IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Albert Livingston Blackman, of Cross
Plains Tennessee United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th May 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and
arrangement of the component parts of a vehicle wheel.
The hub consists of a hollow cylinder or tube, having a circular
concave clamp flange or disc cast with it and on its inner end, against

page_text: which the spokes are held by an adjustable clamp disc or flange that
screws on tho cylinder from the outer end. This tube may be made
with a circular and alternating recess or mortise clamp flange on its inner
end, in the recess of which the spokes may be placed in a "staggered"
position, they may be held with an adjustable corresponding alternating
recess clamp flange on the outer end of the hub, and a flange nut or
confining screw to screw on the tube against the said flange to govern
its hold on the spokes. Two chilled iron or steel bearings screwed or
otherwise fastened into the hub form a bearing for the axle. When
worn out these bearings if removable can be replaced, thereby saving
the hub from wear.
The spokes are dressed at one end trapezoidal or wedge-shape one
way, and are made to rest side by side against each other in the space
between the discs, each spoke abutting against its neighbour, forming a
complete circle and one mass. The base ends of the spokes are dove-
tailed, giving to this end a broad base, which when resting on the face
of the cast cylinder aids materially in overcoming any tendency toward
a lateral movement; when the clamp flange or disc is screwed home the
spokes are drawn tightly together filling the angles formed by the
discs.
By the use of the alternating recess flanges or clamps the wheel may
be made if necessary perfectly straight. On the extreme end of the
spoke I sometimes screw a shouldered thimble screw tenon, that also
screws into the felly and forms an adjustable tenon for the spokes. By
this arrangement and the arrangement of the parts of the hub a spoke
may be removed or replaced at will, without injury to the hub or rim,
and without removing the tire. The fellies are joined by oblique instead
of square shouldered joints.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent 30
Office on the 19th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES," a communication to me from
abroad by Albert Livingston Blackman, of Cross Plains, Tennessee, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing, forming a part of this Specification.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and
arrangement of the component parts of a vehicle wheel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a section of the hub of one of the said improved wheels,
showing the flanges or discs and the spokes in place.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the said wheel, showing the spokes in
place and the rim and thimbles.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hub, spokes, and various parts
of the wheel.
Figure 4 is a section of a recessed flange or clamp hub, showing the
spokes in place and the clamp flange or confining screw.

page_text: The said hub consists of a hollow cylinder or tube A, having a circular
concave shaped clamp flange or disc B cast with it and on its inner end,
against which the spokes are held by an adjustable clamp disc or
flange C that screws on the cylinder from the outer end. This tube A
may be made with a circular and alternating recess or mortise clamp
flange D cast with it on its inner end, in the recess of which the
spokes G may be placed in a "staggered" position; they may be held
with an adjustable corresponding alternating recess clamp flange E on
the outer end of the hub to close on the edge of the spokes to hold and
keep them in place, and a flange nut or confining screw F to screw on
the tube A, against flange E, to govern its hold on the spokes. Two
chilled iron or steel bearings a, a¹, screwed or otherwise fastened into
the hub at b and c form a bearing for the axle. When worn out these
bearings if removable can be replaced, thereby saving the hub from
wear.
By this construction of a wheel hub several important points are
gained, amongst which are the following:-The wheel may be made
light without impairing its strength; it may be made quite straight
without dish and the spokes can be taken out and replaced at will without
injury to the hub or rim. The spokes G are dressed at one end H
trapezoidal or wedge-shape one way, and are made to rest side by side
against each other in the space d between the discs, forming a complete
circle and one mass. The base ends of the spokes I are dovetailed
corresponding with the space between the flanges, giving to this end a
broad base, which when resting on the face of the cast cylinder A. aids
materially in overcoming any tendency toward a lateral movement; when
the clamp flange or disc C or E is screwed home the spokes are drawn
tightly together filling the angles formed by the discs, and are forced
down close upon the hub body by a screw pressure that draws toward
the centre, thereby preventing any displacement or tendency to dish the
wheel.
By the use of the alternating recess flanges or clamps the wheel may
be made if necessary perfectly straight. On the extreme end of the
spoke I sometimes screw a shouldered thimble screw tenon e, that also
screws into the felly and forms an adjustable tenon for the spokes. By:
this arrangement and the arrangement of the parts of the hub a spoke
may be removed or replaced at will without injury to the hub or rim
and without removing the tire. The fellies are joined by oblique instead

page_text: of square shouldered joints at f, so that the tire may be tightened without
cutting it, and additional strength and firmness are given to the wheel
rim.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination of the cylinder or tube having the concave
flange cast on its inner end, the removable axle bearings, and the
adjustable concave flange, constructed and arranged substantially as set
forth, and for the purposes specified.
Second. The cast cylinder with its mortised or recessed concave
flange disc and confining screw, in combination with the spokes, broad
based or dovetailed one way, and wedge-shaped the other, constructed
and arranged substantially as set forth and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination of the cast cylinder having the concave
recessed flange cast on it, the adjustable concave recessed flange, and
the flange nut or confining screw, with or without the removable axle
bearings, constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Fourth. The vehicle wheel hub complete with either form of flange,
the spokes in their trapezoidal or wedge-shape form one way, and dove-
tailed form the other, with or without removable axle bearings, the
thimble screw tenon, and the mitred or obliquely cut and matched felly
joint, constructed and combined substantially as described and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
0 Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)