Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
I, CLAUDE DEGRANGE, of 196, Cours de Villeurbanne, Lyons, in the Republic
of France, Wheelwright, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows: -
My invention relates to the assemblage of the spokes and the hubs in wooden
wheels for vehicles of all kinds.
By far the greater number of accidents caused by the wheels of vehicles are
occasioned by the rupture of the spokes where they join the hub, that is to say,
the tenon of the spoke which assembles this latter with the hub usually breaks
off flush with the hub. The object of my invention is to obviate this defect
by strengthening the spokes in proximity to that portion which enters the hub
by means of a metallic part or fitting.
In one form of the device the same is made T-shaped, the large branch or
web being of the same width as the spoke and of greater height than the tenon;
the transverse portion or band plate is of a width equal to the thickness of the
tenon and of a height greater than that of the web, so as to provide for the
reception of a bolt or screws.
The spoke has a saw cut formed in the middle of its thickness, into which
cut is inserted the web plate, whilst the band plate bears against the rear of
the spoke, that is to say upon that side of the spoke which will eventually be
next to the body of the vehicle; the upper portion of this band is firmly connected
with the spoke by means of a bolt, the head of which serves at the same time
as a bearing for the web plate.
The spoke provided with this device is fitted into the hub in the ordinary
manner; the spoking maintains the device firmly fixed in the spoke the assemblage
thus retains all the elasticity imparted by the pressure of wood against wood
whilst acquiring considerable additional strength owing to the provision of the
metal part.
The head of the bolt which bears against the upper part of the web is advan-
tageously made of elongated form.
The device may consist of two parts riveted together if sheet steel is employed,
but it may also be made in a single piece either forged or cast according to the
metal used; thickness will of course depend upon the strength required.
The band plate may be elongated behind in order to fix it to the spoke by
means of several bolts or screws, so that the device may be of greater of less
height but always greater than the height of the tenon.
The second form of device consists merely of a reinforcement of the tenon
of the spoke by means of a plate of sheet metal or any other suitable metal, such
plate being inserted within the spoke and preferably for its entire width. This
plate should be of greater height than the tenon in order that it may extend
within the spoke and thus render the assemblage more rigid; it is fixed in
position by means of rivets, screws, bolts or the like, preferably arranged in an
alternate manner.

page_text: This form of the device may be manufactured at a very low cost, but does
not possess such strength as the form first described.
Finally, the third form of the device consists in affecting the strengthening
by means of two distinct parts having the form of a T-iron and which are arranged
opposite one to the other upon the sides of the spoke, the counter plate or central
web of each one of them being inserted in the thickness of the tenon and
extending within the spoke for some little distance in order to impart strength
to the assemblage. These two parts are rigidly connected together at their upper
portions by means of a bolt or bolts passing through their two band plates and
through the width of the spoke.
Dated this 13th day of April 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, CLAUDE DEGRANGE, of 190, Cours de Villeurbanne, Lyons, in the Republic
of France, Wheelwright, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the assemblage of the spokes and the hubs in wooden
wheels for vehicles of all kinds.
By far the greater number of accidents caused by the wheels of vehicles are
occasioned by the rupture of the spokes where they join the hub, that is to say,
the tenon of the spoke which assembles this latter with the hub usually breaks
off flush with the hub. This rupture may also sometimes take place where the
spoke is assembled with the rim.
The object of my invention is to obviate this defect by strengthening the spokes
in proximity to that portion which enters the hub and also in proximity to the
portion entering the rim by means of a metallic part or fitting."
This part, which may be of various forms, is represented in the accompanying
drawing in three different forms as regards the assemblage with the hub, and in
two different forms as regards assemblage with the rim.
Figures and 2 shew in end and side elevation respectively one manner of
carrying my invention into practice, the fitting being of sheet steel which has
. either been galvanized or not, or of any other metal of sufficient strength.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 represent in side elevation and in end elevation upon either
side respectively, a spoke strengthened by means of this reinforcing part;
Figure 6 is a section taken upon the line A-B of Figure 3.
Figures 7 and 8 represent respectively in elevation and in horizontal section
taken upon the line C-D, a second form of reinforcing device which is equally
adapted for use for the same purpose as the arrangement previously described.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 illustrate a third variety of my improved strengthening
device, in front elevation, in sectional plan taken upon the line E-F and in end
elevation respectively.
Figures 12 and 13 shew respectively in elevation and in section upon the
line G H a means of strengthening the spoke in that portion which is assembled
with the rim, and
Figure 14 shews another device for reinforcing the said spoke in that portion
which is assembled with the rim.

page_text: In the arrangement represented in Figures 1 to 6, the device is T-shaped,
the large branch or web a being of the same width as the spoke and of greater
height than the tenon; the transverse portion or band plate 6 is of a width equal
to the thickness of the tenon and of a height greater than that of the web a,
so as to provide for the reception of a bolt or of screws.
The spoke (Figures 3 to 6) has a saw cut formed in the middle of its thickness,
into which cut is inserted the web plate a, whilst the band plate b bears against
the rear of the spoke, that is to say upon that side of the spoke which will
eventually be next to the body of the vehicle; the upper portion of this band is
firmly connected with the spoke by means of a bolt the head of which bears
at the same time upon the web plate a.
The spoke. provided with this device is fitted into the hub in the ordinary
manner; the spoking maintains the device firmly fixed in the spokes the assemblage
thus retaining all the clasticity imparted by the pressure of wood against wood
whilst acquiring at the same time considerable additional strength owing to the
provision of the metal part.
The head of the bolt c which bears against the upper part of the web' a, is
advantageously made of elongated form as represented in the drawings.
.
The device may consist of two parts rivetted together if sheet steel is employed,
but it may also be made in a single piece either forged or cast according to the
metal used; its thickness will of course depend upon the strength required.
The band plate may be elongated behind in order to fix it to the spokes by
means of several bolts or screws, so that the device may be of greater or less
height but always greater than the height of the tenon.
The second form of the device shown in Figures 7 and 8 consists merely of a
reinforcement of the tenon of the spoke by means of a plate d of sheet steel or
any other suitable metal, such plate being inserted within the spoke and pre-
ferably for its entire width. This plate should be of greater height than the
tenon in order that it may extend within the spoke and thus render the assemblage
more rigid; it is fixed in position by means of rivets, screws bolts or the like,
preferably arranged in an alternate manner.
This form of the device may be manufactured at a very low cost, but does
not possess such strength as the form first described.
The third form of the device consists as shown in Figures to 11 in affecting
the strengthening by means of two distinct parts r, s having the form of a T-iron
and which are arranged opposite one to the other upon the sides of the spoke,
the counter plate or central web of each one of them being inserted in the thick-
ness of the tenon and extending within the spoke for some little distance in order
to impart strength to the assemblage. These two parts are rigidly connected
together at their upper portion by means of a bolt or bolts c passing through their
two band plates and through the width of the spoke.
As regards the reinforcement of the assemblage of the spokes with the rim,
this is obtained as shown in Figures 12 and 13, by inserting at the extremities
of the spokes and in the direction of their thickness, a fitting constituted by a
metallic plate which is preferably of the same width as the spoke in order
that it may touch it upon both sides, and of the same height as the assemblage
plus a certain additional length in order that it may extend for some centi-
metres within the spoke itself, so that it may be fixed in this part by means of a
bolt, rivet or screw .
The recess intended for the reception of this metal plate is constituted merely
by a saw cut formed at the extremity of each spoke and being itself of the thickness
of the fitting to be inserted.
This form of strengthening device may also he employed with the method of
assemblage which is sometimes resorted to and which consists in driving in a
wedge at the extremity of cach spoke after the wheel has been spoked. With
this object, the metal plate serving as the fitting comprises at its front portion
(see Figure 14) a cut enabling this wedge to be freely driven in,

page_text: 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
1 claim is:-
_
A wheel having its spokes strengthened at the portion which is assembled with
the hub and at that portion which is assembled with the rim, this strengthening
being obtained by means of a metal fitting inserted in the spoke before the same
is fitted to the wheel to a height greater than that of the tenon, the said fitting
being of one of the forms or arrangements substantially as described above and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
1re of Law 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.