Improvements in Speed Regulating, Starting, Stopping, Reversing, and Steering Mechanism for Motor-oars, Launches, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1897-Accepted. 10th Apr., 1997
Improvements in Speed Regulating, Starting, Stopping, Reversing,
and Steering Mechanism for Motor-oars, Launches, and the like.
I, ARTHUR PAGET of 2 Harcourt Buildings, Temple in the County of London.
Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to speed regnlating, starting, stopping, reversing and
steering mechanism for motor-cars, launches and the like when fitted with electric or
other motors as the propelling or driving power.
It has in practice been found difficult to design speed regulating, starting, stopping,
reversing and steering mechanism both rapid in action and easy of manipulation. The
ideal arrangement is one in which the actuation of such nechauism is effected altogether
instinctively on the part of the person driving.
I attain this object according to my invention by means of a combined power
regulating and steering head which not only can be turnod on its axis like the steering
head of a bicycle so as to steer the car, launch or the like, but can also ho moved
backwards and forwards so as to start, stop, reverse and regulate the speed of the car,
launch or the like, the driver acting practically just as in driving a horso.
The manner in which my invention can be carried into effect is as follows:-The
vertical or approximately, vertical shaft of the steering head which carries the steering
arms has a universal joint at or near its lower end so that it can he turned on its axis
in order to steer the car as in steering a bicycle for example and can also be moved
backwards and forwards. The said shaft passes freely through a sliding block which
may if thought necessary be fitted with hall or other anti-friction bearings for the
shaft and this block together with the shaft is free to be moved backwards and
forwards in guides. To the shaft is connected a rod or bar by which the motive
power is regulated or controlled; when the steering head and sliding block are in
say the middle position the power is entirely switched or turned off; when the
steering head and block are pushed forward the power is applied to drive the car
and when the steering head and block are pulled back behind the middle position
the power is reversed while any desired amount of power less than the full power
is obtained by moving the steering head proportionately away from the middle
position, forward for driving and backward for reversing. In oases where it may
not be required to provide for reversing the most backward position of the steering
head and block may be that which switches or turns off the power.
The rod or bar which regulates or controls the power may, according to the
particular power employed, operate for example an electric resistance switch and
reversing switch; or a four-way plunger valve so as to control the direction and
amount of the flow of a fluid; in an hydraulic circuit or jockey pulleys in
combination with running belts; or any friction or positive driving clutch gear..
The steering of the car, launch or the like by means of the axial motion of the
steering shaft may be effected according to circumstances either by direct action
upon the wheel axle as in a bicycle, or through the intermediation for example
of a lever or a rack and pinion connected to un under-carriage or to separately
pivoted wheels; or of a rack and pinion, lever or other device acting on a plunger
valve; or, in case of launches, of chains connected with the rudder.
In order to avoid any liability of the steering head being unintentionally moved

page_text: to or fro while turning it, a locking device may be provided similar to that used
for locking railway signal lovers or for the reversing levers of engines. The lock
may conveniently be arranged to grip or engage with one of the slide block guides
and to be worked by a handle like that of a bicycle brake; this handle would
only be used when it was required to alter the speed or to start, stop or reverse.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in Speed Regulating, Starting, Stopping, Reversing,
and Steering Mechanism for Motor-cars, Launches, and the like.
I, ARTHUR PAGET of 2 Harcourt Buildings, Temple in the County of London,
Barrister-at-Law, 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 :-
My invention has reference to speed regulating starting stopping, reversing and
steering mechanism for motor-cars, launches and the like when fitted with electric.or
other motors as the propelling or driving power.
It has in practice been found difficult to design spoed regulating, starting, stopping,
reversing and steering mechanism both rapid in action and ensy of manipulation.
The ideal arrangement is one in which the actuation of such mechanism is effected
altogether instinctively on the part of the person driving.
Lattain this object according to the present invention by means of a combined
power-regulating and steering device comprising a head mounted on a shaft which
not only can be turned on its axis like the steering head of a bicycle so as to steer
the car, launch or the like, but can also be moved backwards and forwards so as to
start, stop, reverse and regulate the speed of the car, launch or the like, the driver
acting practically just as in driving a horse. Angular displacement or rotation of the
head for the purpose of steering may be made to produce an equal or a lesser
angular displacement of the plane of the steering wheels according to circumstances.
The arrangement of the parts is preferably such that when the shaft and steering
head are in say the middle position, the power is entirely switched or turned off.
When the steering heal and shaft are pushed forward the power is applied to drive
the car, and when the steering head and shaft are pulled back behind the middle
position the power is reverse, while any desired amount of power less than the
full power may be obtained by moving the steering head proportionatoly away from
the middle position, forward for driving and backward for reversing. In cases
where it may not be required to provide for reversing, the most backward position of
the steering head and shaft miny be that which switches or turns off the power.
The devico which is intended to be operated by means of the steering head in
order to regulate or control the power may, according to the particular power
employed, consist for example either of an electric resistance switch and reversing
switch or of a four-way plunger valve so as to control the direction and amount of
- the flow of a flaid in an hydraulic or other motive fluid circuit or of jockey pulleys
in combination with running belts; or of the rod controlling the moving part of
any variable power device, or of any friction or positive driving clutch gear.
The steering of the car, launch or the like by means of the rotary motion of
the steering shaft about its own axis may be effected according to circumstances
either by direct action upon the wheel axle as in a bicycle, or through the inter-

page_text: mediation for example of a lever or a rack and pinion connected to au under-carriage
or to separately pivoted wheels; or by means of a rack and pinion, lover or other
device acting on a plunger valve; or, in case of launches by means of chains.
connected with the rudder.
In the casos where the gearing of the steering wheel is such that the requisite.
movement is obtained by means of an angular movement of the steering head not
exceeding 180° I preferably use an ordinary bicycle handle bar. Where it is
necessary to move the steering head through a greater angle than 180° I construct
the steering head in the form of a horizontal wheel.
In order to avoid any liability of the steering hond being unintentionally moved to
or fro while turning it, a locking device may be provided similar to that used for
locking railway signal levers or for the reversing lovers of engines, operated in the case
of a bicycle bandle bar, by means of a handle similar to that of a bicycle brako, and
in the case of a horizontal wheel, by a second horizontal wheel directly under the first
and mounted on a sliding collar connected to the locking device so that by raising the
lower wheel the locking device is released.
With the object of onabling my invention to be readily understood I shall proceed
to describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which
represent one manner in which it may be carried into effect for the purpose of
controlling the steering and regulation of an electric carriage.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of as much of the mechanism as is necessary to enable
the invention to be understood, and
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the steering handle with a portion of the connected
parts.
The vertical or approximately vertical shaft 1 of the steering head or part 2, which
carries the steering arms or handles 3, 3 has a universel joint 4 at or near its lower
end, so that it can be turned on its axis in order to steer the car, as in steering a
bicycle for example, and can also be moved forwards and backwards. The said shaft 1'
is capable of rotating freely in a sliding piece 5, which may if necessary be fitted with
ball or other antifriction bearings for the shaft. This piece 5 is, together with the
shaft 1, free to be moved backwards and forwards along a fixed guide 6. This guide 6
is curved to an arc of the circle described from the centre of the universal joint 4 and
is preferably fixed to the casing 6, which encloses more or less of the several parts.
of the apparatus as desired, and also serves to provide the necessary fixed points for
the wheels and levers hereinafter referred to. Below the sliding piece 5 thero is
mounted upon the shaft 1 a loose collnr 7, which allows the shaft to rotate freely, but
does not itself rotate with it, and is kept in position upon tho shaft by means of
pins 1, 1. Pivoted to this loose collar 7 at 7 is a bar or rack 8, also curved to an
are of the circle described from the centre of the universal joint 4, and provided
on its underside with teeth 8" with which it gears with a toothed wheel 9 mounted on
a pin 9 capable of being rotated in bearings in a fixed piece 6 forming part of the
curved guide 6 and also fixed at its lower end to the fixed casing 6. A fixed
roller 10, adapted to bear upon the back of the rack 8 serves to keep the latter in
gear with the toothed wheel 9."
Attached to or forming one with the toothed wheel 9 and co-axial therewith is a
crank or disc 11 provided with a laterally projecting crank pin 12. An axlo 13
mounted in the fixed part 6" serves as the fulcrum of a bent lever 14, 14.
The upper part 14 of this lever 14, 14" is formed with a longitudinal slot or
groove 15 in which the aforesaid crank pin 12 on the crank or disc 11 engages with
a working fit. The lower part 14 of the lover 14, 14 is connected at its end either
directly or through convenient intermediate gear to a suitable electric resistance
switch (not shown). The arrangement of the parts is such that on rotation of the
crank or disc 11, the crank pin 12 will operate to rock the lever 14, 14 about its
pivot 13, whereby the lower part 14" of the lever will act to move the switch to a
corresponding extent to cut out more or less resistance from the path of the propelling
ourrent.

page_text: The position of the parts for stopping, that is to say in which the resistance switch
cuts off the current entirely from the propelling motor, is indicated by the dash-dotted
lines in Figure 1, and is preferably arranged to be slightly behind the vertical
position. The position of the parts for full-speed ahead is shown in full lines. The
fall-astern position is indicated by the line A.
In moving the steering head and shaft 1 from the stopping position into tho
forward direction, the rack 8 connected to the collar 7 on the shaft is caused to
rotate the toothed wheel 9, and consequently also the crank or disc 11 which acts
by means of the crank pin 12 and lever slot 15 to move the lower part 14" of the
lever 14, 14 from its position shown in dash-dotted lines backward into the position
shown in full lines, during which movement the part 14" operates the oloctric
resistance switch aforesaid to cut out more and more resistance, and thus increase
the supply of propelling current to the car motor.
On the steering head and shaft 1 being returned from the full ahead position into
the stopping position the action of the mechanism is the reverse of that just
described, the rack 8 serving to rotate the wheel 9 and crank or disc 11 in the
opposite sense, so that the lever part 14" oporates the resistance switch to include an
ever-increasing resistance into the path of the propelling current, until the latter
is cut off altogether when the parts are in the stopping position shown in
dush-dotted lines.
To reverse the direction of motion of the car the steering head and shaft 1 are
pulled still further towards the rear of the stopping position whereby the direction
of the current is reversed by means of a suitable reversing switch (not shown)
adapted to be oporated by the shaft 1 striking a spindle 16 (part only of which is
shown) which is connected in any suitable manner to the reversing switch or by
the lover striking a cam and displacing it laterally against the pressure of a spring,
the current which has been cnt off in the stopping position being switched on again
by means of the lever part 14" which is caused by the crank action of the pin 12 in
rotating backwards past the stopping position shown in dash-dotted-lines, to move
forward again so as to operate the resistance switch to switch on the current again.
The steering head and shaft and connected parts are arranged to be locked in the
stopping, reversing and full ahead positions, and in any intermediate position by
means of a locking device adapted to be worked by a handle 17 like that of a
bicycle brake; this handle 17 would only be used when it was required to alter the
speed or to start stop or reverse.
The handle 17 is pivoted to the steering head 2 and is jointed to a connecting rod 18
attached at its lower end to a flanged or grooved collar 19 adapted to be slid down
along the shaft 1 in opposition to a spring 20 but turning with the shaft by means of
a pin and slot or other suitable device. Fitting freely in the groove or space between
the flanges of the collar 19 is a circular strap 20 which is connected to a pin 21
jointed at its other end to a spring catch or pawl 22 having a tendency to engage in
retaining notches 6 formed in the fixed guide piece 6, and thereby lock the part 5 in
any position forward or backward of the steering head 2. The latter whilst boing
prevented from being moved unintentionally forwards or backwards is however
capable of boing rolated about its own axis for the purpose of steering. On pressing
the handle 17 towards the steering head 2 the collar 19 is moved down in opposition
to the spring 20, thereby moving the spring catch 22 out of the notches in the
guide 6 and thus releasing the part 5, whereupon the steering head 2 can be moved
backwards and forwards as desired.
In the case of the horizontal sliding wheel for operating the locking device the
arrangement will be similar to that described with the exception that as the motion is
imparted directly to the rod 18 the notches 6 must be placed on the upper surface of
the guide 6.
In applying the invention to cases where a simple to and fro movement is necessary
for controlling the speed regulating device, the rack and cog wheel will be dispensed
with and in their stead a rod will be employed connected to the regulating mechanism
by means of suitable links.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware
that the use of a single handle for controlling both the speed regulating and stoering
mechanism of motor carriages or launches is not new so far as relates to movement of
the handle in two intersecting planes and I make no general claim to the use of a
single handle; but what I claim is :-
1. In motor cars, launches and the like, a single head or handle bar for steering
and for regulating the speed which head or handle bar by rotation on a vertical or
approximately vertical axis controls the steering mechanism of the motor car, launch
or the like, and by its forward or backward movement controls the speed regulating
mechanism so that the direction and extent of the movement of the head or handle
bar correspond with the actual change of direction and velocity which it produces in
the movement of the motor car, launch or the like, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The combined speed regulating, starting, stopping, reversing and steering
mechanism for motor cars, launches and the like, substantially as described and
shown.
3. The combination of a horizontal steering wheel, a regulating shaft having a
to and fro movement and forming the axis of said steering wheel and a second
horizontal wheel forming tho handle of the locking device as and for the purposes
described.
1000
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Jane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.