Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bending Certain kinds of Metallic Wheel Rims.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bending Certain kinds
of Metallic Wheel Rims.
We, SAM THOMAS RICHARDSON, of 3A, Rea Street, Birmingham, Cycle Manu-
facturer, and RICHARD PRICE, of 3A, Rea Street, Birmingham, aforesaid, Cycle
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention consists of the herein described improvements in machinery or
apparatus for bending into a circular form metallic wheel rims which have in
cross section somewhat the shape of a horse-shoe, that is to say, the cross section
of the wheel rims with which our invention is used is of very deep trough section
the bottom of the trough being somewhat of a semi-circular form with the sides
continued up to the periphery of the rim and gradually nearing each other
forming an opening all round the periphery which is considerably narrower than
the widest part of the rim. The said wheel rims are more particularly for use
with elastic tyres of the kind in which the indiarubber or like air tube is entirely
enclosed in the wheel rim and bearing upon this air tube there is an india-
rubber or other tread part of the tyre which projects from the narrow opening
round the periphery of the rim the said outer or tread part of the tyre having
an enlarged base which bears upon the said air tube and is divided into two
flanges which are pinched between the upper part of the air tube and the sides
of the rim. After a wheel rim of this section has been drawn upon a draw
bench from a strip of metal it is found that the trough has twisted in drawing
and this twisting has to be taken out of the trough during the process of bend-
ing the trough into the circular form of the wheel rim ready for the ends to
be brazed together. Moreover it is important that during the bending of the
trough into the wheel rim the sides of the strip be prevented from closing
together and that they be kept open at the proper distance apart all round the
wheel rim which is effected by this invention.
In carrying out this invention we provide three rolls which we will call A, B
and C of which the roll A is turned with a deep rounded groove and flanges so as
to fit and act on the outside of the rounded part of the trough which forms the
The other two rolls B and C
part of the wheel rim where the spokes are fixed.
whose axes are by preference parallel with each other and also parallel with the
first roll are arranged at a short distance apart so that the centres of the axles
of the three rolls form the three points of a triangle. These two last named
rolls B and C are each made of a peculiar form as each of them is made with
a circular flange of the proper width to enter the groove round the periphery of
the rim and to hear against the inside of the bottom of the trough and at each
side of the flange part there is a deep groove turned in the roll these grooves
being shaped so as to match the outside of the sides of the trough rim and meet
or almost meet the roll A. The rolls BC are by preference milled each on their
periphery so as to make them grip the inside of the trough and move it along

page_text: between the rolls. The said metal trough is passed between the three rolls as in
an ordinary tyre bending machine and by forming the rolls of the shapes above
described they effectually support the outside of the trough and at the same
time by the two said rolls entering the trough the sides of the trough are pre-
vented from collapsing as the ring like or circular form of the rim is obtained
by the rolls A being pressed towards the other two rolls B and C as in an
ordinary tyre bending machine; the important feature of our said invention
being the construction of the two rolls BC which prevent the sides of the trough
from closing and also ensure the opening being true and of the proper width all
round the periphery of the wheel rim.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1898.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Bending Certain Kinds
of Metallic Wheel Rims.
We, SAM THOMAS RICHARDSON, of 3A, Rea Street, Birmingham, Cycle Manu-
facturer, and RICHARD PRICE, of 3A, Rea Street, Birmingham, aforesaid, Cycle
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 consists of the herein described improvements in machinery or
apparatus for bending into a circular form metallic wheel rims which have in
cross section somewhat the shape of a horse-shoe, that is to say, the cross section
of the wheel rims with which our invention is used is of very deep trough section
the bottom of the trough being somewhat of a semi-circular form with the sides
continued up to the periphery of the rim and gradually nearing each other
forming an opening all round the periphery which is considerably narrower than
the widest part of the rim.
The said wheel rims are more particularly for use with elastic tyres of the
kind in which the indiarubber or like air tube is entirely enclosed in the wheel
rim and bearing upon this air tube there is an indiarubber or other
tread part of the tyre which projects from the narrow opening round
the periphery of the rim the said outer or tread part of the tyre
having an enlarged base which bears upon the said air tube and is divided into
two flanges which are pinched between the upper part of the air tube and the
sides of the rim. After a trough section strip for forming a wheel rim of this
section has been drawn upon a draw bench from a strip of metal it is found that
the trough has twisted in drawing and this twisting has to be taken out of the
trough during the process of bending the trough into the circular form of the
wheel rim ready for the ends to be brazed together. Moreover, it is important
that during the bending of the trough into the wheel rim the sides of the strip
be prevented from closing together and that they be kept open at the proper
distance apart all round the wheel rim which is effected by this invention.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional front elevation of a trough
section wheel rim bending machine with the rolls constructed and arranged in
accordance with this invention represented in the act of bending one of the
wheel rims Fig. 2 is a plan of the said machine and part of the said wheel
rim; Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the same; Fig. 4 shews separately

page_text: the three rolls of the said machine; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the complete
wheel rim; Fig. 6 is a cross sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 7 shews part
of the drawn metal strip from which the wheel rim is formed and Fig. 8 is a
full size cross section of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures of the drawings.
In carrying out this invention we provide three rolls marked respectively A B
and C of which the roll A is turned with a deep rounded groove a¹ and
flanges a² a3 so as to fit and act on the outside of the rounded part of the
trough which forms the part of the wheel rim D where the spokes are fixed. The
other two rolls B and C are arranged at a short distance apart with their axes b¹ c¹
parallel with each other and also parallel with the axis at of the first roll A, so
that the centres of the axles ab₁c of the three rolls A B and C form the three
points of a triangle (see Fig. 1). These two last named rolls B and C are both
of the same shape and each is made with a central circular flange e of the proper
width to enter the groove 2 round the periphery of the rim D and to bear
against the inside d³ of the bottom of the trough. Turned in the rolls B and C
at each side of the flanged part e there is a deep groove (these grooves being
marked respectively fl²) shaped (see Figs. 2, 3, and 4) so as to match the out-
side of the sides d d (see Fig. 8) of the rim D and each of the rolls BC is
made with two flanges g¹g which support the outside of the trough D.
flanges e of the rolls BC are by preference milled on their periphery so as to
make them grip against the inside of the bottom of the trough D and move
same along between the rolls
The
The machine frame in which the rolls A B and C are mounted is that of an
ordinary tyre bending machine and in respect of this machine, apart from the
rolls A B and C, we make no claim. The side frames HH2 of the machine
frame support the axles b₁ c¹ of the rolls BC in bearings h¹²³ and these
axles have spur wheels mounted respectively upon them which gear with a
spur pinion mounted on the pin of the frame which receives rotary motion
by the handle J, or by other convenient means so that the two rolls BC are
turned in the same direction. The axle at of the third roll A is as is usual
carried by the two vertical side bars 12 which are formed with the cross bar k³
at the bottom through which the usual adjusting screw L passes for adjusting
the position of the roll A nearer to or farther from a line joining the axles of
the two rolls B, C according to the diameter of the wheel rim into which the
trough section strip is required to be bent.
In using our invention the said metal trough section strip D is passed between
the rolls A B and C as in an ordinary tyre bending machine, as shewn in Figs. 1,
2 and 3, and by forming the rolls A B and C of the shapes above described and
shewn they effectually support the outside of the trough D and at the same time
by the flanges eo of the said two rolls BC entering the trough, the sides d' d
of the trough are prevented from collapsing. The ring like or circular form of
the rim is obtained by the roll A being pressed by the screw L towards a line
joining the centres of the other two rolls BC as in an ordinary tyre bending
machine. The important feature of our invention is the construction of the two
rolls B and C which prevent the sides of the trough D from closing and also
ensure the opening of the trough being true and of the proper width all
round the periphery of the wheel rim.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1
In a machine for bending a trough section strip of the kind herein referred to into
a trough section wheel rim, the employment of the three rolls A B and C of
which the roll A is made with a groove a¹ to fit against the rounded outside of

page_text: the trough and the two rolls B and C are each made with a flange e to take inside
the trough and against the bottom of the same and keep the trough open and
with the two grooves f1f2 and flanges g₁g to support the sides of the trough,
said rolls being arranged and operating in the manner substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1898.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.