IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MODE OF MAKING WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry James Grout, of 19, Havering
Street, Commercial Road, E., in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MODE
OF MAKING WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry James
Grout at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st December 1870.
I, WILLIAM HENRY JAMES GROUT, of 19, Havering Street, Com-
mercial Road, E., in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION AND MODE OF MAKING WHEELS FOR VELOCIPEDES, CARRIAGES, AND
OTHER VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the construction and mode of making wheels
for velocipedes and other vehicles on the suspension principle, by fixing
eyes, staples, sockets, or nuts to the metal or wood rims or felloes; the
eyes, staples, or sockets are made to turn round in the rim or felloe so
as to admit of being screwed on the end of the spoke to hold the rim
or felloe in tension to the nave or stock, and also for the purpose of
adjusting and setting the wheel perfectly true.

page_text: When metal rims or felloes are used I prefer the V or U shaped iron
for fixing india-rubber thereon, but when I make iron rims or felloes
without inserting the india-rubber then I use the T shaped form, and
the before named eyes, staples, or sockets are fixed to the lower part of
the T shaped iron; there are holes made in the centre of the eyes, staples,
or sockets through which the end of the spoke passes, a nut is screwed
thereon to tighten and adjust the wheel to any desired point on the
external circle and also on its side or front part. The nave or stock of
the wheel I make of iron or other metal in three parts, the centre peice
having two flanged ends with a number of slots or grooves to receive
'the spokes which are made with toc-shaped ends, two iron, brass, or
other metal plates are slotted and grooved to fit on the flanged ends
above-named to confine the spokes in their true position in their slots
and grooves, the spokes I shall make of iron or steel or other suitable
.metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry James Grout in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 1st June 1871.
'TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY JAMES GROUT, of 19, Havering Street, Commercial Road, East,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Henry James Grout, Her special licence
that I, the said William Henry James Grout, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry James
Grout, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MODE OF MAKING WHEELS FOR
VELICIPEDES, CARRIAGES, AND OTHER VEHICLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Henry James Grout, my executors or

page_text: administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was, to bo
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 Henry James Grout, do-
hereby declare the nature of my 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 Drawing"
hereto annexed and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say:
My Invention consists in the construction and mode of making wheels
for velocipedes and other vehicles on the suspension principle by fixing.
eyes, staples, or nuts to the metal or wood rims or felloes; the eyes,,
staples, or nuts are made to turn round in the rim or felloe so as to
admit of being screwed on to the end of the spoke to hold the rim or
felloe in tension to the nave or stock for the purpose of adjusting and
setting the wheel true..
When metal rims or felloes are used I prefer V or U shaped iron for
the purpose of fixing india-rubber thereon, but when I make iron rims
or felloes without inserting the rubber then I use the T shaped form of
iron, and the eyes, staples, or sockets are fixed to the lower part of
the T. Holes are made in the centre of the eyes, staples, or sockets.
through which the end of the spoke passes and a nut is formed thereon
to tighten and adjust the wheel to any point desired. The nave or stock
of the wheel is made of iron, steel, or other suitable metal in three parts,.
the centre part having two flanged ends with a number of slots or
grooves to receive the spokes which are made with a toe or T shaped end.
and two iron, brass, or other metal plates slotted or grooved to fit on.
the flanged ends as above-named to keep the spokes in a true position in
their slots or grooves. I make the spokes of iron, steel, or other suitable
metal.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will now proceed
3 to more particularly describe the same and the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying it into effect by reference to the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2.
an end view of a wheel constructed according to my Invention and
'

page_text: suitable for a large velocipede or a light carriage; Figure 3 is an
elevation (full size) shewing the nave with one spoke and a part of the
felloe, and Figure 4, section of same, similar letters in all the Figures
representing similar parts,
a, a, a, is the felloe of the wheel formed of V shaped rolled iron or
steel, and b, b, b, b, are the eyes rivetted, as seen in Figure 4, to the
felloe a so that they may turn freely, each of the eyes 6 is formed with
a screw nut cat the lower part to receive the outer end e of one of the
spokes & cut with a screw thread for that purpose, the nave of the
wheel is formed of three pieces, videlicet, of the centre piece ƒ formed
with a flange g at each end and having a number of slots cut therein,
and of two plates f',f', one fitted and screwed to each end or flange g
of the centre parts f, these end plates f', f', are also each furnished
with similar grooves or slots as the end flanges 9, 9, so that when the
plates f, f, are screwed on circular holes i, i, Figure 4 (and shewn in
dotted lines Figure 3) are formed which serve to receive the lower ends
of the spokes d, the latter being formed with T shaped ends k which
prevent the spokes being drawn out of the nave; the flanges 9, 9, and
the plates ff', are hollowed out or sunk so as to form when screwed
together a recess at each end which serves to receive the ends & of the
spokes and allow them to have play towards the centre of the nave; n,
central hole of the nave for receiving the axle; m, tyre of the wheel
formed of vulcanized india-rubber.
The mode of making a wheel according to my Invention is as
follows:-A piece of V shaped rolled iron or steel of the proper length
is heated and bent into a circle to form the felloe a, and the ends of the
piece of iron or steel are scarfed and welded together, countersunk holes
are formed in the felloe a to receive the ends 7 (Fig. 4) of the eyes b
which are rivetted thereto so as to turn, while the felloe is still hot,
its V groove is coated with a layer of melted vulcanite; the vulcanized
india-rubber tyre is now applied and when the vulcanite becomes cool
and hard it unites the india-rubber tyre thoroughly to the metal felloe,
no other fastening being required, the upper ends of the spokes are
next screwed a short distance into the eyes b, and the lower ends are
placed alternately on the ends of the flanges 7, the circular part of the
spokes resting in the herein-before described slots or grooves and
the T ends / resting in the recesses 1, the end plates f¹, f, of the nave
are now screwed on and by turning the eyes b, b, the spokes may be
drawn tight and the wheel be made to run truc.

page_text: In a modification of my Invention instead of employing the eyes 6, b,
herein-before described the outer ends of the spokes may be rivetted (so
as to turn) to the felloe and the lower ends cut with a screw thread
and furnished with nuts instead of T ends in the recesses I by which the
spokes can be tightened.
Having now described my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein laid down and shewn in the accom-
panying Drawing, but what I claim is,—
Firstly. The general arrangement and .construction of wheels for
velocipedes, carriages, and other vehicles as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, The employment of the eyes in combination with the spokes
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described
and represented in the accompanying Drawing:
Thirdly. The forming the nave with a recess at each end for receiving
the inner ends of the spokes substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing,
Fourthly. The forming the spokes with screws and nuts at their inner
ends substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described.
Fifthly, The employment of V or U shaped rolled iron or steel for the
felloes of wheels substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry James Grout, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
W. A. GILBEĘ,
4, South St.,
Finsbury,
W. H, J. GROUT. (L.S.)