how does this work then ? Delta FWD cyclecar ?

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Hi all
Always interested in cyclecars [ despite being impossible to get a new build road legal in UK ]

this Villard cyclecar is a delta with FWD !



Interesting to know how the drive chain stays on the front wheel !



Does not look like RWS to me , looks like front wheel turns and chain wheel does not ?

Gearing ? clever friction drive ?


disc mounted on engine has a hollow centre and wheel at right angles to it moves across the whole face of the engine disc ?

Neutral is right angled wheel in centre

So one direction is step-less gearing fwd
Other direction is step-less gearing rwd

Ok thread above has some answers ?

front axle from chain ring side :-



and wheel side:-



Paul
 
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The wheel side in the last picture is a CV joint a bit like the end of a Land Rover front axle. This allows the drive chain not to have to twist with the wheel as the joint provides that function. Steering will be via a rod attached to the single nut on the left. The assembly left of the 4 nut flange will not rotate but is a housing for bearings so the 4 nut flange, as the wheel mount, can rotate, being supported at each side and driven via the chain.

You are correct about the perpendicular drive wheels. I imagine it must be very prone to slip and wear as the system will be in constant friction. It all looks very heavy and over complex by today's standards. An auto friction clutch would be much less weight and much less maintenance as friction ceases when it locks unlike the system here and the CV joint looks massive enough to run a tractor. A wheel mounted motor would be much simpler.
 
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I was confused as this is mounted on the bench turned through 90' ?

I can see the brake drum but no way of fastening the wheel on ?

I was wondering if it addressed any of the problems found on a delta trike trying to drive a front wheel that also steered ?
 
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The wheel attaches to the flange with 4 bolts in it and the ball to the right of it allows for the steering. It solves the problem of driving a steered wheel in an agricultural and heavyweight manner.

You could probably save 90% of the weight of that drivetrain by using a centrifugal clutch and mounting the engine on the wheel upright. It works but it's a very crude design by modern standards.
 
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Here is an other image of the front.
Combined with the last image, it is more clear how it works I think.
 
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Nice picture thanks.

I assume the front must rise and fall a little as the forks appear to have rake on them ?
 
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I am unsure why this would be called a cycle car. There appears to be no way of pedalling it and the massive weight of the components would prevent that if anyone converted it to one.
 
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I was also thinking why they called it cyclecar.
Maybe he based it on a cycle he made or did they see everything less than 4 wheels as a cycle.
 
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Because cyclecars were developed from motor cycles and had many components in common with them.

They were an improvement on a motorcycle and sidecar in use and utility.

Depending where you lived they were sometimes called light cars.

They were killed off by cars like the Austin 7 , although even they had some parts similar to motorcycles i.e wheels but were 4 seaters and had much bigger engines.

The Morgan 3 wheeler is about the only cyclecar left in occasional production.

Some French made/sold models :- Three wheel cyclecars

Wikipedia :- Cyclecars

Paul
 
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