Improvements in Automobiles

17,398. Bush, C. A., and Loomis, J. J. Aug. 11. Road-vehicle motors; engines with two or more crank shafts; driving-gear; valve gear; connecting- rods, engine and like.-Relates to driving gear for motor road vehicles operated by fluid pressure. The application to a steam car is described. Each of the driving-wheels 25, 26 has a crown wheel 28, 29 normally in gear with pinions 76 for forward motion. These pinions, as well as the reversing- pinions 75, are fast on the spring-controlled shafts 73, 74 which are mounted in bearings 66, 77 pivoted in the frames 68, 44, shown in Figs. 7 and 8 respectively, and are driven from the cylinders 35, 36 by the pistons 37, 38, Fig. 6, and the connections shown in Fig. 1 ; ball and socket joints are fitted to the ends of the connecting-rods 86, 87 to allow the parts to work freely when the shafts 73, 74 are pushed back to release the pinions 76 and so to reverse the motion of the vehicle. Figs. 9 and 10 show sections of a connecting-rod end. The crank-pin 85 carries a ball 85 fitted in brasses 88, 89 carried by the strap 90 bolted to the connecting-rod and adjusted by the set-screw 94. The supported piston-rods 39, 40 have racks which drive the valve-rods 55, 56 by means of the pivoted toothed sectors 49, 50. The slide valves 60, 61 supply steam to the cylinders 35, 36 and work in a single casing 59. The lever 114 is connected by a guided chain and pivoted levers to slides 104 which engage between collars on the shafts 73, 74, so that these shafts may be moved backwards to engage the pinions 75, the springs 101, 102 returning them to the position shown. The throttle valve 135 is worked by the lever 137 and the links 138, 136 .