Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Wheels having Wooden Spokes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Wheels having
Wooden Spokes.
I, CHARLES THOMAS CROWDEN, Engineer, of The Motor Mills, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
The
This invention relates to wheels having wooden spokes, the wheels themselves
being suitable for various purposes, but particularly for autocar work.
wheels may be made either upright, that is to say, that a line drawn through the
centre of the length of the wheel hub would pass through the centre of the width
of the tyre or tread of the wheel; or the tread of the wheel may be placed to one
side of that line if desired.
In carrying out the invention I employ any suitable, preferably metal, hub
which may be carried upon the axle in any desired manner, and with or without
ball or other special bearings; the hub is formed with two flanges forming an
annular space or channel in which the ends of the spokes lie, these flanges being
either rigidly formed as a piece of the hub or one or both of them may be adjustable
if preferred.
In wheels of this description where wooden spokes are placed in a metal
hub it has hitherto been the custom to make the hub end or butt of the
spoke which lies inside the hub of the same width as the thickest portion of the
spoke, the spokes either all lying in the same plane, or being arranged alternately
upon each side of the centre line. Such a wheel however is subject to the defect
that the spokes have not a sufficiently firm hold in the hub and the wheel under
excessive strain is liable to break down.
According to my invention I form the hub or butt end of each spoke
of approximately double the width of the thickest end of the spoke outside the hub,
and I make the channel in the hub practically double the width that has hitherto
been customary, and approximately equal to the width of two spokes. By this
means I obtain a broad, strong end, and bearing for each spoke in the hub, and I
very greatly increase the total strength of the wheel, and by filleting or bevelling
off the extended portion down to the width of the spoke I provide a strong filleted
corner at a point where in previous constructions the spoke has been weak.
The spokes may be held in the hub in any desired manner preferably by passing
bolts through the two flanges and screwing them up with nuts; these bolts
may pass, one through the centre of each spoke or a bolt may be arranged
to pass through a hole formed at the junction of two spokes, so that half of the
bolt is in each spoke, one bolt thus serving to hold two spokes; however other
means may be employed for securing the spokes if desired.
I am able to produce these spokes without excessive waste of timber by cutting
two spokes out of one piece, the small end of one spoke lying just short of the
wide end of the other spoke, so that they can easily be separated by a band-saw.
These spokes may be used with wooden or other rims or felloes, and the wheels

page_text: may be provided with any desired arrangement of tyre whether solid rubber,
pneumatic, metal or otherwise. The spoke may be made with any desired cross
section.
Dated thi. 04h df 11007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Wheels having
Wooden Spokes.
I, CHARLES THOMAS CROWDEN, Engineer, of Vernon Lodge, Leamington, late
of The Motor Mills, Coventry, both in the County of Warwick, 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:-
This invention relates to wheels having wooden spokes, the wheels themselves
being suitable for various purposes, but particularly for motorcar work. The
wheels may be made either upright, that is to say, that a line drawn through the
centre of the length of the wheel hub would pass through the centre of the width
of the tyre or tread of the wheel; or the tread of the wheel may be placed to one
side of that line if desired.
In carrying out the invention I employ any suitable, preferably metal, hub
which may be carried upon the axle in any desired manner, and with or without
ball or other special bearings; the hub is formed with two flanges forming an
annular space or channel in which the ends of the spokes lie, these flanges being
either rigidly formed as a piece of the hub or one or both of them may be adjustable
if preferred.
In wheels of this description where wooden spokes are placed in a metal
hub it has hitherto been the custom to make the hub end or foot of the
spoke, which lies inside the hub, of the same width as the thickest portion of the
spoke, the spokes either all lying in the same plane, or being arranged alternately
upon each side of the centre line. Such a wheel however, is subject to the defect
that the spokes have not a sufficiently firm hold in the hub and the wheel under
excessive strain is liable to break down.
.
According to my invention I form the hub end or foot of each spoke of
approximately double the width of the thickest part of the spoke, and I make
the channel in the hub practically double the width that has hitherto been
customary, and approximately equal to the width of two spokes. By this means
I obtain a broad, strong end, and bearing for each spoke in the hub, and I very
-greatly-increase the total strength-of-the-wheel, and by filleting or bevelling off
the extended portion down to the width of the spoke I provide a strong filleted
corner at a point where in previous constructions the spoke has been weak.
The accompanying figure is an axial section of an upright wheel constructed
according to this invention. A is a metal hub, constructed in this instance with
one rigid flange A¹, and one adjustable flange A³, forming the channel to receive
the feet of the spokes. The body B of each spoke is of any desired cross section,
but the foot B is formed with an extension B³, approximately double the width
of the thickest part of the spoke, the body of which is placed at one end of the
foot. Preferably the angle formed between the spoke body and the extended
portion of the foot is filled by a large fillet as shown at B3, so as to strengthen
the spoke at the junction of the body with the feet. The sides of the foot are
bevelled in the usual way.

page_text: The spokes are preferably placed so that the end of the foot from which each
spoke body rises is alternately at the opposite side of the hub channel as shown in
the figure.
The tongue B may be of the usual pattern connected with the felloe C in the
usual way. The spokes may be used with wooden or other felloes or rims, and the
wheels may be provided with any desired arrangement of tyre, whether solid rubber,
pneumatic, metal or otherwise.
The spokes may be held in the hub in any desired manner preferably by passing
bolts A3 through the two flanges and screwing them up with nuts A'; these bolts
may pass one through the centre of each spoke or a bolt may be arranged
to pass through a hole formed at the junction of two spokes, so that half of the
bolt is in each spoke, one bolt thus serving to hold two spokes; other means may
however be employed for securing the spokes if desired. If both flanges are
adjustable on the hub means must be provided for preventing them rotating or
shifting their position on the hub body.
I am able to produce these spokes without excessive waste of timber by cutting
two spokes out of one piece, the small end of one spoke lying just short of the
wide end of the other spoke, so that they can easily be separated by a hand saw.
If it is desired that the tread of the wheel be placed to one side of the centre
line of the hub, the spoke bodies may be cut so as to form a lesser angle with
the extension of the foot, and the spokes all placed in the same way in the hub
channel; or alternatively every other spoke may be shaped so as to form
approximately a right angle with the foot extension.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :-
1. A wheel spoke having its foot extended in one direction substantially as
described.
2. The combination of a wheel hub and spokes substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated.
3. The combination with a wheel hub and spokes such as described of a bolt
passing through the flanges of the hub, and sunk into the substance of each of two
contiguous spokes.
Dated this 8th day of February 1808
CHARLES THOMAS CROWDEN.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.