THE HOLLE CHASSIS.
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A Résumé of Recently Published Patents.
WE HAVE already described the Rolle chassis at some length in our columns, and have also made other references to it. There is, nevertheless, no aced for us to apologise for referring to it again here, in a more technical manner in connection with the principal patent governing its construction ; the interest in the cbassis,. and the undeniable ingenuity of its features, are sufficient justification for such a course.
The patentee, A. A. Holle describes his invention as "Improvements in and relating to Motor Road Vehicles," and states that it refers to motor road vehicles of the type in which the road -wheels are mounted in independent nonrotating axles.
A perusal of the specification (NO.. 207,595) discloses the interesting fact that there are actually four short axle;, one to each wheel, each of thembeing pivoted to the frame of the chassis. The pivot is a plain journal, with its axis in line with the longitudinal axis of the :chassis, and located about half way between that axis and the outside edge of the frame. By that connection the axle is constrained to move in its own plane. The second connection is a radius rod,, attached to the forked end of the axle and to the chassis. The latter point of attachment is in line with the pivot by which the axle itself is attached to the frame, and is, approximately, at the mid point of the length of the chassis. The complete connection between axle and frame, embodying (a) the short axle itself, and (h) the diagonal torque and radius rod, together with the imaginary line joining the two points where these two members are pivoted to the frame, forms a triangle, and movement of the wheel due to road inequalities causes the triangle-to rotate about its imaginary side, the said movement constituting the generatrix of a, cone and maintaining the position of the wheel, relative to the frame, so that the degree of castor action which the road wheel is designed to have will remain constant, thus permitting the use of torque and radius rods of determined length.
This particular feature is important, noi only because it is one of the objects 846
of the invention, but because it is the basis of the whole construction of the chassis. The steering gear, for example, is SO designed that its intermediate rocking levers pivot about the same points as the axles, eliminating any irregularity of its action by reason of the fact that all those parts of it which are . affected by the movement of the wheels move with the axle. The trans mission, which is through a centru. double differential gear, is taken through cardan shafts to bevel gears mounted in the wheels—one pair to each wheel— and the joints of the carden shafts are in line with *those of the radius rods, namely, one on the imaginary line aforesaid and one in the steering pivot of the
Other Patents of Interest.
An interesting combined internalcombustion and steam engine is described in specification No. 207,606 by R. Rutherford. There are two cylinders to each engine unit. They are disposed at an angle to one another—V form—and are staggered, the cranks being arranged an that the two pistons descend and ascend together. The two heads are connected together by a passage, in which is a valve of the puppet type, -which is normally held closed by a spring and which is designed to allow water to enter the passage along &per-tures in the valve itself. The specifics
on describes the engine as working, in the main, on the two-stroke principle, but it is claimed that the invent-ion is capable of ready application to any known cycle.
The operation is as follows :--One cylinder, on the induction stroke, takes in carburetted air, the other air only. Explosion takes place in the former cylinder, and the pressure thus generated, acting on the underside of the valve, opens it, and at the same time releases the water spray, which interMingleswith the • burning gas and is converted into steam. The expansive force 'of the steam Supplies power for the second piston.
An ingenious method of operating front-wheel brakes is described in specification No. 2/31,187, by Panhard and Levassor. The " expander lever" takes hold of a spindle the upper portion of which takes a bearing in the interior of the steering pivot ; its end is in the form of a cam, so that on rotation it rises and falls. Its lower portion carries a circular rack, engaging pinions which are also in mesh with internal racks on the brake shoes, so that their rotation positively expands and contracts these shoes.
The construction of the differential gear which is described in specification No. 207,729, by the Timken Detroit Axle Co., is designed to facilitate and cheapen -production, and to allow of the • use of light steel pressings for the differential cage.
Specification No. 207,576 relates to the design of chassis which are intended for use either on road or rail, and the patentees, R. S. Stronach and others, describe a means of mounting a bogie in conjunction with the front axle so that either the bogie wheels, which are flanged, for use on rails, or the ordinary rubber-tyred road wheels may be lowered into such a position that they take the load.
The inertia of a swinging weight is made to serve as the operating medium for a governor in the design of such a component as it is described in specification No. 207,614, by T. Jackson and another. A lever operated by the engine swings the weight through the medium of a pair of springs.
The automatic lubricating system which is the subject of specification No. 207,661, by the Low Engineering Co., embodies a valve, inserted in the oil supply conduit and connected to a piston mounted in a cylinder which is in communication with the induction pipe of the engine.