IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to James Baird Handyside, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS."
Scaled the 9th November 1869, and dated the 12th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Baird Handy-
side at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th May 1869.
I, JAMES BAIRD HANDYSIDE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS," to be as follows, that is to
say: _
This Invention has for its object, by an improved construction, to
obtain a wheel which shall be more safe, durable, elastic, and economical
than those of ordinary construction, and its most important application
is in the case of railway wheels, although it is by no means restricted to
that application.

page_text: In carrying out the Invention the tire or rim of the wheel is connected
to the central boss or hub by two discs or annular plates of malleable
iron or steel. Each disc is shaped by stamping or otherwise with two
annular concavities, one near or adjacently to its outer edge, and the other
near or adjacently to its eye or central aperture. The two discs are
put together with the concavities referred to facing each other, and so
as to clasp in those concavities duplex annular projections formed for the
purpose on the rim or tire and on the boss or hub respectively. The
discs are held together by bolts or rivets, applied by preference in a
circle and with narrow rings between their heads or nuts and the discs.
In the case of railway wheels the tire may be of steel, wrought iron, or
cast iron; the boss or hub may also be of any of those metals; or instead
of a separate boss or hub being used a duplex projection may be forged
upon and round the axle to be clasped by the inner edges of the discs.
The discs may be prevented from slipping round on the boss or hub in
any convenient way, but it is preferred to do it by making the eyes of
the discs slightly eccentric, and by putting them together with their
eccentricities diametrically opposite, the boss projections on which they.
fit being turned with corresponding eccentricities. The same plan may
be adopted for preventing the tires from slipping round if such precaution
is found necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Baird Handyside in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BAIRD HANDYSIDE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Baird Handyside, Her special
licence that I, the said James Baird Handyside, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Baird
Handyside, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Baird Handyside, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under niy, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said James Baird Handyside, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing, that is to say:-
My said Invention has for its object, by an improved construction, to
obtain a wheel which shall be more safe, elastic, durable, and economical
than those of ordinary_construction, and its most important application.
is in the case of railway wheels, although it is by no means restricted to
that application.
In carrying out my Invention the tire or rim of the wheel is connected
to the central boss or hub by two discs or annular plates of malleable
iron or steel, these discs being put together so as to clasp between them
and in concavities formed in them for the purpose certain duplex annular
projections formed on the rim or tire and on the boss or hub respec-
tively. The discs are fixed together by bolts or rivets, and they are
prevented from slipping round on the boss or hub by making their eyes
or central openings slightly eccentric, and by placing them with their
eccentricities diametrically opposite, the boss projections on which they
fit being made with corresponding eccentricities. The same plan may
be adopted for preventing the tires from slipping round if such precaution
is found necessary.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a
Sheet of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and

page_text: representing a modification of my improved wheel as designed for
railway carriages.
Figure 1 is a face view, and Figure 2 is a section of one modification
of the wheel. The tire is made a little deeper or thicker radially than
an ordinary tire, and two grooves 2, 3, are rolled, turned, or otherwise
formed in each face of it, of a shape which is clearly shown in the
section Figure 2, and which leaves projecting rings 4, 5, at each inner
corner. In a similar way grooves 6, 7, are formed in the end faces of
the central boss or hub 8, also leaving projecting rings 9, 10, at the
outer corners of the boss. The discs or annular plates 11, 12, for con-
necting the tire 1 to the boss 8 are shaped by stamping or otherwise
each with two annular concavities, one near or adjacently to the outer
edge, and the other near or adjacently to its eye or central aperture.
The parts of the concavities near the edges of the discs are shaped so
as to fit the projecting rings 4, 5, 9, 10, on the tire and boss as nearly
as possible when the discs are fixed together. The parts of the discs
11, 12, between the concavities may be variously shaped, but the form
shown in the Drawing is simple and convenient, and is such that the
two discs touch each other about midway between the tire and boss.
The discs 11, 12, are made by stamping flat plates, which are by pre-
ference previously made somewhat thicker at the edges of their central.
eyes, the thickness being gradually reduced outwards from the eyes.
The discs are fixed together by bolts 13, as shown, or by rivets, these
being disposed in a circle, and rings 14, 15, being by preference applied
between the discs and the heads and nuts of the bolts. The discs 11, 12,
are so shaped by the stamping or other process as not to touch each
other when put in place without pressure, but when fixing them together
they are pressed into contact, whereby the elasticity of the metal is
called into play, and a powerful gripping pressure is produced between
the discs and the projecting rings on the tire and boss. The discs
11, 12, have their eyes or central apertures formed in slightly eccentric
positions, and they are put together with their eccentricities (liametrically
opposite. The projecting rings on the boss 8 are formed with corre-
sponding diametrically opposite eccentricities, and this simple arrange-
ment renders it impossible for the discs to slip round upon the boss.
It is not likely that the tire 1 will tend to slip round between the discs
11, 12, but if it is thought desirable such slipping may be completely
prevented by making the contact surfaces of the discs 11, 12, and pro-
jecting rings 4, 5, of the tire with slight eccentricities, that of one being

page_text: disposed diametrically opposite to that of the other. In some cases the
rings 4, 5, may be formed so as to project more or less beyond the faces
of the tire 1. In the case of railway wheels the tire 1 may be of steel,
wrought iron, or cast iron, and the boss or hub may also be of any of
those metals; or instead of a separate boss or hub being used a duplex
projection or pair of projecting rings may in some cases be forged
upon and round the axle to be clasped by the inner edges of the
discs.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated;
also that I do not now claim separately the holding of the tire between
discs in the manner herein-before described, as that is not new; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and do claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
1. The mode of constructing a wheel wherein the tire is connected to
the central boss or hub by two discs or annular plates, which are so
shaped and fixed together as to clasp or grip duplex projections or rings
formed on the tire and on the boss or hub, substantially as herein-before
described.
And, 2. The applying of diametrically opposite eccentricities to the
fitting parts to prevent their slipping round upon each other, substan-
tially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Baird Handyside, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Tenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
ninc.
30 Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAMES B. HANDYSIDE. (L.S.)