US2126961A - Traction device for automobiles - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1938.

R. HODGKINSON TRACTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 8. 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 16, 1938.

R. HODGKINSON 2,126,961

TRACTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 8. 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 16, 1938. R. HODGKINSON TRACTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 8. 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 0 9 a a mm a 2 w w w m a W v gnl L 6 7M Mn n .f w W /.f..,a w k W Z 3 2 3 M 1 w 9 8 .w 0 MW 11 1| 6 m Wm WM w w/ 1 Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Ralph Hodgkinson, Worcester, Mass. Application June 8, 1936, Serial No. 84,046

20 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for increasing the traction of automobiles. It is customary to use detachable cross chains or so-called mud hooks for such purposes, but the application and removal of such devices is laborious and otherwise objectionable.

It is the general object of my invention to provide an improved device for increasing traction, which device is to be permanently installed in an automobile and which may be rendered operative or inoperative as desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for positioning all parts of the device clear of the ground when the device is inoperative. My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Preferred forms of the invention areshown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of one form of my improved traction device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail element;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a cam plate forming part of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 5;

Figs. '7 and 8 are detail plan views, partly in section and illustrating the operation of my in- 35 vention;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a plunger carrier;

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan View, taken along the line Ill-I0 in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a partial front elevation showing a modified construction;

Fig. 12 is a side view thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow l2 in Fig. 11 and showing certain parts in section; and

Fig. 13 is a plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow [3 in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a wheel l5 mounted on a housing l6 and secured to a driving shaft I1, all substantially of the usual construction. The wheel is provided with a brake drum l8 and supports the usual tire l9.

My improved traction device comprises a casing (Figs. 1 and 2) having a flange 2| forming a supporting bearing for the casing on the outside of the housing IS. A removable cover view of a plunger plate 22 surrounds the housing l6 and completes the casing.

A plurality of trunnion blocks 25 are pivotally mounted between the casing 2|] and the cover plate 22 and provide swivel bearings for sleeves 5 21 which are arranged for angular movement therein. Each sleeve 21 is provided with a camengaging arm 30 at its inner end and with a friction arm 3| at its outer end and is also provided with a shoulder 32 which limits inward sliding movement of the sleeve relative to its trunnion block 25.

A coil spring 33 surrounds each sleeve 2'! and has one end fixed in the casing 20 and the other end engaging the arm 30, as clearly shownin Fig. 1. The spring 33 tends to turn the sleeve in a direction to force the friction arm 3| against the adjacent surface of the tire l9, and the spring 33 also acts to seat the shoulder 32 firmly against the associated trunnion block 25.

The cam-engaging arm 30 is normally seated in a recess 35 (Fig. 8) in one of the cam projections 36 on a cam plate 37. The cam plate 31 is slidable axially on the housing l6 but is held from rotation by a key 38 (Fig. 1) loosely fitting a keyway 39 in the cam plate 31.

A forked lever 40 is pivotally mounted on a stud 4| extending through ears 42 on the housing l6 and the lower forked ends of the lever extend through a central opening 43 in the cover plate 22 and engage the outer face of the cam plate 31.

A coil spring 45 (Figs. 7 and 8) is mounted on the housing l6 and presses outward against the cam plate 31, tending to move the plate from its holding position, shown in Fig. 8, to its released position, as shown in Fig. 7.

The plunger carrier (Figs. 9 and 10-) is provided with a bearing portion 5| adapted to be mounted on the outer face of the flange 2| of the casing 20, and is provided with three arms 52 adapted to support studs 53 extending between the side walls of the carrier. One of the arms is extended outward and provided with an ofiset lug or projection 55 to engage a stop screw 56 (Fig. 1) adjustably mounted in the casing 20.

A plunger 60 is slidable longitudinally in each sleeve 21 and is slotted at its outer end (as indicated at 6| in Fig. 2 and more clearly in the modified construction of Fig. 12) to receive a traction plate 64 which may be secured in the plunger 60 by screws 66.

Each traction plate 64 extends over and partially embraces the tire l9 and is provided with a roughened tread portion 61. When in normal 55 inoperative position, the traction plates 64 clear the the IQ and are not engaged thereby.

The lower end of each plunger 60 is preferably square in cross section and is provided with an elongated slot 10 having a bearing block H slidable therein and forced yieldingly toward the inner end of the plunger by a coil spring 12.

Each bearing block ll may be provided with ribs l3 slidable in longitudinal grooves in the side walls of the slots 70 or may be otherwise held from displacement. Each block ll cooperates with the adjacent end of the associated plunger 60 to form a bearing for one of the cross pins 53 in the plunger carrier 56 previously identified.

Having described one form of my invention, the method of operation and advantages thereof are as follows:

Under normal running conditions a link \Fig. 2) is manually adjusted outward in the direction of the arrow a, thus forcing the lower ends of the forked lever All inward against the cam plate 31 and moving the cam plate from the position shown in Fig. '7 to that shown in Fig. 8, in which position the cam-engaging arms on the sleeves 2'! will be seated in the recesses 35 of the cam projections 36 on the cam plate 31.

The friction arms 3! will thus be held clear of the tire 19. The cam recesses are so located angularly that the traction plates 64 will be positioned as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, well out of possible contact with the ground.

The link I5 may be connected to any kind of a shipper handle 16 or other holding device adapted to hold the parts normally in the position above described.

If the automobile approaches bad traveling occasioned by snuw, mud, or sand, the holding device it for the link 15 may be released, thus allowing the spring to move the cam plate 31 out of engagement with the cam-engaging arms 30 on the sleeves 21. The springs 33 then act to swing the friction arms 3| against the tire I9, and the casing 29 and all associated parts will thereafter rotate with the tire and wheel.

As soon as one of the traction plates engages the ground, it will be forced inward and will exert pressure through its spring 12 and bearing H on the plunger carrier 50, moving the carrier angularly in a direction to draw the two other traction plates 64 inward against the tire.

As each plate 64 engages the ground, it repeats the tightening action of the carrier 50, so that the engagement of the traction plates with the tire is substantially continuous.

The traction device will continue to operate as described until the shipper handle or control device 16 is again manually operated to move the link it in the direction of the arrow 0. in Fig. 2, thus forcing the cam plate 31 inward. When this is done, the cam-engaging arms 39 will be again caught in the recesses 35 of the cam portions 36, and the device will again become inoperative with the traction plates angularly positioned as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent that the operator has the traction device at all times under his immediate control, and that he can throw the device into and out of operation without leaving his driving position or stopping the motion of the car.

V A modified construction is shown in Figs. 11 to 13 in which no part corresponding to the sleeve 2'! is used. The plungers 80 are sli-dable longitudinally in trunnion boxes 8i which may be supported between a casing 20 and cover plate 22 as previously described.

The upper end of each plunger is slotted at 82 to receive a traction plate 83, and a friction arm 84 is clamped or otherwise removably secured to the upper end of the plunger. A cam-engaging arm 85 is similarly secured to an intermediate portion of each plunger.

The lower end of each plunger is reduced in size as indicated at 86 and is slidable in a trunnion block 81.

The coil spring 88 is mounted on the reduced portion 86 and acts to force the plunger longitudinally in the bearing 81 and to cause a nut 89 to engage the lower face of the associated trunnion block 81.

Each spring 88 also acts to turn its plunger 80 anti-clockwise, as indicated by the arrow b in Fig. 13, which movement will cause the friction arm 84 on each plunger to engage the adjacent tire.

The trunnion bearings 31 are mounted in bearing openings in a carrier 90, corresponding in function to the carrier previously described. This modified construction involves the use of two trunnion bearing blocks for each plunger but is otherwise somewhat more simple than the con struction first described. The use and advantages of the modified construction is the same as in the first form.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a plurality of spaced outwardly extending plungers mounted in said casing and having traction plates at their outer ends overlying the tire on said wheel, a friction arm for each plunger movable angularly about the axis of said plunger to engage the tire, a second arm connected to each friction arm, a device movable to a position to engage said second arms and to move said friction arms out of engagement with said tire, and manual means to position said device.

2. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a carrier loosely mounted in said casing, a plurality of spaced outwardly extending plungers having traction plates at their outer ends overlying the tire on said wheel, a friction arm for each plunger movable angularly about the axis of said plunger to engage the tire, a second arm connected to each friction arm, a device movable to a position to engage said second arms and tomove said friction arms out of engagement with said tire, a spring to move said device in one direction, and manual means to move said device in the opposite direction.

3'. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a carrier loosely mounted in said casing, a plurality of spaced outwardly extending plungers having traction plates at their outer ends overlying'the tire on said wheel, a friction arm for-each plunger movable angularly about the axis of said plunger to engage the tire, a cam arm connected to each friction arm, a cam plate mounted concentric with the wheel and movable to a position to engage said cam arms and to move said friction arms out of engagement with saidtire, and manual means to position said cam plate.

2,126,961- 4. A traction increasing device for an automo-- bile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a plurality of spaced outwardly extending plungers mounted in said casing and having traction plates at their outer ends overlying the tire on said wheel, a friction arm for each plunger movable angularly about the axis of said plunger to engage the tire, a cam arm connected to each friction arm, a cam plate mounted concentric with the wheel and movable to a position to engage said cam arms and to move said friction arms out of engagement with said tire, a spring to move said cam plate to said position, and manual means to move said cam plate in the opposite direction.

5. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a plurality of spaced outwardly extending plungers mounted in said casing and having traction plates at their outer ends overlying the tire on said wheel, a friction arm for each plunger movable angularly about the axis of said plunger to engage the tire, a cam arm connected to each friction arm, a cam plate movable to a position to engage said cam arms and to move said friction arms out of engagement with said tire, and manual means to position said cam plate, said cam plate having cam portions corresponding in number to said plungers and simultaneously actuating all of said cam arms.

6. The combination in a traction increasing device as set forth in claim 5, in which each cam portion has a recess which yieldingly receives one of said cam arms and thereby circumferentially positions said traction plates in predetermined positions and out of contact with the tire-supporting surface.

'7. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a carrier loosely mounted in said casing, a plurality of spaced outwardly extending plungers pivotally connected to said carrier and having traction plates at their outer ends overlying the tire on said wheel, a friction arm for each plunger movable angularly about the axis of said plunger to engage the tire, a cam arm connected to each friction arm, a cam plate movable to a position to engage said cam arms and move said friction arms out of engagement with said tire, and manual means to move said cam plate axially of said wheel, said cam plate having cam portions corresponding in number to said plungers and simultaneously actuating all of said cam arms.

8. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a swiveled bearing block in said casing, a sleeve angularly movable in said bearing block, a plunger longitudinally movable in said sleeve, a traction plate on said plunger, a tireengaging friction arm on said sleeve, and manually controlled means to move said friction arm into and out of engagement with the tire.

9. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a swiveled bearing block in said casing, a sleeve angularly movable in said bearing block, a plunger longitudinally movable in said sleeve, a traction plate on said plunger, a

operative to move said sleeve angularly, and manually operative means to resist said spring and to hold saiddevice normally inoperative.

10. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the whee-l'axis, a carrier angularly'movable in said casing, adjustable means to limit angular movement of said carrier in said casing in one direction, a plurality of angularly spaced plungers mounted in said casing and connected to said carrier, and traction plates on' said plungers, inward-movement'of any one traction plate causing angular-movement of said carrier relative to said-casing and thereby causing simultaneous inward movement of the other plungers.

11. A tractionincreasing device for an automobile havingajwheel and tire comprising a casing loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a carrier angularly movable in said casing, adjustable means to limit movement of said carrier in one direction, a plurality of angularly spaced plungers mounted in said casing and connected to said carrier, and traction plates on said plun'gers inward movement of any one traction plate causing angular movement of said carrier relative to said casing and thereby causing simultaneous inward movement of the other plungers, the connection between each plunger and said carrier being yieldable and permitting further independent movement of any plunger.

12. In a traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire, a plurality of angularly spaced traction plates, means to hold said plates from rotation with said Wheel and in predetermined angular position relative to a horizontal plane, means to release said plates for movement with the associated tire, and means to effect simultaneous movement of all of said plates directly toward or away from said tire in paths of travel parallel to the plane of rotation of said wheel.

13. In a traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire, a traction plate, means to hold said plate normally out of groundengaging position and out of contact with the associated tire, a friction member associated with said plate, means to release said member, and means to move said member into frictional engagement with said tire.

14. In a traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire, a traction plate, means to hold said plate normally out of groundengaging position and out of contact with the associated tire, a member associated with said friction plate and mounted to swing about an axis approximately radial with respect to said tire, a tire-engaging friction arm at one end of said member, a second arm on said member, and manually positioned means to engage said second arm and to thereby swing said friction arm to inoperative position.

15. In a traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire, a traction plate, means to hold said plate normally out of groundengaging position and out of contact With the associated tire, a member associated with said friction plate and mounted to swing about an axis approximately radial with respect to said tire, a tire-engaging friction arm at one end of said member, a second arm on said member, and manually positioned means to engage said second arm and to thereby swing said friction arm to inoperative position, said latter means tire-engaging frictionarm' on said sleeve, a spring 3 being also effective to stop and hold said traction plates out of ground-engaging position.

16. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire, comprising a plurality of angularly spaced traction plates, supports for said plates, means to normally hold each plate yieldingly in outward inoperative position away from the tire, and connections through which all of said plates are moved to operative position against the tread of the tire by engagement of any one of said plates with the surface on which the tire is traveling.

17. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire which comprises a plurality of angularly spaced and substantially radially movable plungers, traction plates on said plungers, friction devices angularly movable about the axes of said plungers to engage said tire, means to normally hold said friction devices in inoperative position, and manual means to release said devices.

18. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire which comprises a casing concentric with said wheel, a plurality of angularly spaced and substantially radially movable plungers mounted in said casing, traction plates on said plungers, friction devices angularly movable about the axes of said plungers to engage said tire, means to normally hold said friction devices in inoperative position, and manual means to release said devices.

19. A traction increasing device for an automobile having a wheel and tire comprising a support loosely mounted for rotation concentric with the wheel axis, a plurality of spaced outwardly extending members mounted to move toward and from the tire and relative to said support in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis and having traction plates at their outer ends overlying said tire at all times, means to hold said support and members from rotation with said wheel, and'means to cause said members to rotate with said wheel.

20. A traction increasing device for an automobile as set forth in claim 19, in which the means for causing the members to rotate with the wheel is manually controlled but the movement of said traction plates toward the tire tread is automatically eiTected by engagement of any one of said plates with the surface on which said wheel and tire roll.

RALPH HODGKINSON.

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