Improvements in Motors for Propulsion of Vehicles and their Mechanisms and Arrangements for Steering and Propelling same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
Improvements in Motors for Propulsion of Vehicles and their
Mechanisms and Arrangements for Steering and Propelling
same.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, of "Ferndale," Church Road, Moseley, near the
City of Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the method of concentrating the
driving and the steering and combining the two in the front or the rear wheels
of the vehicle and in the arrangement of the motor and their gear mechanism
in such a manner as to be self-contained and such improvements can be applied
to motors driven by either gas, steam, oil, acetylene or electricity.
The existing types of motors and their mechanisms are arranged in such a
manner as to cause (1st) great difficulty of access to the working and vital parts
(2nd) faulty distribution of weight and (3rd) faulty application of tractive power,
the two latter features combining to create serious and dangerous conditions on
greasy roads and downhill grades, causing the rear portion of car to skid or slide
sometimes to the extent of reversing the direction of travel, the car turning
completely round. I claim to overcome these objectionable features and also
claim to have invented a method of construction which permits of the coach-
building and mechanical parts of the motor car industry being distinctly defined
and separated without the necessity of making different arrangements of
mechanical details for every different superstructure. In applying my in-
vention to motors known as explosion engines I preferably adopt the
Otto cycle and arrange the whole of my driving mechanism upon the
front wheels and axle and I connect the rear wheels and axle by means of
one or two tubes which I use as exhaust pipes to carry away the spent gases.
The ends of these tubes terminate in the silencer which, for convenience. I
carry under the rear axle, I arrange the driving mechanism so that while the
car is in motion and without losing control of same, by opening a door the
whole of this mechanism (except such wheels as are covered or enclosed in oil
bath cases) can be seen running, and any irregularity at once detected.
I preferably
two cylinders one at each end of crank shaft,
the fly wheels and driving wheels being in between the pistons are connected
in the usual way to the connecting rods but at their crank end I arrange a
detachable bearing so as to facilitate the withdrawal of this entire portion fo
cleaning, renewing rings and other purposes. I do this by simply unscrewing
a plate over the crank box. which enables me to easily detach the bearing of
crank pin. whilst by removing cover on top end of cylinder and screwing a rod
provided for the purpose into back end of piston I can withdraw the piston and
connecting rod without interfering in any way with the other parts. My
governor of half speed shaft I swivel from the crank shaft centre or boss of bear-
use

page_text: ing and fix it in position by means of a quadrant. This enables me, by slacking
out one or two screws, to swivel this half speed shaft out of position and with-
draw the exhaust and gas valves without interfering with any other parts and
saves me from taking it out of gear or time with the crank shaft which would
upset its determined and proper action of actuating the inlet and exhaust valves.
I also provide, as a method, of construction an improved manufacture of the oil
bath crank box carrying in one piece as part of itself the main bearing for the crank
shaft, provision for carrying quadrant with bearings for the half speed governor
shaft, bearing for the counter or differential shaft, bearing or fixing for fasten-
ing on to the front axle, bearing or fixing for carrying centre to locate top of
gear box, bearing or fixing for the springs to carry superstucture, and bearings
or fixtures for stays or distance struts or pieces to keep the two cylinders and all
necessary gearing in a rigid and immovably square relation to each other, the
whole being so designed and arranged as to be detachable from front rod axle
and superstructure without affecting its different relations to each of its working
parts as self contained motor mechanism. I also provide an improved method
of transmitting driving power to and through the front wheels so as to combine
the steering of the vehicle by these same two wheels. To carry this out, I
fix on each of my front steering and driving wheels, a spur or cog wheel of
suitable metal about fourteen inches diameter, I gear into this a much smaller
pinion, which I drive one at each end of my differential or counter shaft. Now
as these two front road driving wheels are required to both swivel or move for
the purpose of steering it will be seen that a serious difficulty presents itself
from the fact that although these driving and steering wheels may readily be
made to swivel so as to steer, the pinions gearing into them and driving them
cannot very easily be made to follow such movements, especially as the shaft
by which these pinions are to be driven-must-remain-in-the-same relative
fixed position to the rest of the driving mechanism, and which it is necessary
for it to do. I therefore first determine the point at which to find the minimum
of such necessary movement and discover this can be made to be the centre
taken vertically through the pivot or centre upon which the steering wheel
horizontally swivels or hinges. To arrange this so as to accomplish my
ultimate object with the least possible movement I have to construct a special
internal hub for these steering and driving wheels, which will allow the ends of
the stationary front road axle to locate their swivelling centres or pivots upon
which these steering wheels shall swivel on hinge in an horizontal plane only
inside the said internal hubs in such a manner that the centres on which they
swivel shall be in a vertical line or centre through the driving pinions and
wheels into which these pinions gear. These internal hubs which only move in
an horizontal plane for the purpose of steering form the bearing axle for the hub
of the driving and steering road wheels which are arranged and constructed to
revolve upon these said internal hubs which as explained form the horizontal
swivel ends of the fixed road axle. It will now be seen that the amount of
movement required at this vertical axis or line of centre is very little and such
compensatory movement of these pinions I obtain by fitting a universal swivel
joint as part of such pinion so that its axis or centre of movement strikes the
aforesaid vertical central line. These universal joints are driven from the ends
of the differential counter shaft: the first portion of this swivel or universal
movement I preferably get by means of a cross pin with hardened ends fitted
into (or a part of) the differential counter shaft, I construct a sphere or ball
which I bore through sufficiently large and cross drill with two holes to fit
on these two projecting pegs or centres. At right angles to these two holes I
form two feathers or key ways and I now slit this sphere into halves through
these two radial feathers or key ways, I now clamp these two halves on to the
studs ready to receive them on the differential counter shaft ends and I con-
struct my pinion also in two halves but circumferentially that is at right angles
with the keyway in the sphere just described; I bore these pinions out so as to

page_text: 1
fit the sphere and to allow of the movement of same within them at right
angles with the movement of the sphere on the ends of differential axle and
having cut two keyways or fitted two feathers I fit these over the sphere and
fasten them together with screwing or by pins through the two halves and thus
obtain a universal swivelling pinion swivelling on the same vertical centre or
axis as the steering wheels which it drives or I may use a universal swivelling
joint made entirely from a sphere of ball in which case I do not need to make my
pinion in two halves or to use a cross pin with hardened ends, or I may, by adopt-
ing the said position of my driving counter shaft being in a vertical line with
the steering and driving wheel axle and by arranging and fitting a small chain
wheel so that its centre shall be in a vertical line or axis with the horizontal
swivel joint between the road axle and front wheel arrange to drive by means
of a chain instead of by spur gear as just described. My driving mechanism I
arrange as follows:-on my crank shaft I fit two pinions, one for slow speed and
one for fast speed, all intermediate speeds being easily obtained by regulating
the engine speed by means of the governors. These two pinions I permanently
gear into two cupped spur wheels which run free on the differential or counter
shaft and are kept in position by collars: fixed on and part of this counter shaft
and fitted so as to be located inside each of these cupped wheels are expansible
friction clutches, expanded by levers which in turn are actuated by the sliding
along on the differential or counter shaft of a sleeve with stepped 'diameters
with inclines increasing in diameter; this is provided with a lateral movement
in each direction and coming into contact with either or the two levers spreads
open the levers and expands the inner clutch on its periphery, this grips the
inner cupped portion of gear wheel and may be allowed to slip or grip dead by
moving the sleeve laterally along, so that, another step on its circumference
comes into contact, thus spreading the levers still further open; by withdrawing
this sleeve, the levers close together being actuated by springs and also by the
normal condition of the metal of the expansible clutch and so ceases to drive
or continue in gear with the crank shaft.
'
The reversing gear I arrange by fitting into the side of the low geared
cupped wheel on counter shaft, a bevel wheel geared into this I fix a ring
carrying one or more small bevel pinions and fixed on to the counter shaft I
secure another bevel wheel, which may be larger, smaller or the same size as the
first bevel wheel mentioned according to required speed: on the outer diameter
of this ring carrying the one or more small bevel pinions (and which aforesaid
ring is constructed so as to enclose the whole reversible gearing) I provide a
friction brake: by applying this brake I hold stationary the said ring carrying
the small bevel pinions and thus set up a reversing motion which drives the
car backward as and when required. I arrange this brake for the reversing
motion so as to be actuated by a foot lever, which I so arrange that it remains
locked while the car is running forward and can only be applied when the
forward gear is cut out. This prevents the reversing gear being accidentally
applied while, the car is being driven forwards. I accomplish this by only
allowing the foot lever controlling the reversing motion to be depressed when a
slot is brought into a certain position and this position is only obtained when
both the forward clutches are out of gear.
All these parts are grouped and held in rigid relation to each other by means
of a frame constructed as previously explained: the differential or balance
gear.is of the usual description having a band brake on its outer circumference
and carries a sleeve on which the cupped gear wheels and driving clutches
and reversing motion are arranged.
Dated this 24th day of February 1899.

page_text: r
Improvements in Motors for Propulsion of Vehicles and their
Mechanisms and Arrangements for Steering and Propelling
same.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, of "Ferndale," Church Road, Moseley, near the
City of Birmingham, 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 has relation to self-propelled or motor-driven common-road
vehicles, and consists, first, in an improved method of driving and steering the
vehicles; secondly in a new arrangement of the motor and its mechanism and
driving gear; and thirdly, in a new construction of framing, the said improve-
ments being applicable to vehicles driven either by gas, steam, oil, acetylene or
electric motors.
The existing types of motors are arranged in such a manner as to cause (1st)
great difficulty of access to the working and vital parts (2nd) faulty distribution
of weight and (3rd) faulty application of tractive power, the two latter features
combining to create serious and dangerous conditions on greasy roads and down-
-hill grades, causing the rear portion of car to skid or slide sometimes to the
extent of reversing the direction of travel, the car turning completely round,
but by my invention, these objectionable features are overcome, and a method
of construction is employed which permits of the coachbuilding-and-mechanical
parts of the motor car industry being distinctly defined and separated without
the necessity of making different arrangements of mechanical details for every
different superstructure.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of the
framing, motors, driving and steering mechanism of a self-propelled vehicle
driven by oil or similar explosion engines and constructed and arranged in
accordance with one form of my invention, the said framing being adapted to
support any design or construction of carriage body or superstructure.
Figure 2 is a topside plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the said vehicle, showing the arrangement
of, and method of mounting, the pair of motors employed for the propulsion of
the same,
Figure 4 represents a cross section of the vehicle, taken upon the dotted line ²,
and looking forwardly so as to show the rear or inner ends of the casings
enclosing the driving and speed gear.
Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of one of the motors, showing certain parts
removed to permit of the piston being withdrawn without the whole engine
having to be taken down or dismantled.
Figure 6 shows another enlarged elevation of the engine, but showing the
arrangement of the exhaust-valve gearing.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 represent different detail views of one of the swivelling
pinions employed for communicating motion to the combined steering and
driving wheels of the vehicle.
Figure 10 shows a horizontal section of the driving hub of one of the said
steering and driving wheels.
Figure 11 represents a portion of the said hub in vertical section upon the
dotted line, Figure 10.
Figure 12 is a similar view to Figure 11, but upon a considerably enlarged
scale, and Figure 13 represents an elevation of this part, whilst Figure 14 shows

page_text: a view looking from the inner end, both Figures 13 and 14 being drawn to the
same scale as Figure 12. Figure 15 is an enlarged view, partly in section,
showing the arrangement of the gear.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawings.
In the form of vehicle shown in the said drawings, the framing is rectangular
in form and is made up of two parts, constructed principally from tubular
members. The front part a, upon which the motors and driving gear are
mounted, and which is carried by the combined steering and driving wheels c,
consists of a pair of hollow or tubular side members a', terminating forwardly in
hollow junction sockets a² to which are secured, the opposite ends of a cylin-
drical exhaust chamber a³, disposed along the front of, and constituting a part,
or one of the members of, the said framing, with the two side tubes being braced
together, and the exhaust chamber detachably fastened in position, by a trans-
verse bolt at, fitted at its outer ends with nuts a5, which are wrung up against
the outer faces of the corner junctions a², whose inner sides have enlarged and
sunken parts a, forming end caps or covers for the said chamber a³. The other
ends of the side tubes a¹, take into and are secured within other sockets a',
arranged at the opposite rear corners of the front frame, which is coupled up to
the hind portion b, by a swivelling and yielding joint d, so arranged as to
admit of the front frame-having a limited amount of independent cross rocking
movement relative to the back frame, or vice versa, and thereby prevent the
twisting of the structure by the strains set up when the vehicle is running over
uneven surfaces.
The said rear or hind frame b, is longer than the front portion, and is sup-
ported upon a pair of wheels e. It consists of side tubes b', taking at back
into the sockets 62, of corner junction pieces, the inner sides of which are
expanded and recessed at 6%, to form end caps or covers to a cylindrical exhaust-
silencer b, which is in communication internally with the side tubes b', and
constitutes an end part of the frame, being detachably connected thereto by a
transverse bolt b, passing axially through it and the corner junctions and having
nuts 5, at its ends for clamping the said parts together. Forwardly, the mem-
bers b, terminate in sockets 6, in. communication with the corresponding
sockets a, of the front frame, whilst the rear frame is provided with a series of
brackets or feet f, whereon the superstructure or body of the carriage, which
may be of any desired character or design, is supported.
The swivelling joint or coupling between the front or motor frame and the
separate rear or body-supporting frame, is made by a series of coupling pins
or bolts d, 2, 3, the first of which forms the central pivot, and is passed in
the longer direction of the vehicle through a coincident pair of bearing
sleeves as, 68, formed at the middles of transverse stays or girder members aº, 6º,'
arranged across the meeting ends of the two frames and having their outer ter-
minations respectively in opposed face plates 10, 610, which come together and
work against one another when the one part of the frame makes a transverse
rocking movement relative to the other. The frame-tube junction sockets a, b,
respectively form parts of, or are connected to, these face plates and the relative
rocking movements of the two parts of the frame are limited by the bolts or
coupling pins d², d³, being passed respectively through plain holes such as a",
in the one plate and taking into curved slots or races such as a12, in the other
plate. Further, in order to admit of the said coupling having a certain amount
of longitudinal play or elasticity, pairs of rubber washers d, are strung upon the
coupling pins to come upon the opposite sides of the connected parts.
The exhaust gases from the motors are led into the front chamber a and
pass thence through the side tubes a¹, b¹, to the silencing chamber 63, at the
rear and in order to permit of the gases passing from the one set of tubes to
the other, no matter what the relative positions of the two parts of the frame
may be, the tubes a³, lead into elongated openings or ports such as a¹³, formed

page_text: or sunken in the faces of the plates a¹0, and parts of which are always coincident
with openings in the plates 610, leading to the tubes b', so that there is no
interruption of the passage of the exhaust gases whilst the escape of gases
.through the spaces between the opposed plates. is prevented by the interposition
of suitable packing.
A pair of motors are employed, either one or both of which may be used for
driving at the same time, so that in the event of either motor being deranged,
it can immediately be thrown out of gear and the vehicle driven by the one
motor only. The drive of the crank shafts. of the two engines is communicated
through clutches (preferably of the friction type) and suitable speed and
differential or balance gearing to a countershaft disposed over and parallel with
.the main axle, the whole of the said gearing being enclosed in dust proof and
oil-tight casings having means for inspecting the running parts, whilst both
the motors, with the whole of the gearing and enclosure casings, are detachably
connected by brackets and other means, as hereinafter fully described, to the
front part of the framing.
Thus, g, h are the two motors the motion of whose crank shafts g', h¹, are
disposed parallel to one another and in the longer direction of the vehicle and
have fly wheels g², h2, at their rearward ends whilst their motion is communicated,
through friction or other clutches t, u to sleeves t', u', carrying pinions at 9³, h³
adapted to transmit the drive, through any suitable arrangement of intervening
speed gearing disposed at i, to a single longitudinally-disposed shaft j, which
in turn communicates motion through a balance gear 1, to the countershaft k,
which drives the road wheels c, by other gearing hereafter to be described.
By transmitting the drive of the motor crank shafts to the gearing through the
medium of friction or other clutches, no effort need be made to keep the said
motors in any gear position-relative to each other, and either or both of them
are free to take up their drive at any time, or at any part of their respective
cycles, thereby overcoming the difficulty which has hitherto existed in getting
two or more motors, when geared or working together, to properly synchronize.
The driving clutches, together with the speed gearing, are enclosed within an
oil-tight and dust-proof casing m, made in two longitudinally-divided halves m',
m², of which the bottom half m², is supported at the front end-by and bolted
to a pair of brackets m³, carried on the framing and at the other end by another
bracket, such as m³, which may also support the rear bearing, of the shaft j.
The top of the casing is detachable from the bottom part, being bolted thereto
at m³, m, and elsewhere as may be necessary, whilst the part surrounding the
speed or change gear has an opening covered by a removable lid ¹, to admit
of the inspection of the said gear as and when required. The differential gear j',
is enclosed within a separate casing, and the countershaft k, with which it
is connected, runs laterally within the casing m, and its ends k, work within
split bearings m², supported by wings such as m³, directed from the opposite sides
of the bottom half m².
By this arrangement of enclosed gearing, the driver may, whilst the vehicle
is still in motion, and without losing control of the same, by removing the
cover plate of the gear box, inspect the mechanism, which can be seen running
and any irregularity at once detected.
The motors g and h are supported at the front from the framing and at back
by gearing case, the front supports consisting of a pair of arms g, h, proceeding
upwards from the corner lugs 2, and having forked upper ends g, h, adapted
to receive pins g, h, on the fronts of the crank boxes 98, hs, which are there
retained preferably by conical ended nuts g, h, taking into corresponding coned
seatings in the forked ends, although other equivalent connections may be em-
ployed. The other supports consist of angle brackets 10, 10, attached to the
end of the gear case m and having the crank boxes secured to them by bolts gl, h".
The cylinders g, h, are also braced together by transverse stays g¹³, 13,

page_text: secured by the same upright bolts g, h, as effect the fastening of the said
cylinders to their respective crank boxes.
The engines may be of any suitable type, but I prefer to employ petroleum
motors with their exhaust pipes g, h, leading into the chamber a³, and with
their crank boxes having open fronts closed by bolted-on covers and removable
plates g, h, and, as will be seen from Figure 5, the piston g7, of each engine
is attached in the usual way to the connecting-rod g18, which drives onto a crank
disc g, but the bearing 920, encircling the crank pin 2, is split or made in two
separable parts in order to facilitate the removal of the piston for cleaning,
renewing the rings or the like, without having to first dismantle the engine or
even interfere in any way with the working parts. Thus, to remove the piston;
the crank box cover plate g16, is first removed and the connecting rod detached
from the crank disc, then the cover g22, of the cylinder is unbolted, when by
introducing a key n, provided for the purpose through the open top end and
screwing the same into a wormed recess 923, in the upper side of the piston, the
latter, with connecting rod attached, can be readily lifted out of place.
The engine also has an improved arrangement of exhaust-governor gear by
which the exhaust and gas valve may be taken out without interfering with any
of the other parts, or without having to throw the said gear out of time with
the crank shaft, which would upset its determined and proper actuation of the
inlet and exhaust valves and would otherwise necessitate considerable trouble
in resetting the valves and gear when the engine was re-assembled. My new
arrangement consists in locating the valve gear within a swinging casing o,
enclosing the pinion o¹, on the crank shaft g', gearing with the toothed wheel 2,
which has twice as many teeth as the pinion so that its countershaft o³, which is
carried in suitable bearings in the box o, makes only one rotation to every two
of the main shaft. A cam on the countershaft is arranged to lift, at the proper
moment, a slide o*, whose upper end, when raised, comes against and lifts a rod 05,
connected with the exhaust valve, which is subsequently closed again onto its
seating by a spring of. Extending from one side of this governor gear box is a
curved arm o, having a quadrant slot 8, taking over a pin 9, projecting from
the fixed side of the crank box and having a clamping nut o10, upon its wormed
end. by the screwing up of which the casing o, and the whole of the gearing
enclosed within it is locked in its proper position, but when the said nut is
slackened, then the whole of these parts may be swung to one side upon the
crank shaft as the centre without the position of the lifting cam relative to the
valve slide, and the crank shaft from which the movements of the whole of
these parts are timed, being deranged.
In the event that one of the motors becomes deranged in running, or that
only one motor is required to propel the vehicle, then in order to prevent power
being expended unnecessarily in compressing air in the idle cylinder, I provide
an attachment by means of which the exhaust valve is open and kept in this
condition for as long as may be necessary, thus leaving an open passage for
the escape of air from the cylinder when the piston (which reciprocates by the
motion communicated to the idle crank shaft from the speed gear) makes an
upward stroke. The attachment, which is represented in section in Figure 6*,
consists of a screw box or internally threaded boss p, with a coarse and quick-
pitched thread, encircling a correspondingly threaded upper end of a fixed
sleeve, surrounding a cam-lifted slide of. This boss has a bearing at its
lower edge against a part of the casing o, whilst a collar 012, formed on the
said slide rests upon its top edge. An arm pl. is provided on one side of the
screw box and from it a connecting rod proceeds to a lever within convenient
reach of the driver, and when the one engine is to be cut out, this lever is
operated to rotate the screw-box and thereby raise the slide, the lower end of
which is taken out of the range of the cam. whilst the top end comes against
the end of, and lifts the valve stem o, whereby the valve is raised from its seat-
ing and maintained in this position until the screw box is rotated in the reverse

page_text: direction to lower the slide and permit the valve to again close. This device
may also be used for relieving the motion on starting.
The motion of the countershaft is communicated to the driving road-wheels c
which are also the steering wheels, by a special arrangement of pinion gearing
adapted not only to transmit the rotary motion but also to permit of said wheels
being turned in a vertical plane for steering whilst the countershaft still remains
in a constant and fixed position relative to the rest of the driving gear, as it
must necessarily do, and to accomplish these objects, I provide a special internal
hub for these steering and driving wheels, which will allow the ends of the
stationary front road axle to locate their swivelling centres or pivots upon
which these steering wheels shall swivel or hinge in an horizontal plane only
inside the said internal hubs in such a manner that the centres on which they
swivel shall be in a vertical line or centre through the driven pinions on the
countershaft and wheels into which these pinions gear. These internal hubs,
which only move in an horizontal plane for the purpose of steering, form the
bearing axle for the hub of the driving and steering road wheels which are
arranged and constructed to revolve upon these said internal hubs which as
explained from the horizontal swivel ends of the fixed road axle. It will now be
seen that the amount of movement required at this vertical axis or line of centre
is very little and such compensatory movement of these pinions is obtained by
fitting a universal swivel joint as part of such pinion, with the said joints
being driven from the ends of the differential countershaft. In the drawing,
the construction of the pinions and their joints is clearly shown in Figures 7,
8 and 9, of which Figure 7 shows an elevation of one of the joints, looking from
the inner side with the countershaft end in section. Figure 8 shows a side
elevation with the pinion in transverse section and Figure 9 represents a plan
but with the pinion in transverse section:
The combined driving pinions and universal joints at the ends of the counter-
shaft, are marked p. Each of them is of a flat circular end p¹, carried by
the shaft, with a hardened pin or stud 2, projecting from each side in a direction
at right angles to the length of the shaft, and taking onto the said studs so as
to admit of swivelling thereon, are two half spheres 73, secured to one another so
as to work in unison and having formed around them, circumferential ribs,
feathers or keys, the arrangement of which is clearly shown in Figures 7, 8
and 9. Each pinion 25 is bored out internally to fit onto the sphere and is also
circumferentially divided into two bolted-together halves 76, 77, to facilitate the
fitting of the same onto the said ball or sphere, whose keys engage with corre-
sponding keyways 78, cut transversely through the inner periphery of the
pinion, which thus is free to rock in one direction upon the said ball whilst
the latter is capable of turning or swivelling in a right angled direction upon
the studs projecting from the end of the rotating axle.
By this construction I obtain a universal swivelling pinion, swivelling on the
same vertical centre as the combined steering and driving wheels to which
motion is communicated by the teeth of the pinions p³, gearing with the teeth
of toothed wheels 7 secured to the inner sides of the road wheels, which
are universally or swivelly jointed to their stationary axle c, by
suitable means, but preferably by the special construction of hub repre-
sented in Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. Each end g of the axle is
expanded into a circular or enlarged bearing, having hardened pivot studs g
about which the hub turns for steering. The said hub is made of two parts
the inner part 3, of which is connected with the steering mechanism and is
capable only of a swivelling movement in a horizontal plane around the pivot
studs, as centres, whilst the other and outer part 9, of the said hub is the
rotating member and carries the driving toothed wheel q. The inner portion ³,
has gaps or clearances at 93, to admit of the hub being introduced onto the
axle, to which it is secured by outside screw ring nuts 76. taking over the
opposite pivots 92, on the axle end and into screwed holes 97, on the opposite
sides of the part 28, of the inner member, which has projecting from its end,

page_text: a stalk or stem 7", screwed to receive an adjustable ball-raced cone go, and
another ball race is formed at ", whilst the rotating outer part q³, of the hub
has corresponding ball races at 12, 13, with anti-friction balls q¹, being disposed
between the relatively fixed and rotating portions of the hub for minimising
friction.
The pinions, toothed wheel and swivelling joints may be enclosed in dust
and oil tight casing, such as r, whilst to provide for the lubrication of the
pivots g, or other parts of the hub joint, an oil passage q, may be drilled along
the stalk, and terminate in an annular oil chamber q16, surrounding the bearing
end q, of the axle.
To steer the vehicle I propose to provide a suitably-mounted steering rods,
having at one end a hand wheel s¹, within convenient reach of the driver and a
pinions, at the other end engaging with a toothed quadrant 3, whose inner end
swings with and is secured to a pin or centre st, preferably carried by a U-shaped
bracket carried by the stationary road axle, whilst made fast to the said
centre pin is a double-armed lever s6, working within the space between the
branches of the bracket and having its arms s, connected by means of rods 8,
with other arms 218, projecting from the inner and swivelling portion of the road
wheel hubs.
By this arrangement both the wheels are made to swivel together and simul-
taneously in a vertical plane for steering but the one which has to come inner-
most in turning and has consequently to describe the smaller curve, is made to
take a less acute angle relative to the axle than the outermost wheel, as shown
by the dotted lines in Figure 2. The pinions on the driving countershaft and
the toothed wheels on the road wheels, by reason of their intermeshing teeth,
are moved with, and to the same extent as, the said road wheels so that the
drive is continuous and not affected or uninterrupted by the change of position
of the road wheels relative to its axle for steering."
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 the driving mechanism of motor-driven road vehicles, communicat-
ing motion from a driven shaft or countershaft to a pair of road wheels, which
are both drivers and steerers, by means of swivelly jointed pinions on the said
countershaft gearing with toothed wheels connected with the said road wheels,
which are also swivelly jointed, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described, and as set forth in Figures 1 to 4 and 7 to 14 of the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly: In driving mechanism for motor-driven vehicles, as referred to
in the preceeding claim, the employment of combined universal or swivelling
joint and driving pinion, with the latter part working over the former and
being guided in its movement by feathers or projections upon the one part
working within grooves in the other, substantially as and for the purpose described
and also as set forth in Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly: In driving mechanism for motor-driven road vehicles as referred
to in the First Claim, the construction and arrangement of the hubs of the
driving and steering road wheels, each hub consisting of an inner part swivelly
jointed to an axle or non-rotating axle and a rotating outer part carrying or
being connected to a toothed wheel or pinion, to which motion is communicated
either directly from a swivelling pinion on a driving shaft, or by chain gearing,
substantially as herein described, and also as set forth in Figures 1 to 4 and 10
to 14 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly In motor-driven road vehicles the construction and arrangement
of the mechanism for both driving and steering the vehicle by one pair of
wheels, the whole being combined and operating substantially as herein described
and as set forth in Figures 1 to 4 and 15 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Fifthly In motor-driven road vehicles, the construction and arrangement of
the mechanism for communicating motion from a pair of motors to a driving
counter shaft, the whole of the said gearing being enclosed within a dust-proof
casing carrying the bearings of the said countershaft and being mounted upon
the framing of the vehicle substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein described and as set forth in Figures 1 to 4 and 15 of the accompanying
drawings.
Sixthly: In road vehicles driven by oil motors and having tubular framing
members, utilizing the said frame members or some of them, as exhaust silencers
by arranging the said tubes in conjunction with exhaust chambers, substantially
as herein described and also as set forth in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
Seventhly A motor for motor-driven road vehicles, having a crank box with
a removable cover plate or equivalent, a detachable connection between the piston
rod and crank pin and a removable cylinder cover, whereby the piston and
piston rod may be removed without having to take down or otherwise disturb
the motor, substantially as herein described and as set forth in Figure 5.
Eightly In the exhaust-valve governor gearing, mounting or enclosing
the said gear within a swinging casing adapted to swivel about the crank shaft
or around its bearing boss, which casing may be provided with a quadrant slotted
arm working over a pin and clamped by a nut, or with other means of fastening,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described, and as set forth in Figure 6.
Ninthly: A motor-driven vehicle, propelled by two or more independent or
self-contained motors, with the motion being iransmitted from their crank
shafts to the driving mechanism through the medium of friction or other
clutches, substantially as and for the purpose herein described, and also as
set forth in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 15 of the accompanying drawings.
Dish law of Na1000
ROBERT FREDERICK HALL
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.