Improvements in Wheel Hubs.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheel Hubs.
I, BEAUCHAMP HENRY MONTGOMERY, residing at 60 St. Mary Street, in the
City of Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province of Ontario, Traveller,
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 certain improvements in wheel hubs and more
particularly to the bubs of that class of wheels known as vehicle wheels; and the
object of the invention is to provide the hub of the wheel with an annular chamber
or cavity entirely surrounding the bure, and serving as a reservoir to contain oil or
other lubricating liquids, to provide this chamber with a direct communication with
the bore of the hub, and also to provide the chamber with means by which it can
be readily filled, without removing the wheel from the axle; also to provide the
outer circumference of the wheel hub with a fixed spoke flange and a removable
spoke flange, by means of which the inner ends of the spokes are secured to the
hub; and the invention consists essentially of the device hereinafter more fully set
forth and more particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle wheel, showing it provided with a hub
constructed on my principle.
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the lines a-a Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the lines 6-6 Fig. 1.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and
drawings.
Formed.
The invention consists essentially of a wheel hub A, having the usual bore B
formed centrally through it to receive the axle A. The hub A is cored out in
such a manner as to have formed within it a chamber C, which entirely surrounds
the bore, and serves as a reservoir to contain oil or other lubricant.
through the hub A from the chamber C is an opening D, which forms the means
of communication between the said chamber and the bore of the hub, and allows
the oil to gradually run from the said chamber to the axle. Formed through the
hub from the chamber C to the outer periphery of the hub is a screw-threaded
opening E, the outer end of which is fitted with a screw-threaded plug F.
The lubricant is introduced into the chamber C through the opening E. The
purpose of the plug F is two-fold: First, to prevent the lubricant running out
of the chamber through the opening E, and, second, to exclude the atmosphere
from the chamber, in order that the lubricant will not be forced through the
opening D to the axle by the atmospheric pressure. By supplying the chamber C
with a lubricant, the lubricant is automatically and gradually fed to the axle, with
the result that there is no danger of the axle becoming heated by reason of not
being lubricated. The shoulder of the axle is fitted with a washer a', which
entirely closes the inner end of the bore of the hub, whilst the outer end of the
axle is fitted with a nut all and a washer a", which completely close the outer end
of the bore. Formed medially in the perimeter of the hub A are a series of spoke
sockets G, and located at the inner end of the spoke sockets G is a fixed flange H,
which is provided at equi-distant points with holes or sockets I. Located at the
opposite side of the spoke sockets is a removable flange J, the inuer face K of

page_text: which is screw-threaded to engage with the screw-threaded portion L of the
hub A. The flange J is provided with a series of screw-threaded holes M,
corresponding in number and location with the holes I. Passing through the
holes M-I are screw-bolts N, which pass between two adjacent spokes, and
securely lock together the said flanges. The bolts N assist the spoke sockets in
maintaining the spokes in their proper relative position. By means of the
removable flange a broken spoke can be readily removed from the wheel without
taking the wheel to pieces, and a new spoke can be substituted for the broken
spoke, and the removable flange replaced and locked in position. The operation
of removing audl replacing a spoke in a hub constructed on this principle will
occupy the space only of a few minutes. By making the hub without the flanges
and spoke sockets, it can be inserted into the bore of a large sized wheel hub,
aud answer the purposes of a boxing, oiling the axle in the same manner as just
described.
These improvements can be applied to the hub of any style of wheel, such as a
bicycle wheel, a vehicle wheel, a car wheel, the wheel of an agricultural implement,
or to loose pulleys.
Having now particularly described and ascertained, the nature of my said
invention, I hereby declare that what I claim.is:
1. In a wheel hub, a closed chamber formed within the hub and surrounding the
middle of the bore, serving as a reservoir to contain the lubricant, a closed opening
from the said chamber to the perimeter of the hub, and an outlet opening from the
chamber to the bore of the hub to feed the lubricant from the chamber to the axle,
substantially as specified.
2. A wheel hub having bore formed centrally through it, a closed chamber
cored out in the hub, entirely surrounding the bore, serving as a reservoir to
contain the lubricant, an opening from the chamber to the perimeter of the hub to
allow of the admission of the lubricant, an opening from the chamber to the bore,
a series of spoke sockete formed medially in the perimeter of the hub, a flange
formed integrally with the hub at one side of the spoke sockets, the perimeter of
the hub screw threaded at the said opposite side of the spoke sockets, a removable
flange screw threaded to engage the said screw threaded portion of the hub, the
removable flange when in position opposed to the fixed flange, a serios of bolts.
passing through the said flanges locking them together, and assisting the spoke
sockets in maintaining the spokes in their proper relative positions, substantially as
specified.
3. In a wheel hub, the combination of a fixed flange, a series of spoke sockets
formed medially in the perimeter of the wheel hub, a fixed flange secured to the
perimeter of the wheel hub at one side of the spoke sockets, a removable flange
secured to the perimeter of the wheel hub at the opposite side of the spoke sockets,.
bolts passing through the flanges for the purpose of locking them together,
substantially as specified.
4. In a wheel hub, the combination of a lubricant chamber surrounding the
bore, means for communication from the said chamber to the bore, means for.
filling the said chamber, a series of spoke sockets formed medially in the perimeter
of the hub, a fixed flange secured to the perimeter of the hub, a movable flange
removeably secured to the perimeter of the hub at the opposite side of the spoke
sockets, and a series of bolts passing through the said flanges for the purpose of
securely locking them together, substantially as specified.
5. In a wheel hub the combination of a chamber surrounding the bore, means of
communication from said chamber to said bore, a fixed flange secured to the outer
circumference of the hub, a movable flange secured to the outer circumference of
said hub, and adapted to be moved to and from the fixed flange, means for dividing
the space between the said flanges into any suitable number of compartments, and
means for locking together the two flanges, substantially as specified.

page_text: 6. The wheel hub hereinhefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 24th day of December 1896.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.