IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND LOCOMOTIVE WHEELS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGE AND LOCOMOTIVE WHEELS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
-A communication from abroad by James A. Woodbury, of Boston,
Sealed the 22nd November 1872, and dated the 29th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th May 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUfacture of
RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND LOCOMOTIVE WHEELS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," a communication, to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to a railway carriage wheel,
having a tire of iron and steel combined, and the steel portion hardened
as herein-after described, so that the "tread" of the wheel may retain its
truth, and the necessity of turning the periphery from time to time may
be obviated.
In carrying this Invention into effect, I roll a tire bar of combined

page_text: iron and steel and bend it, and weld the opposite ends together; or I roll
a weldless tire of combined iron and steel, the outer portion of the tire
in either case being of steel, and the inner portion of wrought iron,
more or less in excess of the steel, the latter being comparatively thin.
While the tire is hot and is being shrunk on the body of the wheel, I
harden its periphery. This hardening process may be accomplished by
jets of water projected upon the hot tire from an annular perforated
tube surrounding the wheel. The tire may be turned true prior to
shrinking it to the wheel, or it may be shrunk to the body of the wheel
in its crude state, and rendered true after being hardened by grinding.
The above process is applicable to wheels made by shrinking a tire
upon the body of the wheel. This Invention however is especially
applicable to railway carriage wheels, in which a tire and body are
isolated from each other by compressed india-rubber or other equivalent
material for absorbing the shocks to which the wheels are subjected. In
wheels of this class the tire is completed prior to its connection with the
body of the wheel, and I harden the steel portion of the finished tire
prior to attaching it to the body, or grind the periphery of the tire after
it has been attached to the body.
The second part of the said Invention relates to railway carriage and
locomotive wheels having steel "treads," tempered or hardened, the tem-
pering or hardening being effected by the peculiar process and apparatus
herein described.
The said apparatus has a frame, which carries a vertical shaft provided
with a pulley. To the upper end of the said shaft is secured a disc,
which has about the same diameter as the tire or wheel to be operated
on. On the upper side of the said disc is an annular rib of such a
diameter as to hold the tire or wheel in its proper position concentric
with the said disc. In the upper side of this disc is also a circular
groove, so located as to limit or determine the distance to which the
water may come in contact with the wheel or tire, the said groove being
provided with several outlet or discharge orifices.
The wheel or tire is placed upon the aforesaid disc with the flange side
upward, and upon the rim is placed a ring or shield, a rib on the under
side of this rim projects downward within the tire or rim for the purpose
of holding the ring in its proper lateral position. The outer diameter
of the said ring may be varied to expose more or less of the "tread,"
according to the extent of surface to be hardened or tempered.

page_text: A circular pipe is supplied by a branch provided with a cock. This
pipe is supported by brackets secured to the frame opposite the "tread,"
and concentric therewith, and its inner side towards the "tread" is per-
forated in such a manner that when the said cock is opened, the hardening
liquid will be thrown in a series of jets simultaneously upon all parts of
the outer face of the "tread" and flange not protected by the disc or shield
and shield ring, the tire or wheel being revolved at the same time to aid
in an even distribution of the liquid. The "tread" should be of steel, of
such a grade or quality that it will take a suitable temper when the
water is applied; and the inner portion of the tire or wheel should be
tough, strong, and of suitable quality to receive a heavy blow without
breaking. The operation of the apparatus and the process of tempering
or hardening the "tread" is as follows:-
The wheel or tire having been heated in a suitable furnace to the
proper temperature, is placed on the disc in the position shown, with the
shield ring on the top of it, and the disc is set in motion by a driving
band passing around a pulley. The aforesaid cock is then opened, and the
water or other tempering liquid is forced against the hot "tread," which
is thus hardened, the depth to which the "tread" is tempered or hardened
being increased or diminished by the force or flow of the water and the
time for which it is applied. By this process the durability of the
"tread" is increased without materially increasing the cost of the wheel.
The above described apparatus is arranged to revolve the tire or wheel
while the water is being applied to the same, to insure the even dis-
tribution of the hardening liquid; but it is obvious that the revolution
of the wheel or "tread" is not absolutely necessary.
I do not restrict myself to the use of fluid, as the same qualities may
be imparted to the tread by the application of any substances and com-
positions heretofore employed for hardening steel.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY CARRIAGE AND LOCOMOTIVE WHEELS, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOB," a communication to me from abroad by
James A. Woodbury, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The first part of this Invention relates to a railway carriage wheel,
having a tire of iron and steel combined, the steel portion being hardened
as herein-after described, so that the "tread" of the wheel may retain
its truth, and the necessity of turning the periphery from time to time
is obviated.
The second part of the said Invention relates to a railway carriage and
locomotive wheel having a steel "tread," tempered or hardened, the
tempering or hardening being effected by the peculiar process and

page_text: Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a section of a wheel of peculiar construction as herein-after
described, and with its "tread" hardened or tempered according to this
Invention.
Like letters indicate the same parts through the Drawing.
In carrying the first part of this Invention into effect, I roll a tire bar
of combined iron and steel, bend it, and weld its opposite ends together;
or I roll a weldless tire of combined iron and steel, the outer portion of
the tire in either case being of steel, and the inner portion of wrought
iron; the iron is more or less in excess of the steel, the latter being
comparatively thin.
While the tire is hot and is being shrunk on the body of the wheel, I
harden its periphery. This hardening process is preferably accomplished
by means of jets of water projected upon the hot tire from an annular
perforated tube a surrounding the wheel, as clearly shewn in Figures 1
and 2. The tire b may be made true by turning prior to shrinking it to
the wheel, or it may be shrunk to the body of the wheel in its crude
state and rendered true after being hardened by grinding.
The above process is applicable to wheels made by shrinking a tire
upon the body of the wheel. This Invention however is especially
applicable to railway carriage wheels, in which a tire and body are
isolated from each other by compressed india-rubber or other equivalent
material, as shewn in Figure 3, for absorbing the shocks to which the
wheels are subjected. In wheels of this class the tire is completed prior
to its connection with the body of the wheel, and I may either harden
the steel portion of the finished tire prior to attaching it to the body, or
grind the periphery of the tire after it has been attached to the body.
'
The apparatus, shewn in the Drawing, has a frame c which carries
a vertical shaft d provided with a pulley c. To the upper end of the
said shaft is secured a disc f, which has about the same diameter as the
tire or wheel to be operated on.

page_text: The upper side of the said disc has an annular rib g of such diameter as
to hold the tire b or wheel in its proper position concentric with the said
disc. In the upper side of this disc is also a circular groove h, so located
as to limit or determine the distance to which the water may come in
contact with the wheel or tire, the said groove being provided with
several outlet or discharge orifices h¹.
The wheel or tire b is placed upon the aforesaid disc with the flange
side upward, and upon the rim is placed a ring or shield i; a rib ¹ on the
under side of this ring, projects downward within the tire or rim for the
purpose of holding the ring in its proper lateral position. The outer
diameter of the said ring may be varied to expose more or less of the
"tread" according to the extent of surface to be hardened or tempered.
"
The circular pipe a is supplied by a branch a¹, which is provided with
a cock a². This pipe is supported by brackets ; secured to the frame
opposite the tire and concentric therewith, and its inner side is perforated
in such a manner, that when the said cock is opened the hardening
liquid will be thrown in a series of jets simultaneously upon all parts of
the "tread or outer face of the tire and flange not protected by the
disc or shield and shield rib, the tire or wheel being revolved at the
same time to ensure an even distribution of the liquid upon the said
outer face of the tire. The "tread" should be of steel, of such a grade
or quality that it would take a suitable temper when the water is applied,
and the inner portion of the tire or wheel should be tough, strong, and
of suitable quality to receive a heavy blow without breaking.
The wheel or tire 6 having been heated in a suitable furnace to the
proper temperature, is placed on the disc f in the position shewn with
the shield or ring i on the top of it; the disc f is set in motion by a
driving band passing around the pulley e. The aforesaid cock is then
opened, and the water or other tempering liquid is forced against the
hot "tread," which is thus hardened; the depth to which the "tread"
is tempered or hardened being increased or diminished according to the
force with which the water is ejected and the time during which it is
applied. By this process the durability of the "tread" is increased
without materially increasing the cost of the wheel.
The above described apparatus is arranged to revolve the tire or wheel
while the water is being applied to the same to ensure the even dis-

page_text: tribution of the hardening liquid, but it is obvious that the revolution of
the wheel or tire is not absolutely necessary.
I do not restrict myself to the use of fluids, as the required qualities
may be imparted to the "tread" by the application of any substances
and compositions heretofore employed for hardening steel.
In the wheel, illustrated in Figure 3, k is the india-rubber packing
placed between the tire b and body 6' of the wheel; 63, 6³, are metal
ribs; 1, 1, are bolts, whereby the two parts of the said wheel are secured
together and to the tire.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, as communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, I wish it understood that I claim,-—
First. A railway carriage wheel, constructed with a tire of combined
iron and steel, the steel portion of which has a hardened or tempered
tread," merged into a soft steel backing, according to the first part of
this Invention, as herein described.
<6
Second. A railway wheel whose "tread" is hardened and merges
gradually into a soft metal backing, according to the second part of this
Invention, as herein described.
Third. In the apparatus employed in practising the said Invention,
the combination of the shield with the perforated pipe or reservoir, as
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Witness,
W. J. LowE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)