Improved Mechanism for Assisting in the Propulsion of Spring Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Mechanism for Assisting in the Propulsion of Spring
Vehicles.
I, GEORGE BROUGHAM HUBERT AUSTIN, of No. 60, Armadale Road, Armadale,
in the Colony of Victoria, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention has been devised in order to utilise the power which at present
is wasted when a spring vehicle is travelling over rough roads and its body to-
gether with any load carried by it is bumped up and down. In order to utilise
this bumping motion for the propulsion of vehicles I connect the under side of
the body of the vehicle to a lever or arm carrying a ratchet or pawl and ful-
crummed upon a convenient part of the vehicle. In the case of a vehicle having
stationary axles the hub of one or more of the wheels may be extended slightly
towards the centre of the vehicle and on it is fitted a ratchet wheel with which
the pawl or ratchet upon the pivotted arm above referred to is arranged to engage.
The outer end of this arm is connected by a rod or otherwise to the body of the
vehicle so that as said body rises and falls it will on its downward movement
cause the ratchet or pawl above referred to to engage with the teeth of the rat-
chet wheel on the hub of the wheel and thus assist in rotating same thereby
materially lessening the power required to drive the vehicle.
It will be readily understood that the precise manner of carrying out my in-
vention would necessarily have to be varied to suit various constructions of vehicles
to which it might be applied. In order to prevent the weight of the vehicle and
its load being brought down with a sudden jerk on to the mechanism above des-
cribed suitable springs or other buffers might be arranged to take up any sudden
jar.
The bumping motion of spring vehicles might be still further utilised by
connecting a plunger or piston to them and causing the vertical movement of
the vehicle to operate said plunger or piston so as to force air into a suitable
receiver whence it might subsequently be drawn as required and be utilised
still further in assisting in the propulsion of the vehicle.
Instead of the pawl being operated as above described, it may in some cases
be mounted directly on the body of the vehicle as will be well understood, and
with vehicles which generally move at a high rate of speed, suitable multiplying
gear may be added."
Dated this Fifteenth day of June One thousand eight hundred and ninety-

page_text: Improved Mechanism for Assisting in the Propulsion of Spring
Vehicles.
I, GEORGE BROUGHAM HUBERT AUSTIN, of No. 60, Armadale Road, Armadale,
in the Colony of Victoria, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly des-
cribed and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
This invention has been devised in order that the "bumping" of vehicles
when travelling on rough roads or tracks may be utilised to assist in propelling
same, thus reducing the tractive power required and thereby increasing the
rapidity with which journeys may be made in spring vehicles of various descrip-
tions.
The precise manner of carrying my invention into practice will necessarily
vary according to the various constructions of the vehicles to which it is to be
applied. In general however it consists in connecting the body of a spring
vehicle to the hub or hubs, or axle or axles (if the latter are revolvable) through
the medium of rods, ratchets, clutches or other similar contrivances so that the
vertical movement of such bodies will be communicated to the wheels and trans-
posed from a vertical into a rotatory motion.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will describe, by way
of example, several adaptations of it and to assist the description will refer to the
accompanying drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of part of a vehicle illustrating the applica-
tion thereto of a simple form of my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation of Figure 1.
Figure is a side elevation of part of a buggy and,
Figure 4 is a front elevation of another style of vehicle illustrating a further
application of practically the same mechanisin.
Figure 5 is a vertical central section illustrating a modification of the inven-
tion in which multiplying gear is added to the mechanism to adapt it for use
on fast running vehicles."
Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section on line 6-6 Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation showing a slight modification of part of
the mechanism for utilising the bumping of vehicles.
Figure 8 is a sectional view illustrating another modification of my invention.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A represents part of the under frame of
a buggy or other vehicle whilst B represents a pair of springs whereby said
vehicle is supported upon the axle C. According to my invention the under
frame A is connected by a rod D to the end of an arm E carrying a spring pawl
or ratchet F engaging with the teeth of a ratchet wheel G secured upon an exten-
sion H of the hub I of the wheel, said arm E being pivotally supported or ful-
crummed upon said extension H so that it is free to turn around it when oper-
ated by the movement of the body of the vehicle. The effect of the downward
movement of said body will obviously be to force down the arm E and by reason
of the ratchet F engaging with the teeth of the wheel G, the wheel or wheels
upon which the buggy or other vehicle is mounted will thereby be rotated and
thus the propulsion of the vehicle will be materially assisted. On the upward
movement of the body of the vehicle, the ratchet escapes over the teeth of the
wheel and is ready for the next downward movement.
Sometimes, as for instance when the vehicle is travelling down hill, the dri-
ving mechanism above referred to requires to be thrown out of gear. To enable

page_text: this to be done the ratchet F may be connected by a cord M (see Figure 7) to
the end of a lever N whereby it may be drawn back and held out of engagement
with the teeth of the ratchet wheel G the upper end of said lever being fitted
with a spring catch to retain it in position.
The arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 is practically the same as that shewn
in Figures 1 and 2 except that it is shewn as applied to both the front and back
wheels.
As the forecarriage of four-wheeled vehicles must necessarily be allowed a cer-
tain amount of play the connecting rod I may be formed with a ball and socket
or other universal joint d at each end to allow of such play. The bar 1 secured
to the forecarriage extends from side to side of the vehicle, as illustrated in
Figure 4.
If preferred instead of driving the wheel or the axle carrying said wheel, direct
from the body of the vehicle multiplying gear can be arranged between the
arm E and the hub of the wheel, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, where E, as
before, represents said arm and F the spring pawl or ratchet gearing with the
teeth of a ratchet wheel G which is formed with a box or casing having an
internal ring of teeth G₁ gearing with an idle pinion K carried upon an arm K
fixed to the axle, and gearing with a wheel L upon an extension H of the hub I.
With this gear the rotatory movement of the wheel G will be transmitted to the
smaller wheel L on the hub and thus said hub will be driven at an increased rate
of speed. Or an arrangement of spiral multiplying gear might be used for dri-
ving the hub of the wheel as illustrated in Figure 8; said spiral gear being
mounted upon a spindle driven by the ratchet F and ratchet wheel G.
Instead of the spring pawl or ratchet F and ratchet wheel G, a silent pawl
and wheel may be used, or, in lieu thereof, any of the well-known kinds of fric-
tion clutch suitable for the purpose may be substituted.
The bumping motion of spring vehicles might be still further utilised by
connecting a plunger or piston (see Figure 9) with the body of the vehicle
and arranging it to work inside a cylinder P upon the axle. This cylinder is
fitted with an inlet valve and a discharge leading to a suitable receiver whence
the air can be withdrawn as required and utilised still further in assisting in
the propulsion of the 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: -
1. The improved mechanism for utilising the "bumping" of vehicles for
assisting in the propulsion of same consisting of the various parts constructed
arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings
2. In mechanism for utilising the "bumping of vehicles for assisting in the
propulsion of same, a pivotted arm (such as E) carrying a pawl or ratchet engag
ing with a ratchet wheel upon or connected to one or more of the wheels of said
vehicles, said arm being connected by a rod or otherwise with the body of the
vehicle substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and
as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In mechanism for utilising the "bumping" of vehicles for assisting in the
propulsion of same a rod (such as 1) connected at one end by universal joints
to the body of the vehicle and at the other end to a pivotted arm carrying a pawl
or ratchet substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In mechanism for utilising the "bumping of vehicles for assisting in the
propulsion of same multiplying gear inserted between the hub of the wheel and a
pawl or ratchet rotated by the vertical movement of the body of said vehicle sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illus-
trated in Figures 5, 6 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. In mechanism for utilising the "bumping" of vehicles for assisting in the
propulsion of same a plunger or piston connected with the body of the vehicle
and working within a cylinder connected with the axle of the vehicle the whole
being arranged to force air into a suitable receiver substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in Figure 9 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this First day of March One thousand oight hundred and ninate
G. B. H. AUSTIN.
Edwards and Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London.
Agents for the Applicant,