AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PEARSE, of Tavistock, in the County of Devon, Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Nineteenth day of July, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Pearse, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Pearse, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Pearse, 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, my Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John Pearse,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Pearse, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in

page_text: and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:-
My Invention relates to a mode of constructing and of applying wooden
spokes of wheels in such manner that they (when below the axletrees) support
the downward pressure of the load, and when above the axletrees they aid to
sustain the load by the property of suspension, owing to the ends of the spokes
being so formed and applied that they are permanently affixed to the felloes or
outward rings of the wheels, and also to the naves thereof, in addition to
which I construct the spokes with or apply thereto diagonal stays, by which
means I am enabled to obtain upright wheels of a much more durable kind,
and of greater strength than heretofore accomplished according to the ordinary
means of applying and constructing wooden spokes of wheels.
Having thus generally explained the nature and object of my Invention,
I will proceed to describe the Drawing annexed, which shows a wheel con-
structed according to my Invention, and which I believe is a most convenient
and practical arrangement for carrying out my Invention; at the same time
I would remark, that I do not confine myself to the mode of forming the ends
of the spokes in order to their being fixed permanently in the nave and in the
outer ring.
Fig 1 is a side view of a wheel, and Fig 2 is an edge view in section.
a, a, are the spokes, those ends thereof which are affixed to the nave having
diagonal stays b, b, (see section, Fig 2,) which I prefer to be formed from
the same piece of wood as the part a. At the same time, the part b may be
affixed to the spoke a. In Figro I. various formations of the ends of the
spokes a are shown, by which, when they are in combination with the felloes
c, c, they will not be able to be drawn in towards the nave by the load; and
I would remark, that I prefer that there should be pins or dowels of iron, as
at e, e, Fig. 2, by which the spokes a and the felloes c are combined together,
in addition to the iron ring or tyer, which is to be shrunk on in the usual way.
ffff, show the inner ends of the spokes are formed dovetailed, to suit the
figure of the tenon or opening formed in the nave g; hence when the wedges
h are driven in, the spokes will be securely retained in the nave, and will not
be capable of being drawn out therefrom. And in order more effectually to
secure the ends f, I prefer, when the wooden wedges have been driven in, that
thin metal wedges should be driven into the wedges h, in order to expand
them, and make their holding more certain.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would remark, that
I lay no claim to the parts separately; and I would have it understood that

page_text: what I claim as my Invention is, the mode herein described of constructing
and applying wooden spokes with diagonal stays to the felloes and naves of
wheels in such manner as to act on the double principle of sustaining the
weight of the load from above by suspension, and from below the nave by
propping, and for the mode of applying the diagonal stays to take the side
strain of the load on the wheel, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Pearse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord