IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gray, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1862.
I, GEORGE GRAY, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
WHEELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wheels. For these purposes a peculiar construction of metal nave is used, by
preference of cast iron. Each nave is cast in two parts, in one of which the
several mortices or sockets for the inner ends of the spokes are formed, and
such sockets or mortices are made by preference with parallel sides, the
mortices radiating from the centre of the nave. It is preferred that the
angular, parts of the nave which come between the spokes should be cast
hollow, in order to obtain lightness. The second or outside part of the casting
simply consists of an outside cover to the nave, which is fixed to it by means
of screws, the ends of which screw into an interposed disc or flat ring of
wrought iron, and this disc or ring is fixed to the first-mentioned part of the
casting by means of screw bolts and nuts, the heads of which bolts are
countersunk in the disc or ring, and the screw bolts pass through holes

page_text: through the angular parts of the casting which come between the spokes.
In putting a wheel together the wrought-iron disc or flat ring is put into its
place, and so that it does not comes in contact with the casting, but is held by
moveable pieces a short distance away from it; the screw bolts are then passed
through the ring and the casting, the nuts are then screwed up, and the ends
of the wood spokes are driven into their places, the tennons being slightly
taper. The flat ring or disc does not fit close around the cylindrical central
part of the casting of the nave against which the inner ends of the spokes
come when they are driven home, and the fact of their being driven home
will at once be seen through openings in the centre of the ring or disc. The
spokes having been driven in their places, the outer plate is put into its place,
and fixed by screws to the wrought-iron disc. Should the inner ends of the
spokes shrink, the disc may be tightened by the nuts. .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Gray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
GRAY, of Greenwich, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Gray, Her special licence, that I, the said George Gray, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Gray, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Gray, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 George Gray, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wheels. For these purposes a peculiar construction of metal nave is used, by
preference of cast iron. Each nave is cast in two parts, in one of which the
several mortices or sockets for the inner ends of the spokes are formed,
and such sockets or mortices are made by preference with parallel sides, the
mortices radiating from the centre of the nave. It is preferred that the
angular parts of the nave which come between the spokes should be cast
hollow in order to obtain lightness. The second or outside parts of the casting
simply consists of an outside cover to the nave, which is fixed to it by
means of screws, the ends of which screw into an interposed disc or flat
ring of wrought iron, and this disc or ring is fixed to the first-mentioned part
of the casting by means of screw bolts and nuts, the heads of which bolts are
countersunk in the disc or ring, and the screw bolts pass through holes
through the angular parts of the casting which come between the spokes. In
putting a wheel together, the wrought-iron disc or flat ring is put into its
place, and so that it does not come in contact with the casting, but is held by
moveable pieces a short distance away from it; the screw bolts are then passed
through the ring and the casting, the nuts are then screwed up, and the
ends of the wood spokes are driven into their places, the tenons being slightly
taper. The flat ring or disc does not fit close around the cylindrical central
part of the casting of the nave against which the inner ends of the spokes
come when they are driven home, and the fact of their being driven home
will at once be seen through openings in the centre of the ring or disc. The
spokes having been driven in their places, the outer plate is put into its place,
and fixed by screws to the wrought-iron disc; should the inner ends of the
spokes shrink the disc may be tightened by the nuts.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side view of a nave cast to the requisite form for carry-
ing out my Invention. In this nave there are as many sockets or mortices
as there are to be spokes, the sides of each of these sockets or mortices are
shewn to be parallel, which is preferred to be the case, but they may be made
to incline to each other as they approach the hollow box or centre; Figure 2 is

page_text: an edge view of the part a of the nave; Figure 3 shews a flat ring or disc, which
is fixed to the part a of the nave by means of screw bolts and nuts; Figure 4
shews the outer or covering plate, which is fixed to the nave and flat ring or
disc by screw bolts or nuts; Figure 5 shews two views of a nave complete.
In putting a wheel together the flat ring or disc b is fixed to the cast part a
of the nave, filling pieces of wood or other material being introduced in order
to retain the flat ring or disc from coming in contact with the casting a, when
the nuts on the screw bolts c, c, are screwed up tightly. The ends of the wood
spokes (which are wider than the sockets or mortices in the casting a,)
are then driven in, and the workman will readily see when they are driven
home, and come in contact with the hollow box or centre of the casting a, by
reason of the flat ring or disc not fitting up or coming to such hollow box or
centre of the casting a. The outer, or covering plate is then placed in posi-
tion, and is secured by means of the screws d, d. From the above description,
aided by the Drawings, it will readily be seen that when the inner ends of
the spokes shrink or become loose, the flat ring or disc b may be screwed up
closer towards the side of the casting a, and thus compress the ends of the
wood spokes in the sockets or mortices.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
combined arrangement and construction of wheels herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Gray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.