Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Wheels for Vehicles and other Uses.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1894-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1894
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Wheels for Vehicles
and other Uses.
I EDWARD KENWORTHY DUTTON of 5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates principally to the wheels of carriages and road vehicles
and has for its object to obtain better connection of the parts and when desirable
a lighter and more elastic construction. I obtain a firm connection of the spokes
with the hub and with the felloe so that the spokes may be made lighter than
when adapted to act only as struts. I shape the inner ends of the spokes so that
they fit together, and I form or provide such inner ends with conical shoulders so
that when tightened up between hollow conical parts the spokes are drawn inward
or are firmly held from moving away from the limb.
In some cases the spokes may be in two rings each coned on one side only, or
on both sides. When coned on one side only the other sides fit together. When
coned on both sides double conical rings would be interposed. Packing pieces of
wood or elastic material may be interposed between the rings or between the butts
of the spokes.
To save timber in cutting out the coned part might be made from a separate
piece and be attached to the spoke butt by means of a dowel and cement or by
letting a projection on one part into the other part or by suitable means..
When the spoke butts are shaped and glued or held together the conical face
or faces is or are turned upon the collective butts. I propose to bore a hole in
each butt to fit upon a stud in the machines for shaping the ends. The spokes to
constitute a ring may then be chucked in a scroll or suitable centripetal chuck
having a ring of studs whereby all the spokes can be simultaneously drawn toward
the centre and held tightly together whilst the face or faces are turned.
The hub would preferably be of metal and have a fixed hollow conical flange
and a loose conical washer with means for tightening up such washer.
In some cases the spokes might be attached to the felloe in the ordinary manner.
I prefer to make the felloe with two rings each made in one piece or in two or
more segments the two rings being put together so as to break joint. Half of the
spokes would be attached to one ring and the other half to the other ring.
The outer ends of the spokes would be let into the rings of the felloe so as to
be firmly held as for example the spoke ends might be dovetailed or be formed
with partly circular ends let into recesses cut in the rings. The joints would be
concealed when the two rings would be fastened together. The joints with the
spokes would by preference be served with marine glue and might be secured by
pins screws or fastenings. By preference the rings with the attached spokes
would have their meeting faces trued in a lathe. The two rings would be secured
together by means of pins screws rivets or fastenings with or without glue or
cement and some or all of the fastenings might pass through the joints with the
spokes. Metal rings joints plates or washers might be used. I may turn the
spokes to be round in section at the connection with the felloe enlarging to an
oval in section or other section at the hub end so as to be much stronger at one
end than at the other. The spoke ends might be let into the outer sides of the
felloe or be interposed between the ends of short segments and might be covered
by metal rings plates or sectors. I propose in some cases when providing an
elastic tyre to dispense with the ordinary metal tyre. In such cases the felloe

page_text: may be plain or be formed with a groove to receive part of the elastic tyre or
with a projecting ring and the tyre may be cemented in place and be further
secured by means of pins screws staples bands wires rings or suitable fastenings.
A part of the tyre might be clamped between the two rings of the felloe.
A metal ring might be secured on each side of the felloe or on the outer side 5
only. Elastic tyres may be secured in the same manner to ordinary wheels not
provided with metal tyres but strengthened by means of metal side rings.
When proposing to make a light elastic wheel I bend the outer parts of the
spokes until part will be concentric with the centre of the wheel and I unite two
sets of spokes by means of rivets screws pins or fastenings passing through the 1
concentric parts of both sets.
My invention is partly applicable in the production of wheels other than vehicle
wheels.
Dated this 25th dor of October 1902
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Wheels for Vehicles
and other Uses.
I EDWARD KENWORTHY DUTTON of 5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
My invention relates principally to the wheels of carriages and road vehicles and
has for its object to obtain better connection of the parts and when desirable a
lighter and more elastic construction. I obtain a firm connection of the spokes
with the hub and with the felloe so that the spokes may be made lighter than
when adapted to act only as struts. I shape the inner ends of the spokes so that
they fit together and I form or provide such inner ends with conical shoulders, so
that when tightened up between hollow conical parts the spokes are drawn inward
or are firmly held from moving away from the hub. When the spoke butts are
shaped and glued or held together the conical face or faces is or are turned upon
the collective butts.
.
The hub would preferably be of metal and have a fixed hollow conical flange
and a loose conical washer with means for tightening up such washer. In some
cases the spokes might be attached to the felloe in the ordinary manner. I
prefer to make the felloe with two rings each made in one piece or in two or more
segments the two rings being connected so as to break joint.
Half of the spokes would be attached to one ring and the other half to the
other ring. The outer ends of the spokes would be let into the rings of the felloe
so as to be firmly held. The two rings would be secured together by means of
pins, screws, rivets or fastenings with or without glue or cement and some or all
of the fastenings might pass through the joints with the spokes.
Metal rings, joints, plates or washers might be used.
I propose in some cases when providing an elastic tyre to dispense with the
ordinary metal tyre. In such cases the felloe may be plain or be formed with a
groove to receive part of the elastic tyre or with a projecting ring and the tyre
may be cemented in place and be further secured by means of suitable fastenings.
A metal ring might be secured on each side of the felloe or on one side only.
When proposing to make a light elastic wheel I bend the outer parts of the spokes
until part will be concentric with the centre of the wheel and I unite two-(or

page_text: more) sets of spokes by means of rivets, screws, pins or fastenings passing through
the concentric parts of both sets.
My invention may be found to be partly applicable in the production of wheels
other than vehicle wheels.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the improved construction of wheels.
Of these drawings Fig. 1 illustrates the manner in which the butt or inner
ends of the spokes are adapted to fit together.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the hub on the axial line and shows the
improved formation of the butt ends of the spokes and the manner in which they
are bound together by the hub. The spokes a are each formed with an enlarged butt
end a' and are shaped to fit together as clearly shown in Fig. 1. I may turn the
spokes to be round in section at the connection with the felloe enlarging to an oval
in section or other section at the hub end so as to be much stronger at one end than
at the other. The spokes are divided into two rings or sets each ring containing
one half of the entire number of spokes. Fig. 1 represents the central part of one
of the two rings or sets. When the spokes constituting one ring are fitted together
as in Fig. 1 the intention is that they should be glued clamped or held together so
that they can be operated upon in a lathe. One face a³ of the ring I turn to a
conical form the other or inner face at a³ being in the example turned or shaped to
be flat. To facilitate the holding of the parts together during the turning operation
I propose to bore a hole in each spoke butt and to provide a chuck having studs
equal in number to the spokes in a ring the chuck being provided with means for
adjusting the studs on radial lines so that in all positions they will be concentric
with the axis of the chuck. For this purpose a scroll chuck or a suitable formation
of chuck provided with the required number of studs may be used the intention
being that the butt ends shall be simultaneously drawn inward towards the axis of
the chuck so as to force together the meeting faces of the spoke butts. The holes
so bored in the spoko butts would also be useful in adjusting the spoke in position in
machines which might be used in shaping the said ends.
Before being tightened up the meeting faces of the spoke butts may or may not
be served with glue or cement. A hole is left in the centre of the ring or is bored
therein and through both rings of spokes the tubular part of a metal hub is passed
or otherwise the spokes are assembled around such part. The said hub is formed
with a fast conical flange b'. The inner face of this flange is shaped to fit the
conical face upon the connected butt ends and would preferably be turned so as to
truly fit such conical face. The other end of the hub is provided with a loose
flange which is also turned to fit the conical face upon the other ring of spokes.
The end of the part 6 is screwed to receive a tightening nut c. It will be seen that
when this nut is tightened all the spokes will be firmly clamped together, and that
the tendency is for the spokes to be drawn inward toward the central axis. In the
example Fig. 2 illustrates two alternative arrangements.
In the upper part of the fig. a washer or making-up piece d is interposed
between the two rings so as to increase the play of the spokes. This washer may
be made of any desired thickness but it will be obvious that the same result may
be obtained by thickening the butt ends. In the lower part of the fig. the butt
ends fit close together. The lower part of the fig. also illustrates an alternative
formation of the butt ends.
In order to save timber in cutting out the conical faces of the rings they are
formed upon pieces e which are attached to the spoke butts by means of dowels and
glue or cement or by means in each case of a projection on one part fitting into a
recess in the other part as in the example or by other suitable means.
These parts
or blocks e may be secured to the butt ends prior to the shaping and turning
operations. In place of the screw nut c I may use bolts passing from front to back
of the hub. The hub would be bored and otherwise suitably adapted to fit upon
the axle and to be retained thereon by usual or suitable means. It will be under-
stood that the spokes in one ring would usually come opposite the centres of
the spaces between the spokes in the other ring.

page_text: Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the method of forming the felloe and of attaching the
spoke ends thereto.
The felloe consists of two rings f,f each formed in one piece of bent wood or
made up of two or more segments as preferred. The ends of one ring of spokes
would be attached to the half felloe fand of the other ring of spokes to the half
felloe f. Each spoke is let into the half felloe in such a manner as to be firmly
held so as to resist any tendency for the spoke to be drawn out-that is to say-
toward the wheel centre.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate two methods of connection. In Fig. 3 the spoke end is
made of a dovetail form and is tightly fitted into a correspondingly shaped recess
cut in the inner face of the half felloe. In Fig. 4 the spoke end and recess are of
circular formation.
Fig. 5 represents a cross section through the connection of a spoke with its half
felloe. The fig. illustrates a wheel adapted to be provided with an elastic
tyre the formation being specially well adapted for such wheels. To lessen the
weakening of the felloe the back of the spoke end is cut to a bevelled face at g.
The front face of the spoke end is left flush with the inner face of the half felloe.
The spoke ends may be glued and tightly forced into their recesses and the inner
face of the half felloe be subsequently skimmed up in a lathe so as to bring the
spoke ends and the felloe face to an uniform level surface. The two half felloes
would subsequently be put together with their inner faces meeting and be secured
together by means of pins, bolts, screws or fastenings with or without the use of
glue or cement as may be considered to be desirable. In the example the parts are
secured together by means of riveted pins passing through the spike joints and the
two half felloes. The pins also pass through a metal facing ring which I propose
to use in cases wherein the ordinary tyre is dispensed with as in the example. It
will be understood that the half felloes are put together so as to break joint. The
elastic tyre i is cemented or secured directly upon and to the wood felloe which may
be turned or shaped as in the example to help to hold the tyre in position or may
be otherwise suitably shaped for the purpose. The tyre may be further secured by
means of wires & wound around the wheel or of screws, pins, staples, bands or
suitable fastenings. In place of the elastic tyre a metal tyre may be applied in the
ordinary manner the felloe being suitably turned or shaped to receive such tyre.
By means of the improved connection of the spokes with the hub and felloe I
expect to be able to make the spokes and the wheel generally comparatively lighter
and if desirable to put the parts together in such a manner as that the spokes
shall be in tension instead of in compression as is the case in an ordinary vehicle
wheel.
Fig. 6 illustrates the adaptation of a wheel of the improved construction to
carry a pneumatic tyre the wood felloe being formed with a channel to receive a
tubular tyre. The tyre covering is brought partly over the outer faces of the
tyre and secured by means of clamping rings and screws 1. If preferred a tyre
of D section might be used the channel in the felloe not being required in such
a case.
Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a formation in which each half felloe consists of short
segments m m each long enough to extend from one spoke end to the next in the
same ring as clearly shown. The spokes in the two rings are arranged to alternate
as indicated by 1, 2.
In the example the felloe is strengthened by means of two metal rings n n the
pins or fastenings o passing through the two rings and the felloe, but for some
purposes these rings or both of them might not be necessary. The wheel would
be adapted to receive an elastic or a metal tyre as required. Fig. 9 illustrates the
formation of the light elastic wheel.
In this example the inner or butt ends of the spokes would be secured together
in the manner herein before described. Each spoke would be made so long and be
so suitably shaped as that its outer end could be bent so as to constitute a segment of
the tyre. In the example the segments p p of a half felloe are obtained by bending

page_text: the shaped outer ends of the spokes as clearly indicated. In the example the
parts p are intended to be shaped to fit together so as to constitute a complete ring.
The two rings to constitute a wheel would be put together so that the joints in one
ring would come midway between the joints in the other ring and the two rings
would be secured together by means of pins, rivets, screws or fastenings and
preferably with the assistance of cement.
The construction may be further strengthened by means of a ring or of rings of
metal or wood or of a suitable material applied outside or interposed between the
two half felloes.
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. The improved construction of wheel principally composed of wood substantially
as set forth with reference to the drawings hereto.
2. In a wooden wheel the spoke butts shaped to fit together provided with
enlargements e and collectively formed with turned conical faces and the metal hub
provided with conical flanges and with means for tightening the same substantially
as set forth and indicated.
3. In a wooden wheel the ends of each alternate spoke let into one of two half
felloes which are to be secured together to constitute the complete felloe substan-
tially as set forth and indicated.
4. The construction substantially as and for the purpose set forth and as indicated
by Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings hereto.
5. A wooden wheel of the construction substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 1 to 5 or 6 in combination with an elastic tyre secured directly to the
wood felloe in the indicated or in a suitable manner.
6. The dovetail connection of the spoke ends with the wood felloe of a wheel in
combination with the method of and means for securing the butt ends of the spoke
to the hub substantially as set forth and indicated.
7. In a wooden wheel the spokes having their outer ends bent to be concentric
with the centre and the connecting together of rings or sets of such spokes so that
the collective connected bent ends of the spokes constitute the felloe substantially
as set forth and indicated.
Dated this 25th day of July 1894.
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.