Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Self Propelled Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Self Propelled Road
Vehicles.
1, WILLIAM ARTHUR PERCY WERNER, Engineer, of Ashlands, Silver-hill, St.
Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in driving mechanism for self propelled
road vehicles, and the object of my said invention is to provide an automatic
muff or clutch to keep the vehicle under perfect control of the engine, and prevent
the vehicle racing the engine when on an incline, but at the same time allowing
either driving wheel to get ahead when rounding corners. According to my
invention the axle of the driving wheels is not continuous, but formed of two parts
meeting inside a muff or clutch and retained therein by means of flanges on the
said axle parts. The muff or clutch which consists of two halves suitably bolted
together over the driving axle so that the said driving axle is free to rotate therein
and is provided with pawls (four in number) to engage suitable slots or notches on
the driving axle, a forward & rearward pawl for each of the said axle parts.
Mounted loosely on the muff or clutch is a bevel wheel provided with driving
blocks which engage with ears or projections upon the muff or clutch according
to the direction of movement; said muff and bevel wheel being provided with ball
bearings.
The halves of the muff or clutch are dished out to receive the driving pawls
which are pivotted upon a spindle passing lengthwise through the body of the muff
or clutch. To the said spindle is attached an arm or finger to operate the driving
pawls, having at its outer end a friction roller working between two lugs upon the
atoresaid bevel wheel.
All of the said pawls are provided with springs to press them into the slots or
notches in the driving axle when released by the aforesaid arm or finger.
The operation of my said muff or clutch is as follows:-
Power being communicated from the engine by the crank shaft which is
provided with a bevel wheel and cushion (to be hereafter referred to) to the bevel
wheel mounted on the muff, the said wheel being loose on the muff, moves in a
forward direction (right to left) causing the driving blocks to engage with the ears
or projections of the muff, the lugs on the bevel wheel will at the same time
operate the finger causing it through pins on the spindle of the arm or finger to
press the two backward driving pawls out of their respective slots or notches in
the driving shaft, into the recesses in the muff and retain them there, at the same
time the remaining pins on the aforesaid spindle will allow the two forward
driving pawls to enter their corresponding slots or notches in the shaft and drive
the vehicle forward.

page_text: During the reversing movements of the bevel wheel on the muff it is essential
that the muff should be in engagement with the driving shaft, for should any
friction occur between the muff and bevel wheel the two would revolve around the
shaft without operating the pawls, and in order to obviate this, I provide a friction
spring attached to each end of the muff and bearing with a certain fixed amount
of pressure on the driving shaft the grip of the said springs being suitably
regulated.
But to make the action more positive so that the muff shall not slip on the shaft,
I employ the following device in combination with the aforesaid springs.
Upon the bevel wheel on the muff is fixed a cam-piece and pivotted to the muff
is a lever provided at one end with a friction roller and at the other with a fork-
piece receiving the arms of a locking piece.
On reversing the direction of the bevel wheel the aforesaid friction roller, under
the action of a spring rolls down the incline of the cam piece, causing the pivoted
lever and the locking piece to move inwards towards the shaft, the said locking
piece engaging one of a series of slots in the shaft and holding the muff in
engagement with the shaft till the bevel wheel has completed its reversion and
the friction roller mounts the opposite incline on the cam piece and withdraws
the locking piece.
When reversing, the slots or notches on the shaft may not be in alignment with
the driving pawls, so the muff would make nearly a revolution before the pawls
engage their corresponding slots or notches and cause a sudden shock to the said
pawls, to obviate this the crank shaft is provided with a cushion which the said
crank shaft to make two or more revolutions, said cushion gradually tightening
till the weight of the vehicle is overcome.
In order to allow the crank axle to make two or more revolutions a series of
spiral springs (In the present instance two sets of three, right and left) are
provided in a case which surrounds the axle, each set of springs being separated
from the next by a distance piece or plate, said plate being provided with an upper
and lower lug.
The crank axle is provided with a lug which, when the shaft is turned in either
direction, for instance to the right, compresses the spring of the first series against
the upper lug on the first distance piece or plate, the lower lug of the distance
piece in its turn compresses the spring of the second series against upper lug of the
lugs of the second distance piece, and the lower lug of the second distance piece com-
presses the third of the series of springs against a lug on the bevel wheel loosely
mounted on the crank shaft, so that the springs by gradually tightening up, do
away with any shock which would otherwise be transmitted to the various wearing
parts, thereby keeping the parts in a state of elasticity.
In a modification of my invention, for single acting engines, I employ a double
bevel wheel in the shape of a drum working on the flange of an inner wheel which
takes the place of the bevel wheel on the muff of the former part of my invention.
The said double bevel wheel is provided with pins working in slots on the flanges
of the inner wheel and is capable of receiving lateral movement so as to bring
either side of the double bevel wheel into engagement with the bevel wheel on the
crank shaft, thereby reversing the action of the muff. It will be seen that as long
as the engine is putting power into the bevel wheel on the muff the pawls will
keep in engagement with their slots or notches, but should the vehicle over run
the engine or the aforesaid bevel wheel the muff and its pivoted lever would be
carried by the friction springs round with the shaft and automatically lock itself
to the shaft by means of the cam device above described bringing the backward
pawis into engagement with their slots or notches on the driving shaft, and
pressing the forward pawls into their recesses in the muff so that the engine
would be giving out to the vehicle a retarding motion instead of a forcing one.
Datod this 2nd day of Navambon 1906

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Self Propelled Road
Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR PERCY WERNER, of Ashlands, Silverhill, St. Leonards on
Sea, Sussex, England, 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 driving mechanism for self-propelled road vehicles,
and has for its object to provide an automatic coupling designed to keep the
vehicle under perfect control of the engine, to prevent the vehicle, when travelling
on an incline, from racing the engine, and to allow either driving wheel getting
ahead of the other when rounding corners.
The driving mechanism constructed according to my said invention substantially
comprises a bevel pinion fixed upon the crank shaft of the engine and operated
by the same through the intervention of a cushioning device, such pinion gearing
with a bevel wheel which fits loosely upon a muff coupling the two parts of the
driving axle. This muff is furnished with driving pawls which will, by automatic
means, be caused to engage with and to be disengaged from recesses in the driving
axle and which serve for the forward and rearward movement of the vehicle.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing my improved driving mechanism.
Figure 2 represents a transverse section of the coupling with the driving pawls
and parts in position for the forward movement of the vehicle.
Figure 3 represents a similar section of the coupling with the driving pawls
and parts occupying the position for the backward movement of the vehicle.
Figure 4 is a side elevation showing the inner ends of parts of the driving axle
and the pawls together with the operating arm.
Figure 5 shows the inner end of one part of the driving axle with a locking
finger.
Figure 6 shows a front view of an end plate of the muff, with a friction band or
strap surrounding the driving axle of the vehicle.
Figure 7 illustrates a sectional side elevation of a modified bevel gear.
In carrying my invention into practice I arrange upon the crank shaft A of
the engine a cushioning device B (Figure 1) which consists of sets of spiral
springs b enclosed in a case b¹ surrounding the crank shaft. Each set of springs
is separated from the next by a disc b2 furnished with an upper lug and a lower
lug b, against which the ends of the sets of spiral springs b bear, said springs
being held in their place by the outer case band packing rings 65. When the
crank shaft A, which is provided with a lug a, is turned in either direction, such
lug will compress the spring of the first or upper set against the upper lug 63 of
the first disc, whose lower lug will in its turn compress the spring of the second
set against the upper lug of the second disc b and so forth, the spring of the
last set pressing against a lug formed on a bevel pinion C mounted loosely on
the same crank shaft A, which latter will therefore effect the turning movement
of the pinion C through the medium of the cushioning device.
C
The aforesaid bevel pinion C gears with a bevel wheel 1) which is mounted by
means of ball bearings d d' on a coupling muff E furnished with a collar e. This
muff E, which is fitted loosely upon the driving axle F of the motor vehicle,
consists of two halves formed with flanges el which together with the said collar é
serve for connecting them together (Figures 1, 2 and 3). I make the driving
axle F in two parts which meet inside the said muff E and are retained therein

page_text: by their collars f and end plates e, these parts of the axle being adapted to turn
independently of each other (Figure 1).
In the interior of the coupling muff EI provide a number of recesses EE
for the reception of two sets of pawls G G', which are pivoted upon a spindle H
passing lengthwise through the body of the coupling muff, and which are adapted
to engage with corresponding recesses F F formed in the driving axle F, one set
of pawls G being designed to effect the forward movement, and the other set of
pawls G the rearward movement of the motor vehicle. These pawls G G having
springs g which tend to force them into the recesses F1 F2 are thrown out of gear,
with the aid of pins à arranged on the spindle H and located in slots g', by an
arm I which, being attached to the spindle and extending through a slot in the
muff E, carries at its outer end a friction roller i which works between two lugs d²
upon the aforesaid bevel wheel D (Figures 2 and 3). Blocks I cast on this
bevel wheel I are fitted to engage either with the projections E or E on the
muff according as the wheel D turns in one or the other direction, provision
being made for a certain amount of play between the said blocks and projections.
One end plate of the coupling muff presents a lug e (Figure 6), to which I
attach one extremity of a friction band or strap which embraces the driving
shaft F and has at its other extremity a screw and nut whereby the pressure to be
brought to bear upon such shaft may be regulated. The friction thus produced
serves for maintaining the coupling muff E and driving axle F in their relative:
positions during the reversing movements.
With the object of rendering the connection between the coupling muff and
driving shaft positive, I form a series of slots fin one part of the axle F
(Figures 1 and 5), and provide on the bevel wheel D a cam K, whereby a locking
finger k may be brought in and out of engagement with one of the aforesaid
slots f. At its end the locking finger has arms engaging with the forked
extremity of a lever & pivoted to the muff E and carrying at its other extremity
a friction roller which is under the action of a spring fixed to the said muff.
On reversing the engine and consequently the movement of the bevel wheel D
the friction roller will pass down the incline of the cam K, causing the end of
the locking finger to be inserted into one of the slots and holding the coupling
muff in engagement with the driving axle till the reversing motion has been
completed, whereupon the friction roller mounts the opposite incline of the
cam K and withdraws the locking finger from the slot f (Figures 2 and 3).
Power being communicated from the engine through the crank shaft A,
cushioning device B, bevel pinion C to the hevel wheel 1 in the direction of the
forward movement of the vehicle, as indicated by arrows in Figure 2, the blocks I)¹
on this wheel will bear against the projections E on the coupling muff E, causing
the latter to turn upon the shaft F, and the lugs d on the said bevel wheel 1) will
at the same time turn the arm I which, through the pins h on the spindle H,
liberates the pawls G¹ designed for the backward movement (Figure 3) from their
recesses in the driving axle F as shown in Figure 2, and presses them into
their recesses E2 in the coupling muff E, whilst the pawls G will be allowed to
pass from their recesses E¹ into the recesses F" in the driving axle F and will
drive the vehicle forward (Figure 2).
Should the driving axle F at any moment slightly overrun the crank shaft A
of the engine, owing to an incline of the road, the tension of the cushioning
device B will serve to maintain the blocks D¹ continuously in contact with the
projections E and to retain the pawls G in their recesses F, thereby obviating
shocks or concussions to the working parts of the driving mechanism.
During the reversing movements of the bevel wheel D the coupling muff is kept
in engagement with the driving axle F by means of the friction band or strap e
and the locking lever k entering a slot fi in one of the parts of the driving axle F.
It will be seen that either part of the driving axle F can get ahead of the
crank shaft by pressing the pawls G out into their recesses E in the coupling
muff E without operating the arm I, as each pawl has a slot g' which gives that

page_text: amount of play. The pins h serve to force the pawls G G¹ out of action only
through the intervention of the operating arm I, and the spring g serves to force
the pawls G G¹ into the recesses F1 F2 in the shaft F when released from its idle
position by the pin h. But should both parts of the driving axle F overrun the
crank shaft, so that the engine would have no control over the vehicle, the muff E
will be carried slightly round with the axle F by the action of the friction band
or strap et and be locked to the axle by the locking pin k and be moved round
with the axle F, when the operating arm I will force the set of driving pawls G
for the forward movement out of their position and allow the pawls G₁ for the
backward movement to take into their recesses F3 in the axle F, thereby retarding
the vehicle and keeping it under the control of the engine; but directly the speed
of the crank shaft A corresponds to that of the driving axle F the operating arm I
will again be shifted to its original position, and the driving pawls G for the
forward movement will again take into their recesses F¹ in the axle F, while the
pawls G¹ for the backward movement will be pressed to their idle position in
the recesses E2.
In lieu of the bevel wheel D herein before described I may employ, for single-
acting engines, a double bevel crown 13 (Figure 7) which is adapted to slide
longitudinally on a drum D³ mounted on the coupling muff E, such crown being
connected with the drum by means of pins d³ working in corresponding slots
formed in the periphery of the said drum, so that, according as one or the other
side of the double bevel crown is brought into engagement with the bevel
pinion Carranged on the crank shaft A together with the cushioning device B,
the coupling muff E will receive either forward or backward movement.
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:-
First. In driving mechanism for self-propelled road vehicles a cushioning
device provided with a bevel pinion C on the crank shaft A of the engine and
comprising sets of spiral springs 6 which are separated by discs furnished with
upper and lower lugs 63 64 substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In driving mechanism for self-propelled road vehicles a muff E which
is mounted loosely on the driving axle I made in two parts, a bevel wheel D
which fits loosely upon the muff and carries blocks D₁ adapted to engage with
projections EE5 on the said muff, and spring-actuated driving pawls G G
arranged to take into recesses F1 and F2 in the driving axle, from which they can
alternately be released by means of an arm I operated by the said bevel wheel,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. In driving mechanism for self-propelled road vehicles a locking device
comprising a locking finger k which is fitted to engage with slots f¹ formed in the
driving axle F, and is controlled by a cam K, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Fourth. In driving mechanism for self-propelled road vehicles the combination
of cushioning, coupling and locking devices, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth with reference to the drawings.
Fifth. A driving mechanism for self-propelled road vehicles, arranged
constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
specified and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1897.
CHARLES JUNGE,
Agent for the Applicant.