Improvements in Wheels for Tramway and Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th July, 1894—Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Tramway and Railway Vehicles.
☐ We, THOMAS ERNEST HALFORD, Engineer, of 33 Priory Road, and JOHN
BATTAMS, Gentleman, of 16. Addison Road, both in Bedford Park, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
1
The object of this invention is to construct wheels for railway and tramway
vehicles in such a manner as to enable vehicles fitted with our improved wheels to
travel either on an ordinary road or on the rail or tramway.
one
Now. according to this invention instead of the ordinary flange formed in
with the tyre or wheel we form the flange as a loose ring of any suitable section
and we secure the said ring to the wheel preferably by means of a ring or plate
at the back which latter ring or plate is secured to the wheel by bolts screws
or rivets.
We provide also a means whereby the flange may be secured concentric with the
wheel when travelling on the rail or be allowed to revolve independently thereof
when travelling over a common road.
This may be done by means of a clutch for example.
We also prefer to secure between the wheel and the back plate or ring a series
of antifriction rollers against which the inside of the flange bears when the wheel
travels over an ordinary road.
Dh L
A: 1001
C.
T. E. HALFORD,
11; Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Tramway and Railway Vehicles.
We, THOMAS ERNEST HALFORD, Engineer, of 33 Priory Road, and JOHN
BATTAMS, Gentleman of 16 Addison Road, both in Bedford Park, in the
County of Middlesex, 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 is an improvement on a former invention (for which, Her
Majesty's Letters Patent were granted to us such Patent being numbered 17315.
and dated November 28th 1888) and the object thereof is to construct wheels for
railway and tramway vehicles in such a manner as to enable such vehicles when
fitted with wheels constructed according to this invention to travel either on an
ordinary road or on the rail or tramway.
Now according to this invention instead of making the flange in the form of a
wheel disc or plate as described in our original Specification we form the flange of
a loose ring of any suitable section and we secure the said ring to the wheel
preferably by means of a ring or plate at the back thereof, which latter ring or
plate is secured to the wheel by bolts screws or rivets.
We provide also a means whereby the flange may be secured concentric-with-the

page_text: wheel when travelling on the rail or be allowed to revolve independently thereof
when travelling over common roads.
This may be done by means of a clutch for example.
We also prefer to secure between the wheel and the back plate or ring a series
of anti-friction rollers against which the inside of the flange bears when the wheel
travels over ordinary roads.
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood we will proceed
to explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings
in which:
Figure represents front view of a wheel for railway and tramway vehicles
constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a section of the same partly on line OA and partly on line O B
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is back view of same.
Figure 4 is elevation of half the flange of same.
Figure 5 is section of flange.
Figure 6 is half section of one means for holding the flange concentric with
the wheel.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 shew a modified construction of the wheel hereinafter
referred to.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.
a is the wheel b the axle c the loose flange which consists of a ring of metal of
any suitable section. da ring or back plate of metal secured to the wheel a by
the bolts this plate serves to keep the flange c in place while allowing it to
revolve independently of the wheel a when travelling along an ordinary road
ferrules or distance pieces g being placed on the bolts to prevent the flange being
nipped between the wheel and the back plate when the nuts are screwed up.
On every alternate bolt is an anti-friction roller h against which the flange c
bears when the wheel is travelling over a common road.
To enable the flange to be held concentric with the wheel when on the rail we
provide a plate or disc k shewn in detail at Figure 6 having the rim cut away
at m to allow the disc to move relatively to the wheel when travelling over
common roads.
The inside of the flange is bored and the periphery of the plate or disc k is
turned to fit the same the aperture in the centre of the said plate or disc being
large enough to allow the said disc to be either concentric with or excentric to the
wheel a.
o is a clutch with tapered arms passing through slots in the disc k.
When the clutch is in the position shewn at Figure 2 the plate k and the flange c
are held concentric with the wheel a and the whole is as rigid as an ordinary wheel
with fixed flanges.
On drawing back the clutch the flange c is rendered capable of rotation
independently of the wheel a which latter is then ready to travel over common
roads.
In some cases we may dispense with the plate a and make the arms of the
clutch o long enough to be in contact with the flange when concentric with the
wheel.
Or the anti-friction rollers may be attached to the plate or disc k as shewn at
Figures 7, 8 and 9.
Figure 7 being front view of the wheel.
Figure 8 section of same partly on line A. B and partly on line B. C.
Figure 9 back view of same.
As will be seen from the section which is taken partly through the bolt holes
and partly midway between them the plate or disc k is provided with ears or
lugs between which are placed the anti-friction rollers ha bolt or rivet passing
through the lugs and roller serving as an axis for the latter.
The clutch may be a hollow cone as shewn at Figure 8 instead of the three
armed clutch shewn at Figure 2.
H

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In wheels for tramway and railway vehicles the combination of a wheel with
a loose annular flange capable of being secured concentric with the periphery of
the wheel for the purpose stated.
2. In wheels for tramway and railway vehicles the combination of a wheel a
having a loose annular flange c and a device for securing the same concentric with
the periphery of the wheel substantially as specified.
3. In wheels for tramway and railway vehicles the combination of a wheel a
having a loose annular flange c with a plate or disc k carrying anti-friction rollers h
and a clutch o all substantially as hereinbefore specified and shewn by Figures 7. 8
and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improved wheels for tramway and railway vehicles constructed sub-
stantially as hereinbefore specified and illustrated by the accompanying sheet of
drawings.
T. E. HALFORD,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.