Improvements in Road Vehicle Wheels.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Road Vehicle Wheels.
We, Mrs. FRANÇOIS BERNARD, of 50 Avenue Clichy, Paris, Landlady, PAUL
DECAILLOT, of 45 Avenue de la Republique, l'aris, Landlord, and JEAN MARIE THUAL,
of 48 Rue de Mascou, Paris, Landlord, all in the Republic of France, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in metal wheels for road vehicles of all
kinds.
In this device the spokes which are at their outer extremities hooked or fastened to
the felly of the wheel, are at their other extremities alternately connected to two
movable rims or rings screwed upon the hub, and so arranged that the distance
between them can be varied at will, that is to say, their position on the hub can be
changed.
This device allows of always keeping the felly in the same normal plane relatively
to the axis, irrespective of what may be the distance between the two rims or rings
so that vehicles provided with wheels of this kind will always retain their proper
course.
We sometimes provide the hub with ball bearings, the essential feature of which
consists in the coinbination of a false axle-journal and a wooden packing enabling the
wheels to be applied to axles of all kinds.
Key-
The hub, which is made of any appropriate material, for example of cast iron, is
internally so constructed as to receive the axle-journal, and may be moreover
provided with any kind of anti-friction devices such as balls, rollers or the like.
said hub which encloses a bronze socket forming the axle bearing, terminates at one
of its extremities in a polygonal orifice and is externally provided with right and
left screw threads upon which the aforesaid. two movable rims or rings are screwed.
These latter are provided with notches in their peripheries to receive the spherical
heads of the spokes which may be tangential to the rings or radial thereto.
ways for effecting the keying or connection are arranged both upon the front rim or
ring and upon the hub a different number being employed in these two pieces (for
example five upon the rim or ring and six upon the hub) so that the keyways can
always be brought opposite each other by a very slight turning of the two pieces
relatively to each other. A key is introduced into the two keyways thus brought
together so as to secure and hold the rim or ring in position upon the hub when the
spokes are tightened sufficiently.
On the extremity of the hub a cap is screwed, the tight joint of which is insured
by a washer. This cap protects the extremity of the screw threaded portion of the
hub against the effects of collisions and at the same time prevents displacement of
the beforementioned key.
The spokes terminate at their outer extremities likewise in a spherical heads which
are made to engage with button hole shaped openings in the felly, the face of which
may have any apuropriate chane

page_text: The tyre of the wheel, which may be of any kind, is preferably formed
by circular pieces of leather or washers placed edgewise upon the felly, and
pressed tightly against each other and traversed by a metal hoop, the two extremities
of which are provided respectively with right and left screw threads and connected
by a corresponding nut whereby a very efficient tightening of the washers can be
obtained. The felly may moreover be provided with clasps or hooks so arranged as
to counteract any tendency of the tyre to become displaced.
The mounting of our improved wheel is effected in a very simple manner and very
rapidly.
The movable hub-rims or rings having been moved toward each other, the 1
spherical heads of the spokes are brought in engagement with the notches in the
hub rings or rims and with the button hole shaped openings of the felly, and then
by means of a key or suitable instrument placed in the hexagonal orifice at the end
of the hub, a rotary motion in the required direction is imparted to the hub while
the felly is prevented from rotation, so that the rings or rins which cannot turn,
may be caused to recede from one another and thus simultaneously stretch all of the
spokes and centre the wheel without necessitating any precautionary measures.
The same result can be obtained by operating inversely that is to say by
maintaining the hub fixed and causing the felly to turn.
When the tension of the spokes is sufficient, the locking key is inserted in the
keyways which happen to be together so as to fix the parts in position, and then finally
the end cap is screwed on, which prevents the withdrawal of the said key.
As the spokes present at each of their extremities a similarly shaped head, it is not
necessary to always put them in the same place, that is to say, they may be inter-
changed; moreover they can. be mounted and dismounted without affecting the tyre.
Further since the spokes do not possess any screw threaded parts which would
weaken them, they offer the maximum resistance; moreover the spherical shape of
their heads further contributes to increase their solidity and enables them to freely
occupy the most suitable working position.
Our improved wheel inay be mounted and repaired at any place without any special 3
technical skill or knowledge being required.
In a modification of our invention, the wheel is furnished with a false axle-journal,
in which a wooden cover is arranged. This construction allows of the wheels being
applied to all kinds of axle journals by piercing the wooden cover at suitable places.
The rolling motion takes place on balls held in place between cup shaped pieces a
and cones mounted on the false axle-journal.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Road Vehicle Wheels.
We, Mrs. FRANÇOIS BERNARD of 50 Avenue Clichy, Paris, Landlady, PAUL
DECAILLOT of 45 Avenue de la Republique, Paris, Landlord, and JEAN MARIE THUAL
of 48 Rue de Mascou, Paris, Landlord, all in the Republic of France, 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 improvements in metal wheels for road vehicles of all
kinds.
In this device the spokes which are at their outer extremities hooked or fastened
to the felly of the wheel, are at their other extremities alternately connected to two
inovable rims or rings screwed upon the hub and so arranged that the distance
between them can be varied at will that is to say their position on the hub can be
changed.

page_text: This device allows of always keeping the felly in the same normal plane relatively
to the axis, irrespective of what may be the distance between the two rims or
rings so that vehicles provided with wheels of this kind will always retain their
proper course.
We sometimes provide the hub with ball bearings, the essential feature of which
consists in the combination of a false axle-journal and a wooden packing enabling the
wheels to be applied to axles of all kinds.
In order to give a clear idea of the invention we have represented this improved
wheel in principle and by way of example only in the accompanying drawing, in
which
Figure 1 is an elevation partly shown in section.
Figure 2 is a section through the axis of the hub.
Figure 3 is a portion of one of the hub-rins or rings showing one of the notches,
provided in said rims or rings.,
Figure 4 represents a longitudinal section of the hub rotating on ball bearings.
Figure 5 shows the same wheel in cross section on the line 1-2 of Figure 4.
In this wheel the hub a, which is made of any appropriate material, for example
of cast-iron, is internally so constructed as to receive the axle-journal, and as shown
in Figures 4 and 5, and may be moreover provided with any kind of anti-friction
devices such as balls, rollers or the like. The said hub which encloses a bronze
socket b, formning the axle bearing, terminates at one of its extremities in a polygonal
orifice a.
a is externally provided with right and left hand screw threads upon which the
aforesaid two movable rims or rings c, c' are screwed.
These latter are provided with notches d in their periphery to receive the
spherical heads e of the spokes f, f, which may be tangential to the rings or radial 1
thereto. Key ways g, k for effecting the keying or connection are arranged both
upon the front rim or ring e and upon the hub a; a different number being employed
in these two pieces (for example five upon the rim or ring c and six upon the hub a)
so that two keyways can always be brought opposite each other by a very slight
turning of the two pieces a and c relatively to each other. A key i is introduced
into the two keyways g, h thus brought together, so as to secure and hold the
rim or ring e in position upon the hub a when the spokes are tightened
sufficiently.
On the extremity of the hub a a cap is screwed, the tight joint of which is
insured by a washer . This cap protects the extremity of the screw threaded portion
of the hub & against the effects of collisions and at the same time prevents
displacement of the beforementioned key i.
The spokes f, terminate at their outer extremities likewise in spherical hends e
which are made to engage with button hole shaped openings arranged on the
felly m, the face of which may have any appropriate shape.
The tyre of the wheel, which may be of any kind, is preferably formed by circular
pieces of leather placed edge-wise upon the felly, and pressed tightly against each
other and traversed by a metal hoop n, the two extremities of which are provided
respectively with right and left screw thread and connected by a corresponding nut,
whereby a very efficient tightening of the washers can be obtained. The felly may
moreover be provided with clasps or hooks so arranged as to counteract any tendency
of the tyre to become displaced.
The mounting of our improved wheel is effected in a very simple manner and
very rapidly.
The movable hub-rims or rings e c' having been moved toward each other, the
spherical heads e of the spoke ff are brought in engagement with the notches d
in the hub rings or rims and with the button hole shaped openings of the felly m;
and then by means of a key or suitable instrument placed in the hexagonal orifice ai
at the end of the hub, a rotary motion in the required direction is imparted to the
hub a while the felly is prevented from rotation, so that the rings or rims c c which
cannot turn, unay be caused to recede from one another and thus simultaneously

page_text: stretch all of the spokes and centre the wheel without necessitating any precautionary
ineasures.
The same result can be obtained by operating inversely that is to say by
maintaining the hub a fixed and causing the felly m to turn.
When the tension of the spokes is sufficient, the locking key i is inserted in the
keyways which happen to be together so as to fix the parts in position, and
finally the end cap j is screwed on, which prevents the withdrawal of the said key.
As the spokes present at each of their extremities a similarly shaped head, it is
not necessary to always put them in the same place, that is to say, they may be
interchanged; moreover they can be mounted and dismounted without affecting the
tyre. Further since the spokes do not possess any screw threaded parts which would
weaken them, they offer the maximum resistance; moreover the spherical shape
of their heads further contributes to increase their solidity and enables them to
freely occupy the most suitable working position.
Our improved wheel may, be mounted and repaired at any place without any special
technical skill or knowledge being required.
'In a modification of our invention, the wheel is furnished with a false axle journal A,
in which a wooden sleeve B is arranged. This sleeve is made of a greater or less
thickness so as to allow of the wheel being applied to all kinds of axle journals by
boring the said sleeve to suit such journal.
The rolling motion takes place on balls C held in place between cup-shaped
pieces D and cones E mounted on the false axle journal A.
The improved wheel may of course be varied in shape and dimensions and we
may modify the device in its constructional details according to the kind of vehicle
to which it is applied.
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
(1) In the improved wheel the method of mounting the spokes, hooked or otherwise
fastened to the rim on the one hand, and to two movable rings screwed to the hub,
on the other hand; substantially as and for the purpose specified with reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3 of the accompanying drawing.
(2) In the improved wheel the use of a false axle journal and of a wooden sleeve in
the hub of wheels with ball bearings, so that these wheels may be applied to all
kinds of axle journals; substantially as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5
of the drawing.
Dated this 7th dovr of May 1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.