US1207406A - Attachment for steering devices for vehicles. - Google Patents

Description

W. H. HOUSMAN.

ATTACHMENT FOR STEERING DEVICES FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NPLY 8. P915.

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ATTACHMENT FOR STEERING DEVICES FOR VEHICLES.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 19116.

Application filed July 8,1915. Serial No. 38,742.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Hous- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chatham, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for- Steering Devices for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to carriages and wagons and has particular reference to improvements in or attachmentsto steering-devices.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a resilient attachment for steering gears applicable especially to automobiles and serving to hold or tend to hold the steering gears in mid or neutral position with the further or additional advaiitage of rendering the hand operation of the vehicles easier and more agreeable to the driver.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodi ment thereof reference is had to the accompanyin'g drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in Which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of the front axle of a standard type of automobile showing the steering knuckles and parts associated therewith; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the devices attached to the centerof the tie rod; Fig. t is a side elevation of'one end of the spring showing the form of the first coil; Fig. 5 i's'an end view of the same; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of adjustable end socket piece; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the same on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. t

Referring more particularly to the drawings ll show at 10 a front axleto which are connected a pair of torsion rodsll, the same extending rearwardly but converging toward each other as heretofore. These torsion rods represent suitable rigid anchorage devices for the improved attachment.

At 12 are represented the steering knuckles and 13 indicates the tie rod connecting the arms of said knuckles in the usual The main element of the improvement comprises a coil spring 14 having its ends anchored to the torsion rods 11 near their points of connection with the axle. Obviously the anchorage points might be arranged otherwise, but the torsion rods as illustrated constitute convenient and satisfactory anchorage points representing substantially fixed anchorages but permitting adjustment of the spring to vary the force or'tension thereof either for the purpose of varying the force of the spring as a whole or for shifting its effective connection to one side or the other.

A preferred form of anchor is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 as comprising an anchor plate 15, the same being substantially flat in the main portion and having a tongue 16 ex ,tending from one end and provided with a chor plate to the torsion rod 11. At the edges of the plate are formed ar'allel flanges '20 having concave seats 20 iich fit around the side of the torsion rod opposite the crotch of the U-bolt.

From the description of the anchor member it will be appreciated that the connectioi between the tonguev 16 and two adjacent coils constitutes a strong and positive connection or anchorage for the end of the spring, but providing for easy and delicate adjustment of the efl'ective length of the spring by a single twisting or turning action of the coil in one direction or the other around the axis of the coil to lengthen or shorten the coil, This rotation or twisting of the coil may be effected easily by hand, but will not take place automatically. The anchorage means for one end of the spring will be understood as being applicable to both ends.

The middle portion of the single spring 14: is anchored by a similar anchor plate 15 to the center of the tie rod 19. The proper degree of tension for the spring may be determined or established in various ways-but in connection with a standard or known type of machine, the anchor plates 15 for the ends of the spring will be turned thereon to points at a certain number of coils from the extreme ends, and the end plates will then be anchored to the torsion rods near the axle, it being understood that the center plate 15 will be turned to its place prior to the connection of both end plates. When the ends of the spring are connected, the operator can easily determine by applying force or strain to the middle portion of the spring, whether the proper tension or adjustment of the ends is provided for. The middle anchor plate is then secured to the tie rod 13. Should one end of the coil become strained or for any reason such end is 10 be tightened, the means for connecting the spring to the steering mechanism 'provides for easy adjustment as may be required from time to time.

To avoid accidental separation of the anchor plates from the spring when not in use, the end coil 14 is preferably deflected inwardly toward the center and also slightly toward the next coil as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The anchor members, however, may be forced thereover nevertheless in connecting the parts.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a modified form of anchor plate 21, the same comprising -a hollow cylindrical socket 22 adapted to receive the spring 14 longitudinally therein or therethrough, one end of the socket being provided with lugs 23 and 24 extending inwardly radially between adjacent coils and acting on the coils similarly, to the threads of a nut on a bolt, whereby the delicate adjustment already described may be eflected with this form of the invention also. The anchor member 21 also has a tongue 25 havmg a hole 25 whereby it may be anchored to a stationary member of a different type from that shown in 1.

I claim:

1. In steering apparatus, the combination with an axle, a pair of torsion rods secured rigidly thereto in spaced relation to each other, a pair of steering knuckles connected to the axle, and a rigid tie rod connecting said knuckles parallel to the axle, of resilient connections between the tie rod and the torsion rods, said connections comprising a single coil spring, an anchor plate having apertures for threading the plate to the spring at its middle portion the anchor plate being adjustable longitudinally of the axis of the spring, said anchor plate having parallel flanges at its side edges, the said flanges having concave seats for the tie rod, and gripping means to secure the anchor plate rigidly to the tie rod, and means to anchor the ends of the spring to the torsion rods adjacent the axle.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of an anchor plate having at one end a tongue provided with a pair of holes, a line joining the holes being transverse to the longer axis of the plate, the said anchor plate having parallel flanges formed at its edges, the flanges having concave seats for engaging a fixed member, means to clamp the plate to said fixed member, and a single coil spring having two adjacent coils threaded through said tongue holes of the anchor plate.

3. In a steering device, the combination with a pair of spaced fixed anchor members, and a tie rod movable laterally with respect to the anchor members, of resilient connections between the tie rod'and the anchor members, said connections comprising a single coil spring, means for anchoring the ends of the spring to the fixed anchor members, and an anchor plate having apertures for threading the plate to the spring and for moving the plate on the spring to the middle portion of the latter, the said anchor plate having seats for the tie rod, and means for securing the anchor plate rigidly to the middle portion of the tie rod.

WILLIAM HENRY HOUSMAN. Vitnesses W. F. SALMON,

CHARLES E. HARDER.

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