Improvements in or connected with Electrically Propelled Vehicles for Common Roads.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"
Improvements in or connected with Electrically Propelled Vehicles
for Common Roads.
I FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street, in the City of London,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
--
My invention relates to the steering of electrically propelled vehicles for common
roads and consists in an arrangement by which the steering mechanism after having
been operated to alter the course or direction of motion of the vehicle is thrown
out of gear so that the steering wheels will by the movement of the vehicle be
caused to return to their normal position and cause the vehicle to travel in a
straight line in the direction in which it had been turned.
In carrying out my invention I mount the axle carrying the steering wheels some
distance aft of the centre of motion of the steering turntable. When I apply my
invention to electrically steered vehicles I arrange an electric motor so as to turn
on an axis preferably coincident with the axis of the steering turntable. On the
shaft of this motor I provide a screw or worm which by turning the motor on its
axis may be brought into and out of gear with a worm wheel fast on a shaft which
also carries a pinion in gear with a spur wheel or segment on the steering turntable.
The end of the motor axle which carries the worm is mounted in bearings capable
of sliding or of being moved towards and from the worm wheel. The worm may
be normally retained in gear with the worm wheel by a spring and it may be thrown
out of gear by means of a lever or levers, cam, or eccentric or other similar or
suitable device acting against the pressure of the spring. When the worm is out.
of gear the turntable or steering carriage is free to take its normal trailing position
and ensure the vehicle travelling in a straight line ahead.
Instead of throwing the worm out of gear as described the end of the motor
shaft which carries the said worm may be made separate from the main portion of
the shaft and be fitted to slide longitudinally thereon or therein so as to admit of
the worm together with the worm wheel and the pinion which gears with the
segment on the turntable being moved so as to disengage the pinion from the
segment and so admit of the steering wheels resuming their normal position.
The spring hereinbefore described for maintaining the parts in gear may be
dispensed with, by using a toggle joint arrangement or a simple lever, which can
be moved in either direction so as to throw the arrangement of spur wheels or
worm and worm eel in and out of gear as desired.
When I apply my
vention to mechanically, as distinct from electrically, steered,
carriages, I may arrange he gear wheels or the like or other part of the steering
device upon a loose sleeveted on a shaft fitted with a guide or directing pin,
in which case the wheels may
out of gear by sliding the sleeve upon its
shaft by any suitable means or I 1.
before described for electrically steer.
of actuating the worm and worm wheels o
similar arrangement to that herein-
hicles but with the mechanical method
spur wheels in place of the electric motor.
Dated this 20th day of November 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Electrically Propelled Vehicles
for Common Roads.
1. FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street, in the City of London,
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 :-
My invention relates to the steering of electrically propelled vehicles for common
roads and consists in an arrangement by which the steering mechanism after having
been operated to alter the course or direction of motion of the vehicle is thrown
out of gear so that the steering wheels will by the movement of the vehicle be
caused to return to their normal position and cause the vehicle to travel in a straight
line in the direction in which it had been turned.
In carrying out my invention I mount the axle carrying the steering wheels some
distance aft of the centre of motion of the steering turntable. When I apply my
invention to electrically steered vehicles I arrange an electric motor so as to turn
on an axis preferably coincident with the axis of the steering turutable. On the
shaft of this motor I provide a screw or worm which by turning the motor on its
axis may be brought into and out of gear with a worm wheel fast on a shaft which
also carries a pinion in gear with a spur wheel or segment on the steering turntable.
The end of the motor axle which carries the worm is mounted in bearings capable
of sliding or of being moved towards and from the worm wheel. The worm may
be normally retained in gear with the worm wheel by a spring and it may be
thrown out of gear by means of a lever or levers, cam or eccentric or other similar
or suitable device acting against the pressure of the spring. When the worm is
out of gear the turntable or steering carriage is free to take its normal trailing
position and ensure the vehicle travelling in a straight line ahead.
Instead of throwing the worm out of gear as described the end of the motor
shaft which carries the said worm may be made separate from the main portion of
the shaft and be fitted to slide longitudinally thereon or therein so as to admit of
the worm together with the worm wheel and the pinion which gears with the
segment on the turntable being moved so as to disengage the pinion from the
segment and so admit of the steering wheels resuming their normal position.
The spring hereinbefore described for maintaining the parts in gear may be
dispensed with, by using a toggle joint arrangement or a simple lever, which can
be moved in either direction so as to throw the arrangement of spur wheels or worm
and worm wheel in and out of gear as desired.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will further describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 of which represents in plan an electrically operated steering gear
constructed according to my invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevation and Figure 3 a
longitudinal section of the same.
Figures 4 and 5 represent in plan and elevation respectively an arrangement of
levers and cam operated by the foot of the attendant for putting the steering
gear into and out of action."
Figure 6 shews another arrangement of levers and an eccentric for the same
purpose and
Figure 7, 8 and 9 shew another arrangement for putting the steering gear into
and out of action.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A represents the axle of the steering wheels
which axle is mounted in bearings a on the underside of the under carriage B and
at the rear of the perch bolt or axis b on which the said under carriage turns. I
do not limit myself as to the distance between the perch bolt or axis b and the

page_text: axle A the precise distance being only as much as will allow of the axle trailing
after the perch bolt or axis b so as to permit of said axle taking its proper position
when the steering carriage is set free. On the upper side of the under carriage
are rollers c upon which the wheel plate C attached to the body of the vehicle
bears.
The perch bolt 6 may be made in one with the frame of an electric motor D as
shewn in the drawings or the said motor may be arranged to turn on an axis of its
own preferably coincident with the axis b. The shaft E of the motor is mouited
at its forward end in bearings d on a block e capable of sliding in guides fon a
bracket F bolted to the wheel plate Con which forward end of the motor shaft
is a screw thread or worm G which, by turning the motor on its axis can be
moved into and out of gear with a worm wheel H fast on a shaft H' mounted in
bearings g on the bracket F. On this shaft H2 is a pinion I in gear with a toothed
wheel or segment K on the under carriage B so that when the worm G is in gear
with the segment K and the motor D is running a motion of partial rotation will
be given to the under carriage in one direction or the other according to the
direction in which the motor is running. The screw or worm G is shewn in the
drawings as being normally maintained in gear with the segment K by a spring L
interposed between the sliding block e and a lug e on the bracket F and is moved
out of gear by means of a treadle M connected by levers and rods N and O to
the sliding block e so that by depressing the said treadle the block e is caused to
slide in the guides and disengage the worm from the teeth of the worm wheel. It
is obvious that instead of normally maintaining the worm in gear with the worm
wheel by means of the spring as herein before described the spring may be
arranged to maintain the worm out of gear and the treadle be employed for moving
it into gear.
In the arrangement illustrated by Figures 4 and 5 for placing the worm into
and out of gear the block e carrying the screwed end of the motor shaft is co-
nected by a spring L to a lug e on the wheel plate C so as to normally maintain
the screw or worm in gear with the worm wheel the disengagement thereof being
effected by means of a cam P operated from a treadle M through the rod and
levers O and N the said treadle M consisting of a knob on a rod projecting above
the floor of the vehicle and can be depressed by the foot of the attendant.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 6 the sliding block e is operated by
means of an eccentric Q fast on a stud or shaft R the strap S of the eccentric
being pivotted to the block e. On the stud or shaft R is an arm T connected by
rods O and N to a lever handle M conveniently situated for the attendant to
operate. By moving the handle M in one direction or the other the eccentric Q
will be partially turned and so move the sliding block e to cause the worm to gear
with the worm wheel or to be disengaged therefrom according to the direction in
which the handle is moved. Instead of throwing the worn out of gear with the
worm wheel as herein before described the pinion I can be thrown out of gear with
the segment K an arrangement for this purpose being illustrated by Figures 7, 8
and 9 of the drawings and consists in making the end of the motor shaft carrying
the worm G, separate from the main portion of the said motor shaft, and providing
in the end of the said main portion of the said shaft a hole or recess into which is
inserted, so as to slide longitudinally therein, the end of the shaft carrying the worm,
the socket or recess and the part which slides therein being rectangular or other
suitable shape in transverse section to ensure the parts rotating together but admit
of the one part sliding longitudinally within the other part. The shaft H2 carrying
the pinion I and worm wheel H is mounted in bearings in a bracket 12 on the
sliding block e so that when the said sliding block is moved longitudinally it carries
with it the worm G worm wheel H and pinion I the end of the motor shaft carrying
the worm sliding longitudinally in the recess or socket in the main portion of the
said motor shaft. The sliding block and the parts carried thereby may be
operated by any of the devices hereinbefore described or by any other suitable

page_text: means whereby the pinion I can be engaged with and disengaged from the
segment K.
When the steering gear is disengaged as herein before described the steering
wheels by reason of the axle thereof being arranged at the rear of the axis on which
the under carriage turns will automatically return to their normal position and cause
the vehicle to travel in a straight line in the direction to which the vehicle has been
turned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In electrically propelled vehicles for common roads, steering gear having the
axle of the steering wheels mounted in bearings on the turntable or under carriage
at the rear of the axis on which the said turntable or under carriage turns
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. The combination in an electrically propelled vehicle for commoy roads, of
steering gear operated by an electric motor arranged to turn on an axis, a screw-
thread or worm on the shaft of the motor, a worm wheel with which the worm on
the motor shaft is caused to gear, a pinion, on the shaft which carries the worm
wheel, gearing with a toothed segment on the steering turntable or under carriage,
and means for moving the worm into and out of gear with the worm wheel
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
3. The combination in an electrically propelled vehicle for common roads of
steering gear operated by an electric motor the shaft of which is in two parts fitted
to slide longitudinally one within the other, a screw thread or worm on the
longitudinally movable part of the said motor shaft and gearing with a worm wheel
on a shaft which also carries a pinion in gear with a toothed segment on the steering
turntable or under carriage and means for sliding the movable portion of the
motor shaft together with the worm wheel and pinion so as to disengage the
pinion from the toothed segment substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the electrically
operated steering gear for vehicles for common roads substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination of parts constituting the mechanism for throwing into and
out of action electrically operated steering gear of vehicles for common roads
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 4 and 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. The combination of parts constituting the means for throwing into and out of
action the electrically operated steering gear of vehicles for common roads sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting means for throwing
into and out of action the electrically operated steering gear of vehicles for common
roads substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 7, 8 and 9
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of September 1895
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.