IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR BICYCLES, VELOCIPEDES, AND OTHER CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Goddard, Manager to Messrs. Soper and Cooksey,
Engineers, of 211, Upper Kennington Lane, in the County of Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR BICYCLES,
VELOCIPEDES, AND OTHER CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES."
Sealed the 1st September 1876, and dated the 1st March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Goddard at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1876.
EDWIN GODDARD, Manager to Messrs. Soper and Cooksey, Engineers, of 211,
Upper Kennington Lane, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR BICYCLES, VELOCIPEDES, AND OTHER CARRIAGES OR
VEHICLES."
My Invention relates to a novel construction of wheels for bicycles, velocipedes,
and other carriages, wherein I combine the properties of strength, durability, and
lightness in a degree not heretofore attainable in such wheels. The said Invention
is applicable to wheels for all kinds of vehicles whose wheels are required to be
strong without great weight, but the main object of the said Invention is the con-
struction of improved bicycle wheels, for the purpose of rendering these vehicles more
safe and efficient and less liable to breaking down than they have hitherto been.
Many contrivances have been adopted in the construction of wheels for bicycles
and velocipedes to increase their strength and durability without materially in-
creasing their weight, but none of them have been found satisfactory.
I construct my improved wheel with a rim or hoop, which has the usual groove
for the reception of a tire of india-rubber or other suitable material; but the
peculiar and novel features of my Invention is the formation on the inside of tho
said rim or hoop and all around the same of a flange or web, which gives strength
and rigidity to the tire at the part where strength and stiffness are most required,
and affords the means for attaching the spokes or arms of the wheel to the rim in a
solid and durable manner. This inner flange or web need not be of any great
depth or thickness; a depth of one inch and a thickness equal to that of the other
part of the rim will probably be sufficient in all cases. The said flange or web may
be of equal depth and thickness all around the wheel, or it may have slight pro-
tuberances or projections for the attachment of the spokes. I may form the said

page_text: rims or hoops by taking bars of iron or steel of the required section and turning and
welding them, or I may have the said rims or hoops formed entirely by rolling.
The spokes or arms are attached to the said inner flange or web by rivets or
bolts, or by brazing or by other suitable means, and are attached to the boss or
hub of the wheel in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Goddard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st September
1876.
EDWIN GODDARD, Manager to Messrs. Soper and Cooksey, Engineers, of 211,
Upper Kennington Lane, in the County of Surrey. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR BICYCLES, VELOCIPEDES, AND OTHER CARRIAGES OR
VEHICLES."
My Invention relates to a novel construction of wheels for bicycles, velocipedes,
and other carriages or vehicles, whereby I combine the properties of strength,
durability, and lightness in a degree not heretofore attained in such wheels. The
.said Invention is applicable to wheels for all kinds of vehicles whose wheels are
required to be strong without great weight; but the main object of the said In-
vention is the construction of improved bicycle wheels for the purpose of rendering
these vehicles more safe and efficient and less liable to failure or breaking down than
they have hitherto been.
Many contrivances have been adopted in the construction of wheels for bicycles
and velocipedes to increase their strength and durability without materially in-
creasing their weight, but none of them have been found satisfactory. I have
therefore devised the peculiar construction of these wheels herein-after described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, which I will now proceed to describe,
and in which,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle with wheels constructed according to
this Invention; Figure 2 is a rear elevation (partly in section) of the same.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, show portions of the said wheel detached and drawn to an
enlarged scale.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
I construct my improved wheel with a rim, hoop, or felloe a, which has the usual
groovo for the reception of a tire b of india-rubber or other suitable material; but
the peculiar and novel feature of my Invention is the formation on the inside of
the said rim or hoop, and all around the same, of a flange or web c, which gives
strength and rigidity to the tire at the part where strength and rigidity or stiffness
are most required, and affords the means for attaching the spokes or arms d of the
wheel to the rim in a solid and durable manner.
The
Figure 3 is a transverse section of my improved rim, shewing the same with a
semicircular groove for the reception of the india-rubber tire. Figure 4 is a
similar section, shewing the rim with a V shaped groove for the said tire.
said rim may be formed, as shewn in either of these Figures, or of other suitable
cross section. The inner flange or web c need not be of any great depth or
thickness. A depth of from 1/2 inch to one inch, and a thickness equal to that
The said flange
of the other part of the rim will probably be sufficient in all cases.
or rim may be of equal depth and thickness all around the wheel, as shewn in
Figure 1, or it may have lugs or projections for, the attachınent of the spokes. I
may form the said rim or hoop a by taking bars of iron or steel of the required
section and turning or welding them, or I may have the said rim or hoop formed
entirely by rolling.
I may construct the boss or hub of my improved wheel, and secure the anns or
spokes thereto in the ordinary manner, but I prefer to adopt the construction of the
boss and mode of securing the arms or spokes shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, of the

page_text: Drawing. Figure 5 is a side view, partly in section, of the said boss or hub,
shewing one of the spoke connections of the same; Figures 6 and 7 shew the con-
necting devices for the said spokes. The boss or hube, as clearly shewn in Figure 5,
is a ratchet-shaped piece with teeth or projections, which are drilled and tapped for
the reception of the connecting pieces f. These connecting pieces are formed with
eyes and shanks f. The shank is passed through a hollow screw g, and the
head f³ is formed on the said shank by riveting, in such a manner that the screw
is kept securely upon the said shank but will turn freely thereon. The spokes,
arms, or wires d are attached to the said inner flange or web c by rivets or bolts,
or by brazing or other suitable means, and are passed through the eyes of the
connecting pieces f. The latter are then set in to tighten the said wires by
screwing down the said hollow screws, which are formed with heads g¹ for tho
reception of a wrench or key, and which turn freely upon the shanks f³ without
turning the pieces f. The said screws are provided with lock nuts g to fasten
theni. This method of securing the spokes or arms is very advantageous
in connection with my improved method of constructing the rim, hoop, or
felloc of the said wheel, and I have devised it especially for this purpose; but if
desired the same method of fastening may be adopted in bicycle or velocipedo
wheels with rims of ordinary construction.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. A wheel for a bicycle or velocipede, or other vehicle, constructed with a
rim, hoop, or felloe which has an inner flange or web, as above set forth and for the
purpose specified.
Second. In a bicycle or other wheel whose rim or felloc is constructed with an
inner flange or web, the combination with the said rim or felloe of devices for
securing the wire spokes or arms to the boss or hub of the wheel and making the
same properly tight, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Goddard, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
EDWIN GODDARD. (LS.)