Improvements in and relating to Power Propelled Road Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Power Propelled Road Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 59, Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
in the City of Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates more particularly to that class of power propelled vehicles
suitable for use on common roads and its object is to provide a vehicle frame-
work constructed and suspended in a novel and efficient manner and further
arrange improvements in the driving mechanism.
The improvements consist generally in a novel arrangement of tubular frame
work, a special joint or bracket used in the construction of the same, a method
of suspension of the framework upon the road wheels, and a power transmission
drum and all specially applicable to small road cars of the three wheel type.
The means for carrying the improvements into effect as applied to a three
wheeled vehicle in which the rear or single wheel is used to propel and the front
wheels are used for steering is as follows.-A single transverse and horizontal tube
of large diameter lias attached to it, two longitudinal and vertical frames prefer-
ably of the usual diamond pattern and at the front and top ends thereof. These
longitudinal frames are placed a sufficient distance apart to contain the propelling
mechanism between their under members and to allow room for the driver's or
passenger's seat above the top members while the lower longitudinal members are
prolonged in front and curved suitably upwards to provide the usual foot rest.
Placed on either side and slightly in front of the diamond frames are the two
front or steering wheels suspended in forks which in turn are carried on steering
heads attached to extensions of the transverse horizontal tube of large diameter
hereinbefore referred to. To these extensions and to prolongations of the back
raked members of the diamond frames a single tubular member is attached in
such a manner that while further tyeing the framework together it forms a hand
rail round the seat, and further suitable cross stays connect the diamond frames
and carry the motor and the fork which holds the rear or propelling wheel.
In attaching the various tubular members of the vehicle frame herein before
described it is preferred especially in transverse connections to employ the fol-
lowing novel and simple bracket. Two flat metal strips similar in form are pro-
vided and they are constructed of parallel strips cut with a rebate along each
edge and semi-circular terminations forming heads at either end with holes the
diameter of the tubes to be connected arranged therein. These strips are bent
about their centre in such a manner that they form fork pieces with their heads
parallel and the tubular holes therein co-axial and the dimensions of these forks
are such that one pair of forks can interlock at right angles one fork with the
other by the rebates behind their heads and so form a fastening or bracket for
two tubes at right angles one with the other. The final fixing of the fork pieces
may be made by soldering in the usual manner.
The means employed for suspending the road wheels in a three wheeled vehicle

page_text: are preferably applied to the framework constructed as hereinbefore described.
The two front wheels are similarly suspended and the description of one as follows
will therefore suffice. The wheel spindle at either extremity has keyed to it a
small pinion which gears within suitable small racks rigidly attached to the carry-
ing fork and this fork is slotted out for some distance to receive springs or their
equivalents placed above and below the wheel spindle and bearings. The wheel
thus revolves loose in the usual manner upon the ball bearings mounted on the
spindle and this spindle has a movement up and down the forks restrained by the
springs thus providing increased resilience, while keeping the spindle parallel
in its fork, by the small pinions and racks.
The single rear or propelling wheel is driven by a pneumatic friction drum
hereinafter described and the forks carrying this propelling wheel are attached
by pivots at or about the frictional point of contact of the drum so that the
motion of the propelling wheel due to uneven roads and the like does not effect
the transmission of power from the friction wheel.
The improved power transmission drum especially applicable to small road
cars of the class herein before described is arranged as follows. A wheel with the
exterior of its rim concave is provided with a pneumatic tyre cover and tube. The
outer cover is preferably attached over the rim and held on the inner side thereof
by inner flanges or other suitable means and the cover is so constructed with its
textile fabric of spirally arranged threads that when deflated it lies in upon the
concave exterior rim, but when inflated these threads when fully extended form
a flat surface across the concave rim. That is to say each individual thread though
going partly round the rim in a curved form would touch imaginary straight trans-
verse lines placed from point to point of the concave, and thus form a flat
pneumatic drum. This drum is employed as the friction drive used on small motor
road vehicles.
Dated this 4th day of April 1898.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
Improvements in and relating to Power Propelled Road Vehicles.
I, Frederick WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 59, Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
in the City of Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 more particularly to that class of power propelled vehicles
suitable for use on common roads, and its object is to provide a vehicle frame-
work constructed and suspended in a novel and efficient manner, and further
arrange improvements in the driving mechanism.
The improvements consist generally in a novel arrangement of tubular frame-
work, a special joint or bracket used in the construction of the same, a method
of suspension of the framework upon the road wheels, and a power transmission
drum, and all specially applicable to small road cars of the three wheel type.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrate the means employed to carry
the invention into effect as follows.-
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively side elevation and partial plan of the improve-
ments in the framework.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 are two views of the improved tubular joint or bracket.
Figures 5 and 6 are two views illustrating the improved method of suspending
the framework upon the road front wheels.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 are three views of the improved power transmission drum.
The means for carrying that part of the invention into effect illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings and as applied to a three wheeled vehicle in
which the rear or single wheel is used to propel and the front wheels are used for
steering are as follows. A single transverse and horizontal tube a of large
diameter has attached to it two longitudinal and vertical frames bb preferably
of the usual diamond pattern as shown. These longitudinal frames bb are placed
a sufficient distance apart to contain the propelling mechanism between their
under members and to allow room for the drivers or passengers seat above the
top members, while the lower longitudinal members are extended forward to cc
and curved suitably upwards to carry the usual footboard or rest.
Placed on either side and slightly in front of the diamond frame bb are the
two front or steering wheels dd suspended on forks which in turn are carried on
steering heads ee attached to extensions of the transverse horizontal tube a here-
inbefore referred to. To the aforesaid extensions of the tube and to two prolon-
gations ff of the back raked members of the diamond frames bb, a single tubular
member is attached and in such a manner that while further bracing and rein-
forcing the framework, it also forms a handrail round the passengers seat. The
rear or driving wheel is mounted so as to be free to revolve on the rear frame h-
which is built up of a cross axle and two side tubes keyed or otherwise suitably
secured together, and this frame his pivoted at or about which is the frictional
point of contact of the driving drum hereinafter to be described with the rear
wheel; so that the motion of the propelling wheel due to uneven roads and the
like. does not affect the transmission of power. The car is preferably suspended
as shown by laminated springs jj. The bottom brackets kk of the diamond
frames may be connected by a cross tube if desired, or left clear so as to better
accommodate the driving mechanism and any other suitable cross ties to further
brace the diamond frames together substituted.
In attaching the various tubular members of the vehicle frame herein before
described together, it is preferred especially in transverse connections to employ
the improved form of joint shown at Figures 3 & 4. Two flat sheet metal
strips m similar in form are provided, and they are constructed of parallel pieces
cut with a rebate along each edge with semicircular terminations, thus forming
shoulders at n. These strips are bent about their centre in such a manner that
they form fork pieces with their head parallel and tubular holes formed therein
coaxial and the dimensions of these forks are so arranged that one pair of forks
can interlock at right angles with another as shown at. Figure 4. In the drawing
the tubes are supposed to be of equal diameter and at right angles but it is
evident that the form of the plates or metal strips m can be modified to take tubes
of different diameters and at different angles.
The means employed for suspending the road wheels dd in a three wheeled
vehicle are preferably applied to the framework constructed as hereinbefore
described and in the manner illustrated on Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. The two
front wheels dd are similarly suspended and description of one will therefore
suffice. The wheel spindle or axle o on either extremity has keyed to or formed
integral with it small pinions and these pinions gear with suitable racks q
In the arrangement
rigidly attached to the branches of the carrying fork.
shown the branched forks are constructed of ordinary round tube slotted out
Slide blocks t
longitudinally to allow for the movement of the spindle or axle o.
are provided within the tubes of the fork and these slide blocks are acted upon
by springs and rubber buffers r, while the ends of the branches of the fork are
closed by screwed caps a' which secure all the inner mechanism in position and
which are removed when it is is desired to take out the wheel. Each wheel thus
revolves loose in the usual manner upon ball bearings mounted upon the spindle

page_text: or axle o, while this spindle has a movement up and down the forks, restrained
by springs such as s to provide increased resilience, while the racks g and
pinions preserve and ensure the parallel motion of the axle, when the springs
yield to the inequalities of the road. The letter indicates in dotted lines the
wheel hub.
The improved power transmission drum specially applicable to small road cars
of the class herein before described is constructed as follows with reference to
Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings.-The wheel cl with the exterior of its rim
concave is provided with a pneumatic tyre consisting of an inner tube and a
specially formed outer cover, and this outer cover is attached by lapping over
the rim as shown and by pulling side flanges w over the laps into position by
nuts such as y. The pneumatic cover is so constructed with its textile fabric
of spirally arranged threads that when deflated as in Figure 8 it lies upon the
concave exterior rim v, but when inflated as in Figure 7 the threads are fully
extended and form a flat or slightly convex surface as shown in Figure 7. That
is to say, each individual thread though going partly round the rim in a curved
form would touch imaginary straight transverse lines placed from point to point
of the concave, and thus form a flat pneumatic drum or a drum with a slightly
convex surface. The drum so formed is employed as the friction drive used in
small motor vehicles and would be applied in the vehicle herein before described
and illustrated to operate the driving rear wheel upon the rear frame h.
air valve used in inflating the tyre, and the side elevation shown in Figure 9
shows the construction of the wheel c¹. It is evident that the spiral threads in
the tyre cover could be so arranged that the surface of the drum would when
inflated be quite flat or convex, and in some cases even concave by providing a
deeper rim and laying the fabric on to a spiral of finer pitch.
z is the
The rear or driving wheel of the three wheeled vehicle hereinbefore described
may be actuated by any suitable gearing, such as belts, chains, or ordinary tooth
gear, instead of the special form of friction gear previously described.
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. A vehicle frame consisting of two diamond or trussed frames and outlying
steering heads and seat rail all constructed and connected together substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
2-A spring fork axle connection with parallel motion substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The improved friction drum with diagonal fabric in tension illustrated in
Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improved tube joint substantially as described with reference to
Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of December 1899.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.