Improvements in Means for Propelling Vehicles by Internal Combustion Motors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Propelling Vehicles by Internal
Combustion Motors.
1, FREDERIC O'CONNOR PRINCE, of 37 Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane,
London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the application of the power obtained from the
combustion of a mixture of air and gas or vaporised oil in suitable motor, and has
In propelling vehicles, particularly
special reference to propelling vehicles.
tramcars, by such power, various difficulties have to be overcome, such as,
(a.) Stopping the vehicle: (b.) Starting after stopping: (c.) Giving an increased
and decreased power, and speed quickly: (d.) Where the motor means are fixed at
one end of a car, enabling the car to be turned round at a terminus.
According to parts a, b and c : As gas engine power cannot be introduced into
the cylinder like steam, it is necessary in stopping the vehicle, not to stop the
engine, as in many cases great difficulty would be experienced in restarting the
engine. Further, it would be difficult to regulate varying speeds necessary on
vehicles by attempting to control the speed of the engine. Further, in starting a
vehicle after stopping, a considerably increased power and slow movement is
I meet these points
necessary; so that the vehicle will start without jumping off.
in the following way: I transmit the power of the engine to the bearing wheels of
the vehicle by aid of cone pulleys and endless chain as follows: The engine shaft is
connected to one cone pulley, the smaller end of which comes opposite the large end
of a second cone pulley, the two pulleys being connected by belt. The smaller end
of the top pulley, ends in a straight pulley the width of the belt, and the larger
end of the second cone pulley has a loose pulley opposite or over the small straight
pulley. An arrangement of usual construction is provided to move the belt along
the cones of the pulleys, consequently increasing or decreasing the speed at which
the second pulley runs, irrespective of the speed of the engine. Connected to the
shaft of the second cone pulley, is a small chain wheel, and upon the axle of two of
the bearing wheels, is a second chain wheel of larger diameter: by the above
arrangement, the power of the engine is transmitted to the bearing wheels of the
vehicle, and the speed of the vehicle is regulated by the position of the belt on the
cone pulleys, while the stopping of the vehicle is effected by shifting the belt
off the cone pulleys onto the small straight pulley and loose pulley; and the
starting with the greatest power by shifting the belt off the two latter pulleys onto
the cones.
The whole of these operations can be instantly effected by the driver,
simply by turning a hand wheel, which operates the arrangement for moving the
belt along the pulleys. Connected to this operating handle should be a governing
arrangement to reduce the supply of gas to the engine when the belt is on the loose
pulley.
According to part d: When a car is fitted at one end with the motive power
arrangement, and the car has arrived at a terminus, it is necessary to turn the same
round so that the engine is in front on the next journey. To enable this to be done
without the use of a turntable in the streets, I fit the car with a supplementary
wheel at or near each corner, and at an angle taken from the centre of the car, and
80 arranged that each wheel can be screwed or forced down upon the ground or a

page_text: circular track, to bodily lift up the car to raise the usual bearing wheels off their
rails. To facilitate the turning of the car at the termination of each track,
I arrange a circular rail crossing the rails, for the supplementary wheels to bear
upon when screwed down and secured, so that the car is supported by the
supplementary wheels on this circular track, when the car can be easily turned
round by the driver and conductor; and when the usual bearing wheels come over
their rails, the supplementary wheels are lifted, letting down the bearing wheels
upon their rails. These supplementary bearing wheels are best operated by a loose
fitted on crank handle, turned by hand. In fitting up an existing car, it is proposed
to close up one end entirely. and remove the steps, and place all the machinery on
the platform at that end; for this reason it necessary to turn the car round at a
terminus.
Improvements in Means for Propelling Vehicles by Internal
Combustion Motors.
I, FREDERIC O'CONNOR PRINCE of 37 Cursitor Street Chancery Lane,
London, E.C., Civil 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 relates to an improved method or means for connecting an
internal combustion engine to some of the bearing wheels of a vehicle for
transmitting the power of such engine to propel the vehicle.
In the propulsion of vehicles by such power various difficulties have to be
overcome on account of the motive power of such engines not being capable
of being stored up (like steam for instance,) and introduced direct into the cylinder
to act on the piston. The principal difficulties are, (a,) stopping the vehicle;
(b,) restarting; (c,) increasing the propelling power for restarting; (d) starting
slowly and without jerking; (e) the utmost facility for quickly giving varying
speeds of propulsion to the vehicle without varying the speed of engine; (f) to
allow the engine to continue to run when the vehicle stops; (9.) means whereby a
vehicle running on rails such as a tramcar, having the engine fitted at one end may
be turned round at end of a track to bring the engine in front.
This invention meets the whole of these difficulties in a very simple manner and
effective manner. To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe
the same with aid of the accompanying drawings:
.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, shew my improved manner of mechanism for connecting the
engine to two of the bearing wheels, applied to, for example, a tramway locomotive.
Fig. 1, being a front sectional elevation of so much of sure as is necessary to
describe my invention. Fig. 2, is a plan, and Fig. 3, a cross section.
Fig. 4, is a diagram plan view of a rail or tramway car having means for turning
round the same end for end, and Fig. 5, is a vertical cross section of same on
a larger scale.
Fig. 6, is a plan view of so much of the frame of a motor driven road vehicle as
will be necessary to shew the disposition of the motor and my driving connections.
Fig. 7, is an end elevation of same.
Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A, is the floor of a tramway
locomotive supported by a suitable frame and carried by wheels B.
upon
C, is the motor shaft carried, say, in bearings C', from a frame D, and it is
this shaft C, or upon an extension or connection of same that I key a drum E,
mainly of conical form but preferably made at its smaller end with a plain

page_text: ylindrical portion of sufficient width to take a driving belt F, this arum 1,
ereafter call the "driving cone."
On a shaft G, in this case carried by bearing brackets G¹, below the floor of the
ar, I key a second coned drum H, hereafter termed the "driven cone," the larger
nd of which comes in a line with the smaller end of the cone E, see Fig. 3, but the
arge end of the cone: H, I provide with a loose pulley H', the width of the belt F,
nd free to revolve loosely on the shaft G. It is preferred that the smaller end of
rum E, and loose part at, large end of drum H, shall both be cylindrical but
a continuation of
t will be understood that they can be made conical as
the drums.
J, is a sprocket wheel keyed on the shaft G, and connected by a chain J¹,
Figs. 1, and 2, to a chain wheel J 2, keyed on one of the axles of the road wheels B.
If the vehicle is desired to have great speed the drum H, could be keyed on to
the axle of two of the bearing wheels. The driving belt, F, which connects the
coues E, and H, is fitted with mechanism, whereby it may be adjusted along
the cones, and consequently increasing or decreasing the speed of the driven shaft G,
irrespective of the speed of the motor. To this end I fit a screwed shaft K, free to
revolve in bearings K', K', and having fixed thereon a bevel pinion K 2, by which
it may be rotated through bevel pinion K 3, on shaft K 4, operated by hand
K 6, is a sleeve on the
wheel K 5, Figs. 1, and 2, above the floor of the car.
shaft K, engaging the screw thread thereof, this sleeve is prevented revolving by a
lug K 7, thereon sliding on a fixed guide bar K 8. Projecting laterally from each
side of the sleeve K 6, is a pair of parallel roller arms K 9, which embrace both
sides of the belt F.
In the position the belt is shewn in the drawings the shaft G, would not be
revolved, by reason of the belt being located on the loose pulley H¹, but by
operating the hand wheel K 5, and revolving thereby the shaft K, the sleeve K 6,
would travel on same, and the belt F, carried on to the smaller part of the driving
cone E, and on to the larger part of the driven cone H, whereby the vehicle would
be started at a slow rate of speed with the greatest power: the speed would be
increased by a further movement of the belt controlling sleeve K 6.
It will be readily understood that the whole of these operations of stopping,
starting and regulating the speed of the vehicle can be instantly effected by the
driver simply operating the hand wheel K 5. Should it be found desirable means
may be provided adjacent to the hand wheel K 5, whereby the supply of gas to the
When the motor
motor may be reduced when the belt is on the loose pulley H'.
is mounted at one end of the tramcar body and it is therefore necessary to turn the
whole vehicle end for end upon reaching a terminus and before restarting in the
opposite direction, I provide means, as shewn at Figs. 4, and 5, whereby I dispense
O with the use of a turntable. With this object I fit the car with supplemental
wheels L, at each corner, arranged tangentially to a circle struck from the centre
of the car, these wheels L, see Fig. 5, are supported by vertical shafts L' guided
by brackets L2, fixed to the floor A, of the car, a part of the length of the
shafts L2 are square whereby they pass through the lower bearings of the
5 brackets L 2, while the upper ends of the shafts are screw threaded to take into
nuts L3, having worm wheel L4. L5, L5, are two transverse shafts provided
with worms L 6, gearing with teeth of the wheel L 4, of the nuts L 3, the shafts L 5,
have squared ends L 7, to receive a removable operating crank handle not shewn.
By these means upon the vehicle arriving at the terminus, the operating crank
50 handle may be applied and the wheels L, screwed or forced down upon the ground
or on a circular track so that the car would be supported by the wheels L, and the
road wheels B, lifted from their rails, the car then may be readily turned round and
again lowered on to its rails. In fitting up an existing car it is proposed to close
up one end entirely, remove the steps, and place all the machinery on the platform
55 at that end.
Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, which illustrate the disposition of my invention as
applied to a motor driven road vehicle. The stopping, the starting, and speed

page_text: regulating mechanism is identically similar to that previously described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and being marked with corresponding letters, does
not require a further detailed description. The differences which do exist being
merely in the relative arrangement of the parts. The crank shaft C, is shewn to be
driven by an explosive motor of a suitable type, and M, M, are sprocket pinions on
the driven shaft G, by which motion is cominunicated eto the road wheels, or to a
counter shaft fitted with differential gear from which the road wheels are themselves
driven. To enable the motor to be started an outer end of the shaft C, is made
square to receive a crank handle. N, the motor, N', part of same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The means for transmitting the motive power of an explosion engine to the
bearing wheel or wheels of a vehicle to propel the same, and to give varying speeds
without changing speed of engine, and to enable the vehicle to be stopped and
started without stopping the engine, consisting of, a coned drum connected to the
engine shaft, preferably with a cylindrical extension at the smaller end, a counter
shaft held to be revolved with a coned drum placed opposite to, but end for end,
reversely to the other coned drum, and having a loose portion or pulley close up to
the larger end of drum and opposite the smaller end or cylindrical part of the other
drum, a belt connecting the two drums, means arranged to be operated by hand of
driver for shifting the belt longitudinally on both drums while engine is working,
and, for road vehicles, suitable gearing such as sprocket wheels and endless chain
from the shaft of second drum to bearing wheel or wheels or axle of same,
all substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated by the accompanying
.drawings.
2. The means for turning round a rail vehicle such as tramcar, hereinbefore
described and illustrated at Figs. 4 and 5, of the drawings.
Dated this 17th day of June 1896.
FREDERIC O'CONNOR PRINCE.