Improvements in and connected with Wheel Axles for Vehicles and Cycles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1899--Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Wheel Axles for Vehicles and
Cycles.
I, JAMES SHEPHERD, of Shird-Fold, Davenport, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to wheel axles for motor vehicles, cycles and other road
carriages and to that class of axle described in the Specifications of former
Letters Patent granted to me Nos. 12098 of 1887 and 29276 of 1896, wherein
the axle has fitted upon it an elastic bush enclosed in a tube or sleeve upon
which the wheel rotates.
It is found in using this class of axle as heretofore constructed that in order
to obtain any beneficial result the elastic bush has to be of a thickness which
cannot practically be used without considerably increasing the diameter of the
axle and consequently also of the hub or nave of the wheel running thereon.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby a considerable body
of the elastic material can be interposed between the metal sleeve or bush and
the centre bar of the axle without increasing the size of the said sleeve or bush
to unreasonable proportions and to effect this I make the holes in the elastic
material, for receiving the axle eccentric to the circumference of the said sleeve
or bush so that a considerably greater body of india-rubber or other elastic
material will be upon one side of the arm than upon the other, the greatest
depth of the elastic body being on the underside of the said axle arm.
In practice I prefer that the elastic material for each axle should be made in
a series of sections the several sections being separated by rings which extend
around the top and sides of the arm of the axle but not beneath the same so that
underneath the said axle spaces are formed between the sections of the elastic
body which permit of the ready movements of the same under the jolting and
concussion to which the axle is subjected when in use.
It will be understood that the arm ends of the said axle upon which the
eccentric pieces of elastic material are fitted are made of any transverse section
suitable to prevent the said elastic body from rotating.
Axles of the construction herein before described can be used in connection
with ordinary wheels without necessitating an increase in the diameter of the
hub or nave.
My invention is very applicable for use in connection with wheels which run
upon ball bearings as the cones can be screwed on to the ends of a single metal
sleeve or bush which encloses the elastic material.
101
T
T1 1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Wheel Axles for Vehicles and
Cycles.
I, JAMES SHEPHERD, of Shird-Fold, Davenport, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, 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:
My invention relates to wheel axles for motor vehicles, cycles and other road
carriages and to that class of axle described in the Specifications of former
Letters Patent granted to me Nos. 12098 of 1887 and 29276 of 1896, wherein
the axle has fitted upon it an elastic bush enclosed in a tube or sleeve upon
which the wheel rotates.
It is found in using this class of axle as heretofore constructed that in order
to obtain the most beneficial result the elastic bush has to be of a thickness which
cannot practically be used without considerably increasing the diameter of the
axle and consequently also of the hub or nave of the wheel running thereon.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby a considerable body
of the elastic material can be interposed between the metal sleeve or bush and
the centre bar of the axle without increasing the size of the said sleeve or bush
to unreasonable proportions and to effect this I make the holes in the elastic
material for receiving the axle eccentric to the circumference of the said sleeve
or bush so that a considerably greater body of india-rubber or other elastic
material will be upon one side of the arm than upon the other, the greatest
depth of the elastic body being on the underside of the said axle arm.
In practice I prefer that the elastic material for each axle should be made in
a series of sections, the several sections being separated by rings which extend
around the top and sides of the arm of the axle but not beneath the same so that
underneath the said axle spaces are formed between the sections of the elastic
body which permit of the ready movements of the same under the jolting and
concussion to which the axle is subjected when in use.
It will be understood that the arm ends of the said axle upon which the
eccentric pieces of elastic material are fitted are made of any transverse section
suitable for preventing the said elastic body from rotating.
Axles of the construction hereinbefore described can be used in connection
with ordinary wheels without necessitating an increase in the diameter of the
hub or nave.
My invention is very applicable for use in connection with wheels which run
upon ball bearings as the cones can be screwed on to the ends of a single metal
sleeve or bush which encloses the elastic material.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
1
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, shewing a wheel axle having the improve-
ments applied thereto :
Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Figure 1; and
Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 of a cycle axle provided
with the improvements.
a is the axle arm or axle, b is the sleeve, which surrounds the said axle arm
or axle and c is the wheel nave or hub which runs upon the said sleeve b, ball
bearings d, d being provided for lessening the friction.
e, e are the rubber sections forming the elastic bush enclosed between the
axle or axle arm a and the sleeve or tube b. These rubber sections are bored

page_text: eccentrically so that when fitted upon the axle arm or axle a and placed in
the sleeve a thicker cushion is provided upon the underside of the said axle arm than
upon the upper side thereof as clearly illustrated in the drawings. In the
arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 2 these sections are not continuous, that
is to say, spaces are left between the adjacent sections and the upper portions
of the intermediate spaces f, f are filled with the rings g, g, the spaces, how-
ever, being left clear at the lower part to leave room for taking up the move-
ments of the sections under the compression due to the jolting and concussion
of the axle.
The axle arm or axle may be of any suitable shape for preventing the elastic
bush from rotating with the hub; for example it may be circular in cross
section and be provided with a key a¹ as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 or it may
be square as shewn in Figures 3 and 4.
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:-
1. In wheel axles for vehicles and cycles of the kind wherein the axle has
fitted upon it an elastic bush enclosed in a tube or sleeve upon which the wheel
rotates, fitting the said elastic bush upon the axle or axle arm eccentrically,
substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with a wheel and axle of an elastic bush comprising a
number of separate sections eccentrically fitted on the axle and enclosed in a
sleeve upon which the wheel hub rotates, substantially as herein before described.
3. The combination with a wheel hub and axle therefor, of an elastic bush
comprising a number of sections eccentrically fitted on the said axle and having
spaces left between them, a sleeve enclosing the said sections and upon which
the wheel hub is adapted to run and ring portions separating the consecutive
sections at the upper part, substantially as, and for the purpose, herein before
described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved wheel
hubs and axles, herein before described and illustrated respectively in Figures 1
and 2, and 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Datal L
1
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.