Improvements in and relating to Wheels of Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Wheels of Vehicles.
I, HAZELWOOD CARMONT, of Helmsdale, Ham, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to certain improvements in and relating to wheels of vehicles,
the object being to support the load on india rubber cushions fitted partly in
recesses between hub and axle box, or between hub and body, or between body and
tyre, which cushions are not wholly encased for compression as is usually done but
have a portion both internally and externally exposed for free movement between
the two encased parts and in such a manner that one half becomes excentric to the
other half, the excentricity of the two portions of each cushion being maintained
during the rotation of the wheel, without the axis of the cushions shifting from
beneath the fixed axis round which the wheel rotates, or by which the load is
borne.
For the purpose of my invention, I make an annular, or other recess at each end
of a hub, and I make corresponding recesses in the inner faces of two end pieces,
one of which forms a kind of back collar to the axle box, and the other a front
cap or ring, such as usually covers the collet and nut of an ordinary wheel hub.
I insert india rubber in to the recesses formed at the inner end of hub and that
of the back collet of axle box, and india rubber into the recesses of outer end of
hub, and inner end of front cap, the rubber being of such a dimension that when a
nut is screwed on to the end of the axle box it prevents the edges of the three
parts before mentioned touching each other, whereby a clearance is left between the
edges for uncontrolled action of the india rubber. The effect of this arrangement
is that when a load is borne by the axle box and resisted by the wheel, (the
pressure of which is on the ground), the two sets of india rubber cushions act as a
resilient material and become slightly altered in their contour but retain the ring
shape in or among themselves, the load being, so to speak, supported on two
cushions of a resilient material in each wheel, which material not only absorbs
the concussions or shocks and vibration imparted to the wheel while travelling but
also subdues sound.
My invention will be fully understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figures 1, 2, 3, are sectional views respectively of an axle box A with a recess B
in back collar C, a wheel hub D with an annular recess E in each end, and a front
cap
F with a recess G in its inner face.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of those three parts when placed together,
These india rubber rings
showing the rubber rings H, H, fitted within the recesses.
are retained in place by a nut I screwed on to a threaded part of the outer end .J
of the axle box A, whereby the rubber rings H, H, become slightly compressed
and support the hub proper D in such a manner that it never comes into contact
with the axle box A, there being at all times an annular space K between the
outer surface of the axle box A and the inner surface of the hub D, which therefore
permits of the rubber rings H, H, being distorted between the edges of the flanges
at a in Figure 5, which figure represents a wheel with the load acting on the axle
box A in opposition to the upward pressure of the hub D by the wheels contact
with the ground.
Figure 5 shows the several parts of the axle box and hub in a somewhat
exaggerated position and the contour which the rubber rings have been caused to
assume by the weight of a load and the resistance of the ground, the distortion of
the rubbers continually changing as the wheel rotates.

page_text: These figures show a convenient method of putting my invention into practice
where the axle is stationary and the wheel rotates round it as with wheels of
ordinary road vehicles, but my invention may be equally well applied where the
axle and wheel are fixed together and rotate with each other as in the case of tram
car wheels, as will be understood by reference to Figure 6, which shows a tram
wheel in section.
The hub of the wheel in this case is composed of two annular collars L, M, each
with a recess, or recesses in its inner face and looking towards each other for the
reception of the rubbers H, H, which also occupy a position in grooves formed in
the two faces of a web N, to which the rim or tyre is attached. The two annular
collars L, M, are so made that they can be drawn towards one another by
bolts P, P, and the rubbers H, H, be slightly compressed between them and of a
mid-flange Q at the base of the recesses in the annular portion of the web, whereby
the same action on the rubbers H, H, as that described for the wheel, Figures 4
and 5, will take place, and as seen at Figure 7.
Figure 8 is an exterior view of a tram wheel showing the tightening bolts.
In both cases viz.: where the wheel revolves round the axle and where the wheel
and axle revolve together, the india rubber cushions may be composed of several
pieces of india rubber, as at Figures 9 and 10, or be otherwise shaped for fitting the
chamber, or chambers.
The india rubber cushions, if of ring shape, may be plain on the inner and outer
peripheries or one or both of these portions may be fluted or corrugated, or provided
with recesses R, R, as at Figure 11, for engaging over projections in the recesses
of a wheel in which such a ring is fitted, this will prevent the rubber ring from being
dragged round in its boxing during the rotation of the wheel.
Figures 12, 13, and 14 show sectional portions of wheels with rubber blocks H
arranged in the tyre S and band T, the tyre of Figure 13 is preferably of the shape
shown at Figure 15, the blocks fitting apertures similar to the plan described with
reference to Figure 9, the intervening apertures U, U, serving for the passage of
bolts V, Figure 16, to have free motion into the varying deflection and rolling
motion of the wheel while travelling.
To make up the cushioned tyre of such a wheel, I first form an shaped bar or
band T with apertures in one inner face for the reception of the rubber blocks H, H.
I then bolt the band to the felloe like an ordinary tyre. I the ninsert the blocks in
the apertures, and place the tyre S over them, so that they i.e. the blocks engage
the apertures in the tyre, the second set of rubber blocks is then placed in apertures
in the other side of the tyre S and the plate W put on, the bolts V are then
inserted into their respective holes and the screwing up determines the compression
and the fixation of the rubber blocks.
The band T in Figure 14 is produced from a reverse bend of the bar which con-
stitutes the tyre shown at Figure 13. The plate W may be bolted to the felloe as
at Figure 144 on the outside of the wheel as a protector when running against
kerb stones.
I am aware that india rubber rings have been used between the hub proper and
parts connected therewith and that said rubber rings have been screwed up in place
within chambers provided for them with the intention that said rings should act as
cushions between axle box and the hub, but in all those cases, the rubber rings have
been wholly enclosed and confined each in a separate box and have no yielding
action on account of the rigid state which the rubber assumes from the compression
within the chambers, whereby their elasticity (the object for which they were placed
there) is destroyed, in other words, the life of the india rubber is suppressed within
itself by reason of its close confinement. And among other objections to such
systems, I may observe that only that small portion of the india rubber which is in
compression is doing any useful work, the whole of the rest is quite inert, and
further, the effect of bringing the whole weight of the vehicle to bear on one point
only, and that being a point of rolling contact, is to roll out and destroy the india
rubber.

page_text: In my invention, the whole of each 1ubber ring is in a state of tension and has no
positive compression but is simply held at each end in the recesses for a given
suitable distance according to its width, the middle part of its width having free
play for a continuous yielding under the pressure of the load so as to retain its
liveliness and resiliency under every condition of the wheels motion.
In addition. By my invention, the full breadth of the rubber ring is kept in
action by the longitudinal stretch imparted to it between the enclosed edges in the
bases of the flanged recesses, and also by the distribution of pressure over the whole
circumference of the ring, this being partly obtained by the drag on the circum-
ference of upper part of the ring from another part of the circumference at the
under portion of the hub, which stretch (is more or less) spread to rather more
than half the rings diameter, a corresponding action of the rubber taking place over
the other haif diameter caused by pressure from above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. Connecting wheels to their axles by means of elastic rings, or separate portions
of elastic substances, in such a way that the whole of the elastic substance is
brought into a state of tension, substantially as herein before described.
2. The employment, or use of india rubber blocks in wheels, in such manner that
the ends of the blocks are within recesses, the middle of the blocks being free for
the purpose or purposes described and indicated by the annexed drawings.
3. Constructing wheels of road vehicles with recesses for the partial reception of
rubber cushions, or their equivalents, the other parts being free substantially as
shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 of the annexed drawings.
4. Constructing wheels of vehicles with recesses for the reception of rubber rings,
or pieces to constitute rings, so that each ring, or each part of a ring has free elastic
action both circumferentially horizontally, and vertically at the part not within the
recesses, as and for the purposes described.
1001
Dated this 30th day of April 180
Daten THIS OV
⚫H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Hazelwood Carmont.