Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 189)—Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL DI ECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
We, JOHN WILLIAM HALL, of 13 Solway View, Whitehaven, in the County of
Cumberland, Engineer, and HENRY LOUIS PHILLIPS of 57 Moorgate Street, in the
City and County of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to wheels for velocipedes, and other vehicles, and it has for
its object the reduction of vibration.
We attain this object in the following
manner:-
We construct a wheel preferably on the suspension principle with a rim-
either hollow or solid-adapted to receive an elastic cushion or its equivalent. This
elastic cushion or its equivalent is attached to the outer circumference of the rim by
any suitable means. To the outer circumference of this elastic cushion or its
equivalent we attach a metallic rim adapted either to carry a tyre of rubber, leather,
or other suitable material or to form the tyre itself.
The elastic cushion or its equivalent may either take the form of one or more
hollow or tubular rings, adapted to be inflated or expanded by air under pressure,
or by any other suitable means, or it may take the form of one or more solid rubber
bands of any suitable size and section.
The lateral movement of the outer rim of the wheel with respect to the inner one
may be overcome by means of inwardly projecting radial guide flanges or their
equivalents, adapted to embrace or slide over the edges of the inner rim of the wheel.
When our improvement is applied to a driving wheel, motion is transmitted from the
inner to the outer rim by means of drag links, or by means of the aforesaid radial
guide flanges modified to serve both purposes.
If the elastic cushion takes the form of one or more inflated tubes, it may be
protected by means of canvas or other suitable material.
nu: 19th day of December 1889
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers, 70-72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
We, JOHN WILLIAM HALL, of 13, Solway View, Whitehaven, in the County of
Cumberland, Engineer, and HENRY LOUIS PHILLIPS, of 57 Moorgate Street, in the
City and County of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in wheels for velocipedes and other vehicles,
and it consists in fixing the tyre (which is preferably of rubber) in a metal rim,
between which rim and an inner metal rim (to which the spokes of the wheel are
attached) is an annular elastic cushion preferably of rubber and in the form of an
annular tube which may if desired be inflated or filled with air, water, or other fluid;
our object being, the reduction of vibration in the velocipede or other vehicle, by
interposing between an outer rim carrying the tyre and an inner rim to which the
spokes of the wheel of the velocipede or other vehicle are attached, a non-conducting
or nearly non-conducting medium so as to absorb the vibration set up when the wheel
marian

page_text: We carry our invention into effect in the manner described herein and illustrated
by the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which
Figure 1 is a view in transverse section of the annular elastic hollow cushion and
the inner and outer metal rims attached thereto, the latter of which carries the solid
rubber tyre.
Figure 2 is a similar view in transverse section showing a modification of the
several parts thereof.
Figures 3 and 4 are views in transverse section and broken side elevation
respectively showing another form of our invention as designed to afford better
protection to the elastic cushion aforesaid, and
Figure 5 is a view in broken longitudinal section of a further modification
thereof.
Throughout the several views similar parts are marked with like letters of
reference.
Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing we take an annular hollow
elastic cushion A formed with longitudinal flanges a a.
This hollow elastic cushion
is fixed to a rim B-having a central depression b. adapted to receive one of the
flanges a by cementing, or vulcanizing, or by any other suitable means, and either
with or without small rivets or screws x. x etc. passing transversely through the
flange a.
To the outer or larger circumference of the annular hollow cushion A is fixed a
flanged rim C adapted to carry an ordinary tyre D of rubber or other suitable
substance or material, and to receive the other flange a of the hollow cushion A.
The rim Cis fixed to the hollow cushion A in any suitable manner, but preferably
as shown in the drawing with the small transverse rivets or screws y. y etc.
We do not bind ourselves to the use of tyres or rims of any particular shape or
construction, or to the method we employ to obtain the greatest amount of
elasticity from the elastic hollow cushion A which may either be an annular tube
formed of rubber or of other suitable substance, or material, capable if desired of
being inflated or filled with air, water or other fluid in which case it will preferably
take the form shown by Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, or it may be of
: thicker substance (but also hollow) as shown by Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawing.
If desired, the elastic hollow cushion A may be strengthened by the use of
sufficiently thick canvas or other suitable material or substance in conjunction
therewith. At its connection with the rims it may also be strengthened if desired
by means of canvas or other suitable material worked into the substance of the
elastic cushion.
If it be thought desirable to provide extra lateral support to the hollow elastic
cushion we form projecting flanges band c' on the rims B and C respectively,
adapted to either wholly or partially enclose the cushion A (but not so as to prevent
full play to its elasticity in the direction required), and we form or fix studs von one
rim adapted to engage with holes or slots w in the other rim as shown by
Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
If the hollow elastic cushion A is wholly enclosed by the rims as shown in the
drawing Figure 3 it may be made somewhat lighter.
Another means of preventing excessive circumferential movement between the two
rims is to connect them together by a series of drag links, or to connect the interior
surfaces of the cushion A together by a series of flexible links a¹ made of strong
canvas or of other suitable material or substance, and fixed to the interior surfaces of
the cushion in any convenient manner.
It will be understood that the inner or smaller diameter of the rim C should be
preferably less than the outer diameter of the elastic cushion A so that a better fit
between the two may be obtained when they are properly fitted together.
When our improved wheel is intended to be fitted with wire spokes as in a
velocipede, the inner rim B is fashioned to adapt it to receive the wire spokes in any
suitable manner as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing, and if the

page_text: elastic hollow cushion A is intended to be inflated or filled with air, water, or other
fluid, it will be provided with one or more suitable nozzle valves for that purpose. In
some cases however the hollow elastic cushion may be inflated during the process of
its manufacture.
.
Instead of making the hollow elastic cushion in a continuous length and with one
chamber, it may be made up of distinct or separate segments forming separate
chambers or cells, or it may be made cellular in one length by means of suitable walls
or partitions.
Sometimes instead of having one hollow elastic cushion as and for the purposes
described, we prefer to use two or more such cushions but of smaller diameter,
and such cushions may be either enclosed within a larger elastic cushion or they may
be held together by suitable bands or ties placed at different portions of their length
or by other suitable means.
We wish it to be particularly understood that we do not bind ourselves to the
precise details of construction herein set forth and shown by the accompanying
drawing, but we hold ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations
therein as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.
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 :-
→
1st. In a wheel for velocipedes and other vehicles, the combination of an annular
hollow elastic cushion attached to its inner or smaller circumference to a metal rim
(to which rim are secured the ends of the spokes) with another metal rim carrying
the tyre, which rim is attached to the outer or larger circumference of the hollow
elastic cushion, substantially as described herein and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing.
2nd. In a wheel for velocipedes and other vehicles, the combination of an annular
hollow elastic cushion filled or inflated as described herein, attached at its inner or
smaller circumference to a metal rim (to which rim are secured the ends of the
spokes) with another metal rim carrying the tyre, which rim is attached to the outer
or larger circumference of the hollow elastic cushion, substantially as described herein
and shown.
3rd. In a wheel for velocipedes and other vehicles, the combination of two or
more annular hollow elastic cushions filled or inflated as berein described, attached
to a metal rim (to which rim are secured the ends of the spokes) with another metal
rim carrying the tyre which rim is attached to the hollow elastic cushion,
substantially as herein described.
4th. In a wheel for velocipedes and other vehicles, the combination of two or more
annular hollow elastic cushions inserted into a larger annular hollow elastic cushion
attached at its inner or smaller circumference to a metal rim to which the ends of
the spokes are secured, with another metal rim carrying the tyre, such rim being
attached to the outer or larger circumference of the larger hollow cushion
substantially as set forth.
5th. In elastic hollow cushions for vehicle wheels for the purposes set forth,
forming such hollow cushions in two or more divisions or sections, so that if placed
end to end they would together make up a cellular cushion of the length required,
substantially as set forth.
6th. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of the main rim B, of the hollow elastic
cushion A, and of the rim C with the tyre D, all combined, arranged and operating as
set forth.
7th. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of the main rim B, of the hollow elastic
cushion A with circumferential flanges a. a, and of the rim C with the tyre D, all
constructed, arranged, and operating as and for the purpose set forth.
8th. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of the main rim B, having circumferential
flanges b¹, b', of the rim C having circumferential flanges c', c', of the hollow elastic

page_text: cushion A, and of the tyre D, all combined, arranged, and operating as and for the
purpose set forth.
9th. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of the main rim B having circumferential
flanges 6 6, of the rim C having circumferential flanges c¹ c¹ adapted to slide over
the flanges b' b of the rim B, of the studs v. vengaging with the holes or slots w. w,
of the hollow elastic cushion A, and of the tyre D, all constructed, arranged, and
operating, as and for the purpose set forth.
10th. In a vehicle wheel the combination of the main rim B, of the rim C, of the
tyre D, of the hollow elastic cushion A, and of the flexible links a¹ a¹, all combined,
arranged, and operating, as and for the purpose set forth.
101
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70-72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.