Improvements in Wheels and Belts for the Transmission of Power.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels and Belts for the Transmission of Power.
We, ALFRED DAVY, of 4 Woburn Place, London W.C. Engineer, and THEODORE
GEORGE STEWART ROGERS of 5 Great Winchester Street, London EC. Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in wheels for the transmission of
power where helts, chains, cords, and the like are used as the connecting medium between
the driving and the driven wheel or wheels and by which we obtain a flexible grip
upon the belt which is practically noisless and which is not liable to slip or back
lash as are chains on ordinary sprocket wheels and geared wheels.
We make our wheels with hubs, arms and under or inner or back portions of the
rims from metal or other material very much as they are now constructed but the
outer portion of the rim is shaped and constructed to receive an internal pad or
pads or lining medium formed froin india-rubber or other elastic substance or india-
rubber made up with layers of textile material or interwoven with threads of silk,
flax, hemp, wire or the like.
This lining medium may be made of a single pneumatic tube having a contracting
band or bands embracing it lengthways at one or more parts of its circumference
so as to contract the pneumatic tube and form it into a groove or grooves for the
reception of the driving belt, cord or other driving medium or there inay be two or
more such pneumatic tubes or cushions and the driving belt may take its bearing
between them or partly between them and partly pressing upon them.
The contracting band or bands when the tyre or linings of the wheel are inflated
with air, cause the tyre or linings to protrude and forin continuous and more or
less soft cushions around the periphery of the wheel rim.
The tyres or linings may be plain or have projections or corrugations on their
surfaces to increase the grip on the belts, cords or other driving medium.
In other cases we use solid linings of india-rubbber or other elastic material or
combined with threads of silk, flax, hemp, wire or the like and laid in the wheel in
segments or short pieces or they may be continuous rings fitted or sprung into the
wheels and cemented into grooves or recesses formed to hold them, with the bearing
portions producing in a suitable shape or shapes in such a manner as to fold upon the
belt and form a contracting groove laterally bearing against and gripping the
transmitting belt cord or other driving medium.
In these new wheels and mode of construction the greater the strain put upon the
belt for driving, the tighter it is gripped by the elastic lining consequently they are
very suitable for driving cycles, motors and vehicles of various kinds, but the invention
also applies to machinery generally as will be well understood.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular form of driving belt but we prefer a
belt either round or any other suitable section made up of threads of flax, silk, hemp,

page_text: wire or like material saturated with india-rubber or other elastic material and covered
with a coat of india-rubber either plain or ribbed or corrugated and the whole
vulcanized in the usual manner.
Dated this 30th day of September 1896.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels and Belts for the Transmission of Power.
We, ALFRED DAVY, of 4, Woburn Place, London, W.C., in the County of London,
Engineer, and THEODORE GEORGE STEWART ROGERS, of 5, Great Winchester Street,
London, E.C., aforesaid, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in the mode and means for
transmitting power by wheels, belts, chains, cords and the like as the connecting
medium between the driving and the driven wheel or wheels and by which we obtain
a flexible grip upon the belt which is practically noiseless and which is not liable to
slip or back-lash as are chains on ordinary sprocket wheels and geared wheels.
We make our wheels with hubs, arms, and under or inner or back portions of the
rims from metal or other material very much as they are now constructed, but the
outer portion of the rim is shaped and constructed to receive an internal pad or pads
or lining medium formed from india-rubber or other elastic substance, or india-rubber
made up with layers of textile material, or interwoven with threads of silk, fax, hemp,
wire or the like.
This lining medium may be made of a single pneumatic tube having a contracting
band or bands embracing it lengthways at one or more parts of its circumference so
as to contract the pneumatic tube and form it into a groove or grooves for the
reception of the driving belt, cord, or other driving medium or there may be two or
more such pneumatic tubes or cushions and the driving belt may take its bearing
between them or partly between them and partly pressing upon them.
The contracting band or bands, when the tyre or linings of the wheel are inflated
with air cause the tyre or linings to protrude and form continuous and more or less soft
cushions around the periphery of the wheel rim.
The tyres or linings may be plain or have projections or corrugations on
their surfaces to increase the grip on the belts, cords, or other driving
medium.
In other cases we use solid linings of india-rubber or other elastic material or
combined with threads of silk, flax, hemp, wire or the like and laid in the wheel in
segments or short pieces or they may be continuous rings fitted or sprung into the
wlieels and cemented into grooves or recesses formed to hold them with the bearing
portions protruding in a suitable shape or shapes in such a manner as to fold upon
the belt and form a contracting groove laterally bearing against and gripping the
transmitting belt, cord or other driving medium.
In these new wheels and mode of construction the greater the strain put upon the
belt for driving the tighter it is gripped by the elastic lining, consequently they are
very suitable for driving cycles and motors and vehicles of various kinds. But the
invention also applies to machinery generally as will be well understood.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular form of driving belt, but we prefer a
belt either round or any other suitable section made up of threads of flax, silk,

page_text: hemp, wire or like material saturated with india-rubber or other elastic material
and covered with a coat of india-rubber or other elastic material either plain or ribbed
or corrugated and the whole vulcanized in the usual manner.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into
practical effect we have appended hereunto drawings upon which we have illustrated
a number of examples which will be sufficient to make the principle of our invention
known and by which others may be enabled to apply the same to the varying
circumstances and conditions met with in practice.
Figure 1 is a cross section through the rim A of a wheel the working periphery of
which is formed by two inflated tubes B and B for the reception of the driving
medium E between and upon them.
Figure 2 is also a cross section through the rim A of a wheel in which a single
pneumatic or other tube B is mounted, the tube being controlled in its external shape
by the ring F so as to leave an opening 63 for the driving rope, band or other
medium.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are sections through the rims A and variously
shaped with solid linings B formed at 6 to receive the driving medium, whether rope,
band or chain.
Our improved inode and means for transmitting power consists of wheels with
flexible linings, made from india-rubber or other elastic substance either solid or made
up with layers of textile material or interwoven with threads of silk, flax, hemp, wire
or the like and the driving bands are made in like manner from the like material
though it will he understood that bands, or guts, or ropes or chains of ordinary
construction and inake may be applied to our wheels with similar effect.
The wheels may be made with metal or wood rims A and tension arms a2 a2 as per
Figures 1 to 8, or with a single row of arms as per Figure 9, or they may be disc
wheels. The rims A may be made solid as shewn in drawings or in separate parts and
are formed to receive the elastic linings and are shaped suitably for that purpose after
the examples given.
In Figure we show two pneumatic or cushion linings B and B mounted in
suitable hollows in the rim and kept apart from each other by the projecting portion
of the rim a so as to leave the space for the reception of the driving medium E
which may be of the kind before specified.
The example given by the Figure 2 is that of a single tabe B encompassed by a
continuous ring F which confines the centre portion of the periphery to a constantly
curtailed diameter so that after inflation the portions 65 are prominent and form a
beautifully elastic bearing or seat for the reception of the driving medium and ensures
the lining B always remaining in the wheels and also leaves the space b for the
driving medium to sink more or less according to the pressure exerted upon it, so as
to take a strong or medium grip upon the band or belt. In the case of Figure 3, as
most of the following figures hereafter to he explained, the space is formed either
in the rim A or in the elastic driving pad and causes the latter to sink when the
pressure of the driving belt is applied, thus allowing the sides to fold or sink inwards
and so causes the belt to be firmly gripped as before mentioned.
In all the remaining figures upon the drawings solid india-rubber or composition
linings made up as hereinbefore described are placed, but they may be modified in
shape so as to obtain more or less flexibility. In the case of Figures 3, 5, 6, 7
and 8 the arch or space 66 leaves the thickness of rubber comparatively small which
would allow the sides of the groove under pressure to come inwards and so lift the
driving medium and give it an increased grip. At Figure 4 we have shewn the rim
formed in two parts A and A+ bolted to the arm or web a² or one of these parts may
be formed solid with the arms or web and extend more over one side than the other.
In other respects the variations in section are indicated sufficiently upon the
drawings as suggestive of what may be done in carrying our invention into
practice.
Figure 9 shows a section of rim with its lining considerably enlarged at 63 which
would give considerable side bite to the driving medium.

page_text: Figure 10 shows the liner in two rings or separate parts and it will be understood
that generally the linings may be made up of either continuous rings or in sections
or pieces.
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:
CLAIMS.
First: The improvements in the mode and means for transmitting power by wheels,
belts, cords and the like substantially as herein set forth and as shown upon the
accompanying drawings.
Second: Driving and driven wheels lined and made up with indiarubber or other
elastic medium which may be combined with threads of silk, hemp, flax, wire or
the like saturated, interwoven, faced or composed of layers substantially as herein
set forth.
Third Wheels for the transmission of power having the rims formed to receive
linings of rubber or such like composition as herein set forth with the said linings in
one or more pieces and in one length or in sections and mounted therein,
substantially as herein set forth.
Fourth-Wheels for the transmission of power, consisting of the metal, wood or
other rims with two or more cushions or inflated tyres such as shewn by Figure 1
on the drawings and as set forth.
Fifth Wheels for the transmission of power consisting of a rim of any suitable
material with a pneumatic tyre encompassed around its periphery with a contracting
ring so as to form a middle space in the tyre for the reception of the driving
medium substantially as set forth and shewn.
Sixth Wheels for the transmission of power such as illustrated by Figures 3
to 10 inclusive and with the space 6 for giving spring or bite to the lining as
herein set forth.
Seventh-Wheels for the transmission of power having one or more grooves for
separate bands substantially as described.
Eighth The rins to receive the lining pads made in parts or sections,
Ninth In improvements in the mode and means for transmitting power by
wheels, belts, chains, cords and the like of bands or cords made up either round, flat
or other section from threads of flax, silk, hemp, wire or the like saturated with
india-rubber or other elastic material and covered with a coat of india-rubber or other
elastic material either plain or ribbed or corrugated with the whole vulcanized.
Dated this 17th day of June 1897.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.