IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WHEELS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Howard, of 155, Fenchurch Street, in the
City of London, Engineer, and Deodatus Hilin O'Neale Neale, of Elm
Terrace, Woodford, in the County of Essex, Engineer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WHEELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Howard and
Deodatus Hilin O'Neale Neale at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 26th January 1881.
JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD, of 155, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, and DEODATUS HILIN O'NEALE NEALE, of Elm Terrace, Woodford, in the
County of Essex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WHEELS."
"
This Invention consists in fixing the tyre to the wheel by methods so per-
manently secure that even the application of the most powerful brake would not
effect their separation.
We purpose to fix the tyre to the wheel by means of iron rings of a certain
novel form. Rings of various shapes are applicable to our purpose; but we prefer
those which, in their cross section, would present an appearance similar to the
letter E. From about half the circumference of this ring is to be taken the centre
rib or projection, which will give this portion a form identical with that of an
ordinary channel ring. Round the external and internal side faces of the tyre and
wheel rim, grooves are to be formed for the admission of the top and bottom lips
of the channel iron in the ordinary way. There remain the semicircular centre
ribs on the two E rings. For the reception of these ribs additional grooves are to
be made in the aforesaid side faces of the tyre, or at the junction of the wheel and
tyre, which must correspond exactly with the said semicircular ribs. All the
parts are then riveted together, the rivets passing through the wheel rim and the
two E rings.
The following method will also effect the desired purpose:-A single ring of
the E form is to be adjusted, as already described, on one side of the tyre and wheel

page_text: rim, and on the other side of the tyre from its bore a flange or lip is made to
project downwards. The flange and rim are then connected by rivets or bolts, as
before described. It is obvious that the half centre rib of the E ring when in
connection with the semicircular groove in the tyre, or tyre and wheel rim, will
prevent any sliding movement of the tyre round the wheel.
Another method is as follows: Near the outer edge of the tyre is formed a lip
or flange, for the reception of which a corresponding groove is made in the rim of
the wheel. Through this lip pass, wholly or partially, rivets or bolts connecting
two channel rings.
Our Invention may be adapted to existing channel rings in the following
manner: On either side of the wheel a groove is formed, half being in the tyre
and half in the wheel rim. In this groove is to be inserted a corresponding half
hoop of iron, and the whole is to be connected in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John William Howard and Deodatus Hilin O'Neale Neale in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd July 1881.
JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD, of 155, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, and DEODATUS HILIN O'NEALE NEALE, of Elm Terrace, Woodford, in the
County of Essex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WHEELS."
Our improvements in railway wheels consist in fixing the tyre to the body of
the wheel by methods so permanently secure that even the application of the most
powerful brake would not effect their separation or permit the tyre to slip round
the body of the wheel. We achieve this end mainly by the use of iron rings of a
certain novel form.
That our Invention may be fully understood we will refer to and describe
various Figures illustrating our "Improvements in Railway Wheels," which will be
seen on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, similar letters of reference indicating like
parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 represents a cross section, and Fig. 2 an elevation of an example of our
Invention as applied to locomotives. Near the outer edge of the bore of the tyre A
is formed a lip or flange b fitting in a corresponding groove in the rim B of the
wheel. Through this lip pass rivets, bolts, or studs, part of the circumference of
which is in the tyre, and part in the rim, so that these rivets, bolts, or studs must
be sheared longitudinally and transversely before the tyre can slip round the rim,
as they form conveniently applied keys between the rim and the lip of the tyre.
In a spoked wheel we prefer placing the rivets, bolts, or studs where the spokes
join the rim so as not to weaken the latter, but they can be placed at any point in
the circumference of the rim. When, however, they are not placed at the junction
of spokes and rim we prefer that they should not pass completely through the rim,
but that screws should be used, as shown in Fig. 3, or that the said rivets, bolts, or
studs should be kept in their place by a ring of channel section C secured by bolts
or rivets which pass through the rim B at the junction of the spokes, as shown in
Fig. 4.
We also use, as shown in Fig. 5, plain or countersunk pins or studs d in a
vertical plane put in from the outside of the rim B before the tyre A is put on the
wheel, and engaging partly in the rim B and partly in the lip b of the tyre A.
If these pins are put in where the spokes join the rim, the pins or studs need not
be countersunk as they cannot come out. It is obvious that they must be sheared
longitudinally and transversely before the tyre can slip round the wheel.
The methods above described, in which bolts, studs, rivets, or pins, are the
essential parts which prevent the tyre slipping round on the rim, can be used in
conjunction with one channel section ring, as shown in Fig. 6, or with two channel
section rings, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, or in conjunction with Carlton and
Stroudley's patent tyre fastening, as may be seen in Fig. 5, or with several other
known methods of preventing a fractured tyre leaving the wheel. We prefer to
use a bolt, stud, or rivet at every spoke; or about three bolts, studs, or rivets for
every foot diameter of the tyre, though more may be used, especially where, as
described further on, this method is used on wheels having rims of wood or
compressed pulp or paper, or any material weaker than wrought iron.
.
We propose to apply this method to wheels where the rim or centre is composed
of wood or compressed pulp or paper in a similar way to that already described.
An example is shown in Fig. 7, the areas of the surfaces of the bolts or rivets in
contact with the centre or rim and the tyre being preferably in the proportion of
about three to one.
Figs. 8 and 9 represent the application of two rings D for the purpose of
preventing any sliding motion between the tyre and the rim of the wheel. A cross-
section of these rings would present an appearance resembling the letter E. From
about half the circumference of a ring of this form is to be taken the centre rib,
which will give to the remaining half a form similar to that of an ordinary channel

page_text: ring. Round the external lateral surface of the tyre A a groove is to be formed
for the admission of one of the end projections or flanges of the E ring; and in
the corresponding surface of the rim B is turned a groove for the reception of
the opposite projection of the said ring. A similar groove is to be made in the
corresponding internal surface of the tyre, and also in that of the rim, for the
reception of the two outer flanges of an E ring. There remain to be adjusted
the semicircular centre ribs belonging to the two E rings. A groove identical in
size with this rib is to be made at the junction of the tyre and rim of the wheel,
half being in the tyre and the other half in the rim. A similar groove is formed
in the opposite side of the tyre and rim at the junction of the tyre with the rim.
In Fig. 8 this rib, on the internal side of the tyre and rim, is shown in section; on
the opposite side it is absent at that part of the circumference of the ring, and is
represented by dotted lines. Fig. 9 presents the reverse of this, and is a section at
another point of the wheel.
Our methods of preventing the tyre sliding round the rim of railway wheels are
superior to other methods in possessing the following advantages:-
First. We do not weaken the body of the tyre, as it remains at all points of
precisely the same cross section.
Secondly. The lip on the tyre is not weakened by any hole in it.
Thirdly. Where the bolts, studs, or rivets are used at the junction of the spoke
and rim, the rim is not weakened.
Fourthly. The bolts, studs, or rivets having to be sheared, both longitudinally
and transversely before the tyre can slip round, are more effective than the same
number of studs, bolts, or rivets which have only to be sheared transversely.
Fifthly. When used as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 our Invention forms a perfect
tyre fastening; the tyre, if fractured, cannot leave the wheel, it cannot shift
transversely, and even if perfectly slack on the rim it cannot slip round even a
small distance, while neither the rim nor the body of the tyre are at all weakened.
Sixthly. The tyre and wheel being both turned concentrically do not require
frequent re-chucking, and as neither rim nor tyre have one point of minimum
strength, and one point of maximum strength, no metal is wasted, for it is
obvious that the strength of a rim or tyre is the strength of its weakest point, and
any metal added at other points in the circumference does not increase the
strength, and is therefore so much useless weight.
Having thus described our Invention, we conclude by observing that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise forms and details herein-before set forth, but what
we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The use of retaining rings, of which the section varies from an E section
to a plain channel section; the centre rib or projection of the E section engaging in
a corresponding groove cut partly in the tyre and partly in the rim, the groove
being of the same length, measured circumferentially, as the middle rib or
projection of the E section, substantially as herein-before described.
Secondly. The method of passing bolts, rivets, studs, or pins partly through a lip
on the tyre and partly through the rim of the wheel, so that the tyre cannot slip
round the rim without shearing these rivets, bolts, studs, or pins longitudinally and
transversely, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John William Howard and Deodatus Hilin
O'Neale Neale, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
(L.S.)
JOHN WILLIAM HOWARD.
DEODATUS HILIN O'NEALE NEALE. (L.S.)