Improvements in and relating to the Wheels of Omnibuses, Broughams, Cycles, Tramway Cars, and other Road or Rail Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Wheels of Omnibuses,
Broughams, Cycles, Tramway Cars, and other Road or Rail
Vehicles.
We, JOHN DUNCAN, of Thornbank, Pollokshields, Renfrewshire, Tramway
Manager, and JOHN BAIRD, of 164 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved method of, and
arrangement and combination of appliances for, constructing the outer tyre tread
parts of the wheels of omnibuses, broughams, cycles, tramway cars, and other road
or rail vehicles, whereby great elasticity will be obtained, and absence from shock
or vibration in the vehicles, combined with durability, and case of repair of the
parts of the tyres.
The improvements essentially consist in constructing the outer circular wearing
surfaces of the tyres, in the form of a series of sectional metal parts adjustably
attached to cheek rings or plates made in sections secured to the ordinary wood
felloe of each wheel and in fitting within said check rings pneumatic or indiarubber
bag or rim tyres, or metallic helical or indiarubber springs at each section, between
the outer metal tread parts, and the metal rim or ring encircling the wooden
felloe.
In carrying these improvements into practice under one arrangement as applied
to the wheels of omnibuses or broughams, the outer metal tread parts of each tyre
would consist of a series of metal sections, each with an outer convex surface, and
an inner concave or flat surface, and either made hollow or solid in the centre part,
and be formed with transverse projecting lugs or flanges at the upper part for
being secured within the cheek rings or plates.
These cheek rings or plates carrying the tread sections would consist of two
vertical side cheeks secured at the width of the rim apart on opposite sides of the
outer part of the wooden felloe of the wheel by transverse bolts and nuts. Slots or
recesses would be formed in the lower or outer part of the cheek rings, and the
projecting lug parts of the outer tread sections would be fitted to adjustably slide
up, and down within these recesses, or have nuts, or bolts screwed into their ends,
before securing the two cheeks to the wooden felloe, while the pneumatic, or
cushion tyre, which may be of round, crescent, oval, or other section would be
interposed intermediate between the metal ring on wooden felloe and the tread
sections, so that the latter have freedom to move within the cheek recesses, and be
acted on by the spring action of the pneumatic or rubber tyre. Or instead of the
latter helical metallic springs or sections of rubber may be interposed in each
section, between the wooden felloe and the outer tread parts. The tread sections
may have vertical projecting cheeks to overlap the inner surface of the exposed
parts of recesses in vertical cheeks and prevent the ingress of mud to the elastic or
spring parts, and holes or slits would be formed in these frames below the metal
rim of wooden felloe for the escape of any collected mud or debris.
By an alternative arrangement instead of the tread sections being secured by
upper projecting side lugs to recesses in the cheeks, the upper parts of these tread
sections may be made of a tapered or angled shape, and the lower part of the side
cheeks of a reverse angled shape so that the two may dovetail into each other to
retain the tread sections and yet perinit of them moving adjustably outwards or
inwards against the pneumatic or spring cushion.
By another arrangement the tread sections may be secured to each other by end
eyes, and bolts, or by having recesses, and projections or tongues and grooves on

page_text: opposite ends, and so form an endless chain fitting over the outer ring of the
wooden felloe of the wheel.
And in some cases instead of having the cheek rings separate from the metal
ring on the wooden felloe, they may be cast, or formed on this, and be screwed or
bolted into the wooden felloe preferably with inner flanges sunk into the wood, in
which case the metal tread sections may be secured to the outer part of the cheeks,
by transverse bolts.
In applying our improvements to the wheels of tramway cars the pneumatic
tyres, or springs would be fitted between a projecting head or surface on the felloe
or socket, and the lower tread sections, and these latter would be secured by their
projecting lugs in recesses formed in the side of the metal rimming flange of wheel,
and in a cheek ring screwed or secured at its inner part to the felloe of wheel and
which also encloses the spring tyres while screw bolts may be fitted at intervals to
keep tread sections in position. Or this side cheek may be cast on the metal tyre
part of wheel, and the tread sections be secured to it, and the rimming flange by
transverse bolts.
Dated 25th January 1893
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Wheels of Omnibuses,
Broughams, Cycles, Tramway Cars, and other Road or Rail
Vehicles.
We, JOHN DUNCAN of Thornbank, Pollokshields, Renfrewshire, Tramway
Manager, and JOHN BAIRD of 164 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing that is to say:--
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved method of, and
arrangement and combination of appliances for constructing the outer tyre tread
parts of the wheels of omnibuses, broughams, cycles, tramway cars, and other road
or rail vehicles, whereby great elasticity will be obtained, and absence from shock
or vibration in the vehicles combined with durability, and ease of repair of the
parts of the tyres.
The improvements essentially consist in constructing the outer circular wearing
surfaces of the tyres, in the form of a series of sectional metal parts adjustably
attached to cheek rings or plates secured to the ordinary wood felloe of each wheel
and in fitting within said cheek rings pneumatic or india rubber bag or rim tyres,
or metallic helical or india rubber springs at each section between the outer metal
tread parts and the metal rim or ring encircling the wooden felloe.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the game into practice may be properly understood we have hereunto appended an
explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, broken away, of the lower tyre and tread surface
part of a wheel as
constructed in accordance with one arrangement of our
improvements.
Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sections corresponding to Figure 1 showing our
improvements as adopted in combination with a pneumatic and helical spring form
of tyre respectively. While
Figures 4 and 5 are views corresponding to Figures 2 and 3 showing a slightly
modified form of the outer sectional metal tread parts.
Figure 6 illustrates a detached side elevation and plan view of two tread sections
broken away to show the projecting lugs by which these are carried in the side
cheek plates.

page_text: Figures 7 and 8 show a transverse section and sectional side elevation respectively
of another arrangement of securing the larger sizes of tread sections,
Figure 9 is a transverse section showing another arrangement of securing the
tread sections to the circumferential side cheeks of wheel; and
Figures 10 and 11 each show a side elevation and horizontal section detached of
the tread sections illustrating modes of connecting or securing these together in
endless chain form.
Figure 12 is a transverse section showing how both side cheeks and the
metal rim of wheel may be all formed in one casting and secured to the wooden
felloe. While
Figures 13 and 14 show transverse sectional views illustrating our improvements
as applied to the wheels of tramway cars.
Referring to the drawings:-
In carrying these improvements into practice under one arrangement as applied
to the wheels of omnibuses or broughams as shown in Figures 1 to 3 the outer
metal tread parts of each tyre would consist of a series of metal sections à each
with an outer convex surface a¹ and an inner concave or flat surface a' and either
made hollow in the centre part as shown at a" in Figures 2 and 3 or solid as
in Figures 4 and 5, and be formed with transverse projecting lugs or flanges a³ at
the upper part as shown particularly in Figure 6 for being secured within the
cheek rings or plates b. These cheek rings or plates carrying the tread sections a
would consist of two vertical side cheeks bb secured at the width of the rim c
apart on opposite sides of the outer part of the wooden felloe c of the wheel by
transverse bolts c" with nuts on their outer ends. Slots or recesses are formed
in the lower or outer part of the cheek rings band the projecting lug parts a³ of
the outer tread sections a are fitted to adjustably slide up and down within these
recesses 61 or have nuts or bolts a screwed into their ends as shown in Figure 3
before securing the two cheeks to the wooden felloe c'. An elastic collar or
cushion may be fitted on lugs a³ or within recess bor in both to give a yielding
action for backward motion of spring tyre when this depressed. The pneumatic
tyre A Figure 2 or it may be a cushion tyre, which may be of crescent, round, oval
or other section would be interposed intermediate between the metal ring con
wooden felloe and the tread sections a so that the latter may have freedom to
move within the cheek recesses and be acted on by the spring action of the
pneumatic or rubber tyre A. Or instead of the latter helical metallic springs A¹
as shown in Figure 3 or sections of rubber may be interposed in each section
between the wooden felloe and the outer tread parts a and when springs are used
a central pap or stud A" would preferably be formed on the upper surface of the
tread sections a as shown in Figure 3 or it may be on the under surface of the
metal rim c to act as a central guide for these springs. As shown in Figures 4
and 5 the tread sections a may have vertical projecting cheeks a to overlap the
inner surface of the exposed parts of the recesses in vertical cheeks and prevent
the ingress of mud to the elastic or spring parts; while they may have corre-
sponding coverings 6 cast on the outer surface to overlap these recesses bas
shown in Figure 7, and holes or slots would be formed in these frames b below
the metal rim c of wooden felloe e for the escape of any collected mud or debris.
When the tread sections a are made of longer circumferential length than that
shown in Figures 1 to 6, such as for the heavier class of road vehicles, they would
preferably be adjustably secured as shown in Figures 7 and 8 by bolts d extending
from the outer tread surface a' where they would be countersunk at d¹ and pass
through holes in the wooden felloe and have on their outer ends nuts and split or
set pins or like fastenings at , and springs A' would preferably surround these
bolts and have intermediate springs between these to give the cushioning action.
By an alternative arrangement instead of the tread sections a being secured by
upper projecting side lugs a to recesses 6' in the cheeks b as shown in Figures 1
to 6 or by bolts d as in Figures 7 and 8, the upper parts of these tread sections a
may as shown in Figure 9 be made of a tapered or angled shape at a and the lower

page_text: part of the side cheeks 6 of a reverse angled shape on their inner surface so that
the two may dovetail into each other to retain the tread sections a and yet permit
of them moving adjustably outwards or inwards against the pneumatic or spring
cushion A or A².
By another arrangement the tread sections a may be secured to each other as
shown in Figure 10 by having recesses e and projections el on opposite ends and
end eyes and rivets el; or as shown in Figure 11 by having tongues e¹ and
groves e on opposite ends and so form an endless chain fitting over the outer ring c
of the wooden felloe c² of the wheel.
And in some cases instead of having the cheek rings separate from the metal
ring c on the wooden felloe c they may as shown in Figure 12 be cast, or formed
on this, and be screwed or bolted at c' into the wooden felloe c² and preferably with
inner flanges 6 sunk into the wood, in which case the metal tread sections a would
be secured to the outer part 6' of the cheeks by a transverse bolt.
In applying our improvements to the wheels of tramway cars the pneumatic
tyres A or springs A as shown respectively in Figures 13 and 14 would in the
arrangement illustrated be fitted between a projecting head or surface c on the
felloe or socket and the lower tread sections a and these latter would be secured
by their projecting lugs a in recesses formed in the side of the metal rim flange c
of wheel, and in a cheek ring screwed or secured at its inner part to the felloe c
of wheel and which also encloses the spring tyres A' or A, while screw bolts a* may
be fitted at intervals to keep tread sections a in position. Or this side cheek b
may be cast on the metal tyre part c² of wheel, and the tread sections a be secured
to it, and the rim flange ca by transverse bolts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The method of constructing the wheels of road and rail vehicles by
forming their outer tread parts of a series of circumferential metal sections, and
interposing pneumatic, cushion spring or elastic tyres to work adjustably between
said tread sections and the inner rim or felloe part of wheel, substantially as herein
described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. In wheels for road and rail vehicles the combination of outer circum-
ferential metal tread sections, side ring plates or flanges, and pneumatic, cushion,
spring or elastic tyres working adjustably between the tread sections and the inner
rim or felloe of wheel substantially as herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying drawings:
Third. In wheels for road and rail vehicles, the forming of the side check plates
with slots or recesses, in combination with projecting lugs on the metal tread
sections to work adjustably in said slots, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In wheels for road and rail vehicles, the method shown in Figure 9 of
attaching the metal tread sections to the side cheek plates so that they shall permit
of an adjustable motion of the tyre, substantially as described.
Fifth. In wheels for road and rail vehicles, the methods of connecting the metal
tread sections to each other, substantially as described in reference to Figures 10
and 11 or the equivalents of these.
Sixth. In wheels for road and rail vehicles the forming of the outer tread surface
of these from a series of circumferential metal tread sections, substantially as set
forth.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.