Improvements in the Manufacture of Tram or Trolley Wheels.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Tram or Trolley Wheels.
I, WILLIAM HENRY WOOD, of Cradley Heath, in the County of Stafford, Boiler
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of tram or trolley wheels, and is primarily
intended for what are known as colliery tubs or coal waggons, and consists in the
making of such wheels from a stamped piece or pieces of wrought iron or steel, which
may or may not be combined with a central boss of cast iron, the whole heing formed
and built up after the following manner :-
I take a circular blank of metal of a suitable thickness for wear, and place it within
a pair of dies or tools, which said tools are shaped according to the wheel to be
produced, that is, a flange shall be formed upon the one side of the tire, the width also
of the tire, when the metal shall then be concaved towards the centre, so as to reach the
opposite side of the boss.
At this central part the metal is drawn or cupped, (or a central hole may be first
made in the disc, when in this last operation it would only be drawn) into a cylindrical
form. This stamping and shaping, generally would be done in one operation, but may
if preferred be accomplished by more thin one operation.
Three or more (round) holes are cut in the said wheel, around the central boss, for
the purpose of inserting a sprag or check, when running down an incline &c. In the
same stamping process or in a subsequent one, corrugated ribs of suitable forms are
also made in the plate part of the wheel, or around the said holes, for the purpose of
strengthening such parts.
A cast iron, preferably chilled boss, is now provided, and forced into the central
hole formed in the stamping, its exterior and the interior of the said stamping being
suitably shaped to ensure security of fixing.
If desired the said boss may be secured by a screw thread and screw nut, the former
however being preferable. Or, in some cases the central portion of the stamping may be
formed to serve as the hearing itself.
In some cases I may modify this form of construction, by making the central
portion and plate of the wheel, as described, but having the stamping part of the
same of much thinner metal, and provide the rim of the same to receive thereon a
separate tire, having a single or double flange, and such tire being secured to the said
rim by rivetting. These separate tires are preferably made by rolling or spinning
then up from a short cylindrical piece. Or, in the case of the double tired wheel, it
may be stamped up in two plate parts, each part having half the tire width and the
flange for that said half, so that the two being then rivetted together will form the
complete wheel with the double tire.
Dated this 14th day of November 1889.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Tram or Trolley Wheels.
I WILLIAM HENRY WOOD, of Cradley Heath, in the County of Stafford Boiler
Maker 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 :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of tram or trolley wheels, and is primarily
intended for what are known as colliery tubs or coal waggons or wheelbarrows and

page_text: consists in the making of such wheels from a stamped piece or pieces of sheet wrought
iron or steel, which may or may not be combined with a central boss of cast or
wrought iron or steel, the whole being formed and built up after the following
manner:
I take a circular blank of metal of a suitable thickness for wear, and place it within
a pair of dies or tools, which said tools are shaped according to the wheel to be
produced, that is, a flange shall be formed upon the one side at the rim to form the
tire, when the metal shall then be concaved towards the centre, so as to reach the
opposite side of the boss.
At this central part the metal is drawn or cupped, (or preferably a central hole is
first made in the disc, when in this last operation it would only be drawn) into a
cylindrical form. This stamping and shaping, generally is done in one operation, but
may if preferred be accomplished by more than one operation. Three or more (round)
holes are cut in the said wheel, around the central boss, for the purpose of inserting a
sprag or check, when running down an incline &c. In the same stamping process or
in a subsequent one, corrugated ribs or stamped bosses of suitable forms are also made
in the plate part of the wheel, or around the said holes, for the purpose of strengthening
such parts.
A central bearing boss, of cast or wrought iron, or steel or other suitable metal
preferably of chilled cast iron, is now provided, and forced into the central hole formed
in the stamping, its exterior and the interior of the said stamping being suitably shaped
to ensure security of fixing.
If desired the said boss may be secured by a screw thread and screw nut, the former
however being preferable. Or, in some cases the central portion of the stamping may
be formed to serve as the bearing itself.
In some cases I may modify this form of construction, by making the central portion
and the plate of the wheel, as described, but, having the stamping part of the same of
much thinner metal, and provide the rim of the same to receive thereon a separate
tire, having a single or double flange, and such tire being secured to the said rim by
rivetting. These separate tires are preferably made by rolling, spiuning or stamping
them up from a short cylindrical piece. Or, in the case of the double tired wheel, it
may be stamped up in two plate parts, each part having half the tire width and the
flange for that said balf, so that the two being then rivetted together will form the
complete wheel with the double tire.
In order to explain more fully how this my invention is to be performed I have
appended hereunto an illustrative sheet of drawings upon which are figures and letters
of reference, similar letters referring throughout the several views to the same thing
or part.
Fig. 1 is a view of a blank of metal from which the wheel is to be made.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the stamping or pressing tools for stamping the plate 4
into the wheel form.
Fig. 3 is a view of the stamping from the tools in Fig. 2.
Figs. 4 and 5 show the arrangement of ribbing up the metal in order to increase its
strength, also shows the application of the separate central bearing boss.
Fig. 6 shows a modified method of securing the central bearing boss.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a wheel made according to this my invention having a
one side flange formed upon its rim.
Fig. 8 shows the application of a separate flat rim and
Figs. 9 and 10 show modified sectional forms of this separate rim.
Fig. 11 shows a modified sectional view of a wheel formed with two body plates 5
instead of one.
Fig. 12 shows the application of the separate rim (Figs. 8, 9 and 10) to the double
plate wheel Fig. 11.
Fig. 13 is a modified shape of the mid-portion of the body plate.
Fig. 14 shows a modified method of attaching the separate tire.
I take a circular blank of metal Fig. 1, and cut out the holes a, and b. This blank
is then placed in suitable tools c, d, submitted to a heavy pressure or blow, which shapes
5

page_text: the plate as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. It will here be readily seen that the tools c, d, may
be varied to produce any desired shape of wheel frame. is the flange formed upon
the one side of body of the plate, which I will now term the body rim, and which in
Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 11 serves also as the tire of the wheel. The body ƒ of the plate
is thence concaved towards the centre.
At the central part of the body plate f, the metal is drawn, (the hole a having been
first made therein) into a parallel (or nearly so) form, to receive a separate bearing
boss.
In some instances in order to strengthen the metal I form ribs g, g, g, &c. which
may be done in the same stamping process as already described for and in Fig. 2.
h, is a hoss of cast or wrought iron or of steel &c., which is suitably shaped and then
forced into the central hole of the body plate. As shown in Fig. 5, the exterior of the
boss is alightly reduced at i so that the edge j of the boss may be closed thereinto,
thus firmly securing the boss to the wheel.
In some cases the method of securing this central boss to the body plate may be
modified as for instance, in Fig. 6 the exterior of the said boss may be screwed, and a
screw nut & used.
As already intimated, this separate boss may be dispensed with, and the central
portion of the body plate made to serve for the bearing portion.
In some cases I may modify this form of construction, by making the central portion
and the plate of the wheel, as described, but having the stamping part of the same of
much thinner metal, and provide the rim of the same to receive thereon a separate
tire 1, and 2 as seen in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, such rims being secured to the flange of
the body plate by rivetting."
Again. In some cases I may make these wheels by means of two stamped body
plates,, which are rivetted together, at m, and also additionally held together by
the central boss, when one is used. The turned up flanges n, n, in this case may be
readily made of a double form as seen in Fig. 11, or an additional rim or ring may be
secured between these turned up flanges n, n, as seen in Fig. 12, or in the case of a
wheelbarrow wheel the flanges n n may be dispensed with, and the surface left flat
across.
Instead of shaping the mid-portion of the hody plate with holes and with ribs as
seen in Figs. 4 and 5, I may in some cases and particularly in its application to
wheelbarrow wheels, first cut out holes of a somewhat triangular shape, and in the
stamping process, cause the parts o, o to be hollowed, similar to the section shown
at A. B.
In some cases I may attach the tire to the body plate at the same time and operation
that the said body plate is formed, as seen for instance in Fig. 14 in which d' is the
bottom die, which is made to receive the tire p first, the plate f being then forced
thereinto in the shaping operation, the tendency of the plate to expand, firmly holding
it within the outer tire.
By constructing waggon wheels after the manner herein before stated, I am enabled
to make them much lighter and yet stronger, than those of present make, while the
central separate bosses, and also the separate rims may be renewed if desired when
badly worn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature to my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The improvements in the manufacture of waggon or wheelbarrow wheels as
berein before described and illustrated, that is to say, forming the bodies of such
wheels by a stamped wrought iron or steel plate after the manner substantially as
herein before described and illustrated.
2. Making a wheelbarrow or waggon wheel of one piece of stamped wrought iron
or steel substantially as he einbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 7.
3. In a wheelbarrow or waggon wheel the combination of a stamped body ƒ with a

page_text: Separate central boss, & secured thereto, substantially as described and illustrated in
Figs. 5, 6 and 11.
4. In a wheelbarrow or waggon wheel the modified combination with the stamped
body plate f, central boss h of the separate rim or tire, as seen in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
5. In a wheelbarrow or waggon wheel the modified combination of the double body
plates f,, with the central boss, and with or without the separate rim, substantially
as described and illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12.
6. The general combination and arrangement of any of the parts or processes sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated for the manufacture of wheelbarrow
or waggon wheels.
Cambay 1000
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.