IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, WHEEL BOSSES, AND TYRES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PAENT to John Charles Wilson, of 8, Grove Park, Redland, in the
City of Bristol, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, WHEEL BOSSES, AND TYRES."
Sealed the 28th June 1878, and dated the 15th January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1878.
JOHN CHARLES WILSON, of 8, Grove Park, Redland, in the City of Bristol,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, WHEEL
BOSSES, AND TYRES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of wheels,
wheel bosses, and tyres.
I produce wheel bosses in the following manner :-I stamp under the steam
hammer a disc with a thickened centre or hub, and I punch I hole through the
centre or hub to receive the axle. Afterwards I cut away the rim or outer portion
of the disc, leaving four or other number of projecting arms to serve as the roots
or inner ends of the spokes. The parts to be cut away are made thinner than the
other parts of the rim in the operation of stamping. I next take two such discs
and place them together with their hubs facing inwards. I weld them the one to
the other by their hubs, and with the arms of the one interspaced between the
arms of the other. In consequence of the form originally given to the discs the
arms now incline inwards.
To complete the spokes, I lengthen the arms by welding on to them pieces of
suitable form and length, also prepared by stamping.
I complete the body or skeleton of the wheel by putting on a plain rim or hoop,
and welding it to the outer ends of the spokes.
In the case of a railway wheel I can fix a flanged tyre on this skeleton wheel in
the ordinary way. Or I sometimes roll a compound tyre of steel and iron, the
iron being on the inner side, and I weld the spokes directly to the iron interior of
the tyre.

page_text: In making the bosses for some descriptions of large wheels, such as paddle wheels'
for example, I introduce a tube or lengthening piece between the hubs in welding up
the boss of the wheel.
Railway wheels especially made according to my Invention have the advantage
of wheels of ordinary construction in strength, lightness, and cheapness of production.
The spokes presenting their edges in the direction of motion do not fan the wind,
and especially when the tyre is welded on, the parts are more securely fastened
than when screws are employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Charles Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th July
1878.
JOHN CHARLES WILSON, of 8, Grove Park, Redland, in the City of Bristol,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, WHEEL
BOSSES, AND TYRES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of wheels,
wheel bosses, and tyres.
I produce wheel bosses in the following manner :-I stamp under the steam
hammer between a top and bottom die in the usual well-known manner, a disc
with a thickened centre or hub, and I punch a hole through the centre or hub to
receive the axle. Afterwards I cut away the rim or outer portion of the disc,
leaving four or other number of projecting arms to serve as the roots or inner ends
of the spokes. The parts to be cut away are made thinner than the other parts
of the rim in the operation of stamping. I next take two such discs and place
them together with their hubs facing inwards. I weld them the one to the other
by their lubs, and with the arms of the one interspaced between the arms of the
other. In consequence of the form originally given to the discs the arms now
incline inwards.
To complete the spokes, I lengthen the arms by welding on to them pieces
of suitable form and length, also prepared by stamping, as above described.
I complete the body or skeleton of the wheel by putting on a plain rim or hoop,
and welding it to the outer ends of the spokes.
In the case of a railway wheel I can fix a flanged tyre on this skeleton wheel
in the ordinary way. Or, I sometimes roll a compound tyre of steel and iron,
the iron being on the inner side, and I weld the spokes directly to the iron interior
of the tyre, or to a solid iron tyre.
In making the bosses for some descriptions of large wheels, such as paddle wheels,
for example, I introduce a tube or lengthening piece between the hubs in welding
up the boss of the wheel.
Railway wheels especially made according to my Invention have the advantage
of wheels of ordinary construction in strength, lightness, and cheapness of production.
The spokes presenting their edges in the direction of motion do not fan the wind,

page_text: and especially when the tyre is welded on, the parts are more securely fastened
than when screws are employed.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I have shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed a railway wheel constructed
in the manner above described.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheel, and Figure 2 a vertical section of the
same taken on the line A, B, Figure 1.
A, A, are discs forming the hub of the wheel, and having a hole punched through
the centre to receive an axle; B, B, are four, or it might be other number of arms,
radiating out from each disc; these arms are formed as herein-before described by
cutting away parts from the outer portion of these discs. The two discs A are
welded together at the line e, f, Figure 2, with the arms on one disc interspaced
with the arms of the other. The arms incline inwards as shown, and about at the
line c, d, Figure 1, they have prolongations B₁ of suitable form and length welded
on to them; C, C, is a rim or hoop, to which the outer ends of the arms B, B¹, are
welded. All the arms are welded to the rim before the rim itself is welded, say,
at the line X, Y, into a complete hoop.
When the wheel is for a railway wheel, a flanged tyre D may be fixed on to it as
shown at Figure 2, and on a larger scale at Figure 3. Or, as I prefer, the rim or
hoop of the wheel may be shaped in the manner shown at Figure 4, and the inner
circumference of the tyre be of a corresponding form after that the tyre has been
placed on to the rim of the wheel, and the flange or lip D¹ turned over to overlap
a projection of the side of the rim or hoop. Thus the tyre and rim or hoop hook
on to one another at both sides of the wheel.
Other arrangements for securing the tyre on to the skeleton wheel formed as
herein-before described may however be adopted; or, as before stated, I in some
cases roll a compound tyre of steel and iron, with the iron on the inner side of the
tyre, and weld the spokes directly to the tyre; or I weld them directly to a solid
iron tyre.
the
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
I would have it understood that I claim,—
same,
First. The manufacture of wheels, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The manufacture of the bosses of wheels, substantially as herein-before
described.
Third. The manufacture of the tyres of wheels of steel and iron, the iron being
on the inside of the tyre to be welded to the spokes, substantially as herein-before
described.
Fourth. Welding the ends of the spokes of wheels built up as herein-before
described to solid tyres.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Charles Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN C. WILSON. (L.S.)