Improvements in Hubs and Wheels, and in the Method of Building same, for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hubs and Wheels, and in the Method of Building
same, for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
We, JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, of Rokeby, Oldfield Road, Altrincham,
Manufacturer, and WILLIAM HENRY ARMITAGE, of 18, Stamford Street,
Altrincham, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to wheels such as those used for bicycles and other
vehicles, and it enables the wheel to be built up or taken down quicker and more
conveniently than hitherto.
In carrying out the invention we adopt a hub of the usual form, consisting of a
tube with a flange or plate at both ends. This plate is drilled with holes on its
face for the purpose of attaching the spokes to the hub, but instead of the usual
plain holes through which the spokes are drawn until stopped by their heads, we
make them in what is known as keyhole shape, that is in the form of a short slot
or elongated hole terminating in a larger hole, or made wider at one end than the
other.
The head of the spoke may be inserted in this hole or wide end of the slot
without pulling the spoke through its whole length, and may be drawn into the
narrow end of the slot by tightening up the spoke with the nipple that secures the
other end to the rim as usual. The spoke is thus securely fastened, as the head,
being larger, prevents it from coming out of the slot.
The invention is applicable to either tangent or direct spokes, but is especially
useful with the former as it saves a lot of the time usually lost in lacing the
spokes, and enables them to be fitted by cheaper or unskilled labour; it also
enables the hub to be removed from or inserted in the wheel whilst the spokes
remain attached to the rim.
Instead of attaching the spoke to the hub by a head formed thereon, a separate
head or nipple may be connected to the hub, into which the spoke is screwed or
otherwise fastened.
In that case the spoke may be joined to the rim by a head formed on the spoke,
the latter being passed through the rim until stopped by the head, and screwed into
the hub nipple.
Or the spoke may be screwed at both ends, nipples being used on both the rim
and the hub to make the connection..
Dated this 18th day of December 1895.

page_text: Improvements in Hubs and Wheels, and in the Method of Building
same, for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
We, JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, of Rokeby, Oldfield Road, Altrincham, in
the County of Chester, Manufacturer, and WILLIAM HENRY ARMITAGE, of
18, Stamford Street, Altrincham, aforesaid; Mechanical 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:—
This invention relates to improvements in wheels such as are used for bicycles
and other light vehicles which are constructed with tangent spokes to permit of
such spokes being easily removed and replaced.
It consists essentially in arranging or constructing the flange of the hub with
radial slots of keyhole or similar design or contour in combination with and to
receive and secure the headed ends of tangent spokes.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. Side elevation of wheel.
Fig. 2. Side elevation of hub enlarged.
Fig. 3. Transverse section through one flange of hub.
Fig. 4. Transverse section through flange showing a modified arrangement.
Fig. 5. Enlarged section of part of same.
We construct the rim A. and the hub B of usual form with flanges D at both
ends by which the rim is connected thereto by tangent spokes C.
We drill or otherwise form in the flanges D instead of the ordinary round or
plain holes radial slots d of keyhole or similar shape wider at one end than the
other, the wide end being large enough to-receive the head of the spoke and the
narrow end such that the head cannot pass through.
By this construction the head of the spoke can be inserted and secured in the
slot without drawing the spoke through its whole length from the other end as has
hitherto been necessary. The tightening up of the nipple E draws the neck or
bent end into the narrow part of the slot. The spoke C is thus securely fastened
as the head c being larger than this part of the slot d it is prevented coming out
of the slot while the spoke remains tight:
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 a nipple G is provided to receive the end of the
tangent spoke C. which is formed with a head g and neck gl to fit into the radial
keyhole slot d.
The feature of the invention is the application to tangent spoke of radial
keyhole shaped slots in the flanges of the hub by which is saved a large amount of
time in the fitting in of the spokes which is usually lost in the lacing of the spokes
and enables the wheel to be fitted up by cheaper or less skilled labour. It also
enables the hub to be removed from and replaced in the wheel without detaching
the spokes from the rim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
=
1. In a wheel for bicycles and other vehicles the combination with tangent
spokes of a hub provided with radial keyhole shaped slots in the flanges to receive
and secure the heads of the spokes and permit of their being easily removed and
replaced without detaching the spokes from the rim substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The arrangement or construction of wheels with tangent spokes substantially
as described and shown.
Dated this 17th day of September 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.