IMPROVEMENTS IN TYRES FOR RAILWAY ROLLING-STOCK, ROAD VEHICLES, AND THE LIKE PURPOSES, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF PROVISIONAL
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Walter Knox of Sheffield in the County of York
B.Se, F.C.S, Chartered Accountant for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TYRES FOR RAILWAY ROLLING-STOCK, ROAD VEHICLES, AND THE LIKE PURPOSES,
AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Walter Knox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1882.
GEORGE WALTER KNOX of Sheffield in the County of York-B.Sc, F.C.S,
Chartered Accountant. IMPROVEMENTS IN TYRES FOR RAILWAY ROLLING-STOCK
ROAD VEHICLES AND THE LIKE PURPOSES AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF.
This invention relates to improvements in tyres for Railway Rolling-stock Road
vehicles and the like purposes and in the manufacture thereof.
The object of my Invention is to manufacture tyres consisting wholly of steel or
of steel and wrought iron combined which by being more thoroughly "worked" than
by present processes are consequently capable of withstanding wear and tear and
strains (due to variations of temperature and other causes) better than steel tyres
of present manufacture, a further object of my Invention being the manufacture
by my process of high class tyres of steel, or steel and wrought iron combined, by
means of the Plant and Machinery hitherto used for the manufacture of wrought
Iron tyres.
In the ordinary manufacture of steel tyres molten steel (produced principally from
crude pig iron by the "Bessemer" or "Siemens" Tank or Bath processes) is poured
into a mould and a tyre ingot is thereby formed. This ingot is forged under a
steam hammer and "punched" and "bicked" to form an annular tyre blank; this
blank is then rolled into a finished tyre of the required section and size in a tyre
rolling mill. According to this process of manufacture the amount of compression
of the particles of steel from the ingot stage to the finished tyre is comparatively
small and when the tyre ingot is very porous or "honey-combed "as is often the
[Price 61

page_text: case the amount of compression is not sufficient to ensure soundness and solidity in
the finished tyre, consequently the tyre wears unequally and is liable to fracture in
cold weather.
In the manufacture of tyres according to my Invention I make a "box pile" the
centre of which is of steel-in one or more pieces-by preference that which has
been forged rolled or compressed and the exterior of which is of wrought iron or of
mild steel that is to say containing little carbon. This pile is brought to a welding
heat and rolled into a billet or bar of suitable form. The bar or billet will thus be
steel or of steel or of a steely nature inside, with a thin covering of iron or mild
steel, which covering enables the "coil" to be welded-as described below-with
certainty. The bar or billet will then be bent so as to form a tyre "coil" which is
brought to a welding heat and placed under a steam hammer or in a press and
thereby compressed and welded into a solid annular mass in the form of a tyre
"blank." This tyre "blank" is then rolled into a tyre of the required section and
size in an ordinary tyre rolling mill.
It is obvious that by my improved process of manufacture a sounder tyro and
one less liable to fracture can be produced than by the ordinary method above
described as in the ordinary method the "tyre blank" undergoes only one operation
of forging and compressing from the ingot stage (the ingot being cast from converted
pig iron)-while-in-my-improved process the "box pile" already made from more or
less worked material-subsequently undergoes two distinct operations-of-welding,
and two distinct operations of rolling or compressing.
By a modification of my process the "box pile" may be formed by one or moro
of its sides being of the same material as the interior, or the "pile" may be forined
of alternate layers of steel and wrought iron, or varying qualities of steel, which
can be welded coiled and re-welded-so as to form a tyre blank in the manner
hereinbefore described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Walter Knox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st October 1882.
GEORGE WALTER KNOX of Sheffield in the County of York BSc FCS Chartered
Accountant "IMPROVEMENTS IN TYRES FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, ROAD
VEHICLES AND THE LIKE PURPOSES AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF
"
This invention relates to Improvements in tyres for Railway Rolling-stock, Road
vehicles and the like purposes and in the manufacture thereof.
The object of my invention is to manufacture tyres consisting wholly of steel or
of steel and wrought iron combined which by being more thoroughly worked than
by present processes are consequently capable of withstanding wear and tear and
strains (due to variations of teinperature and other causes) better than steel tyres
of present manufacture, a further object of my invention being the manufacture
by my process of high class tyres of steel or steel and wrought iron combined by
means of the Plant and Machinery hitherto used for the manufacture of wrought
iron tyres.
"
In the ordinary manufacture of steel tyres molten steel (produced principally from
crude pig iron by the "Bessemer or "Siemens" Tank or Bath processes) is poured
into a mould and a tyre ingot is thereby formed. This ingot is forged under a
steam hammer and punched and "bicked" to form an annular tyre blank; this
blank is then rolled into a finished tyre of the required section and size in a tyre
rolling-mill,
According to this process of manufacture the amount of compression of the
particles of steel from the ingot stage to the finished tyre is comparatively small
and when the tyre ingot is very porous or "honey combed" as is often the case the
amount of compression is not sufficient to ensure soundness and solidity in the
finished tyre consequently the tyre wears unequally and is liable to fracture in
cold weather.
"
In the manufacture of tyres according to my Invention I make a "box pile
the centre of which is of steel by preference that which has been forged rolled or
compressed-in one or more pieces-and the exterior of which is of wrought iron
or of mild steel that is to say steel containing little carbon. This pile is brought
to a welding heat and rolled into a billet or bar of suitable form. The bar or billet
will thus be of steel or of a steely nature inside with a thin covering of iron or
mild steel which covering enables it to be welded-in the coiled state as described
below with certainty. The bar or billet will then be bent so as to form a tyre
'coil" which is brought to a welding heat and placed under a steam hammer or in
a press and thereby compressed and welded into a solid annular mass in the form
of a tyre "blank." This tyre blank is then rolled into a tyre of the required
section and size in an ordinary rolling mill.
It is obvious that by my improved process of manufacture a sounder tyre and one
less liable to fracture can be produced than by the ordinary method above described
as in the ordinary method the "tyre blank" undergoes only one operation of
forging and compressing from the ingot stage (the ingot being cast from converted
pig iron) while in my improved process the "box pile" already made from more or
less "worked" material undergoes two distinct operations of welding and two
distinct operations of rolling or compressing.
53
By a modification of my process the "pile" may be formed by one or both of its
sides or the top and bottom being of the same material as the interior; or the "pile
may be formed of alternate layers of steel and wrought iron, or varying qualities of

page_text: steel which can be welded coiled and rewelded so as to form a tyre blank in the
manner hereinbefore described.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my Invention as carried into effect in the
construction and manufacture of tyres for Railway rolling-stock Fig. 1 is a box pile
the interior of which is composed of pieces of steel of suitable size and shape
arranged in squares or otherwise and the exterior iron plates; the pile is heated to
a welding heat and rolled down to a bar in an ordinary rolling-mill. Fig 2 is a
side view in elevation and Fig 3 is a plan of a "coil" made in an ordinary coiling
machine from the above described rolled bar. Fig 4 is a section in elevation of the
tyre blank or tyro ring made from the tyre coil (Figs 2 and 3) in dies or blocks in
an ordinary steam hammer or press the said coil being first beated to a welding
heat and welded and compressed in the stamping or pressing process. Fig. 5 is a
section in elevation of the finished tyre as rolled-in an ordinary rolling-mill-from
the tyre blank (Fig 4).
The improved tyre manufactured according to my improved method will consist
wholly of steel or of steel and wrought iron combined according to the thickness of
the iron covering plates of the box pile, as when thin covering plates are used the
wrought iron will practically disappear in the process of manufacture and when
thick covering plates are used, or iron is used in the centre of the pile, wrought iron
or iron of a steely nature will form part of the finished tyre.
-Having-now-clearly described-and-particularly-ascertained-the-nature-of-my-
said Invention-and specified in what manner the same is to be or may bo performed
and carried into practical effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is
Improvements in tyres for Railway Rolling-stock Road vehicles and the like
purposes consisting wholly of thoroughly worked steel or of thoroughly worked
steel and iron combined manufactured from a box pile having a steel or steel and
iron centre and iron or mild steel exterior and as herein-before specified and described
-and-as-illustrated_in_Fig_1_to_Fig-5-of-the accompanying-drawings-
In witness whereof I the said Georgo Walter Knox have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twentieth day of October in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two