IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM CHARLES MORTON of N° 77 Colmore Row Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Officer Inland Revenue do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES AND SIMILAR
VEHICLES to be as follows, that is to say:—
"
My Invention has for its object improvements in the Wheels of Traction Engines
applicable also to other purposes by which means I am enabled to obtain a firm
grip upon the ground over which such Engines or other vehicles pass without
leaving a hard smooth rut behind such as is produced by solid wheels.
My wheels consist of two taper or bevelled rims which are united to the centre
nave or boss by either two sets of separate arms or arms which may be partly
separate and partly united in any case leaving a clear space between the two
bevelled rims which extends a considerable distance towards the boss. The outer
edge or greater diameters of the bevelled rims are outwards and the smaller
diameters inwards thus leaving a conical annular recess but finishing on each side
with a parallel ring otherwise ears which carry holes to which I pivot a series of
special automatic gripping vanes or arms. These arms are placed edgewise between
the two rims aforesaid and have suitable holes running through them through
which I pass a bolt or rivet to form a pivot upon which they are free to turn.
The inner end of these arms are the heaviest or longest so that when at the top of
the wheel they hang quite vertically and project somewhat above the side rings
and when in this position they are narrower crosswise than the distance between
the two rings. As the wheel turns the heavy part of these pivotted arms always
have a tendency to hang vertically still gravitate so bringing the arms or vanes
into an inclined position to any radial line. The vanes are most inclined at thé
tread of the wheel, but as they pass round beyond the tread they automatically
reverse the incline of the vane from one side of a radius line to the other the effect
being that when the wheel is passing over loose earth as in a field when being used
for agricultural purposes as in ploughing any loose earth which might have a
tendency to stick on the wheel would be expelled by the automatic reversible
action of the arms. There would be a slight swing also which would have the
tendency to constantly clear the wheel. -
These wheels may be made in any suitable metal such as cast iron, wrought iron
or steel and may be adapted for any purpose.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES MORTON of N° 77. Colmore Row Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Officer Inland Revenue do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES AND SIMILAR
VEHICLES and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, to be as follows, that
is to say:-.
C
"
My invention has for its object improvements in the wheels of Traction Engines
applicable.also to other purposes by which means I am enabled to obtain a firm
grip upon the ground over which such Engines or other vehicles pass without
leaving a hard smooth rut behind such as is produced by solid wheels.
My wheels consist of two taper or bevelled rims which are united to the centre
nave or boss by either two sets of separate arms which may be partly separate and
partly united in any case leaving a clear space between the two bevelled rims
which extends a considerable distance towards the boss. The outer edge or greater
diameters of the bevelled, rims are outwards and the smaller diameters inwards
thus leaving a conical annular recess but finishing on each side with a parallel ring
otherwise ears which carry holes to which I pivot a series of special automatic
gripping vanes arms. These arms are placed edgewise between the two rims
aforesaid and have suitable holes running through them through which I pass a
bolt or rivet to form a pivot upon which they are free to turn. The inner end of
these arms are the heaviest or longest so that when at the top of the wheel they
hang quite vertically and project somewhat above the side rings and when in this
position they are narrower crosswise than the distance between the two rings. As
the wheel turns the heavy part of these pivotted arms always having a tendency
to hang vertically still gravitate so bringing the arms or vanes into an inclined
position to any radial line. The vanes are most inclined at the tread of the wheel
but as they pass round beyond the tread they automatically reverse the incline of
the vane from one side of a radius line to the other the effect being that when the
wheel is passing over loose earth as in a field when being used for agricultural
purposes as in ploughing any loose earth which might have a tendency to stick on
the wheel would be expelled by the automatic reversible action of the arms.
There would be a slight swing also which would have the tendency to constantly
clear the wheel.
These wheels may be made in any suitable metal such as, cast iron, wrought
iron or steel and may be adapted for any purpose.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings upon which I have
shown one example which will suffice to illustrate how my invention may be
carried into practice but it will be clearly seen and understood that the general
construction and forms of the parts in detail may be greatly varied without
departing from the main features of the invention.
Figure 1. is a front elevation and part section of the wheel.
Figure 2. is an end elevation of the same and
Figure 3 is a rosa scation and alavation

page_text: Now referring to the drawings A is one of the bevelled rings and A¹ is the other
bevelled ring. These rings may each be cast in one piece with a part of the boss
or knave B and arms C on one side and B¹ and C¹ on the other side the two sides
are shown in this case held together by bolts E and fixed upon the bush K but
both sides may be cast in one casting or built up with wrought iron but in either
case a suitable provision will be made for the purpose of hanging the arms M on
suitable pivots m² which may be either formed in one casting with the arms or
they may be bolts or pins of wrought iron, steel or other material passed through.
It will be noticed that the back part of the arms M² are made longer or otherwise
heavier than the front portion M which is for the purpose of causing the arms to
clear themselves of all the soil or other substance which may be passed in between
them as they tread upon the ground. The arrow F shows the direction in which
the wheel is supposed to be turning round and the arrow H shows the direction
in which the soil would tend to enter and fill the spaces N between the arms M..
It will be observed that the arms at I present an inclined face to the direction
of the arrow H which would present a good bearing surface and prevent to some
extent the tendency of the spaces to fill with a hard cork.
Now immediately the arms approach the part marked 2 they begin to fall over
somewhat as shown until they hang vertically when they reach the part marked 3.
They again resume the proper position for the tread as they arrive at the part
marked 4. This will of course be the same which ever way the wheel may revolve
as the arms are shown to be the same shape on each side.
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
The improvements in wheels of the bevelled rims A and A' having swinging
reversible arms M hung between in such a manner as to the arm a tread diagonally
to any radial line substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated the 16th day of April 1885.
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for the Applicant,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham: