I don't know what it is with me and ending up with the very first of a type of vehicle that seems to be built right where I live, but I picked this cherry up off of craigslist last summer.
I have found very little about the thing other than this patent documentation:
FOLDABLE BATTERY POWERED CART - Google Patents
The small amount of history I have on it is that it was used as a service vehicle in edgewater park which was an amusment park in Detroit before my time. The time frame and location information from the patent info lines up well with the so-called history. The fact the thing also had a sticker on it that said "I love Strohs" pretty much confirms it as vintage Detroit.
The basics are pretty much that it is an electric driven vehicle that is stupidle primitave. It has a 36v Bosch DC motor, but given the constraints of the frame only operated at 24v (assuming it used regular group 34 batteries). Anywho, at 24 volts the thing did move out pretty decent. The driveline is STOUT, everything is on huge pillow blocks with grease fittings. more or less, its a belt driven primary to a jackshaft with a standard issue disc brake and then chain to the axle which has a nice diff on it as well.
Somewhere along the lines was this really clandestine switch which I can only assume was for some type of reverse. I just happened to have a high current switch which would allow me to do this and not look like a hardware store threw up. (and actually work). Speed control was 2 settings, low and high. Automotive starter solenoids did the bulk of the work, with the low speed simply using a resistive element to bleed off the extra current.
Plans have changed with the little bugger though, there was an engine put on this at some point as there was holes drilled that matched the mounting pattern as well as lining up perfectly with the drive sprocket. I'm putting an engine on as well, but the electric driveline isn't going anywhere, It's nice rolling incognito and the reverse is awesome to have. The electric motor I believe is out of a pallet jack or something and it has insane amounts of torque. I can pull my volkswagen with it no problem.
I do believe this is a first, at least for this board... It will be a hybrid driveline. It hauls on the top end with the 2.5 briggs I threw in it, but acceleration is lack luster. It will use the electric driveline whenever throttle is being applied and the driveline speed is less than the clutch stall speed. From stall speed up until operating RPM the motor will cycle on and off to help acceleration. On high vacuum loads and low driveline RPM, the motor will kick in for additional torque.
Being that its a DC motor, I should be able to make it function as a generator and keep the batteries fully charged under engine power as well. Awesome. If only I had electric start, I could really augment engine use.
I have found very little about the thing other than this patent documentation:
FOLDABLE BATTERY POWERED CART - Google Patents
The small amount of history I have on it is that it was used as a service vehicle in edgewater park which was an amusment park in Detroit before my time. The time frame and location information from the patent info lines up well with the so-called history. The fact the thing also had a sticker on it that said "I love Strohs" pretty much confirms it as vintage Detroit.
The basics are pretty much that it is an electric driven vehicle that is stupidle primitave. It has a 36v Bosch DC motor, but given the constraints of the frame only operated at 24v (assuming it used regular group 34 batteries). Anywho, at 24 volts the thing did move out pretty decent. The driveline is STOUT, everything is on huge pillow blocks with grease fittings. more or less, its a belt driven primary to a jackshaft with a standard issue disc brake and then chain to the axle which has a nice diff on it as well.
Somewhere along the lines was this really clandestine switch which I can only assume was for some type of reverse. I just happened to have a high current switch which would allow me to do this and not look like a hardware store threw up. (and actually work). Speed control was 2 settings, low and high. Automotive starter solenoids did the bulk of the work, with the low speed simply using a resistive element to bleed off the extra current.
Plans have changed with the little bugger though, there was an engine put on this at some point as there was holes drilled that matched the mounting pattern as well as lining up perfectly with the drive sprocket. I'm putting an engine on as well, but the electric driveline isn't going anywhere, It's nice rolling incognito and the reverse is awesome to have. The electric motor I believe is out of a pallet jack or something and it has insane amounts of torque. I can pull my volkswagen with it no problem.
I do believe this is a first, at least for this board... It will be a hybrid driveline. It hauls on the top end with the 2.5 briggs I threw in it, but acceleration is lack luster. It will use the electric driveline whenever throttle is being applied and the driveline speed is less than the clutch stall speed. From stall speed up until operating RPM the motor will cycle on and off to help acceleration. On high vacuum loads and low driveline RPM, the motor will kick in for additional torque.
Being that its a DC motor, I should be able to make it function as a generator and keep the batteries fully charged under engine power as well. Awesome. If only I had electric start, I could really augment engine use.
