Certain Improvements in the Construction of Wheels and Axle Boxes for Common Road and other Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1595-Accented, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL DIMITIVATION.
Certain Improvements in the Construction of Wheels and Axle
Boxes for Common Road and other Vehicles.
We, SAM THOMAS RICHARDSON, of 3ª, Rea Street, Birmingham, Cycle
Manufacturer, and ALFRED SMALLWOOD, of Globe Metal Works, Smallheath,
Birmingham, Metal Merchant, and RICHARD PRICE, of 3 Rea Street, aforesaid,
Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in the construction
of wheels and axle boxes for common road and other vehicles. By our invention
we so construct the wheel hub that any one or more of the spokes can readily be
removed and replaced if required. We also so arrange the axle box for the said
hub with ball bearings as to run for a long time without being refilled with oil and so
as to be perfectly dust proof, and so that when the wheel hub is removed from the
axle aim the balls will not fall out.
In carrying out this invention we make the wheel hub wholly or partly of metal
or other suitable substance and according to one arrangement of this invention the
said hub is made of two principal parts as if it were divided in a plane at right
angles to the axle and corresponding with the face of the spokes so that one of the
said parts of the hub is made with recesses corresponding to the spokes and in
which the ends of the spokes fit the said spokes being there secured by the second
part of the hub which fits against the first said part one or both of the said parts
of the hub being made with a projecting side ring or with pegs or other projections
which engage in corresponding holes or recesses in the spokes and thus fix the
spokes in the hub. When the two parts of the hub are separated from each other
the spokes can readily be removed by being pulled sideways out of the said
recesses in the one part of the hub. Instead of making the hub in two principal
parts as above described the said hub may be made in three principal parts namely
the central part made with the recesses corresponding with the spokes and in which
the spokes fit and two ring like side parts which fit and are secured against the
sides of the central part to keep the spokes in place. As above stated the whole
of the hub may be made of malleable iron or other metal or the smaller parts of
the sides of the central part may be made of wood or of a wooden ring fitted on to a
metal core. The hub above described is suitable for use with spokes of any kind
whether made of wood metal tubes or other substance.
The
The hub above described is fitted on to or formed with a metal tubular part
forming the axle box. At each end of the axle box there is provided a ball
bearing the said balls running against ball races formed by collars on the axle, or
collars formed on a tubular sleeve which we provide to fit on the axle arm.
front end of the axle box is provided with a cap which screws into or on to the axle
box and is formed inside for the balls to bear against, this cap being protected if
desired by the usual front hoop or band which is fixed on to the hub.
The back
end of the axle box is provided with a dust proof collar also protected if desired
by a hoop or band on the back of the hub which collar is screwed or otherwise
secured in the end of the axle box and may or may not be threaded on to the axle
before the axle is welded up the inside of this collar being turned to form the ball
race for the balls to bear against. It will be seen that when the said collar is
screwed into the back end of the axle box and the cap is screwed into the front

page_text: end of the same the axle box will form a large oil reservoir so as to keep the ball
bearings oiled for a long time without refilling.
When the collars forming the ball race are made in a piece with the axle arm as
stated above then in order to remove the wheel from the axle the collar at the
back end of the axle has first to be unscrewed from the axle box, but when the said
collars forming the ball race are made in a piece with the tubular sleeve which fits
on the axle arm then by first removing the cotter peg or other device which fixes
the tubular sleeve to the axle arn, the tubular sleeve with the wheel hub and ball
bearings can be removed together so that in this case the balls are not disturbed
and there is no possibility of their coming out of the axle box.
The ball bearing at the back end of the axle box is by preference made larger
than the ball bearing at the front thereof so that the strength of the axle is
maintained. Also when the said tubular sleeve is used this sleeve is by
preference made slightly taper that is smaller at the front end so as to fit securely
on the axle arm and enable the axle arm to be made of larger diameter at the
back end.
Dated the 20th day of November 1894.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
Certain Improvements in the Construction of Wheels and Axle
Boxes for Common Road and other Vehicles.
We, SAM THOMAS RICHARDSON, of 3A, Rea Street, Birmingham, Cycle
Manufacturer, and ALFRED SMALLWOOD, of Globe Metal Works, Smallheath,
Birmingham, Metal Merchant, and RICHARD PRICE, of 34, Rea Street, aforesaid,
Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in the construction
of wheels and axle boxes for common road and other vehicles. By our invention
we so construct the wheel hub that any one or more of the spokes can readily be
removed and replaced if required. We also so arrange the axle box for the said
hub with ball bearings as to run for a long time without being refilled with oil and
so as to be perfectly dust proof, ard so that when the wheel hub is removed from
the axle arm the balls will not fall out.
We will describe this invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a wheel hub and axle box constructed according
to this invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on line X X of
Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 shews two parts of the wheel hub separately;
Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the said wheel hub when made in three parts
according to a modification of this invention;
Fig. 5 shews the end of the axle for fitting in the axle box in Figs. 1 and 2;
Fig. 6 shews an alternate method of forming the axle to which however we
make no claim ;
Fig. 7 illustrates a modification of the said hub and Fig. 8 and further
modification of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures of the drawings.
According to one arrangement of this invention as shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
[the

page_text: the wheel hub is made of metal or other suitable substance and in two principal
parts as if it were divided in a plane at right angles to the axle and corresponding
with the face of the spokes C. These two parts of the hub are marked
respectively A and B and they are shewn separately by Fig. 3. One of the
parts of the hub namely that marked B is made with recesses corresponding to
the spokes C and in which the ends of the spokes fit the said spokes being there
secured by the second part A of the hub which fits against the first part B and
is secured thereto by being screwed therein at 62 or by other suitable means. This
second part A is made with a flange a² on which there is a projecting side ring a¹
(or instead of the continuous ring a¹ there may be projecting pegs or other
projections) which engage in corresponding holes or recesses c' in the spokes C and
thus fix the spokes in the hub. When the two parts A and B of the hub are
unscrewed and separated from each other as shewn in Fig. 3 the spokes C can
readily be removed by being pulled sideways out of the recesses in the part of
the hub B and they can be as readily replaced. The end portions of the two
parts A and B of the hub are bored at a³ ³ so as to fit on to the axle box E herein-
after described.
Instead of making the hub in two principal parts namely A and B as above
described the said hub may be made in three principal parts as shewn in Fig. 4
namely the central ring like part D made with the recesses 6' round the outside
corresponding with the spokes Cand in which the spokes fit and two ring like
side parts A and B which fit and are secured against the sides of the central
part D (by being screwed therein as shewn) to keep the spokes in place. The hub
above described is suitable for use with spokes of any kind whether made of wood,
metal tubes or other substance.
As above stated the whole of the hub may be made of inalleable iron or other
metal or the ring like parts A and B may as shewn in Fig. 7 be made of wood
fitted on to the metal core E which also forms the axle box. The central part D
which as above described is made with the recesses for the spokes is made of metal
and there is a metal washer M fitted on the axle box E between the spokes and
the part A of the hub and made with the projecting ring a' which as aforesaid
engages with the spokes to keep them in place.
At each end of the axle box E there is provided a ball bearing the said balls f
of which run against ball races formed by the collars g¹g formed on a tubular
sleeve which we provide to fit on the axle arm H. This tubular sleeve is by
preference made in three pieces as shewn by Fig. 1 marked respectively G¹ G' G³
(or the sleeve may be made in one piece) which are threaded on to the axle arm H
and made so as to engage together by projecting parts such as 9 being provided on
one of them to engage with corresponding recesses on the others. The object of
making the said sleeve in three parts is that one or any of them can be renewed
without having to renew the whole of the sleeve. The part G³ of the sleeve is
secured to the axle arm by a cotter pin or the like passing through the hole g³ and
by the other end portion G¹ of the sleeve being screwed on to the end h' of the
axle. It will be understood that one end of the axle H is screwed with a right
hand thread and the other end with a left hand thread as is at present usually
done so as to prevent the end portions of the sleeve coming unscrewed. The
front end of the axle box E is provided with a cap I which screws into or on to
the axle box E and is turned inside for the balls to bear against. This cap I
may if desired be protected by the usual front hoop or band j' which is fixed on to
the hub A as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The back end of the axle box E is
provided with a dust proof collar K screwed in the other end of the axle box E
and through which the axle H or sleeve G³ pass. This collar K is turned inside
to form the ball race for the balls to bear against. The collar K may it desired
be protected by a hoop or band j' fixed on the back of the hub B as shewn by
dotted lines in Fig. 1. The collars and K are both formed with projecting
flanges marked respectively it which bear against the ends of the hub A B and
thus retain the same in position on the axle box E.

page_text: It will be seen that when the collar K is screwed in the back end of the axle
box E and the cap I is screwed into the front end of the same as shewn in Fig. 1
the axle box E will form a large oil reservoir so as to keep the ball bearings oiled
for a long time without refilling.
When the collars g¹² forming the ball races are made in a piece with the axle
arm H as stated above and as shewn in Fig. 6 then in order to remove the wheel
from the axle the ball bearing collar K at the back of the axle box has first to be
unscrewed therefrom; but when the collars g' g' forming the ball races are made in
a piece with the tubular sleeve G as shewn in Figs. 1 and 7 then by first removing
the cotter pin from the hole which fixes the tubular sleeve to the axle arm the
tubular sleeve G1 G2 G³ with the wheel hub A B and the ball bearings can be
removed together by unscrewing the sleeve from the axle arm so that in this case
the balls fare not disturbed and there is no possibility of their getting out of the
axle box.
The said sleeve is by preference slightly taper that is smaller at the front end and
so as to fit securely in the axle arm and enable the latter to be made larger at the
back end as is usual.
Fig. 8 shews an alternative method of fixing the axle box on the axle arm H by
an ordinary nut n and cotter pin o so that in case the bolts should break and the
axle box thereby be prevented from turning freely, the cotter pin could be removed
from the hole g and then the sleeve would revolve with the hub on the axle arm
like an ordinary axle box.
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. The hereindescribed improvement in the hubs of common road and other
vehicle wheels, consisting in making the said hub in two principal ring like
parts as if it were divided in a plane at right angles to the axle and corresponding
with the face of the spokes, one of the said ring like parts having recesses in which
the ends of the spokes fit and the other said ring like part being adapted to fit
against and engage with the spokes to keep the same in the said recesses the said
two ring like parts being screwed or otherwise removably secured together so as to
permit of their being separated to remove or replace a spoke when required,
substantially as herein set forth.
2. In a vehicle wheel and in combination with the spokes, a hub made in two
principal ring like parts A and B of which the part B is made with recesses in
which the ends of the spokes fit the other part A fitting against the spokes and
being provided with a ring or projection a¹ to engage with recesses therein, the said
two parts of the hub being removably fixed together and threaded on the axle box
substantially as set forth.
3. The hereindescribed improvement in the hubs of common road and other like
vehicles consisting in making the said hub in three principal ring like parts namely
a central ring like part having recesses in which the ends of the spokes fit and two
outer ring like parts adapted to fit against and be secured to the central part
the said three parts being threaded and secured on to the axle box substantially as
set forth.
4. In a ball bearing axle box for the wheels of common road and other vehicles
the combination of a sleeve made in three parts such as G¹ G' G³ fitted together
and adapted to fit on to the axle arm and having projecting collars such as g¹ g³
forming the ball races, a tubular axle box such as E surrounding the said sleeve
and provided with end collars such as I and K screwed therein and forming with
the collars gl the ball races for the balls substantially as hereindescribed.
5. The improved combined hub and ball bearing axle box herein before described
with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, consisting of the
two ring like parts A and B fitted together and holding the spokes as set forth,
a tube or liner E on which the two parts A and B are fitted, the collars I K screwed

page_text: into said liner and forming the ball races and the two sets of balls adapted to
roll against the collars I K and collars gl g³ formed on the axle arm, or on a sleeve
adapted to be threaded thereon, substantially as set forth.
6. The improved combined hub and ball bearing axle box hereinbefore described
with reference more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings,
consisting of three ring like parts A B and D fitted together and holding the
spokes between them as set forth, a tube or liner E on which the three parts A B
and D are fitted, the collars I K screwed into said liner and forming the ball races
and the two sets of balls f adapted to roll against the collars I K and collars such
as formed on the axle arm, or on a sleeve adapted to be threaded thereon,
substantially as set forth.
7. The improved combined hub and ball bearing axle box hereinbefore described
with reference more particularly to Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings, consisting
of three ring like parts A B and D and washer M fitted together and holding the
spokes as set forth, a tube or liner E on which the parts A B D and M are fitted,
the collars I K screwed into said liner and forming the ball races and the two sets
of balls fadapted to roll against the collars 1 K and collars such as g' g' formed on
the axle arm or on a sleeve adapted to be threaded thereon, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 27th day of September 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.