Improvements in Spring Wheels for Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
Improvements in Spring Wheels for Vehicles.
I, CARL FREDERIK VALDEMAR HANSEN, of 748, Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Ayres,
Argentine Republic, Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to wheels for vehicles, and more particularly for bicycles,
and has for its object to provide a strong, practically undeformable yet elastically
mounted tyre. To this end my invention consists of the novel arrangement of
parts hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the figures.
side elevation of my improved vehicle wheel;
Figure 1 is
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a part thereof, drawn upon an enlarged
scale;
Figure 3 is a plan of part of the wheel; and
Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.
The body of the wheel, that is the hub A, the spokes B, and the rim C, may be
of any suitable construction, but I prefer to make the rim strong enough to
preserve its circular shape during the revolution of the wheel.
Surrounding the rim Ĉ at a suitable distance so as to be out of contact there-
with, is the tyre D, which should be made sufficiently rigid to always preserve,
practically, its circular shape. To give the tyre the requisite strength, it may
be constructed of a wooden inner section d, concaved upon its outer surface,
and a hollow outer metal section d, convexed upon its inner and outer surfaces,
and seated in the concavity of the wooden section d.
The connection of the rim C with the tyre D is effected through the medium
of the elliptical springs E, arranged at such intervals that adjacent springs will
never touch each other. The bends at which the ends of the springs are connected
by bolts e are free, while the central portions of the members e and e³ are secured
respectively to the tyre and to the rim, by means of screws e³ and nuts e, e³,
respectively, the nuts e screwing on the ends of sundry of the spokes B. It will
be understood that the connections might be made in various other ways.
The operation of my improved vehicle wheel is materially different from that
of devices of the same class known to me, in that the tyre D, being rigid or
undeformable, will always preserve its circular shape, and thus, during the travel
of the wheel, there will not be a compression of the lowermost springs only
(so far as they are in contact with the temporarily flattened portion of the tyre)
but of all the springs upon the lower half of the wheel, and at the same time
the springs on the upper half of the wheel will work expansively, so that all the
springs will be in action at the same time. I thus secure a greatly increased
resiliency of the wheel, as will be readily understood by the dotted lines in
Figure 1 showing the eccentric position of the springs and rim relatively to the
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page_text: tyre when the wheel is being propelled over the ground. The tyre is of greater
width than the rim (see Figure 4) thereby affording a better resistance to lateral
strains. It will be observed that the opposing surfaces of the rim and tyre, as
well as the convex spring surfaces adapted to engage said opposing rim and tyre
surfaces, are flat (in a transverse direction) so as to insure a gradual contact of
the springs with the rim and tyre upon a relatively large surface, thereby securing
a strong construction and an easy action.
The entire structure is strong, durable, little liable to injury, and comparatively
simple.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A wheel for bicycles and other vehicles, consisting of a rigid circular rim
connected with the hub by spokes, and a rigid circular tyre surrounding the
rim at a distance, with springs interposed between the rim and tyre and secured
to each of them, substantially as described.
2. In a wheel of the character specified under head 1, forming the opposing
surfaces of the rim and tyre, as well as the longitudinally convex spring surfaces
adapted for contact therewith, flat in a transverse direction, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
3. In a wheel of the character specified under head 1, the construction of the
springs in two convex sections, the central portions of which are secured to
the tyre and the rim respectively, while their ends are connected by bolts located
freely in the space between the tyre and the rim, substantially as described.
4. In a wheel of the charcater specified under head 1, the construction of the
tyre in two members, viz.: a wooden inner member having a transversely concave
outer surface, and a hollow metallic outer member bi-convex in cross section
and seated in the concavity of the wooden member.
Dated this 21st day of November 1899.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.