IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS AND IN BEARINGS FOR THE SAME, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR OMNIBUSES, CABS, WAGGONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Thomas Parlour, of Rutland Street,
Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS AND IN BEARINGS FOR THE SAME,
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR OMNIBUSES, CABS, WAGGONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
VEHICLES."
Sealed the 22nd April 1873, and dated the 14th January 1873.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Joseph Thomas Parlour
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 14th January 1873, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
THOMAS - PARLOUR, of Rutland Street, Pimlico, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WHEELS AND IN BEARINGS FOR THE SAME, CHIEPLY DESIGNED FOR OMNIBUSES, Cabs,
WAGGONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES," and have petitioned Her Majesty
to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal

page_text: Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
I am the true and first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand
and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification.
My said Invention relates to the novel construction of wheels and their
bearings. It is more especially applicable to the wheels of such vehicles
as omnibuses, cabs, waggons, and the like; but may be applied or
adapted to other vehicles which have fixed or stationary axles with the
wheels rotating on them; it is chiefly designed to facilitate the move-
ment of the vehicle by reducing to a minimum the friction of the wheels
upon their axles or bearings.
The said Invention consists partly in the construction of the fellies,
and method of securing the same to the spokes, but it consists chiefly in
the peculiar construction and arrangement of rollers and contrivances in
combination with the same within the nave or hub for diminishing the
friction.
In order that my said Invention may be clearly understood I have
illustrated the same in the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is
a front elevation of part of a carriage wheel shewing in section the nave
or hub provided with rollers according to my said Invention. Figure 2
is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elevation
of the inner side of the nave; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the end of
the axle, and device for supporting the wheel on the same; Figures 5, 6, 7,
and 7 shew the rollers detached; Figures 8 and 9 are transverse
sections of the nave of a wheel illustrating modifications of my Invention
herein after described. Like letters indicate corresponding parts
throughout the Drawing.
b
The nave a is made of cast iron or other suitable material, and of
such a form as to exclude dust or other foreign matter, as will be seen by
referring to Figures 1 and 2. The spokes 6 may be of the usual form;
their inner ends 6 are taper or inclined, and are fitted into correspond-
ingly shaped holes in the nave, wherein they are secured by pins or

page_text: bolts c. The outer ends of the said spokes are secured to the felly d by
means of the sockets d', formed on the inner periphery of the angle iron
ring d.
By referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the said angle iron ring
forms the inner periphery and one side of the felly, that the other side
of the latter is formed by a flat ring or plate e, and that there is a space
between these rings. I fill this space with wood or other suitable
material f, and secure the whole together by bolts or rivets f¹. To this
wood or other material I attach the tire g by means of screws or other-
wise. By this construction I make the felly of great strength as the
wood is securely confined between the iron rings and cannot possibly be
displaced or broken, and it will therefore retain the tire very securely,
and the entire outer portion of the wheel will possess great durability.
The axle has an enlargement or drum h¹ within the nave a; this
enlargement may either be made by forgeing or welding an additional
portion of metal upon the axle, or it may be a separate piece fitted and
secured thereon in any suitably strong and permanent manner. In the
annular space between this enlargement and the inner periphery of the
nave I place the rollers i, which run in contact with the nave and
enlargement of the axle, but are not in contact with each other, as clearly
shewn in Figure 1. These rollers are not plain cylinders, but are formed
with collars and grooves ², as shewn. This formation of the rollers
diminishes the area of their bearing surface and reduces the friction
between the said rollers and the surfaces whereon they run.
To keep
the rollers i at the proper distance apart, I use the rings j, which afford
bearings for the ends of the rollers i, and keep them in their proper
position with the least amount of friction. The said rollers may have
pins K extending through them and fixed in the said rings as shown in
Figures 2 and 4, the rollers being fitted to turn freely upon the said
pins; but I prefer that the rollers should be formed with centre points ³,
as shewn in Figure 5, which points are fitted to turn in conical centre
holes in the rings j, or the rollers may be formed with conical centre.
holes, as shewn in Figure 6, to receive centre points formed or fixed on
the rings j. The two rings are secured and kept parallel to each other
and at the required distance apart by rods or bolts j' which lie between
the rollers, as shewn. The said rollers are made of cast iron, case
hardened or of hardened steel. The pins or centre points and the rings
are also made of steel properly hardened.

page_text: For preventing the endwise displacement of the wheel from its
bearing I form on the axle h collars, and between these collars I fit
the plate, which is secured by screws / or other suitable means to the
nave a.
To keep the wheel always perpendicular to its axle or bearing and t
prevent its pressing the rollers unequally and twisting or dis-
turbing them, and thereby producing undue friction between the
wheel and axle I make a conical hole exactly in the centre of the end of
the latter, and provide the nave with a steel centre point m, which is
This 1
fitted with great accuracy to turn freely in the said hole.
point m is preferably formed with screw threads and secured thereby in
the nave so that it can be adjusted as it wears and becomes loose in the
said taper or conical hole; but if desired the said pin may be cast in
the metal of the nave.
In the modifications of my said Invention illustrated in Figures 8 and 1
9 I have shewn balls or spheres n of steel or other suitable metal
arranged in combination with the aforesaid rollers i and rings j. In
Figure 8 the said balls are arranged to run between the collars of the
said rollers, and in Figure 9 they run upon the said collars, being kept in
place by the rib o which extends around the interior of the nave.
Having thus described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. Constructing the felly of the wheel with an angle iron ring and
flat ring secured together to form the two sides of the felly, and having
between them wood or other suitable material whereon the tire is
fastened, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Second. In a wheel whose felly or outer portion is constructed as
herein described, forming the angle iron ring with sockets for the
reception of the spokes, as set forth.
Third. The rollers constructed with grooves and collars, and supported
in the rings by conical points in such a manner as to travel around the
axle while revolving on the said points, as herein set forth for the
purpose specified.
Fourth. In combination with the nave of a wheel provided with rollers
as herein specified the drum or enlarged portion of the axle forming a
bearing for the said rollers as set forth.

page_text: Fifth. The combination of the balls or spheres with the said rollers
and rings and enlargement on the axle, as herein set forth.
Sixth. The conical centre pin or point secured adjustably in the nave
of the wheel, and fitted to turn freely in the conical or taper hole in the
end of the axle, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Thomas Parlour, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
0 Witness,
W. ROBT. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
JOSEPH T. PARLOUR. (L.S.)