IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR ROAD AND RAIL CARRIAGES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM STRONACH LOCKHART of 7 Fenchurch Street in the City of London,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WHEELS FOR ROAD AND RAIL CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of the
outer portion or of the rims of wheels for carriages of all kinds whereby I ensure
durability, and elasticity of tread in a more efficient and economical manner
than heretofore the jarring or vibration transmitted to ordinary vehicles and the
occupants thereof is reduced and the noise resulting from the use of continuous
annular shaped tyres applied in the usual way directly to the rim of the wheel is
deadened. The body of the wheel to which my improvements may be applied may
be of the ordinary construction and composed of wood or metal or a combination
of the two as is well understood.
On the outer surface of the rim I sometimes apply a light tyre or binding ring
but the said ring may in some cases be dispensed with. Upon the periphery of
the rim or felloes of the wheel I attach or fix a bedding or cushion of india rubber
or other suitable elastic material in a continuous ring or in segments; over this
elastic bedding or cushion so as to protect the same I fix metal trough shaped
segments or strakes having their open side or channel inwards each segment or
strake being separate and isolated at the ends from its neighbours so as to break
continuity and avoid the noise and vibration produced by a continuous annular
tyre. The sides of the said trough shaped segments or strakes fit over the sides of
the rim or felloes to which they may be secured either by radially disposed headed
bolts inserted from the outside through the bottom of the trough shaped strakes
also through the internal bedding or cushion and through the felloe or rim of the
wheel on the ioner surface of which the said bolts are secured and tightened up by
nuts or cotters having an elastic washer beneath them. Or if desired the securing
bolts or pins may be passed horizontally through slots in the sides of the said
trough shaped strakes or through lugs formed thereon. To the outer periphery of
each metal trough shaped segment or strake I preferably fix a separate outer metal
segment forming the actual wearing tread of the wheel, the said tread and metal
trough shaped segment or strake being secured together independently of the
means for securing the trough shaped segments or strakes to the rim. The trough
Price R71

page_text: shaped segments or metal strakes may be lightened by forming openings at suitable
intervals in the periphery thereof. In order to exclude water and dirt and to still
further deaden the noise I insert into the spaces between the ends of the metal
segments elastic or other sound deadening material. For wheels to be used on
rails the outer metal segments or tyre would of course require to be constructed 5
with the ordinary flange suited to the rail on which it is to run.
I WILLIAM STRONACH LOCKHART of 7 Fenchurch Street in the City of London
Civil 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 construction and arrangement of the
outer portion of the rims of wheels for carriages of all kinds whereby I ensure
durability and elasticity of tread in a more efficient and economical manner than
heretofore the jarring or vibration transmitted by wheels of the ordinary con-
struction, to vehicles and their occupants, is prevented and the noise resulting
from the use of continuous annular shaped tyres applied in the usual way directly
to the rim of the wheel is deadened.
The body of the wheel to which my improvements may be applied may be of
the ordinary construction and composed of wood or metal or a combination of the
two as is well understood. On the outer surface of the rim or felloes I sometimes
apply a light tyre or binding ring or two of such binding rings placed side by side
with a space between them for the purpose hereinafter explained, but the said
binding ring or rings may be dispensed with.
Upon the periphery of the rim or felloes of the wheel I attach or fix by nails
screws or otherwise an elastic bedding or cushion of india rubber or other suitable
elastic material either in the form of a continuous ring or in segments said ring or
segments being placed over the light tyre or binding ring or rings when used, the
screws or other fastenings being inserted into the rim of the wheel through holes
Over this
in the binding ring or through the space left between the two rings.
elastic bedding or cushion so as to protect the same I fix metal trough shaped
segments or strakes having their open side or channel inwards i.e. on the concave
side of the segment each segment or strake being isolated at the ends from its
neighbours so as to break continuity and avoid the noise and vibration resulting
from the use of a continuous annular tyre.

page_text: The sides or flanges of the said trough shaped segments or strakes fit over the
sides of the elastic bedding (and light binding ring or rings when used) and serve
to hide the joints and protect the cushion and keep the strake in position. The
said strake may be fixed or secured in place either by radially disposed headed
bolts inserted from the outside through the bottoms of the trough shaped strakes
also through the internal bedding or cushion and through the felloe or rim of the
wheel on the inner surface of which the said bolts are secured and tightened up by
nuts or cotters with or without an elastic washer beneath them. The heads of
these bolts are by preference countersunk so as to lie below the wearing surface of
the wheel tread. If desired the securing bolts or pins may be passed horizontally
through the rim of the wheel and through slots in the sides of the said segmental
trough shaped strakes or through lugs formed thereon. To the outer periphery of
each metal trough shaped segment or strake I sometimes fix a separate outer metal
segment forming the actual wearing tread, the said outer metal segment or tread
and the metal trough shaped segment or strake being by preference secured
together independently of the means for securing the said trough shaped segments
or strakes to the rim of the wheel. If desired the metal trough shaped segments
or strakes may be lightened by forming openings at suitable intervals in the
periphery thereof. In order to exclude water and dirt and to still further deaden
the noise I introduce into the spaces between the contiguous ends of the metal
trough shaped segments or strakes a packing of elastic or other sound deadening
material which may be either a separate piece or (which I prefer) a projection
moulded in one piece with the elastic bedding or cushion.
For wheels intended to be used on rails the metal trough shaped segments or
strakes or the separate outer metal segments or treads secured thereto would be
formed with the ordinary flange suited to the rail on which they are to run.
Figure 1 of the drawings annexed is a portion of the rim of my improved wheel
represented partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation & showing
two examples of the mode of securing the metal trough shaped segments or strakes
to the rim of the wheel.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the rim taken along the line. 1-2 in figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar view taken along the line 3-4 in Figure 1 Figure 4 is a
transverse section taken along the line 5-6 in figure 1.
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the rim at the joint or break
between the contiguous ends of two of the metal trough shaped segments or
strakes, and, figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the said metal trough shaped
segments or strakes detached shewing an outer segmental tread fixed thereon.
A is the wooden or other rim of the wheel. B a single light binding ring
shrunk thereon. In figure 4 I have shown two of such binding rings so applied
as to leave a space between their contiguous edges all round for the passage of the
screws or other fastenings which secure the elastic bedding or cushion C to the
body of the rim A which cushion may be of annular form but I prefer to make it
in several short lengths or segments. When a single binding ring is used as in
figures 2 and 3 holes should be formed therein for the passage of the said
fastenings. DD are the metal trough shaped segments or strakes covering and
protecting the elastic bedding or cushion by fitting over the sides or edges thereof.
E E are the outer metal segments forming the actual wearing tread of the wheel
they being each secured directly to the outer periphery of its corresponding metal
trough shaped segment or strake D by rivets a or otherwise. 6b are the securing
bolts for holding the said metal trough shaped segments or stakes in position said
bolts passing radially through the trough shaped segments cushion and rim of the
wheel and being tightened up by nuts c as shown in the portion of the rim in
section in figure 1. The heads of these radial bolts are received in holes or recesses
in the segmental tyres or treads E (when used) so as to be flush with or by
preference rather below the outer surface thereof. If desired the securing bolts
may be passed transversely through lugs d on the sides or flanges of the metal
trough shaped segments or strakes D and through the rim of the wheel horizontally

page_text: as shown at b¹ in the part shown in side elevation in figure 1 and also in figures 4
and 6 an elongated hole or slot being provided in the lugs or in the rim of the
wheel itself to allow of slight play of the metal segments or strakes D towards or
from the centre of the wheel. e (figures 1 and 5) is a projection or rib moulded
on the top and two sides of the segments forming the elastic bedding or cushion C
as shown more clearly in the detail side elevation and transverse section of a
portion of the said cushion at figures 7 and 8 for the purpose of filling the spaces
or openings between the ends of the metal segments or strakes D (and their
respective treads E when employed) thereby excluding water and dirt and still
further deadening the noise. If desired the said spaces or openings may be packed
by separate pieces of rubber or other suitable material introduced inside the said
segments or strakes but I prefer the arrangement shown in my drawings.
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. The combination with the outer portions or rims of wheels for road and rail
carriages of a bedding or cushion of elastic material and two or more isolated
metal trough shaped segments or strakes fixed to the rim of the wheel with their
channelled sides inwards so as to enclose and protect the said bedding or cushion
as specified.
2. The combination with the outer portions or rims of wheels for road and rail
carriages of a bedding or cushion of elastic material and two or more isolated
metal trough-shaped segments or strakes fixed to the rim of the wheel with their
channelled sides inwards so as to enclose and protect the said bedding or cushion
and provided each on the outer surface with a separate metal segment constituting
the wearing tread of the wheel substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. Packing the spaces between the contiguous ends of the aforesaid isolated
metal trough-shaped segments or strakes (whether provided or not with separate
outer segmental treads) with elastic or other sound deadening material for the
purpose specified.
D
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