and free to move over
one another centrally so that they may be brought in a line with one another or at
any desired angle to one another about the central point. To this central point of
junction of each frame I apply a boss threaded internally with a female screw
through which a screw rod passes having on one end a right hand screw and on the
other a left hand screw. The central portion of this rod passes through a collar
which by a forked frame is secured to the underside of the carriage or other article
to which the gear is applied. By turning the screw threaded rod the cross bars are
closed up and brought in a parallel direction to one another and to the rod itself or
the cross bars are expanded and brought in a right angular direction to the screw
rod and this according to the direction in which the screw is turned. The screw
is turned by a handle at one end detachable at pleasure. As the cross bars open or
close the divided axles move with them and when the frame is fully expanded the
two cross bars for each axle rest one on the other the boss on longitudinal screw
maintaining the whole frame rigidly in position.
As applied to a tricycle the double cross bars would be each brought to the
divided axle of the two side wheels and consequently the frame would be expanded
by bringing the bosses on the screw towards one another as is the case when there
are four wheels.

page_text: •
and Contracted.
I, GEORGE HENRY NEEDHAM of 7 Cologne Road, Wandsworth in the County
of Surrey, Gunmaker 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:—
The object of my invention is to produce an axle-tree for carriages or other
articles or vehicles so that they may be expanded and contracted as circumstances
may require.
In order that my invention may be easily understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
like letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an arrangement of axle constructed according to
my invention, applicable for a four-wheeled vehicle; Figure 2 is a plan of same
when in an expanded position, and Figure 3 is a plan showing the axles in a closed
position; Figures 4 and 5 are two plans showing a pair of wheels both in the con-
tracted and expanded position, and wherein a double set of crossbars are applied to
the same axle; and Figure 6 shows in plan, an application of my expanding and
contracting axle-tree to a single pair of wheels.
According to my invention the axle-tree to be expanded or contracted is divided
centrally and when the carriage has four wheels, as at Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the
drawings, the axles A are each connected by a longitudinal bar or rod B. Each
axle is further pivotted at its inner end to crossbars O each crossbar being pivotted
at C¹ to the crossbar of the opposite portion of the axle. The crossbars C are free
to move over one another centrally so that they may be brought in a line with one
another or at any desired angle to one another about the central point or pivot C¹.
To this pivot at the point of junction of each frame or pair of crossbars O,
I apply a boss C threaded internally with a female screw through which a screwed
rod D passes, having on one end a right hand thread and on the other end a left
hand thread. The screwed rod D is held in position by suitable brackets secured
to a central fixed portion of the vehicle, for example and as shown at Figures 1, 2
and 3, the screw D may be provided with two fixed collars between which is a
forked bracket E fixed to the carriage. By turning the screwed rod D the cross-
bars C are closed up and brought in a parallel direction to one another and to the
rod itself or the crossbars Care expanded and brought in a position at right angles
to the screw D all according to the direction in which the screw D is turned. The
screw may be turned by a handle F at one end, detachable at pleasure. As the
crossbars C open or close the divided axles A and with them the wheels A¹ of
the vehicle are distanced from one another as shown at Figure 2, or contracted in
the manner shown at Figure 3, and so that when fully expanded as shown at
Figure 2, each two or pair of crossbars C rest one on the other and overlap one
another, the boss C of the central pivot in which the longitudinal screw D works
maintaining the whole frame rigidly in position.

page_text: As applied to a tricycle, the double crossbars might be connected to the divided
axle AA of the two side wheels as shown by Figures 4 and 5, and consequently
the frame would be expanded by bringing the bosses on the screwed rod towards
one another, instead of from one another as at Figures 1, 2 and 3, or the two side
wheels may be expanded or contracted by a single pair of crossbars C operated by
a screw threaded in one direction only, as at Figure 6; or I may make the frame-
work rigid and cause the divided axle A A to slide in same as also shown in
Figure 6, the screw D being carried by bracket bearings from a fixed point of the
framework or vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
In axles for carriages and other vehicles or articles, the combination of the
serew D, single or multiple crossbars C, and divided axle A. A, whereby the same
may be expanded and contracted, all constructed and acting substantially as, and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and shown with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.