A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE POR DRESSING AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION FOR DRESSING AND ROUNDING THE INNER SURFACES OF FELLOES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hiram Smith Jacobs, of the City of Portland, in
Multnomah County, State of Oregon, in the United States of America,
for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE POR DRESSING AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hiram Smith Jacobs
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd March 1865.
I, HIRAM SMITH JACOBS, of the City of Portland, in Multnomah County,
State of Oregon, in the United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DRESSING
AND ROUNDING THE INNER SURFACES OF FELLOES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention. is to obtain a machine for expeditiously and
perfectly dressing and rounding the inner surfaces of felloes and forming the
necessary bearings for the shoulders of the spokes, and also rendering the
machine adjustable to adapt the same to felloes of different widths and
diameter.
Across a suitable frame is placed a driving shaft, from which motion is con-
veyed to two vertical shafts or arbors situated from the driving shaft a distance
about one half the length of the frame. On the upper end of these arbors
are secured heads with cutters for dressing and smoothing the felloes. Upon
a bow frame composed of a curved plate corresponding to the curvature of

page_text: :
the felloe with its concave side towards the centre of the machine attached to
a bow-shaped plate with its concave side towards the end, is secured the felloe.
The latter plate is fixed at its centre to a horizontal bar with a longitudinal
slot, through which slot a bolt passes into a semicircular transverse slot formed
in an adjustable plate, which adjustable plate is fitted in a horizontal bed on
the frame of the machine. The bow frame rests and works on the horizontal
bed with the said bolt as a centre at whichever end of the semicircular slot
the bolt may be carried by the movement of the bow frame. The two cutter
heads are in a line at right angles to the adjustable plate, in which is formed
the semicircular slot; this plate being retained at any desired point by means
of a set screw. The bolt which passes into this slot is connected by a spiral
spring with another moveable plate at the outer end of said adjustable plate;
this spring has a tendency to keep the belt in either end of the semicircular
slot, and also to keep the felloe in contact with either of the cutter heads as
may be desired. To this same bolt are attached two tubular rods, so as to
turn freely thereon. In each of these tubular rods is a sliding rod with a
lateral pin or point at its outer end, said sliding rod being fixed at any desired
point by means of a set screw. The outer end of one of these rods is secured
by means of a button fixed to the curved plate first mentioned, the other being
left free. Upon this curved plate is a clamp for holding the felloe, and
transversely and horizontally through the same are placed two plates made
adjustable by set screws and projecting on the concave side of said plate for
aiding the cutters to form shoulders on the felloes.
While dressing the concave surface of the felloes, these transverse plates
are removed, straight cutters are employed, and the plate of the bow frame
with its concave side towards the centre of the machine bears against
cylindrical stops in the bed plate through which stops the vertical arbors pass,
said stops serving as gauges for the cutters. The concave surface of the felloe
is brought in contact with the cutters on one of the heads by the adjustment
of the bolt in the semicircular slot. Motion being given to the arbors on
I which the cutter heads are fixed, the bow frame is moved so that the cutters
work from the end of the felloe towards its centre, and when the felloe is about
half dressed the bow frame is adjusted by changing the position of the bolt in
the semicircular slot, so as to bring the opposite end of the felloe in contact
with the cutters in the other head when the motion of the frame is reversed
and the dressing completed.
the
The felloes having been dressed and bored they are again clamped upon
curved plate, but the pins or points in the sliding rods are now fitted in the
holes in the end of the felloes and the concave surface rounded, suitable

page_text: shaped cutters having been substituted for those used in dressing the same:
The transverse plates in that on which the felloe rests are placed at such
distances apart as to correspond with the tenon holes of the felloes. These
plates projecting cause the plate on which the felloe rests to withdraw from
the cutters, by which means a shoulder is formed on the felloe, against which
abuts the shoulder on the spoke. The felloes are rounder from each tenon
hole to the centre of the space between said holes, in the manner above
described.
In clamping or removing the felloe, the bolt to which one end of the tubular
rod is attached is drawn along a straight slot from the centre of the curved
slot before described. This bolt may also be drawn up or down in the straight
slot at the ends of the curved slot, by which means the length of the radius of
the bow frame may be varied to suit the curve of the felloe, the other parts
being correspondingly adjusted.
For rounding more conveniently steamed and bent felloes, I employ a
cutter head fixed on a horizontal arbor elevated considerably above said bed
plate; this cutter head, similar to those described, is situated at the outer side
of a plate, which is attached to the frame, and may be curved at its upper
edge. Adjacent to and outside of this plate an arched plate, the inner surface
of which is bevelled, is situated and has attached a horizontal rod at either
end passing loosely through the adjacent plate; these rods work in guides
formed on the frame, and between each of these guides and said adjacent plate
is a spiral spring and nut, which serves as a stop, the latter being pressed
against by the spring; these two plates act as guides to the felloe, and the outer
one being yielding, it accommodates itself to the irregularities of the felloes,
and by adjusting the nuts on the rods, the space between the two plates is
regulated to adapt the machine to felloes sawed of different thicknesses. Upon
the end of the driving shaft of this part of the machine near the cutters is
placed a hinged guard or bearing for said shaft. At either side of this bearing
is pivoted a bar with two long arms at the top and two short ones at the bottom
extending inward, nearly at right angles to the bar, which with the armis forms
the rest. The upper arms are slightly curved and terminate in a thin edge.
The lower arms bear upon set screws by means of which the position of the
upper arms are adjusted. Between the inner end of the upper arms is located
the cutter head. One of these arms has a vertical opening through which passes
the upper part of a bent bar, which latter works on a pivot passing through its
angle, and is connected at its lower part to a spring, which spring tends to
keep said upper part in an upright position. The pivot is fixed in an adjustable
plate, which is secured to the under side of the said upper arm by a set screw.

page_text: The said bent bar serves as a guide to the operator in applying the felloe to
the cutter. The operator places the tenon hole near one end of the steamed
felloe, on the upper end of the bar passing through the upper arm of the rest;
and forces said felloe down upon the top of the said upper arins, and then slides
the felloe forward until the cutters reach about the centre between the tenon
hole on the bar to the next tenon hole, when the succeeding tenon hole is
placed upon the bar, and so on until one half of each space is rounded, when
the ends of the felloe are reversed, and the same operation continued until the
work is completed.
The cutter heads are so constructed that the cutters may be relatively
adjusted. These heads are made in box form with a rectangular slide within
adjusted by a screw. One of the cutters is attached to this slide and the
other to the head. By adjusting the slide the cutter attached thereto is
adjusted in reference to the one fixed directly to the head; these cutters may
also be adjusted to compensate for wear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hiram Smith Jacobs in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HIRAM
SMITH JACOBS, of the City of Portland, in Multnomah County, State of Oregon,
in the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Hiram Smith Jacobs, Her special licence that I, the said Hiram
Smith Jacobs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Hiram Smith Jacobs, 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 "A NEW OR
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DRESSING AND ROUNDING THE INNER SURFACES OF
FELLOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hiram
Smith Jacobs, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly

page_text: describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and 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 Hiram Smith Jacobs, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a machine for dressing and rounding the inner
surfaces of felloes for the wheels of vehicles.
The object of this Invention is to obtain a machine for the purpose specified
which will prepare the work expeditiously, and leave a smooth finished surface
with the necessary bearings for the shoulders of the spokes, and at the same
time be capable of operating upon felloes of different sizes, both as regards
width as well as diameter.
In order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative. Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
Sheet 1, Figure 1, is a side elevation; Figure 2, a plan or top view of the
same, and Figure 3, a detached plan or top view of a part partaining to the
same..
Sheet 2, Figure 4, is an external view of a cutter head pertaining to the
samé; Figure 5. is a section of Figure 4, taken in the line x, x; Figure 6
shows an external view of a cutter head, showing a modification of Figure 4;
Figure 7 is an enlarged side sectional view of a portion of the Invention; and
Figure 8 shows an outside view of a sawed and finished dressed felloe..
In the accompanying Drawings A represents the framing of the machine,
which may be constructed in any proper manner to support the working parts;
and B is a driving shaft, from which two vertical shafts or arbors C, C, are
driven by belts or suitable gearing. On the upper end of these shafts or
arbors C, C; cutter heads E are secured, the peculiar construction of which
will be hereafter described; F, represents a frame to which the felloe.to.be
operated upon is secured or clamped; this frame F is composed of a curved
plate a corresponding to the curvature of the felloe or nearly so; said plate
being attached to. a. bow-shaped part b, which is connected at.its centre to a
bar c, provided with an oblong longitudinal slot.d, through which a bolt e
passes into a semicircular. slot f in an adjustable plate g, fitted in a horizontal

page_text: pro-
bed G on the framing A. The frame F rests and works upon the bed G, and
from the bolt e as a centre, when the latter is at either end of the semicircular
slot f, said bolt being readily adjusted in either end of said slot by operating
the frame F. The two cutter heads E, E, are in a line which is at right angles
to the plate g, and the latter is retained at any desired point by a bolt h
vided with a thumb nut i, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1. The
bolt e is connected by a spiral spring with an adjustable plate k at the outer
end of p'ate g, said spring having a tendency to keep the bolt e in either end
of the slot f, and also to keep the felloe in contact with the cutters of the
heads E, either of them, but with. only one at a time; H, H, represent two
tubular rods, which are connected at one end with the bolt e, and are allowed to
work or turn freely upon it; these rods have sliding rods I, I, fitted in them,
which may be secured at any desired point by set screws 7. The outer ends of
the rods I are each provided with a lateral pin or point m, and one of these
rods I is retained or hell by a button n, shewn in Figure 2, the other
rod I being left free. J represents a clamp by which the felloe is secured on
the plate a; and o, o, are two adjustable plates, which are fitted horizontally
in slots in the plate a, and are secured at any desired point by thumb nuts 6*,
said plates projecting from the concave side of the plate a, as shewn in
Figure 2.
In dressing the felloes, that is to say, in smoothing or planing their inner
or concave surfaces, the felloes are secured one at a time on the plate a by the
clamp J, and the bolt e being adjusted at one end of the semicircular slot fin
plate g, the inner or concave side of the felloe is brought in contact with the
cutter of the head E, which is at the greatest distance from it, the felloe being
consequently not in contact with the cutters of the other head E, see
Fig. 2.
Motion being given to the arbors C. C, the frame F is moved in the
direction indicated by arrow 1, so that the cutters of the head will work from
the end of the felloe towards its centre, and when the inner or concave surface
is about half planed or dressed, the frame F is adjusted so as to bring the
bolte in the opposite end of the semicircular slot f, and the felloe is thereby
got in contact with cutters of the other head E, the cutters of the head which
first acted upon the felloe being free from it (see red line, Figure 2.) The
frame F is then moved in the direction indicated by arrow 2, and the remaining
portion of the inner-surface of the felloe is dressed or planed by the cutters as
in the preceding instance, cutting from the end of the felloe towards its
centre. By thus shifting the frame F, and employing the cutter heads so that
the felloe may be acted upon from its ends towards its centre, the cutters

page_text: will operate smoothly and without splitting of the wood, as would be the case
were a single cutter head used and made to operate continually from one end
of the felloe to the other.
I would remark that in the dressing of felloes above described the stops or
cones o, o, are removed from the plate a, and that straight cutters are used on
the heads E, and that the plate a of frame F bears against cylindrical stops p
in the bed G, through which stops the shafts or arbors C, C, pass; these
stops p serve as guages for the cutters. After the felloes are thus dressed,
they have their ends bored to receive dowel pins, and they are then rounded
at their inner or concave surface. The felloes are clamped on the plate a as
before, but the pins m of the rods I are fitted in the holes in the end of the
felloes; this is necessary in order that the felloes may be placed in a proper
relative position with the cutters and ensure the inner surfaces of the several
felloes of a wheel matching each other when they are put together. In
rounding the inner or concave surfaces of the felloes, the straight cutters are
detached from the heads E, and cutters, provided with concave cutting edges
are fastened to the heads E, each cutter being a quarter circle with a straight
portion to form an overlap and admit of the two cutters of each head forming
a rounded surface of greater or less width corresponding to the thickness of
the felloe, see Fig. 4; these cutters are adjustable, as will be herein-after
fully described. The plates o, o, are fitted in the plate a at points corresponding
to the places in the felloe, where the tenon holes are bored to receive the
tenons of the spokes. These plates o, o, cause the frame F, and consequently
the felloe which is attached to it to be drawn back from the cutters which are
acting upon the felloe, so as to cause the inner or concave surfaces of the latter
to have shoulders or bearing surfaces for the shoulders of the spokes at the
inner ends of the tenons to abut against. The felloes are rounded from each
tenon hole towards the centre of the space between them, in order to avoid
the cutters acting against the grain of the wood, and splitting off the same.
One half of the cut being performed by the cutters of one head; the frame F
is then shifted to turn from the other centre or end of the slot f, and the
other half of the cut is made by the cutters of the other head. This operation
of shifting the frame F, so that it will work or turn from the different centres,
that is, first, from one end of the slot f, and then from the other end, has been
previously described in the operation of dressing the felloes.
In clamping the felloes on the plate a, and removing them therefrom, the
bolt e or the turning centre of the frame F, is moved into the notch q in the
middle of the slotf, see Figure 3, which causes the felloe to be clear or free.from
the cutters of both the heads E, E. By shifting the bolte in the slot d of the

page_text: bar c, the length of the radius of the frame F may be varied to suit the curve
of the felloe, the plate 9 being adjusted at the same time, in order to keep the
spring at the proper tension, the rods I, I, being drawn out from the tubes H
in a corresponding degree.
The parts above described are designed for dressing and rounding sawed
felloes, that is to say, those which are sawed out from plank with the proper
curve, and not steamed and bent. For rounding the latter, the steamed
and bent felloes, I employ a cutter head I, which is fitted on a horizontal
shaft J placed on an elevated part of the framing A; this cutter head I' is
constructed similar to the cutter heads E, E, and is situated at the outer side
of a plate K, which is attached to the framing A, and may be curved at its
upper edge; L is a curved plate, the inner surface of which is bevelled, and
which has two horizontal rods M, M, attached to it, said rods passing loosely
through the plate K, and having spiral springs r upon them, and also nuts s,
to serve as stops, said nuts being pressed by the springs r against guides t, in
which the rods M work, see Figure 2. The plates K and L serve as guides
for the felloe while being acted upon by the cutters of the head I', the plate L,
in consequence of being allowed to yield or give, accomodating itself to the
varying thickness of individual felloes, and by adjusting the nuts, the space
between the plates K and L may be varied to suit felloes sawed of different
thicknesses. J is a hinged guard or bearing for the end of the shaft J¹ near
the cutters I; N, N', represent two rests, the shape of which is shewn
clearly in Figures 1 and 7. The upper part t' of these rests are slightly
curved, and they work upon pivots u (see Figure 7). The lower parts of these
rests bear upon screws v, v, which serve as supports. The cutter head I¹ is
between the inner ends of the upper parts t¹, t, of the rests N, N', and
the upper part of the rest N has an opening w made in it, through which the
upper part of a bent bar O¹ passes (see Fig. 7); this bar 0¹ is fitted or
works on a pivot a¹ at its angle or bend, and it is connected at its lower end
'to a spring 61, which spring has a tendency to keep the upper part of O¹
in an upright position. The pivot a¹ of the bar O¹ is in an adjustable plate P,
which is attached by a set screw c¹ to the under side of the upper part of t¹ of
the rest N, said set screw passing through a slot d' in part P, see Figure 7.
The steamed or bent felloes are rounded from each tenon hole inwards to
the centre of the space between said holes, and the bar O¹ serves as a guide
to the operator in applying the felloe to the cutter of the head I. The steamed
felloes comprise a half circle, two of them forming the entire rim of a wheel,
and the operator places the tenon hole near one end of a felloe on the upper
part of the bar O', and presses the felloe down until it strikes and rests upon

page_text: the upper parts t¹ of the rests N, N¹, and then slides the felloe forward until
the cutters reach about the centre of the space between the tenon hole first
placed upon O', and the succeeding tenon hole when the felloe is raised free
from the cutter head, and the next tenon hole is placed on the bar O¹, and the
felloe pressed down and again shoved the same distance as before. This
operation is repeated until all the spaces between the tenon holes at the inner
surface of the felloe are rounded one half their length, when the felloe is
reversed in position (turned end for end) and the other parts of the spaces
between the tenon holes rounded. The bar O'in consequence of being pivoted
and connected with a spring, is allowed to give to the feed movement of the
felloe, so as not to serve as an obstruction to the latter.
.
The cutter heads are constructed in such a manner that their cutters P¹ may
be adjusted nearer together or further apart to suit the thickness of the felloe
operated upon.
In Figure 4, the cutter head E is shewn made in box-form, with a
rectangular slide Q within it adjusted by a screw R. One of the cutters is
attached to the slide Q, and the other is attached to the head, and hence it
will be seen that by turning the screw R, and moving the slide Q, the cutter
on said slide may be adjusted nearer to or further from the one affixed directly
to the head; these cutters P¹ are secured to their respective parts by bolts d*
which pass through oblong slots in the cutters to admit of the latter being
adjusted to compensate for wear. The slide Q. has a guide pin e' at its inner
end, which works in the inner part of the head to keep the slide in proper
position.
In Figure 6 a modification of Figures 4 and 5 is shewn. Instead of
having the adjustable cutter attached to a slide fitted within the cutter head,
it is attached to a slide S.fitted on or over said head, the slide S being moved
or adjusted by a screw f', and one end of S is provided with a guide pin q',
which works in the head. This arrangement, however, is an equivalent of
the one shewn in Figures 4 and 5. The cutter head I is constructed in a
similar manner.
Having now fully described and set forth my Invention, I hereby declare
that I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent,―
First, the employment or use in a machine for dressing and rounding the
inner surfaces of felloes, of a radius frame arranged so as to be capable of
being adjusted to operate or turn from two different points as centres, in con-
nection with two cutter heads placed in such a relative position with the points
or centres aforesaid, that by a simple adjustment of the radius frame, from one
centre point to the other, the felloe which is clamped to the radius frame may

page_text: be brought in cutting position with either cutter head, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
Second, I claim the adjustable and removeable projecting plates 0, 0,
attached or applied to the plate a of the radius frame F, in connection with
the spring j, for the purpose set forth.
Third, the semicircular slot f in the adjustable plate g in connection with
the bolt e passing through the slot d of the bar c of frame F, into slot f, and
the spring j, all arranged substantially as shewn, to admit of the adjustment of
the radius frame F, as described.
Fourth, I claim the two pivoted rests N, N¹, in connection with the
adjustable stops or screws v, v, cutter head I', and the pivoted bar O', for the
purpose specified.
Fifth, I claim the yielding plate L arranged substantially as shewn in con-
nection with the fixed plate K, pivoted rests N, N¹, and cutter bead I', for the
purpose set forth.
Sixth, I claim the construction of the cutter heads with an adjustable slide
operated by a screw or any equivalent device, and having one of the cutters
attached to it, and the other attached to the head, whereby the cutters may be
placed or adjusted at a greater or less distance apart to suit the thickness of
the felloe operated upon, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, Hiram Smith Jacobs, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
HIRAM SMITH JACOBS.
(L.S.)