Improvements in Wheel Hubs.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheel Hubs.
I, MARTIN LUTHER KILLAM, of Owl's Head, County of Franklin, State 'of.
New York, Millwright and Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows's
My invention relates to hubs for wagons, carriages and other vehicles, and has
for its object to provide a simple cheap, readily constructed and operating device
of this character, by means of which a non-leakable reservoir for oil is provided, a
rigid and tight fastening of the spokes to the said hub ensured, and the attachment
of the said hub to the axis so arranged that any slipping therefrom or loosening of
the parts is prevented.
The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts;
necessary to effect the above-mentioned results and hereinafter fully described.
In the practice of my invention, I construct a hub of metal, substantially..
cylindrical in shape, and solid or permanently closed at the outer ends. The said.
hub being provided with the usual rigid flange upon the exterior thereof, and a
novable Hange adjacent to the rigid flange. In my improved device the hub is
screw-threaded rearward of this movable flange, and a nut is inserted thereon, the.
said nut being interiorly screw-threaded to engage with the surface of the hub..
The movable flange is concaved upon its inner periphery to form a conical
depression therein, flaring in the direction of the vehicle body, and the nut thereon,
is also formed conical upon that side thereof which abuts against the movable
flange. By this means, when the spokes of the wheels are placed between the
flanges, the nut may be turned to force the said movable flange upon the said
spokes, and maintain them rigidly in place. For greater security, however, I pass
through both of the said flanges near their outer ends bolts having nuts at either.
or both ends thereof.
The bub may be cast in one piece or in two sections joined together, and at the
interior thereof is longitudinally apertured to permit the entrance of the axle,
and the said hub is also cut away at the rear end to enable the usual collar upon
the axle to fit therein. Within the hub and extending therein to, an appreciable
depth is an annular recess, adapted to receive oil, which is so formed as to be
longest at the bottom thereof, with a shorter mouth whereby the oil comes in
contact with the axle only upon a certain area but at the same time there being
ample space provided to receive a quantity of oil sufficient to last for some
considerable time. This recess is preferably located immediately in the alignment
with the spokes.
At the rear end of the hub, the same is screw-threaded to receive a securing
nut, and the edge or face of the said hub has formed thereon throughout its entire
circumference teeth, whereby the said edge of the hub is circumferentially serrated
or ratcheted.
The nut has formed therein, a central aperture for the passage of the axle, and
upon its outer edge has formed thereon an annular interiorly screw-threaded flange,
which engages with the screw-threaded end of the hub to secure the axle thereto,
its withdrawal being prevented by the collar, hereto referred to.
Upon the inside of the nut, is mounted a steel or other metallic spring which is
secured at one end in the screw threaded flange, the latter being cut out for the

page_text: purpose. The said spring is approximately straight in shape, or slightly curved,
and if desired the face of the nut may be sufficiently cut out to enable the spring
to be sunk therein. The said spring ranges slightly toward the centre of the nut
in such manner as to bear at the point upon the ratchet surface of the hub, when
forced toward the same.
In the body of the securing nut, is inserted a cylindrical screw, the rear side of
which is cut away, and the spring is normally held toward the hub as the surface
of this screw bears against it, but upon the said screw being turned, the spring will
be released from engagement with the edge of the said hub. The screw projects
slightly beyond the outside of the nut and has formed therein a slit or aperture by
means of which it may be turned.
The operation of my improved hub will be readily understood from the foregoing
description. The spokes are first secured to the hub by placing the same between
the flanges, the movable flange being thereupon forced toward the fixed flange by
rotating the nut, which fits therein by reason of the conical shape of both the said
flanges and the nut, and by this means, the spokes are clasped to the hub. If
desired the bolts are passed through the said flanges and the nuts secured thereon,
and the said bolts may also, if desired, pass through one or more of the said
spokes, though this and in fact even the use of the said bolts, will probably not be
essential.
The recess is then filled wholly or partially with oil, grease or other lubricating
material, and the axle inserted in the hub, the collar thereupon resting in the end
thereof. The nut is then slipped upon the axle from the rear, if not theretofor
otherwise mounted upon the said axle, and brought forwardly till it engages with
the screw-threaded periphery of the hub at the rear, whereupon the said nut is
screwed upon the said hub till tightly fastened thereon. The cylindrical screw
being in the position described, the spring engages with the ratcheted surface, upon
the edge of the hub, thereby preventing any rearward movement and consequent
loosening of the said nut.
When it is desired to obtain access to the interior of the hub, to remove the
same from the axle, or to refill the oil reservoir, the screw is turned to the extent
of the half revolution whereupon the spring is released from the engagement with
the ratcheted surface on the hub and of its own tension spring rearwardly or into
the body of the said nut. The nut may be then unscrewed and the various parts,
or any of them, removed. This construction will not, of course, interfere with the
usual method of using extra washers in tightening the parts from time to time as
they are worn away.
Dated this 16th day of May 1905
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Wheel Hubs.
I, MARTIN LUTHER KILLAM, of Owl's Head, County of Franklin, and State
of New York, United States of America, Millwright and Machinist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to hubs for wagons, carriages and other vehicles, and
has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, readily constructed and perfectly
operating device of this character, by means of which a non-leakable reservoir for
oil is provided, a rigid and tight fastening of the spokes to the said hub ensured,
and the attachment of the said bub to the axle so arranged that any slipping there-
from or loosening of the parts is prevented.

page_text: The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangenient of parts
necessary to effect the above-mentioned results and hereinafter fully described.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification, in which like
letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken through the centre of a hub embodying
my invention, the axle inserted within the same being shown in elevation.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the edge of the hub.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the nut which secures the hub to the axle, the same
being an interior view thereof.
In the practice of my invention, I construct a hub A of metal, substantially
cylindrical in shape, and solid or permanently closed at the outer end. The said
hub A has the usual rigid flange B upon the exterior thereof, and a movable
flange C adjacent to the flange B. In my improved device the hub is screw-
threaded rearward of this movable flange Cat A¹, and a nut D is inserted
thereon, the said nut being interiorly screw-threaded to engage with the surface A'
of the hub.
The flange C is concaved upon its inner periphery to form a conical depression
therein flaring in the direction of the vehicle body, and the nut D is also formed
conical upon that side thereof which abuts against the flange C. By this means,
when the spokes of the wheels are placed between the flanges B and C, the nut D
may be turned to force the said flange C upon the said spokes, and maintain them
rigidly in place. For greater security, however, I pass through both of the said
flanges near their outer ends bolts E, having nuts E' at either or both ends
thereof.
The hub may be cast in one piece or in two sections joined together, and at the
interior thereof is longitudinally apertured to permit the entrance of the axle F;
and the said hub is also cut away at the rear end to enable the usual collar F¹
upon the axle to fit therein. Within the hub and extending therein to an
appreciable depth is an annular recess G adapted to receive oil, which is so formed
as to be longest at the bottom thereof, with a shorter mouth, whereby the oil
comes in contact with the axle only upon a certain area but at the same time there
being ample space provided to receive a quantity of oil sufficient to last for some
considerable time. This recess is preferably located immediately in alignment
with the spokes.
At the rear of the hub, the same is screw-threaded to receive the securing
nut H, and the edge or face of the said hub is circumferentially serrated or
ratcheted as shown at I.
The nut H has therein a central aperture H' for the passage of the axle F, and
upon its outer edge has formed thereon an annular interiorly screw-threaded
flange H2, which engages with the screw-threaded end of the hub to secure the
axle thereto, its withdrawal being prevented by the collar Fl.
Upon the inside of the nut H is mounted a steel or other metallic spring J,
which is secured at one end in the flange H2, the latter being cut out for that
purpose. The said spring is approximately straight in shape, or slightly curved,
and if desired the face of the nut may be sufficiently cut out to enable the spring
to be sunk therein. The said spring ranges slightly toward the centre of the nut
in such manner as to bear at the point upon the ratcheted surface 1 of the hub
when forced toward the same.
In the body of the nut H is inserted a cylindrical screw K, the rear side of
which is cut away at K. The spring is normally held toward the hub as the
surface of this screw bears against it, but upon the said screw being turned, the
spring will be released from engagement with the edge of the said hub.
The screw K projects slightly beyond the outside of the nut and has formed
therein a slit or aperture K by means of which it may be turned.
The operation of my improved hub will be readily understood from the fore-
going description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The

page_text: spokes are first secured to the hub by placing the same between the flanges B and C,
the flange C being thereupon forced toward the flange B by rotating the nut D,
which fits therein by reason of the conical shape of both the said flange and the
nut, and by this means, the spokes are clamped to the hub. If desired the bolts E
are passed through the said flanges and the nuts E' secured thereon and the said
bolts may also if desired pass through one or more of the said spokes, though this
and in fact even the use of the said bolts, will probably not be essential.
The recess G is then filled wholly or partially with oil, grease or other
lubricating material, and the axle F inserted in the hub as shown in Figure 1, the
collar thereupon resting in the end thereof. The nut H is then slipped upon
the axle from the rear if not theretofore otherwise mounted upon the said axle,
and brought forwardly till it engages with the screw-threaded periphery of the hub
at the rear whereupon the said nut is screwed upon the said hub till tightly
fastened thereon. The screw K being in the position shown in Figure 1, the
spring Jengages with the ratcheted surface I upon the edge of the hub, thereby
preventing any rearward movement and consequent loosening of the said nut H.
When it is desired to obtain access to the interior of the hub, to remove the
same from the axle, or to refill the oil reservoir, the screw K is turned to the
extent of a half revolution, whereupon the spring J will be released from
engagement with the ratcheted surface I and of its own tension spring rearwardly
into the body of the said nut. The nut H may then be unscrewed and the various'
parts, or any of them, removed. This construction will not of course interfere
with the usual method of using extra washers in tightening the parts from time to
time as they are worn away.
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:
1. A hub for wagons and other vehicles, comprising a tubular body closed at
the forward end and open at the rear, and having flanges upon the exterior thereof
to secure the spokes, teeth or serrations formed upon the rear edge of the hub, a
nut mounted upon the axle and screwed upon the hub, a spring secured at one
extremity to the under side of the nut and free at the other whereby it engages
with the teeth upon the hub, and a screw mounted in the nut and reduced at the
end to form an eccentric portion engaging the spring to release the same,
substantially as shown and described.
2. A nut adapted to be screwed upon a hub or other body, having a spring
secured thereon adapted to engage with a serrated surface, and a screw adapted to
release the said spring, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 26th day of July 1895.
;
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.