IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS USED ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Murphy, of Newport, in the County of
Monmouthshire, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WHEELS USED ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 30th March 1858, and dated the 1st January 1858.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said James Murphy' at the
Office of the Commissioners of' Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 1st January 1858, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MURPHY, of Newport, in the County of Monmouthshire, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WHEELS USED ON RAILWAYS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn declaration that I verily believe myself to be
the first and true Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Murphy, do hereby declare that
the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully describes
and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, reference being had to the illustrated Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and forming part of this my Complete Speci-
fication, and to the letters of reference placed thereon.
The first part of my Invention consists in causing the inner periphery of the
tyre to dovetail or fit into the outer periphery of the skeleton; the second so to

page_text: roll bars of iron that each bar may form ribs of the shape and angles required
for insertion into the dovetails of the tyre according to the first part of my
Invention. The objects effected by my improvements in the railway wheel are
security and economy; the former will be made apparant at once by reference
to the Drawing, as it will be perceived that both the rim of the skeleton wheel
and the tyre are so connected as to form one solid rim, the whole of the metal
being unbroken by bolts, rings, or other contrivances for fastening tyres on to
railway wheels, and as the tyre is dovetailed in all its circumference (and
usually on both sides) to the rim of the skeleton wheel, so, if broken or split,
the pieces cannot fly off, but are retained in their positions by the dovetail.
The economy lies in the greater duration of the tyres and wheels made accord-
ing to my improvements when compared with many now used on railways,
and in the first cost also, when compared with those having retaining rings and
other expensive contrivances.
In the Drawing, Figure 1 shews a full size section of the tyre and rim of
skeleton; Figure 2, the section of a railway wheel taken vertically through its
centre (drawn to a smaller scale), with axle passed through the boss; Figure 3
shews a side view of spoke and ribs according to my Invention; Figure 4,
plan view of spoke and ribs; and Figure 5, section taken through A, B, at
Figure 4, shewing the rim of skeleton with the ribs as they are rolled out prior
to their being bent and formed into a skeleton. It is needless, in regard to the
first part of my Invention, to say anything about the construction of the
skeleton of the wheel, for with the exception of the rim, I make it in any of the
ordinary modes. As will be seen by reference to Figure 1, the tyre a is
made with a projecting rib b, bevilled at its sides, as at *, *, the rim c of the
skeleton being made in the shape denoted by the dotted lines at Figures 1
and 5, the tyre is inserted within the space left between the ribs d, d, the
said ribs are forced into the dovetail 6*, 6*, (either by hammering, rolling, or
any other practicable means,) and is thus rigidly secured.
The second part of my improvements consists in rolling a bar of iron with
two projections on that part thereof which (when the ends f, f, are bent to
form spokes) comes in contact with the inner periphery of the tyre, so that the
centre part e to e, Figures 3 and 4, shall form the part of the rim of skeleton
by which the tyre is supported or embedded and secured. In some iron wheels
the spokes are so arranged that when combined their outer rims do not form
a continuous circle, but have spaces between them untouched by the inner part
of the tyre, in such cases the dovetail of the tyre is secured with the parts
only of the spokes which come in contact therewith. I also in some cases,
when rolling the iron for my spokes and rin, cut, roll, or hammer out that

page_text: portion of the iron that is comprised between the dotted lines g, Figure 4;
this lightens the weight or quantity of metal used without substracting from
the strength of the skeleton wheel. I would here remark, that although I
have referred to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed in order to
illustrate my Invention, I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details
of the methods herein-before described or demonstrated of securing tyres on
railway wheels, or making or constructing the spokes or other parts thereof,
except where it is definitely so expressed, as such details, proportions, and
shapes may be modified or varied without departure from the principle of the
improvements herein specified.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I do not claim the exclusive use of the separate parts of wheels herein
mentioned and referred to, except in so far as the same may be employed in
combination and for the purposes of my Invention, which I hereby declare to
consist in, and I claim,―
Firstly, the use and application of a tyre for a railway wheel dovetailed or
bevilled as herein described in connection with the rim of skeleton of wheel
formed with ribs on its sides to interlock or dovetail with the tyre, as explained
and illustrated.
Secondly, the rolling out of bars of wrought iron in such wise that a rib
shall be formed on each side of the centre thereof (as at e, e, Figure 4,) to fit
in, interlock, or dovetail into, or with the dovetails or bevills formed on the
inner periphery of a tyre for a railway wheel.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Murphy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. E. GEDGE,
4, Danes Inn, Strand.
JAMES MURPHY. (L.S.)