Improvements in the Driving Gear and Apparatus for Operating the Driving Wheels of Self-moving Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aor.. 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Driving Gear and Apparatus for Operating
the Driving Wheels of Self-moving Vehicles.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of London
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by M. le Comte, Albert de Dion of 58
Chaussée D'Antin, Paris, in the Republic of France) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for operating driving wheels
of self moving vehicles for use on ordinary roads.
The object of this invention is to enable the motor mechanism to drive the wheels
of a vehicle or carriage without being subjected to any shaking or jolting which the
wheels are liable to sustain owing to the unevenness of the road and to bring into
practical use, for self driven motors, wooden wheels which experience has shewn to
be more elastic and better fitted for this sort of work than wheels of metal.
The driving wheels of a carriage on springs can only be driven by a motor fixed
to the frame by means of certain mechanical devices diff ering from those employed
for driving stationary engines. The connection in fact must be rigid for trans-
mitting the impulse received and yet the axle which passes through the centre of
the two wheels must be capable of being inclined in any direction to a considerable
extent in relation to the frame of the carriage according to the greater or less
resiliency of the springs. For describing curves or turning round it is also necessary
that the speed of rotation of each of the wheels be proportional to the developement
of the curve to be described. This is obtained by various means notably by
mounting each of the wheels on a separate shaft and by connecting the two shafts
by means of differential gearing. One of the objects of this invention is to enable
this differential gearing to be fixed to the frame of the carriage or the like in such
a manner that it is driven from the motor by mechanical means similar to those
used for a fixed machine and to communicate the movement of rotation of the shafts
of differential gearing to the driving wheels.
This connection between the shafts of the differential gearing and the axles of
driving wheels which need not be parallel to the former and may deviate therefrom
in all directions within the limits of the variable flexibility of the suspension
springs, is obtained by interposing between the shafts which it is required to
operate a link device with two jointed heads or by one of Cardan's arrangements
doing duty for joints.
As it is necessary to mount the driving wheels on the spindle of a rigid axle I
realize this condition by forming the axle in its part between the two spindles in
such a manner as to leave a free space for the differential movement, then by
hollowing out or perforating the heads and passing through them shafts connected
to the links I transfer the movement of rotation to the exterior of the said heads of
the shaft. An operating or connecting part is then arranged on the outside
extremity of each of these shafts causing the motor wheels to turn, but it should be
noticed that this connecting part of each of the wheels by the motor axle, demands
a connection between this axle and the felly of the wheel that is to say the
conversion of the rotary strain which the axle receives into a force applied to
the felly.

page_text: When, as often happens, the resistance of the felly to the tangential force which
is imparted to it is subject to but slight variations a rigid connection is obtained by
fixing the nave of the wheel to the motor axle and using a wheel with a solid core
piece or with sufficiently strong spokes. But in the latter case if the felly of the
wheel does not experience the same resistance throughout the spokes have a tendency
to loosen and vibrate. The result is that wheels with wooden spokes work loose,
the wear is rapid and breakage follows and further the fact of having to transmit
driving power by the spokes necessitates imparting to the latter a sectional area
calculated on the bending strain and not merely on the weight supported by the
wheels.
These observations refer particularly to the case of wooden wheels employed as
driving wheels in self driven motors. In fact in spite of suspension spring the
uneven surface of roads varies the adherence of the wheels to the ground and
although wooden wheels may render excellent service when they are employed
merely for porterage they soon deteriorate when used as driving wheels as the
various twisting strains to which they are subjected rapidly wear them out or even
break them altogether.
The second object of my invention is to enable wooden wheels to be used so as to
profit by the supple and elastic nature they possess over rigid metal wheels. For
this purpose I reduce the strains to which the wooden parts are subjected to simply
that of carrying the vehicle and I obtain this result by means of metallic pieces by
which I connect the rotating axle to the felly of the wheel and I so arrange these
metallic parts as to offer no resistance to the elastic or spring like movements of
all parts of the wheel which then acts solely for the purpose of porterage as in the
case of a vehicle that is being towed or dragged.
The metallic connection is placed on the interior or exterior of the couple of
motor wheels. This connection consists of a crank part rigidly connected to the
turning axle and simply bearing on a gudgeon which projects from the felly of the
driving wheel as in a lathe driver.
To fix the head of this crank on the turning axle means are employed varying
according to the arrangement of the said axle and two examples will now be
described which can be used in the case of the rotating axis passing through the
axle spindle.
In the first example the crank is exterior to the wheel keyed on an extension of
the motor axle and its free end beara laterally against a stud or boss projecting from
the felly of the wheel.
In the second example, the crank also operates a stud projecting from the felly
but this stud is on the internal face; the crank is then connected to a socket which
caps the spindle and extending beyond the end of this head is fixed on the extension
of the motor axle. The wheel then turns with the crank, but since its nave is not
connected to this crank there cannot be any torsion of the spokes. The following
is an example of apparatus constructed according to this invention. A toothed
wheel operated by the motor engages with differential gearing mounted on a shaft
provided with heads hollowed out or recessed, all being supported in a bracket
secured to the carriage. Heads formed on links engage in the hollows at each end
of the shaft of the differential gearing. The said links are capable of taking any
desired inclination according to the bending of the springs of the vehicle and are
provided with heads at their other ends forming one of Cardan's joints as the first
described which take into hollowed or recessed parts formed in shafts which pass
through the axles of the hollow spindles of the wheels. The spokes or connecting
parts of the said wheel are formed by say four strong flat springs for each wheel
fixed at one end to the axle thereof and at the other engaging between the two
branches of the double tappets securely fixed on the felly of the said driving wheels.
The axle on which the wheels turn is cranked making room for the differential
gearing as herein before referred to and suspension springs form the connection
between the driving wheel and the frame of the carriage. All the central
mechanism as well as the spindle arc by preference enclosed in a metal or other

page_text: suitable casing to protect it from the dust. This invention is not limited to the
precise form, dimensions, proportions and materials berein referred to, nor to the
minor details of construction; for instance, the double tappets may be fixed either
on the inner side of the felly or on one or the other of its plane faces or on one or
several of the spokes of wheel so as to cause the flat springs to act directly on the
said spokes in the same way as on the felly, although this last means gives the least
favourable results.
Dated this 31st day of July 1894.
Improvements in the Driving Gear and Apparatus for Operating
the Driving Wheels of Self-moving Vehicles.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
London Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by M. le Comte Albert de Dion of 58 bis
Chaussée d'Antin Paris in the Republic of France) 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 improvements in apparatus for operating driving wheels
of self moving vehicles for use on ordinary roads.
The object of this invention is to enable the motor mechanism to drive the wheels
of a vehicle or carriage without being subjected to any shaking or jolting which
the wheels are liable to sustain owing to the unevenness of the road and to bring
into practical use, for self driven motors, wooden wheels which experience has
shewn to be more elastic and better fitted for this sort of work than wheels
of metal.
The driving wheels of a carriage on springs can only be driven by a motor fixed
to the frame by means of certain mechanical devices differing from those employed
for driving stationary engines. The connection in fact must be rigid for transmitting
the impulse received and yet the axle which passes through the centre of the two
wheels must be capable of being inclined in any direction to a considerable extent
in relation to the frame of the carriage according to the greater or less resiliency of
the springs. For describing curves or turning round it is also necessary that the
speed of rotation of each of the wheels be proportional to the developement of the
curve to be described. This is obtained by various means notably by mounting
each of the wheels on a separate shaft and by connecting the two shafts by means
of differential gearing.
One of the objects of this invention is to enable this differential gearing to be
fixed to the frame of the carriage or the like in such a manner that it is driven
from the motor by mechanical means similar to those used for a fixed machine and
to communicate the movement of rotation of the shafts of differential gearing to
the driving wheels.
According to this invention this connection between the shafts of the differential
gearing and the axles of driving wheels which need not be parallel to the former
and may deviate therefrom in all directions within the limits of the variable
flexibility of the suspension springs is obtained by interposing between the shafts
which it is required to operate a link device with two jointed heads or by one of
Cardan's arrangements doing duty for joints. As it is necessary to mount the
driving wheels in the journals of a rigid axle the said axle is formed in such a
manner in its part between the two journals as to leave a free space for the
differential movement; then by hollowing out or perforating the heads or journals

page_text: and passing through them shafts connected to the jointed links the movement of
rotation is transferred to the outside of the said heads or journals of the axle or
shaft. An engaging or connecting part is then arranged on the outside extremity
of each of these shafts causing the motor wheels to turn, but it should be noticed
that this connection between each of the wheels and the motor shaft demands a
connection between this shaft and the felly of the wheel that is to say the
conversion of the rotary strain which the said shaft receives into a force applied to
the felly.
When as often happens the resistance of the felly to the tangential force which
is imparted to it is subject to but slight variations a rigid connection is obtained hy
fixing the nave of the wheel to the motor axle and using a wheel with a solid core
piece or with sufficiently strong spokes. But in the latter case if the felly of the
wheel does not experience the same resistance throughout the spokes have a
tendency to loosen and vibrate. The result is that wheels with wooden spokes
work loose, the wear is rapid and breakage follows; and further the fact of having
to transmit driving power by the spokes necessitates imparting to the latter a
sectional area calculated on the bending strain and not merely on the weight
supported by the wheels.
These observations refer particularly to the case of wooden wheels employed as
driving wheels in self driven vehicles. In fact in spite of suspension springs the
uneven surface of roads varies the adherence of the wheels to the ground au
although wooden wheels may render excellent service when they are employed
merely for porterage they soon deteriorate when used as driving wheels as the
various twisting strains to which they are subjected, rapidly wear them out or even
break them altogether.
The second object of this invention is to enable wooden wheels to be used so as
to profit by the supple and elastic nature they possess over rigid metal wheels. For
this purpose the strains to which the wooden parts are subjected are reduced to
simply that of carrying the vehicle and this result is obtained by means of metallic
pieces by which the rotating shaft is connected to the felloe of the wheel and these
metallic parts are so arranged as to offer no resistance to the elastic or spring like
movements of all parts of the wheel which then acts solely for the purpose of
porterage as in the case of a vehicle that is being towed or dragged.
The metallic connection is placed on the interior or exterior of the couple of
motor wheels. This connection consists of a crank part rigidly connected to the
turning axle and simply bearing on a gudgeon which projects from the felloe of the
driving wheel.
To fix the head of this crank on the turning axle means are employed varying
according to the arrangement of the said axle and two examples will now be
described which can be used in the case of the rotating shaft passing through the
axle journal.
In the first example the crank or connection is exterior to the wheel keyed on
an extension of the motor shaft and its free end bears laterally against a stud or
boss projecting from the felly of the wheel.
In the second example the crank or counection also operates a stud projecting
from the felly but this stud is on the internal face; the crank is then connected to
a socket or sleeve which caps or surrounds the journal and extending beyond the
end thereof is fixed on the extension of the motor shaft. The wheel then turns
with the crank, but since its nave is not connected to this crank there cannot be any
tortion of the spokes.
The accompanying drawing shews in half elevation and half section a motor axle
and driving wheel and part connected therewith constructed according to this
invention, illustrating more particularly the aforesaid first example.
A is the toothed wheel operated by the motor engaging with differential gearing B
mounted on a shaft C. The said shaft C is connected at each end to the shafts L
carrying the driving wheels by means of universal joints C¹ and K and intermediate
links H. These joints are formed by hollow parts provided on both ends of the

page_text: shaft C and the inner ends of the shafts L into which take the heads E of the
links H provided with engaging pieces F turning on axes G. By this arrangement
the links H are capable of assuming any desired angle or inclination according to
the bending of the springs of the vehicle. The connecting parts N of the said
wheel are shewn formed by flat springs, four for example, for each wheel: they
are attached at their inner ends to the centre piece M fast on the axle L and
engage at their outer ends between the two cheeks or branches of double tappets O
or the like fixed on the felly P of the driving wheel. The main axle R on which
the wheels turn is cranked so as to make room for the differential gearing already
described. Sleeves Q fixed to the said main axle R constitute bearings for the
shafts L of the wheels. Suspension springs S form the connection between the
driving wheels and the frame T of the carriage. All the central mechanism as
well as the spindles are by preference enclosed in a metal or other suitable casing
to protect them from the dust. This invention is not limited to the precise
form dimensions proportions and materials herein referred to nor to the minor
details of coustruction; for instance the double tappets may be fixed either on the
inner side of the felly as shewn in the drawing or on one or the other of its plain
faces or on one or several of the spokes of the wheel so as to cause the flat springs
to act directly on the said spokes in the same way as on the felly although this last
means give less favourable results.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In self driven vehicles the improved means for connecting the motor shaft to
the driving wheels in which an axle is provided with hollow heads or journals for
the passage of jointed links which transmit motion from the motor shaft to the
said wheels substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In self driven vehicles connecting the motor shaft or its extensions to the
felly of a wheel by means of a rigid or flexible part or parts forming connections
between the said axle and the felly so as to operate the latter without destroying
the elasticity of the wheel or imparting torsional strains to the spokes thereof
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 20th day of April 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.