A Novel or Improved Appliance, to be Used in Substitution of a Wheel or Wheels, for the Purpose of Facilitating the Movement of Vehicles and other Bodies.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left. 27th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Novel or Improved Appliance, to be Used in Substitution of a
Wheel or Wheels, for the Purpose of Facilitating the Movement
of Vehicles and other Bodies.
I, WILLIAM GWINNETT, of 74+ Temple Street, Wolverhampton in the County
of Stafford, Steel Ball Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
An appliance constructed according to this invention consists of a runner having
top and bottom longitudinal members joined together by curved ends so that the
runner has a continuous outer face, of a number of antifriction balls or rollers, and
of a continuous track formed of segments pivoted or linked together.
The balls are placed (preferably as close together as they conveniently can be)
around the outer face or periphery of the runner, and are kept thereagainst by the
continuous track, which is placed around them. The runner is fixed to the vehicle
or other body, and as such vehicle or other body is moved along the runner travels
along the balls while the balls roll along the track, and the balls and track run
continually around the runner. An appliance, such as described, must of course be
used at each side of the vehicle or other body (except in the case of a cycle or
other vehicle or body constructed to run in a single track) and such appliances are
used in substitution of the wheels which would or might otherwise be used.
The weight of the vehicle or other body with which the appliances above
described are used, may be transmitted thereto through the medium of springs as
when wheels are used.
Suitable means are, of course, employed to prevent the continuous track slipping
sideways off the runner; and these may consist conveniently of portions of the
segments projecting somewhat over the side faces of the runner.
Suitable means also are, of course, provided to prevent the balls slipping out
from between the runner and track, such as by forming a grooved or hollowed face
around the runner within which the balls run, and by forming the segments with
hollow or grooved parts which form together a continuous channel within which
the balls run, or by adopting simply one or other of such expedients for such
purpose. By adopting both of such expedients, the double advantage may be
secured of keeping the balls from slipping out from between the runner and track
and of preventing the track from slipping sideways off the runner.
Two or more of the appliances may be used at each side of a vehicle or other
body, if required; and if an appliance is for use over soft or yielding ground,
such for instance as clay or sand, the segments of the track may be formed with
specially broad bearing faces to increase the bearing area.
Pads or treads of rubber or other soft material may be fixed to the outer bearing
faces of the track segments, if desired, to reduce vibration and noise; or a
pneumatic tyre may be placed around the track for such purpose.
If an appliance as above described is used for a cycle, traction engine, or other
vehicle or machine which is self-propelled, the motive power may be utilized in
moving the upper portion of the track in the direction in which it is desired that
the vehicle or machine shall travel. The method of transmitting the motive power
to the track may be varied greatly, as will be obvious. One method consists in
driving the track through the medium of a spur wheel gearing into a rack or chain
carried by the track.

page_text: An appliance constructed as above described may have any desired length of
bearing on the surface of the ground, and such bearing may also be of any desired
width, so that the weight which is being supported may be distributed over any
desired area of ground.
Deted this 94th day of May 1805
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
A Novel or Improved Appliance, to be Used in Substitution of a
Wheel or Wheels, for the Purpose of Facilitating the Movement
of Vehicles and other Bodies.
I, WILLIAM GWINNETT of 74 Temple Street, Wolverhampton in the County
of Stafford, Steel Ball Manufacturer 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 :-
An appliance constructed according to this invention consists of a runner having
top and bottom, longitudinal members joined together by curved ends, so that the
runner has a continuous outer face, of a number of antifriction balls or rollers, and
of a continuous track formed of segments pivoted or linked together.
The balls are placed (preferably as close together as they conveniently can be)
around the outer face or periphery of the runner, and are kept there against it by
the continuous track, which is placed around them. The runner is fixed to the
vehicle or other body, and as such vehicle or other body is moved along, the
runner travels along the balls while the balls roll along the track, and the balls and
track run continually around the runner. An appliance, such as described must of
course be used at each side of the vehicle or other body (except in the case of a
cycle or other vehicle or body constructed to run in a single track) and such
appliances are used in substitution of the wheels which would or might otherwise
be used.
The weight of the vehicle or other body with which the appliances above
described are used, may be transmitted thereto through the medium of springs as
when wheels are used.
Suitable means are, of course, employed to prevent the continuous track, slipping
sideways off the runner; and these may consist conveniently of portions of the
segments projecting somewhat over the side faces of the runner.
Suitable means also are, of course provided to prevent the balls slipping out
from between the runner and track, such as by forming a grooved or hollowed face
around the runner within which the balls run, and by forming the segments with
hollow or grooved parts which form together a continuous channel within which
the balls run, or by adopting simply one or other of such expedients for such
purpose. By adopting both of such expedients, the double advantage may be
secured of keeping the balls from slipping out from between the runner and the
track and of preventing the track from slipping sideways off the runner.
Two or more of the appliances may be used at each side of a vehicle or other
body, if required; and if an appliance is for use over soft or yielding ground, such
for instance as clay or sand, the segments of the track may be formed with
specially broad bearing faces to increase the bearing area.
Pads or treads of rubber or other soft material may be fixed to the outer
bearing faces of the track segments, if desired, to reduce vibration and noise; or a
pneumatic tyre may be placed around the track for such purpose.
If an appliance, as above described, is used for a cycle, traction engine, or other
vehicle or machine which is self-propelled, the motive power may be utilized in

page_text: moving the upper portion of the track in the direction in which it is desired that
the vehicle or machine shall travel. The method of transmitting the motive power
to the track may be varied greatly, as will be obvious. One method consists in
driving the track through the medium of a spur wheel gearing into a rack or chain
carried by the track.
An appliance constructed as above described may have any desired length of
bearing on the surface of the ground, and such bearing may also be of any desired
width, so that the weight which is being supported may be distributed over any
desired area of ground.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the appliance complete. The holes marked H are for
attaching the appliance to body of vehicle or other body by means of bolts or any
ordinary methods. If springs are used they can be bolted to same. Any number
of these holes can be used for distributing the weight evenly.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of runner R.
LL is a sectional view of links.
S is a sectional view of segments.
B shews how steel balls are placed between the runner and segments.
is view of rivet or pivot for connecting segments by means of the links.
Bolts or screws may be used for this purpose.
P is view of cheese-head rivets on the side of the links (L). These are for
preventing the segments from leaving the runner.
Fig. 3 is side view of link.
Fig. 4 is side view of segment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
An appliance for taking the place of wheels, by means of an iron, steel, or other
metal runner (as herein described) which runs upon an endless chain of steel or
other metal segments forming a continuous railway, intercepted by a continual
stream of steel balls.
Dated this 26th day of February 1896.
ITT TAXT
WINNETT
WILLIAM GWINNETT