Improvements in or Additions to the Driving Mechanism of Motor Cars, Cycles, and other similar Road Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 17th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
Improvements in or Additions to the Driving Mechanism of Motor
Cars, Cycles, and other similar Road Vehicles.
I, HERBERT BAKEWELL WHETSTONE, of New Street, Burton-on-Trent, Brewer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows; -
My invention relates to the mounting of the road-wheels, and to the cognate
parts of the driving gear of power and other driven road-vehicles, such for
examples as motor cars, tricycles and the like and has for its object principally,
the automatic freeing of the running wheels on their axles, when a vehicle is
making a curvilinear path or on rounding a corner.
The gear or mechanism comprises a central axle partly surrounded by a piped
axle or sleeve being supported at its ends by outside bearings.
One of the running wheels is loosely mounted upon one end of the central axle,
while a second running wheel is made fast upon the opposite end of the sleeve, as
aforesaid, which also carries and has made fast to it, a power transmitter, in
form of a sprocket or other driven wheel propelled by chain or other gear.
The inner face of the hub of the running wheel on the central axle, has made
fast to it a clutch wheel, with the teeth preferably made square up to the shanks,
and adapted to form stops against which the tips of the limbs of a double armed
and hanging oscillating pawl or escapement abuts.
This escapement is carried by a frame or plate, moveably mounted upon a pivot
passing through an outstanding bracket made fast to the central axle.
The carrier frame of the escapement is not only pivotedly mounted upon a
bracket but is also provided with a flexible or yielding joint, to admit of the
limbs of the escapement-pawl slightly yielding, in wiping over the teeth of the
clutch wheel when one of the travelling wheels is moving round at a less rate to
that of the other.
The escapement may be operated by horns carried upon an arm, mounted upon
the sleeve as aforesaid, and adapted to embrace the upright frame carrying the
joint of the escapement.
The flexible joint may consist of a coiled spring connected to body of escapemen
and frame respectively, or it may consist of a rubber or other equivalent spring,
as may be found suitable for the purpose.
When a vehicle to which my improvements is applied is travelling in a straight
or right line, then both wheels are locked and move together, one of the teeth
of the clutch-wheel being engaged by the tip of one of the limbs of the escape-
ment.
On the vehicle turning a corner, or making a curvilinear path then the relative
motions are such that a wheel which is required to make the greater radius
increases its speed or its rotation automatically by the motion of the car as the
radius to be made requires.
The forward slip as it were is thus admitted by one of the limbs or tongs of the

page_text: escapement wiping over and past the teeth, but instantly the wheels require to
travel again at the same rate, then the locking clutch comes into operation.
Dated this 21st day of July 1898.
Improvements in or Additions to the Driving Mechanism of Motor
Cars, Cycles, and other similar Road Vehicles.
I, HERBERT BAKEWELL WIIETSTONE, of New. Street, Burton-on-Trent, Brewer,
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 follow-
ing statement:-
-
This invention relates to the mounting of the road wheels, and to the cognate
parts of the driving gear of power and other driven road vehicles, such for example
as motor cars, tricycles and the like and has for its object principally, to provide
in connection with the running road wheels, an improved form of compensating
or balance gearing, whereby one or other of the running wheels is automatically
freed from the axle, when a vehicle is making a curvilinear path, or on rounding
a corner, so that the outer wheel may travel proportionally faster than the inner
one.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents, principally in longi-
tudinal vertical section, the driving axle of a motor-propelled vehicle to which
the running or road wheels are connected by compensating or balance gearing
constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 represents a section of Figure 1 taken upon the dotted line x, and
looking in the direction of the arrow, to show the escapement mechanism by
which the road wheel is connected to turn with the axle, in elevation.
Figure 3 is another section of Figure 1, taken upon the dotted lines a¹, and
looking also in the direction of the arrow.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the mechanism, but with the wheel spokes not
shown.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 represent front elevations and edge views of the detail
parts of the mechanism separately.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
In the mechanism represented; a is a central axle partly surrounded by a loose
sleeve b, within which the said axle runs, and is supported at its ends a¹, by
outside bearings on the frame of the vehicle.
Each of the running wheels c, is loosely mounted upon its end of the central
axle, whilst the sleeve carries or has made fast to it a power-transmitter in the
form of a sprocket or other driven-wheel d, propelled by chain or other gear
from the motor.
The inner face of the hub of each running wheel has made fast to it a clutch
wheel e, with the teeth e¹, preferably made square up to the shanks, and adapted
to form stops against which the tips f2, of the arms or limbs f¹, of a double armed
and hanging oscillating pawl or escapement f, abuts.
This escapement f, is carried by, or suspended from, a pivot f³, passing through
an outstanding bracket or arm g, which in turn is jointed at g¹, to a boss or

page_text: sleeve, fast to and rotating with the central axle and by which the said axle
and road wheel are coupled together, or driving connection between them estab-
lished when one of the pawls of the escapement is in gear with the toothed wheel.
The carrier of the escapement is not only pivotally mounted upon this rocking
and rotating bracket arm but is also provided with a flexible or yielding joint
consisting of a pair of separate springs h, interposed between the end g', of the
said arm and the top of the escapement in order to admit of the limbs of the
escapement-pawl slightly yielding, in wiping over the teeth of the clutch-wheel
when one of the travelling wheels is moving round at a less rate to that of the
other.
The escapement may be operated by pegs or horns 2, carried upon an arm i,
mounted upon and keyed to the sleeve aforesaid and adapted to embrace or come
respectively upon the opposite sides of the upright arm or bracket from which
the escapement is suspended.
Instead of the flexible joint consisting of coiled springs connected to the body of
escapement and its carrier respectively, it may consist of a rubber or other
equivalent spring, as may be found suitable for the purpose.
When a vehicle to which my improved balance gearing is applied is travelling
in a straight or right line, then both wheels are locked and move together by
one of the teeth of each clutch-wheel being engaged by the tip of one of the limbs
of the escapement.
On the vehicle turning a corner or making a curvilinear path then the relative
motions of the two road wheels are such that the wheel which is required to make
the greater radius increases its speed or its rotation automatically by the motion
of the car as the radius to be made requires.
The forward slip as it were is thus admitted by one of the limbs or tongs of the
escapement wiping over and past the teeth, but instantly the wheels require to
travel again at the same rate, then the locking clutch comes into operation.
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:
First In motor-driven vehicles, cycles and analogous vehicles, connecting the
loose or free road wheels to a driven hollow or other shaft by means of escape-
ment mechanism consisting of a double-armed and swinging pawl, mounted upon
a rocking arm connected with the said shaft, and engaging with the teeth of a
clutch wheel formed upon or connected with the hub of the free road wheel, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein described and set forth,
Secondly Compensating or balance gearing for motor cars, cycles and other
driven vehicles, consisting of a driven axle sleeve, surrounding a shaft, on the
ends of which the free road wheels are mounted, with driven arms upon the said
sleeve engaging with, and imparting motion to, rocking bracket arms keyed to and
rotating with the said shaft, with the said bracket arms having pivoted to them,
doubled armed spring pawls adapted to engage with and escape the teeth of clutch
wheels formed upon or secured to the hubs of the free road wheels, substantially
as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Dated this 16th day of March 1900
HERBERT BAKEWELL WHETSTONE.
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.