Improvements in the Construction of Wheels for Carriages or Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE DI DUITIVATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Wheels for Carriages or
Vehicles.
I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, of Le Creuzot, Saone-et-Loire, in the Republic of France,
Ironmaster, 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 improvements in the construction of wheels for car-
riages or vehicles and comprises special methods of connecting the spokes with
the rim and of connecting the different members of the rim one with the other.
These improvements considerably increase the durability of the wheel and at
the same time facilitate its maintenance, obviating the necessity of the usual
method of tightening the spokes and other periodical repairs.
By means of the connecting devices which I have devised, all play or slackness
between the different parts of the wheel may be readily taken up.. That is to say the
method of connecting the parts allows the length of the spokes to be increased or
diminished at will; or allows the circumference of the rim to be varied. Either
of these two methods of adjustment may be used separately or both may be used
simultaneously.
By way of example, it has been assumed that in the accompanying drawing
my invention is applied to wheels constructed partly of wood and partly of metal,
but it will of course be understood that the improvements are equally applicable
to wheels constructed entirely of metal.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation a carriage wheel to which one of the
methods of carrying my invention into practice has been applied. The spokes R
are connected with the hub by means of bolts m, and the rim J, which is built up
of segments, is bound with a metal hoop or tyre X.
The principle on which the variation of the length of the spokes is based con-
sists in providing the extremity of each spoke with a cap, which is externally
screw threaded on either the whole or only a portion of its surface, or which has
rigidly attached to it a screw threaded stud. This cap is capable of engaging
with a shoe firmly fitted into the wheel-rim, the extent of such engagement being
varied according to the amount of wear and play to be compensated for. The
connection between the cap on the spoke and the shoe on the rim may be effected
either directly or by means of a tightening device, such as a screw-nut or a key,
with or without an elastic body, such as an india-rubber or a metal washer or the
like, interposed between this tightening device and the shoe.
The drawings shown by way of example, various ways of carrying into effect
my novel method of uniting the parts of vehicle wheels, so that all play or slackness
between the different members of the wheel can be readily taken up.

page_text: In the example illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the cap A, with which the
cylindrical extremity of each spoke R is provided, has the form of an octagonal
nut and is capable of being turned about its axis on the spoke. Rigidly attached
to it and projecting axially therefrom is a screw-threaded stud a (Figures 2 and 4)
which can be caused to enter to a greater or less extent the internally screw-
threaded nipple 6 of the shoe B which forms a kind of nut. It is by means of
this nipple 6 that the shoe B is fitted into the rim J, upon which the said shoe is
also held in position by lateral cheeks or flanges b' (Figures 2 and 5). It will be
apparent that such a method of connection, whilst preventing any longitudinal
or transverse sliding of the spoke with respect to the rim, enables the length of
the spoke to be varied within certain limits and a radial pressure to be exerted
upon the rim to take up any play arising in the wheel, either from wear or tear
or from exposure to the effects of the weather.
In the example illustrated in Figure 6, the shoe or nut B is formed with a
flange b which serves as a guide to the cap A and is fitted into the rim not only
by means of the nipple 6 but also by means of the cheeks 61.
In the example illustrated in Figure 7, the cap A is externally screw-threaded
and is provided with a square tenon a which engages in a corresponding mortise
in the shoe B; the adjustment is in this case effected by means of an independent
intermediate nut C.
46
Figure 8 represents a modification of the preceding arrangement, in which the
nut is formed partly cylindrical so as to be capable of sliding in the cup 69 of
the shoe B. Between the nut C and the shoe BI arrange one or more pairs of
'Belleville" spring washers D. The nut, as in the two preceding examples, is
made with an octagonal portion to permit of its being readily adjusted by a
spanner. The aforesaid washers may be replaced by any other suitable kind
of spring.
Figure 9 represents a modification of the arrangement illustrated in Figure 8,
wherein the nut C is guided externally upon the shoe B.
In the example illustrated in Figure 10, the elastic body placed between the
intermediate nut C and the shoe B, consists of an india rubber washer D.
Figures 11 and 12 represent sectional views taken respectively at right angles
and longitudinally to the rim. The connecting device in which the nut forms an
intermediate part between the cap A and the shoe B is replaced by a taper key C
which can be caused to enter, to a greater or less extent, a groove in the shoe B by
adjusting the nut c upon the screw-threaded stem c¹ of the said key..
In these various examples illustrated by Figures 7 to 12 the cap A is always
firmly secured to the extremity of the spoke.
Figures 13 and 14 represent sectional views taken respectively at right angles
and longitudinally to the rim, and illustrate a special method of uniting the
members of the rim to each other, which method may be employed either separately
or with one of the above described methods of uniting the spokes and rim.
The rim J and the hoop or tyre X are built up of various segmental pieces.
Each segment X¹X2 (see Figure 14) is provided at its extremities with
shoulders against which bear the corresponding rim-segments or felloes J', Jº‹
each shoulder being formed with an aperture 2. The aperture in one of these
shoulders, (a for example) is provided with a left-handed screw thread, whilst the
aperture in the adjacent shoulder is provided with a right-handed screw thread.
A screw E having a hexagonal head is screwed into the two adjacent shoulders x¹³,
and by means of this screw the said shoulders can be brought nearer together,
after removal of the requisite substance from each extremity of the segments X'X²,
thereby diminishing the circumference of the rim. This having been effected,
the parts of the wheel are again put together and the various rim-segments or
felloes tightened up by means of the screws E. The shoe F is then placed in
position and tightened up by means of the bolts f. This shoe is provided with
a jaw for engaging with the head of the screw E and thereby holding the said
screw.

page_text: 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:
1. The above described improvements in the construction of vehicle wheels,
the object of which is to render the maintenance of such wheels more simple and
less costly than heretofore, more especially by rendering unnecessary the usual
operation of driving up the spokes such improvements consisting in:-
(a) The method of uniting the spokes with the wheel-rim, by means of a cap
on the spoke engaging with a shoe on the rim; the engagement of the cap with
the shoe being effected either directly or by means of a key or a nut with or with-
out the interposition of an elastic part between the shoe and the nut, substantially
as described by way of example with reference to the various figures of the
drawings for the purposes specified.
(b) The method of uniting the parts of the rim to each other by forming the
hoop or tyre in segments each of which has at its extremity a shoulder against
which the corresponding segment bears; these shoulders being adjustable with
respect to each other by means of a right and left-handed screw or a tension block,
substantially as above described with reference to the accompanying drawings
for the purpose specified.
2. A wheel constructed according to my improvements as set forth with refer-
ence to the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.