IMPROVEMENTS IN HUBS OR NAVES FOR THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marshall Mason Harris, of 21, Cockspur Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HUBS OR NAVES FOR THE WHEELS OF VEHICLES.”—A
communication from abroad by William Lyman, of East Hampton,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marshall Mason Harris
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd May 1872.
I, MARSHALL MASON HARRIS, of 21, Cockspur Street, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HUBS OR NAVES FOR THE WHEELS OF
VEHICLES," a communication to me from abroad by William Lyman,
of East Hampton, Massachusetts, United States of America, to be as
follows:-
My said Invention consists in forming the entire outside casing or
shield of a wheel hub of metal, and into which the hub of wood or
other material is forced to secure the box, and for the purpose of

page_text: holding the tenons upon the ends of the spokes, and so formed as to
leave a space between two collars that rise from the cylindrical sides
of hub, said space being between the sides of the collars and between
the surface of the hub and inner edges of bars connecting the collars.
The connecting bars extend between the collars at their outer perimeters
and extend inward radially towards the centre of the hub a sufficient
distance to afford a bearing surface to the spokes that fit them, leaving
a space between their inner edges and the hub, as before mentioned;
and the object of my Invention is to form a casing or shield for a hub
that shall be entirely of metal, and shall so entirely protect the hub
and ends of the spokes from exposure that decay shall be impossible,
while at the same time the ends of spokes within the collars of the hub
and the casing shall be in effect practically one piece, and the metal
casing shall also extend to form the band.
I construct a metallic box so as to seat and secure the ends of the
spokes, and when used in combination with the rest of the parts of the
hub of the wheel enables the use of wood within the metallic case to be
entirely dispensed with, and thereby simplifies the construction of the
hub, and enables it to be much reduced in size.
With these arrangements I use a melted cement, or its equivalent.
I arrange in connection with the metallic seat in the hub for the
spokes of the wheel of one or more wedge-shaped flanges, for the pur-
poses of distending the ends of the spokes to aid in securing them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Marshall Mason Harris in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 22nd November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARSHALL
MASON HARRIS, of 21, Cockspur Street, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Marshall Mason Harris, Her special licence

page_text: that I, the said Marshall Mason Harris, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Marshall Mason Harris, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HUBS OR NAVES FOR THE WHEELS GF VEHICLES," a communication to
me from abroad by William Lyman, of East Hampton, Massachusetts,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Marshall Mason Harris, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marshall Mason Harris, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
My said Invention consists in, firstly, forming the entire outside casing
or shield of a wheel hub of metal, into which the hub of wood or other
material is forced to secure the box, and for the purpose of holding the
tenons upon
the ends of the spokes, and so formed as to leave a space
between two collars that rise from the cylindrical sides of hub, said
space being between the sides of the collars, and between the surface
of the hub and inner edges of bars connecting the collars. The con-
necting bars extend between the collars at their outer perimeters, and
extend inward radially toward the centre of the hub a sufficient distance
to afford a bearing surface to the spokes that fit between them, leaving
a space between their inner edges and the hub, as before mentioned
for the purpose herein-after described; and the object of my Invention
is to form a casing or shield for a hub that shall be entirely of metal,
and shall so entirely protect the hub and ends of the spokes from
exposure that decay be almost impossible, while at the same time the
ends of spokes within the collars of the hub and casing shall be in
effect practically one piece, and the metal casing shall also extend to
form the band.

page_text: My Invention consists, secondly, in so constructing a metallic box so
as to seat and secure the ends of the spokes, and when used in com-
bination with the rest of the parts of the hub of the wheel enable the
use of wool within the metallic case to be entirely dispensed with, and
thereby simplify the construction of the hub and enable it to be much
deduced in size.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus described in first part of this
Specification; Fig. 2, cross sectional view of same.
In these Figures A, B, are the cylindrical surfaces of the shell from
which the collars C, C, rise, the one A extending to the shoulder of the
axle, and the one B being prolonged to form the band D; f, f, are the
pieces connecting the collars C, C; H is the hub for the reception of
the box, and b, b, are the spokes let in the hub in a groove turned or in
mortices.
In making the entire covering of the hub of metal the important
advantages of lightness and beauty are obtained without any sacrifice
of strength, as the internal area need be no longer than what will suffice
to contain a hub of wood to hold the box and seat the ends of the
spokes, and this hub can be made much smaller and lighter than is usually
required in hubs, as the metal covering reinforces it, and in this way
I am able to make a carriage or buggy hub no larger in circumference
than a prolongation of the axle would be from the point where the hub
comes against the shoulder; and I am able to force the hub into the
case or shrink the case into the hub so that it is impossible for it to
work loose; transverse projections upon the inner surface of the case
fitting into grooves in the hub, or vice versa, entirely prevent it from
turning within the case. From the surfaces A, B, rise the collars C, C,
which are connected with the cross pieces f, f, which have their outer
surfaces flush with the perimeters of the collars, and their inner edges at
some distance from the surface of the hub. The perimeters of these
collars are sufficiently large to admit of enough space being between
the sides of the pieces f, f, to receive the whole spoke, thereby doing
away with the necessity of weakening the whole wheel by trimming
the ends of the spokes. Were the pieces f, f, extended entirely to
the hub, thereby making a metal socket, the tendency of either the
contraction of the metal by cold or the expansion of the ends of the

page_text: spokes from moisture would be to force the spokes from the hub;
but in my hub the spokes being driven through the spaces between
the pieces ff, the effect of any atmospheric change, either upon the
metal casing or spokes themselves, would be to rivet the latter in their
places by pressing the metal inner edges of pieces f,f, into the wood of
the spoke, or else swelling the end of the spoke beyond the connecting
pieces. The hub being driven into the case can have mortises cut in
it before being forced into place, so that a mortise will come opposite
the end of each spoke, or else a simple groove can be cut in the hub
before being inserted, the spokes being driven in without their ends
being trimmed, fill up the groove coming in contact with and bracing
each other, as shown in Fig. 2. The spokes being driven into place
in the case and the hub, the space around them, between the inner
edges ff, and between the spokes and the inner surfaces of the
6 collars, is then filled with melted sulphur or cement, or substance
similar in its nature, which when it cools or dries forms with the
metal case and spokes a strong light hub that cannot become deranged
by the ordinary exigencies to which hubs are subjected.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my hub described in the second part
of my Specification; Fig. 4, a partial longitudinal section, and Fig. 5
O a view of the box.
In these Figures A is the metallic covering made thicker at the
swell of the hub to enable the slots b, b, through which the spokes
radiate to the box H to have sufficient bearing surface for the spokes,
and be formed at both ends to receive the ends of the box, which is
fitted into the case A and fastened by a set screw, or by being keyed to
the case, or by the solidifying of the cement around it, and the ends
of the spokes within the case A, to insure which spurs or projections
a, a, may be made upon the box, as seen in Fig. 4.
To more effectually secure the ends of the spokes within the hub
the box is provided with one or more wedge-shaped flanges d, d, which
encircle it opposite the slots for the reception of the spokes (where
the box is in place), so that when the spokes are driven through the
slots b, b, and against the box H their ends are distended by the
wedges d, d, and when afterwards surrounded by the hardened cement
it is impossible for them to come out or work loose. The box H is
reduced in size between the ends ƒ and g of it, to leave more space

page_text: for the ends of the spokes p, p, and cement or its equivalent. A nut m
within the band of the hub secures the end of the axle, a cap w screws
over the end of the casing or shield band, and excludes all dust or dirt
while giving an ornamental appearance to the hub. By these means
I can materially increase the security of the spokes within the hub.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my Invention, and in what manner the same may be per-
formed or carried out in practice; I hereby declare that I claim the
herein described Invention of improvements in hubs or naves for the
wheels of vehicles, wherein the following are particular and important
features:-
1. The arrangement of the casing or shield, and the arrangement of
the spokes, and the use of the melted cement or its equivalent, also the
box constructed and arranged as herein-before specified.
2. The arrangement in connection with the metallic seat in the hub
for the spokes of the wheel of one or more wedge-shaped flanges, for
the purposes of distending the ends of the spokes to aid in securing
them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marshall Mason Harris, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in 2
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
MARSHALL M. HARRIS. (L.S.)
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street.