US1136556A - Steering-gear. - Google Patents

Description

D. E. ROSS.

STEERING GEAR.

APPucATIoN FILED MAR. 3l. 1913.`

13,136,55 Patented Aprzzo, 1915.

'UNITE STA E@ PATENT FFIQE.

DAVID E. ROSS, F LA FAYETTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 ROSS GEAR AND TOOL COMPANY, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

STEERING-GEAR.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DAVID E. Ross, of La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering-Gear; and I yhereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact-description thereof, reference being` had to the accompanymg drawings, which form part of this specifieation.

This invention is a novel improvement in steering-gear for automobiles, motor boats and the like, and is particularly designed for use with electric vehicles which ordinarily employ a lever for operating the steering shaft instead of a wheel.

The object of the invention isv to provide a steering gear which can be readily operated by such a lever without any liability or pos,- sibility of reverse pressure on the ball-arm or steering-crank` improperly shifting the steering shaft or lever.

The invention provides novel mea Ns whereby the rocker shaft and steering-cran r can be positively and easily rocked in either direction, and will be always absolutely locked against casual or back pressure movements in any and all positions to which it is adjusted. thus making the invention especially adaptable for electric automobiles and other vehicles intended to be operated by weinen.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof, although those skilled in the art might em body the invention in otjher forms after the invention is disclosed to them.

In the claims following the description are summarized the essentials of the invention and the novel features of construction and combinations of parts for which protection is desired.

In the drawings: I `igure 1 is a pla-n view of the steeringdevices of a steering gear with the housing broken away to show the operative parts more clearly. Fig. Q is a transverse section on line 2.-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

lIn said drawings 1 represents the rocker shaft which is `iournaled in a bearing formed in a tubular'extension 5) ol thc casing i), which may be of any suitable construction and incloses the main operative parts of the Specification of Letters Patent. Patentdl A'pir. 20, 1915.

Application filed March 31, 1913.

Serial No. 757,937.

steering heads and supports the rocker shaft and the steering shaft.

To the outer end of the rocker shaft l is connected the steering crank, or ball arm, l, that may be of any suitable construction, and is connected in the'usual or preferred way, by means not shown, to the front wheel supports of the vehicle. On the inner end of the shaft 1 is fixed a double armed lever 2' to whose arms are vpivotally connected shoes '3 and 3, which are shown as pivoted on studs 2 on the arms of the lever, at equrdistant points from the axis of the rocker shaft 1. The shoes 3, 3 are adapted to respectively engage opposed cam surfaces 4X and 5x on slidable cam members 4 and 5, which are movable transversely of the shaft 1 and beside the lever 2. The cam members 4 and 5 lie parallel and are movable in opposite directions, simultaneously and equally, so that while contact is maintained between the slices and the cam-surfaces, the shaft l will be rocked in one direction or the other according to the movement of the cam members -t and 5. Thus if cam members 5 be projected or moved to the right, Fig. 1, the shaft 1 will be rocked clockwise; while cam 4- is simultaneously retracted.V If cam I be projected or moved to the right, cam 5 would be retracted, and the rocker shaft 1 will be moved anti-clockwise. In either case the cams and shoesV always remain in contact and have an interlocking action when at rest, which prevents any back pressure on the rocker shaft l shifting the cams or- Slices, which lock in any position to which they are adjusted unless and until the cams 4 and 5 are purposely moved to shift the shoes. This interlocking action relieves the driver of the shocks and jars on the vehicle wheels and obviates the possibility of the steering arm being wrenched from the drivers hand under extreme conditions of back pressure on the steering crank.

rThe cam surfaces fl", 5X and the opposed faces of the shoes 3 and 3 are generated on such curves that the shoes always remain inf close contact with the cam surfaces in whatever direction the shaft l is rocked by the shifting of the cams 4 and Equal tra vel on the part of the cam surfaces. causes equal movements of the tivo arms of the lever 1, and the angular travel of the rocker shaft per unit of longitudinal travel of the cams remains constant. The curves of the cam surfaces may be so generated however that a minimum oflangular travel of the rocker shaft is produced at the central partsv of the cam surfaces and a maximum of travel toward the extremes of lthe cam surfaces. -Asa result of this construction, Valthough shaft 1 may be rocked eitherto right or left by shifting the cams 4 and 5 endwise; cams 4 and 5 cannot be shifted by any reverse or back -pressure applied to the outer end of the shaft 1, orthe steering crank la; and the vehicle wheels will be securely held in any position to which they have been adj usted by the steering gear, until shifted by the operator.

As shown, the cams 4r. and 5 lie substantially at right angles to the steering shaft 6, which Vis journaled in the casing in any suitable way, and this 'steering shaft is provided on its lower end with a T-head 6, which is preferably slotted on its under side, and in the example shown the shank of the cam 4 which extends to and beneath this T- head is provided with a hole in which is fitted a pin or lug 4 having a square head 4", which is slidably fitted in the slot in the adjacent arm of the T-head 6 on the steering shaft. The cam 5 is similarly provided with a hole in which is a pin 5a having a head 5" engaging the slot in the adjacent end of the T-head 6. The construction is such that if the steering shaft 6 is turned in one direction cam 4- will be projected and cam v5 retracted; and if the shaft 6 is turned in the other direction, cam 5 will be projected and cam l retracted. i

The Shanks of the cams 4 and 5 carrying the studs 4, 5 may be guided in a lateral extension 9c of the housing 9 as shown and the shaft 6 may be suitably journaled in an extension 9 of the housing, or in bearings attached thereto, in any desired manner. lVhen attached to a vehicle the steering shaft will extend to the desired position adjacent the drivers seat, while the steering crank 1n will be in proper position for connection-with the steering wheels of the vehicle.

It is desirable to alwaysmaintain close sliding contact between the cam Asurfaces 4* and 5x and the respective shoes 3 and 3 and to compensate for any wear thereon. As shown in the drawings I accomplish this by means of two oppositely tapered wedge plates 7 and 7n which are fitted together and arranged between the adjacent straight 4edges ofthe cams 4 and 5. The wedge 7 may be fixed at one end to the end wall of the extension 9c of the casing as indicated at 7". I/Vhile the opposite end of the wedge 7 may be fitted in a socket 9d in the wall of the casing, and can be locked in such socket by means of a screw 9e, and can be adjusted longitudinally by a screw 9', as indicated in Fig. 1. By adjusting Wedge 7 longitudinally of the wedge 7a the cams can be separated more or lessand any wear on the faces of the cams and shoes can be compensated 'exactly equi-distant from the axis of the rocker shaft; in such case the cams would be similar and in proportion but not exact duplicates, and the opposed shoes would be correspondingly varied; but in operation the shoeswould always remain in contact with the `opposed cam surfaces.

1. In a steering gear, a member to be operated, devices connected with said member at points equi-distant therefrom, opposite cam members engaging said devices, a steering shaft, and a cross head connected therewith and engaging the cam members and adapted to cause opposite movements thereof.

Q. In a steering gear, the combination of a rocker-shaft, opposite shoes connected therewith at equi-distant points, opposite cam members engaging-the respective shoes; a steering shaft, anda cross head thereon engaging said cam members and adapted to move them simultaneously and equally in opposite directions.

In a steering gear, the combination of a rocker-shaft, opposite shoes connected therewith, an independent cam member engaging each shoe` said cam members being faced in opposite directions; a steering shaft, and a cross head thereon engaging said cam members to more same equally and simultaneously in opposite directions.

4. In a steering gear, the combination of a rocker-shaft, opposite shoes connected therewith, a cam member engaging each shoe, said cam members being faced in opposite directions, aI steering shaft, a cross head thereon for simultaneously operating said cam members, and means for adjusting the cam members laterally.

5. In a steering gear, the combination of a rocker-shaft, opposite shoes connected therewith, anindependent cam member engaging each shoe, said cam members being faced in opposite directions; a steering shaft, a cross head thereon for simultaneously operating said cam members, and wedges extending axially of and between the cam members for adjusting them laterally.

6. In a steering gear, the combination of a rocker-shaft, opposite shoes connected therewith-and equi-distant therefrom, oppositely facing longitudinally movable cam members engaging said shoes, a steering shaft, a head thereon, and a pin and slot connectionbetween said head and each cam member.

7. In a steering gear, 'the combination of a rocker-shaft, opposite shoes connected therewith, oppositely facing longitudhially movable lcam members engaging said shoes, a steering shaft, a head thereon, a connection between said head and each cam member,

and adjusting means interposed between the j cam members and connected to the housing of the steering gear, substantially as described.

8. In a steering gear, the combination of a rocker-shaft, a double armed lever on said shaft, shoes pivotally connected to the arms of said lever, oppositely facing cam members engaging said shoes, a steering shaft, a double armed head thereon; connections between said head and said cams for simultaneously moving said cams to effect the rocking of the shaft and the locking thereof in adjusted position, substantially as described.

9. In a steering gear, the combination of a rocker-shaft, a double armed lever on said shaft, shoes pivotally connected to the arms of said lever, oppositely facing cams engaging said shoes, a steering shaft, a double armed head thereon; and pin and slot connections between said head and said cams, means for simultaneously moving said cams in opposite directions to effect the rocking of the shaft and the locking thereof in adjusted position, and adjusting means interposed between the cam members and connected to the housing of the steering gear, substantially7 as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID E. ROSS.

Witnesses:

W. B. MATTHEWS,

D. L. Ross.

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