Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
I, JOHN EDGAR FRIST, of No. 416 North High Street, in the City of
Baltimore, County of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, United States of America,
Carriage 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 relates to improvements in vehicle wheels and the main object of
the invention is to provide an elastic wheel which will readily adapt itself to rough
or uneven road beds and possess all the advantages of a wheel provided with a
pneumatic tire, or a wheel mounted on a rubber cushioned axle.
A second object of my invention is to provide means whereby the elasticity of the
wheel can be varied and easily regulated.
With these ends in view my invention consists in the peculiar construction anl
arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter pointed out and claimed.
I have illustrated my improvements in the accompanying drawings, in which―
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a wheel constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the wheel;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a wheel showing a modified form of spoke;
Figure 4 is a similar view of a slight modification of the spoke shown in
Figure 3;
Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, a front and side elevation of a single spoke of
the form shown in Figure 3;
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a truck or car wheel embodying my improvements.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawing, referring to which-
A designates the hub and B the rim of a vehicle wheel of any desired size and
weight. The hub, A, is provided on one side of its middle with a right hand thread
and on the opposite side with a left hand thread; and centrally on the hub is
secured a flange C which is provided in its outer faces with a series of sockets or
recesses c designed to receive the inner divided ends of the spokes, D.
The spokes are made of spring metal and are firmly attached at one end to the
rim B, and the inner ends thereof are bifurcated to provide two members, d, which
are bowed or curved outwardly in opposite directions and have their ends inserted
in the sockets or recesses c formed in the flange C. The straight portion of the
spokes may be either tubular or solid as desired and at the beginning of the bifur-
cation; which is the weakest point of the spoke, such straight portion may bẻ
provided with an integral enlarged boss.
1
The fellys composing the rim of the wheel are preferably made U-shaped in cross
section and the spokes D are attached thereto by having a flange formed on their
outer ends which flange receives the rim and the spoke is firmly held in position on
the rim by the bolts, F.
The free ends of the members d of the spokes are made thicker and larger than
the body of said members so as to provide shoulders. G, on the outer faces thereof;
and said ends are held firmly in place in the sockets c by means of internally
threaded collars or locking rings, H, which are screwed on the hub and bear closely
against the shoulders, G, as shown in Figure 1.
In some cases the flange C may be centrally divided to form two parallel disks
and by adjusting the disks towards each other on the hub A, the divided ends of

page_text: the spokes will be brought closer together and the flexibility of the spokes reduced
and the wheel stiffened while by adjusting said disks further apart the elasticity of
the wheel will be increased.
Within the hub, A, is screwed or otherwise secured a box or tube 1.
For very light vehicles I may employ a spoke in which the straight portion d' is
made tubular and strengthened by a series of longitudinal ribs.
In Figures 3, 5 and 6, I have illustrated a slight modification of my invention.
Referring particularly to these figures:-
C' designates the series of spokes which are composed of strong spring metal,
preferably steel. These spokes are securely attached at their middle to the inner
surface of the rim B and the ends thereof are attached to the hub A so that each
spoke serves the purpose of two spokes in the ordinary construction of wheels.
The duplex spokes are preferably made in the forms shown in Figures 5 and 6
by reference to which it will be seen that said spokes are reduced in width at
their centers and for some distance on either side thereof and are widened or
broadened near their ends; the ends being again reduced. The central reduced
portion of the spokes is made somewhat thicker and stronger than the wider portions
of the spoke.
The ends of the spokes are shown in Fig. 3 as fitting in dovetailed grooves or
seats formed in the hub and opening through the ends thereof; and said spokes
are firmly attached to the hub by means of suitable securing bolts E. The length
of the spokes C from the center thereof to either end is somewhat greater than the
radius of the wheel in which they are secured so that when they are placed in
position the thin wider portions thereof will be bowed or curved first outwardly and
then inwardly to fit into the seats D' in the hub as shown in Fig. 3.
Instead of attaching the ends of the duplex spokes to the hub A in the manner
herein before described such ends may be lapped one upon the other and the lapped
ends attached to the outer surface of the hub by suitable bolts F', as shown in
Figure 4.
In some cases I place between the members or sides of the spoke elastic cushions
or pads C which strengthen the spoke. Such a pad is preferably arranged
between the members at the point where they begin to bow or curve outwardly as
shown in Figure 4.
A wheel provided with spring spokes as herein shown and described possesses
many advantages over the ordinary wheel in which rigid spokes are employed.
Among the advantages may be mentioned the following: Such a wheel renders the
vehicle easier of draft, is more elastic and accommodates itself to any roughness in
the surface of the road. The spring spokes yield both laterally and vertically when the
wheel comes in contact with obstructions and the jar and jolting motion commonly
experienced in riding over rough roads in vehicles, the wheels of which are provided
with rigid spokes, is avoided.
In Figure 7 of the drawing I have illustrated a truck or car wheel constructed in
accordance with my invention and in which the flexible spokes are stamped out
from a single piece of metal forming one side of the wheel, said side plates being
suitably attached to an axle or hub and to the rim of the wheel. A wheel made in
the form shown in Figure 7 is specially adapted for heavy hauling.
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-
•1. i
1. A vehicle wheel consisting of a hub, a rim, and a series of spokes attached to
the rim and bowed or curved outwardly beyond the ends of the hub as they approach
the same, said spokes having their inner ends bent inwardly and extending parallel
with the cylindrical surface of the hub to which they are rigidly, fastened,
substantially as described.
2. A vehicle wheel consisting of a hub, a rim and a series of flexible spokes having
their outer ends attached to the rim and their inner ends bifurcated and curved or

page_text: bowed outwardly and then inwardly to extend parallel to the hub to which they are
attached, substantially as described.
3. A vehicle wheel consisting of a hub having a central flange, and provided in
its outer face with a series of sockets, a rim and a series of flexible spokes having
their outer ends attached to the rim and their inner ends bifurcated and bowed or
curved outwardly and then inwardly to extend parallel to the hub and fits in the
sockets in the outer faces of the flange thereon, substantially as described.
4. A vehicle wheel consisting of a hub, having a flange thereon which has a series
of sockets formed in its outer faces, a rim, and a series of spokes having their outer
ends attached to the rim and their inner ends bifurcated and bowed outwardly and
then inwardly to extend parallel to the hub, the inner ends of the spokes
being enlarged and fitted into the sockets in the flanges on the hub, substantially as
described.
5. A vehicle wheel consisting of a hub, a rim, parallel plates secured on the hub
having a series of sockets formed in their outer faces, a series of spokes having their
outer ends attached to the rim and their inner ends bifurcated and bowed outwardly
and inwardly to extend parallel to the hub, the inner ends of the spokes being
enlarged and fitted in the sockets in the disks on the hub, and a locking collar fitted
around the hub and bearing against the outer side of the enlarged inner ends of the
spokes, substantially as described.
6. A vehicle wheel consisting of a hub provided at its ends with a series of
sockets which extend longitudinally of the hub, a rim, and a series of spokes
attached to the rim and bowed or curved outwardly beyond the ends of the hub as
they approach the same, said spokes having their inner ends bent inwardly and
fitted in the sockets in the hub to which they are rigidly attached, substantially as
described.
7. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of a hub, a rim, a series of duplex spring
spokes centrally attached to the rim and having their ends attached to the hub
and elastic blocks or pads arranged between the members of said spokes,
substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of September 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.