IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELED VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY IN THE AXLES AND RUNNING GEAR OF THE SAME.
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELED VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY IN THE
AXLES AND RUNNING GEAR OF THE SAME.' A communication from abroad
by Peter Herdic, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America, Merchant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1880.
SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELED
VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY IN THE AXLES AND RUNNING GEAR OF THE SAME." A
communication from abroad by Peter Herdic, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in
the United States of America, Merchant.
The chief objects of this Invention are to provide strong easy-running vehicles,
to adapt them to be turned abruptly or in a small space, and to reduce the strain
upon and wear of the parts incident to the oscillation or sway of the vehicle bodies
when the vehicles are passing over stones, uneven ground, &c.
The Invention relates mainly to improvements in axles, in the running-gear, in
the manner of mounting the body, in the way of supporting the front axle upon
the wheels, and in draft devices and the manner of attaching them, all of which
improvements together with minor features deemed novel will hereinafter fully be
described, preparatory to a specific statement of what is claimed.
In the accompanying Drawings the Invention is shown as suitably embodied in
a one-horse vehicle, and in the best form now known to my correspondent for
organizing all the improvements in a passenger carriage or coach; some of the
improvements may however be used without the others, parts may be modified, and
details of construction and arrangement varied to adapt the Invention to wagons
for heavy hauling, and to the various styles of vehicles in common use.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2, a front elevation, with some of the parts
in advance of the front axle omitted and others in section; Figure 3, a rear
elevation; Figure 4 is a plan or top view with the body removed, the wheels
represented in dotted lines, the positions assumed by parts in turning being also

page_text: shown, and some parts being broken away or in section to more clearly show their
construction; Figure 5, a view partly in side elevation, and partly in vertical
section on the line 5, 5, of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a view on an enlarged scale, partly
in front elevation and partly in section of a portion of the front axle and its
connections; Figure 7 a view partly in plan, and partly in section on the line 7, 7,
of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a vertical transverse section through the axle on a
considerably larger scale than shown by the other Figures.
The front wheels A, A, and the hind wheels A', A, are made large, by preference
of four and five feet diameter respectively. The hind-wheels are mounted on a
metallic, braced, cranked axlo B', best made of cast steel in one piece and of the
form hereinafter fully described. The front wheels are independently and loosely
mounted upon stud axles or turning arms a, a, supported at the ends of the metallic
stock or cast steel axle proper B, and braced so as to prevent any movement except
a horizontal vibration independently of the axle.
The axles are each made at one casting in a single piece by running the molten
metal into a suitable mould and then treating it in proper well known way.
To combine great strength with lightness and durability, the axles B, B', are of
ribbed and webbed or flanged cast steel; the axles in this instance are what may
be termed a double T-shape in cross section, having the duplex top and bottom ribs
or flanges b, b, on both sides connected by the thin vertical web b².
The front axle tree or axle proper is provided near its ends with diagonal struts
or inclined braces 63, 62. These braces are best forined or cast in one piece with the
axle. At top the braces bend outward or project horizontally or nearly so for a
short distance. Two turning, tubular, metallic posts or sleeves C, C, one at cach
end of the axlo tree B, carry the stud axles or axlo arms a, a, for the front wheels.
Each of these posts is adjusted so as to bear at its base upon the end of the axlo
tree, and at top against the overhanging end of one of the struts or braces b³. The
post is forced in position by springing the brace slightly, say, to the extent of three
sixteenths or a quarter of an inch, or somewhat more if necessary. When in place
the post interlocks with the brace arm and axle tree by means of suitable projections
and corresponding sockets or cavities in the parts. By referring to Figure 6 it will
be seen that an annular boss c at the post top fits into its seat in the under side of
the brace end, whilst a circular projection c on the axle treo is received into a
socket in the post base. Headed and threaded rods or strong bolts C¹, C¹, one for
each post, pass through the posts, the axle tree, and the braces, and are drawn up
and held by nuts c³, c², at their tops.
The axle arms a, a, are formed with the turning posts or sleeves C, C, of cast
steel, and having the lugged brackets or projections C³, C³, for running gear
connections and braces soon to be described.
The journals or axle arms for the rear wheels project from or near the tops of
the upwardly projecting ends or cranks D, D, of the hind axle, and are in one picce
of cast steel with said axle and its struts or diagonal braces d, d.
It will be obvious that the hind axle might be cast with its cranks D, D, and
braces d, d, all in one piece, and afterwards attach to the so formed braced cranked
axle the axle arms, as it is not new either to form axle arms in one piece with an
axle or to attach them to an axle, and upon some considerations the latter plan has
its advantages, for example, the liability to break will be greatest in the axlo arins,
and if they are applied separately, when broken they can be replaced as usual
without the loss of the whole peculiarly formed axle, or even the trouble of removing
it from the frame work of the vehicle for repair.
The front and rear axles are connected by a reach, shown as consisting of the
two compound bars E, E, each formed of a wooden centre bar and two side bars of
metal united or formed solid at their ends bolted together as usual. A cross piece El
connects and centrally braces the reach bars. This brace E' is tubular; a rod
threaded at its ends passes through it and the bars E, E, and nuts e, e, hold the
parts together. The shouldered and rounded threaded ends of the reach bars pass

page_text: through the axles and are held fast to the front axie by nuts e', e', and to the rear
axle by nuts c, e².
The reach bars or two part reach E, E, and rear axle are braced together by
metallic bars D¹, D¹, which are secured at their front ends by rivets or bolts and
nuts d¹, d', to the reach bars, and at their rear ends are attached to the tops of the
cranks D, D, by tap bolts d², d².
Diagonal front braces F, F, similar to and connected with the reach in the same
manner as the rear braces D', D', join at their front ends with the pivot bolts C¹, C³,
beneath their nuts c², c².
By the above described way of connecting and bracing the axles it will be seen
that they are firmly held parallel with each other and maintain the same relativo
positions at all times, and this without interfering with the proper location and
attachment of the coach or carriage body A³ or any suitable wagon frame or vehicle
body as will presently more fully appear.
The body A is mounted in such manner as to bring the greater portion of the
weight to be carried upon the rear axle and high hind wheels, so that the vehicle
will run easily and pass with but slight jolting over ruts, stones, &c., and the body
is also mounted low down to avoid as much as possible the violent and injurious
sway or oscillation of the load or body when obstacles are encountered by the
wheels.
Springs G, G, rest upon and are suitably secured to the axle B₁ close to its
respective cranks or upright portions D, D, inside the struts d, d, respectively and
outside the reach braces D', D'. The front ends of these springs are hung to the
vehicle body by pivots and lugs g, y, on a cross bar G¹ secured to the bottom of
the body A, and their rear ends connect with a third or cross spring G³ in a well
known way.
The body is supported at front on the axle B by three springs H, H, H¹. The
springs H, H, are two part, each consisting of a main or lower member secured by a
clip to the axle, and an upper jointed part secured to the body A³ by a cross
piece having lugs ', . The cross spring H¹ is jointed at its ends with the
other springs H, H, and suitably attached at its middle to the under side of the body
of the vehicle. The springs H, H, are respectively secured to the axle just
inside of the braces or struts b³, b, that is to say, between the struts and close to
them respectively.
A sway frame or draft attachment vibrates horizontally about a jointed
connection with the middle of the front axle, and connects with the turning
supports of the front wheels. This draft attachment consists of a bar I, parallel
with the axle, and connected therewith by a metallic strap or rod I' and pivet
bolt i.
This rod projects upward and forward from the axle to the bar I to which it is
pivoted. A ring or disc J on the rod I' is provided with lugs, in which arms j, j,
of a bar J are pivoted so as to play vertically; this bar J' serves. to attach the
shafts and whiffletree. Instead of this bar, however, a suitable tongue socket may
be employed. The ends of the sway bar I are respectively pin jointed to the front
ends of connecting radius rods or links K, K, K₁, K, K, K², jointed at their rear
ends to the turning posts C, C, and pivots C, CL, thereof. Each link K extends
diagonally downward from its pivot C₁ to the bar I; each link K¹ extends
from the lugs on the front of its turning post to said bar, and the inside or
bracing links K extend from the inner ends of the brackets C of the posts to the
links K' respectively near their junction with the bar I, and are bolted as at L,
Figure 7, at their front ends to the respective links K¹.
From the above description it will readily be understood that in turning the
draft attachment, front wheels, and their supports, assume the positions in which
they are represented by the dotted lines in Figure 4, or approximately such.
positions according to how short a turn is to be made.
Instead of springs, such as shown and described, for mounting the desired.

page_text: carriage frame, wagon body, or cart body, other styles of springs may be employed,
and in some cases beneficially, for instance, spiral or coiled metallic springs, or
hollow cylindrical, or block springs of rubber may be used. The connection
between such springs and the vehicle frame or body and the axle or axles, would
be, say, by means of posts encompassed or in part surrounded by the springs, the
said posts being rested or secured at their bases upon the axles and at their tops
passed into or through guide slots or holes formed in proper bars, clips, or other
suitable attachments to the said frames or bodies of the vehicles.
Such springs would bear at their bases upon the axles or upon base flanges on the
posts, and at topa ngainst the attachments to the frames or bodies. In some
vehicles, such as heavy wagons, carts, &c., springs may be omitted, and in singlo
axle or pair wheel vehicles either the before described front or rear axle may be
used. The axle arms of either or both axles may be tubular in whole or in part,
and such hollow axle arms be adapted by one or more openings for distributing
lubricant in well known way.
I do not broadly claim cast steel axles, nor every way of mounting the front
wheels of a vehicle upon jointed axle arms or independent stud axles, so as to turn
about supports on a non-turning axle tree or axle proper; nor do I broadly claim
cranked axles, nor every way of bracing such axles; nor broadly the combination
of a front axle tree or axle proper, turning stud axles, and a sway frame or
vibrating draft attachment. I claim,-
First. The axle-tree or axle proper B with its struts or braces 62, 63, all in one
piece, as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The axle B' having the cranks D, D, and the struts or braces d, d, all
made in one piece, substantially as described.
Third. The cranked-axle B' inade in one piece with the axle arms and provided
with the struts or braces d, d, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. The ribbed and webbed axle B' having the cranks D, D, the struts or.
braces d, d, and the axle-arms all in one piece of cast steel, as described.
Fifth. The combination of the axle-tree or axle proper B, tho struts or braces
thereof, the turning posts having boss and socket connection with the axle tree and
the struts, and the axle-arms carried by said posts, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before set forth.
Sixth. The combination of the front axle-tree or axle proper, the struts or braces,
the tubular turning posts having boss and socket bearings in the axle tree and
struts and carrying axle arms, and the pivot bolts passing through the turning-
posts, axle-tree, and struts, substantially as and for the purpose herein before
set forth.
Seventh. The one-part tubular post C and axle-arm a, formed as described to
interlock with bearings in the axle-treo and strut or brace thereof.
Eighth. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the reach-bars,
the front axle-tree, the struts or braces thereof, the turning posts carrying the
axle-arms, the pivot bolts, and the braces connecting said bolts with the reach
bars.
Ninth. The combination of the reach-bars, the cranked and braced rear axle,
and the braces connecting the reach-bars and axle cranks, substantially as
described.
Tenth. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the front axle,
its struts or braces, the rear cranked-axle, the reach-bars or two-part reach
connecting the axles, the front and rear brace bars of the reach, the posts carrying
the axle-arms for the front wheels and their pivot bolts.
Eleventh. The combination of the rear cranked-axle having the struts or
braces d, d, and the body supporting springs secured to the axle close to its cranks
and inside the struts, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Twelfth. The combination of the front axle proper, its struts or braces, the axle-
arıns, turning posts carrying said arms, their pivot bolts, the draft bar, the rod or

page_text: strap connecting said bar and the axle, and the link connections between the ends
of the draft bar and the turning posts and their pivots, these members being and
operating substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Pitt, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
SYDNEY PITT. (L.S.)