improvement in motor cars
Year: 1896

page_text: I, JOHN BROWN, of Longhurst, Dunmurry, near Belfast, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present application for Letters Patent has reference to certain improvements
in motor cars.
The motor cars at present manufactured present various drawbacks in practical
use, and my invention is especially designed to prevent the machine from splashing
itself outside and to facilitate cleaning, moreover to improve the general
appearance of the car and secure a low centre of gravity and consequently greater
safety.
The construction of the cars as now known causes them to be troublesome to
clean easily and more or less unsightly in outward appearance especially in the
want of balance caused by too great a resemblance to an ordinary carriage designed
for horse traffic.
The improved construction of motor car of my invention is designed to obviate
wholly or in great part the above drawbacks. My carriage is so arranged as to
present a symmetrical and pleasing outline to the eye devoid of the abruptly cut-
off appearance of the front part now noticeable in such carriages and having its
body so arranged that the cleaning of the car will be very much facilitated, as the
position of the wheels prevents them from splashing the outside of the car and the
parts exposed to splashes and dust and visible to the public are almost entirely flat.
surfaces easily cleansed. I attain this object by forming my car more or less in
the shape of a sledge having a suitable forepart designed to project and afford a
convenient foot rest and protection for the person sitting in front. The sides of
the car are arranged to come within a short distance of the surface of the ground
sloping inwards at a suitable angle from the base upwards and to cover the wheels
which are arranged to revolve inside the body. There is thus only the plain.
surface of the car body presented to the outside. The wheels may be of any
suitable design, but the pattern I at present prefer in the experiments hitherto
made consists of a wheel having a very broad hub and spring spokes arranged from
each side of the hub to the rim at a considerable angle, thereby securing an
extremely strong and yet elastic wheel, which requires little or no other spring to
prevent jar or vibration. The driving power I at present prefer consists of a motor
of any usual pattern driving by differential gear and pulleys or other speed
varying arrangement in the usual manner.
I may construct my carriage in various forms adapted to the precise object in
view, and arranged to carry one, two or a number of persons.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or applicable to Road Motor Cars.
I, JOHN BROWN, of Longhurst, Dunmurry, near Belfast, Gentleman, 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 present application for Letters Patent has reference to certain improvements
in motor cars.
These improvements are designed generally to improve the
appearance of the car and also to secure a low centre of gravity and consequently
less liability to capsize, moreover, the improved car of my construction is much
more easily cleaned from any mud on its outward and visible parts than the types
now on the market the outer and usually visible part of the same consisting for the
greater part of flat surfaces whilst the wheels are arranged inside the outer frame
and prevented from splashing the outside of the machine. The design of my
machine moreover, which may be compared in outward appearance to that of a
sleigh with a convenient forepart projecting in part so as to afford a suitable foot
rest and protection for the foremost rider, is so arranged as to present a
symmetrical and pleasing appearance to the eye, devoid of the abruptly cut-off
appearance now noticeable in such carriages.
The outside of the car descends to within a short distance of the surface of the
ground and may either slope inwards from the ground up, or be perpendicular to
the same.
This outer cover encloses the wheels which are thus arranged to revolve
within the body.
The wheels may be of any suitable pattern but the form of wheel which I
consider especially adapted to the purpose herein set forth is illustrated in the
accompanying drawing and hereinafter described. By the use of these special
wheels I obtain a very strong and clastic wheel suitable for the purpose in view
and requiring little play of the springs supporting the axle bearings in order to
prevent jar or vibration. Or the wheels may be made sufficiently elastic to do
without springs supporting the axles. In this way the axle may run in bearings
fixed rigidly to the carriage frame which construction allows of the use of several
advantageous forms of gearing between motor and driving wheels not applicable
where the axle is supported on springs.
The driving power of my motor car may be of any suitable kind actuated by
electricity, gas motor, oil motor, steam or otherwise and the carriage may obviously
be constructed to carry any desired number of persons and the seats consequently
arranged either as shown in the drawing or otherwise in the various methods well
known to builders of carriages.
In order to more clearly define my invention and illustrate the method in which
I prefer to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accom-
panying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 illustrates a convenient form of the motor car designed for the
accommodation of four. persons.
:
Figure 2 shows an elevation of the spring wheel partly in diagram and with a
portion broken away to show the insertion of the inner springs.
Figure 3 shows a section of the same wheel.
Figure 4 shows a section of a modification of the said wheel.
The design of the car is sufficiently obvious from the illustration. As stated, it
is constructed somewhat in the outward form of a sleigh the centre of gravity as
in a sleigh being brought as near the ground as can conveniently be arranged in
order to increase the stability of the vehicle. In the drawing the apparatus for
the control of the motor or motors which may be conveniently placed over the

page_text: wheels either in front or behind has been omitted as forming no part of my
invention. It may of course be of any suitable design, and the brake appliance
may also be of any suitable type. These guiding levers or the like are preferably
placed within reach of the driver seated in the front seat. The apparatus may be
provided with a hood or cover if deemed desirable. The construction of the spring
wheel (Figures 2 and 3) is as follows:-
A circular rim A of H-section preferably of rolled steel is provided with an.
elastic tyre D forming the tread of the wheel. The tyre shown is of solid rubber
but a pneumatic or other tyre may obviously be substituted. The axle P mounted
in suitable bearing has keyed upon it the side plates L. The connection between
the rim A and the side plates or hubs L is effected by means of a double row of
spiral springs inserted alternately in the manner shown in the drawing. The upper
row H connects the outer edge of the side plates or hubs to the rim. The inner
row H' are secured to the side plates at a point about midway between the axle
and the rim and to the rim in the same manner as the outer springs with which
they alternate in the manner shown more distinctly in Figure 2. Figure 4.
shows a modification of this construction in which the radius of the side plates or
hubs is shortened and the outer springs H dispensed with, the connection between
the hubs and the rim being made by the crossed springs H in the manner shown.
This construction gives the springs considerably more play, and consequently
increased elasticity to the wheel..
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 what I
claim is:-
1. The improved motor car constructed substantially as described with reference.
to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing..
2. In a motor car the use of spring wheels constructed substantially as described
and shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing.
3. In a motor car the use of spring wheels constructed substantially as described
and shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.
4. In a motor car having an exterior cover for the wheels and low centre of
gravity, the use of spring wheels the axles of which are connected directly or by
means of gearing to the prime motor and revolve in bearings rigidly attached to.
the frame substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.