Improvements in Wheel Building Machines for Bicycle or other Light Wheels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug.,
4909
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
Date OT
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheel Building Machines for Bicycle or other
Light Wheels.
JOHN BATEY, Mechanical Engineer, 47, Heytesbury Street, Dublin, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improved mechanism to be used in connection with
the building or assembling together of the various parts comprised in wheels for
bicycles or other light conveyances.
The object of this invention is to facilitate the aforesaid operation and thereby
cheapen production and result in the production of wheels practically true
circumferentially and transversely in which all the spokes have practically the
same tension. To attain this object each rim must be transversely true--that
is it must lie flat when placed on a level surface all holes must be drilled
in true planes and at equal distance apart between the two edges of the rim―
the holes in the flanges of the hub must be on true circles and at equal distance
apart all the spokes required for the complete wheel must be tested to a given
tensional strain before being incorporated into the wheel-thereby resulting in a
complete system of wheel building whereby all wheels made according to this
system are practically alike-so far as the chief object is attained in which all
relative parts are relatively true to each other the rim and hub being held apart
under equal tensions as a true wheel circumferentially and transversely.
The method whereby this system is made possible is attained by the improve-
ments in rim drilling machines and automatic spoke manufacture-the com-
pletion of the system being by wheel building machines as follows.
In a machine in which the rim-prepared & drilled as aforementioned―is
placed within the circle formed by a number of jaws arranged to move inward
toward the true centre of the machine at one time whereby the rim is pressed
into a circle all parts of its circumference being held at an equal distance from
the centre. Each jaw is arranged to move in guides, cut radially in a circular
table forming part of and being sustained by suitable supports to a central pillar
forming the ground work of the machine. Each jaw is moved in or out by a
screw carried in suitable bearings the lower part of the jaw being provided with
a nut or internal screw arranged to move along the aforesaid screw when said
screw is rotated in either direction by a toothed wheel secured to one end of
each screw and moved by a large circular toothed wheel into which all the small
toothed wheels are geared whereby all jaws with their respective screws and small
toothed wheels are moved at one time when the large tooth wheel is rotated.
The large toothed wheel is carried below the aforesaid circular table by a suitable
arrangement of guides or guide in which it is free to rotate in one plane being
actuated by a toothed ring-attached to same-and moved by a worm or other
wheel geared into toothed ring-said worm is carried by a spindle rotating in
suitable bearings attached to the framework of machine-rotary movement
being imparted to the worm, toothed ring, large toothed wheel, small toothed

page_text: wheels and screws-by a wheel or handle attached to aforesaid worm spindle to
be worked by the operator.
The centre of the machine is provided with a spindle working in suitable
bearings said spindle being made adjustable up or down by a lever or screw-
with a means of securing the same in any one position-on which spindle the
hub is placed arranged and carried by a suitable attachment secured to and
forming part of the aforesaid spindle. The said spindle being arranged as above
to raise the hub to a central position-being that of the plane in which the rim
is held whereby the centre line midway between the flanges is brought into the
same plane as the centre line of the rim. In this position with the rim already
secured as a true circle-the rim and hub are secured as a true circle and centre,
being the correct position to receive the spokes to join them together. All the
spokes are of one length-tested and practically of one tension, and screwed to
receive their nipples. The spokes are inserted into their respective holes the
nipples are screwed on from the outside of the rim and run home until they press
against the rim, this being effected by a small hand or power tool made with a
split chuck, which is placed over the nipple and rests against the rim. As the
neck of the nipple comes into contact with the rim, resistance is set up and the
tool slips off the head. All the nipples are acted upon in the same manner until
the wheel is complete.
Then the jaws are released and the complete wheel is left on the central spindle
which can be raised by a foot or hand lever-consequently the wheel can be
rotated around its centre in a true plane to enable any inaccuracy to be
remedied.
on
The wheel is taken off the central spindle. Then another rim already prepared
is secured within the circle of the jaws-another hub is placed
the central spindle and set to its correct plane-the spokes are
inserted the nipples screwed on and screwed up to a given tension, and
so the operation of wheel building is continued each wheel being practically
true circumferentially and transversely and all spokes practically set to one
tension, being the result of one complete system.
It is obvious that the above machine may be arranged in several ways by
centreing the hub upon a table and the jaws on the same table but by preference
the machine as heretofore set out is preferred.
In a machine in which the rim and the hub are secured in true planes as a circle
and centre-the said circle being formed by pressing inwards so that the rim
when released will tend to move outwards thereby tending to slightly increase the
tension of all the spokes in any one wheel-all being the result of attention to
one complete system and method by the aid of machines designed to meet the
special conditions of systematic manufacture.
Doted in 00-12
1000
Improvements in Wheel Building Machines for Bicycle or other
Light Wheels.
I, JOHN BATEY, Mechanical Engineer, late of 47, Heytesbury Street, Dublin,
but now of Beechwood, Ravenhurst Road, Harborne, Birmingham, 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:
This invention relates to improved mechanism to be used in building or

page_text: assembling together the various parts of wheels for bicycles or other light
conveyances.
The object of this invention is not only to facilitate the aforesaid operation
and thereby cheapen production but mainly to assist in the production of wheels
which shall be practically true circumferentially and transversely and with all
the spokes having practically the same tension upon them.
To admit of such wheels being produced uniformly and with certainty it is
necessary that each rim must be transversely true-that is, it must lie flat when
placed on a level surface and all holes for receiving the spokes must be drilled in
it in true planes and at equal distance apart-the holes in the flanges of the hub
must also be on true circles and at equal distance apart and all the spokes
required for the complete wheel must be straight and tested to a given tensional
strain before being incorporated into the wheel.
If all the parts are thus accurately formed and the rim and hub are held apart
concentrically one with the other by the spokes under equal tensions a wheel
which is true both circumferentially and transversely is obtained and all wheels
made according to this system are practically alike. So far as the production of
uniformly drilled rims is concerned this is attained by the improvements in riin
drilling machines described in the Specification of another application for Patent
made by me No. 18239 of 1898 and the automatic production of spokes described
in a former Patent granted to me No. 28815 of 1896 ensures the uniform
manufacture of the spokes-the completion of the system is secured by the wheel
building mechanism hereinafter described.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a part plan of a machine for holding
the rim of the wheel and the hub truly concentric one with the other and with the
rim held truly in a circular form and in one flat plane with its central line in
the same plane as the central line of the hub during the time that the spokes are
being put into place.
Figures 3 and 4 are sections of one of the radial guides B and the jaw which can
be moved to and fro along it.
A. A are a number of jaws or dogs ranged at equal distances apart around the
centre of the machine.
All
Each jaw is capable of being moved to and fro along radial guides B secured
to an annular table C carried by suitable supports from a central pillar D.
the jaws can be moved inwards or outwards simultaneously along these guides B.
In the construction shewn in the drawing this is accomplished by the lower
part of each jaw A being formed as a nut to engage with a screw E mounted
radially in bearings below the radial guides B. Each screw spindle E has secured
to it near its inner end a pinion F, the inner end of the screw spindle is carried
in a bearing in a ring G to which the inner ends of all the radial guides Bare
secured. All the pinions F gear with a large circular toothed wheel H so that
by turning this toothed wheel all the jaws can be moved inwards or outwards
simultaneously.
The toothed wheel H rests on brackets H₁ secured to the fixed ring G. A
partial turn can be given to the toothed wheel H by turning a worm I by the
hand wheel I on its spindle. The worm I gears with a toothed segment J which
is fast with the wheel H.
.
At the centre of the machine is a vertical spindle K mounted in suitable
bearings in a vertical pedestal L. The spindle can be raised by a treadle lever M
or it might be raised and lowered by a screw or otherwise. N is a collar which
can be clamped to the spindle in any suitable position-it rests on the top of the
pedestal L and keeps the upper end of the spindle at any level desired.
The wheel hub is placed on to the upper end of the spindle and is held to it
between cones 0. By raising or lowering the spindle and clamping the collar N
to it in any desired position the hub can be brought into a central position with
its central line in the same plane as the central line of the rim.
:-
The operation of the machine is as follows:-

page_text: The jaws A are first caused to grasp and hold the rim and as these jaws are
always equidistant from the centre of the pedestal they not only hold the
rim in a flat plane but also hold it in a truly circular form. The hub is placed
onto the spindle and the spindle is raised or lowered to bring the central line of
the hub into the same plane as the central line of the rim. This adjustment only
requires to be effected once-when it has been once made no further adjustment
is required so long as wheels of the same size are being put together. The spokes
are now inserted through the holes in the side flanges of the hub and through
the holes in the rim-nipples are then screwed on to the outer ends of the spokes
from the outside and are screwed home until they all bear against the rim with
an equal pressure-this can be done without difficulty and when all the nipples
have been screwed on the wheel is complete.
The jaws A can then be drawn back to release the rim and the complete wheel
is left on the central spindle which can now be raised by the foot lever and the
wheel rotated around its centre to see if it be in a true plane and if it be not true
to enable any inaccuracy to be at once remedied.
The wheel is now taken off the central spindle and another rim already prepared
is secured within the circle of the jaws another hub is placed on the central
spindle the spokes are inserted the nipples screwed on and screwed up to a given
tension, and so the operation of wheel building is continued each wheel being
practically true circumferentially and transversely and all spokes practically set
to one tension being the result of one complete system.
It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the above machine
as for example other ways of moving the jaws inwards or outwards simultaneously
might be adopted but by preference I construct the machine as hereinbefore
described.
The tool I use for screwing the nipples on to the outer ends of the spokes
is shewn at Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8. Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the tool.
Figure 6 shews its forward end and 7 and 8 are views of its frame. The tool is
formed of a spindle carrying at its end a split or divided chuck the parts of which
can be forced inwards towards one another so as to cause them to grasp the head
of the nipple and cause the nipple to be carried round with them.
P is the spindle having coupled to its end the divided parts or dogs Q of the
chuck the dogs lie in longitudinal grooves formed in the spindle. Each dog is
also formed with a projection on its rear end and the spindle has holes formed
in it for these projections to pass into. The spindle has fast upon it a bevil
wheel Q by which it can be turned and also a screw R on to which screws the
tubular sleeve S-this sleeve is formed to embrace the forward end of the spindle
and the dogs Q which it carries.
The inner face of the front end of the sleeve and the outer side of the dogs are
coned as shewn so that by turning the sleeve and then by moving it endwise the
dogs can be forced inwards and made to grip the head of a nipple.
The spindle is as shewn mounted in bearings in a frame T. The frame
carries a pinion U which can be turned by a handle and which also gears with
and drives the bevil wheel Q. The frame is also formed with a rearward exten-
sion against which the body of the person using the tool can be pressed and
with a handle T which can be held in one hand whilst the other hand is turning
the pinion.
Vare small springs for pressing the dogs or jaws Q outwards, they lie in small
recesses in the spindle P.
To screw a nipple on to the end of a spoke with this tool a nipple is placed
between the chuck jaws as illustrated at Figure 5 and the sleeve S is screwed
along the spindle P until the edges of the jaws which are serrated grip the head
of the nipple firmly and whilst it is so held it is screwed on to the end of a spoke
by turning the handle U.
In Figure 5 the nipple is marked X. Y indicates a portion of the exterior of

page_text: the rim of a wheel and Z a portion of one of the spokes on to which the nipple
is to be screwed.
When the ends of the jaws or dogs Q bear against the rim of the wheel the
nipple as it screws onto the end of the spoke gradually moves away from the end
of the spindle and travels forward between the serrated edges of the jaws and as
these serrated edges are made to incline inwards one towards the other they cut
deeper and deeper into the head and a secure hold is thereby obtained upon it
to allow of its being turned with any desired amount of force. In this way the
nipple is screwed on to the end of the spoke until the head of the nipple comes
against the rim of the wheel and is made to bear forcibly against it.
The person
using the tool can easily feel that he applies the same amount of force in screwing
up any one of the nipples that he does in screwing up the other nipples so that a
uniform strain can easily be put upon all the spokes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A wheel building machine constructed as herein described in such a manner
that the rim and hub of a wheel can be held concentrically one with the other,
with their central lines in the same plane and with the rim retained in a truly
circular form during the time that the spokes are put into place and have nuts
or nipples screwed on to their outer ends.
2. Wheel building mechanism constructed substantially as herein before
described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.