Improvements in Self-propelled Road Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1898 :
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-propelled Road Vehicles.
DAVID LUCIFER MARTYN, Engineer, Glen Street Works, Hebburn-on-Tyne, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Referring to the three Sheets of drawings filed herewith Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is
a side view, Sheet 2, Fig. 2 an end view, and Sheet 3, Fig. 3 a plan through
section A, B, on Fig. 1.
The vehicle may be propelled by any kind of motor.
The lower frame A has a greater height from the ground at the front end of
the vehicle than at the back end, permitting the front wheels F, Fig. 1 to
swivel or turn - round.
Into the frame A, Fig. 1, 2 and 3 there are uprights or supports marked S, S¹,
S, S, Fig. 1 and upon these rests the upper platform marked P, Fig. 1.
Above the platform seats marked T, Figs. 1 and 2 are arranged in the manner
shown.
There is an arrangement of levers marked L and L¹ and clutches marked C W
and C W which are shown on Figs. 1 and 3. Pinions may be substituted for
the clutches.
Attached to the fore carriage F, C, Figs. 1 and 3 is a piece of iron or other
suitable material H, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 so made that it shall strike against the
levers L or L' and press either L or L' outwards according to the way the
wheels are steered.
:
There is fastened to the levers L and L' a spring which is always in tension,
which has the effect of pulling both levers, and so causing them to act upon the
clutches and put them in gear.
When the wheels Fare swivelled or steered in the direction shown by the
arrow on Fig. 3, the lever L is pressed outwards thus putting the clutch wheel C, W,
out of gear, while the other clutch wheel C, W₁, remains in gear.
Thus the vehicle can be steered and turned round in a space little more
than its own length, by automatically putting one driving wheel out of gear.
Dated this 12th day of November 1898.
LATH
MADON
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-propelled Road Vehioles.
I, DAVID LUCIFER MARTYN, Engineer, of Glen Street Engine Works, Hebburn-
on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to self-propelled road vehicles, and it refers to the con-
struction or arrangement of the body or framing, and to the steering gear,
with the main object of obtaining simplicity.
I will fully describe my improvements in reference to the accompanying

page_text: drawings whereof Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively general side and end elevations
of a vehicle embodying them, part of the body or framing at the front being
broken away for the sake of clearness; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line X-X
in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail plan; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are respectively a longi-
tudinal section and end views of details; and Fig. 8 is a plan which will be
more particularly referred to hereinafter.
In constructing the body or framing according to my invention, I dispose the
lower or bottom member A thereof at a greater height from the ground at the
front end of the vehicle than at the back, thereby procuring ample room for
the swivelling or turning of the front wheels B.B which are mounted on a
rotary fore-carriage C connected to the frame A and arranged in the usual
way.
To the member A, uprights or supports D, D, D, D are fixed and joined to-
gether at their tops by a platform E constituted by a beam e and flooring e'.
Other uprights or supports F, F, F are fixed to the platform E to support
seats G. G, the whole being of wood, as indicated, suitably built up, though of
course iron may be adopted.
The spaces intervening between each pair of the uprights are preferably closed
by boarding as shown at d and f, and the platform E surrounded by a guard
rail e².
Thus it will be seen I obtain an efficient framing or body that can be simply
and cheaply constructed.
Before describing my improvements concerning the steering gear, I would
here remark that the motor for driving the vehicle is not shown in the drawings
as it is of any usual type, and the mechanism, situated at each side of the
vehicle, for transmitting its motion to the vehicle driving wheels H, H is only
indicated as it too is of the ordinary kind and arrangement.
The transmitting mechanism is exemplified as chain gearing in Figs. 1,2,3
and 4, I denoting the motor or first motion shaft, J, J driving sprocket wheels
at the ends thereof, K, K chains, and LL chain rims fixed to the wheels HH.
Fig. 8 illustrates spur gearing, I¹ representing the motor or first motion shaft,
Jthe driving wheel at an end thereof, and L¹ the driven wheel fast on the axle
of the wheels H, H..
I will describe the application of my invention to both forms of mechanism,
and according to it I provide that in steering one or other of the transmitting
mechanisms is first put out of, and then into gear with the motor, this being
accomplished by levers co-operating with the drivers J, J or J1, J1 to move them
into the inoperative and operative positions, the levers being actuated against
opposition by the swivelling of the fore-carriage C.
To render the drivers inoperative and operative, the levers may move clutches,
as in chain gearing, or they may slide the drivers from the normal or driving
position, as in spur gearing, the former mode being represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3
and 4 and the other in Fig. 8:
Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, M, M are the levers actuating clutches N.N
on the shaft I, engaging and disengaging the wheels J, J loosely fitted on the
shaft I, the levers M, M being operated, in opposition to a spring O, by a semi-
circular cam-like bar P when the fore-carriage C is swivelled by the hand
wheel R.
The levers M, M are centered on brackets or bolts m, m, secured to and
depending from the member A, so that long and short arms result; the latter
co-act with the clutches N, N and the others with the bar P. Each short arm
is forked to partially surround the adjoining clutch N whose periphery, as
shown best in Fig. 5, is grooved to ensure maintenance of position. The clutch
is arranged on the shaft I in the well known manner permitting it to slide on,
and revolve with it.
The clutching arrangement may be various, but that illustrated is very con-
venient. According to it, as will be seen-most clearly in Figs. 5, 6 and 7—on

page_text: the outer face of the clutch N two diametrically opposite projections or teeth n, n
are formed for the purpose of entering and leaving gaps j,j, each gap being
obtained on the inner face of the wheel J by two jaws, 7, aloping outwardly.
In this way, when the clutch is entering into engagement with the wheel J,
its teeth n, n, as it revolves, slide up the faces of those jaws, sloping in
the direction of revolution and enter the gaps j,j, whereby the clutch and
wheel revolve together, this being the normal condition which is retained by
the spring O connected to the levers M, M so as to always draw the long arms
together and hence keep the short arms apart.
!
The bar P is fixed to the fore-carriage C with its extremities in contact with.
or in close proximity to the ends of the long arms of the levers M, M so that
it may operate one of them when the fore-carriage C is swivelled by the hand
wheel R mounted on the spindler having at its opposite and a toothed wheel l
gearing with another wheel that meshes with a toothed quadrant fast on
the pivot at the fore-carriage. By interposing the wheel, the wheel R is
always turned in the. direction it is desired to steer the vehicle, which is very
handy.
The working of the apparatus just described is as follows:-
When the vehicle is travelling in a straight course, then the levers M. M and
clutches N. N occupy the positions represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. However,
assuming it is required to steer the vehicle to the left, then the wheel R is
turned that way and likewise, through the spindle and wheels r, s, the
quadrant, the fore-carriage C and bar P, consequently the left extremity of
the latter engages the contiguous lever M and pushes its long arm outwards
and its short arm inwards, whereupon the corresponding clutch N is slid along
the shaft I and its teeth n, n are drawn out of engagement with the gaps j, j of
the wheel J, all as illustrated in Fig. 4; thus the wheel J receives no motion
from the motor, therefore no driving takes place on this side and the steering
is rendered easy and the steering room is reduced to the least extent. During
the operation of this lever M, the spring O is extended, thereby causing the
other lever M to keep its clutch N in firm engagement.
When the wheel R is operated the reverse way to bring the vehicle onto a
straight course again, the operated lever M assumes its original position under
the re-action of the spring O, its short arm being pushed outwards to bring
the wheel J and clutch N together and eventually the teeth n,n enter the
gaps j,j, engagement resulting and the normal condition of driving at both
sides accruing.
Now as regards Fig. 8. This figure is only intended to show the disposition
when the driver is slid by the levers M, M, spring 0, bar P and hand wheel R,
which are not illustrated because they are arranged and operated as just
explained.
'
$
The wheel J is fitted on the shaft in any convenient manner, as by keys
or flat parts, ensuring its revolution therewith and permitting it to slide thereon,
and it is furnished with a sleeve J which is grooved to retain the short
forked arm of the lever M that partly surrounds it. Therefore, as will be
obvious, on the operation of the lever M the wheel J¹ is withdrawn from, and
inserted in gear with the spur wheel L' in the same way as the clutch N is
moved to disengage and engage the wheel J, the advantages above mentioned
arising.
In addition to the advantages of ease, and economy in room that accrue to
my steering arrangement, its simplicity conduces to cheapness and immunity
from getting out of order.
!
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
5 I claim is:-
BAR self nonalled

page_text: road vehicles, substantially as described and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
:
2. A steering gear for self-propelled road vehicles by which in steering one
or other of the transmitting mechanisms is first put out of, and then into gear
with the motor by levers co-operating with the drivers thereof to move 'them
into the in-operative and operative positions, the levers being actuated against
opposition by the swivelling of the fore-carriage.
3. In a, self-propelled road vehicle, the combination with transmitting
mechanisms having the drivers engaged and disengaged by clutches or adapted
to slide out of the normal or driving position, of levers centered on the vehicle
so that long and short arms result, a spring connecting the levers, and a semi-
circular camlike bar so fixed to the rotary fore-carriage of the vehicle that
its extremities act upon the long arms of the levers, the whole being arranged
and adapted for use substantially as described in reference to the accompanying
drawings and for the purposes set forth.
4. The combination of parts constituting, my improvements in the steering
gear of self-propelled road vehicles, all arranged and adapted to operate to
put the transmitting mechanism out of gear on that side of the vehicle cor-
responding with the direction in which it is required to steer, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this. 15th dov of September 1899
Nated this 15th day of September 1809
For the Applicant,
J. A. HARVEY,
Chartered Patent Agent, 3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne.