US792663A - Driving mechanism for motor-vehicles. - Google Patents

Description

No. 792,663 PATENTED JUNE 20, 1 905. O. F. LUFKIN.

' DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15.1905.

SSHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905 G. F. LUEKIN.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.15.1905.

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PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

C. I. LUPKIN.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOA'IION FILED FEB.15.1905.

a SHEETS-SHBET a,

Patented June Q0, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHAUNCEY F. LUFKIN, OF LIMA, OHIO.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 792,663, dated June 20, 1905. Application filed February 15, 1905. Serial No. 245,656.

T 0 all whom it 777/012,] concern:

Be it known that I, OHAUNoEY F. LUFKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio,

' have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a driving mechanism for motor-vehicles containing four gas-engines. In driving mechanisms of this character as heretofore constructed the four engines were arranged in a row lengthwise of the front part of the vehicle and their piston-rods or pitmen were connected with cranks which were formed at different angles and in one piece with a noncontinuous main shaft. One objection to this construction is that in a four-passenger vehicle it necessitates placing the rear seats so far back in the vehicle that they come over the rear axle, where the passengers are subjected to uncomfortable jolting. Another objection to this mode of driving is due to the fact that the main shaft is very weak and liable to break, owing to the interruption of its continuity and the plurality of duplex or double-armed cranks formed thereon, causing not only annoyance and delay, but also involving considerable expense for repairs.

The object of this invention is to overcome these objections, and this is accomplished generally by so arranging the four gasengines that they occupy less space in the front part of the vehicle and permit the rear passengerseats to be placed farther forward and by so constructing the transmitting mechanism which connects the pistons and rods of the gas-engines with the main shaft that only straight or continuous shafts and single-armed cranks are employed,'thereby avoiding breakage of the same and the attendant annoyance and expense.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved driving mech Fig. 2 is a verti- Fig. 3 is anisms for motor-vehicles. cal cross-section in line 2 2, Fig. 1.

a horizontal section in line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents the main shaft of the driving mechanism, which is straight or continuous throughout its entire length and arranged lengthwise in the vehicle. The rear end of this shaft is connected by any suitable mechanism with the rear wheels of the vehicle for propelling'the same. At its front end the shaft is operatively connected with four gasengines B B C O, which are arranged in the form of a quadrangle, two of the engines being arranged one behind the other on one side of the main shaft, while the other two are arranged in like manner on the opposite side of this shaft. Each of these engines is preferably of the vertical four cycle type and cornprises an upright cylinder d, a piston c, reciprocating in the cylinder, asingle-armed crank or crank-disk f, arranged below the cylinder, and a pitman or rodg, connecting the piston with the Wrist h of the crank.

I J represent two horizontal engine or intermediate shafts, which are arranged on opposite sides of the main shaft and parallel therewith. Each of these shafts is straight or continuous throughout its entire length and carries at its opposite ends the singlearmed cranks of the pair of engines on the respective side of the main shaft. Between its ends each of the engine-shafts is provided with an intermediate gear pinion or wheel 7c. The intermediate gear-wheels 7c of both engine-shafts mesh with opposite sides of a main gear-wheel L, which is secured to the main shaft, and thereby transmit the power of the several engines to the main shaft.

The cranks of each engine-shaft may be arranged on diametrically opposite sides thereof, so that the pistons of the engines connected therewith balance each other. The relative arrangement of the cranks on both engineshafts is preferably, though not necessarily,

such that the pistons of the front engines move in unison and in a direction opposite to the pistons of the rear engines, thereby balancing the motor of the driving mechanism as a whole. This is illustrated in Fig. 2,

posite side of said shafts.

The valve mechanism of the engines may be of any suitable construction. The same is preferably operated from a horizontal valveshaft M, arranged lengthwise above the main shaft and driven by gear-wheels m m, mounted on the valve-shaft and one of the engineshafts, respectively.

N represents a casing which incloses the gear-wheels, the cranks, the connecting-rods, the engine-shafts, and the front end of the main shaft. This casing also serves as a frame for supporting the engine-cylinders at their lower ends and carries bearings n n, in which the engine-shafts and the front end of the main shaft are journaled.

It will be noted that in my improved driving mechanism the four engines are arranged more compactly than in the driving mechanism of this kind heretofore in use, rendering it possible to utilize the space thus gained to better advantage. This construction of the driving mechanism also eliminates the use of crooked or non-continuous shafts, the sections of which have their opposing ends connected by duplex or double-armed cranks with the piston-rods, thereby reducing the liability of breakage to a minimum. A further advantage obtained by this construction of driving mechanism is that it permits of dropping the main shaft down in line with the rear axle and operatively connecting .the'same directly with the latter by gear-wheels, thereby avoiding the use of chains and sprockets or universal joints for this purpose. I claim as my invention A driving mechanism for motor-vehicles comprising a straight or continuous main shaft, four gas-engines arranged in the form of a quadrangle and having vertical cylinders which are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of said main shaft, two straight or continuous engine-shafts arranged on opposite sides of the main shaft and parallel therewith, each engine-shaft being provided at its opposite ends with single-armed cranks which are connected by rods with the pistons of the cylinders on the same side of the main shaft, a main gear-wheel on the main shaft, and intermediate gear-wheels arranged on the central parts of the engine-shafts and meshing with opposite sides of said main gear-wheel, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 8th day of February, 1905.

CHAUNCEY F. LUFKIN.

Witnesses:

J. H. SECREST, WM. KLENGER.

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