IMPROVEMENTS IN
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Richard Rowe, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Coach Body Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Richard Rowe
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th October 1865.
I, SAMUEL RICHARD ROWE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Coach Body Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in con-
necting or jointing the felloes or rims of wheels for carriages and other vehicles
to the spokes of the said wheels, by which said improvements great strength
and durability in the wheels are obtained, and the use of dowls is rendered
unnecessary. In connecting or jointing the felloes or rims of wheels to the
spokes in the ordinary way, two spokes pass through each felloe, and the
felloes are jointed together midway between two spokes, the spokes being
sprung into the holes.
In connecting or jointing the felloes according to my Invention, I expand or
make a shoulder on the end of each spoke, so as to make the spokes act as

page_text: supports to the felloes instead of passing through them, and I joint the felloes
over every alternate spoke instead of between the spokes, as is usual. The
joint of the felloes is formed by one half of the end of the spoke being passed
through one felloe and the other half of the spoke through the other felloe.
The expanded end of every alternate spoke of the wheel thus serves as a
bearing or support to the joints of the felloes, and renders it impossible for the
wheel to lose its circular shape or for the felloes to be broken by pressure
over the joint. After the felloes have been jointed in the manner described
they are ready to receive the tyre, which is shrunk upon them in the ordinary
way.
Although I prefer to joint the felloes over every alternate spoke, yet the
jointing may be effected over every first and fourth spoke instead of over
every first and third. My improvements may be applied to wheels made
either of wood or iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Richard Rowe in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
RICHARD ROWE, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Coach Body
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Richard Rowe, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Richard
Rowe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Richard Rowe, 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 WHEELS FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Richard Rowe, 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

page_text: 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 Samuel Richard Rowe, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
connecting or jointing the felloes or rims of wheels for carriages and other
vehicles to the spokes of the said wheels, by which said improvements great
strength and durability in the wheels are obtained, and the use of dowls is
rendered unnecessary. In connecting or jointing the felloes or rims of wheels
to the spokes in the ordinary way two spokes pass through each felloe, and the
felloes are jointed together midway between two spokes, the spokes being
sprung into the holes.
In connecting or jointing the felloes according to my Invention, I expand
or make a shoulder on the end of each spoke, so as to make the spokes act
as supports to the felloes instead of only passing through them, and I joint the
felloes over every alternate spoke instead of between the spokes, as is usual.
The joint of the felloes is formed by one half of the end of the spoke being
passed through one felloe and the other half of the spoke through the other
felloe. The expanded end of every alternate spoke of the wheel thus serves
as a bearing or support to the joints of the felloes, and renders it impossible
for the wheel to lose its circular shape or for the felloes to be broken by
pressure over the joint. After the felloes have been jointed in the manner
described they are ready to receive the tyre which is shrunk upon them in the
ordinary way.
Although I prefer to joint the felloes over every alternate spoke yet the
jointing may be effected over every first and fourth spoke, or over every
spoke. My improvements may be applied to wheels made either of wood
or iron.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation a carriage wheel, the rim or felloes
of which are jointed or connected to the spokes according to my Invention ;
Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3 a section of the said wheel without
the tyre; Figure 4 represents a portion of a spoke separately, and Figure 5
afelloe separately. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
each Figure of the Drawing.

page_text: a, a, are the felloes; b, b, the spokes; and c the nave of the wheel. Each
of the felloes a, a, is jointed over every alternate spoke as represented, the
joints of the felloes being marked d. Near the outer end of each spoke is a
shoulder or expanded part e, the extreme contracted ends of the spokes which
enter the felloes being square in cross section. The ends of the felloes have
rectangular recesses in them, as best seen in Figure 5, and marked a*, which.
recesses, when the ends of the felloes are presented face to face, form square
openings suitable to receive the square contracted ends of the spokes b. In
jointing or connecting the felloes a to the spokes b, one half of the end of each
spoke at the joints d is passed through the rectangular opening in the end of.
one felloe and the other half of the end of the spoke is passed through the.
rectangular opening in the end of the adjacent felloe, the ends of the inter-
mediate spokes passing through openings midway between each felloe. It
will be seen by reference to the Drawing that the shoulders e of the spokes at
the joints of the felloes act as bearings or supports to the said joints, and
render it impossible for the wheel to lose its circular shape or for the felloes,
to be broken by pressure over the joints. The shoulders of the intermediate
spokes also act as supports to the felloes, and assist in resisting pressure
inwards and giving strength to the wheel. After the felloes have been
connected to the spokes in the manner described and represented in Figures 2
and 3, the tyre f, Figure 1 is placed and shrunk upon them in the ordinary
way. The wheel is then complete.
I do not limit myself to any particular construction of joint for the felloes,
but I have found in practice that the square joint described and represented
answers well. Neither do I limit myself to the jointing of the felloes over
every alternate spoke, as the jointing may be effected over each spoke or over
every first and fourth spoke instead of over every first and third spoke as
represented, or the rim of the wheel may be made from one, two, or more
felloes jointed and connected to the spokes in the manner already described.
The spokes with shoulders or expanded ends e may be used in making up
wheels, the felloes of which are jointed or connected to the spokes in the
ordinary way. By connecting or jointing the felloes or rims of wheels to the
spokes of the said wheels in the manner herein-before described great
strength and durability in the wheels are obtained and the use of dowls is
superseded.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of

page_text: my Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in wheels for
carriages and other vehicles,-
Firstly, jointing the felloes or rims of the said wheels over the spokes,
substantially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, whereby the spokes act as bearings or supports to
the joints and prevent the wheels from losing their circular form or the
breaking of the felloes by pressure over the joint.
Secondly, making a shoulder or expanded part near the outer ends of the
spokes of the said wheels, against which shoulder or expanded part the rims
or felloes are supported as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Richard Rowe, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
SAMUEL RICHARD ROWE. (L.S.)
Birmingham.