Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel Rims for Velocipede and similar Wheels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel Rims for Velocipede and
similar Wheels.
We, GEORGE HOOкнAм, of Nos. 7 & 8 New Bartholomew Street Birmingham,
Manufacturer & JOHN ARTHUR HARRISON of Kensington Street Birmingham
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide a wheel rim without a brazed joint &
in which the metal shall also be in the hardest & toughest state in which it is
possible to obtain it. The method we prefer is to cut continuous rings from a steel
cylinder say of one fourth the diameter, & about eight times the thickness of the
intended finished rim; such a cylinder as that formed in the manufacture of
shrapnel shells, or of steel bottles for holding gases under pressure being very suitable
to our purpose. This small thick ring is then rolled out into a thinner, larger
& broader ring till it has about the diameter of the required rim. This flat rim is
then placed on a grooved wheel which is split in two in a plane cutting the bottom
of the groove all round, the two halves being held together by bolts. The flat ring
is then pressed into this groove & the hollow rim thus formed; the form of pressing
tool we prefer being similar to the ball-bearing of a bicycle large enough when
open to slip over the ring & the grooved wheel, the balls being then forced inwards
by a lateral adjustment. When the hollow form has been given to the ring, the
split wheel is separated & the rim removed. The original ring operated on may
be raised from a disc, or punched from a sheet, or it may be welded preferably by
the electric current; but in all cases we choose such dimensions that longitudinal
extension of the metal by rolling or other form of pressure is required to bring it
to the finished size & the grain of the metal thus set in the proper direction for
resisting the strains to which the wheel-rim is subjected. In some cases & especially
for very thin rims, we form a rib, which may be either solid or hollow, on the inside
of the rim for reception of the spokes.
Dated this 30th day of September 1901
GEORGE HOOKHAM.
JOHN ARTHUR HARRISON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Steel Rims for Velocipede and
similar Wheels.
We, GEORGE HOOкнAм, of Nos. 7 and 8 New Bartholomew Street Birmingham
Manufacturer, and JOHN ARTHUR HARRISON, of Kensington Street, Birmingham
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:—
The object of our invention is to provide a wheel rim without a brazed joint and
in which the metal shall also be in the hardest and toughest state in which it is
possible to obtain it. The method we prefer is to cut continuous rings from a steel
cylinder, say of one fourth the diameter and about eight times the thickness of the
intended finished rim; such a cylinder as that formed in the manufacture of
shrapnel shells, or of steel bottles for holding gases under pressure being very
suitable to our purpose. This small thick ring is then rolled out into a thinner,
larger and broader ring till it has about the diameter of the required rim. This
flat rim is then placed in a grooved wheel which is split in two in a plane cutting

page_text: the bottom of the groove all round, the two halves being held together by bolts.
The flat ring is then pressed into this groove and the hollow rim thus formed; the
form of pressing tool we prefer being similar to the ball bearing of a bicycle large
enough when open to slip over the ring and the grooved wheel, the balls being then
forced inwards by a lateral adjustment. When the hollow form has been given to
the ring, the split wheel is separated and the rim removed. This original ring
operated on may be raised from a disc or punched from a sheet or it may be welded
preferably by the electric current but in all cases we choose such dimensions that
longitudinal extension of the metal by rolling or other form of pressure is required
to bring it to the finished size and the grain of the metal thus set in the proper
direction for resisting the strains to which a wheel rim is subjected. In some cases
and especially for very thin rims we form a rib, which may be either solid or hollow,
on the inside of the rim for the reception of the spokes.
We will now proceed to describe in detail the manner of carrying our invention
into effect in conjunction with the apparatus represented in the accompanying
drawing.
We take a thick steel ring of the kind hereinbefore described cut from a hollow
cylinder or tube of steel, or we take a thick welded ring made from a strip of steel
and we subject the said steel ring to the action of the pair of rolls represented in
Figure 1. The roll a is a plain cylindrical roll and the other roll 6 is grooved the
space between the peripheries of the two rolls having in cross section the sectional
figure of the ring or hoop to be made, that is, the groove in the roll 6 has a figure
proper to produce in conjunction with the plain roll a a ring having a double wedge
form in cross section. By the action of the pair of rolls Figure 1 upon the thick
ring, the said ring is expanded both in diameter and breadth and the thickness of
the metal reduced, the ring so operated upon having approximately the diameter,
breadth and thickness of metal required in the finished rim.
The ring operated upon in the rolls Figure 1 is next subjected to the action of
the apparatus represented in Figures 2 and 3 whereby the ring is troughed or made
concave and the metal made of nearly uniform thickness throughout.
Figure 2 represents the rim troughing or concaving apparatus partly in elevation
and partly in vertical section and
Figure 3 represents in plan the annular pressing tool, some only of the steel balls
or spheres of the said tool being represented in the said Figure 3. The early
stages of the rolling process described are preferably conducted hot.
The rim troughing or concaving apparatus consists of a divided mould or die,
the two parts of which are marked respectively c and d, c being the lower half die
and d the upper half die. In Figure 2 the two halves c, d of the die are represented
separated and the untroughed ring e placed on the lower half die a ready for the
troughing or shaping operation. When the two halves c, d of the divided die or
mould are brought together a groove or depression a³ is formed in the periphery of
the compound die or mould of a shape corresponding to that of the rim to be
fashioned in the said groove or depression. The upper half die d is carried on the
end of the screw which is provided at top with the heavy disc or hand wheel g
for working it. The said upper half die d is so connected at h to the bottom of the
screw that it can rotate freely upon the end of the screw. The lower half die c
has on its underside a short axis or spindle i which works in the foot step or
bearing k on the bed plate of the apparatus. On the axis or spindle i is a toothed
wheel or pinion which is driven by any convenient gearing from a prime mover;
and a rotary motion given to the said lower half mould or die as well as to the
upper half mould or die when the latter is pressed to or brought in contact with
the said rotating lower half die. Working freely on the screw fand surrounding
the upper half die d is a strong collar or forcer m provided with an internal conical
steel ring n for operating upon the pressing tool. This pressing tool is shown
detached in Figure 3 and consists of a ring p carrying a series of hard steel balls
or spheres q which are held in the ring between the separating pieces, cast
with or fixed to the ring. The separating pieces r, r also prevent the balls or

page_text: spheres rubbing against each other, but permit the said balls or spheres moving in
the direction of radii for the pressing or shaping operation. The annular pressing
tool p, q, is supported upon the loose collars around the lower half die e by the
spheres of the said tool resting on the said collars the latter running upon the
spheres or balls t, t situated in an annular groove near the base of the lower half
die c.
The action of the apparatus is as follows;-
P. I
The ring from the rolls Figure 1 being placed upon the lower half die e in the
position represented in Figure 2 and marked e, the annular pressing tool is
placed upon the collar s, its spheres surrounding and being in contact with the
outside of the partly made rim e. By rotating the heavy hand wheel or disc g of
the screw f the upper half die d is made to descend upon the lower half die c so as
to form a complete die for the troughing of the ring, the central angular projection d'
of the upper half die entering the correspondingly shaped depression d'in the lower
half die, thereby locking concentrically the two half dies.
upon
The complete die or mould c, d is then rotated by driving the lower half die c by
means of the toothed wheel at l. During the rotation of the die c, d the collar or
forcer m is rotated by hand upon the screw f so as to cause it to descend the
closed die c, d. As the collar or forcer m descends its internal conical steel ring n
forces the spheres or balls 9, 9 of the pressing tool inwards. The said spheres or
balls are thereby made to press the plain ring e into the groove or depression a³ of
the closed die and give the said ring a trough or concave figure corresponding to
the groove or depression a' in the dic. The final pressure of the balls or spheres
may be given by moving the collar or forcer m by a lever attached to it, the
complete die being kept in a state of rotation during the final pressure. By the
pressing or shaping operation described, the rim is brought into the usual form and
the metal toughened and its surface made smooth. By raising the collar or forcer m
and the upper half die d from the lower half die c the rim may be removed and the
operations described may be repeated upon a fresh ring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that
we claim as our invention of "Improvements in the manufacture of steel rims for
velocipede and similar wheels
"
Manufacturing the said steel rims by taking steel rings cut from a hollow
cylinder or tube of steel or made by welding steel strips into rings and by a rolling
operation expanding the rings into rings having approximately the diameter,
breadth and thickness of the rims to be made and preferably a double wedge shape
in cross section, and afterwards troughing or concaving and finishing the rings so
as to convert them into rims, the said rolling, troughing or concaving and finishing
operations being performed by the use of the rolls and apparatus herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Also shaping hoops or
cylindrical rings into tyres by the mechanism represented in Figures 2 and 3 so as
to give the said hoops or rings a concave figure without materially affecting their
thickness.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.