Improvements in or connected with Spring Wheels of Velocipedes, Motor-cars, or other Road Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Spring Wheels of Velocipedes,
Motor-cars, or other Road Vehicles.
I, ARTHUR BAGSHAWE of No. 4A Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with spring wheels of
velocipedes, motor-cars, or other road vehicles, and has for its object to minimise
or lesson the vibration or shocks which are, at the present time, transmitted to the
rider through the wheels of the vehicle.
In carrying the present invention into effect, the inner ends of the spokes,
instead of being fixed with the hub in the manner heretofore adopted, are loosely
passed through holes formed therein, or through a flange thereon, and upon the
spokes or some of them, are previously threaded a number of india-rubber or
inflated iudia-rubber balls or rings, or other cushions or springs, such, for example,
as helical springs of steel or the like, in such manner that they completely fill up
the space between the rim or felloe and the hub, or, in lieu of the spokes passing
through the hub they might enter sockets or guides formed around the exterior
thereof.
It will be obvious that the strength of the springs or cushions will require to
bo regulated according to the weight of the load to be carried by the wheel, but
this can readily be done by adding or subtracting one or more of the cushions or
springs.
By the means hereinbefore described, the rim or felloe of the wheel, upon
running over an uneven surface will give thereto with a yielding pressure the
resilience thereof depending upon the nature and arrangement of the cushions or
springs upon the spokes and thus the transmission of unpleasant shocks to the
rider will be minimised or obviated.
D11 1
1000
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: of a wheel.
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken at right angles to Figure 1 showing said parts
in place and with the addition of a portion of the rim or felloe and connected
parts.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 but representing a slight modification.
Figure 4 is a side view partly in section and with some parts removed of the
hub and some adjacent parts of a wheel representing a further modification.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 representing a further modification, and,
Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 5 taken at right angles thereto and
showing said parts in position.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a represents the axle, a¹ represents one of the
limbs of the fork, b represents the hub, b¹ represents a flange formed therewith, b²
represents a ring formed with the flange, c represents the spokes, e represents the
rim or felloe and f represents the tyre.
The spokes c at their inner ends instead of being fixed with the hub b or with a
flange thereon in the manner heretofore adopted are loosely passed through holes b³
formed in the ring b² and the inner ends of the spokes are furnished with button
heads c¹ designed to limit the outward movement thereof by coming against the
ring b².
Upon the spokes c or it might be only some of them are previously threaded a
number of solid or inflated india rubber rings or cushions & which if desired may
be approximately of spherical shape in such manner that they completely fill up
the space between the rim or felloe e and the ring 62 of the hub b so that the
displacement of the rim or felloe e will more or less compress the cushions d and
an efficient cushioning effect will thereby be obtained.
In the example given at Figure 8, in lieu of completely filling up the space
between the ring 62 of the hub b and the rim or felloe e with cushions & the spokes a
have each fixed thereon a flange or disc c² and the space between the ring b² of
the flange b¹ of the hub b and the flange or disc 3 of the spoke c is filled with

page_text: cushions d as hereinbefore described but it will be obvious that the cushioning
effect in this case will not be so efficient as in the previous arrangement.
In the example at Figure 4, the ring 62 of the hub b is dispensed with and a
number of radially arranged sockets or guides b2 are substituted therefor, into the
hollows 63 of which loosely enter and work the ends of the spokes c.
In this example also, in lieu of the india rubber cushions d a number of rings d
each formed of a helical spring united at its ends are arranged around the spokes c
and extend from the ends of the sockets or guides 6 to the rim or felloe e or a
flange or disc c² might be employed in this case also in the manner herein before
described with respect to Figure 3.
In the example given at Figures 5 and 6, in lieu of forming the sockets or guides b³
so as to radiate from the hub b but otherwise independent of each other, such
sockets or guides are formed on a flange b¹ of the hub b and the space between the.
flanges or discs c² and the ends of the sockets 62 is filled with perforated discs d of
solid rubber.
It will be obvious that the strength of the springs or cushions d would require to
be regulated according to the weight of the load to be carried by the wheel but
this can readily be done by adding or subtracting one or more of the springs or
cushions d.
The foregoing are merely given as examples of methods in which the invention
may be carried into effect, and it will be understood that the details thereof may
be otherwise varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.
By the means hereinbefore described, the rim of felloe e of a wheel upon the
tyre f running over an uneven surface will give thereto with a yielding pressure
the resilience thereof depending upon the nature and arrangement of the cushions
or springs d upon the spokes c and thus the transmission of unpleasant shocks to
the rider will be minimised or obviated.
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 :-
A spring wheel comprising a hub provided with a number of holes or sockets
around the same, a rim or felloe, a number of spokes fixed with the rim or felloe
and loosely fitting the holes or sockets and if desired provided with button heads
to limit the movement thereof and a number of inflated india rubber or other rings
or cushions surrounding the spokes and extending between the hub and the rim or
felloe or between the hub and flanges or discs fixed upon the spokes, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 16th day of July 1897.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.