US585251A

US585251A - Motor-vehicle

Info

Publication number: US585251A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1914-06-29

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. R. BIRD. MOTOR VEHICLE.

No. 585,251. Patented June 29,1897.

Witnesses.

inventor.

Attorney.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. R. BIRD. MOTOR VEHICLE.'

No. 585,251. Patented June 29, 1897.

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llnrrnn STATES HENRY R. BIRD, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK.

MOTOR-VEHIC LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,251, dated June 29., 1897. Application led January 4, 1896. Serial No. 574,343. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY R. BIRD, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles 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 appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for propelling vehicles, its object being to provide a construction applicable to the running-gear of a vehicle, which primarily avoids a complexity of operative parts and which incidentally involves cheapness of construction and simple and easy control of operation.

To these ends my invention consists in the specific details of constructiomas hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherern Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved i motor-vehicle with the left side wheels removed. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the running-gear and operative parts with the body removed. Fig. 8 is a detached under side view of the steering-gear- Fig. l is a detached and enlarged side elevation of the improved means for adjusting the position of the driven shaft. Fig. 5 is a section taken in the linex of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a face view of the recessed friction-disk.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I have constructed my main framework preferably of piping, of which 1 and 2 are the side pieces and 3 and i are the front and rear cross-pieces, respectively. The rear axle 5 rests within the rear cross-piece 4 and carries the rear springs 6 6 and the rear drivingwheels 7 7, having the hubs S 8, upon the inside ends of which are rigidly mounted the sprocket-wheels 9 9.

The engine may be of any kind suitable for the purpose, the one shown in the drawings being a gas-engine of familiar type mounted Vupon the rear cross-piece 4, the intermediate transverse cross-piece 10, and the two short intermediate longitudinal cross-pieces l1 11.

is the driving-shaft, its rear portion carrying the fly-wheel 14 and having its extreme projecting end 15 squared for the reception of a crank for turning the same to start the engine. Upon the forward end of the drivingshaft- 13 is rigidly secured the friction-disk 16, its flat or contacting face 17 being centrally recessed, as at 18, for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

19 is the driven shaft, mounted in the bearings 20 20, carried upon the upper ends of the short posts 21, (see Fig. 4,) which are pivoted at their lower ends to the collars 22, which surround and are secured to the side pieces 1 and 2 of the framework.

23 23 are rods which pass loosely through the posts 21. One'end of these rods is provided with a disk-head 24, between which'and the post 21 is interposed a spiral spring 25. The opposite ends of these rods pass loosely through sockets 26 in the upper ends of the second set of vertical posts 27, which are rigidly secured to the side pieces 1 and 2 of the framework. Thumb-nuts 2S are in engagement with their screw-threaded ends for holding them in position and regulating the position of the driven shaft, carrying the frictionwheel 30, to effect a proper frictional contact between it and the friction-disk. The friction-wheel 30 is feathered loosely upon the driven shaft 19. The position of this frictionwheel 30 is adjusted along the driven shaft 19 with respect to its point of contact with the disk 16 in the following manner:

3l is a rack-bar held in sliding contact with a channeled cross-piece 32, extending transversely across the framework, its ends being rigidly secured to the cross-pieces 1 and 2. The inner end of this rackwbar 31 has two rigid rearward]y-extending arms 33 33, provided with end collars 34 84, which loosely surround the driven shaft 19 upon each side of the friction-wheel 30, these sockets being of sufficient inner dimensions to allow for the play of the driven shaft in its pivoted springpressed bearings 20.

The rack-bar 31 is actuated in shifting the position of the friction-wheel 30 by the segmental gear-wheel 35, mounted upon a bracket 36, secured to the framework.

Of this engine 12 12 are the cylinders, and -13 IOO 4 37 is a vertical axle rigidly secured to the segmental gear-Wheel 35. It extends up through the floor 38 of the vehicle, and is provided at its upper end with the crank-handle 39, Within easy reach of the operator at one side of the vehicle and just forward of the front seat 40. The segmental gear-Wheel 35 can be locked in any position desired to hold the friction-wheel 30 by any suitable means, but I prefer the device herein shown, which consists of a ratchet-wheel 4l, rigid with the axle 37 and just underneath the floor 38. A spring-pressed pin 42, passing4 through the floor, normally engages with the ratchetwheel 4l and locks the friction-Wheel 30. To temporarily release the pin 42, so that the crank-handle 39 may be turned in either direction, the hand-lever 43 is pressed in,vvhich, by means of

rods

44 and 45 and bell-crank lever 46, connecting with the spring-pressed pin 42, enables the operator to throw such pin out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 4l, when the crank-handle 43 is free to be turned in either direction.

The front or gu-iding Wheels 47 are preferably mounted upon a short axle 48, which is pivoted in the front end of a forwardly-extending arm 49, secured centrally to the forward cross-piece 3 of the framework.

50 50 are the springs, the lower portions of which are secured to the axle 4S, their upper portions being secured to the frame carrying the fifth-Wheel 5l, which is provided upon its outer periphery with the teeth or cogs v52. A small gear-wheel 53 is mounted, under the fioor 3S, upon the aXle 54, which extends up through the iioor just back of the dashboard 55, and is provided at its upper end With the hand-wheel 56 for turning same. Another small intermediate gear-Wheel 57 intermeshes with the gear-Wheel 53 and the toothed fifth-Wheel 51, which permits the guiding- Wheels 47 47 to turn in the same direction as the hand-Wheel 56. A spring-pressed pin 58, passing loosely through the iioor 38, is operated by the foot to engage and disengage the gear-Wheel 53 in locking or unlocking the steering device.

63 63 are spiral springs, their forward ends being secured to the opposite side edges of the toothed fifth-Wheel 5l and their rear ends secured to the opposite side edges of the gear- Wheel 53.

59 is abrake operated through intervening parts by the foot-lever CO.

The water and gas tanks and the muffler can all be placed in the space below the front seat 40 and back seat 61.

In operation ,the gas-engine is started by lirst turning the projecting end 15 of the driving-shaft 13 with a crank. This causes the friction-disk 16 to revolve, which imparts its rotary motion to the friction-wheel 30, adjustably mounted upon the spring-pressed adjustable driven shaft 19. rIhe revolution of this shaft is transmitted to the rear drivin g-Wheels 7 7 by the sprocket-chains 9 9. The speed of the vehicle depends upon the point of contact of the friction-Wheel 30 with the face 17 of the friction-disk 16, the speed being greatest near the periphery and gradually decreasing as the friction-Wheel is moved toward the recessed center. When this point is reached and the friction-wheel passes out of contact with the friction-disk, the engine ceases to impart motion to the driving-wheels. On

' movin g the friction-wheel across the recessed center and in contact with the opposite side of the friction-disk the motion of the driving- Wheels is reversed, causing the vehicle to move backward. The travel of the frictionwheel across the recessed centerin the opposite direction and in Contact with the opposite side of the friction-disk causes the vehicle to again move forward. The operator, seated in front, grasps the hand-crank 39 with the right hand and the hand-wheel 5U with the left, and placing his foot uponthe spring-pin 5S has the motor-vehicle under complete control. If he wishes to vary the speed or reverse the direction of travel, he first presses in the hand-lever 43, which releases the spring-pressed pin 42 and permits him to turn the crank-handle 39 as far as desired in eitherdirection, and by releasing the pressure upon the hand-lever 43 the friction- Wheel 30is held in its position upon the driven shaft 19 and a uniform speed is thereby maintained. lf he Wishes to change the direction of the vehicle, he has only to press his foot upon the spring-pin 58, which unlocks the steering apparatusand permits him to turn the hand-Wheel 56 the desired distance in either direction, and by removing the pressure upon the spring-pin 58 the steering apparatus is again locked and the direction of the vehicle thereby held. As the fifth- Wheel is turned in either direction to change the course of the vehicle it is turned against the action of one of the springs G3, and when the steering apparatus is unlocked to return to a straightaway course the spring under strain assists in restoring and keeping the steering apparatus in the normal straightaway position.

I claiml. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the framework, an engine mounted thereon, a shaft parallel With the side beams of the frame and driven by the engine, and a disk secured to the front end of said shaft; of collars surrounding the side bars of the frame in front of the disk, posts pivoted vertically to the upper sides of the collars, bearings at the upper ends of said posts, a second shaft journaled in the bearings at right angles to the first shaft, a friction-wheel connected t0 said second shaft, means for adj ustably holding the friction-wheel in contact with the disk, and connections between the second shaft and the wheels of the vehicle for propelling the same, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the framework, an engine mounted thereon,4

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a shaft parallel with the side beams of the frame and driven by the engine, and a disk secured to the front end of said shaft; of collars surrounding the side bars of the frame in front of the disks, bearings pivoted to the collars, a second shaft journaled in the bearings at right angles to the first shaft, a friction-wheel feathered on said second shaft, means for adjusting the frictional contact of the disk and wheel, a rack, arms projecting rearwardly therefrom and surrounding the driven shaft on either side of the frictionwheel and in close proximity thereto, a gearwheel meshing with the rack, and connections between the second shaft and the wheels of the vehicle for propelling the same, substantially as described.

3. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with a framework, an engine mounted thereon, a shaft driven by the engine, and a disk secured to said shaft, posts pivoted to the side bars of the framework in front of the disk, bearings at the upper ends of said posts, a shaft journaled in said bearings at right angles to the first shaft, and a friction-wheel feathered on said shaft; of a second set of posts rigidly secured to the side bars of the framework and having bearings in their free ends, a rod resting in said bearings one end of which is provided with a head and is connected to the pivoted posts, the other end being threaded, and a thumb-nut on the screw end whereby the friction-wheel is adjustably held in contact with the disk, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the framework, an engine mounted thereon, a shaft driven by the engine, a disk rigidly secured to said shaft, posts pivoted to the framework, bearings in said posts, a second shaft journaled in said bearings, a friction-wheel feathered on the shaft at right angles to the disk, and a second set of posts rigidly secured to the framework an d provided with bearings of rods resting in said bearings and passing through the pivoted posts and extending for some distance beyond the same, heads securedl to one end of the rods, coil-springs surrounding said rods one end of which rests against the head and the other against the pivoted posts, and a thumb-nut on the free ends of the rods whereby the friction-wheel is adjustably held in contact with the disk, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an apparatus for propelling vehicles, the combination with the framework, an engine mounted thereon, a shaft driven by the engine, a disk rigidly secured to the shaft, a second shaft journaled on the framework, a friction-wheel feathered on the second shaft at right angles tothe disk, a rack connected to said friction-wheel, and connections between said second shaft and the rear wheels of the vehicle of a vertical axle passing through the floor of the vehicle and having one of its ends j ournaled in a bearing on the framework beneath the floor and a crank at its upper end, a segmental gear secured to said axle near its lower end and in contact with the rack, a ratchet-wheel secured to said axle just beneath the fioor, a spring-pressed pin passing through the floor and in contact with the ratchet-wheel, a bell-crank lever secured to said axle above the pin, and connections between the pin and crank-handle for raising the pin and locking the friction-wheel in position, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a motor-vehicle a device for turning the front guiding wheels consisting of a toothed fifth-wheel, a gear-wheel carried on an axle extending above the fioor. of the vehicle and provided with means for turning the same, anv intermediate gear-wheel intermeshing with the post gear-wheel and the toothed fifth-wheel and elastic connections between two opposite side edges of the toothed fifth-wheel and corresponding opposite side edges of either of the gear-wheels all combined and operating as and for the purpose stated.

7. In a motor-vehicle a device for turning the front guiding wheels consisting of a toothed fifth-wheel, a gear-wheel carried on an axle extending above the floor of the vehicle and provided with means for turning and locking and unlocking the same, an intermediate gear-wheel intermeshing with the first gear-wheel and the toothed fifth-wheel and elastic connections between two opposite side edges of the toothed fth-wheel and corresponding opposite side edges of either of' the gear-wheels all combined and operating as and for the purpose stated.

8. In a motor-vehicle, a device for turning the front guiding wheels consisting of a toothed fifth-wheel, a gear-wheel carried on an axle extending above the floor of the vehicle and provided with means for turning the same, an intermediate gear-wheel intermeshing with the first wheel and the toothed wheel, and elastic connections between two opposite side edges of the toothed fifth-wheel and corresponding opposite side edges of either of the gear-wheels, and a spring-pressed pin passing through the door of the vehicle and in contact with the firstgearwheel for locking and unlocking the same, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HENRY R. BIRD.

Witnesses:

W. T. MILLER, F. P. KERs'rEN.

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