AN IMPROVE- MENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN MCQUEEN of Plymouth Avenue Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR VEHICLES" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the wheels having light metal spokes which connect
inetal rims with the hubs and are provided with means whereby the spokes may
be separately tightened so as to put them in a state of tension. Previously to my
invention one end of each spoke has been separately secured to the rim but the
attachment has not always been sufficiently secure. In my invention I make one
single rod or pieco of wire to take the place of two separate spokes the two ends of
the rod or piece of wire being attached to the hub and a central portion extending
in a curve from one hole in the rim to another partly around the said rim the rod
or piece of wire being bent into the required form. By preference a channel to
contain the curved portion of the rod or wire is formed in the rim at the bottom of
the hollow which receives the elastic tyre in the cases wherein the wheel is
intended to receive such a tyre or the rin may be formed with two such channels
one on each side of the centre of the rim. The holes in the rim may be elongated
to receive two spokes in each case or each spoke may pass through a separate hole.
The two ends of each rod or piece of wire are screwed and pass through flanges on
the hub, nuts or lock nuts being employed to tighten the spokes that is to say to
put the spokes in tension but the arrangements for tightening the spokes may be
varied. Wheels of the class to which my invention relates are largely used in
their application to bicycles and tricycles but I proposo to construct wheels in
accordance with my invention for application to larger vehicles as for example to
Broughams, cabs and other carriages and vehicles.

page_text: I JOHN MCQUEEN of Plymouth Avenue, Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS FOR VEHICLES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and, accompanying drawings.
My Invention relates to the wheels having light metal spokes which connect
metal rims with the hubs and are provided with means wheroby the spokes may
be separately tightened so as to put them in a state of tension. Previously to my
invention one end of each spoke has been separately secured to the rim but the
attachment has not always been sufficiently secure. In my invention I make ono
single rod or piece of wire to take the place of two separate spokes the two ends of
the rod or piece of wire being attached to the hub and a central portion extending
in a curve from one hole in the rim to another partly around the said rim the rod
or piece of wire being bent into the required form.
In the accompanying drawings a wheel constructed in accordance with my
invention is represented by Figs 1 and 2 the latter being a vertical section on the
plane of the axis of the wheel. In Fig: 1 portions of the rim and tyre are shown
as removed in order to render the construction more clear. In the said Figs a is the
rim or felloc which is connected with the hub b by means of metal spokes c, c¹. In
the example the rim is made of channel iron or steel and is shaped to grip and hold a
tyre & of vulcanised caoutchouc on Carinonts Patented principle but this particular
construction forms no part of my invention and any suitable form or section of rin
or felloe may be adopted and the rim may or may not be adapted to receive an
clastic tyre. The spokes are formed of metal and preferably of steel wire or it
may bo in some cases of steel or iron rods each length of wire being bent into a
form somewhat as indicated by Fig: 4 so that the said piece serves for two spokes
as for example for the spokes c and c¹ in Fig: 2. The two ends of the piece of
wire are attached to the hub and a central portion is bent into the same curve as the
bottom of the channel in the rim as at c in Fig: 1. In the example a groove to
receive the wire is formed at the bottom of the said channel. The holes formed
at e, e, for the passage of the wire through the rim aro in the examplo sufficiently
large or long to admit of the passage of two wires or spokes but this is not
essential as a separate hole might be provided for each spoke. In some cases two
channels or sets of recesses to contain the curved portions of the wire or rod may
be formed in the rim that is to say a channel on cach side of the centre line of the
rim. The ends of the spokes are scrowed and pass through holes in flanges upon
the hub and the spokes are tightened by turning the nuts to a suitable extent.
The recesses in the hubs are closed by means of plates or caps f. f, so that the nuts
are concealed and protected. One of these plates is separately reprosented by
Fig: 3. In the example projections on the inner side of the plate pass between
the nuts and lock thein that is to say prevent them from turning. In lieu of this
the plate itself or a ring upon it may come in contact with the outer side of each
nut or any other suitable means for locking the nuts or for securing the ends of
the spokes to the hub may be adopted. It will be seen that the connection of the
spokes with the rim or felloe is very secure and this is the important feature in
my invention.
Wheels of the class to which my invention relates are largely used in connection
with bicycles, tricyclos and similar vehiclos and such a wheel is selected for
illustration in the drawings but I propose to construct wheels in accordance with

page_text: my invention suitable for application to the larger or heavier class of vehicles
usually drawn by horses as for example to Broughams, Cabs, Hansoms, Spring
Carts, and other road vehicles.
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. The method of constructing wheels having wire or metal tension or tightened
spokes substantially as set forth and indicated heroinbefore and in and by the
accompanying drawings.
"
2. In wheels having metal wire or rod spokes which can be tightened up so as to
put them in tension bending and shaping the lengths of wire or rod so that each
one servos for two spokes the two ends of the length of wire or rod being secured
to the hub substantially as set forth and indicated.