Improvements in and connected with Driving Mechanism for Horseless Carriages and like Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Driving Mechanism for
Horseless Carriages and like Vehicles.
I, WALTER HONORATO BARKER, of 37, Haverstock Hill, in the County of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to driving mechanism for horseless carriages and other
vehicles and it comprises the several improvements hereinafter described.
One part of my invention relates to the gearing by means of which the motion
of the crank shaft is transmitted to the main or driving axle.
According to this part of my invention I mount on the crank axle a double
friction pinion the two parts of which are preferably made conical and inclined in
opposite directions. Upon the driving axle I mount a hollow friction wheel which
has the surfaces against which the parts of the friction pinion make contact inclined
to correspond with the said pinion, but the two parts of which are arranged in
such a manner that at no time can the two parts of the pinion simultaneously
be in contact with their corresponding surfaces on the wheel. The friction pinion
is capable of a slight longitudinal movement upon its axis so that when one part
of the pinion is moved to engage with the corresponding surface on the wheel the
other part of the pinion will be moved out of contact with its surface.
The friction wheel has upon it a third external friction surface against which
one part of the friction pinion can be brought into contact by slightly varying
the relative positions of the crank axle and the driving axle, this third surface
being used for obtaining a backward motion. This relative movement of the crank
shaft and driving axle may be effected by an eccentric or other convenient means.
In practice the two parts of the pinion are of different diameters so that a fast
or a slow speed can be obtained according as the part of small diameter or the
part of large diameter of the said pinion is in contact with the corresponding
surface on the wheel.
I prefer that the weight of the car should be carried upon the crank shaft so
that the pinion upon the latter will be pressed into more or less firm contact with
the friction wheel according to the load upon the said shaft. A lever or other
suitable means is provided for raising the crank shaft so as to move the friction
wheel out of contact or into reversing contact as herein before described.
It is to be understood that when my friction gearing is applied to a divided
shaft both parts of which are to be positively driven the gearing herein before
described may be duplicated.
I sometimes arrange that the friction pinion shall work upon an external surface
instead of an internal surface in which case the surface for the reversing would
be internal and not external and I advantageously arrange in conjunction with

page_text: this friction wheel a band brake. I can also if desired arrange that the motion
of the pinion shall be transmitted to the wheel through an intermediate wheel.
Another part of my invention relates to compensating gear in connection with
the motor crank so as to permit of one side of the crank shaft or axle being
retarded or accelerated relatively with the other part of the shaft to allow for
turning.
According to this part of my invention the crank webs instead of being fixed
directly to the crank shaft are fixed to two bushes which are free to rotate upon
the said crank shaft. Upon the pin of the crank I arrange a double pinion or
two pinions fixed together and having the connecting rod bearing between them
one of which pinions gears directly with a pinion upon the crank shaft whilst the
other also gears with a pinion upon the crank shaft through an idle wheel.
With this arrangement so long as the two ends of the crank shaft are rotating
at the same speed no relative movement will take place between the pinions. When
however there is a tendency for one part of the shaft to be accelerated and retarded
relatively with the other part, for instance when turning a corner, the said pinions
will allow of this movement in the same manner as the well known compensating
gear.
The last part of my invention relates to a spring connection between the driving
axle and the driving wheels whereby when the motor starts it meets with a yield-
ing resistance instead of with a resistance due to the whole weight of the vehicle.
According to this part of my invention the hub of the wheel to which the spokes
are attached instead of being fixed to the axle is mounted between guides on the
axle which form a second hub so that the wheel is capable of taking up an eccentric
position relatively with the axle. To retain the wheel and axle in their normal
position under ordinary circumstances I arrange a series of springs preferably in
a tangential direction relatively with the hub the said springs being at one end
attached to pins upon the wheel proper and the other to the guide discs or inner
hub. In practice this spring is arranged between double guides so that it may be
compressed from either end."
With this arrangement when the engine starts the power will first be applied
to compress the springs the compression being greater or lesser according to the
weight of the vehicle or the load upon it. The said springs also serve as springs
for reducing vibration owing to the unevenness of the road as it will be obvious
that the travelling wheels are free to rise and fall relatively with the axle.
Although all my several improvements are advantageously used in combination
it is to be understood that they may be used independently of each other.
Dated this 21st day of September 1897.
Improvements in and connected with Driving Mechanism for
Horseless Carriages and like Vehicles.
I, WALTER HONORATO BARKER, of 37, Haverstock Hill, in the County 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 driving mechanism for horseless carriages and other
vehicles and it comprises:-

page_text: (1) Improvements in the gearing by means of which the motion of the crank
shaft is transmitted to the main or driving axle.
(2) Compensating or balance gear in connection with the motor crank for per-
mitting one side of the crank shaft or axle to be retarded or accelerated relatively
with the other part of the shaft to allow for turning.
(3) A spring connection between the driving axle and the road wheels whereby
when the motor starts it meets with a yielding resistance instead of with a resist-
ance due to the whole weight of the vehicle.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus or mechanism; and
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1:
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views illustrating modifications of the gearing
which I use for transmitting the motion from the crank shaft to the driving axle:
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the crank drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1
and illustrating the arrangement of the compensating gear in connection there-
with:
Figure 6 is an elevation of the left hand end of Figure 5; and
Figure 7 is an elevation of the right hand end of Figure 5:
Figure 8 is an elevation of one of the road wheels shewing the arrangement of
the spring connection between the driving axle and the said wheel:
Figure 9 is a vertical section of the wheel:
Figure 10 is an elevation of one of the spring connections shewn in Figure 8
but drawn to a larger scale; and
Figures 11 and 12 are elevations of the left and right hand ends respectively of
Figure 10:
Figure. 13 is a view similar to Figure 10 shewing the parts in a different position.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a is the crank axle and b is the main or driving axle both of which axles are
carried in suitable bearings in a frame c. d, d are road wheels which are secured
to the axle b.
In carrying out the first part of my invention I mount on the crank axle a
double friction pinion e the two parts f, g of which are advantageously made
conical and arranged, with their bases or parts of larger diameter adjacent to one
another, as shewn in Figure 1, the said two parts of the pinion being of different
diameters for obtaining different speeds. Upon the driving axle b I fix a hollow
friction wheel h having the surfaces i, j against which the surfaces of the parts f, g
of the pinion e make contact, coned out to the same inclination as the said surfaces
of the pinion but arranged in such a manner that at no time can the two parts of
the pinion e simultaneously be in contact with the corresponding surfaces on
the wheel h. The friction pinion e is capable of being moved slightly in a longi-
tudinal direction upon its axis (by means not shewn) so that either part of the
pinion can be caused to engage with a corresponding surface of the wheel h; for
instance, as shewn in Figure 1 the part g of the pinion e is in contact with the.
corresponding surface ; of the wheel h whereby a slow speed is obtained, whilst
the part of larger diameter is out of contact with its surface i. It will he
obvious that by a slight movement of the pinion e to the right the part f will
make contact with its corresponding surface i whilst the part of smaller diameter
will be moved out of contact with its surface j thereby driving at a faster speed.
In addition to the friction surfaces i, j the wheel h has upon it the third friction
surface k against which the surface of the part 9 of the pinion e can be pressed
by slightly varying the relative positions of the crank axle a and driving axle b,
this third surface being used for obtaining a backward movement of the vehicle.
In order to effect this relative movement between the crank axle and the driving
axle I advantageously mount the driving axle b in eccentrics 1, 1, Figures 1 and 2,
the said eccentrics being provided with lever arms which permit of moving them
in the desired manner through the medium of the rods m, m, shaft m¹ and levers m³.
These eccentrics may also be used for varying the friction between the pinion e
9

page_text: and wheel according to the load which the vehicle provided with my improved
mechanism is carrying. In practice I prefer that the eccentrics 1, I should be left
free to turn upon the axle b so that the whole weight of the vehicle and its contents
should rest upon the crank shaft and so cause the pinion e to bear upon the friction
surface i or of the wheel with a pressure proportionate to the said weight.
As shewn in Figure 1 the axle 6 is formed in two portions and each portion
is provided with independent friction gearing; when, however, a through axle is
employed only one set of friction gearing need be used.
In practice I prefer to apply to the surface of the friction wheel ha band brake n
the arrangement of which will be clearly understood by reference to Figure 2.
It will be obvious that instead of using internal friction wheels, and pinions in
which the large ends of the conical friction surfaces are adjacent I may use external
friction wheels and place the small ends of the two parts of the friction pinion
adjacent to one another; such an arrangement is shewn in Figure 3. In this
modification the small end of the pinion e is in a groove and to permit of intro-
ducing this end into the said groove the pinion e may be formed in two parts and
an aperture formed in the back of the wheel h to allow of the pinion being intro-
duced or if the pinion e is formed in one piece a portion of the periphery of the
wheel h may be detachable for the purpose.
In Figure 4 I have illustrated a modification wherein flat surfaces instead of
conical surfaces are used. In this modification the diameters of the two portions
of the pinion e bear such relation to the two surfaces of the wheel h that both
cannot make contact simultaneously. In order to alter the speed it is necessary
to make use of the eccentrics or of similar means for the purpose of separating
the shaft a and axle sufficiently to allow of moving the pinion e longitudinally
upon the shaft q.
Instead of mounting the wheel h directly upon the wheel axle it may be mounted
upon an intermediate shaft and its motion transmitted to the driving axle through
the medium of suitable gearing.
According to the second part of my invention illustrated clearly in Figures 5
to 7, the webs o, o of the crank instead of being fixed directly to the shaft a are
fixed to two bushes P, P which are free to rotate upon the said crank shaft and
are designed to run in bearings, not shewn. Upon the pin o of the crank I
arrange a double pinion g, the pinion portions q¹, 2 of which have between them
the plane portion 3 on which the piston connecting rod works, or instead of
employing a double pinion I may fix two pinions to a sleeve. The pinion portion gl.
gears with a pinion fixed upon one part of the crank shaft, as clearly shewn in
Figures 5 and 6, and the other portion q² gears with a pinion l upon the other
part of the crank shaft through the medium of the idle wheel as clearly shewn
in Figures 5 and 7. With this arrangement so long as the two ends of the crank
shaft are rotating at the same speed no relative movement will take place between
the pinions. When, however, there is a tendency for one part of a shaft to be
accelerated or retarded relatively with the other part, for instance, when the
vehicle is turning a corner, the said pinions will allow of this movement in the
same manner as in the well known compensating gear.
In carrying out the third part of my invention illustrated in Figures 8 to 12,
I construct a road wheel in the following manner, that is to say, I attach the inner
ends of the wheel spokes to a rings and I form the hub which is fixed to the
wheel axle with a groove or channel t¹ in which the ring s is free to move so as to
permit of its taking up a position eccentric relatively with the wheel axle b.
To retain the wheel and axle in their normal position under ordinary circum-
stances, I arrange preferably in a tangential direction between the wheel and the
hub, a series of springs u, u. Each of these springs is arranged in the following
manner, that is to say, it is arranged around a rod v having fixed to it at one end
a plate w against which one end of the spring bears the other end of the spring
bearing against a plate which is free to slide on the rod v and is retained upon
the rod by a nut v¹.

page_text: In the plates w, x are formed holes through which rods y, y secured to a plate y¹
are passed, as shewn in Figure 10, the outer ends of the said rods y, y, after being
passed through the said plates being provided with nuts y², y².
The springs u thus arranged are attached say by the plates yl to the hub t by
pins and by the rods to the wheel, a collar z provided with a pin z being
arranged upon the said rod, the said pin entering a hole in a plate 22 fixed to the
wheel. With this arrangement when power is applied through the axle to turn
the wheel in the direction of the arrow in Figure 8, the hub t, which first receives
the movement, will pull upon the plates y¹ and compress the springs, as indicated
by the full lines in Figure 13, whilst it the motor is driving the wheel in the oppo-
site direction to the arrow, the plate yl will push against the plate w and move
the parts to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 13 so as also to
compress the spring. It will be understood that when the engine starts the power
will first be applied to compress the springs, the pressure being greater or less
according to the weight of the vehicle or the load upon it.
The said springs also serve for reducing vibration owing to the unevenness of
the road as it will be obvious that the road wheels are free to rise and fall relatively ⚫
with the axle.
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. Driving mechanism for horseless. carriages and the like wherein the motion
of a crank shaft is transmitted through friction gearing comprising a pinion upon
the crank shaft and a wheel upon an adjacent shaft the said pinion having two
conical surfaces designed to co-operate with corresponding surfaces upon the wheel
with which it gears and being arranged to be moved longitudinally upon its shaft
in order to bring either pair of friction surfaces into operative contact, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In driving mechanism wherein the motion of a crank shaft is transmitted
through a friction pinion, mounted on the said shaft and movable longitudinally
thereon, to a wheel mounted on an adjacent shaft and having friction surfaces
with which the friction surfaces of the pinion are designed respectively to make
contact, the combination with the shaft carrying the friction wheel of eccentrics
or means for varying the axial position of the said shaft relatively with that of
the crank shaft, substantially as described.
3. In driving mechanism for a horseless carriage, wherein the motion of a driv
ing shaft is transmitted to the driving axle through friction wheels mounting the
framework and body of the carriage upon the said driving shaft in such a manner
that the weight of the said body and of its contents tends to press the friction
wheels into contact, substantially as, and for the purpose described.
4. In driving mechanism for horseless carriages the use of friction gear con-
structed and arranged substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,
Figure 3 and Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In driving mechanism for horseless carriages the employment of a crank
shaft having arranged in connection with it compensating or balance gear operating
substantially as described by reference to Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. The combination with driving mechanism for horseless carriages and other
vehicles of a road wheel provided with a movable hub and with spring connections
between the hub and the wheel, the springs of the said connections being arranged
so that they will be compressed during the rotation of the hub in either direction,
substantially as described.
7. The combination with driving mechanism for horseless carriages and other
vehicles of a spring wheel having springs arranged between the wheel hub and
the wheel, substantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 8 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 8. The improved driving mechanism for horseless carriages and the like con-
sisting of the parts constructed and combined substantially as herein before des-
cribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the
purposes, set forth.
Dated the 21st day of June 1908
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.