Improvements in the Manufacture of the Spokes for Wheels of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Wheels wherein Wire Spokes are used.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of the Spokes for Wheels of
Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Wheels wherein Wire Spokes
are used.
We WILLIAM KENDALL and ARTHUR WILLIAM PERKINS, trading as
Kendall & Son of Astwood Bank near Redditch in the County of Worcester
Cycle Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Hitherto it has been customary to make the wire spokes of bicycles, tricycles,
and such like by "drawing them out of the wire length, the ends that are
are attached to the rims or felloes of the wheels being made with a screw thread
for a nipple or nut to be screwed thereon or a head rivetted to the spoke to fix
same in the rim the head and spoke thus consisting of two parts in the process of
manufacture.
By our improvements the head and spoke are made in one piece out of the solid
metal by suitable means. The wire spoke being cut to the right length is then
"turned" down to the required diameter leaving at the end of the spoke (that is
attached to the rim or felloe) a thickened portion or neck and head all in one
piece.
The end that passes into the hub of the wheel may be finished in the usual
manner.
To connect the spoke to the rim or felloe of the wheel it is merely necessary
to draw the same through the holes bored at intervals in the rim for the purpose
the spoke will thus be securely fixed by reason of the neck and head upon
same.
The advantage of our improvements is that the spokes and the head are formed
in one with each other in the manufacture of same, and thus ready for immediate
attachment to the wheel, moreover a much stronger and yet lighter spoke is
obtained than by the present method of manufacture also an important feature of
the invention exists in the fact of "turning" instead of "drawing" the spokes as
hitherto a much straighter and more perfect article is the result and any liability
to twist as is often now the case is entirely prevented.
Dated this 14th day of September A.D. 1892.
EDWARD J. PAYNE & SON,
104, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of the Spokes for Wheels of
Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Wheels wherein Wire Spokes
are used.
We WILLIAM KENDALL and ARTHUR WILLIAM PERKINS trading as
W. Kendall & Son of Avenue Works Astwood Bank near Redditch in the County
of Worcester Cycle Manufacturers, 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, reference being had to the
drawings accompanying this Specification :-
Hitherto it has been the usual practice in the manufacture of the wire spokes
for the wheels of bicycles tricycles and other vehicles to produce them by the
process of "drawing swaging" to the required diameter the extremity or
ог
66

page_text: extremities of the wires having screw threads thereon to receive a nipple or nut or
other means for attaching a head thereto either by rivetting or otherwise to retain
the wire spokes within the rims or felloes and hubs of the wheels, the spokes then
practically consisting of two or more parts.
We will now proceed to describe our method.
By our improvements the wire length for the spoke, being of the required
gauge" and cut to the proper length, is formed with the "head"
upon either
extremity, as required, which head may be made in one piece with the spoke, from
the solid metal or a head, nut or nipple, may be screwed on or otherwise connected
thereto, the intermediate part of the spoke is then reduced from its original gauge,
to a much smaller gauge, by a process of "turning" accomplished by any suitable
method or mechanical arrangements or machinery for the purpose, such as a needle
making machine having a cutter against which the wire bears and which is rapidly
revolved against the cutter and is "turned" down as required; the effect of this
treatment is that a "butted" end or shouldered portion of the original gauge of
the wire before "turning" is left at each or either extremity of the spoke, so that
at the point of connection of the spoke with the rim or felloe and the hub of the
wheel, the original gauge of the wire is maintained, whilst as stated the intermediate
part of the wire between the two ends is reduced to a smaller gauge. Thus the
spoke is reduced at one operation by "turning "instead of "drawing
" and
"swaging" and a far lighter spoke is produced whilst its strength is increased and
by reason of the fact that by our method we are enabled to use a very much
higher tension, and better quality of metal, more perfect spokes are the result, that
will not be liable to twist or stretch by the strain to which they may be subjected,
as is often now the case when made by drawing or swaging, for which purpose
metal of an inferior quality has had to be used.
In the annexed drawings:
Figure 1. shows a length of wire for a spoke with a head thereon if desired.
Figure 2. shows the spoke after the intermediate portion has been "turned""
down to a smaller gauge thus providing the "butted" ends.
Figure 3. shows a similar spoke but without the head.
Figure 4. shows a spoke with a different form of head.
Figure 5. shows a spoke with but one "butted
connecting point with the rim or felloe of the wheel.
Figure 6. shows a spoke "butted" at each end with its head at its point of
connection with the hubs of the wheel.
"
end and head thereon at its
A. A' are the butted ends, or shoulders, B. the head, at each or either end of
the spoke, solid with the same, or detachable therefrom, C. the intermediate
portion of the spoke, reduced to a smaller gauge by our process of "turning."
The wire lengths may be made in the first place with the head B. thereon, the
intermediate portion C. is then reduced as stated by "turning" the metal down,
thus leaving at each or either end of the wire length, forming the spoke, the
"butted end or ends A. A' of the original gauge of the wire.
"
To connect the spokes to the rim or felloe of the wheel, it is merely necessary to
pass the wires through the holes drilled at intervals in the rim, or felloe, for the
purpose of receiving same, the head B retaining the spokes within the holes, the
other end of the spokes, are connected to the hubs.
Or when loose nuts or nipples-are used the "butted" end or ends of the spokes
are passed into position and secured by the nuts or, nipples, by screwing on same or
otherwise.
Amongst the many advantages we claim by our improvements is that the spokes
as produced by our method not only keep straighter in wear and are lighter and
stronger, but a very important fact exists, viz. that they can be manufactured far
more quickly than hitherto, time and labour being saved and at a greatly reduced
cost (at least one-third the price of those now in use) whilst a better article is
produced for the purpose.
We do not confine ourselves to the more precise details of manufacture as herein
!

page_text: set forth as we may vary the same without departing from the general principle of
our invention.
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 :-
In wire spokes for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes, and vehicles, the
special method, of reducing the original gauge of the wire spokes or the intermediate
portions thereof between each end of same, by the process of "turning" down such
spokes or the intermediate portions of same to any desired smaller gauge which is
accomplished by suitable means or machinery as herein shown, and thus forming
upon each or either of the extremities of the said spokes a "butted" end or ends
or shoulders for the purpose and in manner or the equivalents thereof substantially
as herein more fully set forth and described.
Dated this 14th day of June A.D. 1893.
EDWARD J. PAYNE & SON,
104, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.