IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION of RAILWAY WHEELS."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Norton Allen, of Hudson, New York,
and Albert Benton Pullman, of Chicago, Illinois, both in the
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION of
RAILWAY WHEELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Norton Allen
and Albert Benton Pullman at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 9th April 1875.
WC, RICHARD NORTON ALLEN, of Hudson, New York, and ALBERT
BENTON PULLMAN, of Chicago, Illinois, both in the United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF RAILWAY WHEELS," to be as follows:-
Our said Invention relates to wheels for railway purposes, and consists
in the combination of a peculiarly formed tire with the arms or spokes
of such wheels.

page_text: In the Specification of our former Letters Patent dated 27th March
1875, No. 1112, we have described a wheel tire whose peculiar feature
is an inner flange or rim. The said former Specification described a
wheel constructed with the said metal tire and a body or filling of wood
or other elastic substance. But according to our prosent Invention we
provide for the combination of the said peculiarly formed tire with the
ordinary spoked or armed metal wheels.
In practising the said Invention we form the tire as above described;
that is to say, the said tire has the ordinary exterior flange on one side
and it also has an interior flange or rim. This inner flange or rim serves
the double purpose of strengthening the tire and of attaching the same
to the arms or spokes of the wheel. Being formed in the position above
designated, that is to say, within the part of the tire which is subjected
to the greatest wear and pressure, it will greatly diminish the liability
of the tire to fracture, and will permit the said ture to be used without
danger of sudden failure when worn very thin.
. In railway wheels as ordinarily constructed the weakest part of the
tire is this part on which we form the said inner flange or rim, and it is
obvious that when such tures aic worn but very slightly, their strength,
which depends almost entirely upon the substance of the working or
bearing portion of the tire, is materially diminished. On the other hand,
in our improved wheel the diminution of the substance of the bearing
portion of the tire is not very important, as the strength of the tire
lies mainly in the said inner flange, which, like the web of a girder,
forms a "backbone," giving both stiffness and durability to the structure.
•
Morcover, as above stated, the said inner flange forms a convenient
means for attaching the tire to the arms or spokes of the wheel. For
this purposo we use screw bolts of a staple or U shape, which embrace
the spokes or arms and pass through holes in the said inner flange or
tire, to which they are secured by screw nuts, keys, or otherwise, in such
a manner as to draw the said spokes or arms firmly and tightly to the
side of the flange and retain the same securely in place. Instead of
using these staple or U formed bolts which enclose the spoke or arm we
may, when the form of the arms or spokes will permit, pass ordinary
straight bolts through or between the parts of the said arms or spokes.
And instead of using the above said staples or U shaped bolts for
clamping cach spoke or arm separately to the flange of the tire we may

page_text: accomplish the same object, although not as advantageously, by using a
flat ring placed outside the spokes, which ring is secured and caused to
clamp the spokes or arms upon the tire by screw bolts passed through it
and the flange of the said tire.
and the flange of the said tire.
Our said Invention may be advantageously applied to existing railway
wheels, the ordinary tire thereof being removed and replaced by the
aforesaid peculiaily formed tire, which must be secured thercon by the
aforesaid staple or U shaped or other bolts.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said
Richard Norton Allen and Albert Benton Pullman, in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
NORTON ALLEN, of Hudson, New York, and ALBERT BENTON PULLMAN,
of Chicago, Illinois, both in the United States of America, now of No.
8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Richard Norton Allen and Albert
Benton Pullman, Her special licence, that we, the said Richard Norton
Allen and Albert Benton Pullman, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Norton Allen and
Albert Benton Pullman, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
RAILWAY WHEELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Richard Norton Allen and Albert Benton Pullman, our
exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office on or before the Twenty-seventh day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Richard Norton Allen and
Albert Benton Pullman, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification:-
Our said Invention relates to wheels for railway purposes, which have
arms or spokes supporting the tinc, and consists in the means whereby
we effect the combination of a peculiarly formed tire with the arms or
spokes of such wheels.
In the Specification of our former Letters Patent dated 7th May
1875, No 1112, we have described a wheel tire whose peculiar feature is
an inner flange web or rim. The said former Specification described a
wheel constructed with the said metal tire and a body or,filling of wood
or other clastic substance. But according to our present Invention we
provide for the combination of the said peculiarly formed tire with the
ordmary spoked or armed metal wheels by means of staple formed
bolts which clip or embrace the said arms or spokes and hold the tire
securely thereon.
Figure 2 is an inside or back view of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1, drawn to an
cnlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a similar section illustrating a modification of our
Invention.
Figures 5 and 6 shew the aforesaid staple formed bolts.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
In practising the said Invention we form the tire a as above described;
that is to say, the said tire has the ordinary exterior flange b on one side,
and it also has an interior flange web or rim c This inner flange or rim
3

page_text: serves the double purpose of strengthening the tire, and in combination
with the said staple formed bolts of attaching the same to the arms or
spokes d of the wheel. Being formed in the position above designated,
that is to say, within the part of the tire which is subjected to the
greatest wear and pressure, it will greatly diminish the liability of the
tire to fracture, and will permit the said tire to be used without danger
of sudden failure when worn very thin.
In railway wheels as ordinarily constructed the weakest part of the
tire is this part on which we form the said inner flange or rim, and it is
obvious that when such tires are worn but very slightly their strength,
which depends almost entirely upon the substance of the working or
bearing portion of the tire, is matcually diminished On the other hand,
in our improved wheel, the diminution of the substance of the bearing
portion of the tire is not very important, as the strength of the tire lies
mainly in the said inner flange, which like the web of a girder forms a
backbone, giving both stiffness and durability to the structure.
Morcover, as above stated, the said inner flange forms a convenient
means for attaching the tire to the arms or spokes of the wheel. For
this purpose we use bolts e of a staple or U shape, which embrace the
spokes or arms immediately under the felly or rims, and pass through
holes in the said inner flange or web c of the tire, to which they are
secured by screw nuts, keys, rivetting, or otherwise, in such a manner as
to draw the said spokes or arms firmly and tightly to the side of the
flange and retain the same securely in place It will be observed that
the tire a and spokes d arc by these bolts firmly bound and secured
together without any ring or plate on the side of the wheel opposite to
the said web or flange c to assist in securing the tire. And we may, in
combination with the said web or flange on the tire, and when the form
of the arms or spokes will permit, pass ordinary straight bolts through
or between the parts of the said arms or spokes instead of using the said
U formed bolts, but we do not consider these bolts so secure as the said
U formed bolts.
In Figure 4 we have shewn a modification of our Invention wherein
the tire a and felly fare formed with beviled surfaces at g, which
surfaces, in combination with the said bolts e, give still greater security
to the tire. The said beviled surfaces are drawn together by tightening.
the said bolts and form a continuous fastening all around the wheel.

page_text: Our said Invention may be advantageously applied to existing railway
wheels, the ordinary tire thereof being removed and replaced by the
aforesaid peculiarly formed tire, which must be secured thereon by the
aforesaid staple or U shaped bolts.
Having thus fully described our said Invention, and the manner of 5
performing the same, we wish it understood that we claim, a wheel for
railway purposes, with its tire formed with an interior flange or web
secured to the arms or spokes by staple or U formed bolts, either with or
without the beviled locking surfaces around the ture and felly, as hercin
set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Norton Allen and Albert
Benton Pullman, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this
Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-five.
1