Improvements in Pneumatic or Cushion Wheels.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic or Cushion Wheels.
I, WILLIAM REES JAMES of 3 Lancaster Street Blaina, Monmouthshire, Electrician,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to wheels of cycles and other vehicles, which derive their elasticity
fron parallel rubber tubes or cushions pneumatic or otherwise, one placed in each line
of spokes between the hub and the road rim, and is designed to allow free play to such
elasticity as they possess, while preventing twist or side shake, whereby a portion of
the said wheel might be caused to cant or swerve from the same plane as the
other portion.
These tubes or cushions are placed in concentric metal rims, and to the edges
of these rims I attach toggle joints which connect the said rims together. These
joints are formed of four links of equal or nearly equal length, and are pivotted
together at their extremities so as to form a square or diamond, their other ends being
attached to the said rims, or to plates attached thereto. Several of these toggle joints
are employed.
Each of the concentric rings will also be connected laterally or horizontally with its
fellow or parallel rim, in the adjoining row of spokes by means of a half hinge of
suitable size. These half hinges connect by means of a centre pin and form an entire
hinge, which is supported on pins engaging with lugs attached to the rims. These
hinges make the rims very firm against side twist, and will be found no obstacle
to the elastic action of the cushion or pneumatic tyres.
Dated this 17th day of September 1897.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Pneumatic or Cushion Wheels.
I, WILLIAM REES JAMES of 3, Lancaster Street Blaina, Monmouthshire, Electrician,
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 refers to wheels of cycles and other vehicles which derive their
elasticity from parallel rubber tubes or cushions, pneumatic or otherwise, one placed
in each line of spokes between the hub and the road rim, or one fitted to receive
both lines of spokes as preferred, and is designed to allow free play to such elasticity
as they possess, while preventing twist or side shake, whereby a portion of the said
wheel might be caused to cant or swerve from the same plane as the other portion.
These tubes or cushions are placed in concentric rims of metal or other suitable
material.

page_text: To the edges of these rims I attach toggle-joints which connect the said rims
together.
These joints are formed by preference of four links of equal or nearly equal length
but any suitable number may be used, and are pivotted together at their extremities
so as to form a square, diamond or other figure; their other ends being attached to
the said rims, or to brackets attached thereto. Several of these toggle-joints can be
employed. When parallel rims are used each of the concentric rims will also be
connected laterally or horizontally with its fellow parallel rim in the adjoining row of
spokes by means of the said toggle-joint; that is to say by the pivot pin on which
the links of the toggle-joint turn. Those pivot pins make the rims very firm against
side twist and will be found no obstacle to the elastic action of the cushion or
pneumatic tyres.
I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which
Fig. 1 shows a sectional front elevation of my improved hub for the wheels of
velocipedes and like vehicles; the pneumatic rings here shown being held by
undivided rims.
Fig. 2 shows a sectional side elevation of same on the line - Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows a cross section of the rim with pneumatic ring fitted with vertically
divided rims, for the more convenient handling of the ring.
Fig. 4 shows a modified form of rim, to that shown in Fig. 3, consisting of
smaller rims, and a circumferential bead formed around the pneumatic ring, which
gives this form of rim a more secure grip.
a is the axle box of the hub ;
b, b, are a pair of inner concentric rims with a coucaved periphery, to hold the
pneumatic ring e in place on one side, and d, d, are the outer rims to hold the ring c
in place on the other side. The pair of inner rims b, b, may be cast solid at the ends
of the axle box, as shown, or they may be attached in any other suitable way.
e, e, are brackets attached to rim d, and e¹, el, are brackets attached to rim b
which serve to support the ends of pins f, f, and these pins form pivots for the
links g, g, the upper and lower links, being connected together by a hinge or other
suitable joint, which may be formed so as to be readily disconnected if required.
There may be one, two, or more sets of links, each set forming a modified toggle-
joint. In some cases one pneumatic ring only may be used, in which event the sets of
toggle links would be placed one on either side, of the ring.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 h h, and k, k', are the half rims. k, k, (the outer
half rims), being connected by a bolt and nut, and in the case of the inner rim,
the half being formed solid with the axle box, and h¹ being screwed into position
on the end of said axle box. c' is a circumferential ridge formed round the ring c
to afford the rims h, h, k, k¹ a better grip.
By the foregoing arrangement I construct a wheel with the required elasticity,
in which the cushioned or pneumatic tyres are protected from puncture or the wear
of the road, and on the periphery of which a hard tyre can be used free from side
slip or from injury on the roughest surface.
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. In a hub for the wheels of velocipedes and the like, the insertion and con-
struction of one or more sets of hinged links, placed edgeways to and connecting
a pair of inner and outer rims, and attached thereto by means of brackets, said
rims being placed between the axle box and the hub end of the spokes, and
supporting a pneumatic ring, whereby all tendency to side twist or displacement of
the centre of the wheel from its plane are obviated, as herein described and set forth.
2. In a hub for velocipedes and the like the combination of the sets of links
described in Claim 1, with a system of surrounding the centre portion of the hub with

page_text: one or more pneumatic or cushion rings, with or without a circumferential ridge or
other suitable attachment, the rims for said rings, being vertically divided or not, as
herein described and set forth.
Dated this 17th day of December 1806
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, London, E.C., Patent Agent.