Improved Manufacture of Wrought Iron and Steel Spoke Wheels, Wheel Centres, and Belt Pullies.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 22nd Sept., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Manufacture of Wrought Iron and Steel Spoke Wheels,
Wheel Centres, and Belt Pullies.
I, HEINRICH EHRHARDT, of 20 Reichstrasse, Dusseldorf, Germany, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved manufacture of drawn or pressed spoke-
wheels or wheel centres as also belt pullies, whereby these are manufactured out of
a single piece of wrought iron or steel in such manner that the fibres of the metal
run in a radial direction in the spokes, and are produced in a very perfect manner
on account of the favorable action on the metal by the drawing operation.
I will describe the said invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the vertical section and part plan shewn at Figs. 1 and 2 a is the blank, which
is formed and punched with a central hole according to the method described in the
specification to Patent No. 3116 of 1891.
The punch 6 in this case first passes alone through the central boss, and after
this has been done, the die c combined with the punch 6 forces the blank into the
matrix d for the nave, causing the escaping metal to rise up in the mould e, by
which means the material for the rim of the wheel receives its preliminary formation.
In Fig. 3 the blank formed as at Fig. 1, is acted upon by conical dies by which
it is gradually widened out until it assumes a flat dish-like form. By means of the
die and mould shewn at Fig. 4 the spokes are then brought, by shifting the metal,
into the forin shewn in the cross section at Fig. 6 taken on line A-B Fig. 7, so
that the original thickness is reduced to the thickness y, and the material thus
obtained is utilised for forming the spokes and rim.
In order, in pressing the arms separately to prevent the material from escaping
in a tangential direction there are provided in the mould on each side of the arm
or spoke to be formed, a projection or cutter so arranged that on the descent of the
die they penetrate through the metal disc and enter the slot t of the die before this
exercises pressure on the material, so that the material situated between the two
cutters s cannot escape laterally when the pressure is exerted, but is forced
towards A, B and C Fig. 5 where it enters the recess for the spoke and the rim.
The cross section of the spokes can be of any other form besides that shewn at
Fig. 6.
For the manufacture of spoke wheels or wheel centres with hollow spokes, a
blank a Figs. 8 and 9 is first formed with a central hole as described with reference
to Fig. 1, and is then formed hollow or cup shaped by means of suitably formed
dies c and moulds Figs. 8 and 9, so as to produce a ribbed form of blank such as
indicated at Fig. 9.
The ribs constituting the spokes have their hollows punched in them either while
still in the dished form as shewn at Figs. 10 and 11 or after the blank has been
spread out to a disc form in the manner described with reference to Fig. 3, and as
indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 11ª. Instead of punching the spokes hollow, they
may also be bored.
The dished blanks with hollow ribs are then either at once spread out flat, or
they are first drawn out longer, as shewn at Figs. 12 and 13, and they are then

page_text: finished either to form a wheel centre, that is a nave and spokes only, in the manner
indicated at Figs. 12, 14, 19, 20, and 21, or to form a complete spoke wheel in the
manner shewn at Figs. 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18. The material between the spokes
marked y Figs. 4, 6, 9 and 10, is then either entirely removed, as at Figs. 7 and 20,
or only partially so, as at Figs. 18 and 19, the parts g left standing serving for
strengthening the arms or spokes.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Manufacture of Wrought Iron and Steel Spoke Wheels,
Wheel Centres, and Belt Pullies.
I, HEINRICH EHRHARDT, of 20 Reichstrasse, Dusseldorf, Germany, Engineer,
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 :-
This invention relates to an improved manufacture of drawn or pressed spoke-
wheels or wheel centres as also belt pullies, whereby these are manufactured out of
a single piece of wrought iron or steel in such manner that the fibres of the metal
run in a radial direction in the spokes, and are produced in a very perfect manner
on account of the favourable action on the metal by the drawing operation.
I will describe the said invention with reference to the drawings accompanying
my Provisional Specification. In the vertical section and part plan shewn at
Figs. 1 and 2 a is the blank, which is formed and punched with a central hole
according to the method described in the specification to Patent No. 3116 of 1891.
The punch bin this case first passes alone through the central boss, and after
this has been done, the die c combined with the punch 6 forces the blank into the
matrix d for the nave, causing the escaping metal to rise up in the mould e, by
which means the material for the rim of the wheel receives its preliminary
formation.
In Fig. 3 the blank formed as at Fig. 1, is acted upon by conical dies / by which
it is gradually widened out until it assumes a Hat dish-like form. By means of the
die and mould shewn at Fig. 4 the spokes are then brought, by shifting the metal,
into the form shewn in the cross section at Fig. 6 taken on line A-B Fig. 7, so
that the original thickness is reduced to the thickness y, and the material thus
obtained is utilised for forming the spokes and rim.
In order, in pressing the arms separately to prevent the material from escaping
in a tangential direction there are provided in the mould on each side of the arm
or spoke to be formed, a projection or cutter so arranged that on the descent of the
die they penetrate through the metal disc and enter the slot t of the die before this
exercises pressure on the material, so that the material situated between the two
cutters cannot escape laterally when the pressure is exerted, but is forced
towards A, B and C Fig. 5 where it enters the recess for the spoke and the rim.
The cross section of the spokes can be of any other form besides that shewn at
Fig. 6.
For the manufacture of spoke wheels or wheel centres with hollow spokes, a
blank a Figs. 8 and 9 is first formed with a central hole as described with reference
to Fig. 1 and is then formed hollow or cup shaped by means of suitably formed
diese and moulds m Figs. 8 and 9, so as to produce a ribbed form of blank such as
indicated at Fig. 9.

page_text: The ribs constituting the spokes have their hollows punched in them either wine
till in the dished form as shewn in plan and vertical section at Figs. 10 and 11 or
fter the blank has been spread out to a disc form in the manner described with.
Instead of
eference to Fig. 3, and as indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 114.
unching the spokes bollow, they may also be bored.
The dished blank with hollow ribs may, before being spread out flat, be first..
rawn out longer as shewn in vertical section at Figure 12, and in plan at Figure 14,.
fter which it is spread out flat to form a wheel centre, that is, a nave and spokes
enly, as shewn in plan at Figures 19 and 20 and in vertical section at Figure 21.
The material between the spokes marked y at Figures 4, 6, 9 and 10 is then
either entirely removed by stamping, punching, or otherwise, as at Figure 20 or
portions thereof are left standing as indicated at g Figures 19 and 21 for
strengthening the parts.
Figures 22 to 31 of the accompanying drawings shew the process as applied to.
At the first pressing in the
the making of wheels with complete inner rims.
moulds, as in vertical section and plan at Figures 22 and 23, there is formed round
the top edge of the dish shaped blank ha thickened rim i, and radial thickened:
parts which ultimately form the spokes, all these parts being connected together
by a thin web k.
At the next operation, shewn in sectional plan at Figures 24 and 25, the dies or
moulds are made to bend the rim i inwards between the spokes j and at the same
time, by means of punches n to form the latter tubular.
The star shaped dished blank thus produced, is then subjected to a drawing
process in a die l m whereby the spokes are extended and the star shaped rim i
assumes a rounded sectional form as shewn in the section and plan at Figures 26-
and 27.
The die 1 m is made of two separate concentric parts as shewn, Figures 28 and 29.
shewing a section and plan of the outer part of the die, while Figures 30 and 31
shew similar views of the inner part m, both parts being built up of two or more.
separate segments as shewn at land m in order to enable them to be removed
from the blank after the drawing, the parts of the die being secured in suitably
arranged housings for this purpose. The blank is then expanded and flattened out
in suitable moulds or dies, whereby the rim i is made to assume the circular form
shewn in Figure 18, the thin web k (Figures 22 and 23) being removed by punching
or otherwise with the exception of the parts marked g, Figure 18.
The spokes are drawn from a circular section to the form shewn in the enlarged.
cross section at A-B Figure 17 where X represents the drawing die.
Figure 16 shews an enlarged section through the rim, also shewing the part g of
the material left standing between the spokes, as before described.
The hollows of the spokes extend through the rim i on which is subsequently
fitted the separate outer rim of the wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
5 1. A manufacture of spoke wheels, wheel centres, and belt pullies, consisting in
pressing a perforated blank in a mould or matrix for the wheel in such a nanner
that by shifting the radially placed layers of fibre, either solid or hollow arms or
spokes of any desired number and form are produced, substantially as described.
2. The method of carrying out the process referred to in the first claim, wherein,
0 according to the size of the wheel, the spokes are either formed separately, or one
or more or all together, substantially as described.
3. The method of carrying out the process referred to in Claim 1, wherein the
spokes are punched or bored hollow, either when in the vertical or dished form or
when straightened out flat or when extended in length by drawing, substantially as
described.
4. In the process referred to in the preceding claims removing the thin material

page_text: left between the spokes either entirely or only partially by stamping, punching or
otherwise, substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1896
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.