IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE WHEELS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Reynolds, the younger, of Great Saint Helen's,
in the City of London, for, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE
WHEELS." A communication from abroad by Robert Winslow Davis and
Charles Jonathan Pusey, both of the City and State of New York, in the
United States of America.
Scaled the 15th December 1876, and dated the 21st June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Reynolds at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1876.
THOMAS REYNOLDS, the younger, of Great Saint Helen's, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE WHEELS."
The Invention relates to improvements in metallic wheels constructed upon the
system for which Letters Patent of the United Kingdom, bearing date the Tenth
day of May 1875, No. 1735, were granted to Alfred Vincent Newton, and has for
object the further simplification of the construction of such wheels, their nore
general adaptation to ordinary use, and the securing of greater elasticity and strength.
It consists,-
Firstly. In placing the tenons of the spokes which pass through the slots in the
felloe parallel to the length of the felloe instead of across it, and instead of keying
them to the felloo, as described in the Specification of the aforesaid Patent of
A. V. Newton, the spokes are secured thereto by having thimbles or ferrules passed
over the outer ends of the said tenons which project into the hollow felloe and
being rivetted therein. The said thimbles or ferrules may be further secured to the
felloe, if desired, by rivets, pins, or bolts.
Secondly. Instead of securing the spokes in the hub by means of a retaining
ring in the hub taking into notches near the inner ends of the spokes the hub is
cast with radial recesses or mortises corresponding to the section of the spokes
employed, which latter are formed at their inner ends into tapered tenons, by
preference split at their extreme ends. In putting the spokes into the hub the
latter is by preference heated and a mandril placed in the eye thereof, the tenoned
ends of the spokes are then driven tightly into the recesses or mortises, the split
tenoned ends coming against the mandril in the eye of the hub are caused to
expand, and the spokes are thereby secured. The hub in cooling contracts and

page_text: grasps the ends of the spokes inserted in it, and the whole is thus firmly held
together.
According to another arrangement for securing the spokes in the hub, and at the
same time to obtain elasticity, the hub is cast in two halves, with radial recesses
adapted to receive the inner ends of the spokes, which are provided with notches
near such ends, which notches take over small projections cast in the aforesaid
recesses. The inner ends of the spokes bear against a steel ring enclosing an india-
rubber ring which lies in a recess formed in the hub. When the spokes are placed
in position in one half of the hub the other half is placed over it, and the two are
bolted or rivetted together; the spokes are thus held firmly in the hub, but not so
tightly as to prevent a slight radial motion of the spokes in the recesses of the
hub as the wheel rolls, such radial motion being resisted by the steel and india-
rubber rings.
"
Thirdly. To enable ordinary axle boxes to be applied to these wheels the
"metallic shells or hollow hub sections referred to in the before-mentioned
Specification of A. V. Newton may be filled with wood before being attached to
the wheel hub; the said wood is then bored out and the axlo box driven into it in
the same way as in the wooden naves of ordinary wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Reynolds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
December 1876.
THOMAS REYNOLDS, the younger, of Great Saint Helen's, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE WHEELS."
The Invention relates to improvements in metallic wheels constructed upon the
system for which Letters Patent of the United Kingdom, bearing date the Tenth
day of May, 1875, No. 1735, were granted to Alfred Vincent Newton, and has for
object the further simplification of the construction of such wheels, their more
general adaptation to ordinary use, and the securing of greater elasticity and
strength.
The first part of the Invention is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
Drawings, and consists in placing the tenons J¹, J1, of the spokes B, B, which pass
through the slots in the felloe H parallel to the length of the felloe instead of across
it, the shoulders C₁, C¹, of the tenons bearing transversely against the inner
periphery of the felloe in a plane parallel to that of the axis, as seen clearly at
Figure 3, instead of in a plane transversely to such axis, as heretofore practised,
and instead of keying the said tenons to the felloe, as described in the Specification
of the aforesaid Patent of A. V. Newton, the spokes are secured thereto by having
thimbles or ferrules passed over the outer ends of the said tenons which project
into the hollow felloe, and being rivetted therein as shewn. The said thimbles or
ferrules 0, 0, may be further secured to the felloe, if desired, by rivets, pins, or
bolts, as shown at P, P. They may also serve to connect the ends of the felloe
sections, as seen in the Figure. K is the tyre shrunk on to the felloe H in the usual
manner.
The second part of the Invention is illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7. Instead
of securing the spokes in the hub by means of a retaining ring in the hub taking
into notches near the inner ends of the spokes the hub A is cast with recesses or
mortices b, b, corresponding to the section of the spokes employed, which latter are
formed at their inner ends into tapered tenons 61, 61, by preference split at their
extreme ends, as shewn. In putting the spokes into the the hub the latter is by
preference heated and a mandril placed in the eye Q thereof; the tenoned ends b¹, b₁,
of the spokes are then driven tightly into the recesses or mortices b, b. The split
tenoned ends coming against the mandril in the eye of the hub are caused to

page_text: expand, and the spokes are thereby secured. The hub in cooling contracts and
grasps the ends of the spokes inserted in it, and the whole is thus firmly held
together.
Figures 8, 9, and 10, illustrate another arrangement for securing the spokes in
the hub, and at the same time obtaining elasticity. The hub A is cast in two halves,
with radial recesses b, b, adapted to receive the inner ends of the spokes, which.
may be provided with notches g, g, near such ends, which notches take over small
projections 62, 62, cast in the aforesaid recesses b, b, and the spokes are thereby
prevented from being drawn out of the hub, but such notches and projections may
be dispensed with, if preferred. The inner ends of the spokes bear against a steel
ring S enclosing an india-rubber ring R, both of which lie in a recess formed in
each half of the hub. When the inner ends of the spokes are placed in position
in one half of the hub the other half is placed over it, and the two are bolted or
rivetted together, as shewn in Figure 10; the spokes are thus held firmly in the
hub, but not so tightly as to prevent a slight radial motion of the spokes in the
recesses b, b, of the hub as the wheel rolls, such radial motion being allowed by the
play of the notches g, g, over the projections 62, 62, in the recesses b, b, when such
notches and projections are employed. The aforesaid radial motion is resisted by
the steel and india-rubber rings S and R, and the desired elasticity is thereby
secured.
Another method of applying the india-rubber and steel rings to the hub is shewn
in Figure 11. Instead of casting the hub in two halves it may be cast in one piece,
and with recesses or mortices through its outer periphery to receive the inner ends
of the spokes, in a manner somewhat similar to that shewn in the Drawing of the
aforesaid Specification of .A. V. Newton, but by preference with the boss C cast
therewith, as seen in the Figure, instead of a bush rivetted therein. In the said
Figure 11 A is the cast metal hub; R, the india-rubber ring; S, the steel ring;
B, B, the spokes, the inner ends of which bear against the steel ring S; g,g, notches
near the ends of the spokes, into which the retaining ring E is dropped; E', a cover
plate or ring to hold the rings R, S, and E in position, being secured to the hub by
suitable bolts or rivets, or by the shell F bearing against it, such shell being secured
to the hub by any suitable means.
The third part of the Invention is illustrated in Figure 7. In this case in order
to enable ordinary axle boxes to be applied to these wheels the "metallic shells or
hollow hub sections" referred to in the before-mentioned Specification of A. V. Newton,
and which are represented by the letters F, F, in Figure 7 of the Drawings hereto
annexed, may be filled with wood (marked E in the said Figure 7) before being
attached to the wheel hub A, and in this case such attachment may be made by
means of the flanges F1, FL, and rivets or bolts F2; the said wood filling forming a
core is then bored out, as shewn at E', and the axle box driven into it in the same
way as in the wooden naves of ordinary wheels.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to or may be performed, I would have it understood that what is
claimed as the Invention secured to me by the heroin-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The combination of the felloe H with the spokes B formed with tenons J¹, ♫,
and shoulders C, C, and the thimbles or ferrules O, O, having the tenons of the
spokes rivetted therein, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings.
Second. The means of and combination of parts for securing the spokes in a
wheel hub, substantially as herein-before described with reference to and illustrated
in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings.
Third. The combination of parts for securing the spokes in a wheel hub so as to
obtain elasticity, substantially as herein-before described with reference to and
illustrated in Figures 8, 9, and 10 of the Drawings.
Fourth. The combination of parts for securing the spokes in a wheel hub so as

page_text: to obtain elasticity, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in
Figure 11 of the Drawings.
Fifth. Adapting the hubs or centre pieces of metallic wheels so as to receive
ordinary axle boxes by filling the "metallic shells or hollow hub sections" with
wooden cores, and boring out the same so as to receive such ordinary axle
boxes, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figure 7 of the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Reynolds, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
THOB. REYNOLDS, J³. (L.S.)