IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Fitzjames Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
February 1867.
I, GEORGE FITZJAMES RUSSELL, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture and
construction of wheels, the same being improvements upon my Patent dated
9 February 1866, No. 409, for "Improvements in the Manufacture of Wheels
for Vehicles, Railway Rolling Stock, the Propulsion of Vessels, and other
Purposes."
The first improvement consists in forming the spokes of such dimensions or
lateral surface near their junction with the axle box, that when in position a
space or division shall be left between each spoke, such spaces being filled up
with wedges tapering slightly from the axle box, where the thicker end of the
wedges come in contact; by these arrangements the spokes and wedges
always tend to tighten each other and prevent any tendency to the parts
becoming loose, which has hitherto been the case. I also propose to apply to
and around the axle box a metal disc or plate, which is fixed by flanges and
screws, or other convenient means; I then cut slots or screws down the
spokes, corresponding in thickness and depth with that of the projection of
the periphery of the disc from the axle box, and I then place the spokes
around the axle box and on the disc, the wedges being first applied to the

page_text: dise; by these means the whole is secured together and great strength is
effected.
In my former Patent I formed the felloe ends of the spokes with shoulders,
and caused them to rest on the surface of the felloes, a small circular pro-
jection of the end of the spoke penetrating completely through the felloe to
the tyre; but now I propose to increase the bearing surface or shoulder of
the spoke on the felloe by enlarging the end of the felloe in its lateral surface,
and forming a mortice or elongated: slot in the felloe, by, which means the
tendency to split the felloe is obviated, since the width of the slot is much
less than the width of the circular hole formerly bored in the felloe, and the
bearing surface is larger on each side of the mortice than around the circular
end of the spoke.
In applying the Invention to the wheels of gun carriages or baggage
waggons, where from the size of the caps it would be difficult to unscrew
them and to remove the divisions of the inner ring, I propose to cut out a
space or recess in the nave or hub on each side of the axle, and to cover the
exterior or end of the hub with a plate or diso screwed by screws penetrating
into the hub. Through each side of the nave or hub a screw is inserted
taking a bearing in the exterior of the nave and passing through the space on
each side of the axle, and through perforations bored in the two segments of
the ring; the screws terminate in projections inside the segments and work
in a slot cut round the axletree; by these means a spanner or wrench. being.
applied to the screws they may be partly withdrawn or tightened up, thus
releasing or fixing the segments and holding or releasing the axle, which will
therefore enable the wheel to be easily fixed or detached from the axletree,
without taking the various parts of the nave to pieces, as would otherwise be
necessary. To facilitate the traction of the gun carriage, especially in heavy.
roads where the wheels are liable to sink in the ground, I propose to apply to
the face of the hub a stud with a head thereon, such stud turning in a curved
plate fixed to the face. An arm is suspended from the stud, to which arm
the traces are to be attached, whereby the draught will be brought to bear
directly on the wheels, and so tend to extricate them from any excessive
penetration in the roads or other places.