Improvements in Machines for Turning Wooden Rims for Bicycle Wheels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1896-4ccepted, 30th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Turning Wooden Rims for Bicycle
Wheels.
We, JAMES BANWELL of No. 22. Dover Avenue, Wood-turner, FRANK
ROBERT WALL of No. 54 Granger Street, Bookkeeper, and GEORGE CAUNTER
of No. 57 Putnam Street, Builder and Contractor, all of Cleveland, Cuyahoga
County, State of Ohio, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-.
This invention has reference to machines for turning down wooden rims for
pneumatic wheels.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of
a section thereof on a line corresponding to 3, 3, Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional elevation of the machine on a line
corresponding to 4, 4; Fig. 1.
Heretofore wooden rims for pneumatic wheels have been turned out on a lathe,
and it has been very difficult to get them cut to a positively uniform thickness
throughout, and if there was perceptibly more stock left at one place than at
another, it was difficult to bring the rim to a uniform and even curvature and
hénce to a perfectly round form.
This invention, therefore, has for its object not only to turn these rims to shape
but to do so with absolute uniformity and evenness. A is the main frame, and B
is the power shaft and C the rim supporting and rotating wheels which support and
carry the wheel rim D.
The wheels have grooved peripheries adapted to frictionally engage and
carry the rim D from. start, to finish, and are arranged and operated about a
perfect circle. To these ends each wheel is supported on the outer extremity of
a shaft E, which itself has two bearings 2 and 4 supported each in a radial slot in '
a disk G bolted rigidly on frame A and arranged some distance apart in parallel
planes. The bearings 2 and 4 are free to slide in the said radial slots 5 but not to
turn therein, as seen in Fig. 2, where bearing, 2, is shown, though it might be 4 as
well, as both are alike.
Inside of disks or plates G are disks H, supported on a shaft K at their center
which is fixed rigidly in the disks G. The disks H have each a diagonal slot 6,
Figs. 1, 2, which is eccentric to the axis of said disks and crosses the slots 5 at an
inclination about as shown. The bearings 2 and 4 extend through but fit closely
within the slots 6, and so that they may slide therein as they also slide in slots 5.
But the slots 6 are so disposed with respect to slots 5 that when a rotary movement
is given to disks H the bearings 2 and 4 will be carried inward or outward
according to direction of rotation. A handle bar 8 is fixed to disks H and effects
their rotation together. If rim D is to be gripped the disks H are moved so as to
carry the bearings 2 and 4 inward in slots 6, and if it is to be released they are
turned to carry said bearings outward. But the bearings themselves with their
shafts and wheels will move only in radial lines in slots 5.
The wheels C are not only supporting wheels but also rotating or operating
wheels for wheel rim D, and to this end the shafts E have each a bevel fri-tion
wheel L, which said wheels L are arranged in a circle like wheels C and are
:

page_text: engaged by a large central bevel drive wheel N fixed on shaft B. I prefer
friction drive mechanism and hence have shown this kind; but of course am not
limited thereto but may use other or equivalent mechanism. The wheel N and its
shaft B are supported in suitable elevated bearings on a sliding table M held in
working position as here shown by counter weight P. Here again equivalent
means for weight P might be used as also any suitable means for disengaging
wheel N..
Now, in order that the rim D may be turned down to shape while it is being
held and rotated by the foregoing mechanism I have shown this machine as
equipped with two suitable cutters 9 and 10, adapted to engage the inside and the
outside of the rim at the same time and oppositely to one another. Each cutter
is supported in a suitable block 12 and the said blocks are in turn supported on a
reversely threaded operating screw 14 and in a slot in the disk G in which the
said blocks have a sliding movement. The cutters 9 and 10 are set in these blocks
.at such an angle of inclination as to do the most effective work, and are fed to the
work by said screw 14 and the hand wheel thereon.
I might introduce rotary cutters in lieu of those shown but for present uses
these are preferred.
When a rim is to be turned, it is put into position between wheels C, and said
wheels are adjusted to holding and turning position for said rim, and are then
allowed to remain, and require no further attention until the rim is finished, except
as they are slightly advanced to compensate for the decreasing diameter of the
rim under the operation of the outer cutting or shaving tool.
Meantime during the operation of turning the rim to shape the wheels and rim
are rotated together through shafts E and friction wheels L and N. Both the
cutters and the rotating mechanism are under the control of the operator and
when a rim is finished the machine is stopped and the rim removed and fresh stock
put in its place. The flanges a of the wheels C are such that they will engage
and hold the stock before turning as well as afterwards and since the finished
product is concave in cross section on its exterior these wheels have a convex
inner surface to match said concavity and insure frictional engagement to the end
of the operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The main frame having fixed disks with slots in their edges, and the two
rotating disks having inclined slots in their edges, in combination with shafts and
bearings for said shafts constructed to pass through the slots of both sets of
disks, rim engaging wheels on one end of said shafts and power transmitting
mechanism at the other ends thereof and an adjustable cutter or cutters arranged
to engage the rim operated upon, substantially as described.
2. The frame having a set of fixed disks with corresponding radial slots in
their edges, and a series of shafts arranged to slide in said slots, in combination
with a shaft fixed centrally in said disks, and a set of rotatable disks on said shaft
having each diagonal slots engaging said bearings and provided with means to
rotate the said disks and wheels on the ends of said series of shafts outside said
disks, substantially as described.
3. The means described for adjusting the rim carrying wheels consisting of the
stationary disks having radial slots in their periphery, the rotatable disks having
elote crossing said radial slots at an angle thereto, the shafts and bearings for the
shafts engaged in both sets of said slots and rim engaging wheels on one end of
said shafts and power transmitting wheels on the other ends thereof, substantially
as described.
4. The two sets of disks having slots in a circle at an angle to each other and
shafts supported in said slots, in combination with a series of circularly arranged
channeled supporting and rotating wheels on the corresponding ends of said

page_text: shafts and a set of turning blades adjustably arranged on the inner circle between
said wheels, whereby wooden rims for wheels are rotated and turned to shape,
substantially as described.
Dah eth1000
JAMES BANWELL.
FRANK ROBERT WALL.
GEORGE CAUNTER.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.