Improvements in Wheels for Wagons and other Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Wheels for Wagons and other Vehicles.
1 GEORGE HUGHES, of 38 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex Patent
Agent. A Communication from William Forman of Roselle, in the County of Union, and
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer 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 a wheel for wagons, and other vehicles, which is so con-
structed that the load supported upon the axle will aid in revolving the wheel when the
latter encounters stones or other obstacles.
The invention consists in the various features of construction, more fully pointed out
in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a sectional side view of my improved
wheel. Figure 2, is a cross section on line XX, Figure 1.
The letter A represents a wheel having the hub a. At each side of the hub there
are placed two bars, & connected by the cross-pieces 6', the whole constituting one
solid vertically-movable block.
The upper and lower ends of the bars 6 project beyond the circumference of the hub a,
and thus hold the block in place. The squared axle of the vehicle is introduced
between the bars, b, and is of a size to fit snigly between the bars, thus preventing
them from revolving when the vehicle is propelled. The axle c rests upon a coiled
spring, d, the lower end of which is supported by the lowermost cross-piece, b'. This
cross-piece is grooved, or cut away centrally at its lower face, so as to form a pair of
bearings, 2, for the axle e¹ of a small preferably flattened roller e. The inner
periphery of the hub a is grooved, Figure 2, so as to form a proper channel in which
the roller e may travel. The roller e should be hung a short distance in front of
the center line of the wheel and hub to exercise a pressure upon the hub slightly
forward of its lowermost point.
In use the axle c compresses the spring d, and the latter forces the vertically-
movable block and the roller e down. As the vehicle is propelled, the wheel A
turns, and as the block within the hub does not turn the roller e will rapidly travel

page_text: along the inner grooved surface of the hub a.
As soon as a stone or uneveness is
encountered, the axle c will fly up slightly to permit partial expansion of the
spring d. Upon the next downward motion of the axle the spring will be quickly com-
pressed to force the roller e upon the surface of hub a in front of its lowermost
point. Thus the roller will aid to revolve the wheel and to carry it over the
obstacle.
Having now fully described, and ascertained what the nature of my said inven-
tion is, and how the same is made and performed.
I do hereby declare that what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is,
1st. The combination of wheel A, having hub a block which is vertically
movable within the hub, and with a roller pivoted to such block and bearing upon
the inner surface of the hub, substantially as and for the purpose set specified.
2nd. The combination of wheel A, having hub a with the bars bb, projecting
beyond the circumference of the hub, and with the cross-pieces b¹ roller e, spring d, and
squared axle c, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3rd. The combination of wheel A, having a hub a, with the bars bb, cross-pieces b
axle c, spring d, and flattened roller e, the inner periphery of the hub being grooved
to accomodate said roller, substantially as specified.
4th. The combination of a wheel with a vertically-movable block within the same,
and with a squared axle that prevents the rotation of the block, and with a roller
pivoted to the block in frout of the center line of the wheel, substantially as
specified.
r T
1000