IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, TYRES, AND HOOPS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of the firm of J. C. Robertson and Company, of 166,
Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of
June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS,
TYRES, AND HOOPS," being a communication from a certain foreigner residing
abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby declare that the nature of the said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the present Specification thereof, refer-
ence being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
The Invention consists, first, in manufacturing toothed wheels with cast
steel peripheries, each periphery being formed from one bar or piece of steel,
without weld or joint.
And, second, in manufacturing tyres and hoops, each tyre or hoop being
formed from one bar or piece of cast steel, without weld or joint.
I make use of two processes for performing the said Invention, the one is
called the hammering process, and the other the rolling process.
I will now
proceed to describe and exemplify the manner in which the Invention may be
performed by the first or hammering process. As it is requisite in order to
manufacture a good and perfect tyre that the cast steel should be sound and
free from blemish, it is advisable to remove the head or top part of or so
much of the ingot as may be hollow or porous resulting from the casting.
For ordinary tyres for railway wheels, I cast the ingot of steel of from
eight to ten inches square, and of sufficient length to form a tyre, or I vary
the size according to the required shape of the tyre. These dimensions I
have found best for tyres of the ordinary description; but I do not confine
myself thereto. Care must be observed to insure to the finished tyre that
degree of compactness and toughness obtained in forging or rolling cast steel
for other purposes, and well understood by manufacturers of cast steel. After
the ingot has been cast, as above described, and of length sufficient to form a tyre,
I forge it by means of a hammer worked by steam or other motive power to
the shape indicated in Figure 1, a plan, and Figure 2 a side view, of the bar.
This forging imparts a certain degree of compactness and toughness to the
ingot. The ingot of cast steel must be of a size somewhat larger than the
object into which it is to be forged. The proportions necessary to be
observed, and the mode of forging, with the result, are well understood by
manufacturers of cast steel. The dimensions which I have found most
desirable to forge the bar to when making a tyre, the interior diameter of
which when finished and turned is four feet, and of the section shewn in
Figure 2*, are about four feet nine inches and a half in height and three
inches and three-quarters of an inch in breadth. The ends of the bar are
forged of the shape shewn in Figure 1, and are about six inches across the
centre. These dimensions may be altered to suit different circumstances.
Figure 3 represents the anvil which I use for giving preparatory shape to

page_text: the bar. A is the anvil, supported upon a heavy block of metal B, and free
to slide to and fro in the groove a, a, formed in the base block B. The
object of this to-and-fro movement is to allow of every part of the bar being
brought gradually under the lead of the hammer.
Figure 4 represents a plan, and Figure 5 a section, of the shape the bar
assumes after it leaves the anvil. The flanges on the tyre are formed by the
upper portion of the metal being driven down by the successive blows of
the hammer until it fills up the hollow recesses b, b, in the anvil, there being
sufficient metal in the depth of the bar for that purpose. This hammering
will reduce the depth of the bar to about five inches and a quarter, which is
about the breadth of the tyre when finished. The size of the flange will
depend upon the depth of the hollow recesses b, b, which may be made of
any size and shape to suit the different kinds of tyres required. The two
ends of the bar are forged of a circular shape, as shewn in Figure 4. After
the bar has been thus partially formed, the two circular heads or ends have
drilled through each of them a hole of about two inches in diameter (more or
less), or the holes may be punched through them while the bar is in a heated
state. Figure 6 represents the bar, shewing the position of the holes a, a.
The bar is then cut or split through the centre longitudinally between the
holes a, a, as represented in Figure 7, and section, Figure 8, by means
of an ordinary slotting machine, or of circular saws, or by any other suit-
able means. The bar is then in a fit state to be opened out into the circular
shape to form the tyre. The circular ends are first expanded to the extent of
about six or eight inches by means of circular wedges, as shewn in Figure 9.
A is the wedge; B, the section of the circular end of the bar; and C, the anvil.
The wedges are driven in by means of hammers, or by pressure, while the bar
is in a heated state. The corners b, b, Figure 10, must next be removed and
shaped to a curve corresponding to the outer curve of the bar, so that when the
bar is opened out its inner surface shall be uniform and smooth. After expanding
the circular holes, the bar is transferred to an anvil, Figures 13 and 14, herein-
after described, and the circular ends are hammered in order to tighten and
compress the metal at those parts. The bar is next heated, and wedges or
keys are driven into the slot for the purpose of widening it. It is then ready
to be transferred to a drawing machine, of which Figure 11 represents a plan,
and Figure 12 a side elevation. A is a strong foundation or base plate, to
which are securely attached the draw hooks B and C. The partially opened
bar is placed over these hooks in the manner shewn, previously inserting
between the inner face of the bar and the hooks strips of metal a, a, in order
to prevent the face from being indented and injured. The hook C is formed

page_text: upon one end of a toothed rack D, which slides in a groove in the foundation
plate A. The hook B may be stationary, or may be fixed to a corresponding
rack worked from the opposite end of the draw bench; E is a pinion, which
gears into the teeth of the rack D. This pinion is keyed upon a shaft F
running across the machine, and carrying a spur wheel G, which is driven by
means of a second pinion H upon the shaft I. This shaft turns in the
plummer blocks I', and is actuated by the crank handles K, K. Should it be
found desirable, the shaft I may be driven by means of gearing from a steam
engine or any other prime mover. On motion being communicated to the
rack, the opening in the bar is enlarged. It may be found necessary during
the operation of drawing out to transfer the bar from time to time to an
anvil, represented in Figure 13 a front elevation, and Figure 14 a side view,
there to be hammered and beaten for the purpose of tightening and compressing
the metal, and keeping its surface smooth. After the sides of the bar have been
extended as far as may be requisite, the bar is removed to the anvil con-
structed in the following manner :-A is the anvil supported by its two ends
in strong pillars or frames B, B. The opening between these pillars or frames
B is to allow of the partially formed tyre being placed upon the anvil; B¹ is a
strong tie bolt, which passes through both the frames B, B, for the purpose of
rendering them more firm, and for preventing them from shaking. This
bolt must be removed each time that a tyre is put upon or taken off from
the anvil; C is a tool, the under face of which is cut to correspond to the
face of the tyre, and prevents it from being injured by the successive blows of
the hammer D; E, E, are rods attached to the tool C for guiding it, and to
enable the workinan to hold it in its place. The object of this hammering is to
equalize the thickness of all parts of the tyre, and also to impart to it a
circular shape. After the tyre has been completed thus far, it is laid in a
horizontal position upon the anvil, represented in Figure 15, and again
hammered. The edges of the tyre are here rendered more perfect, all inequali-
ties being reduced by the hammer A. The breadth of the tyre can also be
reduced when necessary. In order to insure the tyre being perfectly circular
before turning and facing it in a lathe, I subject it to a machine used for a
similar purpose in making wrought-iron wheels in the ordinary manner.
The
machine consists of several segmental pieces, which when united assume a
completely circular shape. The segments are capable of being moved by means
of screws and wedges in a direction radiating from the centre, so that upon the
tyre in a heated state being placed over them, and the necessary motion being
imparted, they will expand gradually, equally, and centrifugally to the inner
periphery of the tyre, and thereby reduce any inequalities that may still exist,

page_text: and insure a perfectly circular shape. After the tyre has undergone this last
operation it is placed in a face lathe adapted for that purpose, and turned in a
similar way to that followed in finishing wrought-iron wheels, when it is pre-
pared for being fixed upon the arms of the wheel by any of the methods
usually adopted for fixing tyres.
I will now proceed to describe the second or rolling process.
It will be
found necessary, in forming the tyres by rolling, to alter the relative dimensions
of the forged bar for making a tyre of the same size as the one already referred
to, namely four fect interior diameter. The dimensions which I have found
best adapted for this purpose are, four feet six inches in length, four inches
and three-quarters of an inch in height, and seven inches and a quarter of
an inch in breadth. The circular ends must be forged in the same proportion,
and be made eleven inches across the centre. Holes must be made through
the circular ends as before, but they must be drilled or punched of about
three inches in diameter, and the longitudinal slot cut of about a quarter of
an inch in width. The object of thus making the circular hole in each end
of the bar is, that when the bar is being expanded there shall be less strain:
and consequent injury to the inner surface, which would otherwise take place,
owing to the increased thickness of the metal in the ends.
I adopt the same method of expanding the bars and hammering the ends
as herein-before exemplified and described, with this exception, that the face.
of the tool is plain on its under side, there being no flange upon the tyre or
hoop in this stage of the operation. It will, however, be more advantageous
to give to the under surface a curve corresponding with the exterior circum-
ference of the hoop, while the surface of the anvil is shaped to correspond
with the interior circle. When the hoop is thus formed it is transferred to the
machine next to be described, for the purpose of having the flange given to it
for forming it into a tyre for railway wheels. Figure 16 is a side elevation;
Figure 17, a back elevation; Figure 18, a plan; Figure 19, a sectional elevation;
and Figure 20, a front view of this machine. A, A, is the foundation plate;
B, B', two upright standards or frames attached firmly to the foundation plate;
C, C, are two conical shafts turning in the bearings D, D', supported in the
manner shewn in the back view, Figure 17, and sectional elevation, Figure 19.
The lower shaft C turns in bearings on the standards or frames B, B', while
the bearings of the upper shaft C', are suspended from the rods E, E, and are
capable of being raised and lowered in the manner hereafter to be explained.
Upon the ends of the shafts C, C', and outside the framing are keyed two
rollers F and G, of the shape indicated in the Drawings. The lower roller F
is made plain upon its circumference, and of a width equal to the width of

page_text: the tyre when finished. The circumference of the upper roller G is turned
of a shape corresponding to the cross section of the outer circumference of
the tyre, and is used for giving to the hoop which is placed between them the
necessary shape to form the flange and outer periphery of the tyre; the
roller G is formed also with deep flanges a, a, which embrace the upper
portion of the lower roller F, and serve to keep the hoop in its relative and
proper position during the operation of rolling it into the form of the tyre.
H, H', are two strong screws, the lower ends of which are attached to sockets
in the bearings of the upper shaft C¹.in such a manner that they shall be free
to revolve. These screws are tapped at their upper ends through strong nuts
I, I, fixed in the upper portion of the frames B, B', and have keyed to them
the spur wheels L, L. The flanges b, b, of the nuts I, I¹, are placed in a
position the reverse to one another, that is to say, the flange of the nut I is
placed below the upper portion of the frame B, while the flange of the nut I'
is placed above its respective frame B². The reason for thus reversing the
position of the flanges of the nuts is, that when the hoop is placed between
the rollers, and while the operation of rolling is being performed, the tendency
of the end of the shaft nearest to the rollers is to be forced in an upright'
direction, while the other end of the shaft is forced in the downward direction,
or in reverse to the other end. The lower shaft is capable of being moved
laterally in its bearings, in order to adjust it to the action of the upper roller,
but the lower roller F is always kept in its proper and relative position to the
upper roller G by means of the flanges a, a. M is a pinion mounted upon
the shaft c, supported in the frame N. The frame N is secured at each of
its ends to the screws H, H¹, and moves up and down with them. The pinion
M gears into each of the spur wheels L, L. Upon the same shaft c that
carries the pinion M is keyed a bevil wheel O, into which works the bevil
pinion P keyed upon the cross shaft P¹, which has fixed upon it the crank
handle R, for the purpose of working the train of wheels L, L, M,
O, and P. S is a stay for giving steadiness to the standard B, during
the operation of rolling; T is a platform bolted to the frames B, on
which the workman stands to work the crank handle R. The action of
this machine is as follows:-The upper shaft C, with its roller G is
first raised (by means of the toothed wheels through the workman turning
the crank handle R) clear of the lower shaft C and roller F, so as to admit
of a hoop, prepared in the manner herein-before described, and heated to
the proper degree of heat for cast steel being placed upon the lower roller F
in the manner shewn. The the upper roller is then brought down by the
workman turning the handle in the reverse direction until its surface bears

page_text: upon the hoop, motion is then given to the upper shaft and roller G by coupling
the shaft to a steam engine or other prime mover, in the ordinary manner of
working rolling mills. Should it be found desirable at the commencement of
rolling the hoop, motion may be communicated to the lower shaft and roller F
by means of toothed wheels, as the frictional contact between the upper and
lower rollers, on account of the smaller surface of the hoop in contact with the
upper roller, may not be sufficient to cause the lower roller to revolve and
carry with it the hoop. The revolution of the rollers causes that circum-
ference of the hoop in contact with the upper roller, to gradually receive the
shape of the circumference of the upper roller G, there being always a degree
of pressure exerted upon the upper shaft by the workman continuing to turn
the crank handle R, so that the upper roller is lowered in an exact proportion
to the indentation of the circumference of the hoop, until it assumes the
perfect shape of the intended tyre. From the unequal diameter of the upper
roller, and the one side of the hoop which forms the periphery of the tyre
coming first into operation, it gives to the hoop during its elongation and
formation, a tendency to be bent inwards towards the framing. This effect I
counteract by means of two pieces of metal U, U, which project from the face
of the frame B to the edge of the hoop, when hanging perpendicularly from
the lower roller F. These pieces of metal have also the effect of reducing the
pressure against the flanges a, a, and consequently lessen their wear. In
rolling hoops for tyres of large diameters, it may be found expedient to place
rollers which shall bear upon each side of the interior diameter of the hoop,
and so prevent it from oscillating during the operation of rolling. When the
hoop has been thus formed into a tyre, the upper roller and shaft are again
raised and the tyre removed, when another hoop, heated, may be placed
thereon and the operation repeated.
For forming tyres of small diameters and of a light weight, I propose
to make them in duplicate, that is to say, I forge the hoop of twice.
the breadth in the periphery, and pass it through rollers similar to
those represented in Figure 21, where the under roller is formed of
sufficient width to form two tyres, and the upper roller has turned upon its
circumference the shape of the other circumference of two tyres, as shewn.
After the tyres have been formed by rolling, as. previously described, they
are cut in a lathe by a tool adapted to that purpose, and so separated into two.
Instead of the double tyres being rolled with their flanges united as indicated
in Figures 21 and 22, they may be rolled with the flanges on the outside, as
represented in Figures 23 and 24, and cut through the centre by the method
above described. By thus rolling the tyres in pairs I am enabled to dispense

page_text: with the pieces of metal U, U, as the pressure will be equalized on the surface
of the hoop, and the tendency to bend from the perpendicular line will be
neutralized.
For making plain tyres for plain railway wheels, I pursue the same opera-
tion of either hammering or rolling, with the exception of not giving to the
circumference of the tyre a flange, as herein-before exemplified and described.
Tyres for carriages and other vehicles for common roads may be formed in
a similar manner. I manufacture the periphery of toothed wheels from a
solid bar or piece of cast steel by either of the processes before described, or
partly by hammering and partly by rolling, forming the circumference plain,
and subsequently cutting the teeth in the mode usually adopted. Hoops for
various purposes may be formed from solid bars of cast steel, forged, expanded,
and finished by either hammering or rolling, as herein-before exemplified and
described.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is as follows:-
First, I claim the manufacturing of wheels, tyres, and hoops; the periphery
of each wheel and each tyre or hoop being produced from one solid bar of cast
steel, without welding or joining by either of the processes herein-before
described, or partly by one of such processes, and partly by the other.
And, second, I claim the making of tyres in duplicate or pairs, and cutting
them through the centre so as to form two tyres, as herein-before exemplified
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.