NOVEL FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE GEARING.
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A Restund of Recently Published Patents.
THE INVENTION which is described by Cl. Barker, in specification No. 212,991, is referred to by him as " Ina provesneuts in or relating to the syringing of vehicles," and, as a matter of fact, the patent s actually confined, in its applleation, to the matter of suspension only. The drawing, however, which accompanies the specification, and which we reproduce on this page, reveals an interesting construction which is applicable to front-wheel-driven•chassis.
Each wheel, it may be observed, is independently sprung, through the medium of a pair of parallel transverse radius rods, so mounted, one above the other, as to ensure that the eseillation of the wheel will be purely vertical. Each radius rod is in plan, V-shaped, the apex of the V being close to the Wheel, and the widespread ends being_ pivoted to the frame on a common longitudinal axis. This oonstruction ensures that the load is spread over an ample length of the chassis frame. Quarter-elliptic springs are secured, at their butt ends, to the lower radius rods for each wheel, and these springs at their other ends are secured to the frame member. Each wheel is, therefore, controlled as to its movement.. by a pair of these springs.
. The method of attachment of the radius rods to the wheel supports, and the detail construction of the transmission, have already been patented, in specification No. 189,228, to which brief reference was made in these columns in our issuetfor January 9th, 1923. The wheel is carried on a spindle which rotates in a bearing which is the hub of a bracket carried by the radius rods gimbal fashion. The whole arrangement of the front wheel, its hub, pivot and driving mechanism ,is an ingenious application and extension of the principle of Hooke's joint,
The final drive mechanism for each wheel introduces a double reduction gear. As shown in the drawing, this is a combination of bevel and spur gears, of which a pair of the former provides for the first reduction, and a pair of the latter for the second.
Other Patents of Interest.
NOTHER important and interesting invention in mimeo, '7tion with vehicles of the six-wheel-tractor-trailer type is disclosed in specification No. 212,955, by Walker Bros. !Wigan), Ltd., and W. D. Williamson. It makes provision, in a tipping wagon of that type, for an engine-operated tippine gear, capable of being operated, no matter what may be B48
the angle between trailer arid tractor. This object is achieved by mounting all the essential parts of the transmission gear for tipping in the upper portion of the turntable connectien between tractor and trailer.
ROAD-SWEEPING and refuse-collecting apparatus, capable of being applied to and removed from any ordinary chassis, which, when not carrying this apparatus, can be used for any other purpose, is described in specification No. 213,071, by Earlier Motors, Ltd., and others. The brush is arranged
diagonally, in the usaal manlier, and is disposed in front of the rear axle of the chassis. Befra-e its trailing end is arranged a casing, with an opening in the lower end, into which refuse is thrown by the road-sweeping brush. Inside the casing, and arranged one above the other, are three brushes which act as elevators, lifting the refuse and discharging it. into a.suitable receptacle.
A METHOD of mounting the rear road wheels of a steam roller, so that they may adapt themselves to the camber of the road, is described in specification No. 212,957,_ by A. Wallis. Each wheel is mounted on a separate axle, but the inner ends of the two axles approach one another very closely. They are journalled in bearings, one to each axle, which are themselves carried in trunnions so arranged as to allow the axles and wheels to move in the plane of the former. The inner ends of the axles are supported on a substantial roil spring, strong enough to sustain the weight, but flexible enough to allow the axles to give as the camber changes. Provision is made of means for locking the axial when the wheels are in position to suit the camber of any particular road, the said means being either positive or frictional.
INGENIOUS is the method of driving a earn er shaft
described in specification No. 212,992, by Bentley Motors, Ltd., and others. It is of the type in which the drive to an overhead camshaft is taken from and to cranks or eccentrics by coupling rods, there being more than one crank and eccentric to each shaft so as to obviate the risk of stoppage as the result of a "dead centre." The feature of importance about the arrangement which is protected by this patent is that the coupling rods have a limited telescopic action, controlled by springs or dashpots, thus providing automatic compensation for the alteration in distance between the two shafts brought about by expansion 'of the cylinders when then are hot. Several methods of constructing the coupling rods are
described and illustrated in the specification. `
IN specification No. 213,011, H. G. Harley describes a
method whereby the cooling water, as drained from the radiator, cylinder jackets, and other parts of the engine, is delivered into a vessel which can conveniently be heated, so that the water is still warm when the vehicle is again-required. A suitable pump is provided to generate pressure within that vessel, to compel the water to return to the engine when it is needed. In his specification the inventor describes several arrangements of pipes, all intendedr to facilitate the attainment' of the object . described and" to obviate any ordinary risk of water being left in the pipes where it might freeze.