Improved Means for Fixing Wheels upon their Axles.
Year: 1888

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by ALEXANDER T. PORTER and ALBERT P. OLMSTEAD,
both of Troy, New York, United States of America.]
Improved Means for Fixing Wheels upon their Axles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 :—
My invention relates to improvements in Hub-attaching device, and consists of the
novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in
the claims.
Fig. 1 of the drawings, is a central longitudinal section of a vehicle wheel box,
inclosed axle-spindle, and attaching devices."
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the axle-spindle detached.
Figs. 3 & 4 are respectively plan and end views of the wheel-hub box detached.
Figs. 5 & 6 are respectively end and side views of the spindle-inclosing sleove.
Figs. 7 & 8 are respectively end and side views of the interiorly threaded retaining
sleeve or collar.
Fig. 9 is an interior end view of the box-flange and lock-screw detached from the
box and thimble.
Fig. 10 is a side view of the lock-screw detached from all other parts.
A-represents the axle-spindle and B-the box which is inserted in the wheel
hub B (shown by dotted lines) in the usual manner.
The axle may have dust-excluding flanges A³-and a longitudinal lubricant-
receiving groove A³:
The end of the spindle is reduced in diameter to form the shoulders a-and b-the
portion reduced to the smaller diameter being threaded at its end as shown.
A thimble C, interiorly threaded at its outer end and provided interiorly with the
TD 077

page_text: interiorly prejecting annular flange C-is slipped upon the smaller end of the spindle
in such a manner that its inner end finds a bearing upon the shoulder b-and the
inner side of its flange a bearing upon the shoulder a).
The sleeve or collar D-interiorly threaded and having wrench-notches D'-is then
screwed upon the threaded part of the spindle, passing within the outer end of the
thimble, until its inner end finds a bearing upon the outer side of the thimble-flange,
substantially as shown in Fig. 1.
In my improved device I provide the hub, or the box B-inserted therein, with an
annular interiorly projecting flange d.
The inner diameter of this flange is the same as that of the thimble C-and the
flange is threaded interiorly and correspondingly with the thimble.
The flange may be integral with the box, or it may be provided with an interiorly
threaded sleeve d-adapted to, be screwed onto the correspondingly exteriorly threaded
end of the box as shown in Fig. 1.
The lock-screw S-is adapted to fit both the thimble and the box-flange and be
screwed therein as shown in Fig. 1.
The screw has an oil-chamber S³-opening interiorly, and is provided with a
flange Sadapted to engage with the box-flange.
The spindle is prepared for receiving the hub and box, by slipping the thimble C-
to place and screwing the collar D-upon the threaded end of the spindle, as before
explained; the hub and box, provided with the flange d-is then slipped upon the
axle-spindle to the desired position and securely locked therein, by screw S-screwed
into the flange and the thimble as shown in Fig. 1.
To prevent the thimble from revolving while the screw is being inserted in it, I
make it exteriorly of an octagonal or other angular form, as shown in Figs. 5 & 6-
and make the interior of the hub or box of corresponding form as shown in Fig. 4-
at B³.
By having a considerable number of plane sides the wheel can be slipped onto the
axle and thimble in almost any position.
The position of the hub relatively to the axle can be adjusted, by adjusting' the
position of the screw in the box flange before it enters the thimble.
The screw may have a projecting rectangular head as shown by dotted lines e-
in Fig. 1-adapted to be turned by a wrench, or it may have a screw-driver slot S³.
To remove the hub from the axle, it is only necessary to unscrew the lock-screw
until it is withdrawn from the thimble, whereupon the hub can be slipped off or
onto the axle.
.
It will be observed that the thimble and screw turn with the box and hub, the
inner end of the thimble, and side of the thimble-flange, bearing upon the spindle
shoulders b-&-a.
When these parts wear away to become loose, they can easily be readjusted to
tighten them, by screwing the collar D-further onto the spindle, or removing the
collar and inserting between it and the thimble a washer of the desired thickness
at the same time advancing the lock-screw the same distance through the flange d-
before it enters the thimble, whereby the relative position of the box and hub remains
unchanged, or by varying the adjustment of the screw the relative position of the box
can be changed as desired to compensate for wear.
The lock-screw is provided with a flange S'-which is forced into engagement
with the flange d-and draws the threads upon the flange, and screw, into such
close engagement as to effectually lock the parts which connect the box and thimble,
and prevent their relative displacement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
First. In a Hub-attaching device, the combination with an interiorly threaded
thimble secured to revolve upon the axle, and a hub revoluble with said thimble, and

page_text: provided with an interiorly projecting flange threaded to correspond with the threaded
part of the thimble; of a lock-screw threaded to correspond with and fit the threads
of the thimble and hub, or box, flange substantially as described.
Second. In a Hub-attaching device, the combination with a thimble secured to
revolve upon the axle, and having an angular exterior surface; of a thimble-inclosing
hub-box having its inner inclosing surface of a size and form to receive and fit the
exterior angular surface of the thimble; and means for securing the thimble within
the box, substantially as described.
Dated thin 10th J
L1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.