Improvements in Steering Devices or Under-frames for the Fore Carriages of Motor-cars.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steering Devices or Under-frames for the Fore
Carriages of Motor-cars.
I, JOHANN GEISENHOF, of Landsberg, Bavaria in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer 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 improved steering arrangement is shown in the annexed drawing in Fig. 1
in front view and in Fig. 2 in plan view and consists of a new and peculiar system
comprising a divided axle. Such divided axle in comparison with simple car axles
shows certain advantages, but also an inconvenience as with the divided axle
there takes place an excessive strain of the pivots or turning joints, which grows
with the increasing weight and has hitherto made its use for vans altogether
impossible.
In order to adapt this system also for vans and to make it advantageous for
other motor cars, the following improvement has been devised :-
Each of the steering wheel axles a a is prolonged inwards to form two lever like
arms a' a' and the two ends are (at a small elevation) connected together by the
toothed ares a². Above the steering wheel axles and connected therewith by the
pivots b b, is an undivided axle c upon which rest with their centre the segments dd,
T'he
which are also fixed at their end-points on the carriage frame bars e e.
toothed arcs a extend over these segments and rest on them, so that the axles a
are supported on the wheel and also on the segment. On the middle of the axle c
is seated turnably and eccentrically a toothed wheel f, which gears with both
toothed arcs a2 and which can be turned either directly by a steering rod led
upwards to the seat of the driver and provided there with a band wheel or as here,
for easier operation, by means of the transmission wheels gh. In the latter case
the steering rod i is fixed on the wheel g and transfers movement to the wheel /
fixed on the axle k common to it and to the eccentric wheel f.
By this peculiar arrangement the pivots are much less strained and an easy
steering is obtained also with heavy load.
The eccentricity of the wheelf and that of the toothed arcs a² must of course be
in exactly measured proportion, so that the car wheels, as shown in Fig. 3 describe
on a curve two exactly parallel lines as with a fixed axle turning round its middle
point in the usual construction of carriage fore-frame. The wheel directed
inwards to the curve must therefore undergo always a greater turning movement
and the exterior wheel m less turning round the point b. The diameter of the
toothed wheelf is so measured, that a fourth of its revolution brings the steering
axles into their extreme position and the eccentricity of the toothed arcs a² accords
with this. Its eccentricity is so calculated, that at this extreme position the
prolonged axle lines m¹ cut one another in a point n common with the prolonged
axis line o of the back wheels as will be seen from the diagram Fig. 3.
t
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
Improved front wheel steering device for motor cars with divided axle, in which

page_text: the axle parts a are prolonged in lever like arms a' which provided with eccentric
toothed arcs a² extend by means of these toothed arcs over segments & fixed on the
undivided axle c and which arms a¹ find on the latter a further support besides that
upon the wheels and are adapted to be turned by means of an eccentric wheel for
the purpose set forth.
Dated this 16th day of December 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents to Applicant.