Improvements in Machines for Setting and Truing Wheels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1898-Accepted, 16th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Setting and Truing Wheels.
I, CHARLES HERMAN METZ, of No. 8, Randall Street, in the City of Waltham,
County of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufac-
turer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, 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 reference to improvements in machines for setting and
truing wheels.
The object of this invention is to hold the wheel rim concentric with its axis
while the spokes are being secured.
Another object is to so construct a machine of this nature that an outward
concentric pressure may be exerted on the wheel rim, while the outer surface of the
rim is exposed.
The object is also to more accurately centre the wheel hub.
The invention consists in two circular members having inwardly beveled and
removable peripheral rings, connections for the members and take-up devices
acting on said connections to draw the two members together.
The invention also consists in the lower stationary member and the registering
pins operatively mounted therein, together with the upper member adapted to
receive said pins and the manner of mounting the upper member.
The invention also consists in the upper circular member supported by a
counterbalance arm and having an inwardly beveled removable peripheral ring
and the adjustable screw centre, together with the lower stationary member, and
connections between the two, whereby they are drawn together.
The invention also consists in the means for drawing the members together.
The invention still further consists in such other peculiar features of construction
and combination of parts as may hereinafter be more fully described and pointed
out in the claims.
Figure 1, represents a vertical, sectional view of the machine, with a sectional
view of a wheel between the two members, also showing the pivoted counter-
weighted lever by which the upper member is supported when not in use.
Figure 2, represents a plan view of the lower member with the gear for
operating the connecting and registering pins.
Figure 3, represents a detail view partly in section of the device for locking
the connecting pins to the upper member.
Figure 4, represents a detail view, of the means for simultaneously adjusting
the centers or arbors.
Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.
In the drawings, 5, indicates a tripod, or any similar and well known support,
provided with the top 6, on which is secured the plate 7. On this plate is rotatable
the central gear 8 having the depending sleeve 9, which is journaled in the
central perforations of the plate 7 and top 6. On its lower portion this sleeve 9
is provided with a beveled gear 10. In the standard 51 of the support or tripod,

page_text: is journaled the shaft 11 having the hand-wheel 12 at its outer end, and the
beveled gear 13 at its inner end intermeshing with the gear 10.
On the central gear 8, is supported the lower member 14, having the hub 15
furnished with the depression 16, the sleeve 17 depending from the hub, screw-
threaded on its inner surface and loosely fitting the bore of the gear sleeve 9, and
the rim 18 furnished with the inwardly beveled periphery 19, and the arms 20,
connecting the rim with the hub.
The beveled periphery 19 is a ring which is removably secured to the rim 18,
so that rings of various outer diameters may be mounted on the rim to accommodate
wheel rims of the several inner diameters.
In the rim 18 is formed a series of vertical perforations 21-21, and in the
sleeve 17 is mounted the screw 22 having a wrench shoulder at its lower end and
a tapering portion at its upper end, it also has a central bore 221 square in cross
section to receive a key.
The connecting and registering pins 23--23 are vertically movable in the
perforations 21-21 of the lower member 14 and in corresponding perforations
of the plate 7. They have the lower screw-threaded portions 231, the abut-
ments 24 24 and tapering portions 25-25 above the abutments 24, which are
furnished with transverse slots 26-26.
Operatively located between the rim 18 and the plate 7, are the gears 27-27
which intermesh with the central gear 8 and have axial bores 28-28 furnished
with screw-threads, with which the screw-threaded ends 231 of the pins 23, engage.
It will thus be seen that the rotation of the central gear, by means of the
shaft 11 and the gears 13 and 10, will cause the rotation of the gears 27, and by
means of the screw engagement of these latter gears with the pins 23, these pins
will be moved vertically, up or down, depending on the direction in which the
gears 27 are rotated.
The upper member consists of a hub 29 axially perforated to receive the screw
centre 30, having a tapering end and a wrench shoulder.
This centre 30 has a screw-thread extending in an opposite direction to the
centre 22 and has an axial bore 30¹ corresponding to the bore 221 in cross sectional
shape in the bore of the centre 30 is mounted a square key 30" which may be
pushed down through this centre to engage in the bore 22¹ of the center 22, and
turned to adjust the centers simultaneously, towards or from each other.
In the lower surface of the hub is formed the recess 31, and connecting the hub
with the rim 32, are the arms 33-33. The rim 32 has the lower inwardly beveled
peripheral removable ring 34 and is furnished with the upwardly contracting
vertical openings 35-35, shaped to fit the tapering portions 25 of the pins 23.
On the upper surface of the ring 32 are pivoted a series of locking devices 36,
which, are adapted to engage the grooves 26 in the pins 23.
To the upper member is secured the frame 37, which is connected by a rod 38
to the lever 39 pivoted above the machine. On the opposite end of this lever is
hung a counterweight 40, which is adapted to counterbalance the weight of the
upper member. In setting up a wheel having loose spokes with this machine,
the wheel a, is placed on the lower member, its hub being received in the recess 16,
and the pins 23 extending between the wheel spokes, the lower convex edge of
the wheel rim will now rest on the beveled periphery 19, of the lower member.
The upper member is now drawn down into place, the tapering portions 25 of the
pins 23 entering the openings 35 in the upper member and serving as register-
ing devices to accurately locate this member with reference to the lower member.
When the upper member is brought into place, the locking devices 36 are swung
into engagement with the grooves 26 of the pins 23, thus securing the upper
member to these pins in a plane exactly parallel to the plane of the lower member.
The screw centres 22 and 30 now should be adjusted to engage the ends of the
wheel hub, this is accomplished by dropping the key 30" down into the bore 22¹ of
the center and turning the key, as the screw threads of these centers extend in
opposite directions (right and left threads) the turning of the key in one direction

page_text: will bring the centers towards each other, to engage with their tapering ends the
bore of the wheel hub, to accurately center and hold the same." It is however
obvious that these centers may be adjusted independently, by means of their
wrench shoulders, and when operating on many wheels having hubs of the same
size it is preferable to so adjust the centers.
The hand-wheel 12 is now rotated in a direction which when the rotation is
transmitted through the gears 13, 10 and 8 to the gears 27 27, will cause these
gears to so rotate, that their axial screw threads will act on the screw-threaded
portions of the pins 23 to draw the same downward. As these pins are drawn
equally, the upper member will be drawn by the pins towards the lower member,
while at any point in its movement this member will be parallel to the lower
member. As the upper member is drawn downward, its beveled periphery 34 will
bear against the upper inner edge of the wheel rim and this rim will be spread
outwards by the oppositely beveled portions 19 and 34 of the upper and lower
members, and will be securely held against inward pressure exactly concentric
with the hub.
The beveling of the peripheries of the upper and lower members, serves not
only to spread the wheel rim; but allows of ready access to the outer surface of
the rim whereby the spoke attachments or devices for securing the spokes to the
rim, may be operated on by means of a screw driver or other tool.
When the whole spokes have all been tightened, the hand-wheel 12 is rotated
in a direction opposite to that in which it was first rotated, the pins 23 will now be
raised by means of the gears and the screw threads and the upper members rising
with the pins, will release the wheel, locking devices 36 are now disengaged, and
the upper member, being raised by hand, will be sustained by its counterweight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
Claim 1. In a wheel setting machine, the combination with two members each
of which has a circular beveled portion, of connections between the members,
and gears for operating the connections to draw said members together.
2. In a wheel setting machine, members adapted to act on opposite sides of
the wheel, in combination with connections between the members and mechanism
for simultaneously acting on all the connections to draw the members together.
3. In a wheel setting machine, the combination with a lower member having a
circular beveled periphery, and an adjustable centre axially disposed in said
member, of an upper member having a circular beveled periphery, an adjustable
centre axially disposed in said member, and a counterbalance for supporting said
member when not in use.
4. In a wheel setting machine, an upper and a lower member between which a
wheel may be secured, vertically movable connections carried by one member and
adapted to be secured to the other member, a system of gears acting on said
connections, and means for rotating the gears.
5. In a wheel setting machine, the combination with a lower member having a
removable circular beveled periphery and vertical perforations adjacent to the
said member, posts or pins working in the vertical perforations and means for
operating the same, of an upper member having a removable circular beveled
periphery, an adjustable screw centre axially disposed in said member and locking
means for securing the upper member to the movable pins of the lower member.
6. In a wheel setting machine, the combination with a lower member having a
circular beveled portion, vertical perforations adjacent thereto, and a central
sleeve, a screw centre mounted in the sleeve, pins movable in the perforations
and having screw-threaded portions, a gear rotatable on the central sleeve of said
member, an outer series of gears each meshing with the central gear and hazing
a screw-threaded axial perforation in which the threaded portion of one of said

page_text: pins engages, and means for rotating the central gear, of an upper member adapted
to be secured to the vertically movable pins.
7. The combination with the tripod 5 having the perforated table top 6, the
shaft 11 journaled in the tripod, the bevel gear 13 and the hand-wheel 12 on said
shaft, the plate 7 mounted on the top and having central and radially disposed
perforations, the central gear 8 having the sleeve 9 rotatable in the central
perforation of the top 6 and plate 7, the bevel gear 10 secured to said sleeve and
meshing with the gear 13, the lower member having the rim 18 furnished with
the removable peripheral ring 19 and the perforations 21, the hub 15 having the
depression 16 and the sleeve 17 loosely fitting within the sleeve 9, the screw
centre 22 adjustable in the sleeve 17, and having the bore 22¹ the pins 23 screw-
threaded at their lower portions vertically movable in the perforations 21 and
having the grooves 26 at their upper ends, and the gear 27 meshing with gear 8
and having axial threaded perforations engaging the threaded portions of the
pins 23, of the upper member having the removable peripheral ring 34, the
openings 35 and the recessed hub 29, the adjustable screw centre 30 working in
said hub, and having the bore 30¹, the key 30" adapted to be received by the
bores 221 and 30¹, and the pivoted locking devices 36 mounted on the upper
member and adapted to engage the grooves or slots 26 in the upper ends of the
pins 23.
CHARLES HERMAN METZ.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.