ROAD LOCOMOTIVE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Clayton and Joseph Shuttleworth,
of Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, for the Invention
FOR ROAD LOCOMOTIVE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Clayton
and Joseph Shuttleworth, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 24th December 1870.
We, NATHANIEL CLAYTON and JOSEPH SHUTTLEWORTH, of Lincoln,
in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVELLING WHEELS FOR ROAD
LOCOMOTIVES," to be as follows:-
==
This Invention relates to the rims, treads, or bearing surfaces of the
travelling wheels of road locomotives or traction engines, and has for
its object the perfect accommodation of the tread of the wheel to any
irregularities in the road, whereby a firmer and better bearing or hold
upon the road is obtained. According to this Invention it is proposed
to construct the tread of the wheel of a number of separate and indepen-

page_text: dent "transomes" or "transverse sole or bearing plates" having their
upper and lower surfaces parallel, placed transversely across the rim
of the wheel and connected therewith at suitable intervals, so as not
to be in contact with each other by means of a central bolt, having a
hemispherical head which fits into a corresponding socket in the
transome; the bolt then passes through the tyre of the wheel and is
held in position by a cottar bearing upon concave and convex washers.
By this means a ball and socket or universal joint is formed which
enables each transome to roll or adjust itself to any requisite angle upon
the tyre or rim and thereby accommodate itself to the irregularities
in the surface of the road, much in the same way that the ancle joint
acts in the human foot. The surface of the tyre or rim of the wheel
is rounder so as to form a segment of a sphere in order to facilitate
this play or adjustment, and a cushion of india-rubber or other suitable
elastic material may be interposed between each transome and the tyre
or rim of the whcel to permit a more perfect play.
We do not confine ourselves strictly to this mode of attaching cach
transome to the tyre as other methods may be adopted. The several
"transomes" are by preference (though not of necessity) separated
from cach other by transverse raised ribs or division pieces fixed into
the rim of the wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Nathaniel Clayton and Joseph Shuttleworth,
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, NATHA-
NIEL CLAYTON and JOSEPH SHUTTLEWORTH, of Lincoln, in the County
of Lincoln, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Nathaniel Clayton and Joseph
Shuttleworth, Her special license that we, the said Nathaniel Clayton,
and Joseph Shuttleworth, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Nathaniel Clayton, and Joseph Shuttle-

page_text: ور
worth, our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVELLING WHEELS FOR ROAD LOCOMOTIVES,' upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Nathaniel Clayton
and Joseph Shuttleworth, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hand and seal, should particularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Nathaniel Clayton and Joseph
Shuttleworth, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to the rims, treads, or bearing surfaces of
the travelling wheels of road locomotives or traction engines, and has
for its object the perfect accommodation of the tread of the wheel to any
irregularities in the road whereby a firmer and better bearing or hold
upon the road is obtained.
"
According to this Invention it is proposed to construct the tread of
the wheel of a number of separate and independent "transomes or
"transverse sole or bearing plates" having their upper and lower
surface parallel and placed transversely across the rim of the wheel and
connected therewith at suitable intervals so as not to be in contact with
each other by means of a central bolt having a hemispherical head
which fits into a corresponding socket in the transome, the bolt then
passes through the tyre of the wheel, and is held in position by a cottar
bearing upon concave and convex washers, or by preference, a spiral
spring as shewn in the Drawing. By this means a ball and socket or
universal joint is formed which enables each transome to roll or adjust
itself to any requisite angle upon the tyre or rim, and thereby accom-
modate itself to the irregularities in the surface of the road much in the
same way that the ancle joint acts in the human foot. A cushion of

page_text: india-rubber or other suitable elastic material being interposed between
each transome and the tyre or rim of the wheel to permit a more perfect
play. We do not confine ourselves strictly to the mode before described
of attaching each transome to the tyre as other methods may be adopted.
The several "transomes are by preference (though not of necessity)
separated from each other by transverse raised ribs or division pieces
fixed into the rim of the wheel.
"
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall
now proceed more particularly to described the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a side elevation of one half of a
traction engine wheel constructed in precise accordance with our said
Invention; Figure 2 is a corresponding vertical transverse section taken
through the axis of the wheel, and Figures 3 and 4 represent enlarged
sectional views (taken at right angles to each other) of portions of
the rim and one of the before-mentioned transomes with its cushion
of india-rubber.
A is the nave of the wheel, and B a wrought-iron rim to which are
connected at convenient intervals the several transomes or bearing
plates C, C, placed transversely across the rim, as shewn clearly in
Figures 2 and 3. This connection between the rim and the transomes
is effected by means of the bolts D, D, formed with hemispherical heads d
which fit into correspondingly shaped cups or sockets formed in the
centres of the several transomes. Between each transome and the rim
of the wheel there is interposed a block or cushion of vulcanized india-
rubber E, E. The transome and its cushion E are held close up to the
rim by means of a spiral spring F surrounding the bolt D, which spring
bears at one end against the inner surface of the rim, and at its opposite
end against a loose collar which is slipped on to the bolt and secured
in place by means of a cottar g. A series of transverse raised ribs or
projections G formed on or attached to the rim or tyre serve to separate
the several transomes from each other.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we
*consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention

page_text: ог
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
combination of universally jointed and independant transomes
transverse sole or bearing plates and india-rubber cushions with the rims
or tyres of the travelling wheels of road locomotives, substantially in
the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated
by our Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Nathaniel Clayton and Joseph
Shuttleworth, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-first day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.
NATHANIEL CLAYTON.
JOSEPH SHUTTLEWORTH.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)