Technical Wednesday: Restoration of a Peugeot Tricycle

About a year ago I started to restore a rare Tricycle from 1899 made by Peugeot, powered by a De Dion Bouton engine. As a de Dion Bouton enthusiast, I only restored pre-1905 cars in the past and not tricycles until then, I found this a new challenge to see if I was able to bring those “three wheels” back on the road again.

The start

First investigation and research started by finding out which exact model it was, how it left the Peugeot Factory in 1899 and which parts were missing. I already noted that the 1899 model had open drive-shafts, so that was a good start as this model has. In the past 117 years there is always the possibility that changes have been made to the original design after use by its former owners or bits just where not there anymore, so research is important to bring it back to original condition.

Peugeot was in that time one of the leading car brands in France and Europe, building cars, tools, bicycles etc. The tricycles they made had a Peugeot frame, powered by a De Dion Bouton engine. It was very common that different factory’s bought parts at the De Dion Bouton factory’s like engines, battery boxes, carburetors etc. to fit in their own frames. The most significant difference was that Peugeot developed their own gearbox, which made this Tricycle different to other models which were made in these days.

Planetary gearbox

Powered by an air-cooled single cylinder De Dion Bouton engine, the transmission came from a planetary- gear system, together in one cast-iron casing with the differential.

Epicyclic gearing or planetary gearing is a gear system consisting of one or more outer gears, or planet gears, revolving about a central, or sun gear. Typically, the planet gears are mounted on a movable arm or carrier, which itself may rotate relative to the sun gear. Epicyclic gearing systems also incorporate the use of an outer ring gear or annulus, which meshes with the planet gears. Planetary gears (or epicyclic gears) are typically classified as simple or compound planetary gears. Simple planetary gears have one sun, one ring, one carrier, and one planet set.

Whoever invented the planetary gearbox is not known, but was functionally described by Leonardo da Vinci in 1490 and has been used for centuries.

In this case, a major part was missing, the sun gear. I was able to find out from original books from 1899, the original drawings and description about the gearbox of the Peugeot Tricycle. The main clue was that by shifting the sun gear, you could lock it to the carrier or to frame, this is how the tricycle gets it’s low- or high gear. If the planetary gears run together with the sun gear, then it is in its free or neutral position.

After this research, the next step was the drawing-board from where the designs are made and machining can be done afterwards. Using the lathe and milling machine, a new gear was born, as well new brass bearings for the engine and drive-shafts. Also the system to shift the sun gear had to be researched as this was not there anymore. When all this was done, the “trike” could build up again. After soda-blasting and painting the frame, polishing the leather saddle, nickeling the correct parts, new rollerballs for the bearings, overhauling the engine etc. etc. the Peugeot came back to life in it’s condition as it left the Peugeot Factory 117 years ago. All done with love and passion to bring back these magnificent machines on the road again and show our children how it all started…..

More of the restoration can be seen on the facebook page: Veteran Car Restoration. Here you can find more detailed photo’s and footage of the restoration. Also this trike can be found in the new book of Tricycles by Mr.Michael Edwards, which you can order here (click).

Words and photos by our good friend Gilbert, a Veteran Car Restorer

If you restored a car of parts and want to share it with us, please let us know.

Publié:

mercredi décembre 19th, 2018

Technical Wednesday: Restoration of a Peugeot Tricycle

The start

Planetary gearbox

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