IMPROVE- MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES, AND IN BEARINGS FOR THE AXLES OR WHEELS THEREOF
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Owen Aves, of 38, Alma Square, St. John's
Wood, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, and Frank Gilles, of Stoke:
Newington, in the said County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES, AND IN BEARINGS FOR
THE AXLES OR WHEELS THEREOF."
Sealed the 17th January 1879, and dated the 18th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Owen Aves and
Frank Gilles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th July.
1878.
WILLIAM OWEN AVES, of 38, Alma Square, St. John's Wood, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and FRANK GILLES, of Stoke Newington, in the said County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES,
AND IN BEARINGS FOR THE AXLES OR WHEELS THEreof.'
This Invention relates,―
Firstly. To a method of attaching or mounting india-rubber tyres to or on the
felloe or tyre of wheels for vehicles, being particularly designed for application to
wheels with wooden felloes, such as carriage wheels, wheels for Bath chairs, peram-
bulators, and the like.
And, Secondly. To new or improved bearings specially designed for bicycle
wheels, but which may also be applied to other wheels.
The object sought to be effected under the first head of these improvements is to
apply india-rubber tyres to wheels of ordinary vehicles, such as carriages, either
when first made or after such wheels have been in use, in such wise that the said
india-rubber tyres will not be liable to tear away from their fastenings.
It is well known that tyres of india-rubber have been applied to carriage wheels
by means of forming securing flanges upon the foot of the india-rubber ridge or
tyre, and again by passing a wire through the india-rubber "rope," but these have
been found to tear away and otherwise to give imperfect results.

page_text: In carrying this Invention into practice we employ a grooved metal hoop or tyre
piece, flat on the inner side and grooved on the other, and through this tyre piece
are drilled at regular intervals holes for the reception of tapped nuts, which nuts
will be secured within the groove of the tyre piece, and may be secured there per-
manently or temporally by means of a tapped neck on the nuts screwed into the
holes in the tyre piece, or by means of short screw-ended bolts, which will be
passed through the holes of the tyre piece and screwed into the nuts so as to com-
pletely close the holes of the nuts for the time being, and hold same in position.
In this condition the tyre piece is passed on or forwarded to the india-rubber
works, and the india-rubber tyre will be formed on, that is, made up upon the tyre
piece in the groove thereof by moulding it thereon or therein in somewhat the
same way that bicycle wheel tyres are made, that is, there is first to be formed a
backing of "vulcanite" or junction rubber, and then the india-rubber serving as
the tyre is to be moulded on to form à compound tyre.
The india-rubber is to be of non-elastic kind or quality (known as mineralised
india-rubber) as it will be found to wear longer.
"
When the rubber tyre and tyre piece is thus formed it is returned to the carriage
works to be fitted, and then the tyre and fellces, or if making new wheels and the
tyre piece be strong enough, the felloes only will be drilled through with holes
corresponding to the nuts within the compound tyre. The edge of the wheel is
now "turned up true to receive the compound tyre, and headed bolts or screws
are passed through the felloe of the wheel into the tapped nuts within the groove
of the tyre piece, thus forming a most perfect and effectual means of securing the
india-rubber tyre to the wheels, because as in use there will be a compressing
action on the india-rubber only, and such india-rubber has no holes therein for
the purpose of fixing or securing, there will be no liability of the rubber to tear.
The bearings consist of a cone piece enclosed in a box fitted with a screw cap
nd nut, said cone piece being formed either of a piece with the shaft, or is keyed,
pinned, or shrunk thereon; should the bearing wear away or work loose it will
only be necessary for the screw cap to be tightened up.
This arrangement will be particularly applicable to the bearings at the lower
extremities of the fork of the front wheel of bicycles within which the axle, which
is solid with the hub, will run.
Another arrangement for the back wheel consists in fixing two pins or centres.
with conical inner ends so as to be free to turn in corresponding cone-shaped
recesses in the hub of the wheel, and secured together by screw caps and tightening
nuts. This wheel would be of great advantage for the front wheels of peram-
bulators.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Owen Aves and Frank Gilles in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th January 1879.
WILLIAM OWEN AVES, of 38, Alma Square, St. John's Wood, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and FRANK GILLES, of Stoke Newington, in the said County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES,
AND IN BEARINGS FOR THE AXLES OR WHEELS THEREOF."
This Invention relates,―
Firstly. To a method of attaching or mounting india-rubber tyres to or on the
felloe or tyre of wheels for vehicles, it being particularly designed for application to
wheels with wooden felloes, such as carriage wheels, wheels for Bath chairs, peram-
bulators, and the like.
And; Secondly. To new or improved bearings specially designed for bicycle
wheels, but which may also be applied to other wheels.
The object sought to be effected under the first head of these improvements is to
apply india-rubber tyres to wheels of ordinary vehicles, either when first made or
after such wheels have beon in use, in such wise that the said india-rubber tyres
will not be liable to tear away from their fastenings.-
It is well known that tyres of india-rubber have been applied to carriage wheels
by means of forming securing flanges upon the foot of the india-rubber ridge or
tyre, and again by passing a wire through the india-rubber "rope" or "cord"
forming the tyre, but these have been found to tear away and otherwise to give
imperfect results.
In the Drawings Fig. 1 represents a section of part of the felloe of a wheel (the
wheel being indicated in broken lines), showing the method of applying the In-
vention; Fig. 2 is a cross section of felloe, india-rubber tyre, and fastening; and
Fig. 3 represents a modification of the securing bolt.
A is a grooved metal hoop or tyre band of rolled iron, flat on the under side and
grooved on the other and through this tyre band A are drilled at regular intervals
holes for the reception of tapped nuts B, which nuts B will be secured within the
groove of the tyre band A, and may be secured there permanently by means of a
screw-threaded neck on the nuts (not shown in the Drawings), which screw-
threaded-neck will be screwed into the holes in the tyre band, or be temporally
secured by means of short screw-ended bolts which will be passed through the
holes of the tyre band A and be screwed into the nuts so as to completely close
the holes of the nuts for the time being, and hold same in position; or the nuts may
be formed by himps, bosses, or projecting pieces, being produced in the process of
rolling within the groove of the tyre band A, and then tapping the said bosses
with a screw thread, but in all cases the hole formed in the bosses or in the nuts B,
before described, must be closed by a screwed piece before the process of moulding
into the groove of the tyre band A of the india-rubber tyre is proceeded with.
In this condition the tyre band A is sent into the india-rubber works, and the
india-rubber tyre D will be formed on, that is, made up upon the tyre band A in
the groove thereof by moulding it, the india-rubber tyre, thereon or therein in
somewhat the same way that bicycle wheel tyres are made, that is, there is first to
be formed a backing of vulcanite or junction rubber E, and the india-rubber D
serving as the tyre is to be moulded thereon to form a compound tyre.
The india-rubber tyre D should be of non-elastic kind or quality, known as
mineralized india-rubber, as it will be found to wear longer.
When the rubber tyre and tyre piece is thus formed it is returned to the carriage
works to be fitted, and then in the case of ordinary wheels to which this improved
tyre is to be fitted, the felloe and ordinary tyre, or if making new wheels, and the
tyre band A be strong enough, such as in light wheels for Bath chairs, and so forth,
the felloes only will be drilled through with holes corresponding to the nuts B

page_text: 33
within the compound tyre A, E, D. The periphery of the wheel is now to "be
turned true to receive and exactly fit the flat foot or under side of the tyre
band A, and then the headed bolts C are adjusted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or
double screw-ended bolts C', as shown in Fig. 3, are passed through the felloe F of
the wheel into the tapped nuts or bosses B within the groove of the india-rubber
tyre band A, thus forming a most perfect and effectual means of securing the india-
rubber tyre to the wheels, because as in use there will be a compressing action on
the india-rubber only, and such india-rubber is held in the groove of the tyre
band A, and the rubber has no holes therein for the purpose of fixing or securing
the same there will be no liability of the rubber to tear.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 washers C are in some cases placed on the stem of the
bolt C against the head thereof to decrease the distance to which the screwed end
of said bolts may enter the nuts or bosses B. The same object will be effected in
the case of the bolt C¹ by lengthening the screwed part on the outer end of the said
bolt which receives the adjustable head C³.
The improved bearings are shown in Figs. 4 to 5ª of the Drawings, Fig. 4 being
a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved bearing as applied to the front
wheel of a bicycle, and Fig. 4a an end elevation of the same.
G is the
Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing modification of the improved bearing as applied
to the back wheel of a bicycle, and Fig. 5a an end elevation of the same.
hub of the wheel; G₁, the ends of the driving fork; and G2, the cranks.
The bearings consist of a cone piece H, said cone piece being pinned, as shown,
by the screw H¹ or shrunk on to the axle G³. The cone piece H is enclosed in a
box I fitted with a screw cap K and fly nut L; should the bearing wear away it
will only be necessary to tighten up the screw cap K. The hole I' is provided for
the fitting of the pin H¹.
In Fig. 5 the axle end G³ is coned at H³ to form with the cone piece H the
double cone.
The end of the hub G at M is recessed, as shown in Fig. 5, for receiving the
inner end of the boxing I. This bearing forms an oil box, is substantially dust-
proof, and provides a ready means for taking up or adjusting the wear, which in
bicycle wheel bearings is productive of the highly objectionable "play" known as
"side shake."
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the means whereby
the same is carried into practical effect, we claim, —
First. The improved compound tyre A, E, D, and B, with the means of attaching
the same to wheels, as and for the purpose herein set forth, and as shown in Figs. 1,
2, and 3, of the Drawings.
Second. The improved bearings for wheels, as herein set forth, and shown in
Figs. 4 to 5 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Owen Aves, have, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Frank Gilles, hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Eighteenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
nine
In the presence of
WALTER A. BARLOW,
Patent Agent & Engineer,
6, St. Paul's Churchyard,
London, E.C.
W. O. AVES. (L.S.)