Improvements in and relating to Hub and Spoke Fastening Devices for Vehicle-wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1897-Accepted, 30th Oct.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in and relating to Hub and Spoke Fastening Devices
for Vehicle-wheels.
We, ALEXANDER PATTERSON Morrow, Mechanical Expert and Factory Manager
of the Eclipse Bicycle Company, DAVID LANE. WHITTIER, Vice-President and
Treasurer of said Company, and FRANKLIN FARRELL WESTON, Manager of Sales of
said Company, residing respectively at 312 West First Street, in the City of
Elmira, County of Chemung and State of New York; 624 North Pennsylvania
Street in the City of Indianapolis, County of Marion and State of Indiana; and,
510 West Gray Street, in the City of Elmira, County of Chemung and State of
New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same. is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained, in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to vehicle wheels, adapted especially for use on bicycles
and like machines; and its primary object is to provide improved means for
securing the inner ends of the spokes to the wheel hub.
The characteristic features of the invention will be fully described hereinafter
and defined in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a wheel hub embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the hub with the spokes applied thereto.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the hub with the spokes detached
Figure 4 is an end view of the hub showing one of the spoke-securing flanges
thereof in elevation.
Figures 5 and 6 are detail sectional views illustrating different forms, of slots
or openings in the hub flanges for receiving the ends of the spokes, and Figure 7.
is a view of one of the spokes.detached.
The cylindrical body 1 of the hub may be of any preferred construction and
equipped with any suitable end bearings, as 2, for the shaft or axle 3. Upon the
hub 1, near each of its ends is provided a series of concentric annular flanges 4,
each series comprising a central flange 5, an outer flange 6 and an inner flange 7,
Each of these several flanges is formed with slots, perforations or openings adapted
to receive transverse heads 8, formed on and secured to the inner ends 9 of the
spokes; the outer ends 10 of which are screw-threaded for attachment to the wheel
rim or felloc...
T
The spokes are secured to the hub flanges by passing the head 8 of the spoke
through one of the slots 11, of one of the flanges 6 or 7, until the said head enters
an opening 12 in the central flange. Thus the spoke is held between the two
flanges which it engages.
The spokes are arranged alternately on opposite sides of the central flange 5, but
the heads of all of said spokes project into openings in the central flange.
It will be understood, that after the head of the spokes shall have been properly
inserted in the slots, perforations, or openings in the flanges, said spokes are
moved to a tangent position in respect to the hub, thereby insuring their retention

page_text: in the flanges of the hub and reducing to a minimum the possibility of the spokes
either pulling or working out of the said flanges.
While we do not confine ourselves to any special form of the slots, perforations,
or openings in the flanges, we preferably form the central flange with circular
holes 12, and the outer and inner flanges with inclined or undercut edge or
peripheral slots 11.
.
By this construction the inner ends of the cross-heads of the spokes project into
the round openings in the central flange, while their outer ends rest in the slots 11
of the adjacent flanges, on opposite side of the central flange alternately.
As illustrated in Figure 2, this improved construction permits a crossing of the
spokes, with the result of strengthening the wheel structure; and, as will be
apparent, any one spoke may be renewed or removed without disturbing the
renmining ones.
It is, of course, immaterial whether the flanges 5, 6 and 7 are formed integral
with the hub 1 or separate therefrom and secured by any suitable means.
We preferably thicken or re-inforce the spoke at its headed end as indicatel
at 13, in increase its strength. The hub may be provided with but two flanges
instead of three near each end, one of said flanges having holes 12 and the other
inclined slots extending to the periphery of said flanges, as shown at 11 Fig. 4.
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. A wheel hub provided with a series of annular flanges comprising a central
and side flanges, each of said flanges being provided with slots or openings, it
combination with headed spokes adapted to enter said slots or openings.
2. A wheel hub provided with two annular flanges, one of said flanges having
Foles or perforations and the other provided with open slots extending to the
periphery thereof, in combination with headed spokes adapted to enter said slots
or openings.
3. The combination with a wheel hub, of a series of annular flanges comprising:
a central flange and an inner and an outer flange, said flanges being provided with
slots or openings, and a series of spokes provided with heads, each of said heads
being adapted to enter an opening in the central flange, and an aligned opening
in one of the other flanges.
4. The combination with a wheel hub, of a series of annular flanges comprising 3
a.central flange provided with openings to receive the cross-head of the smoke, and
parallel inuer and outer flanges provided with inclined or undercut slots.
5. A hub having two series of annular flanges, each series comprising a central
flange provided with perforations, and a concentric outer and inner flange pro-
vided with slots, in combination with spokes provided with heads adapted to be 4
secured to the central flange and to one of the slotted flanges.
6. The combination with a hub provided adjacent to cach of its ents with a
series of concentric flanges provided with openings, of headed spokes, secured to
the central flange, and alternately to the other flanges in the series.
Dated this 29th day of June 1897
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.