Improvements in Vehicle Runners to be Used in Place of Wheels.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Vehicle Runners to be Used in Place of Wheels.
I, CHARLES LEONARD PEIROE, residing at number 712, Cass Street, in the City of
Milwaukee, in the County of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, in the 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 :-
My invention relates to vehicle and other runners or devices for facilitating the
moving of cars, carriages, wagons and other vehicles, either upon a road-way, or
plane surface, or upon a track, as desired, and consists in certain peculiarities of
construction, as will be fully set forth hereinafter, and pointed out in the claim.
Referring to the accompanying Drawings:
Figure 1, represents a side elevation of one form of my device, partially broken
away to better illustrate the detials of construction.
Figure 2, is a vertical section on the line, 2-2, of Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a perspective view of one of the blocks or sections of the form of
flexible track shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4, is a vertical sectional view of another form of my device.
A, represents the central stationary bearing, which may be either grooved on its
outer edge, as shown in Figure 2, or plane as shown in Figure 4, according as to
whether spheres or cylinders are designed to be used in connection therewith, the
bearing, A, being practically of the shape of a rectangular body with semi-circular
ends, and preferably being merely a rim of metal with a center, a, of wood, or other
suitable material, as shown. B, B, represent the blocks or sections of which the
moving track or runner is composed, Figure 3, representing one form of them in
detail.
In this form each block, B, is provided with a central tongue, b, at one end, and is
bifurcated at the opposite end, to form between the members, d, d, of said bifurcated
end a recess, c, to receive the tongue, b, of the following block, and the tongue, b, and
members, d, d, are provided with transverse perforations, e, to receive pins or bolts, f,
whereby the several blocks or sections, B, B, are united into an endless runner, and
between this runner and the bearing, A, are interposed a series of balls or spheres, C, C,

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of steel or other suitable material, when the grooved forms of blocks, B, and bearing, A,
are employed, or, in place of these balls I may use a series of rolls or cylinders D, D,
as shown in Figure 4, in which case the opposite surfaces of the blocks, B, and
bearing, A, would be flat, as shown.
In the form of block, B, shown in Figure 3, I have also represented exterior
longitudinal grooves, 9, 9, which are designed-for the reception of the flanges h, on
the clamping plates, E, and if preferred the described tongue and pin connection of
the blocks, B, B, may be dispensed with and the said blocks made smooth at their
ends, without tongues or recesses, and held in place merely by said flanged clamping-
plates, E, and bolts, F, passing through the central portion, a, of the bearing, A.
In Figures 1 and 2, I show both forms of connection, but it will be understood that
I may use either form alone, if preferred. For additional protection against dirt,
small bits of stone, wood, or metal, or other foreign substances, I show a shell or
casing, G, which I preferably use, and this casing is of less length than the operative
portion of the device so that, if an obstacle is encountered, the blocks, B, will first
strike it, and ride up over it.
With the rolls or cylinders, D, D, shown in Figure 4, I have shown the flat
surface blocks, B, united by tongue, recess and pin, and omitted the flanged clamping-
plates, but have shown the shell or casing G, to prevent lateral displacement of the
rolls, and in said Figure, I have shown flanges, i, on the exterior surface of the
blocks, B, to adapt the same to run upon a rail or track, and of course this exterior
surface of said blocks may be fashioned or flanged in any manner to correspond
with whatever rail or track the same are designed to run upon.
While I have only shown a single runner-member, in Figure 1, it will of course,
be understood that such may be connected together, in pairs, or otherwise by any
proper axle brace or other means according to the kind of vehicle to which my
invention is to be applied. From the peculiar sliding-motion of my device, I designate
it as an "olisthokine" (sliding-mover) rather than a wheel, the place of which it
supplies.
Under some circumstances, it may be advisable to have each alternate ball or roll of
less diameter than those immediately adjacent thereto, to reduce the amount to the
minimum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I, declare that what I
claim is―
The combination of a central stationary bearing a moving track or runner
consisting of a series of sliding blocks surrounding said bearing, and a series of loose
independent balls or rolls confined between the central bearing and the moving
track.
Dated this 16th day UT April 1007.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.