US1522819A - Four-wheel drive - Google Patents

Description

A. HEBERT FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 924

A. HEBERT FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5 1924 lllllllllfilfllllz 0 I IIII Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDRE HEBERT, OF MONTPELIER, VERMONT.

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE.

Application filed June 5,

To all whomc't may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDRE HEBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montpelier, in the county of l/Vashington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Four.,

Wheel Drives; and I do 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 appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanisms whereby the front as well as the rear wheels of motor vehicles, may be driven, with the well known advantageous results, and the invention relates primarily to simple, inexpensive and compact means for driving the front wheels without interfering with proper steering.

A further object of the invention is to provide a housing for a universal joint forming one of the wheel driving connections, with a slotthrough which the adj acent-wheel drivingsliaft or spindle passes, and to provide novel means for normally closing this slot, so as to prevent the escape of grease therethrough and to prevent theentrance of dust and grit.

A further aim of the invention is to provide the front axle with a novel association of bearings forcertain driven parts associated therewith.

Still another aim is to provide an improved type of universal joint which will operate very smoothly and efficiently.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the'description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the major portion of an automobile chassis, embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view as indicated by line 22 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Figifre 3 is a plan view partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing certain parts of the universal joint.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

.Figure 6 is a. horizontal sectional view as indicated by line 6-'6 of Fig. 5.

Fi re 7 is a detail vertical section on line -7' of Fig. 51

1924. Serial No. 718,132.

In the drawings above briefly described, which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a front axle, at the ends of which front wheels 2 are disposed. Novel provision is made at each end of the axle for driving the wheels 2, and as the construction at one-end is a duplicate of that at the other, the structure at only one end is shown and described in detail. The axlel is provided with a forked end having a lower arm 3 and an upper arm 4, the latter extending first upwardly and then outwardly, as shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. Near its juncture with the axle 1. the upwardly extending portion of the fork arm 4 is enlarged as at 5 and provided with an opening, to provide a hori: zontal bearing whose axis extends longitudinally of the axle.

The upper side of the axle 1 is provided with a bearing lug 6 which is spaced inwardly from the bearing 5 and may well be secured to the axle by one or more bolts or the like 7 passing for instance through a foot 8 with which said lug is provided. This lug is formed with a horizontal bearing 9'in alinement with the bearing 5 and is provided also with another horizontal bearing 10 at right angles to the axis of said bearings 5 and 9. Another bearing 11 isdisposed behind the lug 6 and is secured to the axle in any suitable manner. In the present showing, this bearing is carried by the upper end of an arm 12 which pro ects rearwardly and upwardly from the axle and is secured to the latter by bolts or the like 13.

A short longitudinal drive shaft 14 is rotatably mounted in the bearings 10 and 11, each of which is preferably equipped with bearing balls or rollers 15, said shaft having a beveled gear 16 between said bearings. This gear meshes with another beveled gear 17 between the bearings 5 and 9, the last named gear having a hub 18 which is rotatably received in one end of said bearing 5. Similarly received in the other end of the last named bearing. which end is preferably provided with hearing balls 19,

is a hub 20 of a universal joint socket 21 Y which is disposed between the fork arms 3 and 4. A second short shaft 22 passes through the hubs.18 and 9.0 and is keyed to both of them, said shaft passing into the bearing 19, which bearing is by preference equipped with bearing rollers or balls 23.

) pivoted. at 25, to the fork arms 3 and 4, said through which fork 24 being provided witha tubular spinedge of the slot, while the other is similarly the A wheel-carrying fork 24 has its ends spring is formed with; a central opening 47 the-shaft 27 passes and it will be seen that as this shaft is swung fordle 26 upon which the wheel 2 is rotatably wardly or rearwardly, during steering of the mounted. Passing rotatably through this machine, the spring will slide upon the spindle, is a wheel-driving shaft 27 whose housing, 'at all timessealing the slot 43, outer end 'is connected with the wheel, for It will be seen from Fig. 1 that a pair of instance by means of a driving plate 28 havlongitudinal shafts 48 extend from a back ing peripheral teeth 29 received in the reaxle 49, said shafts being driven in any decesses 30 in the wheel hub. The inner end of sired manner from the movable parts withtheshaft 27 is provided with a ball 31 which in the axle housing. The front ends of the is received in the pocket 21.

50, with the two shafts14, one of said joints gles to the axis of the shaft 27, and isbeing shown in Fig. 3. Sectional casin s 51 formed also with a recess 33 from said'bore preferably cover the joints 50, the sha 14, to its periphery, said recess being of the the bearings '11, lugs 6, and beveled gears segmental form shown in Fig. 5 and being 16-17, and these casings may of course conprovided with opposed flat parallel walls. tain suitable lubricant. A. pivot pin 34 is received in the..;bore .32 and By providing the novel construction hereis'formedwith a'central opening 35 receivin described and illustrated, a four wheel ing'the reduced end 36 of a second pivot pin drive may be provided which is simple and 37 which is at right angles to the first named compact, yet is very eflicient and in every pin. A flat-sided bearing bushing 38 surway desirable, and as excellent results may rounds the pin 37 and engages the flat walls be obtained from the details disclosed,-they of the recess 33, and to hold said bushing are preferably followed. However, within and the pin 37 in place, I prefer to use a the scope of the invention as claimed, nucap 39 threaded into an opening 40 in the merous minor changes may be made. socket 21, said cap snugly receiving the I. imii outer end of the pin 37.

It will be seen that the parts 21, 31, 34, 37, an integral fork at its end whose upper arm 38, etc., constitute a simple, yet an effective extends upwardly and then outwardly and universal joint connecting the shafts 22 and is provided in its upwardly extending por- 27, to drive the latter from the former retion with a horizontal bearing having its gardless of the angle which may exist beaxis disposed lo g in ly f the fl tween them when steering. The action of a bearing lug on the axle and'spaced inthe joint is very smooth and it does not inwardly from the fork thereof, said lug havterfere with steering in any manner whating one bearing alined with the first named soever. v bearing-and another hearing at right angles A globular housing is provided for the thereto, an arm extending rearwardly from universal joint above described. This housthe axle and having a bearing alined with in preferably consists of two duplicate said other bearing ofthe lug, a short shaft hives 41 which may be secured against op-' mounted in said other bearing of said lug posite sides of the fork arms 3 and 4, by and said bearing of said arm and having olts or the like 42. The two sections 41 a bevel gear between the two, asecond short abut each other between the universal joint shaft passing through the first named bearand the wheel 2 and they are jointly formed ing and extending into the first mentioned with a slot '43 through which the shaft 27 bearing of said lug, a second bevel gear on passes. Above and below this slot, the secsaid second shaft between the bearings of tions 41 are thickened on their outer sides the latter, a joint member on said second to provide a pair of parallel guides 44, one shaft within the aforesaid fork, a second of which is spaced u wardly from the upper fork whose arms are pivoted to the arms of first named fork, said second fork havspaced downwardly from the lower edge of ing a tubular rigidspindle, a wheel mountsaid slot. A one-piece spring extends ed on said spindle, and a driving shaft for over the slot 43 to exclude foreign matter said Wheel passing through the spindle, said and to prevent the leakage of grease theredr'ving shaft having a joint member conthrough, and the ends of this spring are n cted" with the aforesaid joint member to slidably received between the upper and be driven thereby. lower guides 44. To retain the spring 45 in 2. In a front wheel drive, "an axle having proper position between the guides 44 and an integral fork at its end whose upper arm prevent outward bowing thereof away from extends upwardly and then outwardly and the universal joint housing, I

vide vertical bridge straps, 46 which are integral with the housing sections and extend across the outer side of said spring. This tion with a horizontal bearing having its axis disposed longitudinally of the axle, a bearing lug on the axle and spaced inwardly This ball is shafts 48 are connected by universal joints provided with an axial bore 32 at right an- 1. Ina front wheel drive, an axle having prefer to prois provided in its upwardly extending porfrom the fork thereof, said lug having one bearing alined with the first named bearing and another bearing at right angles thereto, an arm extending rearwardly from the axle and having a bearing alined with said other bearing of the lug, a short shaft mounted in said other bearing of said lug and said bearing of said arm and having a bevel gear between the two, a second bevel gear between the lug and the first named bearing having a hub extending into one end of the latter, the two gears being in mesh, a'joiut member between the fork arms having a hub extending into the other end of said first named bearing, a second short shaft on which said hubs 'are secured, said second shaft having an end rotatably mounted in the first named bearing of said lug, a second fork whose arms are pivoted to the arms of the first named fork, said second fork having a tubular rigid spindle. a wheel mounted on said spindle, and a driving shaft for said wheel passing through the spindle, said driving shaft having .a joint member connected with the aforesaid joint member to bedriven thereby.

3. In a front wheel drive, the combination with a forked axle, a driven universal joint between the fork arms, a wheel-carrying fork whose arms are pivoted to the arms of the axle fork, and a driving shaft for the wheel extending from said joint through said wheel-carrying fork; of a globular housing around said joint formed of two halves secured against the front and rear sides of the axle fork respectively, said housing having a horizontal slot through which said wheel driving shaft projects and being outwardly thickened in outwardly spaced relation with the edges of the slot to provide parallel guides, and a curved spring extending over said slot and slidably received between said guides, said spring having an opening through which said wheeldriving shaft passes.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3: together with a pair of bridge straps.extending transversely across the outer side of said spring and having their ends connected to said thickened portions of the housing to retain the spring in place between the guides.

universal joint comprising a shaftcarricd socket having a threaded radial opening, a shaft-carried ball within said socket having an axial bore at right angles to the shaft axis, and a fiat-sided segmental recess from said bore to its periphery, a )in passing rotatably through said bore an having a central opening, a second pin at right angles to the first named pin and having a reduced end received in the opening thereof, said second pin passing through said recess into the central portion of said threaded opening, a flat-sided bushing around said second pin engaging the flat sides of said recess, and a cap threaded into said threaded opening and engaging said second pin'to hold the same in place. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed mysignature.

ALEXANDRE HEBERT.

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