IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILWAY WHEELS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Alexander Jeffreys, of Low Moor, near Bradford,
in the County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND CONNECTED WITH RAILWAY WHEELS."
Sealed the 8th September 1877, and dated the 9th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Alexander Jeffreys
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th March 1877.
EDWARD ALEXANDER JEFFREYS, of Low Moor, near Bradford, in the County of
York, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILWAY WHEELS."
This Invention relates to improvements in and connected with railway wheels, and
consists,―
Firstly, in formning in the inner periphery of a tire and in a recessed portion
thereof a channel or groove, at an angle or otherwise with the inner face of the tire,
for the reception of a flat ring or a bar bent into ring shape having a slit or opening
to divide it and forms two ends to admit of its being closed to, to reduce its diameter
for its insertion into the tire channel or groove prior to being opened out again to
fill up the groove or channel in the tire and yet to leave sufficient metal outside
the channel to bear against an inclined edge of a retaining ring which need not be
cut to be got into its place. This ring holds the tire firmly to the wheel and thereby
prevents it moving laterally.
The inner periphery of the tire has a lip to engage under the lip of the retaining
ring, the other face of the tire having also a lipped or other retaining ring to engage
into the tire; or other methods may be adopted for fastening the tire on.
My inclined groove may be near both edges of the inner periphery of the tire,
and the retaining rings held thereto in a similar manner to that described above.
My ring or bent bar, which fits the groove in the inner periphery of the tire, is
"sett" to a conical shape, that is to say, from the inner periphery to the outer
periphery it is conical.
My method of fastening ensures the fixing of the tire to the centre by the com-
bination of the key ring with a Mansell or other retaining ring, which may, in some
cases, be a lipped ring. These rings can be used in connection with any system of
bolts or other fastenings now employed.

page_text: The second part of my Invention consists in fitting one or more keys or cottars
within and between the periphery of the boss of a disc wheel and the inner peri-
phery of the washer which holds the centre of the disc wheel in place. The centre
may be of wood, papier maché, or other material, in the usual manner.
The key
introduced into and between the boss and the washer prevents the centre turning
or moving round upon the boss, or becoming loose, or wearing at the bolt holes.
This is an important feature in connection with wood centre or like wheels, especially
when breaks are applied to them.
The third part of the Invention consists in enlarging the diameter of the boss of
a disc or centre wheel at the outer periphery, in order to obtain a larger surface for
the wood or other material to bear against. The enlargement can be hollowed
out between the two faces in any suitable manner so as not to increase the weight
of the wheel. This increasing of the wheel boss enables me to reduce the number
of bolts for fastening the wood or like centre in position, and also a reduction in
the number of bolts used in fastening the washer in place.
.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in extending the washer from the boss
to the tire to enable the outer periphery of it to serve as the means of fastening the
tire in place.
In some cases the larger periphery of the washer may be formed with a lip to
engage into a groove of the tire, to which it can be held by bolts in the ordinary
manner as to a Mansel or a lipped ring which is distinct from the washer.
The fifth part of the Invention consists in using the key ring first herein-before
mentioned with one part within a groove in the tire and another part bearing
against a lipped extension of the rim of an iron wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Alexander Jeffreys in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 8th September 1877.
EDWARD ALEXANDER JEFFREYS, of Low Moor, near Bradford, in the County of
York, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH RAILWAY WHEELS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of railway
wheels.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention I introduco a key of ring form
from a straight or from a bent bar of iron (or other suitable material) into a groove
formed in (preferably at an angle) a reduced portion of the inner periphery of the
tire of any railway wheel; a portion of this key ring projects and bears against the
usual or other form of clip or retaining ring to keep it in position and thereby
prevent the tire moving laterally on the wheel.
The clip or retaining ring by the use of my Invention does not require to be
cut (except for getting it over the axle), but can be kept solid as a continuous ring.
It does not require to be sprung into its place, but can be put into position similar
to the clips or retaining rings usually held in place by screw bolts.
My new key ring, which is half embedded in the tire, may be of iron bent to a
circle and sprung into position, after which a piece may be introduced at the joint
to fill up any space that may be left, thus preventing the key ring from springing
out or collapsing. The filling-in piece may be held in place by hammering down
a portion of the tire at the joint to keep it firmly in position. The ends of the key
ring may be cut at an angle, thus,
so as not to have any opening
at the joint when it is in position. This half embedded and half exposed key ring
on both the inside and the outside faces of a wheel, if desired, can be used as a
fastener in itself or in conjunction with many of the fastenings now in use, several

page_text: of which are shown in the accompanying Drawings; said key ring can be used
especially with the wheels shown in the Specifications of my previous Patents,
Nos. 8661875, 11741875, and 6361876, and I claim my outside key ring in combination
therewith.
Railway vehiclos being now made much longer and heavier more lateral strain is
put on the tire when travelling at high speeds through points, over crossings, and
round curves, and my continuous key ring resists this strain better than the plans
at present adopted.
In the accompanying Drawings I show sufficient of railway wheels, of different
constructions or arrangements of tire fastenings, to illustrate how my half embedded
and half exposed or outside key ring can be adapted thereto.
Figures 1 and 2 represent my key ring A set at an angle in a groove B formed
in a reduced part of a wheel tiro C; a part D of the key ring projects and bears
against an angled face of the lipped retaining ring E to prevent the wheel moving
laterally on the tire while running. The tire is prevented moving laterally in the
opposite direction by the lipped retaining ring F, the two rings being bolted firmly
to the wood centre or disc G, as shown.
Figures 3 to 21 inclusive represent other modes of fastenings and different
sections of tires in which my key ring A in a reduced inner periphery of the tire is
adopted.
Figure 22 represents a section of a tire formed with a parallel groove and with a
correspondingly shaped key ring A therein, the key ring partly projecting and
bearing against the retaining ring E. This parallel key ring may be adopted to
any and overy kind of railway wheel, as described, for the one set at an angle.
In Figures 1 and 2 I show two sections of a wood or disc wheel with my new
key ring A to keep the tire in place; Figures 3, 4, 6, show tires with inner shoes H,
and Figure 5 two half shoes H, as patented previously by me, and with my angled
outside key ring A affixed.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent other sections of tires with my angled key
ring A in position to wood or disc wheels.
Figures 11 to 21 inclusive illustrate my angled key ring A adapted to several
plans of iron or spoke wheels, either in conjunction with retaining rings E, as in
Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, or direct against an angled_face
of the rim I, as in Figure 23. The bolts J which bind the retaining ring E in
position in the case of an "iron wheel" pass through the glut, or through between
the spokes of an iron wheel, or through the wood of a wood wheel as well as
through the retaining ring F on the other face to bind the whole firmly together,
the key ring A being used, as before explained, to prevent lateral play of the tire
from any cause.
I claim as this first part of my said Invention the employment of outside key
rings A in the tires of railway wheels, with part of said rings projecting and fitted
against a retaining ring or other appliance or against the centre itself, as set forth
and substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings.
The second part of my Invention consists in fitting one or more keys K within
and between the periphery of the boss of a disc wheel and the inner periphery of
the washer, which holds the centre of the disc wheel in place. The disc inay be of
wood, papier maché, or other material, in the usual manner.
The key K may be introduced into and between the boss L and the washer M to
prevent the washer turning or moving round upon the boss, or becoming loose, or
wearing at the bolt holes. This is an important feature in connection with wood
centre or like wheels, especially when breaks are applied to them. This second part
of my Invention is represented in Figures 24 and 25, and in the modifications,
Figures 26, 27, and 28 of the annexed Drawings, in which the key K is shown for
the purpose above explained.
I claim as this second part of my Invention the employment of keys within and
between the periphery of the boss and the inner periphery of the washer and the
boss of a disc wheel used upon railways, as set forth and substantially as shown.

page_text: My outside key ring A, before referred to, is available in wheels in which an
enlarging of the diameter of the boss of a disc or centre wheel at the outer periphery
is made in order to obtain a larger surface for the wood or other material to bear
against, as is represented in Figures 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.
The enlarged boss, particularly if of cast iron, can be hollowed out at N between
the two faces in any suitable manner, so as not to increase the weight of the wheel,
as is well known. This increasing of the wheel boss with my system of keys and
outside koy ring, enables me to reduce the number of bolts for fastening the wood,
or other like centre, in position, and also a reduction in the number of bolts used
in fastening the washer in place. Instead of enlarging the diameter of the boss,
purpose using a boss of the usual diameter, but of greater width or length, as will
be understood by reference to Figure 33, and making the wood or other centre of a
width to correspond. By this means I obtain greater bearing or friction surface, an
advantage of importance with wheels used with breaks.
I claim as this part of my Invention, making the bosses of railway wheels much
wider than usual, and also the boss portions of the centres of wood or like material
to correspond, substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings, Figure 33, for the
purposes described.
The next part of my Invention consists in extending the washer M either as a
solid disc or as an openworked one from the boss portion to the rim portion, by
which it has the appearance of flat spokes resting against a wood filling or centre.
The lip of the extended washer may be of any shape, and also that of the boss
portion.
In some cases these extended washers may be plain or lipped discs M³, to be
enclosed or covered at the boss portions by an ordinary washer M, as in Figures 30,
32, 34, and 35, especially in wheels in which the centres are of papier maché. In all
cases, however, I purpose using my outside key ring A, as is shown in Figures 30,
34, and 35, when the extended washer is employed, although I do not confine
myself thereto, as will be understood by reference to Figure 32, in which different
forms of fastening are adopted (as illustration only) without my outside key ring.
I claim as this part of my Invention the employment of an extended washer
from the boss to the tire of a railway wheel, as shown at Figure 34, 35, of the
annexed Drawings, whether such washer be plain or formed with lips for engaging
into grooves formed in the tire as described or otherwise as set forth.
The adaptation of my outside key ring A. to iron wheels, as in Figures 36, 37, 38,
40, and 42, is very advantageous for reducing the number of bolts employed for
fastening the retaining ring or rings in position in cases where such rings are
employed, as will be understood by Figures 36, 37, 39, 40, and 42, in some of which
the bolts pass through the "glut," and in others outside between the spokes.
My key ring A can be adapted in combination with rim of wheel having a lipped
projection on both sides, as shewn in Figure 41, no retaining ring E being required.
In Figure 20 I have shown a tire section with one of my angled outside key
rings A in or on the outer face of the wheel, as well as within or upon the inner
face, to show how I can adapt two of such rings to the same wheel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Alexander Jeffreys, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.