Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1887
Complete Left, 25th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1888
We, JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer and JOHN HOPPER of Fulham Road in the County
of Middlesex Manager do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention has for its object improvements in the construction of wheels whereby
strength, lightness and compactness are obtained.
For this purpose we form the hub or nave of wood encased in metal and we employ
a metallic rim or felloe of trough form to receive and hold a rubber tyre.
We connect the hub or nave to the rim or felloe by means of crossed wires or
spokes which are preferably formed with a head to bear against the inner side of the
rim or felloe and with screws to screw into the metal casing of the hub or nave.
Each alternate wire or spoke is connected at one end to the left side of the rim or
felloe and at the other to the right side of the metallic casing of the hub or nave
whilst intermediate wires or spokes are connected with the opposite sides of such
parts.
JOHN
HARRINGTON.
JOHN HOPPER.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Wheels.
We, JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry,
in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and JOHN HOPPER of Fulham Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention has for its object improvements in the construction of wheels,
whereby strength, lightness and compactness are obtained.
For this purpose we form the hub or nave of wood encased in metal and we employ
a metallic rim or felloe of trough form to receive and hold a rubber tyre.
We connect the hub or nave to the rim or felloe by means of crossed wires or
spokes which are formed at one end with a head to bear against the inner side of the
rim or felloe or to lie in countersunk recesses formed therein and at the other end
with a screw to screw into the metal casing of the hub or nave.
Each alternate wire or spoke is connected at one end to the left side of the rim or
felloe and at the other to the right side of the metallic casing of the hub or nave,
whilst the intermediate wires or spokes are connected with the opposite sides of such
parts.
By this arrangement of tho spokes we are enabled to give much greater strength to
the wheel and consequently to produce both equal sided and dished or unequal sided
wheels with equally good effect.
And in order that our invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully to describe
the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of an equal sided wheel constructed
according to our invention. Figure 2 is a side elevation of parts thereof. Figure 3
is a cross section drawn full size of the rim or felloe showing the ends of two wires or
spokes attached thereto. Figure 4 is a longitudinal section also drawn full size of a
coupler employed by us to couple or connect together two wires or spokes and
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section of a wheel of a dished form similar to an
ordinary carriage wheel.
The hub ar nave of the wheel is formed of a perforated block of wood a, encased in
metal b, c is the metallic rim or felloe which is made of trough form to receive and
hold the rubber tyre d which is cemented therein in the manner well understood.
e. e. are wires or spokes connecting the metal casing b of the hub or nave with the
inetallic rim or felloe c; these wires or spokes are preferably formed at one end with
heads to rest in countersunk holes c¹ formed in the rim or felloe c and they are
formed at their other ends with screws e² to screw into the metal casing 6 of the hub
or nave.

page_text: с
Each alternate wire or spoke e is connected at one end to the left side of the rim or
felloe c and at the other to the right side of the metallic casing b of the hub or nave
whilst the ends of intermediate wires or spokes are connected with the opposite sides
of such parts.
We preferably connect together contiguous wires or spokes e in pairs by means of
a coupling formed of two parts each of which is provided with semi-circular
grooves to receive the spokes or wires e and with a hole to receive a rivet or
screw g by which said parts are firmly connected together so as to bear tightly upon
the spokes or wires e between them. By this means greater stiffness is imparted to
the wheel and the wires or spokes e are at the same time prevented from turning and
thereby becoming unscrewed.
In the drawings we have represented the hub or nave constructed to receive an
ordinary axle-box h but it may be formed to receive any other construction or design
of axle-box, whilst if desired the wood portion a of the nave or hub may be dispensed
with and the metal casing b may in such case itself constitute the axle-box or may be
fitted to receive it.
At Figure 5 we have represented a wheel of a dished form suitable for ordinary
road carriages. In this construction the wires or spokes e upon one side of the wheel
are formed shorter than those on the other side thereof by which means a dished
wheel or a wheel having one flat or approximately flat side is obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
The improved wheel in which the hub or nave and the rim or felloe are connected
together by crossed wires or spokes of equal or unequal length substantially as herein
shown and described.
JOHN
HARRINGTON.
JOHN HOPPER.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.