IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR TRACTION ENGINES.”
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Burton and Richard Holgate Shaw, both
of the Steam Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of York, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR TRACTION ENGINES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Burton and
Richard Holgate Shaw at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th May 1871.
We, ROBERT BURTON and RICHARD HOLGATE SHAW, both of the
Steam Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR
TRACTION ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in wheels for traction
engines, and relates to the shields or coverings for the elastic tyres of
such wheels. For this purpose we surround the clastic tyre with a series
of separate plates, each of which has two lugs upon its inner surface.
Passing through each of these lugs there is a link, and the two links
of each plate are also connected with the rim of the wheel by a through

page_text: bolt, on which the link can play in such manner as to allow great
freedom of movement to the plates. Guides may be formed on the rim
of the wheel to control the movements of the links. In place of links
we sometimes use a wire rope connecting the plates together. The plates
have lugs formed at each end with holes in them through which the
rope passes, the holes in the lugs being bevilled off at the outside edges
so as to allow of the plates rolling or working freely on the rope.
Between the lugs on the plates are distance pieces which also have holes
in them, bevelled off at the ends to allow the rope to bend freely in them
when the weight or pressure is on the wheel. These plates and distance
pieces are strung on the rope and then placed upon the wheel forming
a continuous band. One end of the rope is fastened securely to the rim
of the wheel, whilst the other end of the rope has fixed to it a tightening
screw and nut, which screw passes through an eye bolt firmly secured
to the rim of the wheel, and by means of the screw the plates can be
tightened on the wheel, or both ends of the rope may be attached to the
wheel by means of tightening screws or apparatus for taking up the
slack of the rope. We sometimes use in place of the rope a rod threaded
through the lugs or eyes on the plates. In place of using distance
pieces the straps may be so formed as to butt against each other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Burton and Richard Holgate Shaw in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
BURTON and RICHARD HOLGATE SHAW, both of the Steam Plough 2
Works, Leeds, in the County of York, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Robert Burton and Richard Holgate
Shaw, Her special license that we, the said Robert Burton and Richard
Holgate Shaw, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Robert Burton and Richard Holgate Shaw, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no ;

page_text: others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WHEELS FOR TRACTION ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Robert Burton and Richard Holgate Shaw, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Burton and Richard
Holgate Shaw, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in wheels for traction
engines, and relates to the shields or coverings for the elastic tyres of
such wheels. For this purpose we surround the elastic tyre with a series
of separate plates each of which has two lugs upon its inner surface.
Passing through each of these lugs there is a link, and the two links of
each plate are also connected with the rim of the wheel by a through
bolt, on which the link can play in such manner as to allow great
freedom of movement to the plates. Guides may be formed on the rim
of the wheel to control the movements of the links.
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section, and Figure 2 is a transverse,
section of a portion of a wheel provided with an elastic tyre and
furnished with separate shields or guard plates retained in their places
by links.
a, a, are the guard plates with eyes at either end through which the
links b pass, and these links are secured to the rim or rigid periphery
of the wheel by the bolts c with their washers and nuts. d is the elastic
india-rubber tyre.
Figure 3 is a side view of a portion of a wheel similar to Figure 1, but
with guide pieces e rivetted to the rim of the wheel between the links 6
to prevent them moving laterally. Figure 3ª is a portion of a wheel
similar to that shewn in Figure 3 except that the links bare of a

page_text: different form and are retained to the rim of the wheel by a covering
ring secured by bolts in place of by the bolts c. Figure 4 is a
transverse section of the parts shown in Figure 3º.
Figure 5 is a side view, and Figure G a transverse section of a wheel
with guard plates retained by double links or links so formed as each ♫
to take two of the guard plates. a are the guard plates; the links,
and c the bolts which retain them to the wheel. In place of links we
sometimes use a wire rope connecting the plates together. The plates
have lugs formed at each end with holes in them through which the
ropo passes, the holes in the lugs being bevilled off at the outside edges 1
so as to allow of the plates rolling or working freely on the rope.
Between the lugs on the plates are distance pieces, which also have holes
in them bevilled off at the ends to allow the rope to bend freely in them
when the weight or pressure is on the wheel. These plates and distanco
pieces are strung on the rope and then placed upon the wheel forming a 1
continuous band. One end of the rope is fastened securely to the rim
of the wheel, whilst the other end of the rope has fixed to it a tightening
screw and nut, which scrow passes through an eye bolt firmly secured
to the rim of the wheel, and by means of the screw the plates can be
tightened on the wheel, or both ends of the rope may be attached to 2
the wheel by means of tightening screws or apparatus for taking up the
slack of the rope. Wo sometimes use in place of the rope a rod threaded
through the lugs or eyes on the plates. In place of using distanco
pieces the straps may be so formed as to butt against each other.
Figuro 7 is a side view, and Figure 8 a transverse section of a portion 2
of a wheel with an elastic india-rubber tyre protected by separate guard
plates secured to the wheel by a strained rope. a, a, are the guard
plates with eyes at their ends; b, b, aro tubular washers interposed
between the eyes; c, c, arc wire ropes on which the parts a, a, and b, b,
are threaded; d, d, arc clamps securing one end of each of these ropes, 3
and c, c, are screws to which their other ends are connected. These
screws pass through eye bolts fixed in the rim of the wheel and they
receive nuts beyond, by screwing up which the ropes are strained
tight.
Figure 9 is a side view partly in section, and Figure 10 is a transverse a
section of a similar wheel, but here the washers are dispensed with,
the guard plates a being made wide enough at their ends to abut onc
against the other. In this arrangement also a single central rope is

page_text: substituted for the two ropes, one on either side. The eyes of the guard
plates are in the centre of the plates and the elastic tyre is in two parts,
between which is a space to receive the eyes.
What we claim is the construction of wheels for traction engines with
clastic tyres protected by shields or covering plates retained to the wheel
by links, substantially as described.
We also claim the construction of wheels for traction engines with
elastic tyres protected by shields or covering plates retained to the wheel
by strained ropes or rods, substantially as described.
In witness whercof, we, the said Robert Burton & R. H. Shaw,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-one.