Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I ALFRED JAMES KNIGHT HELYEAR of West Street Bridport in the County
of Dorset Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In such wheels known to the trade as "tangent" or laced wheels in which the
spokes are not radial from the hub to the circumference, but lie at a tangent to the
circle formed by the periphery of the hub of the wheel.
In the aforesaid wheels the spokes cross each other at various points and are
insecurely fastened by means of soldered wire or clips which are very liable to work
loose. In any case the strain of driving the wheels as in velocipedes, is taken only
by one half the spokes.
To remedy these defects and to make the wheel more elastic under all conditions
-in my improved wheel I pass the spokes, or each pair of spokes through each end
of a helical spring; then bending the spokes back I make each spoke enter the
felloe or rim of the wheel in the place which the other of the pair would occupy,
were they to cross as in the ordinary tangent wheel.
In the place of helical springs, I also use links chains or bindings of wire.
Dated this 16th day of February 1891
ALFRED JAMES KNIGHT HELYEAR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I ALFRED JAMES KNIGHT HELYEAR of West Street Bridport in the County
of Dorset, Engineer 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 :-
In such wheels known to the trade as "tangent" or "laced" wheels in which the
spokes are not radial from the hub to the circumference, but lie at a tangent to the
circle formed by the periphery of the hub of the wheel.
In the aforesaid wheels the spokes cross each other at various points, & in order
to make the wheel more rigid, are insecurely fastened by means of soldered wire or
clips, which are very liable to work loose.
In my improved wheel the spokes by reason of their being linked together in
pairs have each an equal portion of the driving strain communicated through them
to the rim or felloe of the wheel whereas in the "tangent" or "laced" wheel the
strain of driving is taken only by one half the spokes, & this more especially
applies when the aforesaid soldered wire or clips work loose.
The objects of my invention are-to tie the spokes together in such a manner
that each spoke shall do its duty in driving the wheel & sustaining the load. To
make the wheel more elastic under all conditions, and at the same time sufficiently
rigid to bear the load for which it may be built, and, in a velocipede, the strain of
driving.
"
As will be seen by reference to the accompanying drawing, F 1 representing one
side of a "laced
66
ог tangent" wheel, the spokes are threaded through the hub in
the method employed in building "tangent" wheels and then in pairs are threaded
through the ends of small helical springs A; the spokes are then continued to the
rim or felloe in an opposite direction, that is to say, they each enter the rim in the
place the other would occupy in the usual or crossed method of construction.

page_text: I also couple the spokes together by means of small chains as shewn at B, or by
links as shewn at C. But I consider the helical springs preferable.
In order to prevent the springs chains or links from moving on the spokes or
sliding up & down them I fasten them to the spokes by soldering or otherwise
binding at each or either end of the spring chain or link, though it is not absolutely
necessary to do so.
This method of linking the spokes together in pairs by springs chains or links is
.applicable to all kinds of wheels constructed with tangential or laced spokes, whether
used for velocipedes or any other purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
In all kinds of "tangent" or "laced" wheels the tyeing together of the spokes
in pairs by means of helical springs chains or links at bends in the spokes caused by
the bending backwards of the same to the rim or felloe the springs chains or links
being soldered to the spokes if desired.
Dated this 14th day of November 1891.
ALFRED JAMES KNIGHT HELYEAR.