IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF WHEELS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Parsons, of Martock, in the County of
Somerset, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF WHEELS."
Sealed the 28th May 1861, and dated the 30th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Parsons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
November 1860.
I, GEORGE PARSONS, of Martock, in the County of Somerset, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS," to be as follows:-
My present Invention is chiefly for improvements upon a former Inven-
tion, for which Letters Patent were granted to me the 3rd Septr. 1859,
No. 2018. First, then, instead of casting a ring on the outer ends of the
spokes, I connect the outer ends of the spokes to the felloe by means of shoes
made of cast or wrought metal, and formed with a socket at front and back
to fit the inside of the felloe, and with overhanging sides between which the
felloe is placed. The outer ends of the spokes may be threaded, and the
inside of the sockets correspondingly threaded, and the parts may be united
by screwing. The threaded ends of the spokes may terminate in the shoe, or
they may be extended through the shoe and felloe, and may be secured by a

page_text: countersunk nut; or the outer ends of the spokes may be fixed in the sockets
of the shoes by welding or by casting, or otherwise. If found necessary, the
shoes may be secured in their positions on the felloe by screws, bolts, or
rivets; but I have found that the shrinking of the tyre on the wooden felloe
in the ordinary manner is sufficient to retain the shoes in their places.
I prefer that the nave be of the construction described in the Specification
of my Patent before referred to, and that the spokes when of wrought metal
be affixed thereto in manner therein set forth, but the nave may be otherwise
constructed, and the spokes may be of wood; in such case the "shoes" herein-
before mentioned for the reception of the outer ends of the spokes' must have
the inside of the sockets shaped and formed to correspond to the form of the
outer ends of the spokes so that they may fit into the sockets.
Another improvement consists in constructing "caps" for metal and wooden
naves for wheels of a disc of wood, cork, or other like material elastic in
itself, or made sufficiently elastic by being surrounded with elastic material,
and covered, or not with a metal disc. This improved cap is driven into the
aperture in the nave so as to lie flush or nearly so with the edge of the nose,
and may be retained if necessary by a pin. Where a linch pin is used, I make
an aperture in the "nose" of the nave for inserting and withdrawing the said
pin, and close it by a wooden or cork plug, such as before described, for forming
the improved cap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
80th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. GEORGE
PARSONS, of Martock, in the County of Somerset, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Parsons, Her special licence that I, the said George Parsons, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Parsons, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time
agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF WHEELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Parsons, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
·· NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Parsons, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say:-
My present Invention is chiefly for improvements upon a former Invention
for which Letters Patent for Great Britain were granted to me the 3rd
September 1859, No. 2018. First, then, instead of casting a ring on the
outer ends of the spokes, I connect the outer ends of the spokes to the felloe
by means of shoes made of cast or wrought metal, and formed with a socket
at front and at back to fit the inside of the felloe, and with overhanging sides
between which the. felloe is placed. The outer ends of the spokes may be
threaded, and the inside of the sockets correspondingly threaded, and the
parts may be united by screwing. The threaded ends of the spokes may
terminate in the shoe, or they may be extended through the shoe and felloe,
and may be secured by a countersunk nut; or the outer ends of the spokes
may be fixed in the sockets of the shoes by welding or by casting, or
otherwise.
'If found necessary, the shoes may be secured in their positions on the felloe
by screws, bolts, or rivets, but I have found that the shrinking of the tyre on
the wooden felloe in the ordinary manner is sufficient to retain the shoes'.in
their places. I prefer that the nave be of the construction described in the
Specification of my Patent before referred to, and that the spokes when of
wrought metal be affixed thereto.in manner therein set forth, but the nave
may be otherwise constructed, and the spokes may be of wood; in such case
the "shoes" herein-before mentioned for the reception of the outer ends of
the spokes must have the inside of the sockets shaped and formed to cor-
respond to the form of the outer ends of the spokes so that they may fit into
the sockets.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view of as much of a spoke
with the shoe as will be necessary to explain one part of my Invention.
a is

page_text: the shoe made with overhanging sides a', a', and fitted on to the spoke b; the
outer part or under side of the shoe a is curved or formed to fit over and upon
the felloe. Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3 a vertical section of a
wheel, shewing the spokes fitted to the felloo by shoes according to my
Invention; c is the nave of the wheel, which I prefer to make as shown of the
form described in the Specification of a Patent herein-before referred to; d is
the felloe on which the shoes rest. The spokes b, b, made of wrought iron pass.
through holes bored in the felloe, as shewn in Figure 3; is the tyre which.
is shrunk on over the felloe, whereby the latter is held firmly between the
tyre and the shoes. In some cases I dispense with the overhanging sides on
the shoes.
Figure 4 is a view of part of a spoke and shoe, in which the outer end of
the spoke is threaded; f is a nut countersunk in the felloe for screwing: up-
the spoke in the felloe d before the tyre is shrunk on.
Figure 5 is a view of part of a spoke and shoe, in which I employ bolts or
rivets; g, g, are the bolts passing through the overhanging sides a¹, a', of the
base of the shoe a and the felloe d. In this case instead of an entire bond or
tyre streaks may be used.
Figure 6 is a side view, and Figure 7 a longitudinal section of part of a.
wheel in which the spokes are made of wood, with the outer end thereof sunk
in the shoes.
Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views of the shoes taken at right angles to
one another, and made in the manner I prefer to construct them when wooden
spokes are used. 6, 6, are the spokes, d is the felloe, and e the tyre. The
outer ends of the spokes b, b, are fitted into the sockets formed in the shoes
a, a, which rest on the felloe as shown, round the outer circumference of
which the tyre e is shrunk. In this arrangement the nave may be formed in
the ordinary manner.
Another improvement consists in constructing "caps" for metal and wooden
naves for wheels of a disc of wood, cork, or other like material elastic in itself,
or made sufficiently clastic by being surrounded with an elastic material, and
covered or not with a metal disc. This improved cap is driven into the aper-
ture in the nave so as to lie flush or nearly so with the edge of the nose, and
be retained if necessary by a pin. Where a linch pin is used, I make
an aperture in the "nose" of the nave for inserting and withdrawing the said s
pin, and close it by a wooden or cork plug such as before described for
forming the improved cap; h, Figure 2, is the cap shown inserted in the
aperture in the nave. .
may
.: And. having. now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what

page_text: nanner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, as my "Improve-
nents in the Construction of Wheels,"-
First, connecting the outer ends of the spokes to the felloe by means of
shoes constructed and fitted substantially in manner herein-before described
with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, connecting the spokes to the felloe when wooden spokes are em-
ployed, substantially in manner described with reference to Figures 6, 7, 8, and
of the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the construction of caps for metal and wooden naves for wheels; as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Parsons, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.