Improvements in the Construction of Wheels for Velocipedes or other Vehicles.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Wheels for Velocipedes
or other Vehicles.
I WILLIAM CROSS of 3 Framlington Place in the city of Newcastle-on-Tyne
in the county of the same city, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES
OR OTHER VEHICLES to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to certain "Improvements in the construction of wheels
for velocipedes or other vehicles :-In the construction of wheels by the usual
practise, the rim is made rigid, but, by my invention, I make it perfectly flexible
in the vertical plane, so as to absorb and compensate the jolts, and concussions,
caused by the imperfections of the road surface. In order to effect this object,
I construct the rim of a long ribbon of steel, coiled up, after the manner of a
clock spring. The rim may be made of any convenient number of coils or tiers,
from one upwards. The tiers may be either interspersed, or covered, or both
interspersed and covered, with leather, india-rubber, or other suitable material, or,
they may be used without any such material, or I can construct the rim of several
pieces, each tier being formed as a ring of ribbon steel, and fitted one on the top
of the other. The joints are scarfed and soldered, or otherwise secured. In a rim
made of one strip the ends may be tapered as for scarfing, and then soldered or
otherwise secured to the next tier or coil.-In its cross section the rim may be
either flat, curved, or corrugated.
In using the above flexible rim, I make suitable provision, for the free recoil or
action of the spokes, when the rim is deflected, or bent inwards. The nature and
detail of such provision, depends upon the class of spoke used in the construction
of the wheel. Rigid spokes may be so arranged as to be capable of movement in
the direction of their length, by fixing the one end, and making suitable arrange-
ment for recoil or movement at the other. I find it advantageous to make the
spokes of wire cord, which allows recoil to take place, without interfering with the
attachment of the ends.
The inner end may be carried through and secured to an adjustable screw, tapped
into the hub in the usual manner, or the adjustable screw may be loose on the
outside of the crown head, and suitably secured to the spoke. The outer end of
the spokes may be fixed into the crown head rivet, or may be secured by a suitable
compensating arrangement passing round or through the rim.
Dated thic Sixteenth day of January 1885
WAUGH & CHAPMAN,
Agents for Applicant,
70, Chancery Lane, W.C.

page_text: or other Vehicles.
I WILLIAM CROSS of 3 Framlington Place in the city of Newcastle-on-Tyne,
in the county of the same city, 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 the construction of wheels for
velocipedes or other vehicles, and is specially adapted for velocipedes of all kinds,
but it is also applicable to certain other forms of road vehicles. In the construction
of wheels the rim is usually made rigid, but by my invention I make it perfectly
flexible in the vertical plane, the object being to render the wheel elastic, so that
it will accomodate itself and absorb and compensate jolts and concussions caused
by the imperfections, and inequalities, of the road surface.
The accompanying drawings show clearly the nature of my invention, Figure 1,
is an elevation of a wheel constructed according to my invention, showing the
attachment of some of the spokes in section, and also a plan of a nipple head.
Figure 2, is a cross section through the hub and upper part of a wheel showing
two methods of fixing the spokes; and Figure 3, an alternative method of attaching
the spokes.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct the rim of the wheel, either of
a long ribbon of tempered steel coiled up after the manner of a clock spring, into
any convenient number of coils or plies AA; or, I may construct the rim of
several pieces or tiers of tempered steel ribbon, each tier being formed as a ring,
and fitted and secured one on the top of the other. The rim may be covered with
an outer tyre of leather, india-rubber or other suitable material, but in general
I prefer to use it without any such covering; or, the same materials may be
introduced between the plies coils or tiers of the steel, either conjointly with or
without the outer tyre of soft material. The joints may be scarfed and secured
as shown at B, figure 1, or in any other suitable manner. In a rim made of one
strip of ribbon steel the ends may be tapered as for scarfing and then soldered or
otherwise secured to the next tier or coil. In its cross section the rim may be
either flat or curved or corrugated as shown in figures 6 and 7. A rim of this
description being perfectly flexible, it is necessary that in the construction of the
spokes, provision be made for the recoil or action of the spokes, so that they will
be perfectly free to give way, when the rim is deflected or bent inwards.
I therefore make the spokes of thin wire cord or its equivalent preferably of
steel which allows flexure or recoil to to take place without interfering with the
attachment of the ends. In cases where the wheel is to be applied to heavy
vehicles the spokes may be made of steel wire rope or other equivalent and suitable
material.
The inner end of the spoke may be secured into a nipple, capable of adjustment
such as was formerly largely used for velocipede spokes, either by solder wedges
as shown at D, D, figures 1 and 2, or by other suitable means; or the attachment

page_text: may be made as shown at E, F, figures 2, and 3, where the spoke is soldered or
otherwise secured into a screw nipple and fitted with nuts capable of being
adjusted so that the wheel can be set to run true and the spokes all put in equal
tension. The outer ends of the spokes may pass through the rim as shown at G,
and be secured by solder or suitable means into countersunk rivets which are set
flush with the outer surface of the rim, or the outer end may be secured with
a nut capable of adjustment as shown at H Figure 3; or by other alternative
methods as shown at K, L, Figures 4 and 5. Though I have described my invention
chiefly as applicable to the wheels of velocipedes or light vehicles, it is obvious
that wheels constructed on this principle can be made of great strength, and
applied to traction engines, or other vehicles requiring a compensating and elastic
wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
(1.) The use of a rim for wheels, constructed of one or more plies of steel ribbon
either coiled up or in separate rings secured to each other, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
. (2.) In combination with a flexible rim for wheels constructed of plics of steel
ribbon as described the use of a suitable soft material either as a tyre, or intro-
duced between the plics of the rim, or both, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
(3.) In the construction of wheels the use of flexible spokes made of flexible
wire cord or rope, either in combination with or without the flexible rim, substan-
tially as and for the
purposes described.
.נט
11 des of October 1895
WAUGH & CHAPMAN,
70, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.