IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR CARRIAGES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirty-first day of July, in the sixteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors, adññiors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my
exors, adors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein men-
tioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF WHEELS FOR CARRIAGES," being a communication from abroad; in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William Edward
Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her

page_text: Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the name is to be performed, is par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention of Improvements in the Construction of Wheels for Carriages
relates principally to a novel method of combining or connecting together the
metal and wood parts of which the wheels are composed.
The best method with which I am acquainted for carrying these improve-
ments into effect will be easily understood by reference to the accompanying
Drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of the nave of a
wheel constructed on the improved plan, the spokes c, c, and filling pieces d, d,
between the spokes being made of wood; and the nave e of the wheel, and
also the parts for securing the spokes and nave together, being made princi-
pally of metal. The axle f, and its box with its appendages, are also clearly
shewn in this Figure.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken in the line C, D, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an outside view of the nave of a wheel fitted and secured in its
place upon an axle.
Fig. 4 is an external view of the end of the nave of a wheel, shewing the
form of the screw plug which closes the chamber at the end.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal elevation of an axle or axletree constructed accord-
ing to this improved plan.
Fig. 6 is a top view of the upper half of the axle box, shewn at A, Figures 1
and 2, and in which the axle is enclosed. B, B, are apertures made in the
axle box for the circulation of the oil.
Fig. 7 is an end view of the two halves of the axle box united.
Fig. 8 is an outside view, partly in section, taken in the line A, B, of Fig. 1.
And Figures 9 and 10 represent in plan and section the improved method
of fixing wooden spokes c, c, in the metal nave of a wheel intended to be applied
to running axles, such as are used on railway carriages, it being observed that
when a straight axle, as shewn, is employed, the tenons of the spokes are set
in the nave in a zigzag line, as shewn at Fig. 9, and come into the same line
in the felloe; by this arrangement the strength of the wheel is increased.

page_text: From the preceding general description it will be seen that the Invention
comprises three principal features, besides various secondary matters of minor
importance; and consists, first, in the employment of an axle of the same dia-
meter throughout its length, and having projecting shoulders a at each end,
and other shoulders 6 bearing against the inner ends of the axle box (see
Figures 1 and 5). Second, an axlo box constructed in two halves or equal
parts, which when placed together will completely embrace the axle and keep.
the wheel in its place, such axle box having a second chamber which encloses.
the inner shoulder of the axle, and which chamber serves as a receptacle or
reservoir for the oil that lubricates this shoulder and other adjacent parts.
This will be found a great advantage, inasmuch as the collar will always be
kept well lubricated without the risk of any of the oil escaping, whereas in
the ordinary construction of axle boxes the collar is in direct contact with the
box or nave of the wheel, and can only be lubricated by allowing the oil con-
tained therein to escape from its chamber. A third important feature is that
the nave of the wheel is made of cast iron or other metal, and constructed in
such a manner as to receive and hold wooden filling pieces between the spokes,
whereby the spokes are held firmly in their places, and the nave is made
lighter than usual, and the wooden tenons of the spokes are also prevented
from being so soon deteriorated and from being thrown out of their chambers
or mortices by reason of the expansion of the metallic parts or of their own
contraction and expansion from changes of temperature, as they would be if
merely inserted in metal mortices without proper means of tightly wedging
them in. In order to fix these wooden filling pieces between the spokes as
firmly as possible in the metal, nave iron bands are applied thereto; and a par-
ticular form is given to the extremities of these filling pieces, which when
they are fixed in the nave will prevent the spokes from being withdrawn. It
will be seen, on referring to Fig. 2, that the filling pieces have their lateral
faces nearly parallel for a certain distance, but are very slightly enlarged
towards the nave, so that they may be as firmly as possible fixed in the nave,
even without the assistance of the metal bands M, shewn in Figures 1 and 8.
These metal bands pass round the nave, and by holding in the filling pieces
effectually prevent the spokes from moving.
The secondary objects relate, first, to the form and manner of placing screw
bolts whereby the back part of the metal nave is closed and the axle fixed
therein. Second, to the manner of placing (and also in the form of) the
screw plug for closing the front part of the nave or axle box, and whereby the
box is supplied with oil or other lubricating material (see Figures 1 and 4).
A third point relates to the employment of the band N, Fig. 1, for fastening

page_text: the two halves of the axle box together, and also the leather disc O, which by
being pressed tightly against the end of the axle box by the metal ring P,
effectually prevents any leakage of oil; these parts are held together by means
of bolts Q, with T-shaped heads, and which are let into holes in the cast
The
nave, and are secured therein by the ring R, which covers them up.
arrangements above mentioned admit of the employment and application of
this new construction of nave composed of metal and wood to rotating
axles, such as are used on railway engines or carriages, as shewn in Figures
9 and 10. The principle of construction is precisely the same in this as
in former instance already described, the only difference being that the
spokes are set in the nave in zigzag, as is clearly shewn in the Figures.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me by
my Foreign Correspondent, as aforesaid, and the best means with which I am
at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would observe in con-
clusion that I am aware that wheels for carriages have been heretofore con-
structed of wood and iron combined, I do not therefore mean or intend to
claim the exclusive right to such combination of materials except when com-
bined, arranged, and constructed substantially in the manner herein set forth;
nor do I intend to confine myself rigidly to the precise arrangement or con-
struction of parts above shewn and described, as they may doubtless be varied
without departing from the nature and object of the present Invention. But
that which I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the method above described (or any mere modification thereof) for
securing the wooden spokes of a wheel in the cast metal nave by means of
filling pieces, which, being held in their place by a ring, collar, or other conve-
nient contrivance, will prevent the spokes from moving in their sockets.
I claim, secondly, the combination of the improved construction of axle
with the double axle box, having a chamber at one end to serve as a reservoir
or receptacle for oil whereby the axle may be lubricated.
I also claim the method above shewn, or any mere modification thereof, for
securing the nave of the wheel on the axle, and for preventing the escape and
waste of oil or other lubricating material.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
W. E. (L.s.) NEWTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirty-first day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1858, the aforesaid William Edward Newton came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three..