Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles. .
We, GEORGE HARRIS LEWIS, of No. 1815, Avenue N., Engineer, JOSEPH
AUGUSTUS LABATT, and HENRY JACOB LABATT, both of No. 2303, Strand, Lawyers,
LEON BLUM, of No. 218, 24th Street, Merchant, and JOHN GOGGAN, of No. 2126,
Market Street, Merchant, all the said addresses being in Galveston, in the State
of Texas, America, 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:.
-
Our invention relates to an improvement in vehicle wheels, and has for its
object the construction of a wheel which possesses a high degree of resiliency,
and we accomplish our purposes by providing the rim of the wheel with a series
of springs connected with each other, through which the spokes of the wheel are
passed in such a manner as to form a continuous controlled spring tread through-
out the entire circumference of the rim or tire.
A tire or wheel, constructed as above described, is adapted to be employed in
the place of the customary pneumatic tire.
The further object of this invention is to so construct the rim and tire, and
to connect the same by means of springs to movable spokes and thence to the
hub of the wheel, that the wheel may be given the maximum strength to the
minimum of weight, while the auxiliary tire, being of solid rubber will not yield
under normal pressure.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifica-
tion, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
throughout.
Fig. 1. Is a side view of the wheel.
Fig. 2. Shows the arrangement of springs.
Fig. 3. Is a sectional view of the wheel showing the thimble and springs with
movable spokes in an aluminum tire and the auxiliary tire in position on the
rim plate.
Fig. 4. Shows the auxiliary tire for the tread.
Fig. 5. Shows the nut for fastening the springs to the movable spokes."
Fig. 6. Is a sectional view of the auxiliary tire for the tread.
Fig. 7. Shows view partly in section of a portion of the wheel.
Fig. 8. Represents a portion of the rim plate.
Fig. 9. Shows the thimble guide with a portion of one of the movable spokes.
Fig. 10. Represents one of the springs E.
Fig. 11. Represents an aluminum tire with the teeth B2 for holding the rim
plate and auxiliary tire in position.
Fig. 12. Shows a modification of our invention, in which a spiral spring is
employed in order to secure the degree of tension desired, and by means of which
a better action may be obtained.
The springs E between the flanges of the rim are wholly within the same.
and the movable spokes D¹ are passed through the openings e, e¹ in the springs E

page_text: and are secured by nuts E¹. The auxiliary tire A is preferably made of solid
rubber, but any equivalent material may be employed. The said auxiliary tire A
is fitted to the concavity in the rim, and in the form of wheel described, a springy
tire is obtained, having all the advantages of a pneumatic tire, but without its
defects. The tire of this wheel cannot be injured by punctures, and as the
wheel revolves under pressure the lower stretch of the wheel is not unduly
depressed. It thus requires less power to propel the wheel, owing to the action
of the springs, attached to the movable spokes, which produces depression at the
axle point, thus compelling the point of contact with the ground always to remain
positive, thereby not increasing traction force. Each spring E has an approxi-
mately central opening & through which one of the spokes D¹, is loosely passed,
thus preventing displacement of the spring in the tire. One end of the springs E
is curved or extended outwardly into line with the next spoke D¹, which passes
through an opening e in the spring E, being secured in place by a nut E¹, or in
any other suitable manner, while the opposite end of the spring E bears against
the under face of the next adjoining spring E. No re-action occurs through the
horizontal section of the wheel at any time.
The spokes D¹ are so constructed as to move freely in a brass thimble guide D,
the ends of said spokes D¹ being connected to the springs E and secured thereto
by nuts E. The action of said springs E gives resiliency similar in effect to
that obtained by pneumatic tires, and the said springs E by their construction as
shown in Figures 2 and 3, keep the thimble guides D from moving in the tire B
of the wheel. The construction and arrangement of the said springs E, is such
as to form in effect, one continuous spring around the entire circumference of the
tire B. The said springs E are not rigidly attached at any point to the tire B,
said springs E being compressed to the center of the tire B, and being at release
at the rim plate B₁. This compression of the springs E keeps the spokes D' as
firmly in position as though the spokes DI were fastened to the tire. The con-
struction herein mentioned is shown in Figures 3 and 10. The tire B is con-
structed as shown in Figure 11, being made of aluminium and adapted to receive
a rim plate B¹, as shown in Figure 8. The rim plate B¹ covers the openings to.
the springs and is so constructed as to receive an auxiliary tire A of rubber or
equivalent material as shown in Figure 4, said rubber being intended to serve as
a tread for the tire B, as shown in Figure 7.
The function of the auxiliary tire A is to act as a cushion and to prevent noise,
as well as wear of the tire B, and to increase speed. The aluminium tire B is
constructed with teeth or projections B³, shown in Figure 11, which are adapted
to penetrate and engage in holes in the rim plate B₁, thereby preventing the
auxiliary tire A from moving around the tire B. By the peculiar construction of
the said tire B and the springs E acting on movable spokes D¹ through the thimble
guide D, the said springs E receive all undue shocks, and compensate for same
through the movable spokes to the center bearing of the wheel.
In Figure 12, we have shown a modification of our invention, in which we
employ spiral springs F. These springs are loosely dropped over the_outer
extremities of the spokes D', above the thimble D, resting upon a spring E, and
being retained in place by the set nuts E¹. By screwing down the nut E¹ upon
the spring E, the outer extremity of which is provided with an aperture through
which the spoke D¹ passes, any desired tension of the springs may be obtained.
It will be observed that the operation of our improved tire, when used in this
modified form, is precisely the same as when the spiral springs are omitted, but
the addition of the spiral springs gives an increased spring power, and, we have
found in practice, a better action, thereby securing greater resiliency.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In combination, the tubular tire, the spokes loosely passing into the same,
1

page_text: and the series of independent springs carried within the tube, each spring having
on end connected to one of the spokes, an opening approximately centrally thereof
through which the next spoke passes and having its opposite end bearing against
the under face of the next adjoining spring, substantially as described.
2. In combination, the tubular aluminium ring, the spokes passing loosely into
the same, the series of springs located within the tube, each spring having one
end connected to the extremity of one spoke, having an opening approximately
centrally thereof through which the next spoke passes, and having its opposite
end bearing against the under side of the adjoining spring, and an auxiliary
tire or tread portion for said tubular rim, substantially as described.
3. In a wheel for vehicles, as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, the spiral springs F,
interposed between the springs E at the outer extremity of the spokes, substan-
tially as shown and described.
4. An improved wheel for vehicles, constructed and adapted to operate, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
1011
3
T1
1000
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Bond Street Buildings, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.