IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES." A communication from abroad by Agustin
Blasco y Fabregas, of Manila, in the Philippine Islands.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th January 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES." [A com-
munication from abroad by Agustin Blasco y Fabregas, of Manila, in the Philippine
Islands.]
This Invention relates to an improved vebicle wheel whose felly, rim, and hub are
so constructed as to combine great strength and elasticity, while any individual
spoke may be readily removed without necessitating the removal of others or the
detachment of the tyre or felly.
The felly is composed of laminae of wood tied together by screws, and on the
metal tyre or iron band that confines such felly are placed strips of leather which
constitute a layer of elastic material. These several strips or pieces of leather are
separated at the ends, and on them are laid segmental steel plates which form the
The hub
outer peripheral portion of the wheel and take the wear incident to use.
is formed by the dovetail butt ends of the spokes, wooden concave plates or rings
around the axle box at opposite sides of the spokes, and outer clamping rings of
metal, which parts are tied by abort screw bolts and long bolts passing through
from side to side. The metal axle box has a shoulder which abuts against one of
the said metal rings, and a nut carrying a dust cap is screwed on the outer end of
the axle box in order to securely fix it in the hub, and a wooden collar is placed
upon the inner end of the box to give a finished appearance, and to that is secured
a metal ring.
The continuous felly is formed of 2, 3, or more laminae of wood

page_text: secured together by screws entered from the outside. Through this felly the tenons
of the spokes pass, and the outer ends of the tenons are spread by wedges. The
felly is surrounded by a continuous iron tyre that is covered by a layer of leather,
felt, or other soft material, and around that is an outside tyre, preferably of steel,
and made in segments.
These steel plates or segments take the wear, and the spaces between their ends
allow for the expansion of the metal by heating, and for the compression of the
elastic layer under pressure. The felly is elastic yet strong and light, and the butts
of the spokes being tied together form the hub proper which is adapted to receive
and be secured to an axle journal box as above described. Such hub has great
strength and due rigidity, yet possesses more than usual elasticity.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th July 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES." A com-
munication from abroad by Agustin Blasco y Fabregas, of Manila, in the Philippine
Islands.
The object of this Invention is to provide an improved vehicle wheel whose felly
or rim and hub shall be so constructed as to combine great strength and elasticity,
while any individual spoke may be readily removed without necessitating the
removal of others or the detachment of the tire or felly. The felly is composed of
laminae of wood tied together by screws, and on the metal tire or iron band that
confines such felly are placed strips of leather which constitute a layer of elastic
material. These several strips or pieces of leather are separated at the ends, and
on them are laid segmental steel plates which form the outer peripheral portion of
the wheel and take the wear incident to use.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a wheel constructed
according to this Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section on line x, x, of
Figure 1; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the felly or rim;
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent the clamping-rings of the hub. The spokes a radiate.
from the hub A and carry the felly B. The hub A is formed by the dovetail ends
of spokes a, wooden concave plates or rings c, c, around the box at opposite sides
of the spokes (shown separately in Figure 4), and outer clamping rings d, d, (shown
separately in Figure 5), which parts are tied by short screw bolts e and long bolts e²
passing through from side to side. In addition a nut f carrying a dust cap is
screwed on the outer end of box b. The interior of the box b is lubricated by
removing the hollow nut f and placing oil or other lubricant within the nut and
then replacing it upon the box b. A wooden collar g is placed upon the inner end
of the box to give a finished appearance, and to that is secured a ring h. The
metal axle-box b has a shoulder which abuts against one of the metal rings d.
The continuous felly B is formed of two, three, or more laminae of wood
secured together by screws k entered from the outside. Through this felly the
tenons of spokes a pass, and the outer ends of the tenons are spread by wedges, as
shown. The felly is surrounded by a continuous iron tire that is covered by a
layer m of leather, felt, or other soft material, and around that is an outside tiren,
preferably of steel, and made in segments. The tires l, n, are bound together and
to the felly by bolts o passed through from the outside and secured by nuts that
take against plates p secured on the inner side of the felly. The steel plates n
take the wear incident to friction in practical use of the wheel, and the spaces
between their ends allow for the expansion of the metal by heat and compression
of the elastic layer m under pressure. The felly is elastic, yet strong and light,
and the butts of the spokes being tied together form the hub proper which is
adapted to receive and be secured to an axle-journal box as shown. Such hub has
great strength and due rigidity, yet possesses more than usual elasticity.
In constructing this wheel I employ an apparatus which forms the subject of
separate Letters Patent, dated 4th February 1881, No. 483.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would observe that I am aware that the felly of a wheel has been
provided with an elastic layer placed between wooden or metal plates, and also that
spokes have been constructed with dovetail butts and secured together by means of
bolts and between a fixed shoulder and detachable ring; and I am also aware that
.

page_text: fellies have been made in which laminae of wood were arranged upon the exterior
of the ordinary wooden fellies. Such construction and combination of parts I do
not claim, but what I do claim as the Invention to be protected by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. In a vehicle wheel the combination of two or more superposed laminae of
plates of wood forming the felly proper, the continuous metal tire 1, the segmental
leather or other elastic layer m placed next thereto, the separate or segmental steel
wearing pieces n and the tie-bolts passing through said parts, all as shown and
described.
2nd. In a vehicle wheel a continuous felly formed wholly of superposed laminae
or plates of wood, as herein shown and described.
3rd. In a vehicle wheel in which the felly is formed wholly of superposed
laminae or plates of wood, the fastening screws k passing through all of said parts,
as herein shown and described.
4th. A vehicle wheel having its hub proper formed of the butt ends of spokes
having a dovetailed shape, the rings applied on opposite sides of said ends, and
tie-bolts passing transversely through all of said parts, as shown and described.
5th. In a vehicle wheel the combination with the hub-box and spokes having
dovetailed butts of two wooden concave rings c, c, the metal rings d, d, metal
ring h, and tie-bolts e, e², passing through all said parts, whereby they are secured
rigidly together, as shown and described.
6th. The improved vehicle-wheel having the felly B composed of laminae of
wood; the metal tire Ụ, elastic layer m, and steel wearing plates n, spokes and the
hub formed of the dovetailed butts of said spokes, the wooden and metal rings,
and tie-bolts, all arranged as shown and described.
*
7th. In a vehicle-wheel the nut f in combination with the axle-box 6 and ring d,
as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, A.D. 1881.