Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
We, GEORGE WASHINGTON SHAW, of Helena, County of Lewis and Clarke,
State of Montana, U.S.A., and MARTIN GRATZ, of Butte, County of Silver Bow,
State of Montana, U.S.A., 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:
Our invention relates to vehicle wheels, and will be understood from the
following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the annexed
drawings, in which:
.
Fig. 1 is a section of a wheel embracing our invention.
Fig. 2 comprises views of the parts of the wheel.
Fig. 3 is a section of a modified construction.
Referring by letter to the drawings:
A is the felloe, B the hub body, and C the spokes of the wheel. The felloe is
provided with spoke sockets a which have flanges b arranged to bear against the
inner side of the felloe, and wings e disposed at opposite sides of the felloe so as
to strengthen the connection of the spokes thereto.
The hub body B contains a boxing ', and has an outwardly extending sleeve d,
Bockets e, and an annular recess f which intersects the inner ends of the sockets e
and has its outer wall tapered. The said body B is also provided with an inner,
peripheral flange f¹.
In the sockets e, ferrules D are snugly fitted. These ferrules have their inner
end walls g inclined and are designed to receive the reduced portions of the
spokes C which have their inner ends beveled in conformity to the inclined
walls g of the ferrules so as to entirely occupy the same.
E is a movable spoke spreader and tightener in the form of a taper sleeve
which is arranged upon the sleeve d of the hub body and rests within the annular
recess of said body and in engagement with the inclined end walls of the
ferrules D. This taper sleeve is provided with transverse apertures ; and is
adjustably connected with the hub body by bolts T which take through the
apertures of the sleeve and into threaded sockets & in the said body. All of
the spokes, when they are rendered loose by any cause, may be tightened by
turning the bolts F and moving the sleeve E inwardly. When the sleeve is thus
moved it will move the ferrules D and consequently the spokes C outwardly and
bind the spokes against the felloe, thus rendering the wheel stiff and rigid.
G is an outer shell. This shell receives but does not engage the wall of the
spoke sockets of the body B, and has a flange f³ which surrounds the said wall f
of the spoke sockets. Said shell is detachably connected with the body B by
screws extending through apertures in the shell flange f³ and into threaded
apertures in the flange f of the body B. It is obvious that when desired bolts
with nuts may be substituted for the screws in which event the apertures in
the flange of the body need not be threaded.
The shell & slips freely over the sleeve d of the body and presses directly by
its flange against the spokes. Consequently when the flange of the ahell is

page_text: bolted to the flange f¹ of body B, the spokes will be firmly clamped between
the flanges f³.
In Fig. 3,we have illustrated a modified construction which is similar to that
shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that the wall f of the 'sockets e¹
is of the same diameter as the flange, f, and the flange of shell G¹ bears
against the outside of the said wall f. This construction also differs from that
shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that the bolts take through the outer spoke socket
wall and the flange of the shell Gl
:
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that we have provided a wheel which
is exceedingly strong and durable both as regards the connection of the spokes
with the felloe and their connection with the hub; also that the spokes may be
tightened by the adjustment of the taper sleeve and this without wearing or
breaking down the inner ends of the spokes.
.... We prefer in, practice to form the felloe and spokes of our improved wheel of
wood and the remaining parts of metal.
321
1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our 'said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a wheel, the combination of a felloe, a hub 'body having an outwardly
directed sleeve and also having radial spoke sockets open at their inner ends
and an annular recess communicating with the inner ends of the said sockets,
spokes interposed between the felloe and the hub body and having their inner
ends beveled and arranged in the sockets of the latter, the 'correspondingly
beveled ferrules arranged on the inner ends of the spokes, the taper sleeve
arranged in the annular recess of the body and adjustably connected to said body,
and the outer shell surrounding. the sleeve of the body and connected to said
body, 'substantially as specified.
2 A wheel comprising a felloe, a hub body having a sleeve; spoke sockets,
and an annular recess communicating with the inner ends of the sockets and
also having a peripheral flange' forming a continuation of one wall of the spoke
sockets, spokes interposed between the felloe and the hub body and having their
inner ends beveled and arranged in the sockets of the latter, the taper sleeve
arranged in the annular recess of the body and adjustably connected to said body,
a shell arranged on the sleeve of the body and surrounding the taper sleeve and
having a peripheral flange surrounding one wall of the spoke sockets and
bearing directly against the spokes, and detachable, transverse connections between
the flanges of the shell and hub body and adapted to clamp the same against the
spokes, substantially as specified.
3-A wheel comprising a felloe, a hub body having an outwardly directed
sleeve and spoke sockets and also having a pheripheral flange forming a con-
tinuation of the inner wall of the spoke sockets, spokes interposed between the
felloe and hub body and arranged in the sockets of the latter, an outer shell
arranged on the sleeve of the body and having a peripheral flange surrounding
the outer wall of the spoke sockets, and bearing directly against the spokes, and
bolts arranged between the spokes and connecting the flanges of the shell and
hub body so as to clamp the same against the spokes, substantially as specified.
4-A wheel comprising a felloe, a hub having spoke receiving sockets open
at their inner ends and also having a peripheral flange forming a continuation of
the inner side wall of the sockets, spokes interposed between the felloe and hub
and arranged in the sockets, a spoke spreader and tightener arranged in the
hub in engagement with the inner ends of the spokes, an outer shell having a
flange surrounding the outer wall of the spoke sockets and bearing directly
against the spokes, and screws taking through the flange of said shiell and the
flange of the hub body between the spokes and serving to connect the shell to
the body and clamp the flanges on the spokes, substantially as specified.
5 In a wheel, the combination of a felloe, a hub body having an outwardly

page_text: directed sleeve, radial spoke sockets open at their inner ends, an annular recess
communicating with the inner ends of said sockets, and a peripheral flange
forming a continuation of the inner side wall of the sockets, spokes interposed
between the felloe and hub and arranged in the sockets and having their inner
ends beveled, correspondingly beveled ferrules arranged on the inner ends of
the spokes, the taper sleeve arranged in the annular recess of the hub body and
adjustably connected to said body, the outer shell surrounding the sleeve of the
body and having a flange surrounding the outer wall of the spoke sockets and
bearing directly against the spokes, the screws taking through said flange of
the shell and the flange of the hub body between the spokes and serving to
connect the shell to the body and clamp the flanges on the spokes, substantially
as specified:
6 A wheel comprising a hub body having an outwardly directed sleeve and
also having radial spoke sockets open at their inner ends and an annular recess
communicating with the inner ends of the said sockets, spokes interposed between
the felloe and the hub body and having their inner ends beveled, the taper
sleeve arranged in the annular recess of the body, connecting bolts extending
through the taper sleeve from the outer end thereof and having threaded inner
portions let into screw tapped sockets in the body, and the outer shell surrounding
the outer end of the taper sleeve and the sleeve of the body and detachably
connected to said body, substantially as specified.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London.