Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by AXLE LEVEDAHL, of 325, Spring Street,
Aurora, and GEORGE S. WEBB, of Aurora, both in the County of Kane, and
State of Illinois, United States of America, Machinists.]
Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction in wood rimmed bicycle
wheels in which the tendency of the rim to split along its centre line where it is
weakened by the boring of the spoke holes, is overcome by the use of spoke washers
which have teeth or prongs adapted to penetrate the wood on both sides of the
spoke holes, and which thereby serve in effect as clamps to firmly bind the rim
together along the line of greatest weakness. The invention consists in the matters
herein set forth.
The rim of the wheel is made in the usual manner by bending a suitable strip of
wood into the form of a ring or hoop of the proper diameter and securing its ends
together in any convenient form of joint possessing the necessary strength and
stiffness. As herein described, and ordinarily such rim will be made of crescent
shape in cross section so as to present a peripheral groove in its outer face within
which a pneumatic or other tyre may be seated. The wire spokes of the wheel, may
in this instance be connected with the rim by tubular nipples of a familiar type. Said
nipples are passed through the usual spoke holes of the rim and have a screw thread
connection with the spokes by means of which the tension of the latter may be
adjusted as desired.
A metallic washer is placed beneath the head of each of the nipples, to distribute
the strain of the spokes on the rim and protect the latter from wear when the nipples
are turned in adjusting the tension of the spokes. Each of the said washers is
provided at its opposite edges with downwardly projecting spurs or teeth which
penetrate the wood on both sides of the spoke holes, and thereby grip the rim so
as to positively resist any tendency of the rim to split along the line of said spoke
holes. The washers which are preferably stamped from sheet metal at a single
operation, are formed with a central cup within which the head of the nipple is
adapted to rest as in a counter-sink, and with a downwardly turned marginal flange
which is serrated to form the spurs or teeth. Suitable recesses cut in the concave
face of the rim around the spoke holes let the washers into the rim until sub-
stantially flush with the concave face thereof, and as the heads of the nipples are
seated within the central cups of the washers all unevenness liable to interfere with
the wire is avoided. A convenient and preferred shape for the washer is a circular
form in which the teeth are provided around the entire periphery of the washer
and penetrate the wood rim on every side of the spoke hole. With this con-
struction the recesses which receive the washers are readily formed by a circular
cutter or counter-sink which may be conveniently attached to the drill which
bores the spoke holes, in which case each spoke hole and adjacent counter-sunk recess
will be formed at a single operation. Obviously, however, a shape of washer
other than the circular form, or in which the teeth are not provided on all

page_text: sides of the washer will in many respects be equally advantageous for the purpose
intended.
The nipples are ordinarily used on "tangent" or other spokes which are attached
to the hub of the wheel in such manner as to be held against rotation, but although
herein employed in connection with such nipples, the improved spoke washers set
forth are equally adapted for use with "direct" spokes, or spokes which are them-
selves headed at their outer ends to engage the rim directly, and in such case the
head of the spoke itself, instead of the head of an intermediate nipple, occupies the
depressed centre of the washer.
The spoke holes are of course, necessarily bored at short distances apart
throughout the entire length of the rim, and as the grain of the wood also
preferably extends longitudinally of the rim the tendency of the latter to split
from spoke hole to epoke hole when the wheel is subjected to a sudden pressure or
shock is very great, and is largely aggravated by the fact that in bicycle wheels, or
wheels built on the suspension principle, and alternate spokes draw off at an angle
in opposite directions and thereby directly tend to pull the rim apart longitudinally
along its centre line. In a wheel constructed as herein set forth, however, the
clamping action of the peculiar spoke washers employed not only entirely com-
pensates for the loss of material removed in boring the spoke holes, but actually
imparts additional lateral strength to the rim by reason of which its cross-section
may be reduced in area without danger of the longitudinal splitting heretofore
encountered, and in view of the well known fact that the principal object of
employing wood in the construction of bicycle and similar wheels is to provide
rim which is as light as is possibly consistent with the necessary strength and
rigidity, the importance of the present invention in contributing to the same end
by enabling the cross-section of the rim to be reduced in area without loss of
strength will be manifest.
Dated this 14th day of February 1895
al
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in wheels having wooden rims and wire
spokes, and which are provided with spoke washers, which engage the wood of the
rim adjacent to the spoke holes to prevent the rim from splitting along its centre
line, where weakened by the boring of the spoke holes.
In a wheel embodying my invention, a metallic spoke washer is used, which is
made of sheet metal and of circular form with a down-turned, marginal flange,
which is serrated to provide down-turned spurs or teeth adapted to penetrate the
wood around the spoke hole, the washer being also provided with a central depression
or cup to receive the head of the spoke or spoke-nipple. The washer thus made is
inserted in a circular recess, which is counter-bored in the concave face of the rim
around the spoк hole, and is provided at its outer margin with an annular groove
made deep enough to receive the upper part of the marginal flange of the ashet,
but of less depth than the length of the spurs or teeth thereof. In applying the
washer to the rim it is forced into the recess until flush with the concave surface

page_text: bottom of the annular groove, so that the flange of the washer grips the wood, not
only by engagement with the annular groove, but by the penetration of the teeth
into the wood at the bottom of the groove. The flanged washers thus grip. or
engage the wood around the spoke holes in such manner as to act as clamps to
firmly bind the opposite sides of the rim together, and thus prevent splitting of the
rim under strains coming upon it, which, in the absence of such clamping washers,
are liable to split the rim along its centre line and through the spoke holes bored
therein.
The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a transverse, sectional view of the rim of a bicycle wheel constructed
in accordance with my invention, the pneumatic tire thereof being indicated by
dotted lines.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the spoke-nipple shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section of the nipple and washer, showing the
end of the spoke engaged with the nipple.
Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the spoke washer.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.
As shown in said drawings, A designates a wooden wheel rim of common form,
made concave in its outer face to receive a pneumatic or other tire B. C-C designate
wire wheel spokes, which, in the instance shown, are connected with the rim by
tubular nipples C¹ C₁ of familiar construction. Said nipples are inserted through
spoke holes a in the rim, and have screw-threaded connection with the spokes in a
familiar manner.
D is a metallic spoke washer, which is placed between the head c of the nipple,
and the wooden wheel rim. Said washer is of circular form, and provided with a
down-turned, marginal flange, which is serrated to provide downwardly projecting
spurs or teeth d'. Said washer is further provided with a central depression or
cup d², to receive the head of the nipple. A circular recess a¹ is counter-bored in
the concave face of the rim around the spoke hole to receive the washer, said recess
being cupped at its centre to receive the depressed centre of the washer, and having
at its outer margin an annular groove a deep enough to receive the upper portion
of the marginal flange of the washer, but of less depth than the serrated edge or
teeth thereof. The washer D is forced into the recess a¹ until flush with the
concave face of the rim, the spurs or teeth being forced into the wood at the bottom
of the groove a². The washer thus applied grips or engages the wood in a manner
to positively resist any tendency of the same to split along the line of its spoke
holes, both by the penetration of the teeth or prongs into the wood at the bottom
of the groove, and by the engagement of the body or main part of the flange d with
the annular ridge of wood, which remains between the depressed central portion of
the recess and the marginal groove a² thereof. The holding or clamping action
referred to, is increased by the strain of the spoke upon the washer, as such strain
tends to draw the serrated flange more deeply into the rim.
The making of the washer of circular form is of great practical importance,
since it enables the grooved recess in the rim to be readily and quickly cut out by
means of a rotary cutting tool, that will usually be secured to the drill by which
the spoke holes are bored, so that each spoke hole, with its surrounding recess and
groove, will be formed at a single operation in practically the same time required
to bore the spoke hole alone. The washers D are in practice driven into the
recesses thus formed, so as to force the teeth into the wood at the bottom of the
marginal groove, by the use of a punch, having its end made of proper shape to fit
the outer face of the washer.
"
The spoke-nipples. herein illustrated, are of the kind ordinarily used on
"tangent
or other spokes, which are attached to the hub of the wheel in such
manner as to be held against rotation. The improved spoke washers described are,
however, equally adapted for use with spokes, which are headed at their outer enda

page_text: to directly engage the rim, and in such case the head of the spoke itself, instead
of the head of an intermediate nipple, will occupy the depressed centre of the
washer.
The tendency of a wooden rim to split longitudinally through the spoke holes
when the wheel is subjected to a sudden pressure or shock, is very great, and such
tendency is increased by the fact, that, in bicycle wheels, the spokes, being arranged
alternately at opposite angles, thereby directly tend to pull the rim apart longi-
tudinally along its centre line. In the wheel constructed as herein set forth,
however, the clamping or holding action of the flanged and pronged spoke washers
on the wood around the spoke holes, not only entirely compensates for the loss of
material removed in boring the spoke holes, but actually imparts additional lateral
strength to the rim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :
A vehicle wheel provided with a wooden rim, wire spokes having headed parts or
nipples engaging said rim, and circular spoke washers having central concavities,
within which the heads of the spokes or nipples are situated and provided with
down-turned, toothed, marginal flanges, said rim being provided with recesses
surrounding the spoke holes, and having marginal grooves, into which grooves said
flanges are inserted and into the wood at the bottom of which the teeth of the
flanges are forced, whereby the portions of the rim on opposite sides of the spoke
holes are firmly clamped together against splitting.
Dated this 10th day of March 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.