CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES TO BE USED ON RAILWAYS OR OTHER ROADS AND WAYS
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, WILLIAM
WHARTON, Superintendant of the Carriage Department of the London and
North-western Railway Station, Euston Square, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland,
bearing date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of December, in the twelfth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Wharton, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
William Wharton, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said William Wharton, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also
in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES TO BE USED ON
RAILWAYS OR OTHER ROADS AND WAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso requiring that I, the said William Wharton, should particularly

page_text: describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being had thereto, will more 5
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Wharton, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into practical
effect, to be as the same is described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, and by reference to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and forming part of this my said Specification, and by the
numeral figures and letters of reference marked upon the said Sheet of
Drawings, that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention of "Certain Improvements in the Construc-
tion of Vehicles used on Railways or on other Roads and Ways" consists in
a new mode of constructing the wheels of such vehicles, which I effect by the
use and application of wedges to spokes of a new and peculiar formation, and
by so arranging and combining such said spokes and wedges with the tyre and
boss or nave of the wheel as to produce an entire wheel by the means and in
the manner herein-after particularly described, set forth, and represented.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I will
proceed to describe the mechanical combinations and arrangements of parts
which I consider well calculated for carrying my said Invention into practical
effect, and which I have found to answer extremely well.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 exhibits a side elevation of a wheel intended to be applied to
vehicles used on railways. Figure 2 a transverse section thereof taken through
the line a, a, at Figure 1. Figure 3 a longitudinal section taken through the
line b, b, at Figure 2. Figure 4 exhibits a side elevation of another form of
construction of railway wheels in its complete state. Figure 5 a transverse
section thereof taken through the lines c, c, at Figure 4. Figure 6 a trans-
verse section taken through the line d, d, at Figure 4. Figure 7 a longitudinal
and vertical section of the wheel taken through the lines e, e, f, f, at Figures 5
and 6. Figure 8 exhibits a side elevation of another form or construction of
wheel, to be applied to vehicles used on railways. Figure 9 is a transverse
section thereof taken through the line 9, 9, at Figure 8. Figure 10 a longi-
tudinal and vertical section of the wheel as it would appear when divided

page_text: though they fat
At each of the above-mentioned Figures
similar letters of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts in so
far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of the Figures respectively. The
construction of the wheel exhibited at Figures 1, 2, 3, is as follows A, A,
marks the boss or nave of the wheel, into which boss or nave the ends of the
curved wrought-iron spokes B are cast, or in some cases it may be found
desirable to form the nave of wrought iron. The spokes B are connected to
a wooden felloe C, and to the tyre D of the wheel by countersunk bolts and
nuts E, as shewn at Figures 2 and 3, and between each pair of spokes wedge-
shaped pieces of métal F, F, are placed, and said wedges are connected together by
a bolt G passed through a hole formed therein. The lower extremity of the said
bolt has a thread or screw cut about it, and there is a correspónding thread or
screw formed in the hole in the wedge F¹, into which the bolt G takes, and
by turning round the said bolt in one direction by means of a key or spanner
placed upon the head of the bolt, the wedge-shaped pieces F, F, will be
made to approach towards each other, which will have the effect of compressing
the curved sides of the spokes; and thereby cause that part of the spoke
which is in contact with the felloe to be pressed forcibly against it, and such
pressure will be transmitted from the felloe to the tyre, and in this manner and
by these means I form a solid and substantial wheel.
,
At Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, there is exhibited another form of construction of
wheel to be applied to vehicles used on railways, the combination and arrange-
ment of which is as follows:-A, A¹ marks the cast iron boss or nave of the
wheel formed in two parts. B, B, the tyre, which is connected to the boss or
nave in the following manner:-It will be seen upon referring to Figures 6
and 7 that the part A of the boss or nave has holes formed therein through
which bolts C are passed in a radial direction from the centre of the wheel,
said bolts being employed for the purpose hereafter mentioned. D, D,
mark blocks of wood of the configuration exhibited. These blocks of wood
are connected to the boss or nave of the wheel by countersunk bolts and nuts E,
said bolts being passed through holes formed in the parts A, A, of the nave
and block D, as shewn at Figures 4, 5, 7, and the outer extremity of each
of the blocks D is securely connected to a ring of wrought iron F
formed with two flanges, as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, by means of
countersunk bolts G passed through holes formed in the tyre B, the
ring F, and block D, and there is a hole formed through the centre
of each block, and fitted with a short tube of metal, for the purpose of
connecting these last-mentioned parts together by means of a split key passed
through a hole in the end of the bolt G, as shewn. H, H, mark wedge-shaped

page_text: pieces of metal placed between each pair of wood blocks, the same being
connected thereto and to the boss or nave by a bolt C and nut fixed at
Figures 6 and 7; or the bolt C may be either cast into the nave of the wheel,
in which case there would be a nut upon its other extremity, or the said
bolt may be screwed into the nave of the wheel instead of passing through it
as at Figure 7. Thus it will appear evident that by turning round the bolt C
by means of a key or spanner, the wedge-shaped piece H will be forcibly
pressed against, and between each pair of blocks, and as each of these
wedges is successively tightened, it will be obvious that each block will be
compressed, and the grain or fibre of the wood blocks must be placed radiating
from the centre of the wheel, and in this manner and by these means I form
a solid and substantial wheel. It should be observed that the wedges F
may be easily tightened from time to time by the means before described.
should the shrinkage of the wood blocks D require it. At Figures 8, 9, 10,
there is exhibited another form of construction of wheel to be applied to
vehicles used in railways, the same being a modification of the wheel before
described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3; the difference of construction
between these two wheels is as follows:-It will be seen, upon referring to
Figures 8, 9, 10, that the ends of the curved spokes B are formed straight,
and are so disposed in the boss or nave A of the wheel as to receive a taper
block a between those portions of the spoke beyond the said boss or nave.
It should also be observed that the wooden felloe (exhibited at Figure 1) is
in this wheel entirely dispensed with, the spokes being in close contact with
the tyre D of the wheel, and connected thereto in a similar manner to the
former wheel, and there are wedge-shaped pieces of metal F, F1, placed
between each pair of spokes, and connected together as shewn at Figures 8,
9, 10. The effect of this arrangement is as follows:-Upon tightening the
bolts G the wedge-shaped pieces F, F1, will compress the curved sides of
the spoke, and thereby cause the outer curved end thereof to be forcibly
pressed against the tyre of the wheel, at the same time the ends or straight
portions of the spoke will be pressed against the taper block a, which will
also be compressed, and thereby cause the several parts of the wheel to be
firmly connected together; and in this manner and by these means I form a
solid and substantial wheel. I would remark, that in constructing wheels
upon the principle set forth and described, whether such wheels be intended
to be applied to vehicles used on railways or on other roads or ways, the
tyre of the wheel when connected to the other parts may, as regards Figures 1
and 8, be put on in a cold state instead of being "shrunk on," as hitherto
usually practised in the construction of wheels. As regards Figure 6 I put

page_text: on the inner tyre cold, leaving the joint about one inch open, the outer tyre
being shrunk on in the usual manner.
Another part of my Invention of Certain Improvements in the Construction
of Vehicles used on Railways or other Roads or Ways consists in constructing
wheels to be used on common roads or ways upon the principle herein-before
particularly described with reference to wheels to be used on railways; the
difference consists simply in making the tyre of the wheel for common roads
flat instead of flanged, and the nave must be formed to suit the axle upon
which it is to be placed. In other respects the arrangement and construction
of the wheels are similar to those before described and represented. I would
here remark, that although I have referred to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed in order to illustrate my Invention, I do not limit or confine myself.
to the precise details of the methods herein-before described or demonstrated
in said Sheet of Drawing of constructing wheels for railway or common
roads or ways, or to the precise proportions, or to any particular sort of wood
or iron, unless where it is definitely so expressed, as such details and propor-
tions must be varied so as to suit the several descriptions of vehicles to which
they may be applied, and the size or weight thereof.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do
not claim the exclusive use of the separate parts above mentioned and referred
to, except in so far as the same may be employed in combination, and for the
purposes of my said Invention, which I hereby declare to consist in, and I
claim,―
Firstly, the use and application of wedges or wedged-shaped pieces of metal
in combination with and adapted to curved or bent spokes of metal, in
the manner and for the purpose herein-before particularly described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, of the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Secondly, I claim the application of wedges or wedged-shaped pieces of
metal in connection with blocks of wood, either of the form shewn or hex-
agonal, arranged in the manner and for the purpose herein-before particularly
described with reference to Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, of the Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wharton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
WILLIAM (L.S.) WHARTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid William Wharton came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped 5
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
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