IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED BIRDSTI
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Wright, of Dudley, in the County of Wor-
cester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED
BIRDSTI
"
Sealed the 23rd July 1861, and dated the 2nd May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Wright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd May 1861.
PETER WRIGHT, of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturer,
do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN," to be as follows, that is to say:-
I first prepare a die of the requisite section to give the desired form of one-
half of the nave of the wheel, with a flange upon the periphery of the thickest
part of the nave. I then take wrought or scrap iron, and heat it in a furnace
until it is ready for my purpose, when I lay it in the die, & force it into the
die by blows from a steam or forge hammer, or by pressure applied until the
heated metal completely fills the die. I then remove the metal from the die,
and take it to a hydraulic or other suitable press, by which a hole is made
through the centre for the axle; the corresponding balf of the nave is then
formed in the same manner. I then take a disc or circular plate of wrought
iron, or boiler plate of the requisite size and thickness, through the centre of

page_text: which a hole is cut corresponding with the hole through the nave; this disc
is placed between the two halves of the nave, & the whole is rivetted or
bolted together, or in another way. I can take two discs of plate iron, and
placing them one on each side of the flange upon the nave, I rivet or bolt
them together through the flange; or when a lighter wheel is required,
segmental pieces or arms may be rivetted or bolted on to or between and
through the flange upon the nave in place of the solid disc. The next
operation is that of fixing on the tyre, which may be effected in various ways,
either by rivetting or bolting the disc or centre part of the wheel to a flange
formed on the inner periphery of the tyre, or by rivetting T or angle iron
upon the rim of the centre part, when the tyre may be shrunk on and secured
in the usual manner, or by any other approved mode.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
WRIGHT, of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Peter Wright, Her special license that I, the said Peter Wright, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter
Wright, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter
Wright, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Wright, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to tlie
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
I first prepare a die of the requisite section to give the desired form of one-
half of the nave of the wheel, with a flange upon the periphery of the thickest
part of the nave. I then take wrought or scrap iron, and heat it in à furnace
until it is ready for my purpose, when I lay it in the die and force it into the
die by blows from a steam or forge. hammer, or by pressure applied until the
beated metal completely fills the die. I then remove the metal from the die,
and take it to a hydraulic or other suitable press, by which a hole is made
through the centre for the axle; the corresponding half of the nave is then
formed in the same manner. I then take a disc or circular plate of wrought
iron or boiler plate of the requisite size and thickness, through the centre of
which a hole is cut corresponding with the hole through the nave; this dise
is placed between the two halves of the nave, and the whole is rivetted or
bolted together; or in another way I can take two discs of plate iron, and
placing them one on each side of the flange upon the nave, I rivet or bolt
them together through the flange; or when a lighter wheel is required,
segmental pieces or arms may be rivetted or bolted on to or between änd
through the flange upon the nave in place of the solid disc. The next
operation is that of fixing on the tyre, which may be effected in various
ways, either by rivetting or bolting the disc or centre part of the wheel to a
flange formed on the inner periphery of the tyre, or by rivetting T or angle
iron upon the rim of the centre part, when the tyro may be shrunk on and
secured in the usual manner, or by any other approved mode.
I will now proceed to a more detailed description of my Invention by thẻ
aid of the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a vertical section of one of my single
disc wheels; Figure 3 an elevation, and Figure 4 a vertical section of one of
my double disc wheels; Figure 5 shews an enlarged section of one of my cast
naves; Figures 6 and 7 represent a plan and section of one-half of a wrought
nave or boss ready to be put together, with the exception of the holes for the
bolts or rivets. (a, a,) Figure 2, shew the boss or nave of the wheel formed
in two parts, and in the following manner: I prepare a die of the requisité
form to mould one-half of this nave to the shape I require with its flange, as

page_text: seen at (b, b,) formed solid upon it. I now take wrought or scrap iron in a
_heated state with which I fill the die, forcing the metal into the die by blows
from a steam or forge hammer, or by hydraulic or other pressure until the die
1. can contain no more metal; I then remove the blank to an hydraulic press
adapted to my purpose by being constructed in the following manner :-The
.head of the ram is fitted with a punch of the requisite size and form for
punching or pressing a hole through the centre of the blank for the nave to
receive the axle; and in order that no time may be lost in finding the centre,
I place in the bottom of the press a die corresponding to that in which the
blank for the nave was formed, but having an opening in the bottom suffi-
ciently large to allow the plug that will be forced out by the punch to drop
through. The blank for the nave whilst still hot is to be placed in this die,
and the punch descending presses a hole exactly through its centre, the metal
forced out falling through the bottom of the die; I thus avoid any risk of the
metal cooling too much for the punch to work through it whilst I am finding
the centre. Having in this manner prepared two precisely similar mouldings
from the die, and perforated them for the axle, I proceed to the manufacture
of the disc which is to form the body of the wheel, and for this purpose I take
a plate of wrought iron or boiler plate, and by any of the ordinarily practised
methods of cutting circular discs in metal I shape the metal to the size and
outline I require, and I then cut, or punch, or press through the centre of this
disc an aperture exactly coinciding in size and form with that which I have
already made in the halves of the nave (c, c.) Figure (2) shows this disc
which is now to be placed between the two parts (a, a,) forming the nave, in
which position the disc is to be firmly secured by bolts or rivets (d, d,) driven
through the flanges (b, 6,) and consequently through the disc (c) also. (e, e,)
represents the tyre formed with a flange (f,f) entirely round its inner periphery;
this tyre having been previously prepared in the form of a hoop, the rest of
the wheel is brought to it and laid within it upon the flange, (f, f) and the
whole is secured together by being bolted or rivetted through the flange (f)
and the disc (c.)
I will now describe the construction of the wheel shewn by Figures 3
and 4, and referring to the vertical section Figure (4,) it will be seen that
this form of wheel consists of two dises, (k, k,) between which discs both the
flanges upon the nave and that upon the tyre are secured. The nave (9) for
this wheel is formed in manner precisely similar to that in the wheel last
described, the two flanges (1, 1,) being in this instance brought closely toge-
ther, each of the discs (k, k,), two being employed, may be much lighter
than that shewn in Figure (2.) The two halves of the nave (9) having been

page_text: prepared in the manner I have already described, are to be brought into close
contact so that the flanges (1, 1) exactly coincide; these may be welded
together if preferred, or a nave formed in one solid piece may be used for this
description of wheel. The discs (k, k,) are then made ready, and an aperture
is cut through the centre of each sufficiently large to admit the nave (9) up
to the flanges (1, l.) The tyre (m, m,) with its flange (n, n,) is the next
part requiring to be placed, and this being done, one disc is fitted on each
side of the flanges (1, 1, n, n,) and the whole of the parts are bolted or rivetted
together as shewn.
It is not necessary that the form for the body of either of the wheels I have
described should be that of a solid disc or plate. The plate may be perforated
into a number of arms or segments, or in various designs, and still be secured.
together by the means I have specified; thus a wheel may be produced for
many purposes as efficient as the solid wheel, and although it would be
wanting, in some measure, in the strength possessed by the solid centre, it
would still form a very strong, light, and ornamental wheel.
I may state that I am not necessarily compelled to employ a flange upon
the inner periphery of the tyre as the only means by which I can secure the
disc or discs to the tyre, for I can attain the same result, though probably
with rather more trouble, by rivetting iron of T or angular section upon the
rim of the body or disc of the wheel, and afterwards sbrinking on the tyre,
and securing it in any sufficient manner; neither am I bound to the employ-
ment of wrought or scrap iron only in the formation of the boss or nave, for
in Figure 5 I have represented a form of cast-iron nave which may also be
made in two parts, though I prefer making it in one, as shewn in the Drawing,
and secured to the disc or body, as in making the wheels shewn in Figures 3
and 4.
My improvements in machinery or apparatus to be used in this manufac-
ture consist in adapting and employing a peculiar construction of lies, the
form of which is suitable for moulding or pressing the parts of the boss or
nave, and also in the application of a punch fitted upon the head of the ram
of an hydraulic press with a die, as described in the bed of the press, by which
means the hole for the axle is punched out whilst the nave is hot; but as
this portion of my Invention may be thoroughly understood, from the fore-
going description of the manufacture of those parts, further particulars are
unnecessary.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be practically carried out, in conclusion, I would
remark, that I am quite aware that wheels having a single disc secured to a

page_text: flange upon the inner periphery of the tyre are not new, and I therefore lay
no claim to this mode of securing a single disc wheel to its tyre; but without
limiting myself to precise details, I claim,-
Firstly, the formation of the bosses or naves of wheels, in manner herein
described.
Secondly, the mode of combining or connecting together, as herein described,
the several parts of wheels, with the exception of that portion of the single disc
wheel already alluded to.
Thirdly, the manufacture of wheels with cast-iron bosses or naves formed
and secured as herein described.
And, fourthly, I claim the employment of dies of a peculiar and suitable
form by which they are adapted to produce the wrought-iron bosses or naves
of wheels, and also the improvements in the hydraulic press by which it
is rendered applicable to my purpose, in manner herein more fully set
forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Wright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
PETER WRIGHT. (L.S.)