Velocipedes, and for other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Velocipedes, and for other Purposes.
I CHARLES ANDREW EDWARD TALBOT PALMER of No 2 Mayfield Road Hands-
worth in the County of Stafford Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR BICYCLES TRICYCLES AND
OTHER VELOCIPEDES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows :—
"
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the con-
struction of wheels principally for bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes but
applicable also to various other purposes. The object my invention is the
production of wheels in which great strength is combined with great lightness
and simplicity of construction.
I will describe my invention as applied to a bicycle wheel.
As the hub of a bicycle wheel has two flanges and as my method of connecting
the spokes of the wheel to each of the flanges is the same I will describe my
improvements applied to one flange of the hub it being understood that the
description applies to both flanges.
In the flange of the hub and near its periphery I make a series of equi-distant
holes the said holes passing through the flange and equalling in number the
number of spokes to be connected to the flange. In each of these holes I insert a
headed pin or nipple the said headed pins being so inserted in the said holes that
the heads of alternate pins are on the exterior face of the flange while the heads
of the intermediate pins are on the inner face of the flange. In that part of each
pin which protrudes through the flange a cross hole is made and the inner ends of
the spokes occupy the said holes. The spokes consist of wires headed at their inner
ends. The said spokes are inserted in their places by the unbeaded ends being
passed through the holes in the pins until their heads abut against the said pins,
the holes being countersunk to receive the conical underside of the head. The
spokes are so inserted in the said holes that adjacent spokes turn in opposite
directions. Hence all the spokes on one side of the flange turn in one direction
and all the spokes on the other side of the flange turn in the opposite direction.
The outer ends of the spokes are connected with the rim of the wheel in any of the
ordinary ways From the description given it well be understood that the spokes
are all tangential to a circle passing through the centres of the holes in the flange

page_text: and that each spoke is nearly in a line with the adjacent one but is turned in the
opposite direction. Where the spokes cross each other they are connected by
soldering or otherwise.
Besides being applicable to wheels for bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes
my improvements are also applicable to wheels for ordinary carriages as well as to
wheels for various other purposes.
I CHARLES ANDREW EDWARD TALBOT PALMER of No 2 Mayfield Road, Hands-
worth, in the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said 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 consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the con-
struction of wheels principally for bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes but
applicable also to various other purposes. The object of my invention is the
production of wheels in which great strength is combined with great lightness
and simplicity of construction.
I will describe my invention as applied to a bicycle wheel.
As the hub of a bicycle wheel has two flanges and as my method of connecting
the spokes of the wheel to each of the flanges is the same I will describe my
improvements as applied to one flange of the hub it being understood that the
description applies to both flanges.
In the flange of the hub and near its periphery I make a series of equi-distant
holes the said holes passing through the flange and equalling in number the
number of spokes to be connected to the flange. In each of these holes I insert a
headed pin or nipple the said headed pins being so inserted in the said holes that
the heads of alternate pins are on the exterior face of the flange while the heads of
the intermediate pins are on the inner face of the flange. In that part of each pin
.which protrudes through the flange, a cross hole is made and the inner ends of the
spokes occupy the said holes. The spokes consist of wires headed at their inner
ends; the said spokes are inserted in their places by the unheaded ends being
passed through the holes in the pins until their heads abut against the said pins,

page_text: The
the holes being countersunk to receive the conical underside of the heads.
spokes are so inserted in the said holes that adjacent spokes turn in opposite
directions. Hence all the spokes on one side of the flange turn in one direction
and all the spokes on the other side of the flange turn in the opposite direction.
The outer ends of the spokes are connected with the rim of the wheel in any of
the ordinary ways.
From the description given it will be understood that the
spokes are all tangential to a circle passing through the centres of the holes in the
flange and that each spoke is nearly in a line with the adjacent one but is turned
in the opposite direction, that is, each spoke makes a very obtuse angle with the
adjacent one. Where the spokes cross each other they are connected by wire and
soldering or otherwise.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in front elevation a bicycle
wheel constructed according to my invention; Figure 2 represents a portion of the
same drawn to a larger scale; Figure 3 represents a side elevation of the axle and
hub of the wheel without the spokes and Figure 4 represents a front elevation of
one of the flanges of the hub, together with a portion of the rim of the wheel and
a spoke, drawn to the same scale as Figures 2 and 3; Figure 5 represents partly in
elevation and partly in section a portion of one of the flanges of the hub with two
of the spokes connected to it drawn double the full size and Figure 6 represents in
elevation and section one of the headed pins or nipples and the inner or headed end
of a metallic spoke drawn to the same scale as Figure 5.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
a, a are the two flanges of the hub the metallic spokes being connected to each
of the said flanges in the same manner; b, c are the headed pins or nipples inserted
in holes near the periphery of the flange a. To these pins or nipples the inner ends
of the metallic spokes are connected, the set of the headed pins marked b being
situated on one face of the flange a and the set of headed pins marked c being
situated on the opposite face of the said flange a pin on one face being situated
between two pins on the opposite face (see Figures 3 and 5). In that part of the
pins or nipples b, c which protrudes through the hole in the flange a is a cross
hole d (see Figure 6) and the headed inner ends of the spokes occupy the said holes,
which are countersunk to receive the conical underside of the heads. The spokes
are tangential or nearly tangential to a circle drawn through the centres of the
headed pins b, c and are arranged as herein after described. The set of tangential
spokes which are inserted in the pins or nipples b, 6 on the outer face of the
flange a is marked e, e and the set of tangential spokes which are inserted in the
pins or nipples c, c on the inner face of the flange a is marked f. f, the inner
headed ends of the spokes e being marked e³ and the inner headed ends of the
spokes f being marked f". The outer ends of the several spokes e, f are screwed
at g (see Figure 4) for connecting them to the metallic rim i of the wheel.
The spokes are connected to the hub and rim in the following manner. The
spokes are passed by their outer or unheaded ends through the holes d in the pins
or nipples b, c until their beads e³, f' abut against the said pins or nipples, the
conical undersides of the said heads seating themselves in the countersunk parts of
the said holes d as represented in Figure 5. The outer screwed ends g of the
spokes are next connected to the rim i by means of the tubular screw nuts or
screw boxes h, h. The said screw nuts or screw boxes h are enlarged or flanged at
top and are passed through holes in the rim i from the outer side, the enlargements
or flanges of the said screw nuts or screw boxes bearing on the said rim as seen in
Figure 4. By turning the tubular screw nuts or screw boxes h by their projecting
outer ends, which are made angular for convenience in turning them, the metallic
spokes are secured to the rim and the required tension put upon them. Other
methods than that represented may be used for connecting the outer ends of the
spokes to the rim of the wheel. In this way, the several spokes are fastened in
their places, the crossing of the pins or nipples b, c by the spokes holding them in
their places in the holes of the flange a.

page_text: It will be seen by an examination of the drawings that the spokes are so inserted
in the holes d in the pins or nipples b, c that the set of spokes e on the outer side
of the flange a are turned in one direction and the set of spokes f on the inner side
of the flange a are turned in the opposite direction so that adjacent spokes are
inclined in opposite directions. It will also be seen that the spokes are all
tangential or nearly tangential to a circle passing through the centres of the holes
in the flange a in which the pins or nipples b, c are inserted. The crossing parts of
the spokes k,l may be connected by wire bound round the crossing parts and
soldered. By arranging and connecting the spokes in the manner described a
direct tensile strain is put on each spoke without any oblique strain.
In consequence of the nipples being capable of an angular, motion in the holes in
the flange any broken or damaged spoke may be readily removed and replaced by
a new one.
:
Besides being applicable to wheels for bicycles, tricycles and other velocipedes,
my improvements are also applicable to wheels for ordinary carriages as well as to
wheels for various other purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in wheels for bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes and for other purposes ;"-
Connecting two sets of metallic spokes to each of the flanges of the hub of the
wheel by means of heads on the inner ends of the spokes scating themselves in
countersunk cross holes in headed pins or nipples inserted in holes in the flange,
one set of spokes being connected to pins or nipples on one face of the flange and
the other set of spokes to pins or nipples on the other face of the flange, a pin or
nipple on one face being situated between two pins or nipples on the opposite face,
one set of the spokes being turned or inclined in one direction and the other set of
spokes in the opposite direction and all the spokes being tangential or nearly
tangential to a circle passing through the several holes in the flange in which the
headed pins or nipples are inserted substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this Twentieth day of August 1896
CHARLES ANDREW EDWARD TALBOT PALMER.