Improvements in Car Wheels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Wheels.
I, JAMES WHEELER FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at
Catasauqua, in the County of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, Car Wheel
Builder, 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 has relation to the manufacture of a car wheel; and in such con-
nection it relates particularly to the shape or form of the tire welded, shrunk or
otherwise secured to the body of the wheel so as to be without fracture, air holes or
other objectionable features calculated to weaken at the point of union of the tire
with the body of the wheel, and especially that portion adjacent to the flange or rim
subject to the greatest strain, thereby ensuring maximum strength and service of
the wheel as well as safety to the end of the life of the tire of the wheel.
Hitherto car wheels have been constructed in a variety of ways, among them,
first with a locking section; second, with a non-locking section; and third, with an
interlocking section. The first or locking sectional wheel may be described as
one having a tire provided with inwardly projecting ribs or side flanges with a cast
iron body fused or welded thereto, but such a wheel possesses disadvantageous
features in that, if the steel tire is entirely worn through to the iron under the
tread, the flange is liable to break off at the point of union of the one with the
other. The second or the non-locking sectional wheel may be described as one
which is generally slightly concaved about the centre of the inner periphery of the
same and the refrom on both sides to the centre merging into flat walls, but the
objection thereto, is that there is no locking between the steel rim or tire and cast
iron body and in the event of imperfect weld, fracture or cracking of the tire in
cross-section is very apt to occur, because there is nothing to hold it to prevent
breaking or flying off from the centre. Moreover, the safety of the flange is en-
dangered, when substantially the tread portion is worn out, only in such instance,
the seam or weld between the tire and the body, is horizontal instead of vertical.
The third or the interlocking sectional wheel presents a difficulty, as practice has
demonstrated, in that it is next to impossible to secure a perfect weld, and this arises
from the pouring, in that air holes will be formed in spite of the exercise of great
care and even under the most expert handling of the elements of such a composite
wheel.
The principal objects of my present invention are first, to provide an inexpensive
wheel by reason of the great saving of scrap in the making of the same and a very
durable and efficient steel tire welded car wheel, without air holes where the tire
is fused or welded to the body of the wheel, and especially about that portion
adjacent to the flange or rim, which if they existed in the same would tend to
weaken the wheel thereby lessening the mileage service as well as making an un-
reliable and expensive wheel for the length of its usefulness or service; and second,
to provide a steel wire for a wheel body of a particular shape or formation welded,
shrunk or otherwise secured to said body so as to ensure maximum strength and
service as well as use of the tire of the wheel to the wear practically of the same
to its union with the body of the wheel.
My invention stated in general terms, consists of a car wheel provided with
017

page_text: a tire having a particular shape or formation welded, shrunk or otherwise secured
to a body, which with the tire constitute the composite wheel; and
My invention further consists of a car wheel when constructed and arranged in
substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed.
The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood from the
following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming
part hereof, in which
Figure 1, is a perspective view illustrating a steel or metal tire of the particular
shape or configuration of my invention adapted to be welded, shrunk or otherwise
secured to a body to constitute with the tire a composite car wheel.
Fig. 2, is an enlarged cross sectional view of a tire of my invention on the
line xx, of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3, is a similar view of the particular shape or configuration of the tire of my
invention welded to a cast iron body.
Referring to the drawings A, represents the body of the wheel composed of cast
iron or other suitable metal. B, is the tire and B, is the flange or rim, both com-
posed of steel or other suitable material. The tire is provided with a rear inclined
wall b, merging into a convex-concave offset b', which in turn merges into an
oppositely inclined wall 62. The tire with its flange, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is fused
or welded to the body A, of the wheel provided in the front edge or wall with a
recess a, complemental to the offset b', of the tire and with inclined walls or edges a¹
and a², in which by fusion the tire B, with its flange or rim B', is welded to the
body A, of the wheel. A perfect weld of the tire to the body is ensured and with-
out, as practice has demonstrated, fracture, air holes or other defects, which if
existing about the union of the two members of the composite wheel, would be
calculated to appreciably weaken or impair the wheel for giving maximum strength
and mileage service. The perfect weld is accomplished by pouring the metal to
become fused or welded to the tire with the latter occupying a horizontal position
in the mold box with respect to a plain through a completed wheel. The molten
metal entering from the bottom of the box and rising first gradually to about the
offset portion b¹, of the tire, and then more rapidly to the periphery, the gases
escaping through small openings provided in the top of the mold box, so as to
leave, as practice has fully demonstrated, the tire perfectly welded or fused to the
body, without fracture or air holes, that is, a composite wheel in shape and con-
dition such as illustrated in Fig. 3, of the drawings. It will be observed the por-
tion of the body A, about the middle thereof and to the inner periphery having
the greatest thickness of metal, that the steel tire portion is made tapering and is
of less thickness than near the convex-concave portion of the tire about the flange
portion of the same, whereby is ensured wear of the tire and flange to the extreme
limit of safety, as indicated by the dotted line y-y, of Fig. 3, of the drawings, being
approximately about the union of the tire with the body and with still sufficient
steel at the weakest portion of the body to sustain and maintain the strain on the
flange portion where greatest, to prevent breaking off of the same.
It may be here
remarked, that one of the important features of my invention is the perfect weld
obtained by the fusing or welding of the one metal to the other to produce a com-
posite wheel having maximum strength and mileage service, without danger in
extended use of loss of the flange or cracking thereof.
In Figs. 1 and 2, the tire of my invention only has been shown for shrinking,
bolting or otherwise attaching the same to a suitable body to constitute with the
said tire a car wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and objects of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A car wheel provided with a steel tire and flange, the inner edge of which
from the outer side is inclined to a convex-concave offset and therefrom inclined to
the inner side, substantially as and for the purposes described.

page_text: 2. A car wheel provided with a steel tire and flange, the inner edge of which from
the outer side is inclined to a convex-concave offset and therefrom inclined to the
inner side and said tire fused, welded or otherwise secured to a metal or other body,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. A car wheel provided with a steel tire and flange, the inner edge of said tire
from the outer side inclined to a convex-concave offset and therefrom oppositely
inclined to the inner side, said tire fused or welded to a cast iron body having a
recess complemental to said tire offset and inclined walls or edges complemental to
those of said tire, substantially as and for the purposes described.
JAMES WHEELER FULLER.
Per James G. Lorrain, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.