Year: 1895

page_text: I EUGÈNE MARIE FERDINAND LE SIEURE DESBRIÈRE of 96 Rue d'Amsterdam
Paris in the Republic of France Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to improve the construction of wheels in the
manner hereinafter described.
An arrangement according to this invention consists of a stationary axle around
which the hub of the wheel rotates with the intervention of ball bearings.
Two annular discs or guides are secured to the hub by screwing or otherwise so
as to turn along with it the connection or attachment being effected by means of
keys, nuts or rings, screw threaded in the direction opposite to that of the screw
threads of the discs or guides which latter are formed with grooves or ribs, if
preferred, to reduce their weight.
An annular casing or ring is arranged to slide between the annular discs or
guides and secured to or formed with this casing are parts adapted to receive the
inner ends of the spokes the points at which they are connected with the said
casing depending on the particular kind of wheel to which the invention is applied.
Portions of the pieces to which the spokes are secured or other parts of the
casing may be provided with lubricant conducting grooves and the lubricant be
fed through channels or ports, provided for the purpose in the shoulders which
may be covered in by oil cups or be provided with slides.
Two membranes or diaphragms of leather (which may be prepared or dressed
for the purpose either by a special tanning process, or by treatment with glycerine,
or by the Hungarian process, or by means of vaseline, fish-oil or pure tallow) or
of other suitable material such as canvas or wire gauze with or without rubber
are secured to the sliding casing by bolts and retaining rings or by any other
suitable or well known device, and the said diaphragms are secured to the hub
which may be done by forming rolled rings on the inner edges to be retained
between a projection on the hub and rings screwed on the hub or by teeth adapted
to grip the hub or in any other suitable way.
An air chamber, fitted with a valve and constructed of india rubber or any
other flexible material is enclosed between the said diaphragms. The invention is
applicable to the wheels of vehicles of every description, as well as to wheels
used as driving pulleys.
Dated this 17th day of December 1905
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: 1EUGÈNE MARIE FERDINAND LE SIEURE DESBRIÈRE of 96 Rue d'Amsterdam
Paris in the Republic of France do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described aud
ascertained in and by the following statement::-
The object of this invention is to diminish jolting in automobile and other
carriages as well as, in cycles and the like. With this object'I use
1. A fixed spindle A A' with ball bearings.
2. A hub 'B B rotating on the spindle by the intermediation of the above
mentioned or any other bearings; this hub is provided with a rib Q bored.with
holes.
3. Two circular discs. CC fixed.to.the hub in such manner as to rotate
therewith, by means of keys or setscrews; in the annexed drawing these circular
discs, are screwed on to.the hub and the rings D D screw threaded in an opposite
direction to the thread on the circular discs CC¹ and clamp the latter in position.
These circular.discs may be hollowed or ribbed in order to reduce their weight.
4. A circular box F fixed to two rings GG which receive the spokes of the
wheel; the circular box and the two rings G G can also be made in a single
piece; the points of contact for the spokes, and their method of attachment, vary
with the construction of the wheel. The outer surfaces I'I' of 'the rings 'G'G'
may be provided with grooves to retain.the lubricant used to reduce the friction
between the surfaces I and the circular discs CC. The lubricant can be
inserted between these, surfaces into the channels a al or by openings in the circular
discs and closed by automatic lubricators or simply by slides.
The circular box F is bored at K with a hole for the passage of a valve and at
other parts of its circumference with holes for the reception of bolts LL LL
The hub B, the circular discs CC, the circular box F, the rings G Gand the
rings D D are of steel or wholly or partially of a light metal according to their
application.
1
5. Two flexible membranes N N of linen coated with a solution of rubber or
any other adhesive matter uniting the layers together. This linensis cut in such
shape as to form a ring the larger circumference of which is secured between the
rings.00 and the smaller between the rings P P¹. These membranes may be
also made of leather suitably prepared by tanning, Hungarian tanning, or
glycerine. To bring these leathers to their final-shape it is preferable to use a
mould.composed of a box A', Fig. 2 of any shape and air tight, in which is fitted,
by an air tight joint, a metallic trough B' of a shape suitable to the surface which
it is desired to obtain. This trough is perforated with a large number of small
holes not shown; in the space between the box and the trough, the tube Cis
connected to a vacuum pump by an air tight joint.
For tanned leather, the leather, suitably soaked in water, is placed on the
trough and the vacuum pump is set in operation. The, leather attaches itself by
atmospheric pressure due to the action of the vacuum pump, to the surface of the
trough, and rapidly dries, whilst retaining its shape. For skins prepared with
glycerine a rawhide is taken, preferably fresh, or dried to the condition of
parchment. This is dipped in water until it is quite supple and is then applied
to the trough where it is left with the air exhausted, until it is nearly dry. It is
then removed and fixed on its metal rings, being cut to the proper dimensions if
necessary; then it is soaked in glycerine and left therein until it is completely
saturated.
When great suppleness is desired with ample strength and small weight these

page_text: flexible membranes are made of wires arranged in such manner that each of the
wires extends from the rings P P¹ to the hoops O O', Fig. 1. They are arranged
in one or several layers, crossed or not crossed, or they may be woven over the
whole or a part of their length or glued together, but the essential characteristic
claimed for these diaphragms is that each thread starts from a point of a circle
corresponding in diameter to that of the small rings P P and extends to the
periphery of the membrane and that there is no seam on all the surface of the
membrane the ends being compressed between the rings O O¹ and P P¹ to clamp
the wires in position.
To arrange these wires a plate B' Fig. 3 is used provided with teeth G³ round
its circumference. This plate is mounted on a mould A' of wood or other material
and having the shape which it is desired to give to the membrane. This mould A
as well as the plate is bored with a central hole E' the diameter of which is about.
equal to the inner diameter of the ring P.
The wire C is fixed to one point in the apparatus and is passed between the
teeth of the plate over the ring P which it holds against the extremity of the
mould and into the central hole continuing thus until the surface is complete. It
will be understood that the wires may be placed between two surfaces of any
suitable material such as linen leather rubber &c. or they can be covered on one
Bide only. In this case the surface of the mould is covered with the material to
be used and the wire is wound as described above, they being glued together as
progress is made by solution of any substance suitable for producing adhesion.
The surfaces covering the wires are also glued. This done, ties of linen or other
suitable material are glued on, covering and supporting the wires on their outer
diameter and the ends of the wires are bent back over the edges of the ties to
prevent them from moving. One of these methods can be used with the other, or
separately. The wires are cut circumferentially at H1 H2 Fig. 3 or at any other
more convenient place, thus enabling the detachment of the whole from the
mould; then the rings O O¹ and P P₁ are rivetted on or fastened by other suitable
means.
The rings P P¹ carry projections which enter into the holes in the rib Q or the
rib may be provided with projections entering into the corresponding holes of
the rings P P these rings are clamped against the shoulder Q by the screwed
rings Ꭱ Ꭱ .
The hoops OO' rivetted or screwed together hold between them the membranes
these hoops are kept in position within the box F, by means of bolts L L'L" L".
One hoop only can be used if greater lightness is required.
According to the purpose for which the wheel is intended washers of leather,
rubber, or other suitable material are fitted at II' to prevent the introduction of
dust between the parts G G¹ and the shoulders C C¹.
6. A compressed air chamber T provided with a valve K and constructed of
rubber or any other flexible material.
I know that it is not novel to make the hub of the wheel in two parts, a box
carrying the spokes, and a hub, therefore I do not make any claim for this
principle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved construction of a compressed air hub, constructed as above
described and shown in the annexed drawings.
2. A compressed air hub comprising a hub, a box carrying the spokes, an air
tight chamber resting on the box or on a rib fixed on the box by the whole
Burlace of its outer circumference, and on the hub or on a rib fixed to this hub by
the whole surface of its smaller circumference. Two flexible discs of any suitable
substance but not arranged to be air tight. Two metallic discs fixed on the hub
and turning with it, exterior to the two flexible discs.

page_text: 3. In a compressed air hub the rotating movement transmitted by flexible discs
not arranged to be air tight whilst lateral oscillations are prevented by two metallic
discs outside the flexible discs.
4. In a compressed air hub, the flexible discs fixed on rings independent of the
hub and the box carrying the spokes.
5. In a compressed air hub two flexible discs composed of wires forming a
continuous surface without uniting seams over the whole surface comprised
between the rings.
Dated this 25th day of June 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.