Year: 1896

page_text: I JOHN NUTSFORD 26 Bank Street Carlisle Hairdresser do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An adaptation of straight or twisted wires in spring or similar form, in whole or
in part, in the manufacture of wheels for cycles, and other vehicles for passenger
carriage.
It consists in the employment of springs in the construction of wheels for cycles &
other vehicles for passenger carriage.
The springs are situate between the centre of the wheel and its outer rim and
may be of various thicknesses, or be a combination of two or more, as may be
required by the variations of pressure expected.
Instead of the entire or sole use of spokes as at present, the spokes are superseded
by a combination of spoke & spring or springs (as the case may be) with or without
a second & inner rim.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 in this the springs are circular & fixed about midway between the centre
and rim of the wheel.
Fig. 2 has circular springs fixed upon the rim-end of the spokes.
Fig. 3 has circular springs fixed to the centre-end of the spokes.
Fig. 4 has circular springs fixed between the outer rim of the wheel & an inner
(new) rim, the inner rim being spoked as in present use.
Fig. 5 has curved or bent springs, the convex side of which is attached to the
outer rim, and the ends running in an inner grooved rim-the inner rim being.
spoked as in present use.
JOHN NUTSFORD,
26, Bank Street, Carlisle.
I JOHN NOTSFORD of 26 Bank Street Carlisle Hairdresser 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:-
My invention consists in the employment of springs as hereinafter described in
the construction of wheels for velocipedes or vehicles of the kind termed "cycles
and other vehicles or carriages.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 of which is a side view of a portion of a. wheel having circular springs

page_text: fixed according to my said invention between the outer rim and an inner rim which
latter rim is spoked in the ordinary manner.
Figure 2 represents a transverse section taken on the line X Figure 1 and
Figure 3 represents one of the springs separately in plan or end view.
In the following description the parts of the drawings are referred to by the
letters marked thereon. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in
all the figures of the drawing.
a is the axle of the wheel. bb are the spokes which are connected by ordinary
means as represented to the inner rim d and to flanges on the hub a portion of one
of which flanges is shown at c in Figure 1. e is the outer rim which is formed
with side flanges ff and has a groove or channel in its outer periphery in which a
solid rubber tyre g is secured in any ordinary manner. hhii are the circular or
coiled springs between the inner rim d and the outer rim e which springs are
arranged alternately on opposite sides of the wheel in parallel planes as illustrated
in Figure 2 in which figure only one of the springs on each side of the wheel is
represented. The end portions of the springs hii are screw threaded and are
bent and shaped so as to bring the screw threaded portions into the line of the axis
of the circular or coiled part as illustrated at j in Figure 3 and the said springs are
rigidly secured to the inner and outer rims d e as follows:-Holes are formed in the
said rims at the parts where the ends of the several springs are to be secured and
the connection of the straight end portions of the springs with the inner rim
is effected by engaging a screw nut k with the screw thread on one end of each of
the several springs and then passing the said ends through the holes formed in the
inner rim d and securing the said ends in the said holes by engaging screw nuts //
with the screw thread on the parts of the said ends projecting beyond the inner face
of the said rim and screwing the said nuts closely against the said face. The
connection of the springs to the outer rime is effected by passing headed externally
and internally screw threaded tubes or nipples m m through the holes in the said
rim from its outer side and engaging the internal screw threads of the several tubes
or nipples with the outer screwed ends of the several springs and engaging nuts n n
with the external threads on the said nipples and screwing the said nuts close
against the inner face of the said rim thus drawing the heads of the said nipples
against the outer face of the said rim.
The effect of shaping the ends of the springs as described and connecting them
to the two rims as and in the relative positions described and illustrated is to ensure
action of the springs both on increase and decrease of the space between the two
rims which increase and decrease of the said space occur simultaneously at different
parts thereof when the wheel is running under weight. The elastic resistance
which the springs offer to compression is therefore rendered available for the
purpose of absorbing shocks received by the wheel while travelling as well as the
elastic resistance which the said springs offer to extension whereas in the arrange-
ments of coiled springs heretofore known or proposed in the construction of wheels
having springs between inner and outer rims such springs have been so connected
to the rims and in such positions relatively to each other and to the rims that only
the elastic resistance offered by the said springs to extension has been available for
the purpose stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood
that I make no general claim to the use of coiled springs between inner and outer
rims in the construction of elastic wheels but I declare that what I claim is :-
The improvements hereinbefore described in wheels having inner and outer rims
with coiled springs secured between them that is to say the arrangement between
the said rims of two rows of coiled springs having their ends in line with their axes
and the connection of the ends of the said springs rigidly to such parts of both the
rims that the axes of the springs in the two rows are respectively in planes on either

page_text: side of and parallel to a plane passing through the middle of the wheel at right
angles to its axis substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated the Seventh day of April 1897.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.