Improvements in the Manufacture, of Metallic Wheels, Pulleys, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1887
Complete Left, 15th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture, of Metallic Wheels, Pulleys, and
the like.
We WILLIAM COOPER, Neptune Engine Works, Engineer, and JOHN HOLDSWORTH,
27 John Street, Traveller, both of Hull, in the County of York do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
Our object being to produce a light, strong, and cheap wheel for general purposes;
we make the spokes of any suitable metal, (preferably of plate iron, or steel) of any
requisite thickness, and of sufficient width at one end to allow for a hole through which
to pass a Flanged Tube; the other end may be narrower if desired the "taper" taking
the form of straight, curved, or other lines. The flanged tube just noted, takes the
place of a "Nave," and has a flange or fixed collar at one end, and a thread at the
other-Half the number of spokes intended to be employed in a wheel, are placed,
or "strung on the tube, and rest on the flange or fixed collar; a suitable length of
tube, for a distance piece, follows; then the remainder of the spokes, all of which are
then placed in position around the rim of the wheel by arranging them alternately,
one from each seperated parcel; for example;-With a twelve spoked wheel, we
commence with, and secure in its place, the twelvth spoke, that being the last placed
on the tube, and follow with the sixth, or the one in contact with the opposite end of
the distance piece; & proceed thus all round.
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All are now screwed up "tight" on the centre flanged tube, by means of a suitable nut,
or cap, or by ordinary bolts and nuts, the bolts passing through the flange or fixed
collar, between, or through the spokes, and through a loose collar.
Or for small sized wheels, we may if desirable, employ four, six, or more pieces of
plate metal instead of seperate spokes, each being wide enough at its narrowest end,
to allow for a hole to receive the centre flanged tube, and widened out to embrace
any portion of the circumference of the wheel rim, all being screwed up, and other-
wise treated in the same manner as the seperate spokes.
These plates may be lightened and improved in appearance by piercing them with
holes of any desirable size and shape, or by clipping pieces out of them.
We may also turn over or flange the edges of the metal plates or seperate spokes,
part of their lengths, press a groove or gutter, or dish them, for stiffening them

page_text: We do not particularize one, or any method of securing the spokes, or plates to
the rim, which may be made of flat, tee, angle-bar iron or steel, or other suitable
material, but we estimate the advantage derived from the large surface presented by
the spokes and plates in relation to each other and to the rim, as being thereby less
liable to break through a sudden jerk or blow, than square, round or similarly shaped
spokes.
In some instances, we may, in whole, or in part, dispense with welding the rim,
the spokes or plates acting as good stiffeners or fish plates across the joint of either
flat, tee, angle or other bar.
For further securing the butt ends of the rim evenly with each other, we may drill
two or more holes through the flat or horizontal part, with their centres on the joint
itself; such holes to be tapered, or countersunk on one or both sides, & rivetted up.
Dated this Sixteenth day of June 1887.
WILLIAM COOPER.
JOHN HOLDSWORTH.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metallic Wheels, Pulleys, and
the like.
We, WILLIAM COOPER, Neptune Engine Works, Engineer, and JOHN HOLDSWORTH
27 John Street, Traveller, both of Hull, in the County of York 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:-
:-
Our object being to produce a light, strong, and cheap wheel for general purposes,
we make the spokes A, in Figs. Nos. 1. & 2. of any suitable metal, (preferably of
iron, or steel) of any requisite thickness, and of sufficient width at one end to allow
for a hole through which to pass a flanged tube B. on the accompanying drawings
Figs. 1. 2. 3. 5 & 6. The other end may be narrower if desired, and the taper may
take the form of straight, curved, or other lines. The flanged tube B takes the place
of a nave, and has a flange or fixed collar at, or near, one end and a thread at the
other; see enlarged view Fig. 3.
Half the number of spokes intended to be employed in a wheel, are placed, or strung
on the tube, and rest on the flange or fixed collar-A suitable length of tube for a
distance piece (marked C. in Figs. 2. 3. 4. & 6. follows; then the remainder of the
spokes, all of which are then placed in position around the rim of the wheel, by
arranging them alternately, one from each separated parce!; for example: with a
twelve spoked wheel, we commence with, and secure in its place, the twelvth spoke,
that being the last placed on the tube B. and follow with the sixth, or the one in
contact with the opposite end of the distance piece C. and proceed thus all round.
All are now screwed up tight on the centre flanged tube B. by means of a suitable
nut, or cap marked D. in Figs. 1. 2. 3. 5. & 6, or by ordinary bolts and nuts, marked D
in enlarged view Fig. 4. the bolts passing through the flange or fixed collar B', between,
or through the spokes, or plates, and through a loose collar E.
Or, for small sized wheels, we may, if desirable, employ four, six or more pieces of
plate metal marked A. in Figs. 5 & 6. instead of separate spokes, each being wide
enough, at its narrowest end, to allow for a hole to receive the centre flanged tube B.
and widened out to embrace any portion of the circumference of the wheel rim ;
all being screwed up, and otherwise treated, in the same manner as the separate
spokes.
The plates may be lightened, and improved in appearance, by piercing them with
holes of any desirable size and shape, or by clipping pieces out of them.
We may also turn over or flange the edges of the metal plates, or separate spokes,
part of their lengths, press a groove or gutter, or dish them, for stiffening them.
We do not particularize one, or any method of securing the spokes, or plates to the
rim, which may be made of flat, tee, angle, channel, or any other suitable section of
iron, or steel, or other suitable material, but we estimate the advantage derived from
the large surface presented by the spokes, and plates in relation to each other, and to
the rim, as being thereby less liable to break through a sudden jerk or blow, than sqaure,
round, or similarly shaped spokes.

page_text: Figs. 1. & 2. represent the rim as made of channel iron or steel, with a flat bar, or
tyre shrunk on to the edges, and on a filling-in of wood, wedged into the cavity
thereof, continuously round its entire circumference ; in detached blocks, a distance
apart, or without the wood altogether, in the latter case, the tyre is kept in position
by a thicker portion fitting in between the two sides of the channel iron or steel.
The thicker portion may be rolled with the tyre its entire length, or affixed to it in
sections, a distance apart from each other.
If desirable, we may make this, or any other kind of metal rim, in two, or more
separate parts. In some instances we may, in whole, or in part, dispense with
welding the rim, the spokes, or plates acting as good stiffeners, or fish plates across
the joints of either flat, tee, angle, channel, or other bar, even in cases in which a
hoop, or tyre is not separately shrunk on. But for further securingthe butt ends of the
rim evenly with each other, we may may drill two or more holes, through the flat,
or horizontal part, with their centres on the joint itself, such holes to be tapered, or
countersunk on one, or both sides, and rivetted up.
Other modifications in the manufacture, or shape of the spokes, or plates, the
centre or flanged tube, the distance piece, the nut or cap, the bolts and nuts, or the
rim, may be adopted without departing from the nature of our invention, and we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details shewn by the drawings.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is ;-
1. The principle of employing a broad and thin plate, or spoke as herein previously
described, through which a centre tube (in lieu of a nave) is passed; being contra-
distinct from a spoke fastened into, or onto a nave.
2. The principle of screwing plates, or spokes up on the centre tube, to cause a
lateral, and general tightening with the rim, and with themselves respectively.
3. The principle of making a hollow rim of arched gutter, square channel, angle,
or other hollow section of iron, steel, or other suitable material, in conjunction with a
hoop or tyre, shrunk on or otherwise fixed to the edges, spanning the cavity, with, or
without, wood packing.
Dated this Fourteenth day of March 1888.