Improvements in Self-propelled road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Self-propelled road Vehicles.
We, HARRY HEWITT GRIFFIN, of 73 Norroy Road, Putney in the County of Surrey,
Journalist and Statistician, and GEORGE GIBSON of 5 Upper Well Street, Coventry, in
the County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to self propelled vehicles whether constructed with a body
such as is usually employed with ordinary carriages with wood work, and upholstery,
or simply a tube-work like a cycle.
In carrying out this invention we employ four wheels; two of them in the centre
line, one in front and one behind, both of which are intended to be used as steering
wheels, but if desired one may be a castor wheel and the other a steering, and two in
the centre of the length of the vehicle, but one on each side so as to form with the
steering wheels a stable wheel base. The driving is effected through the side wheels
which, may, or may not be of larger diameter than the steering wheels.
If preferred each of the steering wheels may be duplicated in which case there may
be six wheels to the vehicle and only two tracks, the steering wheels being mounted
upon bogies, which, or one of which would be controlled by the steering mechanism
in any convenient manner; with this arrangement the driving power may be applied
to all the wheels, steering, as well as the others, and they may all be of the same size
or not as preferred.
Where only the four wheels are employed the driving would be effected by the two
side wheels which would be carried upon a divided axle with balance gear in the way
common with bicycles.
The motor and its appurtenances is carried in a covered-in space provided for the
purpose underneath or inside the body of the vehicle and behind the steering wheels
and driving wheels; any suitable kind of motor and connections may be employed.
The body of the vehicle comprises an arrangement somewhat similar to that of an
ordinary dog-cart, the seating accommodation which may be for two or four persons
according to the width of the vehicle being placed centrally over the driving wheels
so that the back or division between the two seats would be vertically above the axle
of the driving wheels or thereabouts. The passengers would sit, one or two facing
forward and one or two facing backwards, or if the vehicle were made sufficiently
wide, more than two persons might sit in the same, cross line.
From the seats the body of the carriage dips downwards both in front and behind
over the steering wheels, and then up so as to provide a convenient place for the
passengers' feet. Any suitable cover, hood or cab, complete or partial, may be
employed, and either as a permanent fixture or removable. The portions immediately
underneath the seats, or at the sides of the seats, or before or behind these, may be
utilised as tanks to carry water, oil etc., and where petroleum spirit is used we prefer
to locate this in close proximity to the water and if possible with the water tank
surrounding it.

page_text: The steering mechanism may be in the form of an ordinary bicycle handle bar and
handles or otherwise and the connections to the two steering wheels may be made
underneath the carriage body or through it as convenient.
Brakes may be applied to any or all of the wheels, particularly in the case of the
driving wheels it may be applied to the axle thereof.
By preference all the bearings are carried in springs of any suitable construction
including pneumatic pads or equivalent if desired, and the outer bearings for the
driving wheels or their axle may be connected with or form part of the motor box or
casing.
We are able to obtain an additional advantage by combining the steering and the
tilting sideways of the vehicle so that the load when turning corners is thrown
towards the inside of the circular sweep. This may be done by carrying the vehicle
body upon curved bearings or the equivalent thereof at the forks or carriages carrying
the steering wheels, and so arranged that when these are turned the vehicle is pulled
over sideways or conversely when the vehicle body is pulled over sideways that
movement imparts the necessary change of position to the steering wheels. One way
of accomplishing this is, to provide in connection with the bearings of the driving
axles worm or other gear which would have the effect of pulling down the vehicle
body upon one side and raising it upon the other, this movement turning the steering
wheels in the manner employed in roller skates. In the case of single steering wheels
the vehicle body may be rigidly connected with the forks which carry those
wheels.
Dated this 11th day of December 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, HARRY HEWITT GRIFFIN, of 73 Norroy Road, Putney in the County of Surrey,
Journalist and Statistician, and GEORGE GIBSON of "Ivanhoe " Kenilworth in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, 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 self-propelled vehicles whether constructed with a body
such as is usually employed with ordinary carriages with wood work, and upholstery,
or simply a tube-work like a cycle.
In carrying out this invention we employ four wheels two of them in the centre
line, one in front and one behind, both of which are intended to be used as steering
wheels; but if desired one may be a castor wheel and the other a steering, and two
in the centre of the length of the vehicle, but one on each side so as to form with the
steering wheels a stable wheel base. The driving is effected through the side wheels
which, may, or may not, be of larger diameter than the steering wheels.
If preferred each of the steering wheels may be duplicated in which case there may
be six wheels to the vehicle and only two tracks, the steering wheels being mounted
upon bogies, which, or one of which would be controlled by the steering mechanism in
any convenient manner; with this arrangement the driving power may be applied to
all the wheels, steering, as well as the others, and they may all be of the same size or
not as preferred.
Where only the four wheels are employed the driving would be effected by the two
side wheels which would be carried upon a divided axle with balance gear in the way
common with cycles,

page_text: The motor and its appurtenances is carried in a covered-in space provided for the
purpose underneath or inside the body of the vehicle and behind the steering wheels
and driving wheels; any suitable kind of motor and connections may be employed.
The body of the vehicle comprises an arrangement somewhat similar to that of an
ordinary dog-cart, the seating accommodation which may be for two, four or more
persons according to the width of the vehicle, being placed centrally over the driving
wheels so that the back or division between the two seats would be vertically above the
axle of the driving wheels or thereabouts. The passengers would sit, one or two facing
forward and one or two facing backwards, or if the vehicle were made sufficiently
wide, more than two persons might sit in the same cross line.
From the seats the body of the carriage dips downwards both in front and behind
over the steering wheels, and then up so as to provide a convenient place for the
passengers' feet. Any suitable cover, hood or cab, complete or partial, may be
employed, and either as a permanent fixture or removable. The portions immediately
underneath the seats, or at the sides of the seats, or before or behind these, may be
utilized as tanks to carry water, oil etc., and where petroleum or other spirit is used
we prefer to locate this in close proximity to the water and if possible with the water
tank surrounding it.
The steering mechanism may be in the form of an ordinary bicycle handle bar and
handles or otherwise and the connections to the two steering wheels may be made
underneath the carriage body or through, or at the side of it as convenient.
Brakes may be applied to any or all of the wheels particularly in the case of the
driving wheels it may be applied to the axle thereof.
By preference all the bearings are carried in springs of any suitable construction
including pneumatic pads or equivalent if desired, and the outer bearings for the
driving wheels or their axle may be connected with or form part of the motor box or
casing.
In the accompanying drawings -
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the improved vehicle.
Figure 2 is a similar view partly broken away of another form.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The vehicle is provided with a pair of driving wheels A placed centrally, with the
body B, which may conveniently carry the motor, arranged directly over their axle.
Two steering wheels C and D are arranged in the central line, one in front and one
behind the driving wheels. These steering wheels may be carried in frame forks E
suitably pivoted in the framing of the vehicle. The forks are connected by a link in
such a manner that when the front wheel C is turned by means of the steering
handle G the rear wheel D turns in the opposite direction.
Figure 2 shows a somewhat larger construction of vehicle provided with two pairs
of steering wheels instead of the single front and rear wheels in the form shown in
Figure 1. The front pair of wheels C are each carried in forks E pivoted in the
framing of the vehicle and connected together and to the steering head G¹ by a link
Fi, one of the forks being also connected by a link F to the fork of one of the rear
wheels D. The latter are connected together by a link F2 in a manner similar to the
front wheels, steering handles such as G may conveniently be employed.
The body of the vehicle B as shown in each case is provided with front and rear
seats the framing curving down over the steering wheels and up beyond them as at
B1 in order to provide a suitable place for the passengers' feet.
As a convenient means of maintaining the oil or other fuel cool, and also of cooling
the circulating water, the splashers of the driving wheels are constructed as hollow
suitably shaped cases H. Within each of these is arranged a receptacle J for con-
taining the fuel, the space between the receptacle J and the outer case H being
occupied by circulating water, which thus forms the water jacket for the fuel.
It will thus be seen that the fuel in the tank or receptacle J is maintained at a
suitably low temperature by the water which is itself cooled by reason of the water
which impinges upon the hollow splasher H,

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. A self-propelled road vehicle having front and rear pairs of steering wheels
substantially as described.
2. A self-propelled road vehicle having front and rear pairs of steering wheels and
one pair of central driving wheels substantially as described.
3. A self-propelled road vehicle having water-jacketed fuel-containing splashers
for the purpose described.
4. In a self-propelled vehicle placing the fuel tank inside the water tank.
5. In a self propelled vehicle placing the fuel tank inside the tank containing the
water used for cooling the cylinder.
6. In a self-propelled vehicle connecting two pairs of steering wheels so that all
four wheels turn together for steering purposes.
7. In a self propelled vehicle the combination with two pairs of steering wheels and
a central pair of driving wheels of a balance gear to the driving wheels substantially
as described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. A receptacle for fuel and water constructed as a wheel-splasher for a self-propelled
vehicle for the purpose described.
9. The complete self-propelled road vehicle substantially as described and illustrated
in Figure 1 or in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of October 1897.
H. HEWITT GRIFFIN.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.