Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN FRANCIS POPE, residing at 1647, West Harrison Street, in the City of
Chicago, State of Illinois, United States, North America, by profession a Civil
Engineer and Architect, 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 that class of wheeled conveyances in which it is
necessary for the comfort of the rider to convert the jolting or concussion due to
passing over uneven ground into the more comfortable resilient motion effected
by springs or otherwise. This is now commonly effected especially in bicycles
by a pneumatic tire, which however has the disadvantage of being very liable to
puncture or fracture; and it is the intention and object of my invention of my
improved wheel to remove this liability to such accidents by having the necessary
resilient motion not located at the circumference or tire of the wheel but instead
in spiral springs located on the axle of the wheel, thereby permitting a more
solid tire which in this my invention would consist of fellies bound round with
a metallic band or tire purposely roughened on its outer surface to reduce the
tendency to sliding when the vehicle is sharply turned while in motion.
A further object is to provide means whereby when a pressure is exerted upon
the axle, as the pressure on the wheel and consequent jolting to the rider increases,
especially on rough ground, this increasing concussion may be more evenly and
gradually taken up by bringing into use the further resilient action of extra spiral
springs held in reserve for this purpose around the axle of the wheel.
Having set forth the objects I will now describe the construction of the
mechanism by which I attain these objects.
Reference being now had to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a vertical
section through the rear wheel hub of a bicycle or other like vehicle on line y y
of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross section on
the line Z Z of Fig. 1.
A represents the axle and is rigidly held from rotation by being secured to the
frame extensions by the jam nuts d'. Secured to the axle A is a ball bearing
ring on which the balls b have a slight lateral movement. The sprocket B
revolves on these balls.
Secured to the axle A by the jam nuts A and in contact with the ring b are

page_text: the guide plates A¹ of the sprocket wheel B of a sufficient diameter to form a
guide way for the sprocket B.
Rigidly fixed to the sprocket B are the motion imparting arms C, which have
at their upper ends cylindrical pulleys c carried upon the spindle c¹ of the arm C
and secured thereon by the nuts e³. When a rotary force is applied to the
sprocket B the motion is imparted to the wheel hub D by the arms C engaging
the projections M of the plate E. The plate E is screw threaded at its outer cir-
cumference and rigidly fixed to the wheel hub D by the clamping screw threaded
band F and the projecting lip f. The hub has a circular projecting rim to receive
and retain the wire spokes.
The hub of the wheel consists of the cylinder and the end plates E held together
as mentioned by the screw threaded band F. The hub revolves on balls L
located at the ends of the spring case J H. The end plates E of the hub have a
central opening of sufficient diameter to permit the movement of the hub toward
the axle equal to the resilient motion of the spiral springs N, N¹, Nº located in
the spring case J H. The spring case consists of a cylinder J and end plates H
held together by a screw threaded device at their ends. The end plates Ĥ of the
spring case have also a central opening to permit them to have a movement
toward the axle as mentioned for the hub. At the ends of the spring case near
the junction of the cylinder J and plate H is the receptacle in which the balls L,
on which the hub case revolves, are located. In this spring case J H are located
the spiral springs N, N1, N2 which may be as many in number as required. These
spiral springs are located on the axle A and are kept apart by the collars P.
Hereinafter when the "hub" is referred to the term includes the cylinder D and
end plates E, the screw threaded band F and the projecting arm M, all connected
together to form one frame. The term spring case includes the cylinder J and the end
plates H with the ball bearing receptacle all connected together to form one frame.
These two frames, the hub case and spring case with the balls L placed in their
receptacle when fitted together the spring case inside the hub case form a com-
bination frame the hub case revolving on the balls around but free from the
spring case and the combination frame free to move toward the non-rotary axle A
on the compression of the spiral springs inside the spring case.
Loosely mounted on the shaft A are the dust protecting plates K, their projecting
lips & held in contact with the plates E by the jam nuts d', and adapted when a
pressure is exerted upon the axle A to move with the axle and to be of sufficient
diameter to protect the chambers G and O from dust when the pressure on the axle
has compressed the springs N, N1, N2 in the chamber O.
Loosely fixed on the axle A and separated from one another by the collars P
are the spiral compression springs N, N1 and Nº.
When a downward pressure is exerted upon the axle A, the springs N being
of a size large enough to engage the cylinder J become compressed on the lower
side between the cylinder J and the axle A. In the further downward movement
of the axle and as the springs N become more compressed the springs N¹ engage
the cylinder J, and in a still further downward movement the springs N° engage
the cylinder. As the pressure becomes greater reducing the distance at the
bottom between the axle A and the cylinder the reserve springs N¹, Nº gradually
engage the lower inner surface of the cylinder J and the jolting that would other-
wise inconvenience the rider is converted by the resilient action of the spiral
springs into a more comfortable motion.
To allow a vertical motion of the axle in the chamber I have provided the
plate E and cone H with annular openings h³ of a size large enough to allow a
sufficient compression of the springs.
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 In a wheel bearing the combination with the shaft thereof of a series of

page_text: springs mounted side by side on said shaft, an inner stationary spring casing an
outer revoluble casing with antifriction devices between the two said casings.
2. In a wheel bearing the combination with the shaft thereof of springs con-
volute in form mounted upon said shaft, a spring casing and means for holding
the same in position certain of said springs being normally brought into action
under certain vibrations and the others constituting reserve springs which are
brought into action under greater vibration.
3. In a wheel bearing the combination with the shaft and driving wheel
mounted thereon of a stationary inner spring casing, spiral springs within said
casing mounted upon the shaft and an outer revoluble casing together with loose
connections between the driving wheel and the outer casing.
4. In a wheel bearing the combination with the shaft and driving wheel
mounted thereon of an inner casing mounted upon the shaft convolute springs
within said casing mounted upon the shaft, certain of said springs bearing upon
the casing and the others of a less diameter than the casing together with an outer
revoluble casing and loose connections between the driving wheel and the outer
casing.
.
5. In a wheel bearing the combination with the shaft of an inner stationary
spring casing springs mounted upon the shaft some of which bear upon the casing
and the others of a less diameter than said casing and an outer casing revoluble
about the shaft together with antifriction devices between the outer casing and
the inner casing.
6. The combination in a wheel bearing of a shaft a driving wheel mounted
thereon an outer casing an inner casing and springs within the inner casing
together with loose conections between the driving wheel and the outer casing
consisting of lugs extended from the outer casing and antifriction devices on the
driving wheel engaging said studs whereby to permit vibrational movements
of the outer casing.
7. In a wheel bearing the combination with the shaft of pressure receiving
springs mounted thereon an inner stationary spring casing, an outer revoluble
casing said two casings having side openings to permit vertical vibrational
movement with antifriction devices between the two casings.
1
1007
JOHN FRANCIS POPE,
Inventor.