Improvements in the Construction of Wheels for Bicycles, Tricycles, or other Road Vehicles, and in the Method of Mounting same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1897-Accepted, 25th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE DI POLTIVATION
Improvements in the Construction of Wheels for Bicycles, Tricycles,
or other Road Vehicles, and in the Method of Mounting same.
We, ROBERT GILLS of King James' Street, Gateshead, in the County of Durham,
Saddler, HUGH SINCLAIR of Raby Street, Heaton in the City and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Metal Worker, and JOHN HOWDEN of Westgate Road
in the City and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newspaper Proprietor, do hereby
declare the nature of said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
"
According to our invention the wheel is made in two halves each stamped or
struck" out of a flat sheet of any suitable thin sheet metal in a press by suitably
shaped moulds and dies at one or a series of operations, into such a form that when
the two halves are bolted together they form a complete wheel comprising he
rim, arms, and centres, the arms in one half alternating with those in the other
half, so as to divide the circle into double the number of spaces. The method of
mounting such wheels upon their axles is designed to provide for a certain degree
of ready adjustment of any lateral distortion of the wheel from its true plane,
such as will render the machine being temporarily serviceable without removal of
the wheel or wheels to be set to a true plane.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 shews a face view in direction
of arrow Fig. 2 of a portion of a completed 21 inch driving wheel, and Fig. 2 a
section through x-x on Fig. 1 shewing the method of mounting such a wheel on
the rear driving axle. Each half of the wheel comprising one half the rim A,
eight arms B in one half and eight arms B' in the other half, and a centre C
or (being first stamped or "struck" out of a square sheet of thin metal by n
die or dies in a press into a circular "blank" in which the arms and centres are
only partially moulded, so as to receive wires D. which are inserted into the
open U-shaped section of the arms and centres, and therein enclosed in a tube
and secured by brazing or soldering. These wires give to the arms rigidity, ro
that they act not only by tension, as in ordinary suspension wheels, but also by
compression as struts, yet still having a due amount of elasticity and much
greater resistance to lateral distortion or buckling than the ordinary wire spoke
wheels.
The two halves of the wheel are now bolted together around the rim A. as shewn,
so that the arms in one half alternate with those in the other half, giving 16 arms
to a wheel with 8 arms in each half, and the centres C C are set out or spread
to give lateral stability.
The wheel is shewn mounted by its centres C C¹ on bosses E E' on a screwed
tube F. running upon the stationary axle G. and in adjustable ball bearings H.
in the forks J. of the back frame. One end of the screwed tube F. carries the chain
wheel K. either upon a square neck or on a sunk key and the wheel centres C C¹
and the ball bearings H. in the forks are also made as usual to adjust the tension
of the driving chain upon the chain wheel K.

page_text: The bosses E E¹ are tapped and fixed in required position upon the screwed
tube F. by pinching nuts L. in such manner that either boss can be adjusted
relatively to the other. as to their distance apart and also so as to correct any
slight lateral distortion of the wheel either to right or left, by screwing up on the
tube F. one boss and keeping the other fixed, so that the arms on that side of the
rim, the plane of which is out of truth, can be made to act as struts to adjust it,
the arms in the opposite side of the wheel acting as fulcrums in such adjustment.
When the two halves of the rim A. are put together, a thin strip of india
rubber or other packing M. is inserted at the joint to give elasticity when the
bolts N. are screwed up. A light casing 0 (preferably of sheet iron) in halves
encloses the centre of the wheel around the screwed tube F. to exclude wet or
dust, and will be so formed as to provide for the required adjustment of the
bosses E. and E to or from each other.
The front wheel is similarly mounted upon its axle, withbut of course the chain
wheel.
In the application of our construction of wheel to ordinary machines, without
the provision for lateral adjustment, a new "hub," only will be required, with
flanges large enough in diameter to admit of the wheel centres CC being bolted
or otherwise secured to their sides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to. be performed, we declare that what
wo claim is:-
1st. The construction of wheels, for bicycles, tricycles, and similar road vehicles,
by stamping or "striking" them out of a sheet of metal by one or a series of opera-
tions, so as to produce two halves of a wheel each comprising a half rim, set of
arms, and a centre, the arms and centre being wired to give them stability,
which halves being secured together at the rim and centres form a complete wheel,
substantially as described and shewn.
2nd. The method of mounting such wheels upon their axles so that the
bosses E. E may be adjusted as to their distances apart and also that any slight
distortion of the rim from, a true plane may be adjusted temporarily without
removing the wheel from the axle, substantially as described and shewn.
n T DANGON
TDANSON
DAN
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Agent for Applicants.