IMPROVEMENTS IN ELASTIC WHEEL TYRES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Burrell, of Saint Nicholas Works,
Thetford, in the County of Norfolk, and George John Fowell, of
the same Place, for the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELASTIC
WHEEL TYRES."
Sealed the 12th April 1872, and dated the 16th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Burrell and
George John Fowell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 16th November 1871.
We, CHARLES BURRELL, of Saint Nicholas Works, Thetford, in the
County of Norfolk, and GEORGE JOHN FOWELL, of the same Place, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELASTIC WHEEL TYRES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in elastic wheel tyres. It
is now common in traction engines to employ wheel tyres of vulcanized
india-rubber, and to protect the india-rubber from wear it has been

page_text: proposed to employ steel plates passing across the face or tread of the
india-rubber tyre. To keep such plates in their places they are bent up
at the ends, so as to embrace the rim of the wheel which supports the
india-rubber. When thus made the plates have to be bent to place
them on the wheel, so as to separate their ends sufficiently to permit
them to pass over the rim, and the elasticity of the plates causes their
ends when released to spring towards each other, and so to embrace the
rim of the wheel. There is, however, great difficulty in getting sufficient
elasticity in the plates to cause their ends to overlap the rim far enough
to render the connection of the plates to the wheel secure.
Now according to my Invention in place of making each plate in one
piece of metal, and depending on its elasticity to admit of its passing
over the rim of the wheel, I make it in two pieces, which are secured
the one to the other by bolts after they are placed. This construction
admits of the plates being of iron or steel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Burrell and George John Fowell in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
BURRELL, of Saint Nicholas Works, Thetford, in the County of Norfolk,
and GEORGE JOHN FOWELL, of the same Place, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Charles Burrell and George John Fowell,
Her special license that we, the said Charles Burrell and George John
Fowell, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Charles Burrell and George John Fowell, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELASTIC
WHEEL TYRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said

page_text: Charles Burrell and George John Fowell, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Burrell and George John
Fowell, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to
say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in elastic wheel tyres.
It is now common in traction engines to employ wheel tyres of vul.
canized india-rubber, and to protect the india-rubber from wear it has
been proposed to employ steel plates passing across the face or tread of
the india-rubber tyre. To keep such plates in their places they are bent
up at the ends so as to embrace the rim of the wheel which supports
the india-rubber. When thus made the plates have to be bent to place
them on the wheel so as to separate their ends sufficiently to permit
them to pass over the rim, and the elasticity of the plates causes their
ends when released to spring towards each other, and so to embrace the
rim of the wheel. There is, however, great difficulty in getting sufficient
elasticity in the plates to cause their ends to overlap the rim far enough
to render the connection of the plates to the wheel secure.
Now according to our Invention in place of making each plate in one
piece of metal, and depending on its elasticity to admit of its passing
over the rim of the wheel, we make it in two pieces, which are secured
the one to the other by bolts after they are placed. This construction
admits of the plates being of iron or steel.
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a wheel with an elastic tyre
T

page_text: a is the frame of the wheel; and b, a massive ring of vulcanized india-
rubber with which it is surrounded; c, c, are the protecting plates for
shielding the india-rubber from wear by preventing its coming in contact
with the ground over which the wheel runs. These plates clip over the
outer flange a¹ of the wheel frame, and are so held securely in their
places.
Figure 3 shews to a larger scale a side view of one of these protecting
plates, and Figure 4 is an end view of the same. It will be seen that
the plate is made in two pieces, c¹ and c³, which are held together by
bolts. This construction, which is an essential feature of our Invention,
enables the plates to be put upon the wheel over the flanges a¹, and
then fixed together by inserting the bolts, thus avoiding the bending or
straining of the metal, which has been necessary heretofore to get the
protecting plate into its place in consequence of each such protecting
plate having been made heretofore in one piece of metal.
Figure 5 shews the protecting plate in plan; it should be recessed on
either side where the india-rubber bears upon it, so that the india-
rubber may not be liable to be nipped between the plates, or with a
similar object the plates may be expanded by forming holes in them, as
is shewn at c³, c³, Figure 6.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that
we claim the construction of elastic wheel tyres substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Burrell and George John
Fowell, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.