Improvements in Metallic Wheels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
Improvements in Metallic Wheels.
I, ROBERT HUDSON, of Gildersome Foundry, near Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineer and Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to a construction of metallic wheels that shall
be light, strong and durable and the various parts of which are simple in form
and capable of being easily assembled and securely fastened together.
According thereto the rim or rim and tyre is or are suitably perforated to
receive the reduced outer ends of the spokes the inner ends of which are formed
inclined or bevelled so as to seat upon a correspondingly inclined or tapered hub
or boss. Some of the spokes (say every alternate spoke) are suitably bent or
curved so that their inner ends rest upon the tapered hub at a suitable distance
along it from the inner ends of the other spokes. A number of eye bolts are
arranged around the hub parallel, or approximately so, to the axle with their
eyes surrounding the bent or curved spokes near their inner ends, the outside
ends of said bolts passing through a clamping ring on the outside of the straight
spokes and the inside ends being held by screwed nuts against a flange formed
on the boss, the arrangement being such that when nuts on the said eyebolts
are screwed up or tightened the bevelled inner ends of the spokes are forced or
wedged upon the tapered boss thereby securely fastening said spokes thereon
and also pressing out the spokes and retaining their outer ends in place in the
holes in the rim and tyre.
A form of wheel according to this invention is shown in the accompanying
drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 a section of a portion of the
wheel. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the eye bolts.
The rim 1 is formed of suitable metal such as steel or wrought iron channel-
shaped in cross section with the flanges turned outwards, and the tyre 2 consists
of a ring that may be of similar metal. The spokes 3, which may conveniently
be tubular in cross section, are formed with reduced diameters at their outer
ends to enter holes of corresponding diameters in the rim and preferably the
tyre also this arrangement serving to prevent the tyre from creeping on the rim.
The inner ends of the spokes 3 are formed solid and are bevelled at an angle
corresponding to tapered portions 4 and 5 of the hub or nave 6. One half of
the spokes are straight tubes with their inner ends seating upon the tapered
portion 5 of the hub, and the other (alternate) spokes are bent or curved as
shown in Fig. 2, so that their inner ends seat upon the tapered portion 4 of the
hub. Eyebolts 8 are arranged so that their eyes 9 surround the bent or curved
spokes near their inner ends, one end of each bolt passing through a corresponding
hole in a flange 10 on the hub and being held thereto by screw nuts 8. The
other ends of these eyebolts pass through holes in a clamping ring 11 which is
pressed by nuts 12 against the straight spokes, a ring 13 serving as a distance
piece between the curved and straight spokes. The arrangement is such that
.

page_text: when the nuts 8 and 12 are screwed or tightened upon the eyebolts, the eyes
of the bolts force the bent or curved spokes, and the clamping ring the straight
spokes, along their respective tapered seats 4 and 5 on the hub and also force
out the spokes radially so that their outer ends are securely held in place in the
rim and tyre. The cap 14 is screwed on to the bush in the ordinary way and a
shield 15 is provided that may be conveniently held in position by light bolts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. A wheel wherein the hub or nave, spokes, and rim or rim and tyre are
secured together by bolts that force and retain inclined inner ends of the spokes
upon correspondingly inclined surfaces of the hub and press the outer ends of
the spokes into place in the rim or rim and tyre substantially as described.
2. A wheel comprising a metal tyre mounted upon a rim of channel shape
in cross section with the flanges turned outwards said rim or rim and tyre being
perforated to receive the outer ends of spokes that are formed alternately bent
or curved and straight so that their respective inner ends seat upon the boss at
a suitable distance from each other along the hub, said inner ends being bevelled
to correspond to tapered seatings upon the hub, and suitable eyebolts being held
at one end by nuts against a flange on the inner end of the boss or hub and at
the other end by nuts against a clamping ring that is pressed thereby against
the outer sides of the straight spokes; the arrangement being such that when the
parts are assembled and the nuts on the eyebolts are screwed up or tightened
the bevelled inner ends of the spokes are wedged upon the tapered seatings on the
boss so as to force the spokes outwards thereby securing the rim and tyre upon
the same, substantially as described.
3. The improved wheel constructed as described and shown in the drawings
annexed.