IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR TRACTION ENGINES AND OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN MCLAREN, and HENRY MCLAREN of the Midland Engine Works Leeds
in the County of York Engineers do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR TRACTION ENGINES AND OTHER PURPOSES
to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has for its object to provide wheels by which the weight of the
Engine or vehicle is distributed over a large surface of the road whereby great
tractive power is obtained and injury to the surface of the road is lessened.
According to this Invention the rims or peripheries of the wheels are formed
with openings through which projections or shoes are protruded by the action of
springs in such manner that two or more of such projections or shoes of each wheel
will bear at the same time upon the road.
When undue strain is brought upon the wheels the said projections or shoes are
forced inwards and the rim bears the weight in conjunction with the adjacent
projections or shoes-The said projections or shoes may be arranged in two or more
parallel rows around the rim or there may be but one row but more than one row
is preferred as the wheels will then adjust themselves better to inequalities of the
road-One two or more of the said projections or shoes may be acted upon by each
of the springs employed to force them outwards-The projections or shoes may be
arranged in pairs mounted together with the spring upon a bolt capable of
movement in a recess in the rim to accommodate the motion of the parts and
having screw nuts therein to adjust the pressure of the springs and there may be
two rows of such projections or shoes, those of one row being placed alternately
with those of the other row-The projections or shoes may if desired be acted upon
by springs forming the spokes of the wheels but we do not limit ourselves to any
particular details in carrying our Invention into practice.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the said John and Henry M.Laren,

page_text: We JOHN MCLAREN and HENRY MCLAREN of Midland Engine Works Hunslet
Leeds in the West Riding of the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of
our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR TRACTION ENGINES AND OTHER
PURPOSES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
This Invention has for its object to provide wheels by which the weight of the
Engine or vehicle is distributed over a large surface of the road whereby great
tractive power is obtained and injury to the surface of the road is lessened.
According to this Invention the rims or peripheries of the wheels are formed
with openings through which projections or shoes are protruded by the action of
springs in such manner that two or more of such projections or shoes of each wheel
will bear at the same time upon the road.
When undue strain is brought upon the wheels the said projections or shoes are
forced inwards and the rim or the adjacent projections or shoes alone or in con-
junction with the rim bear the weight. The said projections or shoes may be
arranged in two or more parallel rows around the rim or there may be but one row
but more than one row is preferred as the wheels will then adjust themselves better
to inequalities of the road. One two or more of the said projections or shoes
may be acted upon by each of the springs employed to forco them outwards. The
projections or shoes may be arranged in pairs mounted together with the spring
upon a bolt capable of movement in a recess in the rim to accommodate the motion
of the parts and having screw nuts therein to adjust the pressure of the springs,
and where there are two or more rows of such projections or shoes those of one row
are preferably placed alternately with those of the other row. The projections or
shoes may if desired be acted upon by springs forming the spokes of the wheels
but we do not limit ourselves to particular details in carrying our Invention into
practice. The accompanying drawing shews the best means with which we are
acquainted for the purpose. Figure 1 represents in side elevation and partial
section a wheel provided with projections or shoes according to our Invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same. Figure 3 is a plan of a portion of the
interior of the periphery or rim of the wheel, and Figure 4 is a plan of one of the
projections or shoes separately.
The rim A of the wheel is formed with openings B through which the pro-
jections or shoes C protrude. The said projections or shoes are shewn as being
made in pairs cast in one with a connecting piece C₁ bridging the portion of the
rim between two adjacent openings B and having a bearing surface upon which
bears one end of the spring D the other end of the said spring bearing against the
piece E earrled upon the bolt F furnished at its upper end with screw nuts f for
adjusting the pressure of the spring, and at its other end with a cross piece f'
engaging in a recess correspondingly formed in the part of the rim between two
adjacent openings B. It will be readily seen that when the projections or shoes
are arranged in more than one circumferential row acted upon by independent

page_text: springs that the wheel will accommodato itself to lateral inequalities of the road as
indicated by the Diagram Figure 5.
In Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing we have shewn five of the shoes and
a part of the rim touching the road so that all of them more or less share in taking
the weight of the engine or vehicle whereby the said weight is distributed over a
large area and great tractive power is obtained and the road is preserved from
much damage. If desired the springs D may be compressed by means of the nuts f
to such an extent that the rim is always off the ground whereby the advantage of
a spring wheel is obtained, or if the pressure on the shoes C be applied by spring
spokes from the boss there is obtained a spring carried engine or vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed wo declare that what
we claim is
1st In wheels for traction engines or for other purposes the provision of the
periphery or rim with projections or shoes arranged for operation substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2nd In wheels for traction engines or for other purposes the provision of the
periphery or rim with openings and projections or shoes and springs acting to
protrude the projections or shoes beyond the periphery or rim and so arranged that
when undue pressure is brought upon the said projections or shoes they yield and
the rim or the adjacent projections or shoes alone or in conjunction with the rim
takes or take the strain substantially as herein before described.
3rd In whools for traction engines or for other purposes provided with projections
or shoes of the nature hereinbefore described the arrangement of the said pro-
jections or shoes in two or more rows or circular series acted upon by separate
springs in such manner that the projections or shoes of each row or series act
independently of the other row or rows or series and enable the wheel to adjust
itself to lateral inequalities of the road substantially as hercin before described.
4th Wheels for traction engines or for other purposes the said wheels being
provided with shoes or projections and springs and their adjuncts arranged com-
bined and acting as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.