IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING WHEELS, AND
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Oxley, of the King's Cross Wheel Works,
Old St. Pancras Road, in the Parish of St. Pancras, N.W., Carriage
Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING WHEELS, AND IN
Sealed the 7th November 1862, and dated the 22nd May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Oxley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1862.
I, JOHN OXLEY, of the King's Cross Wheel Works, Old St. Pancras Road,
in the Parish of St. Pancras, N.W., Carriage Builder, do hereby declare c
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING WHEELS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the preparation by mechanical
means of the parts of wheels by which is ensured perfect accuracy of fitting
when such parts are assembled, as also for the more perfect maintenance of
the parts of wheels in their proper form when completed, and the prevention
of injury to the spoke, tenons, and other parts; also the machinery for
the production and multiplication of certain parts of wheels, and for their
reproduction according to pre-arranged scales of proportions and dimensions.
The improvements in the treatment of the felloe pieces of wheels consist in
the accurate thicknessing to a guage of each piece by operating on the two.

page_text: sides at the same time, and this is effected by passing the piece of material
to be operated upon between two revolving discs having cutters mounted
therein. The machine for thicknessing or planing felloes consists of a bed
or gantry having two moveable headstocks thereon, and a transverse table,
upon which is mounted the carriage, and means of holding the piece of
material to be operated upon. Each headstock carries a revolving spindle
or shaft, with an overhanging disc, containing one or more adjustable face
cutters or chisels, between which the material is made to pass, and by which
it is cut. The distance between the cutters is capable of adjustment by reason
of the movement of the headstocks according to the thickness to which the
material has to be guaged. Each part of the machine is capable of accurate
adjustment and regulation.
For the purpose of ensuring accuracy in the after processes of preparing
the felloes and other pieces of the wheel, each felloe piece having been
examined by the workman has two guage points or centre marks impressed
upon one face, so that between these guage points certain guage holes are
bored or drilled in a machine designed for the purpose. A central hole is
drilled of a depth of, say, 1 to 2 inches, and on each side of such hole another
guage hole of lesser depth (say, inch to inch deep) is made. By these holes
the materials are accurately applied and adjusted in the various machines
in which the subsequent operations are performed, by which means accuracy
of reproduction is ensured. The machine by which these guage holes aro
bored for the purpose of regulating the finishing of the felloe pieces consists of
a vertical frame or standard, provided with a vertically moving carriage or
frame having the two guage pointers mounted on its horizontal bar, and also
the three vertical revolving spindles having drills, augers, or boring instruments
fitted thereinto of the necessary length, according to the depth to which the
holes have to be bored. The felloe piece to be operated upon being laid upon
the table of the machine, and held in its position by a clamp or holder,
operated upon by the pressure of the foot of the workman or attendant or by
any other suitable means..
For the purpose of boring and morticing with greater accuracy and regularity
the naves of wheels for receiving the tenons of the spokes at any required angle
with the central axis of the nave, and ensuring that any number of naves for
a given size of wheel may at any future time be produced as identical coun-
terparts of naves previously made, the two operations of boring and morticing
are preformed without the necessity for removing the nave from the axis, shaft,
or spindle by which it is carried during the operation, and without removing
it. from the compound machine, The carriage upon which the nave is mounted

page_text: for the purpose of being operated upon is capable of being adjusted in relation
to the vertical sliding or revolving tool, and the exact angle desired may be
obtained and recorded upon a scale by means of a pointer arm. The machine,
by which naves are treated is a vertical apparatus, consisting of -brackets,
within which is held a hollow vertical spindle or shaft capable of being
rotated when the auger or boring instrument is in use, and of being held:
stationary in one position or another when the morticing has to be effected.;
The vertical sliding motion of the chisel is produced by means of a crank and
connecting rod, the superior end of the sliding bar having a ball-and-socket:
joint. The carriage or headstock, between which the nave is held, is supported
by and capable of vibrating on a cross shaft, the centre of which is plumbed!
by the centre of the vertical spindle and the auger or revolving tool. To.
this carriage, by means of a lever arm and bell crank, the index, pointer, or,
arm is connected, and the angle given to the table or carriage is read off
by means of a scale at the side of the machine.
For the purpose of forming a more permanent wheel, I cut an annular
groove or recess within the nave, for the purpose of inserting a ring or collar,
of leather or other material, upon which the inner ends of the spokes will
take their bearing, and thus form an elastic bed or cushion between the,
end of the spokes and the iron axle box, and by which means a nearly noiseless
wheel will be produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed'
by the said John Oxley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN,
OXLEY, of the King's Cross Wheel Works, Old St. Pancras Road, in the,
Parish of St. Pancras, N.W., Carriage Builder, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her,
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,,
the said John Oxley, Her special licence that I, the said John Oxley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others, as I, the said John
Oxley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others; from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING WHEELS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said John Oxley, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next. and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Oxley, do hereby declare. the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say: -
This Invention relates to improvements in the preparation by mechanical
means of the parts of wheels by which is ensured perfect accuracy of fitting
when such parts are assembled, as also for the more perfect maintenance of
the parts of wheels in their proper form when completed, and the prevention
of injury to the spoke, tenons, and other joints; also the machinery for the
production and multiplication of certain parts of wheels, and for their repro-
duction according to pre-arranged scales of proportions and dimensions.
The improvements in the treatment of the felloe pieces of wheels consist in
the accurate thicknessing to a guage of each piece by operating on the two sides
at the same time, and this is effected by passing the piece of material to be
operated upon between two revolving dises having cutters mounted therein.. The
machine for thicknessing or planing felloes consists of a bed or gautry having
two moveable headstocks thereon, and a transverse table, upon which is
mounted the carriage and means of holding the piece of material to be operated
Each headstock carries a revolving spindle or shaft with an over-
hanging disc, containing one or more adjustable face cutters or chisels, between
which the material is made to pass, and by which it is cut. The distance
between the cutters being capable of adjustment by reason of the movement
of the headstocks according to the thickness to which the material has to be
guaged. Each part of the machine is capable of accurate adjustment and
regulation.
upon.
For the purpose of ensuring accuracy in the after processes of preparing the
felloes and other pieces of the wheel, each felloe picce having been examined
by the workman, has two guage points or centre marks impressed upon one
face, so that between those guage.points certain guage holes are bored or drilled

page_text: in a machine designed for the purpose. A central hole is drilled of a depth of,.
say, 1 to 2 inches, and on each side of such hole another guage hole of lesser
depth (say, inch to inch deep) is made. By these holes the materials are
accurately applied and adjusted in the various machines in which the subsequent
operations are performed, by which means accuracy of reproduction is ensured:
The machine by which these guage holes are bored for the purpose of
regulating the finishing of the felloe pieces consists of a vertical frame or
standard; provided with a vertically moving carriage or frame, having the two
guage pointers mounted on the horizontal bar, and also the three vertical
revolving spindles having drills, augers, or boring instruments fitted thereinto
of the necessary length according to the depth to which the lioles liave to be
bored. The felloe piece to be operated upon being laid upon the tablo
of the machine, and held in its position by a clamp or holder operated upon by
the pressure of the foot of the workman or attendant or by any other
means.
For the purpose of boring and morticing with greater accuracy and rapidity
the naves of wheels for receiving the tenons of the spokes at any required
angle with the central axis of the nave, and ensuring any number of naves
for a given size of wheel may at any future time be produced 'as identical
counterparts of naves previously made, the two operations of boring and
morticing are performed without the necessity for removing the nave from the
axis, shaft, or spindle by which it is carried' during the operation, and without
removing it from the compound machine. The carriage upon which the nave
is mounted for the purpose of being operated upon is capable of being*
adjusted in relation to the vertical sliding or revolving tool, and the exact
angle desired may be obtained and recorded upon a scale by means of a
pointer arm.
The machine by which naves are treated is a vertical apparatus,
consisting of brackets, within which is held a hollow vertical spindle or shaft
capable of being rotated when the auger or boring instrument is in use, and
of being held stationary in one position or another when the morticing has to
be effected; the vertical sliding motion of the chisel being produced by means
of a crank and connecting rod, the superior end of the sliding bar having a ball
and socket joint. The carriage or headstock between which the nave is held'
is supported by and capable of vibrating on a cross shaft, the centre of which
is plumbed by the centre of the vertical spindle and the auger or revolving
tool. To this carriage, by means of a lever arm and bell crank, the index
pointer or arm is moved, and the angle given to the table or carriage is read.
off by means of a scale at the side of the machine.
For the purpose of forming a more permanent wheel, cut an annular

page_text: groove or recess within the nave, for the purpose of inserting a ring or collar
of leather or other material, upon which the inner ends of the spokes will take
their bearing, and thus form an elastic bed or cushion between the end of the
spokes and the iron axle box, and by, which means a nearly noiseless wheel
will be produced..
.
In the accompanying Sheets of Drawings I have shown views of the
machines constructed in accordance with this Invention, the details and
arrangements of parts being such as I consider best suited for the purposes
for which they are intended, although of course changes in the disposition and
shape of the parts may be made, and iron framework or standards may be
substituted for the wood framework shown in the Drawings, and other sub-
stitutions or changes may be made without affecting my present Invention.
In the side elevation, partly in section, of the improved wheel, as also in the
transverse section showing the nave or boss and the spoke tenons, the spokes
are shown straight, but of course any amount of dishing may be given to
the wheels, and the proportion of the recessing or annular groove may be
varied, and the thickness of leather introduced thereinto may be increased or
diminished.
Figure 1. is a plan of the machine for thicknessing felloe pieces by operating
upon both sides of the material at the same time, and Figure 2 is a front eleva-.
tion, and Figure 3 a side elevation of the same machine. A is the traversing
table, upon which the felloe piece is screwed down or cramped by means of
the arched cramp with its set screw B. The table with the material to be
operated on is caused to travel along the bed and between the two revolving
discs C, each disc having face cutters or adzes bolted or secured, as shown.
When the discs C are caused to revolve from motion being communicated to
their spindles, the material fixed on the table is made to travel forward by
means of a rack on its under side, into which a pinion is made to gear, and is
turned by a hand wheel D, keyed fast on the pinion shaft. Each cutting disc
being mounted on a separate 'headstock II, is mounted on a cross bed or frame,
and their distance apart is regulated by means of a right and left hand screw
shaft E, worked by a hand wheel at one end. Rotation is given to the disc,
cutters through the drums or flat band F.. The headstocks or carriages are,
when adjusted, secured by a holding-down bolt on each side of the centre line
of the cross bed G. The longitudinal bed frame upon which the table A
moves is marked X.
.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, Figure 5. a front end elevation; and Figure 6.
a plan view of the machine by which the guage holes and guage points are
made in the sides of the felloe pieces after they have been thicknessed, for the

page_text: purpose of regulating, finishing, and assembling of the felloe pièces and other
parts of wheels. The felloe piece to be operated on is laid upon the table a,
and is held securely in its place by means of the pressing piece or fingers b;
which is fixed to the top of the vertically sliding rod c, connected at its lower
end to the balance lever or treadle d, the lower end of which is the foot piece e.
Upon the standard side frames f is mounted a circular standard bar 9 on each
side, these are held together by a cross piece or head frame.h; the object of
the bars g being circular and true from top to bottom, is to admit of the
sliding frame or carriage i containing the revolving spindles j being raised and
lowered at pleasure, whilst the spindles, augers, drills, or bits are in rotation'
by means of the crossed band k. Vertical motion is communicated to the
drills through the handle and lever 1, at the opposite end of which there is a
balance weight m, the way shaft n having at each end the spanner or lever o,
connected with the link p, which is attached at the lower end to a stud or horn
upon the sliding carriage. At the back of the machine the framing f¹ is made
to contain the driving drum q, from which each of the straps k, k, receive
motion, this drum q in turn being driven by the fast pulley r keyed on to the
shafts, there being also a loose pulley. In addition to the longer drill t
there are two shorter drills u, u, each connected to the revolving spindles j,
the felloe piece being set or adjusted under the pins or studs v, forming guage
points. The difference in the lengths of the drills t and u determine the depth
to which the holes are to be bored. The use and action of this machine have
each been described.
Figure 7 is a side elevation, and Figure 8 a front elevation of the com-
bined boring and morticing machine for operating upon naves for receiving
the tenons of the spokes. In these Figures the nave, which has been pre-
viously bored through its axis, is placed between the studs A of the head-
stocks, which are capable of being screwed back and forwards upon the bed B
of the vibrating carriage, the slide C acting as a guide on each side of the
table; the back headstock being secured by the screw and set nuts at D,
whilst the front headstock is screwed back and forward by the hand wheel E,
and the final adjustment and tightening up of the nave is effected by means
of the hand wheel, screw, and poppet gear surmounting the front headstock.
Upon the face of the upright standard frames two brackets or carriages
project, for the purpose of carrying a vertical spindle or shaft, which is capable
of moving up and down by means of the crank when the morticing chisel is
employed and secured on the holder F; but when the auger or revolving bit is
fixed in the holder F, rotary motion is substituted for the vertical cutting:
action by means of the band pulley G (which is keyed fast upon a socket or.

page_text: tube working in the bearings bolted to the main standards); this socket or tube
is prevented from rotating when the chisel is in use, and vertical action is
employed by means of the set, screw S, mounted at the end of a spring arm
attached to the side frame. By means of a lever E, having suspended balance
weights K at its opposite. end, the vertical position of the crank pin I of the
crank arm J is secured, and the crank is held firm, or by moving the lever
up or down the requisite vertical motion and pressure is given to the auger..
The cant or angle of the table carriage and headstock for holding the nave is
regulated and measured by the scale and pointer N at the side of the machine.
The lever M is employed to, work the conical friction clutch L. The balance
lever.arm H is made to vibrate upon a bearing or carriage projecting from
the frame, or it may be suspended from the ceiling, and by means of a sliding
stop piece or fork it is caused to grip the short journal I of the crank. The
rotating shaft at the head of the: vertical frame has at one end the driving.
pulley or wheel, and at the opposite end the crank arm, upon the pin of
which the connecting rod.P..works. At the lower end of the connecting rod
is a brass box Q. within which works the ball formed at the upper end of
the chisel and auger bar R, thus forming a ball-and-socket joint, by which the
combined action and operation of boring and morticing may alternately be
effected by the same machine, and without removing the nave whilst under
both operations.
The scale of angles may be varied, and the.mode of recording the changes
in the position of the carriage containing the nave to be operated on may be
combined and connected together by. any convenient arrangement of bell
cranks and levers, the object being to record the angle at which the work is
performed upon a scale at the side of the machine, from which it may be read
and accurately noted.
Figure 9 is a side elevation, one-half in section, of a wheel, showing the
annular groove or recess a within the nave b. A ring or collar of leather or
other material is introduced in the annular groove or recess, as shown in the
Drawing, so that the inner end of the spokes abut thereon. Figure 10 being a
transverse section of Figure 9.
Having described my Invention of "Improvements in Making Wheels, and
in the. Machinery to be Employed therein," and having illustrated in the
accompanying two large Sheets of Drawings the method in which I prefer to
construct the machinery. for making wheels, and also illustrated the modes in
which I combine the parts of wheels together, and form the nave or boss of
the wheel with an annular groove or recess, and have generally illustrated the
several parts of my said Invention, what I claim is the several: machines

page_text: herein described and illustrated, by which parts of wheels are accurately and
rapidly produced, and by means of which the reproduction and multiplication
of certain parts. of wheels can be readily affected.
Second, the modes or methods herein described of operating upon the
several parts of wheels, as herein set forth.
Third, the mode or method of making wheels, as herein described, by which
the tenons and joints are preserved from injury.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Oxley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
FREDERIC H. ROBERTS,
19, Salisbury St., Adelphi.
W.C.
JOHN OXLEY. (L.B.)