Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of the Component Parts of Cycles and similar Vehicles from Paper-pulp and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of the Component
Parts of Cycles and similar Vehicles from Paper-pulp and the
like.
We, EDWARD CARSTENSEN DE SEGUNDO Consulting Engineer, of 28 Victoria
Street, in the County of Middlesex, and LESLIE STEPHEN ROBINSON, Engineer,
of 28 Victoria Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture from paper-pulp, wood-pulp or other
fibrous pulp, of wheel rinis, forks, frames or parts of frames, and other component
parts of cycles, auto-cars or the like.
According to this invention the article is produced by first compressing a suitable
pulp-material in a mould of the desired internal form and having fixed and movable
sections, in order to sufficiently expel the water or other liquid or fluid. in which
the pulp and other constituents are mixed, and then applying heat, the pressure
being always continued in order to dry and compact the mass. The heating of the
material is effected by heating the mould by steam jackets, or otherwise, and the
heat may be applied on all sides of the article; it is important to the success
of the improved manufacture that heat and pressure should be maintained
simultaneously throughout a portion of the process of compression.
A further important feature of the invention is the employment of guides for the
compression-devices so shaped that clearance-spaces, instead of sharp angles, are
opposed to the pulp at the places where the compression-devices come together in
their movement to perfect or complete the form of the article; by the avoidance of
angles in this manner articles so manufactured from pulp are stronger at these
places because the excess pulp in the clearances goes into the moulded article; thus
the clearance-spaces, if properly arranged, do not mar or interfere at all with the
form of the finished article.
If desired starch or other leguminous material or size, or other binding material
is mixed intimately with the pulp before the latter is subjected to compression, so
that in the latter part of the process, in the case of starch for instance, the moist
starch is cooked by the heat applied as aforesaid, and caused to swell and burst its
cell structure; by such swelling it produces an internal pressure causing the
resulting pasty mass to permeate and fill the minute interstices of the article, and
cement the whole together, when it has subsequently dried and hardened.
Various types of apparatus may be employed to carry the foregoing process into
effect; preferably all the movable parts of the mould, which may be operated
hydraulically, should move in directions approximately normal to their pressing
surfaces. Means are provided to enable the liquid in the moist pulp to escape
during compression; conveniently the pressure surfaces of the moulds are perforated
or are constituted by wire gauze or the like laid as a facing upon escape-channels
or grooves for the liquid. In making a circular article, for instance a cycle wheel
rim, a series of plungers may conveniently be made to advance radially upon a
central core to compress the pulp around it. Or in addition to the radial plungers
there may, if desired, be others which approach the core in directions approxi-
mately parallel to its axis. For other articles the shape of the mould and cores is
modified as may be necessary the plungers being arranged, as far as possible, to

page_text: advance upon the various parts of the article in directions perpendicular to the
surfaces thereof. Where the form of the finished article necessitates it, the core
may be collapsable or made in parts or otherwise adapted for removal from
undercut portions of the work. Subsidiary cores in addition to the main core are
used where necessary; they also may be collapsable.
Dated this 1st day of July 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of the Component
Parts of Cycles and similar Vehicles from Paper-pulp and the
like.
We, EDWARD CARSTENSEN DE SEGUNDO, Consulting Engineer, of 28 Victoria
Street, in the County of Middlesex, and LESLIE STEPHEN ROBINSON, Engineer,
of 28 Victoria Street, in the County of Middlesex, 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 manufacture from paper-pulp, wood-pulp or other
fibrous pulp, of wheel rims, forks, frames or parts of frames, and other component
parts of cycles, auto-cars or the like.
According to this invention the article is produced by first compressing a suitable
pulp-material in a mould of the desired internal form and having fixed and movable"
sections, in order to sufficiently expel the water or other liquid or fluid in which
the pulp and other constituents are mixed, and then applying heat, the pressure
being always continued in order to dry and compact the mass. The heating of the
material is effected by heating the mould by steam jackets, or otherwise, and the
beat may be applied on all sides of the article; it is important to the success
of the improved manufacture that heat and pressure should be maintained
simultaneously throughout a portion of the process of compression.
A further important feature of the invention is the employment of guides for the
compression-devices so shaped that clearance-spaces, instead of sharp angles, are
opposed to the pulp at the places where the compression-devices come together in
their movement to perfect or complete the form of the article; by the avoidance of
angles in this manner articles so manufactured from pulp are stronger at these
places because the excess pulp in the clearances goes into the moulded article; thus
the clearance-spaces, if properly arranged, do not mar or interfere at all with the
form of the finished articles.
If desired starch or other leguminous material or size, or other binding material
is mixed intimately with the pulp before the latter is subjected to compression, so
that in the latter part of the process, in the case of starch for instance, the moist
starch is cooked by the heat applied as aforesaid, and caused to swell and burst its.
cell structure; by such swelling it tends to produce an internal pressure causing
the resulting pasty mass to permeate and fill the minute interstices of the
article and cement the whole together, when it has subsequently dried and
hardened.
Various types of apparatus may be employed to carry the foregoing process into
effect; preferably all the movable parts of the mould, which may be operated
hydraulically should move in directions as far as practicable normally to their
pressing surfaces. Means are provided to enable the liquid in the moist pulp to
escape during compression; conveniently the pressure surfaces of the moulds are

page_text: constituted by a wire gauze or a perforated facing or the like laid over or upon
escape-channels or grooves for the liquid, made in an imperforate backing. In
making a circular article, for instance a cycle wheel rim, a series of plungers may
conveniently be made to advance radially upon a central core to compress the pulp
around it. Or in addition to the radial plungers there may, if desired, be others
which approach the core in directions approximately parallel to its axis. For other
articles the shape of the mould and cores is modified as may be necessary the
plungers being arranged, as far as possible, to advance upon the various parts of
the article in directions perpendicular to the surfaces thereof. Where the form
of the finished article necessitates it, the core may be collapsable or made in parts
or otherwise adapted for removal from undercut portions of the work. Subsidiary
cores in addition to the main core are used where necessary; they also may be
collapsable.
In the accompanying drawings which are all in diagram form,
Fig. 1 is a section of a press for forming wheel rim from fibrous pulp, the
section being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, in the plane which the wheel rim
occupies in the apparatus during treatment;
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the press on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of part of Fig. 2 showing details which. for the sake of
clearness are omitted from the former figure.
Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of a press in which the fork of a cycle is
formed according to this invention,
Fig. 5 being a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.
'
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A. is the body of the press, which can
be carried on any convenient support and comprises chambers A' converging upon
a central circular core A2, against which the fibrous pulp is forced by segmental
plungers B, preferably operated hydraulically and adapted to slide radially
towards or away from the core A2 in guides constituted by the walls As of the
chambers A. It will be clearly seen from Fig. 1 that the guides A³ for the
compression devices B are so shaped that clearance spaces C instead of sharp
angles are opposed to the pulp at the places where the compression devices B come
together in their movement to perfect or complete the form of the article which in
the example under consideration is a wheel rim D of the transverse section
indicated by the parts marked D in Figure 2; the reason for the provision of these
clearances which are essential to the obtainment of a satisfactory product free from
weakness at the points where the segments of the rim opposite the different
plungers C coalesce, has been hereinbefore made clear.
It will be seen from Figure 2, that the core A2 is made in two parts A' A' and
that one of the side plates of the press carries a ring A which is made removable;
by removing this ring A and the section A5 which forms one side of the core A2,
and retiring the plungers B, the completed rim D, seamless and without a join can
readily be taken out of the press. The segmental plungers B are made hollow so
as to receive the heating medium herein before referred to, which is supplied to
them and circulated through them by the pipes E.
In every case all the pressure surfaces, such as the faces of the core A2 and
plungers B with which the pulp comes into contact during compression, should
consist of perforated material supported upon an imperforate backing, such as the
plates BA (Figure 3) on the plunger and core respectively, the liquid expressed
from the pulp flowing through the perforations into the spaces between the
perforated plates and the imperforate backing, and escaping out of the machine by
suitable channels in the press shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The stationary part A
may be regarded as the equivalent of the core A in Figures 1 and 2, there being
a single plunger B arranged to travel towards and away from the part A2, the
fork G being formed by compression of the pulp into cavities in the plunger B and
part A, which together constitute a matrix."

page_text: The perforated portions of the pressure surfaces are omitted for the sake of
clearness from all figures except Figure 3. A is a door in the apparatus shown
in Figures 3 and 4, through which the completed fork can be withdrawn after the
plunger has been retired a little. A wheel complete with spokes, or a disc wheel
can be produced according to this invention as readily as the rim herein before
.referred to, provided that the mould cavities are given a suitable form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Wheel rims wheels and other parts of cycles, autocars or other vehicles made
from fibrous pulp in the manner described.
2. Wheel rims wheels and other parts of cycles, autocars or other vehicles, made
from fibrous pulp by the employment of heat and pressure simultaneously substan-
tially as described.
3. In the manufacture as described of wheel rims wheels and other parts of
cycles, autocars or the like, the employment of guides such as As for the
compression devices so shaped as to afford clearance spaces such as C for the
purpose specified.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete apparatus
for the manufacture of wheel rims substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete apparatus
for the manufacture of forks substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5,
and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of Mauch 1007
ED. C. DE SEGUNDO.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.