AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON RAILWAY WHEELS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harris, of Woodside, near Darlington, Civil
Engineer, and Thomas Summerson, of West Auckland, near Darlington
aforesaid, Ironfounder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON RAILWAY WHEELS."
Sealed the 10th July 1855, and dated the 10th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harris and Thomas
Summerson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 10th May 1855.
We, JOHN HARRIS, of Woodside, near Darlington, Civil Engineer, and
THOMAS SUMMERSON, of West Auckland, near Darlington aforesaid, Iron-
founder, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE MANUPACTURE OF IRON RAILWAY WHEELS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the constructing of stronger cast-iron
wheels for railways than heretofore employed, and consists of employing a
ring of wrought iron, which is placed in the mould to receive the casting of
iron thereon. For this purpose a ring of wrought angle iron is placed in the
mould, the angle iron not being so wide as the intended flanched ring or felloe
of the cast wheel. There are as many holes formed horizontally through the
wrought angle iron as there are to be spokes to the cast wheel. The wrought
angle iron ring is placed in the mould, the cast iron is then run into the mould.
and the cast wheel is formed on the wrought angle iron, which is at the inner
surface of the cast ring or felloe, and partly inclosed therein.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Harris and Thomas Summerson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
HARRIS, of Woodside, near Darlington, Civil Engineer, and THOMAS SUM-
MERSON, of West Auckland, near Darlington aforesaid, Ironfounder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Harris and Thomas Summerson, Her special licence that we,
the said John Harris and Thomas Summerson, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Harris and Thomas Sum-
merson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON RAILWAY WHEELS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Harris and Thomas Summerson, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Harris and Thomas Summerson,
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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the constructing of stronger cast-iron wheels
for railways than heretofore employed, and consists of employing a ring of
wrought iron which is placed in the mould to receive the casting of iron
thereon. For this purpose a ring of wrought angle iron is placed in the mould,
the angle iron not being so wide as the intended flanched ring or felloe of the
cast wheel. There are as many holes formed horizontally through the wrought
angle iron as there are to be spokes to the cast wheel. The wrought angle
iron ring is placed in the mould, the cast iron is then run into the mould, and

page_text: the cast wheel is formed on the wrought angle iron, which is at the inner
surface of the cast ring or felloe, and partly enclosed therein.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will now proceed
to describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a wheel constructed according to our Invention; Figure 2
shows a transverse section thereof. The form of the spokes and of the other
parts is what we prefer, but the form or shape of the parts may be varied so
long as a wrought-iron ring of angle iron is used as herein described, when
casting a railway wheel. a is a ring of wrought angle iron, which is placed in
the mould in which a cast-iron wheel is about to be made, by which the ring a
will be within the outer ring 6 of the complete wheel, and the outer ends of
the spokes will embrace the angle iron as shown; and it is the employing
a ring of wrought angle iron, in the manner shown and described, which
constitutes the peculiarity of our Invention.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Harris and Thomas Summerson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of November,
in the
year. of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
JOHN HARRIS.
(L.S.)
THOMAS SUMMERSON. (L.S.)