Improvements in the Construction and Mounting of Rotative Axle Wheels for Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
Improvements in the Construction and Mounting of Rotative Axle
Wheels for Vehicles.
I, GEORGE JOHNSON of 227 St. John's Hill Battersea, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, 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 the construction and mounting of wheels for road vehicles,
the object being to practically combine the wheel and axle in one, to economize the
roadway space occupied, and to gain an increase of strength and greater durability
than heretofore attained in the construction of wheels for vehicles.
In carrying out my invention I make the axle with a broad head, and the nave of
the wheel I make in the form of a hollow cylindrical box having a suitable wall or
flange at its outermost end. To this flange and to either the inner or outer surface of
it, but on a vertical plane outside of the tyre, I fix the axle head by means of screws,
bolts, or rivets, thus wheel and axle will revolve unitedly, and the weight or load
carried will tend to balance the wheel and keep it upright.
Around the nave are projections forming rectangular half sockets for holding the
spokes. In the preparation of the rim fit and arrange the felloes in a caul, and
having shrunk the tyre on, it is then turned in a lathe or shaping machine to the
required section. The ends of the spokes are placed in position in the half sockets of
the nave, and ferrules are placed over the taper ends of said half sockets. I then
insert the thin ends of wedges under the foot ends of the spokes, and by driving the
wedges in, the wheel is expanded and all the joints tightened up. The ferrules are
then forced quite home, holding the nave, spokes, and wedges together, the result
being perfect rigidity in all the parts.
The axle is carried in a suitable axle-box fixed between two parallel bars which
form the axletree. Said axle-box has a cap fitted on its inner end for oiling purposes
which assists in holding the axle in the axle-box.
To clearly explain the nature of my invention reference is made to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through the centre of a portion of a wheel constructed
according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section showing the axle-box, axle, divided axletree,
and dust-plate, with the shackles for attaching the spring.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line xx, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a section and elevation on the line y y, Fig. 1, looking to the left, and
Fig. is a plan of one of the shoes or sockets secured to the rim in which the spokes
are stepped.
The axle A has formed thereon a head A¹ and is capable of revolution in the axle
box B, both axle and box being preferably somewhat tapered to the inner end.
Around the axle at said inner end is formed a groove a in which seats a segmental
collar formed in two or more parts. Said collar prevents the axle from being drawn
out of the box and is itself partly held in place by the cap B' secured to the axle-box B.
This cap forms an oil reservoir from which the oil is drawn for lubricating the axle,
the oil being conveniently introduced into same by the removal of the screw or
The former
stopper c. The axle box B carries three studs or projections d, d, and e.
assist in retaining the divided axle tree in place, and the latter serves a similar purpose
for the block of the spring D. The spring is held in place by the usual shackles p,
the plates p' of which are slipped under the bent ends or ears of a metal clip q which
embraces the bottom of the axle box and sides of the axletree. The axletree itself
consists of two metal bars E. E, which embrace the sides of the axle-box which are
cut away or flattened for that purpose, (as shown in Fig. 2), a shoulder being left

page_text: which serves to support the inner end. The flanger of the cap B₁ is also cut away
so that it may drop between the bars E, E, a similar shoulder which rests upon the
bars being left on same. In addition to the assistance rendered by the studs d, d, the
axle bars E, E, are retained in place by a collar or ring o which is placed over and
preferably shrunk upon them. They are further surrounded by a dust plate if which
serves to close the interior of the cylindrical case or nave F, and which is formed in
two parts as shown in Fig. 4, secured by screws to projections g, g, formed on the
axle-box, while the periphery of said dust plate seats in a rebate formed in the
cylindrical case or nave F.
The outer end of the axle-box is cylindrical in form and enters an opening in the
wall or flange F of the nave F, which around said opening is cut away to form a
recess serving to receive and retain the oil which works along the axle from the
cap B¹
The axle head A' is holted, riveited, or secured to said flange F¹, so that the
nave will revolve with the axle. To encase and protect these parts from dust I may
employ a cap G which slips on to the nave F and may be secured by set screws, or in
any convenient way. Around the nave F, and preferably cast therewith are the half
sockets which receive the spokes . The foot ends of these spokes are cut on a bevel
as shown in Fig. 1, and as described, said spokes are tightened up by the wedges
which are forced under their bevelled ends when the rim is in place, the ferrules or
collar m being subsequently forced down so as to enclose the sockets, spoke, and
wedge. In place of bevelling the foot ends of the spokes they may be square as usual
and double wedges be employed, one being first inserted, and the second being driven
in to tighten up. The outer ends of the spokes are held in sockets or shoes H which
are secured to the rim I by means of bolts or riveis. These sockets have preferably
an extension or flange n on either side to give the spoke a wider hearing upon the
rim or felloe. As shown in Fig. 1, the underside of the shoe is formed with two
angle faces which seat upon the correspondingly shaped surface of the rim.
The position of the vehicle body is indicated at L, from which it will be seen that
by my construction the wheel can be brought near to the bedy.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In vehicle wheels a hollow cylindrical nave provided with an inwardly turned
flange, and having half socket projections for 'receiving the spokes, substantially as
described.
2nd. In vehicle wheels the combination with the nave, of an axle bolted or
secured thereto, and means for holding said axle in the axle-box, substantially as
described.
3rd. In vehicle wheels the combination with the nave and an axle secured thereto,
of an axle-box having a cap or oil chamber, and adapted to be held by the axletree,
substantially as described.
4th. In vehicle wheels the combination with spokes having bevelled ends and
suitable wedges of half sockets in which said spokes are beld, and ferrules or collars
by which they are secured, substantially as described.
5th. In vehicle wheels the combination with the nave and the spokes radiating
therefrom, of a shoe or socket secured upon the felloe, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
6th. In the mounting of vehicle wheels the combination with the nave and axle-box
of an axletree composed of two parallel bars adapted to hold said axle-box substan-
tially as set forth.
7th. The general arrangement and construction of parts forming the improved
vehicle wheel, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of Auril 1990
.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Applicant's Agent.