IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON WHEELS FOR LOCOMOTIVES, TENDERS, CARRIAGES, AND WAGONS
Year: 1884

page_text: I FRANÇOIS GARNIER of Lorette in the Department of the Loire and Republic
of France, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRON WHEELS FOR LOCOMOTIVES,
TENDERS, CARRIAGES, AND WAGONS, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement as follows:-
The features of novelty in this Invention consist in the peculiar method of
construction of the wheels in conjunction with the apparatus for the purpose.
The following description of the Invention and its peculiarities aided by the
accompanying Drawings will clearly illustrate its principle:-The spokes which
are made separately are of peculiar formation, that is to say a cold bar of metal
of the dimensious required is bent in an arched form at the top as shown by Fig. 1,
by this means two spokes are formed of one bar, or the bar may be bent as shown
by Fig. 2, this forms a single spoke only, a section of this latter would be oval as
here represented, the arch or bend at the upper part in both cases is intended that
this part may accurately fit into the felly or rim of the wheel,
When a single spoke is used as in Fig. 2 the next one is similarly constructed
to meet it in the rim which is of ☐ shape and is internally of the shape of a half
section of the spoke. The outer rim of the wheel vide Figs. 3 and 4 is made of
an iron bar bent cold, the two ends being united by welding. The quoins Fig. 5
for uniting the spokes to the felly are cut on a bar the thickness of the spokes.
The nave is made in two parts composed of two cylinders of raw iron vide F. C.
Figs. 8 and 9.
The whole thus prepared the spokes are placed in the rim of the wheel, the
last one alone being forced into its place. The quoins Fig. 5, which unite the
spokes to the rim of the wheel are put in their respective places vide Figs. 6 and 7
and the wheel in this state and cold is put into a mould where the first portion of
the cylindrical nave is connected to the spokes. For this purpose the nave is
heated to white heat and it is then beaten by a steam hammer or otherwise on to
the cold spokes see Figs. 8 and 9. The wheel is then reversed and the second
part of the cylindrical nave is similarly heated and connected to the spokes as
before when these two cylindrical portions become firmly united.
Or in lieu of heating them separately they may be heated together and both
beaten simultaneously by the steain hammer. The first part of the nave is placed

page_text: in the lower mould, and the wheel is placed above it, the second part is then placed
on the wheel and a few strokes of the hammer suffices to effect a perfect union of
the two cylindrical parts forming the nave which being thus fixed to the spokes
and still at white heat, the wheel is taken to the furnace where the whole is
heated sufficiently for welding, it is then removed from the furnace and is placed
in a special mould where all the parts are completely welded either by steam
hammer or by hydraulic pressure and by this means a completely forged and
finished wheel is made as is shown by Figs. 10 and 11. For wheels for carriages,
wagons or wagonnets if it is not desired to weld the spokes they are made of semi-
oval or other section leaving at the flat side always, a small acute angle at each
end. The felly of steel or iron is prepared and welded or laminated leaving an
internal groove a little larger than the spokes, these bent spokes are placed cold in
the heated felly the two parts of the nave are got into position as previously
explained, and the wheel is then put into the mould which forces the hot steel or
iron rim or felly to attach itself to the ends of the spokes and their angles are beaten
down, see Figs. 16 and 17.
When the wheels are wholly welded, there is no necessity to heat the felly but
for wheels where the nave alone is welded it is imperative that the felly should be
heated to allow of shrinking whilst fixing the spokes, and that it shall occur at the
same time as shrinking the nave.
For solid wheels the first preparation of the wheel is effected as described at the
commencement of this Specification that is to say that the cold bent spokes are
placed in the hollow rim and the spaces formed at the points of junction of the
spokes towards the felly are filled up by small quoins of iron.
The two parts of the nave being welded on the spokes a plate a, of raw iron is
placed between each spoke which exactly fills the space between the spokes vide
Figs. 18 and 19. These plates cut the shape of the bent spokes rest on projections
on the spokes purposely made at the intersection of these plates towards the nave
two rings of soft iron r., are then placed which serve to unite the plates with the
nave and the felly whilst at the same time strengthening these parts of the
wheel.
The wheel in this state is then taken to the furnace and heated to white heat
and then briskly beaten under a powerful hammer in a mould of the form of the
forged wheel shown in the sections B. D. F. or B. D. C. Figs. 20 and 21 or solid
see Figs. 22 and 23. In heating it a second time other rings are placed on the side
opposite to where the first heating was effected for forming the connection, and
moulding again succeeds. The tools used in the manufacture consist of tongs and.
moulds Figures 12 and 13 represented by these Figures in vertical and horizontal
projection. Figs. 14 and 15 are a transverse section and side view of the mould
complete. A is a part of the tongs. B, double guides which can be changed to
suit the spokes of different wheels. C, sliding piece on which is riveted the rod H,
and the arms of the tongs A, bearing a ring o, to suspend it to a crane. D, collar
rivited to the arm of the tongs A, and in which the rod F slides. E simple guide
merely resting as well as the guides B on the arms. G collar riveted to the rod H
and in which the rod F slides. H, lower rod with a lever support K. I shaft
actuating the rod F, for locking or unlocking the tongs, by means of the actuating
lever J. L levers or bars serving to maintain equilibrium. M guide serving to
put the wheel in the mould by placing itself in the part M, outside the mould.
N rod connecting the guide M to the tongs. P cast iron or steel case of the mould.
Q inner iron or steel hoop or circle holding the felly of the wheel. R centre
serving to mould the body of the wheel, this centre is secured outside the case of
the mould by the keys T, it can be changed without the necessity of interfering
with or suspending work, the same is the case with the hoop Q which may be of
cast or wrought iron or steel, a projecting piece S placed in the middle serves to
form the inside of the nave of the wheel. U, guide in the external case of the
mould serving to place the wheel accurately in the mould.

page_text: It is easy to understand the action of the tongs purposely constructed to sieze
the wheel inside the nave.
It suffices to press down the lever J, to lock the pincers inside the nave, and
when the wheel is taken to the mould it is sure to fall with accuracy, as the
wheel is well guided. In raising the lever the wheel falls into the mould.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1 The preparation and connection of the spokes with the felly and nave of the
wheel, or heating the nave to a white heat and placing one part of it on the cold
spokes and reversing the wheel and placing the other half of the cylindrical nave
as before on the cold spokes and then welding the nave with the spokes and the
felly with the quoins.
2nd In welding the nave separately and fixing the spokes with the felly or hoop
Figs. 16 and 17 for carriage wheels or wagonnets and so forth.
3 The addition to spoked wheels of plates of iron cut and placed between the
arched spokes with quoins and rings.
4th The construction of the tongs with the nippers for seizing the wheels inside
the nave and guiding it to the mould.
5th The construction of the mould in several parts and in furnishing it with a
guide.
In the mauner, by the means and for the purposes substantially as herein set
forth and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this twelfth day of March 1884.