Improvements in Vehicle Wheels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vehicle Wheels.
I, JOHN RUFUS TERRY, of No. 357 Webster Avenue, Long Island City, in
the County of Queens and State of New York, United States of America,
Builder, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a wheel in which the load carried
thereby is cushioned at the top of the wheel, instead of at the bottom, as is now
common, thereby ensuring much better results.
A further object is to provide a wheel of the above character in which the parts
are held against displacement, never mind how rough usage the wheel is subjected
to, the structure of the wheel being at the same time very simple and strong.
A still further object is to provide a wheel which may be readily taken apart and
put together for the renewal of any of the parts thereof.
A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side view of the wheel, the upper, and lower portions of one of the
side plates of the rim of the wheel being broken away to show clearly the suspension
of the load at the top of the wheel,
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2, 2, of Figure 1, and
Figures 3 and 4 show modified forms of cushioning the wheel.
The hub of the wheel is denoted by A, its felloe by B and the spokes which
connect the hub to the felloe at intervals by C.
The rim of the wheel which encloses the felloe B consists of two ring
sections D, D', Figure 2, each of said ring sections being composed of a side
plate d and inner and outer laterally extended rings d', d. These rings d', d
overlap when the two sections are placed in position upon the wheel and form the
inner and outer walls of the rim. The side plates d and inner and outer walls d', d³
form an annular chamber in which the felloe and the cushion are located. The
inner walls d' of the rim are cut away for a short distance around each of the
spokes C, as shown at d³ for allowing the free longitudinal and lateral movement
of the spokes.
The cushion, which is adapted to primarily yieldingly support the weight of the
load upon the wheel, is interposed between the felloe B and the inner walls d' of
the rim and in Figure 1 they are denoted as a series of balls E; in Figure 3 as an
air tube F, and in Figure 4 as a series of coiled springs G.
1
When balls E are used for cushioning the wheel, they are preferably held in
position between the felloe and the inner walls of the rim by springs H. These
springs H are preferably secured at a point near where the spokes C are secured
to the felloe B and the free ends of the said springs extend along between the
balls E and the inner walls d' of the ring. There are preferably two springs.
located between each two adjacent spokes and the free ends of the springs over-
lap so that the balls are allowed to freely expand and contract as the weight is
removed or applied thereto. These springs H may also serve to further cushion
the weight of the load should the balls E not be sufficiently strong.
In the form shewn in Figure 3, an air tube F is interposed between the felloe B
and the inner wall d' and extends between two adjacent spokes.
In the form shown in Figure 4, a series of springs G are interposed between the

page_text: felloe and the inner walls of the rim, the said springs being shown there as of
coiled form, the tendency of the coils being to expand rather than to contract.
A suitable tire I is secured in any desired manner along the outer wall of the
rim, the side plates d of the ring sections being preferably extended slightly
beyond the outer walls of the rim, so as to form flanges for engaging the opposite
sides of the tire I.
The parts of the wheel, as above described, may be readily and quickly
assembled or taken apart and when assembled, there is no liability of the wheel
buckling. The overlapping walls d', d of the ring sections D, D' are caused to fit
very snugly together but, if so desired, the said walls may be secured rigidly
together and not simply depend upon the friction of the overlapping parts to hold
them in assembled adjustment.
It will be seen, from the above description, that the load upon the wheel is
cushioned at the upper portion therefor and that the cushions interposed between
the felloe and the inner walls of the rim along the bottom portion of the wheel
have no strain whatever. This suspension of the load at the top of the wheel
produces very advantageous results, as far as easy riding and the life of the
vehicle is concerned, for the reason that much of the vibration incident to rough
work is absorbed by the rim of the wheel before reaching the cushioned portion
thereof.
It is obvious that slight changes in the form and arrangement of the several
parts herein described might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and
scope of my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure
herein set forth, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A vehicle wheel, comprising a felloe, a hub, spokes connecting the felloe with
the hub, a rim free to move independently of the felloe and provided with bearings
intermediate the felloe and hub and a cushion interposed between the inner side of
the felloe and the said bearings for sustaining the load at the upper portion of the
wheel, substantially as set forth.
2. A vehicle wheel, comprising a felloe, a hub, spokes connecting the hub with
the felloe, a hollow rim enclosing said felloe and a cushion interposed between the
felloe and the inner wall of the rim whereby the load is sustained at the upper
portion of the wheel, substantially as set forth.
3. A vehicle wheel, comprising a felloe, a hub, spokes connecting the hub with
the felloe, a rim enclosing the felloe the inner walls of said rim being cut away for
the admission therethrough of the spokes of the wheel and a cushion interposed
between the felloe and the inner wall of the rim, substantially as set forth.
4. A vehicle wheel, comprising a hollow rim, a felloe, within the rim, a hub,
spokes connecting the felloe with the hub, yielding cushions interposed between
the felloe and the inner walls of the rim and springs carried by the felloe
engaging said cushions for yieldingly holding them in position, substantially as set
forth.
5. A vehicle wheel, comprising a rim formed in two ring sections, each section
comprising a side plate, and inner and outer laterally extended rings, the said rings
of the two sections overlapping each other to form the inner and outer walls of the
rim, a tire carried upon the rim, a felloe within the rim, a hub, spokes connecting
the felloe with the hub, and a yielding cushion interposed between the felloe and
the inner walls of the rim, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 0th day of 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.