IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS AND AXLE BEARINGS
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Swan at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
January 1871.
I, HENRY SWAN, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Wheelwright,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS AND AXLE BEARINGS," to be as follows:-
For the purpose of intercepting the injurious effect of jars and
concussions on travellers, goods, and the vehicles. and wheels themselves
I construct wheels, more especially those intended for railway carriages,.
steam road carriages, and tramway carriages, with the axles insulated
from the outer tyre by means of an annular space of an undulatory or
zig-zag form, which space encircles that inner portion of the. wheel which
is rigidly attached to the nave, and divides the inner portion from the
external portion which surrounds it and carries the tyre. This inter-
mediate annular space I fill wholly or partially with india-rubber.. The
wheel is thus divided into two portions with india-rubber compressed
between them, while the projections on the inner portion being formed
to correspond with the depressions on the outer portion,, each portion
is precluded from revolving independently of the other. I find it

page_text: convenient to have the portion next the rim in segments, and that, for
the purpose of preventing lateral displacement, there should be à suffi-
ciently deep flange on each side of the inner portion to extend beyond
the junction; or that there should be projections passing from the inner
portion through the india-rubber into the outer segments. In the case
of wheels constructed with spokes I prefer the annular space to be
situated in the rim rather than in the nave of the wheel. For the
annular insulating space any suitable deviation from the circular form or
interruption thereof may be employed which shall conveniently obviate
independent motion of the inner and outer portions.
For the same purpose, more especially for ordinary wheel carriages,
I construct the rims of the wheels with longitudinal perforations above
where the spokes enter the rim in order that no jar or concussion
received by the outer tyre shall be transmitted direct to the axle. These
longitudinal spaces I prefer to fill partially or wholly with india-rubber.
When I desire still further to increase the elasticity and allow that inner
portion of the rim into which the spoke enters to act more freely as a
spring I make a cut in this inner portion at one side of each spoke right
through to the perforated space, and thus sever its communication on
one side of each spoke with the main part of the rim:
For some purposes in place of perforating the rim I fix to the inner
surface of a rim pieces of a segmental form, the ends of which are free to
stand away a sufficient distance from the rim to act as springs. Into
these free ends are inserted the spokes.
Another part of my Invention relates to an improved method of
constructing clastic tyres which has for its object greater. durability and
easy application to the rims of wheels, also the prevention of cutting
from the road; and the removal of the great tendency to slip in wet
places which occurs in elastic tyres of the ordinary description, which
tendency in the case of bicycles involves considerable danger as well
as difficulty. For this purpose I mould or cut a tyre of vulcanized
india-rubber so that it shall have recesses on the outer part which is
exposed. to contact with the road, these recesses being filled in with
corresponding pieces of leather, hard india-rubber, or other material
possessing the requisite durability. Between this india-rubber tyre and
the rim of the wheel I. interpose a rim of thin metal, which is perforated
with holes: The outer. pieces of leather which lie in the recesses are then
stitched firmly to the. metal rim before mentioned by stitches passing

page_text: through the india-rubber tyre which is interposed between the metal and
the leather. By means of the stitches which pass through the india-
rubber to the leather both leather and india-rubber are firmly attached to
the thin metal rim. This thin metal rim is made sufficiently wide to
turn over and clasp the edge either of an iron rim or iron tyre; or is
furnished with a perforated edge, which is turned down at right angles
so as to lie on the side of the rim of the wheel to which it is to bc
applied. Small pins or nails are then driven through the perforations
into the wooden rim of the wheel. This mode of construction and
attachment readily permits of one or more joins in the tyre. I find it
convenient to have the turned-over edges of the perforated metal divided
in order to facilitate the fitting and bending. I also sometimes find it
convenient, more especially in the case of wheels with channelled rims,
to employ a slight substratum of wood under the elastic tyre; and this
wooden substratum may either be an addition to the tyre as before
constructed or may be perforated and then take the place entirely of the
thin perforated metal. In this last case I use screws to attach the
wooden substratum to the channelled metal rim.
Another portion of my improvements in wheels consists in the
employment of spokes bent into the form of a loop; the ends of the said
loops being fixed into the nave from which these looped spokes radiate.
The outer rim is then connected by suitable means with the elastic
looped spokes, and the rim of a wheel thus constructed will be found to
retain somewhat of that elasticity and power of altering its shape under
pressure which it possessed before the insertion of the spokes, which
from their form do not admit of unsteadiness from yielding in a lateral
direction.
I also construct a nave of cast metal which in place of containing
holes for the insertion of the spokes is furnished with projections which
radiate from the said nave, which projections are formed to fit between
the inner ends of each pair of contiguous spokes, so that when suitably
formed wedges are driven between the intermediate spaces after the
spokes have been laid in their respective places the spokes are firmly
gripped and secured to the nave. The wedges are prevented from
receding by the annular part of a metal cap which fits to the nave and
covers a small projection in each wedge, or by the insertion of pins or
other suitable fixing. For the sake of lightness of construction I prefer
that both projections and wedges shall be made in a skeleton.form..

page_text: I also construct naves of cast metal, which combine strength with
great lightness of appearance, by casting such metal naves with
projections radiating therefrom in the direction of the spokes; these
projections being so disposed in pairs as to admit of the spokes being
driven into the intermediate spaces situated between them. These
projections are, moreover, channelled or otherwise shaped in a longi-
tudinal direction, so as to retain in its place the spoke, which is made to
correspond thereto.
In order to decrease friction and lessen the wear and tear at the axles
of wheels I interpose between the axle and its bearing a lining,
wrapping, or sheath of thin aluminium bronze. I find it convenient to
have the edges of the sheath to turn over in a manner to retain it in its
place, and otherwise bent and perforated to suit its ready adjustment
and aid in the diffusion of the oil or grease. I also find it convenient to
make this lining or sheath in two parts to correspond with the bearings;
and I find great advantage in applying such linings or sheaths where the
bearings have already suffered from wear. This part of my Invention is
applicable to the bearings of machinery in general.