Improvements in Wheels appertaining to Cycles, Carriages, and like Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 25th May, 1994
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels appertaining to Cycles, Carriages, and like
Vehicles.
WILLIAM WILLIAMSON Designer of Textile Goods 236 Leeds Road Nelson
Lancashire TOM PRATT Engineer 48, Elizabeth Street, Nelson, Lancashire do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It relates to improvements in wheels for bicycles, tricycles, carriages, and like
vehicles, and consists of a hollow hub with cylinders radiating therefrom, for air,
springs, or fluid pressure, said cylinders to be fitted with pistons or plungers, said
pistons or plungers to be attached to rim of wheel by connecting rods, tubes, or
spokes said air, springs, or fluid pressure to act as cushion for rider, or load, as will
be well understood this combination of pistons, air, springs, or fluid pressure will
ensure easy riding without vibration, and does away with all liability to puncture
as in wheels as at present constructed for like purposes.
Dated this 24th day of June 1893.
WILLIAM WILLIAMSON.
TOM PRATT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels appertaining to Cycles, Carriages, and like
Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, of 236 Leeds Road and TOM PRATT, of
48 Elizabeth Street, both of Nelson in the County of Lancashire, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the construction of cycle or other
wheels, and has for its object to so construct such wheels as to ensure easy
riding.
For this purpose we construct our improved wheels with a hollow hub from which
extend radially a number of cylinders. This hub contains an air cushion upon
which normally rest plungers attached to the inner ends of the spokes of the
wheel, and sliding in the radial cylinders, whilst spiral springs, rubber rings, or
other elastic cushions are placed between the plungers and the outer partially closed
ends of the radial cylinders so that said plungers press on elastic cushions in
whichever direction they slide in the cylinders.
In the outer end of each of the spokes we form an eye through which passes a
curved rod connected at each end to a bracket extending from the inner side of
the wheel rim, and upon which therefore the end of the spoke may slide for a
limited distance against the pressure of springs or elastic bands which tend to hold
the end of the spoke centrally upon the curved rod and so allow the hub of the
wheel to move independently of the rim which otherwise would be prevented by
those spokes situated at the time at right angles or nearly so to the direction in
which the hub is moving.

page_text: And in order that our invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying drawings of which Fig. 1 is a side, and Fig. 2 a front elevation of a wheel
constructed according to our invention; and Figs. 3 and 4 enlarged details thereof.
The hub a of the wheel is hollow and contains an air cushion in the form of an
air bag (Fig. 4) upon which rests plungers c on the inner end of the spokes d
which plungers slide in cylinders e projecting radially from the hub a and containing
between their outer partially closed ends and the plungers, coil springs (Fig. 4)
rubber rings or other elastic cushions.
In the outer ends of each of the spokes an eye g is formed through which
passes a curved bar h (Fig. 3) secured at each end to a bracket k projecting from
the underside of the wheel rim. The outer ends of the spokes are thus capable of
moving independently of the wheel rim for a limited distance, but are normally
held centrally upon the bar 9 as shown by coil springs (Fig. 1) elastic bands m
(Fig. 3) or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. Connecting the inner ends of the spokes of a cycle or other wheel to the
hub thereof through the medium of an air and other elastic cushions arranged
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of cycle and other wheels substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of March 1894
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.