AN IMPROVED TIRE FOR THE WHEELS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Jules Blanc, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier
Paris, in the Empire of France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TIRE FOR THE WHEELS
Sealed the 5th February 1858, and dated the 24th August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Jules Blanc, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th August 1857.
I, FRANÇOIS JULES BLANC, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention of "AN IMPROVED TIRE FOR THE WHEELS OF
RAILWAY CARRIAGES, ENGINES, AND TENDERS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The Invention consists as follows, viz., a felloe is first formed of an iron
bar, the ends of which are wedge-shaped, so as to form a lap joint when
united. This felloe fits in a concentric ring of steel forming the tire of the
wheel, which tire is constructed with a flange and with a lap joint in the same.
manner as before described. The felloe and tire thus fitted one within the
other are submitted to the heat of a furnace, and are then placed on an anvil
formed with a matrix or mould on the top, of the desired shape and size of the.
wheel.

page_text: A punch or mandril is placed in the felloe and submitted to the action of a
steam hammer, which drives it in the hollow part of the felloe, and compresses
the felloe and tire laterally together, when they are again exposed to the heat
of a furnace and finished in the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Jules Blanc in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
JULES BLANC, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, and
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said François Jules Blanc, Her special licence that I, the said François
Jules Blanc, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others às I,
the said François Jules Blanc, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED TIRE FOR THE WHEELS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, ENGINES, AND
TENDERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said François Jules
Blanc, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said François Jules Blanc, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
: The Invention consists in a novel construction of the tires of the wheels of
railway carriages, engines, and tenders, and in the apparatus employed

page_text: therefor. Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a plan of the inner ring;
Figure 2 is a plan of the outer ring; Figure 3 is a plan of the two rings
joined together forming the tire; Figure 4, section of the same; Figure 5
shews the apparatus employed for the construction of the tire. I prepare two
rings or hoops, one C, Figure 1, formed of a bar of iron (rectangular in
section), the extremities of which are previously made wedge-shaped, as shewn
at b, to form the ring. The other ring c', Figure 2, the internal diameter of
which is equal to the external diameter of the first ring, is made in the same
manner, but consists of steel having on its circumference a flange d, Figures 2,
3, and 4. The rings or hoops thus prepared are placed one within the other,
and placed so that the joints of each ring may be in an opposite direction to
each other. The two rings thus concentrically arranged are shewn in plan,
Figure 3, and in section, Figure 4. In this state they are carried to a
reverberatory furnace and heated to a welding heat. They are then withdrawn
from the furnace and deposited in a circular mould D, Figure 5, formed of
iron or steel. The rings are then placed under a pile hammer F, and in the
space G of the double ring, I insert an iron or steel mandril or punch H, the
conical form and dimensions of which are regulated according to the diameter
of the tires to be obtained. The head of the punch is then rapidly struck
with the pile hammer F, which by forcing the punch into the space G, effects
the welding of the rings by lateral pressure. As soon as the punch reaches
the bottom of the rings, the mould is overturned, and the rings become
disengaged by contraction; they are then taken to a furnace to be heated,
and afterwards finished by the ordinary processes. The overturning of the
mould for the removal of the punch and rings may be avoided. For this
purpose it is necessary to make the mould longer, and to form in its lower.
part an opening sufficiently large to give passage to the punch. By this
arrangement, when the punch is forced down by the pile hammer to the
bottom of the rings, the blows are continued until it has fallen to the bottom
of the mould, when it is withdrawn through the said opening; this latter
method is preferable as being more expeditious; it allows of the mould being
made of greater strength, not being displaced at each operation. The punch in
passing through the centre of the two rings for compressing them carries along
with it the excess of iron. To lessen the waste and at the same time to remove
it by the action of the punch, I place in the mould at the part where the rings
are placed a ring of cast steel, the diameter of which is adjusted so as to leave
the least possible play for the passage of the punch. The waste iron carried
along by the punch is detached by the edge of the steel ring; the interposition
of the steel ring possesses besides the advantage of preventing the mould from

page_text: scaling under the action of the hammer. Moreover, by employing rings of
different thicknesses, I am enabled to employ the same mould for tires of
different widths. The steel ring may be of one piece or of several segments;.
instead of using the punch separately, it may be fixed to the hammer. This
latter method is simpler for working, but experienee will enable the workinan
to judge for himself which is the best suited to circumstances. It has been
stated that the steel tire should have a flange previously formed upon it, and
it is indispensable in order not to destroy this flange under the action of the
hammer, that the internal edge of the mould D, Figure 5, should be hollowed
out in the form shewn at O, O, for receiving the flange.
Having now described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I observe in conclusion that I do not confine myself to
the exact details of construction, reserving the right of modifying the same;
what I claim is,-
First, the constructing the tires, of wheels of railway carriages, engines, and
tenders of an iron and steel ring joined together, as herein-before described,
and shewn in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, the arrangement of apparatus for welding the iron and steel ring
together to form a tire, as herein-before described, and represented in Figure 5
of the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Jules Blanc, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
F. J. BLANC. (L.S.)