Improved Machine for use in Building Velocipede and other like Wheels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May. 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machine for use in Building Velocipede and other like
Wheels.
I, WILLIAM HILLMAN, of The Premier Works, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Managing Director of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object an improved machine by means of which the
felloe and hub can be accurately centred in relation to each other, and the felloe
held in a proper state of tension while the spokes are being inserted into both
felloe and hub.
For this purpose I mount on a suitable bed plate, a headstock and a tail stock
fixed at a given distance apart.
The tail stock carries a centering spindle, which is capable of longitudinal
adjustment by means of a screw and haud wheel.
The headstock carries the hollow trunnion or axis of an expanding chuck
constructed as hereinafter described to carry the felloe; the said trunnion is
capable of being rotated in the headstock bearing, but is secured against
longitudinal motion. Through this trunnion is passed a hollow steel spindle,
which is also secured against longitudinal motion, but is capable of receiving
rotation by means of hand levers fixed on its rear end.
Through the hollow steel spindle is passed a solid centering spindle, which is
capable of longitudinal adjustment within the hollow spindle and of being firmly
fixed in the adjusted position. The front end of the hollow steel spindle has a
screw thread formed around its exterior for the purpose hereinafter referred to.
The expanding chuck consists of a wheel carried by the aforesaid hollow
trunnion; said wheel has at its periphery, a rim, which runs on a pair of rollers,
the spindles of which are mounted in bearings in the head-stock, thus preventing
undue strain and wear on the trunnion and its bearing. The face of the chuck
wheel carries a number of radial sockets or guides, through which are passed the
radially moveable axes, spindles or guides, of the brackets carrying the felloe
bearing dogs, which latter are also radially adjustable in their sockets or guides.
The axes, spindles or guides, of the dog brackets are connected by links to a
central ring, which is tapped to fit the before mentioned screw on the hollow steel
spindle; thus, on rotary motion being given to the hollow steel spindle, the screw
thereon will move the tapped ring either forward or backward thereon and, by
means of the said links, will move the dogs outward or inward, according as it is
desired to secure or release a felloe on the chuck.
The machine is used as follows: The two centering spindles have the hub of
the wheel mounted between them, the felloe of the wheel is placed over the dogs
when these latter are in a retracted position, then the hollow steel spindle is
rotated so as to force outwards the dogs until the latter are caused to hold the
felloe true with respect to the hub and properly strained, then the spokes are
inserted in the hub and felloe as will be well understood, the chuck being partially
rotated from time to time to bring the felloe into convenient position.
When all the spokes have been inserted and properly adjusted, the completed
wheel is removed from the chuck by retracting the dogs as before explained, and
by retracting one of the centering spindles from the hub.
Dated this 16th day of May 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machine for use in Building Velocipede and other like
Wheels.
I, WILLIAM HILLMAN, of The Premier Works, Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Managing Director of Works, 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, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon:-
The invention has for its object an improved machine by means of which the
felloe. and hub can be accurately centered in relation to each other and the felloe
held in a proper state of tension while the spokes are being inserted into both
felloe and hub.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure is a vertical side elevation, principally in section, of a headstock
carrying an expanding chuck forming part of my improved wheel building
machine.
Figure 2 is a vertical side elevation of a tailstock also forming part of my said
improved machine.
The parts represented at Figures 1 and 2 are arranged on a common bed plate a
in position in relation to each other as indicated by the vertical broken lines X in
said figures, which lines, when superposed, will show the distance apart at which
the headstock and tailstock are fixed on the bed plate a.
Figure 3 is a face view of the headstock and expanding chuck shown at
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a vertical section, Figure 5 is a horizontal section and Figure 6 is
a front view of one of the dogs and dog carriers of the expanding chuck
separately, and
Figure 7 is a face view of the central ring for moving the dogs inwards or
outwards.
Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 are plan views of four dogs whose felloe bearing parts
are in different positions with relation to the centre lines of the bodies thereof.
In each of Figures 1 and 3 I have represented only one of the chuck dogs and
carriers, and in Figure 7 I have shown only one of the links connecting the central
ring with the dog carriers.
...
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
According to my invention I mount on a suitable bed plate a, a headstock band
a tailstock c fixed at a given distance apart. The tailstock c is adjustable in
position on the bed plate a by means of a screw c' and nut c² and it is fixed in its
adjusted position by screw bolts ³. The said tailstock carries a centering.
spindle c, which is capable of longitudinal adjustment in its socket by means of a
screw and hand wheel c, whilst said centering spindle is fixed in its adjusted
position by a screw e' acting upon jaws c to cause the split end of the socket to
close firmly on to the said centering spindle.
The headstock b carries the hollow trunnion or axis d of an expanding chuck
constructed as hereinafter described to carry the felloe; the said trunnion or axis d
is capable of being rotated in the headstock bearing, but is secured against longi-
tudinal motion by means of a shoulder d' at one end and a collar d' at the other
end thereof. Through this trunnion or axis dis passed a hollow steel spindle e,
which is secured against longitudinal motion within the hollow trunnion or axis d
by means of a collar e' near its forward end and the boss of a pair of hand levers
fixed at its rear end, and said hollow spindle e is capable of receiving rotation by
means of said hand levers e³..
Through the hollow steel spindle e is passed a solid centering spindle, which is

page_text: capable of longitudinal adjustment within the hollow spindle or axis d by means of
a hand wheel fi fixed on its rear end and a screw on such spindle working within
a screw thread formed in the rear end of the hollow steel spindle e, and said
centering spindle is capable of being firmly fixed in the adjusted position by
means of a lock nut 3. The ends of the centering spindles cand are turned to
fit the cups at the ends of the hub.
The front end of the hollow steel spindle e has a screw thread et formed around
its exterior for the purpose hereinafter referred to.
The expanding chuck consists of a wheel carried by the hollow trunnion or
axis d; said wheel d³ has at its periphery a rim d which runs on a pair of
rollers 9, the spindles of which are adjustably mounted in bearings b' on the
headstock b, thus preventing undue strain and wear on the trunnion and its bearing.
The face of the chuck wheel da carries a number of radial sockets or guides d³,
through which are passed the radially movable axes, spindles or guides ' of the
brackets or carriers h carrying the felloe bearing dogs h, which latter are also
radially adjustable in their sockets or guides by means of a screw h³ working in a
screw thread formed in the guiding body of the dogs h³.
The axes, spindles or guides h¹ of the dog brackets h are connected by links i to
a central ring which is tapped to fit the screw et on the hollow steel spindle e;
thus, on rotary motion being given to the hollow steel spindle e by the lever arms e²,
the screw e thereon will move the tapped ring j either forward or backward thereon
and, by means of the said links i, will move the dogs houtward or inward, according
as it is desired to secure or release a felloe on the chuck.
The ring is made, as shown, in two parts and with recesses between them at
their peripheries to receive the knuckle ends of the links i, and such two parts
are secured firmly together by the screws and nuts *.
The ring jis prevented from rotating with the spindle e by means of two guides j
tapped into the wheel and passing through holes in said ring j.
The machine is used as follows; the two centering spindles cf, have the hub
of the wheel mounted between them, the felloe of the wheel is placed over the
dogs ² when these latter are in a retracted position, then the hollow steel spindle e
is rotated so as, by moving forward the ring; and the inner ends of the links i, to
force outwards the dogs h² until the latter are caused to hold the felloe true with
respect to the hub and properly strained, then the spokes are inserted in the hub
and felloe, as will be well understood, the chuck being partially rotated from time
to time to bring the felloe into convenient position. When all the spokes have
been inserted and properly adjusted, the completed wheel is removed from the
chuck by retracting the dogs as before explained and by retracting one of the
centering spindles from the hub.
The construction of felloe bearing dog h³ represented in plan at Figure 5, is
suitable to be used with the machine herein described when 12, 24 or 36 spokes
are to be fitted to a wheel, but when other numbers of spokes have to be fitted
it is necessary to employ dogs whose felloe bearing parts are set more or less to
one side or the other of a centre line drawn through the middle of the carrier, as
shown at Figures 8 to 11, so as to clear the spokes.
I would here remark that the details of construction of the various parts of the
machine herein described may be modified without departing from the peculiar
character of my invention.
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 :-
1. In a machine for use in building velocipede and other like wheels, the com-
bination and arrangement of parts, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In a machine for use in building velocipede and other like wheels, the
combination on a bed plate of a tailstock provided with a longitudinally adjustable
bub centering spindle and a headstock provided with a longitudinally adjustable

page_text: hub centering spindle and with an expanding chuck fitted with adjustable felloe
supporting dogs, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In a machine for use in building velocipede and other like wheels, the com-
bination with a tailstock having a hub centering spindle, of a headstock having a
hub centering spindle and an expanding chuck consisting of a revolvable wheel
connected with a hollow trunnion which is revolvable but incapable of endway
motion, radial sockets or guides adjoining the periphery of said wheel, dog brackets
or carriers mounted in the sockets or guides, adjustable felloe bearing dogs carried
by the brackets or carriers, a hollow revolvable spindle passing through the
trunnion but incapable of endway motion, a screw thread on the forward end of
such hollow spindle, a ring mounted on such screw thread but incapable of
revolving thereon, and links mounted at one end in sockets in such ring and
connected at their other ends to the dog brackets or guides, substantially as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 8th day of February 1802
WM. HILLMAN,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.