Improvements in the Manufacture of Wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Wheels.
I, PRESTON DAVIES, of Spencer House, West Hill Road, Southfields, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
-
My invention relates to the manufacture of wheels and comprises an improved
method of forming and building them up.
According to my invention I form each of the spokes composing the wheel
with a wedge-shaped or segmental piece at its inner or that end which is towards
the centre of the finished wheel. These pieces are so shaped that, when the
spokes are mounted in the rim or felloe and forced towards the centre by bringing
pressure to bear equally on the outside of the felloes by any suitable machine,
and the tyre is secured in position thereon, they will be firmly pressed together
with or without the interposition of glue, cement or the like and form practically
the nave, hub, or centre of the wheel. In building up the wheel the spokes are
first set up in the rim or felloe and then the whole is forced to the centre by
pressure from the outside of the felloes by any suitable machine and is held in
ibis position by suitable clamps until it is shod with a tyre in the usual or any
convenient way.
After being constructed as described my improved wheel is bored centrally and
the front and back faces of the central portion levelled off. The axle box is then
forced into the central bore and the wheel at this part is clamped between suitable
dises or collars, one of which is formed on, or rigidly secured to, the axle box.
In making the smaller sizes of wheels, or those in which a smaller number of
spokes are employed, wherein it would otherwise be necessary to consume much
more wood in forming the wedge ends of the spokes sufficiently large to provide
the requisite amount of material to fill the space between the said collars or discs,
I may employ wedge-shaped filling pieces of wood.
In order to pre-
vent such pieces working loose or falling out, I may at a convenient
point slightly groove or undercut transversely the wedge ends of the
spokes. Into each of the gaps between the spokes I first insert a double-
wedge or diamond shaped metallic piece and afterwards I drive in the wedge
shaped filling piece which splits at its thinner end, and is thus forced into the
before mentioned grooves or undercuts.
The rim or felloe of my improved wheel is formed as usual in sections and may
be secured together by means of dowel pins or otherwise, and I may in like
manner secure together the wedge ends of the spokes, or I may employ tonguing
and grooving, dovetailing, or other well known and equivalent means for inter-
locking or securing together the said parts with or without the interposition
between the joints of glue, cement, or the 'like, as before mentioned.
In tyring a wheel with the axle box in position the smallest inequality in the
length of the spoke or the slightest variation in the hardness or character of the
wood of which the spokes or felloes are formed, will result in a spoke which is
fractionally longer or more imcompressible than its neighbours being compelled
D

page_text: at each revolution of the wheel to take more than its proportion of the load. It
will be seen that in forming a wheel in accordance with my invention, that is to
say tyring it before the axle box is in position and boring out the central hole
after it is tyred, these defects are overcome.
Dated this 9th day of October 1897
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Wheels.
I, PRESTON DAVIES, of Spencer House, West Hill Road, Southfields, 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:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of wheels and comprises an improved
method of forming and building them up.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side view, and
.
Figure 2 is a sectional view showing a portion of a wheel of the class to be
built up according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a front view, and
Figure 4 is a section on the line xx Figure 3 showing an axle box fitted with
two Hanges 'to clamp the spokes and one of which flanges is extended so as to
form a protection for the axle nut.
Figure 5 is a detail hereinafter more particularly referred to.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
a a are the spokes composing the wheel. Each spoke according to my inven-
tion is formed with a wedge-shaped or segmental piece a¹ at the inner or that
end which is towards the centre of the finished wheel. The pieces a¹ are so shaped
that, when the spokes a are mounted in the rim or felloe bin the usual or suitable
manner and forced towards the centre by bringing pressure to bear equally on the
outside of the said felloes by any suitable machine, and the tyre c is secured in posi-
tion thereon, they will be firmly wedged together with or without the interposition of
glue, cement or the like and form practically the nave, hub, or centre of the
wheel.
In building up the wheel the spokes a are first set up in the rim or felloe b and
then the whole is compressed or forced to the centre by pressure from the outside
of the felloes, by any suitable machine and is held in this position by suitable
clamps until it is shod with the tyre c in the usual or any convenient way.
After being constructed as described, my improved wheel is bored centrally
as indicated at a², and the front and back faces of the central portion of the
spokes a are then turned or faced off level. The axle box d is then forced into
the central bore a³ and the wheel at this part is clamped between suitable discs
or collars d, d², one disc or collar being formed on, or rigidly secured to, the
axle box and the other being arranged to slide on the said axle box and secured
or clamped to the fixed disc or collar by bolts e which pass through the parts or
pieces a¹ of the spokes a when the latter are in position as above mentioned. f is
a portion of the axle. The outside disc, or collar is provided with a sleeve or
extension d for protecting the axle nut f and is fitted with a screw threaded
cap g which can be removed to admit of oil or other lubricant being supplied to
the axle f. d, are strengthening webs, of which there may be any convenient
number, extending between the axle box d and the disc d.
In making the smaller sizes of wheels or those in which a smaller number of

page_text: spokes are employed, wherein it would otherwise be necessary to consume much
more wood in forming the wedge ends of the spokes sufficiently large to provide
the requisite amount of material to fill the space between the said collars or
discs, I may employ, as shown in Figure 5, wedge-shaped filling pieces h of wood
or the like. In order to prevent such pieces working loose or falling out, I may
slightly groove or undercut transversely the wedge ends of the spokes as shown
at a³. Into each of the gaps between the spokes I first insert a double-wedge or
diamond shaped metallic piece and afterwards I drive in the wedge-shaped
filling piece h which splits at its thinner end, and is thus forced into the before-
mentioned grooves or undercuts a³.
The rim or felloe b of my improved wheel is formed as usual in sections and may be
secured together by means of dowel pins 61 or otherwise, and I may in like manner
secure together the wedge ends of the spokes, or I may employ tonguing and
grooving, dovetailing, or other well-known and equivalent means for interlocking
or securing together the said parts with or without the interposition between the
joints of glue, cement, or the like, as before mentioned.
In tyring a wheel with the axle box in position the smallest inequality in the
length of the spokes or the slightest variation in the hardness or character of
the wood of which the spokes or felloes are formed, will result in the spoke or
spokes which is or are fractionally longer or more incompressible than its or their
neighbours, being compelled at each revolution of the wheel to take more than
its or their proportion of the load. It will be seen that in forming or building
up a wheel in accordance with my invention, that is to say tyring it before the
axle box is in 'position and boring out the central hole after it is tyred, these
defects are overcome.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
:-
1. The method of forming or building up a wheel consisting of first setting up
the spokes in the felloes, then compressing the said parts from the outside of the
felloes towards the centre of the wheel and applying a tyre, the central portion
of the wheel which is formed by the wedge-shaped extensions of the spokes being
then faced and bored out for the reception of the axle box substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination, in a wheel of the character referred to in the preceding
claim, of wedge-shaped filling pieces of wood or the like inserted between grooves
or undercuts in the wedge ends of the spokes, and a double wedge or diamond-
shaped metallic piece inserted into each gap between the spokes so that upon
driving in the wedge-shaped filling piece the same will be split and forced into
the before mentioned grooves or undercuts in the spokes substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
3. The combination, with a wheel of the character referred to in the preceding
claims, of an axle box consisting of a fixed disc or collar and a sliding disc or
collar which discs or collars are adapted to be secured or clamped together
when the axle box is in position in the wheel by means of bolts e, the sliding
disc or collar being extended as at "to form a protection for the axle nut fi
and being provided with a screw-threaded cap g.
4. The manufacture of wheels substantially as set forth and as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th dox of Tuly 1900
A. F. SPOONER,
323, High Holborn, London, Agent for the Applicant.