Improved Means and Apparatus for Electrically Driving Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Electrically Driving Vehicles.
We PAUL BEDFORD ELWELL of Deanville France Electrical Engineer and JOHN
KEMP STARLEY of the Meteor Works Coventry in the County of Warwick Cycle
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object improvements in applying electro-motors to wheels
for driving vehicles such as railway carriages tram cars ordinary road carriages and
other vehicles to which it may be advantageously adapted and is designed to enable
such wheels to be driven independently of each other so that either wheel (or wheels
in the case of more than one pair being used) may run faster than the other (or others)
on turning round corners or describing curves without increasing friction.
Instead of mounting the electro-motor so that only the field magnets or only the
armature revolve we cause both to revolve in opposite directions and apply the
armature to one wheel (or wheels) and the field magnets or set of magnets to
the other or opposite wheel (or wheels thus forming a perfectly balanced driving
wheel.
There are many ways of connecting such revolving parts to the driving wheels of
vehicles by which such wheels may be driven in the same direction but we prefer to
employ the following method.
At the outer end of the armature spindle we mount a crank or eccentric carrying
an externally toothed wheel held by a spring or lever from revolving upon its own
centre-the said wheel is designed to engage in an internally toothed wheel firmly
attached to the axle of one driving wheel in such a manner that upon the crank
revolving the inner or externally toothed wheel is carried round the inner periphery
of the internally toothed wheel imparting to it a powerful but slow motion.
On the outer end of the field magnet spindle we also mount a crank or excentric but
in order to obtain a reverse motion it carries the internally geared wheel which is also
held from revolving upon its own centre by any suitable means the externally geared
wheel into which it engages being attached to the driving wheel.
On the crank revolving the same motion is imparted to the driving wheel as to
the other side and it will be seen that both driving wheels will run in the said
direction.
Suitable brakes may be provided.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Electrically Driving Vehicles.
We Paul BedforD ELWELL of Deanville France Electrical Engineer and JOHN
KEMP STARLEY of the Meteor Works Coventry in the County of Warwick Cycle
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 :-
Our invention has for its object improvements in the method of applying electro-
motors to the driving wheels of vehicles such as Railway carriages Tramcars ordinary
road carriages and the like and in this specification the said application of such motors
5 is more particularly described as relating to light road vehicles and the drawings
Price 8d1

page_text: indicate the wheels of a light road vehicle to carry say two persons and built after the
manner of the well known." Coventry chair" but it will be seen and well understood
that the same principle may be applied to any kind of vehicle such as before mentioned
with very little variation of details.
Our invention is designed so as to enable such wheels to be drawn independently of
each other so that either wheel (or wheels when more than one pair is used) may run
faster than the other on describing curves or turning corners or otherwise without
increasing friction.
Instead of mounting the electro-motor so that only the field magnet or only the
armature revolve we cause both to revolve in opposite directions and apply.the
armature to one wheel and the field magnet (or set of magnets) to the other, or
opposite wheel thus forming a perfectly balanced driving gear and materially reducing,
the speed of the revolving parts of the motor.
Referring now to the accompanying sheet of drawings and to the letters of reference
and figures thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation shewing the application of our invention to a pair of driving
wheels for attachment to a light road vehicle and the requisite framing therefor the
gearing being indicated by dotted lines.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the driving gear.
#
Figures 3 and 4 are views of the externally toothed wheel of the driving gear with
the lever attached.
AA is a framing carrying the bearings for the motor B and axles C, C' on which the
driving wheels are fixed.
The motor B consists of an armature and Field magnet arranged conveniently so as
to allow of the revolution of the said Field Magnet in any desirable manner and
B¹ B¹ are brass or other suitable caps carrying the Field Magnet and brushes which
revolve with it and supported in bearing D on the frame A at one end and at the
opposite end by the Armature spindle E.
The armature is carried at one end in a bearing E¹ on the frame A and at the
opposite end by a bearing inside the cap B¹ of the Field Magnet. On the end of the
spindle E carrying the armature we attach a crank or eccentric F having an externally
toothed wheel G held by a lever H and springs H'H' see figures 3 and 4 where the
lever is shewn held by spiral springs H' which may be attached to the frame in any
suitable manner so preventing the said wheel G from revolving upon its own centre
and engaging with an internally toothed wheel I fixed upon the main axle C of one
driving wheel L so that upon the crank or eccentric F revolving the inner or
externally toothed wheel G is carried round the inner periphery of the internally
toothed wheel I imparting to it a slow and powerful motion.
On the end of the spindle J carrying the Field Magnet we also attach a crank or
eccentric but in order to obtain a reverse motion it carries the internally toothed wheel
(which is also held from revolving upon its own centre by a similar lever or device to
that described before) gearing into the externally toothed wheel G₁attached to the
main axle C¹ carrying the opposite driving wheel L'.
The current is supplied to the motor by wires or rubbers bearing upon insulated
rings M M and leading from accumulators placed in any convenient position on the
vehicle, or any other well known means and sources for supplying the electric current
may be employed.
The springs or levers HH! may be allowed sufficient play or elasticity.to act as a
'cushion in the starting of the motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In electrically driven vehicles the application to the wheels of such vehicles
of a motor in which the impulse between the armature and Field Magnet (or Magnets)
forms a nonfact difti

page_text: Second. In electrically driven vehicles the use of the internally and externally
toothed gearing in combination with cranks or eccentrics and springs or levers as and
for the purposes described.
Third. In electrically driven vehicles the general arrangement of motor and gearing
substantially as described herein and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of December 1889.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.