Tramcars and other Vehicles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Tramcars and other Vehicles.
I THOMAS MALLABAND of Bamford, County of Derby Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
METALLIC WHEELS FOR TRAMCARS AND OTHER VEHICLES to be as follows:-
My invention of improvements in the construction of metallic wheels, refers
more particularly to wheels for Tramcars in which the rim, felloe or tyre is made
so that it can be detached from the spokes and the boss or hub, either for renewal
or for any other purpose.
The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of such wheels, reduce
the number of detachable parts, and to provide a perfectly secure method of
attaching the two principal parts of the wheel together.
In carrying out my invention, I make the tyre, felloe, or rim of the wheel with
projecting lugs, corresponding in number with the number of arms required in the
complete wheel; the lugs are flat and are recessed on each of the flat sides (or on
one side only) to receive and retain the ends of the arms which are shaped to fit
into the said shallow recesses.
The arms are cast in one piece with the hub of the wheel which is of ordinary
construction.
The arms are divided at the ends, the division extending to any required extent
down the arm, but not of necessity any further than is required to give the divided
parts sufficient elasticity for the intended purpose. The ends of the arms as before
mentioned are made to fit in the shallow recesses on one or both sides of the lugs,
each lug being inserted between the divided ends of the arms which are slightly
expanded during such insertion and close again into the recess or recesses, where
they are finally secured by means of bolts and nuts or their equivalents.
The elasticity of the divided arms permits the flat ends to be compressed by the
action of the bolts and nuts and to grip the lugs between them with sufficient
power to make the wheel practically solid when ready for use, and when a new type
is required it is only necessary to unscrew the bolts & nuts, and give the tyre a
partial turn to release it.

page_text: Tramcars and other Vehicles.
I, THOMAS MALLABAND of Bamford, County of Derby Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC
WHEELS FOR TRAMCARS AND OTHER VEHICLES and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement that is to say:-
My invention of improvements in the construction of metallic wheels for
Tramcars and other vehicles, refers more particularly to wheels in which the rim or
felloe or tyre is made separately and secured to the arms or spokes in such a
manner that it can be readily detached and removed therefrom, either for renewal
or for any other purpose.
The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of such wheels, to
reduce the number of detachable parts, and to provide a perfectly reliable method
of securing the parts together.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood. I annex a sheet of
drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate the same or similar parts
in any of the figures in which they occur.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a wheel made according to my invention, with
wrought iron or steel arms.
Fig. 2, is a side elevation of one of the arms, showing its double construction,
with the tyre and hub in section.
Fig. 3. is a side elevation, of a cast arm.
Fig. 4, is an enlarged view of the junction of the arm and tyre, in Fig. 2.
Fig. 5, section of same on the line X X.
;
This invention can be carried out either with cast or wrought arms, and in either
case the tyre or rim A, is constructed with a number of lugs B, projecting radially
towards the centre and corresponding in number with the desired number of
arms C.
These lugs are recessed on one or on both sides but preferably on both, as shown in
the sectional drawing Fig. 5. the recesses being to receive the ends of the arms,
'each recess, and the ends of the arms being provided with a bolt hole slightly
elongated to allow for adjustment of the centre hub if required.
When wrought arms are used, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I make the front
arm straight and upright or thereabouts, and the back part to stand at an angle as
seen in Fig. 2. I prefer to cast the rim or tyre first, then to fix the bars composing
the arms to the lugs, and finally to cast the hub D onto the arms while thus held
in position; when the hub is cast and before it cools I slacken the nuts that hold
the arms to permit of the contraction.
'
When cast arms are used such as shown in Fig. 3. they are cast with the hub,
and are afterwards attached to the tyre, by springing open the divided ends (by
means of a wedge) until they are placed in the recesses of the lugs when they are
permanently secured by the bolts and nuts E. In cast arms I find that a circular

page_text: opening F, is advisable so as to give more elasticity when springing the ends open
but other configurations may be used to attain the desired result.
A wheel so constructed and put together is practically solid, and by being able
to adjust the rim or tyre upon the arms so as to bring the hub perfectly central
before being finally tightened and permanently secured in position, fitting or
machining is reduced to the smallest possible amount.
When it becomes necessary to replace either of the parts, all that is required is
to unscrew the bolts and take them out, give a partial turn to one part which will
release the arms from the lugs, and the two parts are separate.
I prefer to make the cast portions of the wheel of steel, but other suitable metal
may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
clearly understood that I do not claim as new, making wheels in two parts, namely
the tyre separately from the arms and hub, but what I declare to be my invention
and therefore claim is:-
1. The construction of Metallic Wheels for Tramcars and other similar purposes
substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
2. In the construction of Tramcar Wheels and similar Wheels, the method of
attaching the arms to the tyre or rim, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
3. In the construction of Tramcar Wheels and similar Wheels, in which the
arms are separate from the tyre; making the arms divided, so that they may fit
into correspondingly recessed lugs formed on the tyre, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
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