Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 15th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 16th Sept., 1887.
We, EDWIN ROBERTS and HENRY ROBERTS, of the Deanshanger Ironworks in the
County of Northampton, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
bo as follows :—
This Invention has for its object the improvement in the construction of wheels for
tramway and other purposes and in so designing them that they can be used with
equal convenience and efficiency when running or working upon either tramways and
the like, or upon the common or ordinary level macadamized road.
The method by which I propose to carry out my invention in detail is somewhat as
follows.―
In designing this improved wheel which I prefer should revolve on and not with
the axlo upon which it is mounted, the wheel consists mainly of three discs or rings
placed side by side upon the axle, the two outside rings being bored concentric to the
axle on which they revolve, whilst the inside ring slightly larger in diameter is placed
slightly out of the centre or eccentric to the axle proper, which latter is fitted with a
sleeve or bush upon which the wheel revolves and consequently facilitating its renewal
after wear and tear, the said bush being formed so as to fit into and correspond with
the arrangement of the three discs as above described; the two outside rings
composing the wheel proper being separated solely for the purpose of enabling the
central disc or ring to be inserted or sandwiched between them, are connected to
each other by four or more screws or bolts passing through all three rings, suitable
distance piecos being attached to the inside of one of the outside rings, so that when
the two outside rings are screwed firmly together the central disc or ring is not nipped
tight between them.
As already stated the axle does not revolve, hut at one end of the same where it
passes through the framework of the car or truck, we drill a holo right through the
said frame and also through the axle in two different positions, and insert a pin or
cottar therein, the axle at the end projecting beyond the side of the car, and is made
17

page_text: square in cross-section at that point, in order that the position of the axle and the
eccentric upon which the central ring is mounted may be regulated to correspond
with one or other of the two holes bored through the end of the axle.
The manner in which this invention is applied will from the foregoing description
be already tolerably clear and is as follows,
If the car be required to travel on the tramway the central disc and the eccentric
on which it is mounted are turned round until the central ring (which is of slightly
increased diameter as compared with the two outer rings) projects below the bottom
of the two outside rings, and thus forms the required Hange on that portion of the
wheel in contact with and near to the rails, the eccentric and the central ring being
secured in that position by means of the pin or cottar passing through the end of the
axle as already described.
On reaching the end of the tramway and requiring the car to proceed upon the
common or macadamized road, the pin or cottar is withdrawn and the axle turned
partly round until the central dise is placed upon what may he termed, the top
centre, when the bottom portion of the circumference of this same ring will
then he level or even with the bottom of the two outside rings, the pin or cottar being
again inserted in the second hole corresponding to that position of the eccentric, the
three rings are then even at the bottom part of the circumference of the wheel, (the
car being upon the common or macadamized road) and all three rings revolve
freely together on their axle, the central ring by means of the eccentric employed as
already described revolving at a higher level from the road than the outside discs
when travelling upon the common road, and at a lower level when travelling upon
tram or other rails.
Dated this 15th day of November 1886.
JOHN HAYES,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Use on Tramways or Highway Roads
and the like.
We, EDWIN ROBERTS and HENRY ROBERTS of the Deanshanger Ironworks in the
County of Northampton, Engineers 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 has for its object the improvement in the construction of whools for
tramway and other purposes, and in so designing them that they can be used with
equal facility and convenience when running or working upon either tramways and
the like or upon the common or ordinary level macadamized road.
The method by which we propose to carry out our invention in detail is somewhat
as follows.
In designing this improved wheel which we prefer should revolve on and not with the
axle upon which it is mounted, the wheel consists mainly of three discs or rings
placed side by side upon the axle, the two outside rings being bored concentric to the
axle on which they revolve, whilst the inside ring slightly larger in diameter is placed
slightly out of the centre, or eccentric to the axle proper, which latter is fitted with
a sleeve or bush upon which the wheel revolves and consequently facilitating its
renewal after wear and tear, the said bush being formed so as to fit into and correspond
with the arrangement of the three discs as above described, the two outside rings
composing the wheel proper being separated solely for the purpose of enabling the
central disc or ring to be inserted or sandwiched between them, are connected to each
other by bolts passing through the said rings, suitable distance pieces being attached
to the inside of one of the outside rings, so that when the two outside rings are
screwed firmnly together the central disc or ring is not nipped tight between thom.
The eccentric just referred to is fitted with an eccentric strap of iron or other
suitable metal, the central or intermediate ring being actuated by means of this
eccentric and a number of radiating steel pins, fitted to the interior of the wheel, and
of sufficient length to reach from the outside surface of the eccentric strap to the
inside surface of the central annular dise or ring.
The application of these steel rods or radiating pins serves not only to increase the
general efficiency of the wheel, and to minimise the effects of dust, grit or other foreign
particles getting in between the working parts of the wheel, but at the same time they
also tend and in fact do considerably reduce the total weight of the wheel.
As already stated the axle does not revolve, but at one end of the same where it
passes through the framework of the car or truck, we drill a hole through the said
framework as well as through the axle in two different positions, and insert a pin or
cottar therein, the axle at the end projecting beyond the side of the car, and is at
this point made square in cross-section, in order that the position of the axle and the
occentric upon which the central ring is mounted may be regulated to correspond with
one or other of the two holes bored through the end of the axle.

page_text: The manner in which this improved wheel is applied and worked is as follows; if
the car be required to travel on the tramway or rails, the central disc or ring and the
eccentric on which it is mounted are turned round until the central ring (which is of
slightly increased diameter as compared with the two outer rings) project below the
bottom of the two outside rings, and thus forms the required flange on that portion
of the wheel in contact with and near to the rails, the eccentric and the central ring
being secured in that position by means of the pin or cottar passing through the end
of the axle and secured to the framework of the tramcar or conveyance in the manner
already described.
On reaching the end of the tramway and requiring the car to proceed upon the
*common or macadamized road, the. pin or cottar is withdrawn and the axle turned
partly round until the central disc is placed upon what may be termed, the top centre,
when the bottom portion of the circumference of this same disc or ring will then be
level or even with the bottom of the two outside rings, the pin or cottar being again
inserted in the second hole corresponding to that position of the eccentric; the three
rings are then even at the bottom part of the circumference of the wheel (the car being
upon the common or macadamized road) and all three rings revolve freely together
on the axle, the central ring by means of the eccentric employed as already described
revolving at a higher level from the road than the outside discs when travelling upon
the common road and at a lower level when travelling upon tram or other rails.
In order that our Invention may be more clearly understood and set forth we now
refer to the accompanying Drawing Figs. I and II in which the eccentric ring is
shewn at A A. the lugs and bolts of the front cover being at B B, the outer ring of
bolts securing the two outside portions of the wheel being represented at CC; D is
one of the wheel arms or spokes, whilst E and F are the two outside rings of the
wheel, the same being held together and secured by the lugs and bolts as at G ; the
front cover is at H and encloses the eccentric already mentioned, the central ring or
tyre I revolving with this hollow shaft or eccentric A as desired, the position of the
central ring being regulated by means of the two horns or projection on the eccentric
strap as at J, and in between which the radial steel pins K are placed, the horns just
referred to serving as a kind of carrier, and to ensure that any adjustment or move-
ment of the eccentric or hollow shaft A shall be correspondingly transmitted to the
outer ring or tyre through the medium of the radial steel pins us at K.
It will now be readily seen that any movement, revolution or part of a revolution of
the axle and of the eccentric or hollow shaft mounted upon the same, will at once
cause the central and intermediate ring to project either at the top or bottom of the
wheel as desired, to enable the car or truck to work either on the tramrails or upon
the ordinary macadamized road.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is.―
1st. The application of a single eccentric in the manner shewn and described to a
tramway wheel, in order to enable the same to be used either on the rails, or upon
the ordinary macadamized road.
2ndly. The application of our improved wheel to various kinds of cars, trucks,
trolleys, as well is to passenger cars and carriages.
1
P
1007
JOHN HAYES,
Agent for Applicants.