Improvements in the Rims or Felloes of Wheels for Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes, and for Wheel Carriages.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct.. 1390-Accepted. 22nd Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Rims or Felloes of Wheels for Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes, and for Wheel Carriages.
I WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY of Jamaica Row Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Perambulator and Carriage Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows
In making the rim or felloe of a wheel according to my invention I take a rod or
tube of iron or steel preferably of a cylindrical figure and I bond the said rod or tube
into a circular figure joining its ends by welding brazing or otherwise so as to form a
ring or hoop. Upon the ring or hoop described I make a coating or covering of
vulcanized india-rubber the said coating or covering completely encasing or covering
the said ring. The said coating of vulcanized india-rubber is applied by the methods
practised by manufacturers of articles of india-rubber.
In making light wheels I drill equidistant holes in the rod or tube from which the
rim or felloe is to be made for the reception of the outer ends of the spokes which are
passed through the india-rubber coating and screwed or otherwise fixed in the said
boles.
In making strong wheels I prefer to make the ring or hoop of a solid rod instead
of a tube and I either fix the outer ends of the spokes in the solid ring or hoop or I
make a trough shaped metallic rim somewhat resembling that in which the india-
rubber tyre of a bicycle wheel is fitted and 1 fit the india-rubber coated ring in this
trough shaped rim the spokes being fixed to the said trough shaped rim.
Wheels provided with rims or felloes made according to my invention travel with
little or no noise and with less tremulous motion than ordinary wheels.
Datad this 30th day of January 1890.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Rims or Felloes of Wheels for Bicycles,
Tricycles, and other Velocipedes, and for Wheel Carriages.
I WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY of Jamaica Row, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Perambulator and Carriage Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In making the rim or felloe of a wheel according to my invention I take a rod or
tube of iron or steel preferably elliptical or circular in cross section and I bend the
said rod or tube into a circular figure joining its ends by welding brazing or otherwise
so as to forin a ring or hoop.
Upon the ring or hoop described 1 make a coating or covering of vulcanized india
rubber the said coating or covering completely encasing or covering the said ring.
The said coating of vulcanized india rubber is applied by the methods practised by
manufacturers of articles of india rubber.
In making light wheels I drill equidistant holes in the rod or tube from which the
rim or felloe is to be male for the reception of the outer ends of the spokes which are

page_text: passed through the india rubber coating and screwed or otherwise fixed in the said
holes; or the india rubber coating is applied in the manner hereinafter described after
the spokes have been fixed to the ring or hoop.
In making strong wheels I prefer to make the ring or hoop of a solid rod instead of
a tube and I either fix the outer ends of the spokes in the solid ring or hoop or I
make a trough shaped metallic rim somewhat resembling that in which the india
rubber tyre of a bicycle wheel is fitted and I fit the india rubber coated ring in this
trough shaped rim the spokes being fixed to the said trough shaped rim.
Wheels provided with rims or feiloes made according to my invention travel with
little or no noise and with less tremulous motion than ordinary wheels.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in front elevation (with a portion
of the india rubber coating or covering broken away) and
Figure 2 in cross section a metallic spoked wheel of a perambulator or wheel
carriage or velocipede the rim or felloe of which wheel is made according to my
invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both figures.
an
a is the hub of the wheel to the flanges b, b of which the inner ends of the metallic
spokes c, c are secured the outer ends of the said spokes being secured to the rim or
felloe. The said rim or felloe consists of the ring or hoop d of steel or iron having
elliptical figure in cross section covered or coated with thick vulcanized india rubber e
which completely encases or covers the said ring or hoop. I make the ring or hoop d
by taking a bar of iron or steel of the sectional figure represented and bend it into a
hoop or ring and join its ends by welding brazing or otherwise.
In place of the solid ring or hoop d a hollow or tubular ring or hoop may be
employed and instead of making the solid or hollow ring or hoop of an elliptical
figure in cross section it may be made circular or of other figure in cross section.
Before applying the india rubber coating or covering to the ring or hoop d of the rim
or felloe the metallic spokes c are fixed to it by rivetting or screwing. The coating or
covering of vulcanized india rubber which I use consists of a wide strip the middle of
which has the sectional figure of the outer half of the rim covering, the marginal parts
of the strip tapering from the middle to their edges and having a thickness about half
that of the middle portion. I take this strip and while in an uncured or unvulcanized
state place its thick middle portion upon the outer side of the metallic ring or hoop d
and close the tapering thin marginal parts around and press them upon the inner side
of the ring or hoop and also around the fixed spokes and thus join the marginal parts
together, the junction of the strip being effected by a joint somewhat resembling the
scarf joint of a wrought iron tube as will be understood by an examination of the cross
section Figure 2. The india rubber coating is then cured or vulcanized in the
ordinary way. The ring or hoop d is thereby completely encased or covered with
thick vulcanized india rubber and the rim or felloe is complete, the rim or felloe of
the wheel so provided with an elastic covering travelling with little or no noise and
with less tremulous motion than ordinary wheels. I do not limit myself to the method
described of encasing or covering the hoop or ring of the felloe with vulcanized india
rubber as other ways may be employed with the same effect.
Instead of arranging the solid or hollow ring or hoop d centrally in the india rubber
coating e as represented, the said ring or hoop may be arranged eccentrically in the
india rubber coating that is the india rubber coating may be made thicker or of
greater substance at the outer side of the metal ring or hoop than at the inner side or
that side at which the spokes are attached. In this arrangement the thick side or
bearing part of the india rubber coating may either be solid or hollow or tubular.
The spokes may be applied to the rim or felloe after it has been coated. In this
case equi-distant screwed holes are made in the ring or hoop d and the outer ends of
the spokes are passed through the india rubber coating and screwed into the said
holes.
Or hollow screwed nipples or short spokes may be attached to the inner side of the
ring or hoop and project through the india rubber coating for receiving the screwed
outer ends of the spokes.

page_text: In this case, the india rubber coated rim or felloe may be sent into commerce ready
to receive the spokes of the wheel.
The coated rim or felloe de or the other coated rims or felloes described may be
fitted in a metallic trough rim made in one or more pieces and be used as the tyre or
bearing part of the rim of the wheel instead of forming the rim or felloe itself. In
this case the metallic spokes may either be attached to the ring or hoop of the felloe
or to the rim carrying the coated ring or hoop.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I am aware of the Specification
of Letters Patent No. 1952 of 1888 granted to George Barker and I wish it to be
understood that I do not claim anything described and claimed therein but I declare
that I claim as my invention of "Improvements in the rims or felloes of wheels for
bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes and for wheel carriages"
First: A rim or felloe consisting of a metallic ring or hoop solid or hollow com-
pletely encased or covered with a coating or covering of vulcanized india rubber for
the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
Secondly-The combination of an india rubber coated or encased metallic ring or
hoop or felloe of the kinds referred to in the first claim with a trough shaped metallic
rim in which it is partly fitted the part of the coated ring or hoop or felloe projecting
from the rim acting as the tyre or bearing part of the felloe substantially as herein-
before described.
Dated the 20th day of October 1890.