Improvements in Wrought Iron or Steel Wheels and Process of Making the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
COMPLETE
DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wrought Iron or Steel Wheels and Process of
Making the same.
1 SAMUEL MATHEWS VAUCLAIN of 743 Corinthian Avenue, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania United States of America Mechanical 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 :-
My invention which I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings
relates to improvements in wrought iron or steel wheels and in the process of
manufacturing the same it being understood however that I do not limit myself to
the class of wheels described and shewn in the drawings (which represent driving
and car wheels), as my invention is applicable to all classes of wheels, and the
wheels may be made with or without crank centre and counter-balance, and may in
some instances be flanged or be provided with gear teeth. I will, however, for
convenience, describe a locomotive driving wheel, as my invention relates more
particularly to this class of wheel.
Figure 1, of the accompanying drawings is a face view of the assembled parts,
ready to be forged into a locomotive driving wheel.
Figure 2, is a section on the line 1-2, Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a face view of the forged wheel after it leaves the dies.
Figure 4, is a face view of a finished wheel prior to being bored and flanged.
Figure 5, is a section of the line 3-4, Figure 4.
Figure 6, is a perspective view of the ring.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are views of the spoke section.
Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 are views of the hub sections of a driving wheel.
Figures 14, 15, 16 and 17 are views of the counter-balance section.
Figures 18, 19 and 20 are enlarged views of the filling block.
Fi
Figure 21, is a view of the assembled parts of a truck wheel.
Figure 22, is a view of the finished truck wheel.
Figure 23, is a sectional view of the truck wheel shewing it in the dies; and
Figures 24 and 25, are views of a hub section of a truck wheel.
A is the ring in which the assembled parts are placed; B are the series of
U-shaped spoke sections preferably made of half oval bars as shewn in Figures 7, 8
and 9. These spoke sections are first placed side by side as shewn in Figure 1
forming a complete circle.
D D are the hub sections, the section D is thicker than the section D' and
is adapted to receive the crank pin, d is the centre of the hub, and the crank
centre.
Each section D D' has a series of recesses d' radiating from the centre d of the
hub and extending beyond the line of each hub section are projections d³ in line
with the recesses d, these projections extend over each spoke, so that when the
wheel is welded they each form a fillet, giving strength and finish to the wheel, as
shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
The sections D D' are placed over the ends of the spoke sections as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, and are preferably temporarily secured thereto in any suitable
manner so that the parts will remain in their proper positions during the handling
and welding. After the hubs are adjusted to the spoke sections, the filling
blocks E are placed at the outer intersection of the spoke sections and ring as
shewn in Figure 1.
The blocks E are made as shewn in detail in Figures 18, 19 and 20, having a
body portion e and heads e¹ e¹ and are shaped preferably in the manner shewn in

page_text: the said Figures so that the body portion fits snugly at the intersection of
the spoke sections and ring, and the heads overlap the sections as shewn in
Figure 2, so that when the wheel is welded these heads form fillets as shewn
in Figure 5.
After the parts are assembled they are held temporarily by a clamping ring (not
shewn in the drawings). The ring A is then heated and slipped over the assembled
parts and the temporary ring removed, the ring "A as it cools, shrinks and con-
sequently binds the several parts together.
If an ordinary wheel such as a car wheel or truck wheel is to be made, as shewn
in Figures 21, 22 and 23, the hub sections, as shewn in Figures 24 and 25, are
substituted for the forms shewn in Figures 12 and 13.
In order to prevent the ring A slipping off during the heating of the structure
prior to forging, I make a number of holes in the ring and in the spoke sections and
placed therein pins a, Figure 1 which will become welded to the parts during the
forging of the wheel."
When it is desired to make a counter-balance wheel such for instance as a
locomotive driving wheel, I form two plates F as shewn in Figures 14, 15, 16
and 17. These plates F, I prefer to form from sheet metal, but they may be made
from a block, the metal being struck up in dies forming a tapered flange to fit the
wheel, as shewn, and formed in each plate are a series of grooves f¹ radiating from
the centre of the wheel, and at each groove fl on the inner side of the plate are
extensions or fins f which extend over the spokes and form fillets on the finished
wheel between the spokes and the counter-balance.
The centre of each plate being hollow, the plates when placed in position form a
hollow counter balance.
I make holes in the plate F to allow the air that would otherwise be com-
pressed in the deep portion of the dies, to pass into the die, thereby preventing the
plate from collapsing during the forging of the wheel.
The plates F are secured to the spoke sections preferably by rivets f* as shewn
in Figure 1 which rivets become part of the wheel when forged, the rivets are
placed near the flanges of the plates and the spokes, and may in some instances
pass through the flanges.
The process of manufacturing is as follows:-
:-
The parts are forged or bent to the required shape in suitable dies, and are
assembled as follows: the spoke sections B are placed together, then the hub
sections D D' are secured in place over the ends of the spokes, the filling blocks E
are placed in their respective positions, and held in position by a clamping ring
which is afterwards removed and the ring A applied in the manner herein before
described. The counter-balance plates F are then secured to the spoke sections in
their proper positions, pins a being inserted in the openings in the ring A and
spoke sections B, the structure thus made up is inserted in a furnace and heated to
a welding heat, it is then removed and placed between dies and forged into a
unitary structure, as shewn in Figure 3, the parts of the die being so adjusted as to
not quite come together so as to form on the wheel thin fins as shewn in Figure 3,
which ensures a good weld and a perfect wheel, full at all points.
The metal of the hub section is preferably expanded by a cold block which is
either loose or carried by the dies, the block forming a cavity i in the hub, as
shewn-in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the metal of the hub is thus forced into and filling the
several corners of the die and making a properly welded wheel.
The crank sections may be expanded as shewn in Figures-4-and 5 in the same
manner and for the same purpose.
After the wheel is forged, it is bored, turned and fitted in the same manner as an
ordinary wheel.
The counter-balance can be loaded through the openings f³ after which the said
openings can be plugged.
The tire can be placed on the wheel centre during the forging process if desired,
but I prefer to attach the tire to the centre after it is turned and trued.

page_text: The dies for forming the wheel and for forging the several parts, form the
subject of a separate application bearing even date herewith.
Having now particularly described and' ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Making wrought wheels by the process hereinbefore described said process
consisting in first assembling the several spoke sections and hub sections, second,
heating the ring section, and third, while the ring section is still hot, placing it
around the assembled spoke sections, allowing the said ring section to cool,
thereby clamping the several sections together by the contraction of the ring
section, substantially as described.
2. Making wrought wheels by the process hereinbefore described said process
consisting in assembling the several spoke sections and hub-sections, placing a
clamping band around the periphery of the spoke sections, then heating the
ring and applying it to the periphery of the spoke sections while still hot,
removing the clamp and allowing the ring to cool and contract, thereby binding the
several parts of the wheel together, substantially as described.
3. Making wrought wheels by the process herein described the said process con-
sisting in assembling the several U-shaped spoke sections together, placing hub
sections on opposite sides of the ends of the spoke sections, placing fillets, having
heads on each end, between the several spoke sections at the periphery, applying a
ring to the assembled parts, and finally heating the built up wheel and forging it to
form a unitary structure, substantially as described.
4. As a new article of manufacture a hub section for wrought wheels, the said
hub section being grooved radially to receive the ends of the spoke sections and
having extensions at each groove, the said extensions forming, when the wheel is
struck up, fillets at the joint between the hub sections and spoke sections, sub-
stantially as described.
5. As a new article of manufacture a filling block having a body with enlarge-
ments or heads at each end, the body portions of the block adapted to fit at the
intersection of the ring with two adjoining spoke sections, the heads serving to
prevent the block from falling out during the process of manufacture, and when
the wheel is finally forged into a unitary structure, the heads forming the fillets at
the junction of the spoke sections and ring section, substantially as described.
6. The process herein described of making wrought wheels the said process
consisting in assembling the several spoke sections and hub sections, applying a
ring to the periphery of the spoke sections, passing pins through the ring into
the several spoke sections, thereby holding the ring to the sections during the
heating and handling of the assembled parts prior to forging, substantially as
described.
7. The process herein described of making wrought wheels, the said process
consisting in assembling the hub sections and spoke sections, forging the several
sections into a unitary structure, and forcing a cold block into the centre of the
hub section, thereby expanding the metal of the hub section, filling the joints
between the hubs and spokes, substantially as and for the purpose described.
8. The process herein described of making wrought wheels, the said process
consisting in assembling the hub sections, spoke sections and ring section, heating
the mass to a welding heat, placing the assembled parts in a die and compressing or
forging the parts by a second die to form a unitary structure, the said dies being
so regulated in respect to each other that they do not come together, thus
forming fins on the wheel at the junction of the two dies, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
9. The process herein described of making wrought wheels, having hollow
counter-balances, the said process consisting in assembling the spoke sections, ring
section and hub sections together, securing to the assembled parts. two hollow
sections, one on each side to form a hollow counter-balance, one or both of said

page_text: sections being perforated to allow for the passage of air into the hollow counter-
balance, lacing the assembled parts between dies, the air in the hollow portion of
the die forming the counter-balance being admitted to the hollow portion of the
counter-balance through the openings therein, thereby pressing the shell of the
counter qalance against the dies, and forming flat walls substantially as and for
the purpose described.
10. The process herein described of making wrought wheels, the said process
consisting in first assembling the ring section, hub sections and spoke sections,
placing on each side of the assembled wheel counter-balance sections, rivetting the
two counter-balance sections together and to the spoke sections, passing the said
rivets through or near the walls of the counter-balance sections, heating the mass
and forging the whole into a unitary structure whereby the rivets will be welded
to the parts, substantially as and for the purpose described.
11. In the manufacture of wrought wheels, a hollow counter-balance section
struck up from sheet metal having a flange with grooved projecting portions which
fit over the spokes of the wheel to be forged, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of October 1891
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.