Improvements in Spring Wheels for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Wheels for Cycles and other Vehicles.
GEORGE TOWNSEND, 152, Crompton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, Engineer.
I do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is an improvement in cycle & other wheels & consists of a number
of straight steel spokes, fluted, corrugated, or angled in shape, curved at one end
to act as a spring, which same end is attatched to the rim by screws or rivets &
at the other end the spokes are connected to the hub direct & secured by screws or
otherwise.
Dated this 5th dox of Databor 1807
Improvements in Spring Wheels for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, GEORGE TOWNSEND, of 152, Crompton Road, Handsworth, near the City of
Birmingham, Hoseier, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention has reference to elastic wheels for cycles, road carriages and
other wheeled vehicles, and has for its object, to provide by the employment of
an improved construction of spoke, a spring or resilient wheel adapted to neutralize
vibration and principally to dispense with the necessity of employing pneumatic
tyres.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an elevation with parts in
section, of a spring or resilient wheel for cycles and like light vehicles, constructed
according to my invention. The arrow in the said figure indicates the direction in
which the said wheel would turn in travelling forward.
Figure 2 indicates a transverse vertical section of the said wheel, upon the
dotted line x.
Figure 3 represents, in similar section to Figure 2, but upon an enlarged scale,
the connection of the spring end of one of the spokes with the rim of the wheel,
and.
Figure 4 represents the same in section upon the dotted line r¹.
Figure 5 is an elevation of Figure 4. The arrows on these figures indicate
the direction of rotation.
Figure 6 is a cross section of Figure 5 upon the dotted line ³, across the spring
end of the spoke, and Figure 7 is a section upon the dotted line 3, of the same
figure taken through the preferably trough-sectioned or longitudinally corru-
body of the said anoke

page_text: The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
The improved wheel comprises a rim or felloe a, supported from the hub b,
through the medium of a series of radiating spokes c, made from strips of sheet
metal and whose shanks c¹, are fluted in cross section or longitudinally corru-
gated or channelled so as to give rigidity thereto, whilst the tips or outer ends c²,
open out into flat blades or curved tongue springs c³, directed tangentially to the
rim, with their flat sides directed horizontally and presented to the inner peri-
phery a¹, of the said rim, to which the terminal ends 4, are secured by rivettings d,
or otherwise, and preferably lie within an annular sinking a³.
The shanks or inner ends 5, of the spokes, which may be solid or tubular in
section, are attached to the hub b, by screwing, brazing, rivetting, pegging or in
other suitable manner. The curves of the spring band connection ends of the
spokes rake backwardly or away from the direction of rotation of the wheel when
travelling forward, whereby considerable resiliency combined with softness of
action is attained.
The spokes are preferably made by taking a piece of stout wire or rod inetal
(see on a reduced scale in Figure 8) of nearly the same length of the spoke to
be made, and then by stamping, or by a rolling process, flattening out the fore
part of the same into a flat blade or strip as shown in Figure 9. Then by further
tools, the part lying between the solid shank e, is then troughed or channelled
longitudinally (see Figure 10 in plan and Figure 11 in edge view) to within a
suitable distance of the other end, which is left flat to form the curved-back spring
blade connection.
Figure 12 represents a modification of my invention, in which the blade is
continued into a spring loop 3, the free end of which is secured to the termination
of the spoke c, by means of a clip, such. as c6, or by other means.
Instead of the spokes being of a corrugated section, they may be made solid,
with the ends flattened and fashioned into curved blades or loops.
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
First: In the spokes of spring wheels, making the shanks or the inner parts
of the same of a longitudinally corrugated or channelled section, with the rim
attachment ends formed into curved blades of flat metal.
Secondly-A spring wheel, in which the hub is connected with the rim by
a series of radiating spokes, whose shanks are solid or tubular, the body parts
longitudinally channelled or corrugated, and the rim attachment ends of a curved
back and flat blade figure, substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly: The improved method of manufacture of the wheel spokes referred
to in the preceding claims, consisting in flattening a part of a solid wire or rod
length into a flat strip or blade, the middle of which is corrugated or channelled
longitudinally the free end of which is curved substantially as and for the pur-
pose as described and set forth.
Fourthly: A spring wheel with the outer ends of the spokes flattened into
spring blades, the free ends of which are either secured to the rim as in Figures 1
to 7, or returned into a spring loop as in Figure 8, substantially as described
and set forth.
Dated this 1st day of July 1898.
GEORGE TOWNSEND,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.