IN WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eduard Carl Friedrich Otto, of 1, Springall Street,
"IMPROVEMENTS
Peckham, in the County of Surrey, for an Invention of
IN WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES AND OTHER VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eduard Carl Friedrich
Otto at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th March 1881.
EDUARD CARL FRIEDRICH OTTO, of 1, Springall Street, Peckham, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES AND OTHER
VEHICLES.".
The object of this Invention is to produce a wheel which shall possess the
combined advantages of great elasticity, strength, and lightness. Wheels for
bicycles and similar vehicles as now generally constructed are made very light
and strong, with a more or less rigid rim, and with many light spokes which are
as far as possible in tension, and thus keeping the rim rigid.
Now according to my Invention I make the rim elastic and of a thin steel band
of a quality and temper similar to that of band saws. I may use one or more coils
of the same to make up any required thickness, and I may make them with thin
india rubber layers between. The rim if of a single coil may be formed of grooved
section, and may be with or without turned up edges and outer india rubber tyre.
I form the joint of the rim by rivetting and sweating. This rim is forced over the
spokes or inner part of the wheel, which is constructed as follows:-The spokes,
made of a similar material to that of the rim, and by preference wider at the
boss than at the rim, are bent into bow shape with the ends well fitted into
corresponding slits in the boss, by preference so that the right side of one bow
spoke fits in the same slot as the left side of the next following bow spoke. I
fasten the spokes in the boss by soldering, but also by turning up the two corners
of the end of each bow spoke, the boss being for this purpose at this place formed
with a groove in each face or side, which grooves are also filled with the solder.
The bow spokes are united with each other and with the rim by rivetting or
[Price 8d1

page_text: otherwise. The bow spokes may be of a plain band section, or, especially for large
wheels, be formed of a grooved or ribbed section.
The wheel made as described is elastic in itself, and the india rubber tyre if
fitted thereon serves more the purposes of giving adhesion or bite, of deadening the
noise, and of preventing undue wear of the rim than that of affording material
addition of elasticity. The elasticity of the wheel depends in a large measure upon
the amount of compression used when the rim is forced on.
In some cases, especially for carriage wheels, I put a thin steel tyre round the
rim of the wheel, which tyre takes the wear, and may be replaced as required;
I may use an intermediate india rubber tyre in combination therewith for the
purpose of connecting the rim and the tyre, and also for the purpose of affording
additional elasticity and strength to the rim. This form of wheel is, for instance,
useful for invalid carriages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Eduard Carl Friedrich Otto in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th September 1881.
EDUARD CARL FRIEDRICH OTTO, of 1, Springall Street, Peckham, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES AND OTHER
VEHICLES."
The object of this Invention is to produce a wheel which shall possess the
combined advantages of great elasticity, strength, and lightness.
Wheels for bicycles and similar vehicles as now generally constructed are made
very light and strong, and with a more or less rigid rim, and with many light
spokes which are as far as possible in tension, and thus keeping the rim rigid.
Now according to my Invention I make a wheel with an elastic rim and with
elastic spokes which are in compression and keep the rim in shape. I make the
rim of the wheel, more particularly as applied to bicycles and similar or other light
vehicles, of a thin steel band of a quality and temper similar to that of band saws,
and of a plain, grooved, or other section, and join the two ends by riveting and
sweating, and I make the spokes of a similar material and temper, and also of a
plain, grooved, or other section; and I construct and combine the parts all as
hereinafter more particularly described, whereby I ensure a great strength and
elasticity, and do away with the tendency of the rim to buckle in case of unequal
strain, which tendency is inherent in wheels having the spokes in tension. The
rim and spokes may be hardened and tempered either before or after being rendered
into the desired shape. The elasticity may be increased by the addition of an elastic
rubber tyre, but such tyre if fitted serves more the purposes of giving adhesion or
bite, of deadening the noise, and of preventing undue wear of the steel rim than
that of affording proportionate material addition of elasticity. As a general remark
I may mention that the elasticity of the wheel obviously in a large measure depends
upon the amount of compression used when the rim is forced on the finished inner
part or spokes and nave, when vice versa the spokes with nave are built in within
the rim.
I will now proceed to describe various forms of wheels, some of them with a
single set of spokes only, and yet being suitable for velocipedes and others with a
double set of spokes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings illustrates my Invention in its simplest
form and chiefly applicable to small wheels, such as bicycle trailing wheel. The
rim a may be of a plain flat section, or, as here shown, of a concave section, so
as to conveniently take an india rubber tyre, but so slightly concave as to possess
little rigidity, and hence be very elastic. The spokes b are of a plain bow shape
and of a flat or nearly flat section. The left side or leg of one bow is united to
the right leg of the adjoining bow by, say, one rivet b¹; each bow is united to the
rim by a rivet 6*. The ends of the legs of the bow spokes b are two and two well
fitted in corresponding slits cut in the outer circumference of the nave or boss c,
where they terminate. The nave has on each face or side a shallow groove, and the
two corners of the end of each leg bare turned up slightly on each side by a smart
hammer blow; these turned up "dogs cars serve to hold the spokes b in the boss c;
the grooves are then filled with solder. As already stated, the rim is so placed
round the spokes that the latter are in compression, and their form and material are
such as to give any required amount of elasticity.
"
Figure 2 shews another form of elastic bow shape spokes b, which are or may be
united to the boss c in a manner similar to that in Figure 1, and to the rim a by
rivetting, as shewn about full size in Figure 3, or in some other manner as will be
referred to later on. The spokes where they spread widest apart are united by

page_text: very slight bolts d and nuts d', thus giving facility for regulation or the stinness
and trueing up the rim a.
Figure 4 shews a modified form of spokes in which their rigidity and the trueing
up of the rim are effected by nuts d¹ on a thin screwed wire d passing through all
the spokes, the ends of the wire d being united by a running socket d² with right
handed and left handed screw thread. The left handed thread is formed on the
outer end of a small socket d³ screwed on to one end of the wire d.
In Figure 5 I have shewn a wheel construction in which the bow shaped spokes b
are made independent of each other, each forming an elastic spoke. In order to
regulate their rigidity and to true up the wheel, I may either unite them by means
of a nut on each side of each spoke, the nuts being on a thin screwed wire as
in Figure 4, or I may unite the spokes to the boss c in such a way as to make
them adjustable therein. The spokes b in this wheel may be of a section such as
that shewn in Figure 6 or Figure 7, and be united to the rim a by a plug rivet a²
as shewn in Figure 8.
Figure 9 illustrates another form of wheel in which the spokes, which may be
tubular, as in Figures 6 or 7, or of a section like Figures 9a, 10, 11, or 12, and that
either single or double so as to form tubes or as shewn in Figure 13, are made
straight or nearly straight and radial, and having their outer ends united to bow or
spring parts 62, which may be of a flat or curved section, and are rivetted to the
rim a at each end, the rivets passing through elongated holes in b²; such holes are
not needed if the bows are made of a double flexure form.
Figure 14 shews a modification of Figure 1, the bow shaped spokes & having
each of their legs separate and united to the rim a. At the nave c they may be
fastened in the same manner as in Figure 1.
Figure 15 is a side view, and Figure 16 vertical section of a similar wheel, in
which however there are two sets of such spokes; Figure 17 is a full size section
through the central or boss part, shewing more clearly the mode of connecting the
spokes to the boss or nave. This latter is made in two halves c and c¹ grooved
into each other, and formed with a series of boles all round for the reception each
of two spokes b, which are here shewn of a curved section; c² is a ring driven or
pressed tightly in and against which the spokes abut. The bolts c³ for uniting the
half bosses c, c', pass through elongated holes, as shewn in Figure 15, in order to
afford facility for giving the spokes the required rigidity by turning the two sets
so against each other as to assume a more radial direction.
Figures 18 and 19 are sectional views at right angles to each other, shewing one
mode of connecting a spoke b of a curved section with the rim a, viz., by means of
a correspondingly shaped piece a', as shewn in plan at Figure 20, riveted to the
spoke and riveted to the rim a.
Figures 21 and 22 are similarly sectional views illustrating another mode of
fastening the spokes b to the rim a, viz., by an angle piece a¹ curved to the shape
of the spoke, as shewn in plan at Figure 23.
Figures 24, 25, and 26 are three similar views of an arrangement of a clip piece a¹
holding the end of the spoke between its two sides and riveted thereto and to the
rim a.
Figures 27, 28, and 29 are three similar views of an arrangement for uniting a
double spoke consisting of two curved legs to each other by means of a plug a¹
riveted to them and to the rim.
In Figures 30 and 31 are shewn full size sectional views of a mode of uniting
the spokes b to the boss or nave c similar to that shewn in Figure 16; the nave c
is formed with a flange having boles all round for receiving the inner ends of the
spokes, which are united thereto by means of plugs c¹, which rest on an afterwards
tightly fitted in ring c².
Figure 32 shews a similar construction but with a different form of boss, and
Figure 33 shews an arrangement for double set of spokes, as in Figure 17, but
with the inner part of the boss in one piece, and the ring or flange containing the
spokes tightly fitted thereon.

page_text: When employing spokes of a hollow or concave form I may some times place
them back to back, as shewn in section at Figure 34, when employing a tube form
this may be a joined or unjoined or open tube form so as to in all cases give the
spokes the needed power or tendency to expand the rim.
In Figures 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39, I have shown various sections of wheel rim, a
being the rim, and e the india rubber tyre around it where required; Figure 35 shows
a plain flat band saw tempered steel rim a with india rubber tyre around, such as
would be applicable for a wheel like Figure 1. In Figure 36 I show a rim d
consisting of two coils of the same section and material; Figure 37 shows a some-
what concave section of rim, and Figure 38, a rim a of a similar section with a
steel tyre placed around it, and an outer india rubber tyre e; Figure 39 shews
an inner flanged rim a with a steel tyre f, around it an intermediate rubber band e;
the tyre f may be replaced or renewed when worn out. This form is useful for
invalid carriages.
The
arrangement of boss and spokes shewn in Figure 33 would, if applied to a
heavier carriage wheel than that of a velocipede, be made proportionately
stronger; this remark applies also to other constructions of boss, spokes, and rim
herein before described.
I do not restrict myself to the forms of rims and spokes of the aforesaid elastic
material here shown, but would point out that the quality and temper of such
material forbid the formation of sections having sharp corners.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this my Invention,
and the modes in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I declare that I
claim,―
First. The construction of elastic wheels applicable to velocipedes and other
vehicles, and having elastic tyre and elastic spokes, the latter placed in compression,
all combined and united substantially as set forth.
Second. The application of steel made of a quality and temper like that of band
saw blades to the construction of elastic wheels for velocipedes and other vehicles,
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eduard Carl Friedrich Otto, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.