Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 19th May, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles and the like.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM MARBLE, of Plymouth, in the County of Marshall and
State of Indiana, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 improvements in bicycle wheels, and to that particular
class of bicycle wheels having wooden rims..
Heretofore wooden rims for bicycle wheels have usually been made from a
continuous or single strip of wood curved. into the proper circular form and having
its meeting ends skived off at an angle and overlapped, forming an ordinary lap
joint secured together by glue and sometimes by wrapping with thread or fabric;
or else the wooden rims have been built up of a number of thin strips glued one
upon another.
Owing to the necessary curved cross section of the rim to form the
annular channel to receive the tire, serious objections have been found in practice
to the composite or built up rim, composed of a series of thin strips. And as the
bicycle wheel is of the tension spoke character so that its strength and stiffness
depends upon the rigidity of the continuous or circular arch formed by the rim of
the wheel, it is obvious that where the wooden rim is made of a single solid strip
of wood with its meeting ends skived off and lapped together, the whole strain or
tension of the wheel must necessarily come upon this lap joint and tend to loosen
the same and destroy the wheel or cause the two skived and lapped parts to slip
towards each other.
The object of my invention is to provide a wooden rim bicycle wheel wherein
the rim may be made of a single solid strip of wood, and which will be of a strong
and efficient, as well as simple and cheap construction, and wherein the joint at
the meeting ends of the solid strip will not tend to weaken or diminish the natural
strength of the circular arch; and wherein also the tension and strain of the wheel
upon the arch will not tend to loosen or weaken the joint formed between the two
or more meeting ends of the strip.
To this end my invention consists in a bicycle wheel having a wooden rim
composed of one or more solid strips of wood, and preferably a single solid strip,
and having its or their meeting ends joined together by a series. of interlocking
tongues and grooves extending longitudinally of the strip or strips. The meeting
ends of the strip thus abut squarely together end to end, so that the arch of the
rim is in fact as strong at the joint as elsewhere. And the strain or tension of the
wheel upon the arch also of course simply tends to compress the meeting and
abutting ends more firmly together, so that the strain or tension has no tendency
whatever to weaken or loosen the joint. The interlocking or interfitting tongues
and grooves are preferably formed with parallel sides, though this of course is not
an absolute essential. The abutting ends of the interlocking tongues and grooves
are also preferably square, but this likewise is not necessary. The interlocking
tongues and grooves are likewise preferably formed of the same length, although
the construction may he varied in this regard, if desired. The joint as a whole or
the series of interlocking tongues and grooves are also preferably arranged to.
extend in a band transversely or at right angles across the rim, but it will be
obvious to those skilled in the art that the series of interlocking torgues and
grooves might be arranged to extend otherwise than square across the rim, as for
example, diagonally. It will thus be seen that the tongued. and grooved meeting
ends of the rim abut one against the other, so that the full natural strength of the

page_text: circular arch is preserved at the joint and so that the strain or tension of the wheel
upon the circular arch has no tendency to weaken or loosen the joint.
By means of these interlocking tongues and grooves extending longitudinally or
in the direction of the rim at the meeting ends of the strip, I have discovered
that an exceedingly, firm; strong and durable wooden rim may be formed having
no tendency to work loose or become weakened at the joints when under strain or
in use; and wherein also the joint formed in the rim is perfectly water tight so
that no moisture can work in or through the rim at the joint and wherein the form
of the joint in no way tends to weaken or diminish the natural strength of the arch;
and wherein too the compressing, strain or tension upon the arch has no tendency
to weaken or loosen the joint.
In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this Specification, and in
which similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout all the figures
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle wheel embodying my invention;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, and
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing in plan the joint formed at the meeting
ends of the wooden rim.
In the drawing A represents the hub of a bicycle wheel, B its tension spokes,
Cits elastic tire and D'its wooden rim. The rim D is preferably made of a single
solid continuous strip of wood curved into proper circular shape and furnished
with the annular channel or groove D' constituting the seat for the pneumatic or
other elastic tire C. This wooden rim is furnished at its meeting ends with a series
of interfitting or interlocking tongues and grooves d d' extending longitudinally
or in the direction of the rim. The opposite sides d' of each of the tongues d
and of the grooves d' are preferably parallel to each other and to the plane of
the wheel though the construction may be varied in this regard. The ends of
each of the tongues d and of the grooves d' are preferably square or at right
angles to the direction of the rim as they thus have a better abutment the one
against the other and produce no tendency to spread apart or split the rim, though
the construction may be varied in this regard. The series of interlocking tongues
and grooves d d d' d' are arranged preferably to extend transversely or at right
angles across the rim, although the construction may be varied in this regard.
The preferable construction is also to make all the tongues and their corresponding
grooves of the same length, although the construction in this respect may likewise
be varied.
The interfitting tongues and grooves d d when properly interlocked or fitted
together under pressure are secured together by glue or other suitable cement;
thus forming a firm, strong and water tight joint.
Another advantage secured by my improved form of wooden rim and construction
of joint is that the joint may be so short as to avoid the necessity of making any
of the spoke holes or other holes through it. Heretofore the length of the joint
has been necessarily such that one or more spoke holes 'must be formed through it.
And, as is well known to those skilled in the art, wherever there is a hole made
through the joint the tendency is for moisture to work in and in time loosen or
injure the glued or cemented joint.
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 :
1st. A bicycle wheel having a wooden rim provided at its meeting ends with
interlocking tongues and grooves extending longitudinally or in the direction of
the rim, the tongued and grooved meeting ends of the rim abutting together,
whereby the full strength of the circular arch is preserved in the joint, and the
tension or strain of the wheel upon the arch prevented from tending to weaken or
loosen the joint, substantially as specified.
2nd. A bicycle wheel having a wooden rim provided at its meeting ends with a
series of parallel sided, square ended, interlocking tongues and grooves extending

page_text: longitudinally or in the direction of the rim, the meeting ends of the rim abutting
square together, whereby the strength and rigidity of the circular arch maintained
at the joint thus formed is preserved and the tension or strain of the wheel upon
the arch is prevented from tending to weaken or loosen the joint, substantially as
specified.
1 0011 .
1 1007
GEORGE WILLIAM MARBLE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.