A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO PREVENT THE WHEELS OF WAGGONS, CARTS, COACHES, AND ALL OTHER CARRIAGES FROM COMING OFF BY ACCIDENT, AND WHICH IS DENOMINATED OR CALLED A WHEEL DETAINER
Year: 1818

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HOPKINSON, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Coach Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of April, in the fifty-eighth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Hopkinson, His especial licence that I, the said William Hopkinson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Hopkinson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO PREVENT THE WHEELS OF
WAGGONS, CARTS, COACHES, AND ALL OTHER CARRIAGES FROM COMING OFF BY
ACCIDENT, AND WHICH IS DENOMINATED OR CALLED A WHEEL DETAINER;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William
Hopkinson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
'manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next

page_text: and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Hopkinson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, are fully shewn
and described in this Specification, and in the accompanying Drawings and
references thereto, as follows (that is to say):-
My Invention of a carriage wheel detainer consists of two different parts,
the one being a circular hoop or cylinder made of iron, steel, or any other
metal or composition of metals suitable to the purpose, and which I fit and
attach either to the hinder part of the nave of the wheel, or to the axletree or
the axletree bed, by means of screws, hoops, bands, clips, bolts, or any other
proper fastenings as I find convenient; round the external or internal circum-
ference of this hoop or cylinder I form-a screw, the thread of which shall at
least make one revolution round it, and leave a convenient space between the
thread for the edge or lip of the cuttoo or catch, made of iron, steel, or any
other fit metal or composition of metals, to pass freely, and which catch,
formning the other part of my wheel detainer, I can also firmly attach either
to the back of the nave of the wheel, or to the axletree, or to the axletree bed,
as I find preferrable, observing that when the one part shall be fixed to the nave
of the wheel the other part must be fixed on the axletree or the axletree
bed. And also that the screw threads of each pair of hoops or cylinders must
wind in opposition and contrary directions; that is to say, that for the one
wheel of each pair of wheels they should run fron right to left, and for the
opposite wheel from left to right, as is customary with the screws on the fore
ends of carriage axletrees; and that they be so fitted to the wheels as that they
run the contrary way to the wheels when the carriage moves forwards; and
also that the catch lies between the screw and the wheel on the external
screw, and between the screw and the axletree or the axletree bed in the
internal screw, the effect of which contrivance is, that should the linchpin,
screw, nuts, or other fastenings to the wheels on the fore ends of the axletrees
become unfastened, the wheels cannot possibly come off whilst the carriage
moves forwards; nor even when it runs backwards; and the aforesaid
fastenings shall be unfastened until the wheel shall have made at least one
complete revolution, as the lip of the catch will prevent the wheel from coming
off by rubbing against or coming into contact with the hinder thread of the
screw; but it may, when needful to take the wheel off, and the wheel is turned
the contrary way to the usual motion of the carriage, be guided between the
:

page_text: threads of the screw for that purpose. The wheel is to be put on the axletree
by gently forcing the screw up to the catch or the catch up to the screw, as
may happen, turning the wheel round at the same time until the catch enters
between the threads of the screw, when it will wind itself on to its place, and
the linchpin or nut of the fore screw may be secured. The projecting lip of
the catch may be plated either at the top of the thread of the screw below it
or in any other fit situation around it, as may be desirable. And I also occa-
sionally attach a spring to the hinder end of the thread of the screw of the
wheel detainer, which presses upon the next thread to it, and entirely prevents
the wheel from coming off when it is turned backwards, until the spring
is pressed back by any proper instrument far enough to suffer the catch to
enter between the threads of the screw. The annexed Drawings and
references thereto will, however, render the application of the Invention more
evident. I do not, however, mean to limit niyself to those particular con-
structions only, but to avail myself of every possible method of carrying my
said Invention into effect during the term for which my Patent has been

page_text: Fig. 9 shews another method of forming the wheel detainer. This is
effected by forming a screw in the inside of the metal hoop or cylinder, which
may also serve as one of the sand hoops of the forewheels. A, the section of
the axletree bed. B, a section of the metal hoop, with the thread of the
screw C within it, forming one part of the wheel detainer, and having a
space beyond the thread for the catch E; which forms the other part of the
wheel detainer, to rest in clear of the thread. D, a section of the nave of
the wheel. E, the catch, made of iron, steel, &c., with it's lip F at the
end of it projecting upwards at the back of the screw C, and
the nave D, and firmly secured by a band or hoop passing over it.
the axletree.
Fig. 10. B, the metal hoop or cylinder viewed in front.
within it. E, the catch..
is let into
G, part of
C, the screw
Fig. 11 represents another construction of the wheel detainer, which is
applicable to two-wheeled carriages, or to others which have no axletree beds.
A, a section of the nave of the wheel. B, a metal hoop or cylinder let into
the back part of the nave, and firmly secured by four or more screws, C, C, &c.
D, the screw within it, which is not continued to the back of the hoop, but
leaves a space beyond it for the iron or steel catch E to lodge in. E, the
catch, being a staple fixed firmly upon the axletree F by screws. F, part of
the axletree. G, a section of one of the springs of the carriage.
Fig. 12. B, a section of the metal hoop. C, C, holes for the screws which
secure it to the nave. D, the screw within it. E, the space beyond the screw
for the catch to lodge in.
Fig. 13. B, the metal hoop viewed in front. C, C, C, C, holes made in
loops or eares for the screws. D, the screw.
Fig. 14. E, the catch or staple, viewed in front, with its screws, nuts, and
bar or yoke plate.
Fig. 15. E, the catch, shewn edgewise.
Fig. 16, a fourth method of forming the wheel detainer, which is also
applicable to two-wheel carriages, or those without axletree beds. A; part of
the axletree. B, a cylinder of metal, with a screw upon it, and a hole through
it, by which it can be firmly fixed upon the axletree. C, a section of the nave
of the wheel. D, a hoop or ring let into it. E, the catch, made of iron, steel,
or other fit material, let into the nave, and secured firmly by means of another
band or hoop F passing over it. G, a section of one of the springs of the
carriage.
Fig. 17: B, the cylinder, with its screw upon it, shewn edgewise. E, the
catch, likewise shewn edgewise.
.

page_text: Fig. 18. B, the cylinder and screw upon it, viewed in front. E, the catch,
shewn edgewise.
A fifth method of forming my carriage wheel detainer may be by firmly
attaching a metal ring or hoop, with a male screw upon it, to the back part of
the nave of a wheel, as is shewn at A in Figure 1, and causing it to enter a
female screw made in the front of a hollow metal ring or hoop firmly fixed
upon the axletree, as at B in Fig. 9, and lodge in the space beyond the said
female screw.
And, sixthly, the hollow metal ring or hoop containing the female screw
may be firmly attached to or fixed upon the back of the nave of the wheel, as
shewn at B, Fig. 11, and the threads of the screw be made to pass through or
between the threads of a male screw firmly secured upon the axletrce, or the
axletree bed, as is shewn at B, Fig. 16, and which said male screw may rest
in a space left for it beyond the female screw, in the said hollow ring affixed
upon the nave of the wheel; and in either of these two last contrivances the
wheel would not come off even should the axletree break.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hopkinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighteen.