Improvements in and relating to Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Wheels for Velocipedes and other
Vehicles.
I, GUSTAV KOLBERG of No. 12 Balinhof-strasse, Freienwalde a/ Oder in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, 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 a mode of fastening the spokes of velocipede wheels
and the like and has for its object enabling the whole of the spokes of the wheel
to be tightened at one and the same time and thereby to obviate the tedious
tightening of each single spoke separately.
This new mode of attaching the spokes is illustrated by the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 is a broken view in front elevation of a velocipede wheel.
Figure 2 is a view in end elevation-partly in section of the hub.
Figure 3 is a broken view in front elevation of a wheel rim. Figure 4 is a
similar view showing a modification thereof, and
Figures 5 and 6 are broken views in front elevation of two modifications of this
invention.
a is the wheel hub or wheel axle which is provided from the centre towards both
ends with right handed screw threads band left handed screw threads c. Upon
these two screw threads there screw two nuts d by means of which the spokes e
can be tightened up. The spokes themselves may be connected with the nuts d in
any manner that may be suitable. In the construction shewn, the inner ends of
the spokes e are bent round short and provided with small heads i. The latter are
passed through holes g in the nuts d and then the short bent portions of the spokes
are drawn into the narrow radial enlargements g¹ of the holes g. When the spokes
are provided at their outer ends (in the manner shewn in Figure 1) with simple
heads which bear against the inner surface of the wheel rim h, the spokes are
drawn into the slots g' of the nuts d, the hub a being rotated in such a manner
that the nuts are moved away from each other whereby their distance from the hub
is also increased to such an extent that the bent portions of the spokes enter the
slots g'. When the spokes are to be tightened, the hub is rotated, (by preventing
the rim itself from rotating) further in such a direction as to cause the nuts d to
move towards the outer ends of the hub a and thus carry the spokes with them
to such an extent that the spokes will bear at both ends firmly against their
abutments. The nuts d may be secured against turning back on the hub a by any
suitable means. In the drawings there is provided for this purpose on each nut
a screw which is screwed into one of several grooves that are provided in the
periphery of the hub a. The screw threads c and d may be protected on the
completed wheel in any desired manner against dirt and injury. Instead of
the heads of the spokes (Figure 1) there may also be used nuts by means of
which the length of the spokes is adjusted before they are tightened by turning
the hub a.
When fixed heads fare employed on the spokes e the latter may be connected
with the rim in the manner shewn in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3, the rim
consists of two halves separated from one another in the direction of the periphery.

page_text: One half is provided with holes in through which the heads f of the spokes e can
just pass. These holes are formed with branches m' corresponding to the fixed
spokes. When the latter have been pushed into these branches m', the second
half of the rim is pushed over the first half in a manner which is clearly
shewn in Figure 3, so that the spokes enter the slots n in the half of the rim.
This latter half is then secured in its position by any suitable number of
screws 0.
Instead of the construction shewn in Figure 3, there may be employed the
arrangement shewn in Figure 4 in which the rim is made in one piece, and in
which a separate strip p is inserted which holds the spokes in the slots m¹ in the
same manner as does the half h² of. the rim. This strip also can be secured by
screws o from shifting its position.
The idea shown in Figure 1 may be carried out in another, but less simple
manner. Instead of the screws cb which can be considered to be merely wedges
wound round a cylinder, simple straight wedges may be employed. Figure 5
illustrates a construction of this kind. In this arrangement the two nuts d are
replaced by two simple rings which are capable of sliding easily in an axial
manner on the hollow hub a, and can be moved away from one another by the
simultaneous tightening of the two parts 9, and thus effect the simultaneous
tightening of all the wheel spokes in the same manner as has been described with
reference to Figure 1. In the construction shewn in Figure 6, two toggle levers r,r,
are employed for the purpose of moving the rings d (which are capable of moving
smoothly along the axle a) towards the ends of said axle in such a manner as to
tighten all the spokes simultaneously. The tightening movement of the two toggle
levers is effected by means of two non-rotatable screws s by means of a nutt which
is provided with right and left handed screw threads.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
(1) A device for simultaneously tightening all the spokes in velocipede wheels
and the like, characterised by the fact that two rings d are mounted upon the axle
of the said wheel so as to be capable of moving axially thereon, said rings being
fixed to the wheel spokes and being capable of being moved in an axial direction
away from each other so as to effect the simultaneous tightening of all the wheel
spokes.
(2) A form of construction of the apparatus for simultaneously tightening all
the spokes in velocipede wheels or the like, according to Claim 1, characterised by
the fact that the spokes are fastened to right and left hand screw threaded nuts
which can be moved away from each other by rotating the wheel hub or wheel
axle (which is provided with suitable screw threads) in such a manner as to effect
the simultaneous tightening of all the spokes.
(3) A form of construction of the apparatus for simultaneously tightening all
the spokes in velocipede wheels or the like according to Claim 1, characterised by
the fact that the two rings d are capable of being moved apart by means of
wedges in such a manner that they tighten the whole of the spokes
simultaneously.
(4) A form of construction of the apparatus for simultaneously tightening all
the spokes in velocipede wheels or the like according to Claim 1, characterised by
the fact that the two rings d can be moved away from each other by means of two
toggle levers rr with the help of right and left hand screws or other suitable
means for the purpose of simultaneously tightening all the spokes.
(5) In wheels which are provided with a device for simultaneously tightening
all the spokes according to Claim 1, the attachment of the spokes to the wheel rim
in such a way that the spokes fit in slots m' in the wheel rim, which slots are
formed with enlargements for the passage of the spoke heads f, in which slots they
are held by transverse slots n of a part 2 of the wheel rim or of a separate ring p

page_text: fastened on the rim, said part of rim or ring serving to prevent any change of
position of the spoke heads.
(6) The improvements in and relating to the wheels of velocipe:les and other
vehicles substantially as herein before described and shown.
Dated this 20th day of March 1897.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.