IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Winter, of Bradford, in the West
Riding of the County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Winter
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd November 1852.
I JOHN WINTER, of Bradford, in the West Riding of the County
of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention to be as follows (that is to say) :-
The said Invention consists of a mode or modes of forming
naves or bosses of wheels, whereby great economy in construction
is gained, and whereby the strength or cohesion of the combination
or mass is less dependent upon the perfection of the welding
together of the parts of which it is composed, at the same time that
it is calculated to secure the most perfect welding that can be
effected.
For this purpose, I either roll bars of iron in such plain shapes
as shall cause them to fit together, and form combinations adapted
for the nave or boss of a wheel, with recesses, grooves, or notches,

page_text: in the periphery of the nave for the reception of the spokes of the
wheel, which is to be formed (as afterwards-shewn in Figure 1), or
else I roll such bars into such shapes, that they shall not only form
such combination, but so also that there shall not be any through
joint or joints extending in a direct line from the interior to the
exterior of the nave or boss, as shewn in the other figures in the
Drawings. And for the purpose of causing the bars or pieces of iron
to be interlocked together, I roll or make some of such bars or
pieces with longitudinal dovetails or grooves, into which I intro-
duce, in a longitudinal direction, parts of the other bars or pieces
rolled or made so as to fit into the same, whereby the different
portions or segments of the nave do not only cover each other's
joints, but do also so dovetail, embrace, and lock into each other,
that the whole before welding forms a strong skeleton nave; and
in rolling or making such bars or pieces of iron, I roll or make the
same so that such pieces (or some of them) shall have recesses or
grooves in them for receiving the ends of the spokes, or so that
such pieces, when put together, shall form recesses or grooves for
the reception of the spokes.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed, I have shewn, by way of
illustration, several sets of shapes or forms, which may be
adopted in rolling or making bars to be combined for making
naves or bosses.
In Figure 1, I have shewn a nave in section, composed of several
pieces or segments (marked a), in each of which is formed a
groove or notch (marked 6), to receive a spoke (marked c). In
Figure 2, I have shewn a nave in which the joints of the segments
or pieces a, are broken or covered by an outer segment or piece
(marked c) affixed thereto. Figure 3, shews in section, a nave
made of bars or pieces (marked a), which are all of the same shape,
but so formed as to fit together, cover each other's joints, and form
recesses (marked c), as shewn in the figure. In Figure 4, I have
shewn in section a nave, which differs from that shewn in
Figure 2, chiefly in having the pieces a, and b, made in different
forms; the pieces b, being made with recesses for receiving pro-

page_text: jections made in the pieces a, as shewn in the figure, so that they
dovetail and lock into each other, as shewn at c.
In Figures
5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, I have shewn in transverse sections other forms
of iron bars, which may be combined together to form naves or
bosses according to my Invention, as shewn in these figures, with
notches or recesses in some of the bars or pieces for receiving the
spokes of the wheels.
In Figure 5, a boss is shewn is section, composed of several
bars or pieces (marked a), each of which forms a segment of
the nave, and such pieces are held together by dovetailed fillets or
bars of iron (marked b). The pieces marked a, by their junction
form recesses (marked c), to receive the ends of the spokes of the
wheel. In Figure 6, a nave is shewn in section, the pieces a, being
made with projecting parts (marked b), in lieu of the fillet b, in
Figure 5. Figures 7, 8, and 9, shew, that other varieties of the
shapes of bars or pieces may be combined, so as to form naves
according to my Invention.
.
In the section of a nave or boss, shewn in Figure 4, the recesses
or grooves for receiving the ends of the spokes are rolled or made
in a dovetailed form, as shewn at . The spokes are formed by
bending pieces of iron with thickened ends, as shewn at g, Figure 4
(for instance, the end may be three and a quarter inches, by three
quarters of an inch, and the spoke at the periphery of the wheel
inay be three inches by five-eighths of an inch), and the ends of the
spokes so formed are to be introduced into the recesses, so that
the ends of the spokes may be securely held in the nave or boss;
or otherwise in plain spokes, a wedge shaped piece of iron may
be inserted between each pair of ends, as shewn at h, and i, in
Figure 4. This mode of dovetailing the recesses, and the ends of
the spokes to be inserted in them, may be applied to wheels made
with naves or bosses of any of the constructions shewn in the
Drawings.
It will be observed, that in none of the forms or constructions of
naves shewn in the Drawings, except in Figure 1, is there any
through joint (or joining extending from the interior to the

page_text: periphery of the nave), between the pieces or bars shewn as
combined together in forming a nave; but in every case of a joint
or joining, the plane of which lies in a direction between the
interior and the periphery, the same is covered or broken (as it
is sometimes termed) by the middle or solid part of another of the
bars or pieces combined together in forming the nave.
When the bars or pieces which are intended to be combined
so as to form a nave have been put together, and the ends of the
spokes inserted in the recesses or notches prepared for their
reception, I heat the whole to a welding heat, and thereby weld
the whole into a firm solid mass in the usual way.
A flat iron disc or washer may also be placed against each side
of the nave.
The bars or pieces which I combine together in forming naves
according to my Invention, are rolled into the required shapes by
rolls suitably shaped for the purpose, and the same may be so
rolled of the lengths of which iron bars are usually rolled, and
these long lengths cut into short bars or pieces of the proper
dimensions for being combined together to form naves of wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Winter in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN WINTER, of Bradford, in the West Riding of the County of
York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Winter, Her
special licence that I, the said John Winter, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Winter,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time

page_text: agrec 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 John Winter,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Winter, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say):
The said Invention consists of a mode or modes of forming naves
or bosses of wheels, whereby great economy in construction is
gained, and whereby the strength or cohesion of the combination or
mass is less dependant upon the perfection of the welding together
of the parts of which it is composed, at the same time that it is cal-
culated to secure the most perfect welding that can be effected.
For this purpose I either roll bars of iron in such plain shapes
as shall cause them to fit together and form combinations adapted
for the nave or boss of a wheel, with recesses, grooves, or notches
in the periphery of the nave for the reception of the spokes of the
wheel which is to be formed (as afterwards shewn in Figure 1), or
else I roll such bars into such shapes that they not only form such
combination, but so also that there shall not be any through joint
(or joint extending in a direct line from the interior to the exterior
of the nave or boss), as shewn in the other Figures in the Drawings.
And for the purpose of causing the bars or pieces of iron to be in-
terlocked together, I roll some of such bars or pieces with longitu-
dinal dovetails or grooves, into which I introduce (in a longitudinal
direction) parts of the other bars or pieces rolled or made so as to

page_text: fit into the same, whereby the different portions or segments of the
nave do not only cover each other's joints, but do also so dovetail
embrace, and lock into each other, that the whole before welding
forins a strong skeleton nave; and in rolling or making such bars
or pieces of iron I roll or make the same so that such pieces (or
some of them) shall have recesses or grooves in them for receiving
the ends of the spokes, or so that such pieces, when put together,
shall form recesses or grooves for the reception of the spokes.
When the bars or pieces which are intended to be combined so as to
form a nave have been put together, and the ends of the spokes in-
serted in the recesses or notches prepared for their reception, I heat
the whole to a welding heat, and thereby weld the whole into a firm
solid mass in the usual way. A flat iron disc or washer may also
be placed against each side of the nave. The bars or pieces which
I combine together in forming naves of wheels, according to my In-
vention, are rolled into the required shapes by rolls suitably shaped
for the purpose, and the same may be so rolled of the lengths of
which iron bars are usually rolled, and these long lengths cut into
short bars or pieces of the proper dimensions for being combined
together to form naves of wheels.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn, by way of
illustration, several sets of shapes or forms, which may be adopted
in rolling or making bars to be combined for making naves or bosses
of wheels.
In Figure 1, I have shewn a nave, in section, composed of several
pieces or segments (marked A), in each of which is formed a groove
or notch (inarked B) to receive a spoke, C. In Figure 2, I have
shewn a nave in which the joints of the segments or pieces A, are
broken or covered by an outer segment or piece C, affixed thereto.
Figure 3 shews, in section, a nave made of bars or pieces A, which
are all of the same shape, but so formed as to fit together, cover
each other's joints, and form recesses marked C, as shewn in the
Figure. In Figure 4, I have shewn, in section, a nave which differs
from that shewn in Figure 2, chiefly in having the pieces A and C,
made in different forms; the pieces C, being made with recesses for

page_text: receiving projections made in the pieces A, as shewn in the
Figure, so that they dovetail and lock into each other, as shewn
at C. In Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, I have shewn in transverse
sections other forms of iron bars, which may be combined together
to form naves or bosses, according to my Invention, as shewn in
these Figures, with notches or recesses in some of the bars or pieces
for receiving the spokes of the wheels.
In Figure 5, a boss is shewn in section, composed of several bars
or pieces (marked A), each of which forms a segment of the nave,
and such pieces are held together by dovetailed fillets or bars of
iron (marked B); the pieces marked A, by their junction form re-
cesses (marked C) to receive the ends of the spokes of the wheel.
In Figure 6, a nave is shewn in section, the pieces a, being made
with projecting parts (marked b), in lieu of the fillet B, in Figure 5.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, shew that other varieties of the shapes of bars
or pieces may be combined so as to form naves, according to my
Invention.
In the section of a nave or boss shewn in Figure 4, the recesses
or grooves for receiving the ends of the spokes are rolled or made
in a dovetailed form, as shewn at X; the spokes are formed. by
bending pieces of iron with thickened ends, as shewn at g, Figure 4;
(for instance,) the end may be three and a quarter inches by three
quarters of an inch, and the spoke at the periphery of the wheel
may be three inches by five-eighths of an inch, and the ends of the
spokes so formed are to be introduced into the recesses, so that the
ends of the spokes may be securely held in the nave or boss; or
otherwise, plain spokes may be used, and a wedge shaped piece of
iron may be inserted between each pair of ends, as shewn at p and i,
in Figure 4. This mode of dovetailing the recesses, and the ends of
the spokes to be inserted in them, may be applied to wheels made
with naves or bosses of any of the constructions shewn in the
Drawings.
It will be observed, that in none of the forms or construc-
tions of naves shewn in the Drawings, except in Figure 1, is there
any through joint (or joining extending from the interior to the

page_text: periphery of the nave) between the pieces or bars shewn as com-
bined together in forming a nave; but in every case of a joint
or joining, the plane of which lies in a direction between the
interior and the periphery, the same is covered or broken (as it is
sometimes termed) by the middle or solid part of another of the
bars or pieces combined together in forming the nave.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I declare, that what I claim, by virtue of the said Letters Patent, is,
first, the formation and combination of rolled bars of iron, so that
they shall form recesses, grooves, or notches, for the insertion of
the spokes of the wheel as shewn in the several Drawings;
secondly, the formation and combination of such rolled bars of
iron, so that they dovetail and interlock with each other, or cover
cach other's joints, and together form a nave or boss, without any
through line or joint from the interior to the periphery of the nave
or boss; thirdly, the formation of spokes with thickened ends or
with strait ends, and wedges combining or fitting into corre-
sponding recesses in the nave.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and scal
this Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN WINTER. (L. s.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said John Winter, in the
presence of
JOHN RAWSON, Solicitor, Bradford.
HENRY ILLINGWORTH, J., Bradford.