GB186980A - Improvements in motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

186,980. Morgan, A. July 5, 1921. Safety wheels and supports.-Motor vehicles, particularly those with wheels arranged in tandem fashion, have side supporting-wheels 4, Fig. 3, mounted on rockers 5, pivoted on fulcrums 6 and the ends of which are elastically connected with an arm 9 by rods 7 and springs 7<2>. Ordinarily, the side wheels are lifted off the ground by moving a lever 10, which moves the arm 9, and when running in a curve the inside wheel rests on the ground substantially vertically as shown, the dotted line A, A representing the road line; also the distance a of this side wheel 4 from the main wheels 2 is increased, giving greater stability. The side wheels are mounted trailingly on arms 12, Fig. 5, controlled by springs 14, so that they can turn about 13 on rounding a curve and in such a way as to give small lateral displacement. In an arrangement in which there are means for setting the wheels by power, Figs. 8 and 9, rockers 5<1> are pivoted on a fulcrum 6<1> and are drawn up by springs 29 attached to a frame 28 but are held down by a pawl 34 on the frame 28, which pawl engages a ratchet sector 30 keyed to a shaft 8<1>, to which springs 7<1> are fixed, these springs being also connected to the rockers 5<1> by links 32 and arms 33. The springs 29 raise the wheels on removal of the pawl 34 by controls 22, 20, and the wheels are lowered by pawl devices 35, 36, reciprocated by the engine, and engaging with the ratchet sector, which is thus moved down, lowering the wheels through the springs 7<1> and links 32. The teeth on the ratchet only extend to a certain distance, so that the wheels are not pushed down too far. The lever 23 moving the pawl 35 also increases gas supply. The position of the side wheels ia indicated to the driver by a cord attached to the rockers passing over a pulley connected with the pointer. A treadle 24 may be used to arrest the wheels in intermediate position.