US1474198A - Four-wheeled truck - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 13, 1923.

S. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK 18. 1920" 7 Sheets-She et 1 Filed D80.

".1. W 7 6 U h in; i7tiarn y Nov. 13 1923.

s. LQE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec.

18. 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,474,198 s. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec. 18. 1920 7 sheets sheet 5 Nov. 13 1923.

Jyver Loe.

, :51 M 19 711? flfforney III S. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec.

Nov. 13 1923.

Nov.- 13 1923.

S. LOE

FOUR-WHEELED TRUCK Filed Dec. 18. 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 fin/enforc- Syver Zoe.

Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES SYVEB LOE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

roUa-wnnnnnn TRUCK.

Application filed December 18, 1920. Serial No. 431,600.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Srvna Lon, a citizen of the United Statesfresiding. at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Four- Wheeled Trucks; and I do hereby'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap ertains to make and use the same.

y present invention relates generally to I motor-propelled vehicles and has for its ob- 44 of Fig. 3;

ject to provide improved transmission mechanism therefor; The invention is in the nature of an improvement on or refinement of the construction disclosed and claimed in my prior patent No. 1,349,074, of date August 10, 1920, entitled Transmission mechanism. Both the mechanism of my prior patent and of. the present application are particularly adapted and especially intended foruse in transmitting power from the propelling motor to the four wheels of the vehicle, and both make unnecessary and, in fact, eliminate the use of a differential gear in the driving connections between the traction wheels on the opposite sides of the vehicle. The present improved transmission mechanism, however, provides highly important, novel and improved features over the earlier construction, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and defined in'the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a four-wheel truck embodying my invention, the body thereof being removed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of.

Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail in section on the line Fig. 5 is a transverse section approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away and some parts being removed;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 66 of Fig. 1, some parts being shown infull;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 7-7 of 2, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 8 isa transverse vertical section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7, some parts being broken away and some parts being shown in full; I

Fig, 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away and some parts being shown in full;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on the line l010 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of parts corresponding to parts shown in Figs. 9 and 10, but which are located on the left-hand side of the machine;

Fig. 12 is a detail with parts broken away, showing one of the wheel hubs with the cap removed and with spokes broken away; and

Fig. 13 is a transverse section on the line 1313 of Fig. 1, but showing the bottom of the vehicle body in position.

The body of the vehicle is not shown. except that in Figs. 2, 3 and 13 the platform or bottom thereof is indicated by the numeral 14. This bottom will be secured to a suitable framework, which, as g shown, ,is made up of main laterally spaced metal beams 15 andtransverse tie-bars 15*. This frame, as shown, is supported from the front axle structure by front springs 16, and from the rear axle structure by rear springs 17. The motor-propelled vehicle here illustrated is of the type generally designated as a truck, but may be of any other type, such,

for example, as what is usually designated as an automobile or as a tractor.

As preferably designed, the rear axle structure comprises a cast steel rear axle 18-19, made in sections and the sections being rigidly connected by approximately cylindrical portions 20 and by detachable heads 21 and 22. The elements 20, 21 and 22 afford gear housings, (see particularly Figs. 1, 7 and 8 and the end sections 19 have sleeve-like projections 23 on which the hubs 24 of the rear wheels 25 are journaled. preferably by roller bearings 26.

The rear axle shaft is made in two sections 27, that are extended through the sleeves 23 and axle sections 19 into-the respective gear housings of boxes 20. At their outer ends, the axle shaft sections 27 are provided with heads 28 that are notched to engage lugs on the interiors of the outer ends of the respective rear wheel hubs 24, so that said shaft sections 2.7 will independently transmit driving motion to said rear wheels. Said hubs 24 are provided with 'detachable caps- 29 that normally enclose the heads 28.

At their inner ends, the axle shaft sections 27 have rigidly secured bevel gears 30 that mesh with bevel gears 31 carried by short shafts 32, which latter extend longitudinally of the machine and are journaled in the heads 21 and 22 preferably by roller bearings 33 of the Timken or cone type. At their front ends, the shafts 32 are connected by knuckle joints 34 to independent rear transmission shafts 35, which are driven in a manner hereinafter described.

The front axle structure, as shown, comprises a cast steel or forged front. axle 36 of the type generally used in trucks, and automobiles, the same having forked ends to which "the forked ends of stub axles 37 are pivotally connected by vertically aligned pivot bolts or screws 38, (see particularly Figs. 1, 9 and 10). These stub axles 37 have sleeve-lilxe portions 39- on which the "hubs 40, of the front wheels t1, are journaled preferably by roller bearings 42. The front axle shafts 43 are journaled in and extended through the sleeves 39 and, at their outer ends, are provided with heads 4A; having notches that engage lugs on the interior of the outer ends of said hubs 39, so that shafts will transmit motion independently to the two front wheels. The hubs 39 are provided with a removable hub gap 45.

The pivoted stub axles 37, within the forked end of the front axle 36, are formed with box-like gear housings 426 having removable heads 47. Within the gear housings 46, the front axle shafts 43 have rigidly secured bevel gears 48 that-mesh with bevel gears 49 on short shafts 50. The shafts 50 extend longitudinally of the machine and, by knuckle joints 51, are connected to corresponding front transmission shafts 52 that are constructed and operated as hereinafter more fully described.

Preferably and as shown, the motor for propelling the vehicle is an internal combustion multi-cylinder engine 53, which is properly anchored to the front portion of the machine frame with its crank shaft extended longitudinally thereof and preferably connected by a knuckle joint 54 to a main or common transmission shaft 55. The rear portion of this shaft 55 is journaled in suitand 3'). The rear end of the shipper rod 58 is formed with a lateral loop 58, that engages a groove in the hub oftthe friction wheel 57.

The peripheral friction wheel 57 co-operates with two opposing face friction wheels 61, (see particularly Figs. 1 and 5), that are mounted on the inner end of axially aligned worm drive shafts 62. These shafts 62 are journaled in bearings on box-like gear housings 63 that are rigidly secured to the opposite sides of the main frame and do end therefrom. As shown and preferab y, the shafts 62 are journaled to the housings 63 by conical roller bearings 64 of the Timken type and which hearings will resist end thrusts on said shafts.

To permit the face friction wheels 61 to be independently pressed into and out of frictional contact with the friction wheel 57, said wheels 61 are connected to the respective shafts 62 by keys 61 that 'peit slight sliding or small movements of said wheels 61 on said shafts.

Each shaft 62, within the co-operating housing 63, has a worm 65 that engages a worm gear 66 secured to a tubular shaft 67 that is journaled'in suitable bearings 68, preferably of the Timken type, suitably mounted in respective housings 63. The tubular shafts 67 extend longitudinally of the main frame, both forward and rearward of the co-operating worm gear 66.

Loosely journaled in the front and rear ends of the tubular shafts 67 and in suitable front and rear bearings 69, as shown of the Timken type, mounted on the front and rear ends of the housings 63, are short shafts 70. The two front shafts 70 are connected by knuckle joints 71 to the rear ends of the front transmission shafts 52 and, in fact, constitute parts or elements of what may be properly distinguished as the front wheel drive shafts. lit is now important to note that these front wheel drive shafts are longitudinally extensible and contractible, and are made so preferably by the construction best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. By reference to these two views, it will be noted that the shafts 52 are formed with overlapped semi-cylindrical portions 35 that are telescoped into a sleeve 72 that is rigidly secured to one of the shaft sections, but free for telescopic movements on the other shaft section.

The two rear shafts 70 are connected by knuckle joints 73 to the front ends of the respective rear transmission shafts 35, and, in fact, constitute elements of what may be designated as the rear wheel drive shaft.

Primarily, the front and rear shafts 7 0 are free for independent rotation in respect to the ends of said two shafts 67, I provide four clutch devices. As shown, each of these clutch devices comprises a pair of clutch elements or half clutches 74 and 75, the former of which are rigidly secured on the respective shaft 70 and the latter of which are keyed to rotate with but to slide upon said shafts 67. Preferably, the clutch elements 74 are utilized as brake elements and, hence, their peripheries are made cylindrical so as to afford brake drums, and these latter are surrounded by co-operatin metallic brake straps 76 anchored to the housing 63 at 77 and provided at their split ends with outstanding ears through which brake-setting screws 78 are arranged to Work, as presently described, (see particularly Figs. 1, 3 and 6). These brake-setting screws 78 are provided with upstanding arms 79. The front and rear arms 79, that operate the front and rear clutches on the same side of the machine, are connected in pairs to jointed rods 80. The two rods 80, at their front ends, are peripherally connected to depending arms 81 of a sleeve 82 that is mounted for rocking movements on a cross shaft 83 mounted in suitable bearings 84. on the frame bars 15, (see particularly Figs. 3 and 13). The sleeve 82 has a third depending arm 85 that is connected by a rod or link S6 to the depending arm of a foot pedal 87 suitably pivoted to the platform 14 in position to be engaged by the drivers foot.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 83 is a second sleeve 88 provided with two upstanding arms 89 and 90. Said shaft 83, likewise, is provided with two upstanding arms 91 and 92. To the arm 90'0f the sleeve 88 and to the arm 92 of the shaft 83, are pivoted laterally spaced rearwardly extended opcrating rods or links 93, the functions of which will presently be noted.

The arm 89 of said sleeve 88 and the arm 91 of the shaft 83 are pivotally connected to laterally spaced forwardly extended links 94. the front ends of which are independentl v pivoted, (see particularly Fi 1 and 3), to the lower arms of bell cran s 95 that are intermediately pivoted at 96 to suitable hearings on the platform ormachine frame.

lVorking between the forwardly extended I arms of the two bell cranks 95 is a so-called controller cam 97, as shown in cylindrical form, directly secured to the steering post shaft 98, which latter is-of the usual or any suitable arrangement and,at its lower end, is provided with a crank arm 99 that operates through the spindle-connecting rod 100 to impart parallel steering movements to the front wheels in a manner well known and not necessary for the purposes of this case to further consider.

Associated with each of the two laterally spaced face friction wheels 61 is what is herein designated as primary and secondary friction wheel shifters. The iiiain element of the primary shifter is in the form of .a I

sleeve 101 journaled on a sleeve-like extensions of the housing 63, provided with an upstanding arm 102 and havin external threads. The main element of t e secondary shifter is in the form of a nut-acting side of the housing 63. As shown,a-thrustacting ballbearing 105 is interposed between the sleeve 101 and the hub of the adjacent friction wheel 61. The arms 102, of

the two laterally spaced primary shifters v or sleeves 101, are pivotally'conuected to the rear sections of the respective foot-actuated brake-operating rods 80.

For shifting the movable half clutches 75 so that the front and rear clutches on the same side of the machine will be simultaneously operated, I provide a shipper lever 106 for each of said four half clutches. These levers, as shown, are pivoted at their lower ends to the bottoms'of the housings 63 and are provided with pivoted sleeves 107 that are swiveled in grooves in the hubs of the respective half clutches 75. At their upper ends, the levers 106 are pivoted to the ends of rack bars 108. The rack bars 108" that are on the same side of the machine, engage diametrically opposite portions of aspur gear or pinion 109 and are held in proper mesh with said pinion by suitable guide rollers 110 mounted within the cooperating housing 63. The twopinions 109 are provided with axially aligned shafts 111 that extend through the inner sides of the housings 63 and are provided with upstanding arms 112 that are connected by links 113 to the rear ends of the co-operating rods 93. The arms 104 of the secondary shifter or sleeve 103 are also connected to the rear ends of the co-operating rods 93 by short, links 114. t

Operation.

ed sleeves 101 to move inward and press. both friction wheels 61 against the friction wheel 57, thus causing all four traction wheel to be driven through the frictional transmission mechanism and co-operating devices. Here it may be stated that the sleeves 101, on opposite sides of the machine, are of reverse threa'dand, in the arrangement illustrated the right-hand sleeve 101 has right-hand threads and the left-hand sleeve 101 has lefthand threads.

"When the front end of the foot pedal 87 is pressed downward, the arms 79 and 102, on oth sides of the machine, will be rocked rearward, thereby simultaneously setting all four brakes, towit: the front and rear brakes on*both sides, and simultaneously moving both friction wheels 61 out of frictional driving contact with the friction 57.

When the controller cam 97 is set as shown in Fig. 3, the front wheels of the vehicle will be set for straight ,ahead travel the and the front ends of both bell cranks 95 will be forced downward thereby through the connections described, setting the arms 104 and 112, on both sides of the machine, in their rearmost positions. When the arms 104 are in said rearmost ositions,

will act on the sleeves 103 of the sec on ary friction wheel shifters and cause the same to 'ress both friction wheels 61 in frictional driving contact with the friction wheel 57; and when the arms 112 are in said rear positions, they will operate through the pinions 109, racks 108 and clutch shi ti levers 106 to cause all four of the clutch ifements 75 to engage the co-operating clutch elements 74, thus causing a1 four ofthe traction wheels to be driven.

When, for instance, the-front wheels are turned to cause the vehicle to turn toward the right, the high portion of the cam groove 97, of the controller cam 97, will operate on the right-hand bell crank 95 and, throu h the connections described, will move t e arms 104 and 112 on the right-hand side of the machine forward to their extreme ositions. When this arm 104, on the mghthand side, ismoved forward, it causes the secondary shifting element or sleeve 103 to release the right-hand friction wheel 61 from driving contact with the friction wheel 57 and thus disconnects the right-hand front and rear traction wheels from the driving mechanism. On the leithand side of the machine, the friction wheel 61 is left in driving contact with the wheel 57 and the front and rear clutches 747 5, on that side of the machine, are left in driving engagement so that the machine, in turning a curve toward the right, will be driven entirely by the front and rear left side traction wheels.

In turning the machine on a curve toward the left, the reverse of the above described action will take place, that is, the left-hand friction wheel 61 and the two left-hand clutches will be thrown out of action so that the machine will then be driven solely by the newness thrown out of action, whereas, normally, the,

said clutches are in action, that is, their elements are engaged.

It is advlsable that the front clutches, which transmit to the front wheels, be thrown out of action a little ahead of the clutches that drive the rear wheels or conversely. Preferably, the arrangement is such that the front wheels will be thrown out of action ahead of the rear wheels and this ma be easily accomplished by setting the ront clutches so that they will release a little quicker than the rear clutches. In connection with this arrangement, the cam groove 97*, of the controller cam 97, (see Fig. 3), is provided with an interrupted intermediate portion which slightly delays the time that the rear clutches will take to go out of action after the front clutches have gone out of action, or have been released. Here it should be further noted that the lower 180 degrees or rear portion of the cam groove 97 is in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of the steering post shaft 98, so that no movement will be imparted to the bell crank 95 toward which the said lower rear portion of the cam groove is moved. This is the reason that the clutches and the friction wheel 61, that are on the greater are of the curve being turned by the machine, are left in action, while those on the smaller arc of said curve are thrown out of action bythe rising portion of said cam groove 97*.

As is obvious, the machine will be driven in a forward direction when the friction wheel 57 is forward of the coincidentaxis of the wheels 61 and will be driven backward when said wheel 57 is adjusted to the rear of said axis.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with an axle, of gear boxes pivotally connected to the ends of said axle and provided with outstanding sleeve-like axles, wheels journaledon said axles, axle shafts extended through said sleeve-like axles and connected to the wheel hubs at their outer ends, driving shafts journaled in said gear boxes and extending transversely of the axes of said axle shafts, and bevel gears located in said gear boxes and connecting said driving shafts to said axle shafts, said gear boxes, shafts and gears all partaking of the oscillatory movements of the wheels in the steering actions.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with longitudinally exclutches, one for each of said transmission connections, a common controller having connections for simultaneously operatln clutches on the same side of the vehicle an for automatically throwing out of actionclutches on that side toward which the vehicle is set to turn, and means also controlled by the steerin movement to automatically throw out 0 action the face friction wheel that is on that side toward which the vehicle is set to turn.

4. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with a frame and front and rear traction wheels and a motor on said frame, of a motor-driven peripheral friction wheel,

opposed face friction wheels enga cable with opposite sides of said periphera friction wheel, inde endent transmission connections for the our wheels of said vehicle, clutches, one for each of said transmission connections, a common controller having connections for simultaneously operatin clutches on the same side of the vehicle an for automatically throwing out of action clutches on that side toward which the vehicle is set to turn, a friction brake, one for each of-said wheel driving connections, and a secondary friction wheel shifter, one for each of said face friction wheels, 0 erative to throw the latter out of action w en the brakes are set.

5. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with traction wheels on the op 0- site sides of the vehicle, a motor-propel ed peripheral friction wheel, cooperating opposed face friction wheels engageable with opposite sides of said peripheral friction wheel, worm-equipped shafts independently driven by said face friction wheels, worm gears drlven by said worms, right and left clutches and co-operating transmission devices for independently driving said traction wheels, and means for approximately simultaneously throwing the clutch on either side of the vehicle and the face friction wheel on the same side out of action.

. 6. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with traction wheels on the 0p 0- site sides of the vehicle, a motor-propel ed peripheral friction wheel, co-operating opposed face friction wheels engageable with opposite sides of said perip eral friction, w eel, worm-equipped shafts independently driven by said face friction wheels, worm gears driven by said worms, right and left clutches and co-operating transmission devices for independently driving said traction wheels, means for approximatel simultaneously throwin the clutch on eit er side of the vehicle an the face friction wheel on the same side out of action, brake devices on opposite sides of the vehicle, and means for automatically throwing said face friction wheels out of action when said brakes are thrown into action. i

7. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with traction wheels on the op 0- site sides of the vehicle, a motor-propelled peripheral friction wheel, co-operating opposed face friction wheels on ageable with opposite sides of said peripheral friction wheel, worm-equipped shafts independently driven by said face friction wheels, worm gears drlven by said worms, right and left, clutches and co-opera'ting transmission devices for independently driving said traction wheels, means for approximately simultaneously throwin the clutch on either side of the vehicle an the face friction wheel on the same side out of action, primary and secondary friction wheel shifters operative on each face friction wheel, a steering shaft having connections for oscillatin the front wheels of the vehicle to steer e same, a controller cam on said steering shaft, camoperated connections operative automatically to throw out of action the clutch on that side toward which the vehicle is set to turn and to operate said secondary friction wheel shifters on the same side of the vehicle, and a brake-actuating device having connections operative on said secondary friction wheel shifters to throw both face friction wheels out of action when the brakes are set,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa-

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