US1669906A - Vehicle-propelling device - Google Patents

Description

E. A. KINCH VEHICLE PROPELLING DEVICE AMay 15, 1928.

Filed March 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet --.Il llvlllfl .uhmm

waff@ May 15, 1928. 1,669,906

E. A. KlNcH VEHICLE PROPELLING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented May l5, 1928.

UNITED STATES EDWARD ALFRED XINCH, OF RATHDOWNEY, IRELAND. v

VEHIGLE-PROPELLING DEVICE.

Application filed 'March 29, 1924. Serial No. 702,849.

This invention relates to a vehicle propelling device as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompany ing drawings which form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for'novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to provide means whereby a winter vehicle, such as a sleigh, can be mechanically propelled, and in the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing, for the sake of clearness, only one shoecarrriage.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of a shoe carriage.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the motive chain adjusting means.

Figure is a detail view ofthe spring ymechanism adjusting the position of the rear end of the device with respect to the sleigh.

Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view of end of the rack section.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the figures, the device is hinged at the front to the side members 2A of the sleigh and springingly supports the j rear of the sleigh while the device complete lies under the sleigh between its runners.

The frame consists of two parallel .side

. plates 1 secured in their spaced relation by four transverse members 6. Adjacent to and parallel with the transverse members 6 are two other cross members 9 rigidly secured at their ends to the side plates 1 and carrying the longitudinally and horizontally arranged rods 10. v

5 are longitudinal members live in number, carried at both ends by and extending between the members 6, and carrying the shoe carriages 7; the centre member carries four sections whereas `the other four each carry two. vThe carriages 7 are vformed, to provide eight sets `of slideways or guideways adapted to mount the rollers 8 of the movable shoe carriage; theA track sections are symmetrically located with respect to the centre length ofthe members 5 and rigidly secured in a horizontal position. The

iframe pivots at the front end in bearings 2v secured to the runners 2^, and a suitable block 3^ slidable on each side platecarries a set screw 3 bearing upon a casting 1^ secured to said plate; by means of the set screws, the side plates and therefore the device complete, can be moved longitudinally with respect to the sleigh. j

16 is a shaft journaled inthe bearings 2. rigidly carrying a central sprocket wheel 50 and two equally-spaced sprocket wheels 15; the sprocket 50 is actuated from a suitable motor mounted on the sleigh.

13 are sprocket wheels of diameter equal to that of wheels 15 and in longitudinal alignment therewith,` rigidly mounted upon shafts 12 which are suitably journaled inl four of the members 5 and located centrally of the length of said shafts. y

29 are sprocket wheels rigidly mounted upon the ends of the shafts 12.

The sprockets j 13 are rotated by vthe sprockets 15 through the chains 14.

l Each shoe carriage consists of a horizontal bar 17 mounting two pairs of rollers 8 and carrying a plurality of spaced pivots or pins 18, a shoe 28, a mechanism controlling the position of said shoe, and means for` keeping the bar 17 in a horizontal position. The bar 17 carries at the front end a box-shaped portion 20 and at therear end a similarly shaped portion 21. The box 21 extends `downwardly to form a hinged bracket in which pivots the shoe 23. Journaled in each of boxes 2O and 21 is an axle 30 mounting two rollers 8 which run in a track section 7 also journaled in said boxes, and extending therebetween is a horizontal shaft 27 rigidly mounting at each end a gear 28 enclosed within each of said boxes. Slidably mounted in suitablev slide bear ings 24 in each of 'said boxes, adjacent to and (2o-acting with the gear 28, is a toothed rack 25 rigidly secured at the top to the sleeve 26 which slides upon one of the horizontal rods'10. It will be seen that as the gears 28 are rigidlymounted on the horizontal shaft 27, and as these gears engage the racks `25 which are rigidly carried by the sleeve 26-the motion of which sleeve is constrained to a motion in a horizontal plane by the horizontal rod 10-it follows that both ends .dof each rack section will raise and lower uniformly as the device is operated. n

1 35 is a lever pivotallysecured to each bar and piT/otally carrying at one end a link.

83 and at the other end a link 34. The link 34 pivots at the upper end in the block 84A which isrigidly secured tothe sleeve 26 and extends laterally therefrom. The link 33 pivots at the lower end in a short lever 38 pivoting in the shoe 23.

37 is a casting hinged to the shoe 23 and having a rubber pad (not shown) on the underside thereof; the casting is sized to t into a depressed `portion 37A formed in the underside of the shoe. 88A is a short. link pivotally connected between one end of the lever 88 and the outer end of the casting 8T. As the shoe carriage moves up, the free end of the shoe will move up also. The bar 17 carries a plurality of equally-spaced horizontal pivots or pins 18 projecting out therefrom which carry at their outer ends the spacer 19; the pivots are spaced to engage the round notches in the periphery of the cog-wheel 29 as it rotates and actuates the vshoe carriage. The shoe carriages are so disposed upon their respective tracks as to allow the shoesQSto bebrought to hear upon the ground successively and at regular intervals. Since the motion of each of the shoe carriages dependsupon the'engagement of its corresponding cog-wheel 29 with at least one of pivots 18, it follows that the distance between parallel horizontal guideways in the section mustbe equal to the pitch diameter ofthe cog-Wheel. Similarly, `the extreme longitudinal distance between the centres of the guideways must be equal to the distance between the two extreme pivots plus the pitch diameter of the cog-wheel; and similarly, the radius of each curved portion of the guideways must be equal to half the pitch diameter ofthe cog-wheel.

40 are brackets adapted to be secured to the rear portionof the sleigh, each pivotally carrying a toothed rack 41 sliding in a suitably formed box'43 secured to the outside to the side plate 1. Adjacent to and co-acting with the racks 41, are wheels 44 rigidly mounted upon a horizontal shaft 45 suitably journaled in the side plates 1.

48 is a helicalspring encircling the shaft secured at one end to the collar47 which y1s rigidly mounted upon said shaft and secured at the other end to the worm gear 46 which is loosely mounted upon said shaft.

' 49. is a worm rigidly mounted upon the horizontal shaft 49A and engaging the worm gear 46; a suitable mechanism (not shown) is secured to the front end of the shaft 49A whereby 46 can be actuated to impart resiliency tothe spring 48.

shaft16 and the cog-whe'ls 15. The propuL Inioperation, the motor is operated torotatevthe sprocket 50, therefore rotating the sionof the sprocket chains 14 causes the rotation of the sprockets 13.` vtherefore rotating the shafts 12 and the four sprocket wheels 29. The tension yin the sprocket chains 14 `and in the main chain driving the wheel 5() is adjusted by turning the set screws 3, which will cause the brackets 3^ and therefore the device complete, to move relatively to the sleigh. As the wheels 29 rotate they force or propulse the shoe carriages rearwardly and forwardly in an endless path` formed -by the traclnvays in the track section 7, the rollers 8 riding in said trackways; as the rollers rise and fall at the ends of the trackways the brackets 2l and therefore the shoes 23 rise and fall therewith. ln other words. as the wheels 29 rotate, the pivot pins 18 in cach shoe carriage are successively brought in engagement with said wheels: the pins 18 and therefore the bar 17 mountingr these pins and also the shoe carriage complete are propelled in one direction and then in a reverse direction. alternately: for instance. referring to Figure l of the drawing, as the wheel Qflrotates in an anti-clockwise direction, the pins 18 more in a left to right direction, successively e`ngaging the wheel until the extreme leftv piu has about reached the position of the extreme right pin, after which tluslast pin begins to move upwardly and partly around the wheel, and after leaving the wheel it travels' in a left handdirection. The shoe will then be brought to heal-upon the ground tending to raise the sleigh, and as it moves from front to rear, will urge the sleigh along. Each shoe will in turn engage they ground, urging the sleigh forwardly. For increasing the pressure of cach shoe upon the ground, the shaft 49 is operated to wind the spring 45 lmtil the resiliency in the spring,r causes the. shaft 45 and the gears 44 to rotate and lift the racks 41.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured to the front end of said vehicle and springingly supporting the rear,

end thereof, endless trackways4 secured to said frame, carriages running on saidtrackways, shoes hinged to said carriages and adapted to engage the' ground, and means adapted for actuating said carriages.

2. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured under said vehicle near the front. end thereof, endless trackways carried hy said frame, carriages running `on said trackways, shoes pivotally secured to said carriages, means carriedby said frame connected to the rear end of said vehicle and adapted to yieldingly urge the free end of saidframe toward the ground, and means adapted for actuating said carriages.

3. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured under said vehicle near the front end thereof, endlesstrackways carried hysaid frame, carriages running on Said trackwaysshoes pivotally secured to said carriages, means adapted for actuating said carriages, a shaft jornaled in said frame,

IUD

and a worm loosely mounted upon said shaft, a spring encircling said shaft and secured at both ends to said shaft and worm respectively, gears rigidly mounted upon said shaft at the ends thereof, racks pivotally secured to the rear end of said vehicle and co-acting with said gears,fand means adapted for twisting said spring.

4. In a vehicle propelling device, a hinged rectangular frame having a plurality of spaced horizontal members, endless trackways carried by said horizontal members, carriages running on said trackways, a shoe pivotally mounted on each of said carriages, means adapted for adjusting the horizontal position of the frame relative to said vehicle, means adapted for actuating said earriages, and means carried by said frame connected to the rear end of said vehicle and adapted to yieldingl urge the free end of said frame toward t e Ground.

5. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured to said vehicle, endless trackways carried by said frame and carriages running on said trackways, means including sprocket wheels and chains carried by said frame and adapted to actuate said carriages, and means carried by said frame connected to the rear end of said vehieleand adapted to yieldingly urge the free end of said frame toward the ground.

6. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame secured to said vehicle, endless traclways carried by said frame and carriages running on said trackways, a shoe pivotally connected to each carriage, transverse shafts mounted in said frame adjacent to said trackways, sprockets rigidly mounted upon said shafts and operatively co-acting with Said carriages, and means, including sprocket chains, adapted to rotate said sprockets.

7. In a vehicle ropelling device, a frame secured to said veiiicle, a pluralityeof sets of endless trackways carried by said frame, a carriage running in each of said set of trackways, a shoe secured to said carriage, a plurality of pins projecting out from said carriage, sprockets adfacent to each set of trackways engaging t e pins in said carriage, and means, including sprockets and chains, adapted to rotate said first-mentioned sprockets.

8. In a vehicle propellin device, a frame secured to said vehicle, a p urality of sets of endless trackways carried by said frame, a horizontally arranged bar mounting rollers running in each set of trackways, a shoe pivotally carriedby said bar, pins carried by said bar vand projecting out therefrom, a suitably driven sprocket engaging said pins,

and means adapted to maintain each of said bars in a horizontal plane.

9. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured to the front end of said vehicle and springingly supporting the rear end thereof, a plurality of sets of endless trackways carried by said ramea carriage running on each of said tra'ckways, a shoe hinged to said carriage, means for actuating said carriage, a longitudinal rod horizon` tally arranged above each of said sets of trackways, a sleeve sliding in said rod, a

horizontal shaft journaled in said carriage and two gears rigidly mounted on said shaft, and a verticalrack rigidly secured to said sleeve at each end thereof and co-acting with each of said gears. f

EDWARD ALFRED KINCH.

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