Improvements in Devices for Steering Motor Driven Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th June, 1896.
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Steering Motor Driven Road
Vehicles.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON, of the City of Racine, in the County of
Racine, and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to devices for steering road vehicles and comprises a
steering trolley running on overhead rails or cables and an arm or other means for
connecting said trolley to the steering apparatus on the vehicle the whole being so
constructed and arranged that the lateral movements of the arm or other connector
due to the deviation of the vehicle from its true course will operate to control the
steering apparatus and so automatically bring the vehicle back to its proper course.
The said overhead trolley is pushed or drawn on its rails or cables by the vehicle
which may be driven by any suitable mechanical means.
My invention is specially applicable to power-driven vehicles using electricity
oil or steam motors, and where the vehicle runs on a road without rails.
When applying my improvements to vehicles driven by electricity supplied
from a central station through overhead wires I may use the arm of the steering
trolley for making the necessary connection between the overhead wires and the
vehicle. A return overhead wire will be used in this case for the return current.
Dated this 24th day of June 1896..
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Devices for Steering Motor Driven Road
Vehicles.
I, EDWARD JOEL PENNINGTON, of the City of Racine, in the County of
Racine, and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 relates to devices for steering motor driven road vehicles and
comprises a steering pulley or the like running on an overhead rail or cable and
an arm or other means for connecting said pulley to the steering apparatus on the
vehicle the whole being so constructed and arranged that the lateral movements
of the arm or other connector due to the deviation of the vehicle from its true
course will operate to control the steering apparatus and so automatically bring the
vehicle back to its proper course. The said overhead pulley is pushed or drawn on
its rail or cable by the vehicle.
Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates in perspective one

page_text: mode of carrying my invention into practice as applied to a four wheeled road
vehicle driven either by an internal combustion engine or a steam engine or
electric motor the steering forks A, A of the front wheels are furnished with
arms B, B connected by a link C, the lateral movements of which operate to steer
the vehicle. D is an arm pivoted to the vehicle at D₁ and carrying at its
upper end a flanged pulley or sheave E which runs upon the wire or cable F by
which the steering is controlled. The said wire or cable is supported by brackets
such as G¹ carried by pillars G or otherwise and constructed so that the pulley E
-can pass them readily. The lower end of the arm D is forked and engages with a
pin on the link C.
It will be obvious that should the vehicle when travelling on the road deviate
from its proper course the arm D will operate to move the link C and so turn the
steering wheels in such a direction as will instantly bring the vehicle back to its
proper course. The details of construction may be varied without departing from
the spirit of my invention, for instance, the pulley E is in some instances, arranged
underneath the wire, or cable in which case the arm D is supported by a spring
which keeps the pulley in contact with the cable.
When applying my improvements to vehicles driven by electricity supplied from
a central station through an overhead wire 1 may use the arm D for making the
necessary connection between the overhead wire and the vehicle. A return
overhead wire will be used in this case for the return current.
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 means for steering a motor driven road vehicle, said means comprising
an overhead wire or cable, and an arm connected at its lower end to the steering
apparatus of the vehicle and carrying at its upper end a pulley or the like which
travels in engagement with the said wire or cable, substantially as described.
2. For steering a motor driven road vehicle the means constructed substan-
tially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and operating as
specified.
3. The employment of the steering arm D for conveying the electric current to
-a motor on the vehicle, substantially as described.
T
of 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.