Improvements in Wheels for Tramway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov.. 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Tramway and other Vehicles.
We THOMAS ERNEST HALFORD Engineer and JOHN BATTAMS Gentleman both of
16 Addison Road Bedford Park in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of our invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its objects the construction of wheels suitable for tramway
and railway carriages trucks and other vehicles such wheels being capable of running
equally as well on common roads as on the metal rails, and to reduce the wear and
tear of such wheels.
Hitherto wheels capable of running on common roads as well as on the metal rails
have proved to be more or less unsatisfactory owing to the grinding action which
takes place between the wheel proper and the loose flange, such grinding action
being greatest at the higher speed (when running on the rail or tramway) and it has
been found that the flanges, when they or the wheels or both are much worn, assume
a position other than perpendicular to the axles thereby causing derailment of the
vehicles fitted with such wheels, more especially when passing round curves or over
points or crossings. The repairs to such wheels are also a serious item of expenditure
and probibit their general use. These defects we propose to obviate as follows:-
According to this invention we construct the wheels, which are keyed fast to the
axles, with loose flanges (preferably central) and provide a means whereby the said
flanges may be rigidly connected to the axles (or wheels) perpendicular thereto and
concentric with the periphery of the wheels when running on the rails, or detached
from the axles or wheels when required to travel over a common road.
This may be conveniently done by means of a cone clutch sliding on a feather key
in the axle or wheel boss and engaging with a conical boss on the flange or other
suitable means.
In wheels constructed as above no grinding action takes place between the flange
and the wheel when running on the rail as the whole revolves as a rigid wheel that
is one with a fixed flange.
To facilitate travelling on common roads or round curves we may if desired key
one wheel to the axle and key the other to a sleeve running loose on the axle or we
may form the wheel with a long boss instead of using a sleeve.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of November 1888.
T. E. HALFORD.
JOHN BATTAMS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Tramway and other Vehicles.
We THOMAS ERNEST HALFORD Engineer and JOHN BATTAMS Solicitor both
residing at 16 Addison Road Bedford Park Chiswick in the County of Middlesex do
hereby declare the nature of our 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 objects the construction of wheels suitable for tramway
and railway carriages trucks and other vehicles such wheels being capable of running
equally as well on common roads as on the metal rails and to reduce the wear and
tear of such wheels.
Hitherto wheels capable of running on common roads as well as on metal rails
have proved to be more or less unsatisfactory owing to the grinding action which
takes place between the wheel proper and the loose flange such grinding action being
ID:

page_text: greatest at the higher speed (when running on the rail or tramway) and it has been
found that the flanges when they or the wheels or both are much worn assume a
position other than perpendicular to the axles thereby causing derailment of the
vehicles fitted with such wheels more especially when passing round curves or over
points and crossings.
The repairs to such wheels are also a serious item of expenditure and prohibit their
general use.
...
These defects we propose to obviate as follows
N
According to this invention we construct the wheels which are keyed fast to the
axles with loose flanges (preferably central) and provide a means whereby the said
flanges may be rigidly secured to the axles (or wheels) perpendicular thereto and
concentric with the periphery of the wheels when required to run on the rail or
tramway or detached therefrom when travelling over common roads.
This may be conveniently accomplished by means of cone clutches sliding on
feather keys in the axle or wheel bosses and engaging with conical bosses on the
flanges or by other suitable means.
And in order that our invention may be the better understood we will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Figure 1 represents back elevation of a wheel for use on tramways with a central
grooved rail constructed according to our invention and Figure 2 section of same.
The same letters denote the same parts in both figures.
a is the wheel proper 6 loose flange e flanged ring bolted to a by the bolts de
axle cone clutch sliding on feather key g and fitting the boss h of the flange b.
When running on the rail the flange is secured to the axle e by means of the
clutch concentric with the wheel a as shewn at Figure 2 and no grinding action
takes place between the wheel a and the flange b as the whole revolves as a rigid
wheel that is one with the flange fixed thereto or integral therewith.
When travelling over cominon roads the clutch is withdrawn from engagement
with the boss h and the flangeb assumes the position shewn by the dotted circle 6' at
Figure 1.
The clutch may be operated by levers attached to the vehicle or by, other suitable
means so arranged that all the clutches (one to each wheel) may be put into engage-
ment with their respective flanges or withdrawn therefrom simultaneously.
To facilitate travelling on common roads or round curves we may if desired key
one wheel a to the axle e and the other to a sleeve running loose on the axle or we
may form the wheel with a long boss instead of using a sleeve.
When the wheels are intended to run on plain rails or rails with the groove for the
flange at the side instead of central the ring c would be a plain ring instead of angle
shaped as shown.
:1
We construct the cone boss h of such length that the clutch when drawn back
to its fullest extent does not leave the same.
In conclusion we would remark that we do not bind ourselves to the precise details
shewn in the drawings as these may be varied within wide limits without departing
from the principle of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is -
I. In a wheel for tramway and other vehicles the combination of a loose flange
with a means for rigidly securing the said flange to the wheel or axle substantially
as described.
II. The improved wheel for tramway and other vehicles substantially as described
and shewn.