IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY FOR THE DRIVING WHEELS LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lake Aveling of Boley Hill House Rochester
in the County of Kent Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WHEELS APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY FOR THE DRIVING WHEELS
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES"
OF ROAD
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lake Aveling at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd December 1883.
THOMAS LAKE AVELING of Boley Hill House Rochester in the County of Kent
Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY FOR THE DRIVING
WHEELS. OF ROAD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
This Invention has for its object improvements in wheels applicable especially for
the driving wheels of road locomotivés.
For this purpose the outer ends of the several spokes or pairs of spokes of a
wheel have iron blocks cast on to them and these are all connected together by
two rings secured to them one on either side.
The tyre is formed with two flanges around its inner circumference-the rings
come between these flanges and sideway. movement of the central portion of the
wheel is thereby prevented. The tyre is also coupled to the blocks at the ends of
the spokes in the following manner. At three or more equidistant. points of its
inner circumference the tyre has two coupling rods jointed to it-these are inclined
away from one another-one is passed through the block at the end of one spoke
and the other through the block at the end of another spoke. Each rod is also
passed through a spring and a nut is screwed on to the end of the rod. By screwing
up the nut the spring can be compressed to any desired extent between the nut and
the block. A cap or disc free to work on trunnions is also interposed between the
spring and the block to allow it to adapt itself to any angle required.
By constructing wheels in the manner above described the springs interposed
between the spokes and the tyre are always in compression and they serve not
only. to give an elastic support to the load on the wheel but also when the wheels
are used as the driving wheels of road locomotives the tractive power of the engine
passes through them whereby shocks are avoided both at starting and during
work.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Lake Aveling in the Patent Office on the 31st May
1884.
THOMAS LAKE AVELING of Boley Hill House Rochester in the County of Kent
Engineer IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY FOR THE DRIVING
WHEELS OF ROAD LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in wheels applicable especially
for the driving wheels of road locomotives.
For this purpose the outer ends of the several spokes or pairs of spokes of a
wheel have iron blocks cast on to them and these are all connected together by
two rings secured to them one on either side.
The tyre is formed with two flanges around its inner circumference-the rings
come between these flanges and sideway movement of the central portion of the
wheel is thereby prevented. The tyre is also coupled to the blocks at the ends
of the spokes in the following manner :-At three or more equidistant points of its
inner circumference the tyre has two coupling rods jointed to it-these are inclined
away from one another-one is passed through the block at the end of one spoke
and the other through the block at the end of another spoke. Each rod is also
passed through a spring and a nut is screwed on to the end of the rod. By screwing
up the nut the spring can be compressed to any desired extent between the nut
and the block. A cap or disc free to work on trunnions is also interposed between
the spring and the block to allow it to adapt itself to any angle required.
By constructing wheels in the manner above described the springs interposed
between the spokes and the tyre are always in compression and they serve not
only to give an elastic support to the load on the wheel but also when the wheels
are used as the driving wheels of road locomotives the tractive power of the engine
passes through them whereby shocks are avoided both at starting and during
work.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed I have shewn a wheel constructed as above
described. The wheel shewn is formed with six pairs of spokes but as above
stated it might be formed with 8 or other number of pairs of spokes if desired.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a transverse section of part of the wheel.
Figure 3 is a side elevation on a smaller scale of the wheel in the form it assumes
when a load is upon it.
In these figures a is the boss or hub of the wheel b. b¹. b. are pairs of spokes
which at their inner end are cast in or otherwise secured to the boss. c. c¹, c² are
blocks similarly attached to each pair of spokes at their outer ends-these blocks
have concentric recesses turned in them on either side and in these recesses flat
hoops or rings d. d. are fitted. Or the rings might be in segments, each segment
passing from the block at the end of one pair of spokes to the block at the end of
the next pair of spokes. In this case the ends of the segments which are embedded
in the blocks should be turned inwards so that they may be securely held in the
cast iron. The outer tyre is shewn in the drawing to be built up of two strong
hoops or Tirons e. e¹. embraced by a ring f which has the usual diagonal tread
pieces g secured to its exterior. Each of the hoops e. e¹. is formed with an internal
rib or flange these are faced truly on their inner sides where the sides of the
hoops & bear against them. h. h. are caps or discs jointed by trunnions to the
blocks c. i. i. are coiled springs which rest against these caps. k. k. are connecting
rods jointed at one end by pins / to brackets m rivetted to the tyre. The rods
pass through the caps h and the springs and have nuts n screwed on to their
ends. o are washers interposed between the nuts and the ends of the springs.

page_text: When no load is on the wheel the springs keep the boss spokes and rings d
concentric with the outer tyre but so soon as a load comes on the axle they move
downwards out of centre with the tyre and two or more of the springs are further
compressed as shewn at Figure 3.
•
When the wheel is to be used as the driving wheel of a road locomotive it may
be driven by a toothed wheel secured on one side of it to the central boss and the
spokes. When the toothed wheel is revolved the central boss with the spokes and
rings d will at first turn slightly within the tyre and thereby further compress
three of the springs and transmit the power to the outer tyre in which ever way
the wheel may be driven-all shocks at starting and during work will thereby be
avoided as any undue strain will at once further compress the springs on the
driving side whether the engine be working forwards or backwards and the springs
will recover their normal position in the rim so soon as the undue strain is
removed.
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 :-
First The construction of wheels with inner rings or tyres suspended within
an outer ring or tyre by coiled springs which are always in compression
substantially as described.
Second The construction of wheels with inner rings or tyres suspended within
an outer ring or tyre by coiled springs which are always in compression and with
the outer ring or tyre formed with internal flanges to come on opposite sides of
the inner ring or tyre to prevent sideway movement of the central portion of the
wheel substantially as described.
Third-The construction of wheels substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Lake Aveling have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Thirtieth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
THOMAS TAKE AVETINA
THOMAS TAKD WEI IN