IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WHEELS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Kitson, of Beechgroove, Oulton, Leeds, in
the County of York, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY WHEELS."
Sealed the 6th September 1878, and dated the 8th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Kitson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1878.
WILLIAM HENRY KITSON, of Beechgrove, Oulton, Leeds, in the County of York,
Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WHEELS."
My improvements in railway wheels consist in methods of securing the tyres to
the boss by means of a dise formning part of the boss, and which is connected to the
tyre by rings and bolts in the manner shown in the Drawings, in which it will be
seen that in all the methods the disc connected with the boss is kept free from the
tyre.
I do not confine myself to the precise forms shown.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Kitson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
December 1878.
WILLIAM HENRY KITSON, of Beechgrove, Oulton, Leeds, in the County of York,
Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY WHEELS."
My improvements in railway wheels consist in methods of securing the tyres to
the boss by means of a disc forming part of the boss, and which is connected to the
tyre by rings and bolts in the manner shown in the Drawings, in which it will be
seen that in all the methods described the disc connected with the boss is kept free
from the tyre, so as to throw all the weight on the centre according to the plan
contained in the Patent granted to me, No. 399, February 1st, 1876, my present
Invention being improvements in the details of securing the parts together.
I have several plans of effecting this object. On the first plan shown in Figs. 1,
2, and 4, I form the boss or nave with a disc, which disc extends nearly to the
inside diameter of the retaining ring; I then place a centre made either of wood,
paper, or other suitable material in position on the boss. To secure the boss and
centre together I place a washer plate, ring, or disc on the other side of the centre;
I then pass a sufficient number of bolts or rivets through the washer plate, ring, or
disc and the centre and the disc portion of the boss. I also pass a sufficient number
of bolts or rivets through the disc (near the outside diameter), the centre, and a
washer, ring, or disc. I place this wheel centre in position in the tyre, and secure
it by loose rings furnished with lips or flanges fitting into grooves or dovetails in
the tyre. To secure the whole I pass a sufficient number of bolts or rivets through
the loose rings, the centre, and the disc.
The boss or nave and disc may be made entirely of steel, wrought iron, cast iron,
or either of these metals combined, and the boss or nave may be formed with
the disc in the middle, and two centres used one on either side of the disc, as shown
in Fig. 10.
In another modification of my Invention, shown by Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 7 in
Drawing, I form the boss or nave with a disc extending nearly to the inside diameter
of the tyre (which disc is made plain, see Figs. 5 and 6), or is formed with a pro-
jection to fit into the loose ring, see Figs. 3 and 7, the ring being formed with a
double lip. By this means I remove the shearing strain from the bolts, the wheel
centre being held in position and fixed to the tyre as described above, and in the
Drawing.
In plans shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, I form the wheels complete, as described
above, with the addition of the tyre being formed with a flange or rib, which flange
or rib is hammered down all round or in several places as an additional security to
keep the ring and wheel in position in the tyre.
In the annexed Drawings I have shown some of the modes of carrying out my
Invention.
Fig. 1 represents a cross section of my improved wheel. A is the tyre; B is the
disc; C is the centre, made either of wood, paper, or other suitable material; D is
the washer plate or ring; E, E, the bolts or rivets, which secure the whole together;
F, F, are the loose rings furnished with lips or flanges fitting into grooves or dove-
tails in the tyre; G, the bolts or rivets which secure the whole to the tyre.
Figs. 2 and 3 show other methods of my improved wheel, similar letters referring
to similar parts, as shown in Fig. 1, the projection on the disc fitting into the loose
ring with a double lip, as shown in Fig. 3.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 show other modifications of my wheels, in which the tyre is
formed with a flange or rib a, similar letters referring to similar parts, as shown in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Figs. 8 and 9 show other modifications in which a loose disc H is used to secure
the whole together instead of the loose rings shown in the other Figures.

page_text: I do not bind myself to the exact forms shown, as other modifications of the
principle may be devised.
In the above modes of securing the parts of the wheel together I wish it to be
understood that what I claim as new is a combination of the boss or nave formed
with a disc, the centre or centres of wood, paper, or other suitable material, and the
washer plates or rings or discs, and the tyre formed with a flange or rib, as herein
described, the whole being secured by any of the usual or suitable means.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Kitson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM HENRY KITSON. (LS.)