Improvements in Wheels for Road Vehicles, Cycles, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Road Vehicles, Cycles, and the like.
We FREDERICK WILLIAM SCHROEDER of Newman Street Newtown near
Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales, Engineer and HENRY MAROUS
CLARK of King Street Newtown near Sydney aforesaid, Draper, 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 relates to certain improvements in wheels for road vehicles,
cycles, and the like, by means of which may be produced light strong and cheap
wheels for the purpose, which wheels will minimise any jar or jolting caused by
uneven roads and will have quickly renewable spokes.
These improvements in wheels for road vehicles, cycles and the like refer to the
spokes, to devices for affixing the spokes to the rim or tyre and tensionally adjusting
them, and to devices including special constructions of hubs or bosses for affixing
the inner ends of the spokes all as hereinafter described and specifically claimed.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now.be
made to the drawings herewith which show various methods of practically applying
these present improvements. Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel
having improved spokes, improved devices for tensional fixture of spokes to the
rim, and improved devices for the inner fixture of the spokes. Figure 2 is a
sectional elevation of the rim and tyre of wheel of Figure 1, and Figure 2a ista
sectional elevation of the hub.or boss of same. Figure 26 is. a sectional elevation
and Figure 2c a section of a modified.construction of hub or boss and Figure 2d a
section of a further modification of same. Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the spoke.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are sectional elevations of modified constructions of the spoke
attachments to the rim. Figure 5a is a plan of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a section
of a modified construction of the outer part or "thimble" of the spoke attachments
to the rim. Figure 8.is an elevation partly in section of wheel having modified
constructions of improved spokes and attachments. Figures 9 and 10 are.sectional
elevations of modified constructions of spoke attachments to the rim. Figure 11 is
a section of the boss or hub shown in Figure 8, and Figures 12, 13 and 14 are an
edge elevation, section, and side elevation respectively of a modified construction
of the same. Figure 15 is a side elevation of a wheel having improved spokes.and
attachments and a solid tyre with pneumatic packing between it. and the rim or
felloe, and 'Figure 16 is a section and Figure 16a.a.sectional elevation. of the rim
and tyre of same, while Figure 17 shows a similar rim and tyre.on a wooden wheel
having solid flexible packing between tyre.and felloe.
The improved spoke according to this invention is formed of one .bent-round
piece or two pieces in two parts or halves A braced or coupled together by
straps A in a series of loops or circles or the like A* so as to form one whole
whose end Ais affixed to the hub and whose other end A³ is affixed to the rim as
hereinafter described. These half spokes are preferably constructed.of half round
metal though they might be equally as well made of metal of any other section.
In use, any jar or jolt caused by unevenuess of the road or way will be felt not
so much by the axle and boss as by the spokes of the wheel. The improved
spokes by the elasticity obtained by their looped .or "spectacled "construction and
their tensional tightening hereinafter described "compensate" or yield to jars.or
jolts or transter them to the rim or tyre and preserve the axle therefrom.

page_text: The spokes being affixed to the boss of the wheel preferably as hereinafter
described are affixed to the rim or tyre with tensional adjustment by means of the
devices illustrated which consist mainly of a hollow or bored screwed piece
hereinafter termed the "nipple" (in which the end of the spoke is held) and a
screwed socket hereinafter termed the "thimble" (which is held to the rim or
tyre). The nipple screwing into the thimble gives the requisite and necessary
stretching or tensional adjustment of the spoke. In Figures 2 and 4 the spoke
end A³ is passed through the nipple B and its inner half faces being corrugated, a
wedge or holding piece C is placed between them and the spoke drawn back so
that the spoke-ends and wedge will jamb and hold together when the nipple B is
being screwed into the thimble D (which is held to the rim a by its flange D¹)
whereby the tension or amount of resilient force and stiffness in the spoke is
regulated. In Figures 5 and 5a instead of a wedge being placed between the half
spokes two corrugated wedges C¹ take upon outside corrugations on the spoke-ends
and jamb the spoke-ends in said nipple B so that by screwing said nipple B into
the thimble D the required tensional adjustment may be obtained. Instead of
these wedges C being separate, for convenience they may be in one piece that is
joined together to form one staple-shaped wedge piece. In Figure 6 the spoke-end
is shown with a head C forged or otherwise made upon the two halves or upon
one solid end of the spoke. This head C2 will freely pass through the orifice or
boring of the nipple B but cannot pass through the orifice or hole made by the
joining around the spoke end of two half-rings or washers C³ which half-rings or
washers fit and rest in an enlargement in the nipple end. The spoke end and
washers C being placed in position the screwing in of the nipple B into the
thimble D will give the necessary tensional adjustment of the spoke. In Figure 7
the thimble D is shown as closed at the back end so as to prevent any of the parts
from falling out and this construction of thimble might be used with the other
onter fastening devices described. In Figure 8 the fastening or jambing of the
spoke-end in the nipple B is achieved by means of a taper staple C with slight
points C adapted to fit into slight depressions or centre-punch marks C on the
outside of the spoke-end whether it be halved or solid and the compression of this
staple upon the spoke by the force tending to draw it through the nipple will cause
the points C' to firmly grasp in the depressions C. In Figure 9 the hold of the
spoke end in the nipple is obtained by a wedge C between the half-spokes, which
wedge instead of being corrugated has slight points C taking in depressions in the
inner faces of the half-spokes and forming an effectual hold against force exerted
to pull the spoke-end through the nipple B. In Figure 10 the spoke in halves or
solid has a head C2 and the nipple B is split to take around the spoke-end under
the head and it is preferably split with indentations and protuberances to lock the
helix or thread correctly together. The screwing of the nipple B into the
thimble D will ensure as before set forth the requisite tensional adjustment.
When
The boss or hub is made with flanges so constructed that the inner spoke-ends
may be quickly affixed thereto and so in case of necessity a spare spoke may be
easily substituted for an injured one.
are made in one piece and each inner end forms a loop A' though the end might
In Figures 1 and 2a the "spectacle" spokes
be formed with an eye. The loop A' easily takes over the pins E formed
integral with or screwed and riveted in the disc or flange E of the boss.
all the spoke-ends are looped on the pins E the flange washer or keeper E³ is
screwed on to the end of the boss and secures the whole of the spokes in place
after which they may be tensionally adjusted as before described. As shown in
Figure 2d, instead of having the two discs E and E, a slotted disc E' might
and would preferably be used and through the orifices E would be inserted a
pin E passing through the two sides of the slot and through the loop or eye of
the spoke-end. In order to prevent the working out or falling out of the pins E
the central part is made eccentric to the parts taking into the metal of the
slotted disc, the sides of the loop in the jaw making an effective lock against
side movement of the eccentric pins E. In Figures 26 and 2c the spoke-ends

page_text: are forged or otherwise made with beads E and the discs or flanges E have a
turn-over edge or flange E' through which are slots E. The spoke-ends are
passed through said slots E8 and then drawn outwards when the heads E will
take behind flange E' and the spoke may then be tensionally adjusted. In
Figures 8 and 11 one spoke is shown as an ordinary straight spoke with an eye E"
taking upon an eccentric pin E in the slotted disc E though the spokes are
preferably "spectacle spokes" as before set forth. In the same figures two
straight spokes are shown made in one piece, the bend or bight or loop of which
takes around the eccentric pin E in the disc E. In Figures 12, 13, and 14 the
spoke-ends are shown solid or with a head E and the boss or hub is formed of two
parts brazed or sweated together to allow of the construction of the keyhole
slots E slots E10 and recess E". The head E' passes in this keyhole slot E and
around slot E10 until it is opposite recess E when it is drawn outwardly into place.
when it may be tensionally adjusted at the rim.
It is not intended to claim as of this invention the particular features (other
than those herein before described) of Figures 15 to 17 which illustrate an improve.l
construction of wheel to which these present improvements may be applied. In
Figures 15, 16 and 16a the rim F is formed with a space F in which the
flanges D' of the thimbles D take and outside of this is a thin liner F* and outside
of all is the tyre H which may be of metal or of papier-maché or compressed
leather or the like. The tyre is held between flange F2 and an annulus F bolted
or rivetted to flange F3 of the rim. Between the liner F and the tyre H (before
the annulus F is fastened to the flange F³) is inserted flexible packing say as in
the figures in the form of india-rubber piping G with closed-in ends but having
inserted into it an inflating valve G. In Figure 17 the flexible packing is shown
as applied to a wooden wheel the felloes I of which would have a rim J with
flanges J and J the former having fastened to it an annulus or keeper J³ for the
elastic packing G consisting in this case of strips of rubber or like material though
it might be as in Figures 15 to 16a of inflated piping.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In wheels for road vehicles cycles and the like the construction of the
spokes in halves or two pieces coupled or braced together at intervals so as to
make a series of loops or circles or the like substantially as herein described and
explained.
Second. In wheels for road vehicles, cycles, and the like the combination and
arrangement with a "spectacle spoke" as set forth in the preceding (first) claiming
clause hereof and affixed at its inner end to the boss or hub of the wheel, of a
nipple in which the outer end of said spoke is firmly held and a thimble to receive
said nipple and tensionally adjust said spoke substantially as herein described and
explained.
Third. In wheels for road vehicles, cycles, and the like the combination and
arrangement with a "spectacle spoke" as set forth in the preceding (first) claiming
clause and having tensional adjusting devices at its outer end, of devices for
receiving and firmly holding to the boss or hub the inner ends of said spokes
substantially as herein described and explained.
Fourth. In wheels for road vehicles and the like the combination and arrange-
ment with spoke-ends either solid or split, of thimbles, nipples screwing into said
thimbles, and holding devices securing said spoke-ends to said nipples substantially
as herein described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
and 10 of the drawings.
Fifth. In wheels for road vehicles, cycles, and the like the combination and
arrangement with the hub or boss and inner spoke-ends looped or having an eye,
of a holding pin taking in two metals or flanges of said hub or boss and having its

page_text: central part less in diameter and eccentric to its outer ends substantially as
herein described and explained and as illustrated in. Figures 2d and 11 of the
drawings.
Dated this Fifteenth day of June One.thousand eight hundred and ninety-six.