Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 14th Sept.; 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I, CHARLES JAMES REYNOLDS of Glen-y-Ffordd Market Street Maidenhead in the
County of Berks, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My improvements relate to those wheels which are known as "tangent" or laced
wheels in which the spokes are not radial from the hub to the circumference but
lie at a tangent or at an acute angle to the circle formed by the periphery of the hub
of the wheel.
In such wheels known in the trade as "tangent" or "laced" wheels the spokes
in passing from the nave or hub to the circumference cross each other, the number
of crossings being dependent on the number of spokes and the angle at which they
are inserted in the hub.
In order to make such a wheel duly rigid it is necessary that the spokes at the
crossings or at least at the circle of crossings farthest from the hub, shall be
fastened together.
Various means bave been resorted to for doing this either by special clips or by
tying the points of crossing with wire and soldering the same, but these fastenings
are liable to work loose in time, and are objectionable for other reasons.
In my improved wheel I effect the tying of the spokes at the point of crossing
by twisting them together either by a half twist, or a whole twist or any number
of twists that may be desired. After twisting, the joint may if preferred be soldered
or otherwise bound. By this means spokes are firmly held together at the points
of crossing one another, and the tightening of a spoke by any strain put upon it cannot
impair the joint. I prefer to keep the end of a spoke on the same side of the
joint as the spoke to which it belongs instead of allowing the two ends to continue in
one line.
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
1. CHARLES JAMES REYNOLDS of Glen-y-Ffordd Market Street Maidenhead in the
County of Berks Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My improvements relate to those wheels which are known as "tangent" or laced
wheels, in which the spokes are not radial from the. hub of the circumference, but lic
at a tangent or at an acute angle to the circle formed by the periphery of the hub of
the wheel.
In such wheels, known in the trade as tangent or "laced" wheels, the spokes in
passing from the nave or hub to the circumference cross each other.
The object of my invention is to provide a secure and simple mode of fastening the
spokes together at the points where they thus cross, and it will be readily understood
by reference to the accompanying drawings; in which Fig. 1 represents one side of
the hub of à laced or tangent" wheel, the spokes being shewn placed at such an
angle to the circle formed by the periphery of the hub, that each spoke is crossed by
five others, on its way from the hub to the rim or tyre of the wheels, as indicated by the
Nos. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. It is to be understood that the number of such points of crossing,

page_text: will vary in my wheel according to the number of spokes and the angle at which they
are inserted in the hub.
To make such a wheel thoroughly rigid it is necessary that the spokes at some
or all of such points of crossing shall be firmly fastened together. Various means
have been employed for doing this, such as by special clips, or by soldering the
points of contact, or by tying the same with wire, the joint afterwards in some
instances being soldered as well, but all these fastenings are liable to work loose in
time and are unsatisfactory for other reasons.
In my improved wheel I effect the due fastening of the spokes by twisting them
together at the points of crossing, either at all the points or at several of them; or,
and this is the plan I prefer, by twisting them only at the outer circle of crossing.
I accomplish this either by a single half twist as shewn at B, or by a whole twist as
shewn at G, or by a combination of any number of whole or of half twists that may
be desired, but I prefer that the twists should consist either of a single half twist or
an odd number of half twists so that the spoke, instead of continuing in a straight line
to the rim, as shewn at H, H, after engaging with the other spoke, returns to the
same side of the joint that it belonged to at starting from the hub, as shown at K. K.
By thus twisting the spokes, they are firmly and securely held together at the point
of crossing one another, and the tightening of a spoke by any strain put upon it
cannot impair the joint.
The joints after twisting may if desired be soldered or otherwise bound.
In the drawing the spokes are also shewn at D twisted together with a single
half-twist for part of the inner circle of crossings, near the hub; but it must be
understood that the same remarks exactly apply to the twisting of the spokes here, as
those above mentioned concerning the outer circle of crossing at B, and further that
these remarks also apply in the like manner to the twisting of any of the spokes at all
or any of the remaining points of crossing, as may be desired. This mode of
stiffening the wheel by intertwining the spokes, is applicable to all kinds of wheels
constructed with tangential or laced spokes, no matter for what purpose they are
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;
In all kinds of "Tangent" or "Laced" wheels the fastening of the spokes at all or
any of the points of crossing, by twisting or half-twisting them together, the joint
thus made being if desired afterwards soldered or otherwise bound.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1889.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, Patent Agent.