Method of Manufacturing Railway and other Carriage Wheels from Sheet Steel.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1894-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of Manufacturing Railway and other Carriage Wheels from
Sheet Steel.
I, HERMANN SICHELSCHMIDT of Bochum, Dortmund in the Empire of
Germany, Engineer and Works Manager, 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 :-
The present invention relates to a method of making disc wheels (for railway
carriages or other purposes to which same may be applicable) from sheet steel and the
said method is adapted to produce mainly two types of railway wheels namely wheels
with separate tyres and wheels without separate tyres. This method is distinguished
from all other methods heretofore usually employed for the manufacture of wheels
by the fact that the wheels are made of sheet steel and thus (with the additional
advantages of smaller weight and cheaper mode of manufacture) are very much
stronger than cast wheels whilst welds or welded seams or joints are entirely
obviated which welds are very liable to cause breakages by reason of the continued
vibrations to which the wheels are subjected in use.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a cross section of part of a wheel intended to be fitted with a tyre
or rim.
Fig. 2 shows a wheel to be used without a tyre.
Figs. 3 to 7 illustrate various stages of manufacture from the plate or sheet that
is merely cut to size and perforated to the finished article.
A sheet metal disc is cut from any suitable sheet steel into a circular form and
formed with a central perforation see Figs. 3 and 4 and this blank is subjected to
high pressure in suitable dies or other suitable appliance which has for result to
bend the edges of the sheet metal disc a over at right angles into the form of a rim
or flange d, see Fig. 5.
This rim or flange d is then powerfully compressed or set up in the direction of its
length either during the first stage of the process or by a second operation so that
the rim or flange loses in height or depth but increases in thickness relatively to
the thickness of the sheet metal disc a see Fig. 6.
This rim or flange d serves as a bearing for the tyre e which is tightly drawn on
or shrunk on or otherwise as usual and is fixed if desired by means of screws fas
extra security.
The central portion of the disc d is now bent into the form shown in Figs. 1
and 7 so as to assume the proper wheel shape.
Into the aforesaid central perforation in the disc a there is inserted a metal
block (Fig. 1) and designed to form the nave or hub of the wheel its outer
liameter corresponding to the clear inside dimensions of the perforation.
This metal block is then strongly compressed or set up by means of male and
female dies whereby portions of the metal block are caused to overlap the sheet
metal disc and to nip the latter tightly in the form of two circumferential annular
bosses c-after the manner specified in my application for Patent of earlier date.
This union or connection is rendered still firmer by reason of the subsequent
cooling.
Fig. 2 shows an arrangement in which the wheel is not fitted with a tyre. In this
case the sheet metal disc a treated and provided with a turned-over rim or flange d
as in Fig. 5 is not set up as above described but the rim or flange d is pressed into
the shape of a running surface or tread having a flange g.
'

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein-described method of manufacturing wheels from sheet steel by
forming a blank or disc of such metal as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with a central
opening or perforation therein then pressing or forming such blank or disc a with
a turned over rim or edge which latter is either pressed into the shape of a flanged
wheel tread or running surface as shown in Fig. 2 or is thickened by being set up
or compressed in order to serve as the support or bearing surface for the wheel
tyre e as shown in Fig. 7 and in either case having a metal block b inserted into
the said central opening in said sheet metal disc a to act as the hub or nave of the
wheel substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
2. The hercin-described method of constructing wheels for railway or other
purposes from sheet steel substantially in the manner and for the purposes set
forth.
Dated thin ath dam of T… 1001
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.