Improvements in Suspension Wheels for Velocipedes an Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Suspension Wheels for Velocipedes an
Vehicles.
We, GEORGE JOHN STEVENS of 95 Falmouth Road, West Newington, and
JAMES HIX, of 2, East Hill, Wandsworth, both in the County of London, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the construction of bicycle and other vehicle wheels
with flat spokes for offering as little resistance as possible: to the air when
travelling.
In carrying out our invention we preferably make the spokes from round wire
the intermediate portion of which between the ends is flattened out to the desired
extent whilst the end portions are left round to permit of fixing the spokes.
The hub of the wheel through which the flat spokes are laced is made with holes
or slots against which the bights or bends of the spokes will lie. In some cases
these slots will be radial to the axis of the wheel so that the two ends of a double
spoke will meet the rim at points practically diametrically opposite to one another.
In other cases the slots will be almost in the circumference of a circle having its
centre in the wheel axis so that the two ends of a double spoke will be separated
by an angle of 90 degrees more or less.
In forming a wheel boss with openings of this kind we advantageously fix
rings to the peripheries of the flanges of the boss after the latter have been suitably
notched.
TEL. 0041 do of October 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Suspension Wheels for Velocipedes and other
Vehicles.
We, GEORGE JOHN STEVENS, of 95, Falmouth Road, West Newington, and
JAMES HIX, of 2, East Hill, Wandsworth, both in the County of London, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
Our invention relates to the construction of bicycle and other vehicle wheels
with flat spokes for offering as little resistance as possible to the air when
travelling.
In carrying out our invention we preferably make the spokes from round wire
the intermediate portion of which between the ends is flattened out to the desired
extent whilst the end portions are left round to permit of fixing the spokes.
The hub of the wheel through which the flat spokes are laced is made with holes
or slots.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel having our improvements
applied to it; and,
Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the hub showing the method of attaching
the spokes:
Figures 3 and 4 are a face view and an edge view respectively of one of our
improved spokes adapted to be applied as a laced spoke; and,
Figures 6 and 6 are similar views shewing a modification in the construction of
the spoke which we employ when our invention is applied to single spokes, that
is to say, to spokes which extend only from the hub to the rim.
A spoke made according to our invention is made out of round wire and has
the portion between the two ends flattened, as shewn at a, in such a manner that
when the spoke is applied to the wheel the flat surface thereof will be practically
parallel with the plane of rotation of the wheel. The end or ends of the spoke
adapted to be attached to the wheel rim are left round, as shewn at b, and
screw-threaded so as to receive a screwed nipple or nipples for effecting the
connection between the spokes and the rim, for instance as shewn at a in Figure 1
in which figure d indicates the wheel rim and e the hub.
When using laced or double spokes, that is to say, spokes which are connected
to the hub and to the rim at two points we advantageously form radial slots f
in the hub as indicated in Figures 1 and 2 the spokes being bent to pass through
the slots as clearly seen in Figure 2. With the slots f, f thus arranged the points
of connection of the two ends to the rim will be more or less diametrically opposite
to one another but it is to be understood that the position of the slots will vary
somewhat according to the distance between, the ends of a double spoke, for
instance, if the two ends are separated by, say, an angle of 90° the slots instead of
being radial to the axis would be in a position at right angles.
When we use single spokes which are attached to the hub at one end and to
the wheel rim at the other we advantageously form the end which is adapted for
attachment to the hub of round section of a diameter equal to the breadth of the
spoke, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, so that the broad part of the spoke may be
passed through the hole in the hub, the round head of the spoke closing the said
hole when the spoke is in position.
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:-
1. A suspension wheel for velocipedes the spokes of which are formed from
round wire the portion of which between the two ends is flattened to the desired
extent whilst the ends themselves are left round and screw threaded for attachment
to the wheel rim, substantially as described.
2. A suspension wheel for velocipedes wherein the spokes are formed from roun
wire flattened between the ends one of the said ends 'being of larger section than
the other and adapted for connection with the wheel hub whilst the other end is
adapted for connection with the wheel rim, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The manufacture and use of suspension wheels substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 29th day of July 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.