Improvement in Wheels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in 27th July, 1891
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 6th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left 6th Feb., 1892-Accepted. 19th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Wheels.
I, WILLIAM ISAAC BUNKER, Manufacturer, residing at La Grange, Cook
County, Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to make a simple economical wheel for bicycles or
similar vehicles; and the invention consists in the features and combinations herein-
after described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wheel, showing the spokes secured
directly to the tire ;
Fig. 4, the same broken, showing a disc formed of wire-netting; and
Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, detail views of parts.
A is the wheel; B, the hub thereof; C, the tire; c, the periphery thereof;
c, the rim thereof, and c" the central longitudinal hole or cavity therein for a
pneumatic tire; D, discs between the hub and tire; d d, the flaring ends thereof
adapted to receive and hold the tire, and d¹ a rivet holding two of the discs
together near their outer edge or circumference; E, spokes, and e nuts at the outer
ends thereof; F, a shaft or axle for the wheel, formed of two parts; f a collar on
the shaft; , a nut screwed onto the end of the shaft; f, the screw mechanism
for securing the two parts of the shaft together.
In making my improved wheel I provide a central hub, from which spokes
radiate outwardly after the usual manner; but instead of using a rim or felly at
the outer edge I attach the tire directly to the spokes or discs, as hereinafter
described. I prefer to make the tire of rubber of large diameter; but it may be
made of any suitable material or in any suitable size or form. A tire formed of
rubber of small diameter does not have sufficient resistance to retain its position,
and hence has to be held in place by a separate rim or felly; but when the tire is
made of rubber of large diameter the rubber becomes sufficiently rigid after being
drawn toward a common centre to hold itself in place in ordinary bicycle or similar
wheels. I also prefer to form the tire of hard rubber at the inner side, which I
call the "rim," and of softer rubber at the outer side, which I call the "periphery."
This difference in density of the rubber increases its resisting qualities, and thus
enables smaller-sized tires to be used. When a pneumatic tire is to be used, it is
formed with a suitable longitudinal hole or cavity for inflating, and a tube through
which air or gas may be introduced communicates with this hole or cavity.
I prefer to secure the tire directly to the spokes but, if desired, one or more
discs of substantially the same diameter as the wheel, excepting the tire, may be
used. As shown, two of these discs are used, one at each side of the wheel, and 1
prefer to use them in this way. I also prefer to form the discs of wire cloth or
netting, and in some cases the netting may be so woven as to have one set of wire
strands radiate from the hub while the other set encircles it. When formed in this

page_text: way, a single sheet will be sufficient for all ordinary purposes; but whenever
desired a double sheet may be used, as shown. As shown. each of the discs is
formed with a flaring edge at its outer portion or circumference, so that when
the two are brought and secured together these flaring edges form a suitable
channel or cavity to receive and hold the tire.
The tire may be secured to the discs by its own elasticity or by cementing, or,
no disc being used, it may be secured to the hub by inserting the spokes directly
through the rim of the tire and screwing them into a suitable nut on the inside
thereof. The nut may be inserted, one for each spoke, before the two ends of the
tire are secured together; or they may be formed in a suitable strip inside the tire
and extend from one end to the other, this strip being provided with suitable screw-
threaded holes or openings to receive the spokes.
In making an ordinary bicycle-wheel in which discs are used I prefer to mount
the two portions of the wheel upon a suitable hub passing through their respective
centres. As shown, this hub is formed of two parts adapted to be secured
together by one screwing into the other; but any other suitable form of hub may
be used. When the hub is formed of two parts, as shown, I mount a fixed collar
upon one portion and a revoluble collar on the other, these collars being adapted to
receive and laterally support the discs. Nuts being screwed onto the end of the
hub and brought into close contact with the sides of the discs serve to secure the
whole in place. The hub being formed of two parts, one screwing into the other,
is readily adjustable lengthwise, so as to draw the central portions of the discs
outward to tighten them."
In thus describing the construction of the hub I use the term "dises" as meaning,
broadly, the mechanism used to connect the rim and hub together, whether the same
consist of a disc, spokes, or other parts.
The advantages of my invention are that it enables a wheel to be formed without
any separate rim or felly for receiving or holding the tire; that it enables a wheel
to be formed with an elastic tire, having its rim held at a fixed distance from the
hub and its periphery adapted to yield under pressure, and, generally, that it
enables a simple, economical wheel to be constructed of greater elasticity than
other wheels now in use.
As the essential feature of my invention consists in dispensing with a separate
rim or felly for receiving and holding the tire and in making the rim of the tire
rigid and its periphery yielding, it will of course be understood that I do not intend
to limit my invention to special forms or details of construction; but on the
contrary that I intend to vary the form and construction or to use equivalent
members as desired.
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. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel comprising a hub, an elastic tire,
and spokes radiating from the hub and having their outer ends secured to the
tire, whereby the tire is held at a fixed distance from the hub, substantially as
described.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel comprising a hub, an elastic tire
forming both a rim and periphery, and spokes radiating from the hub and having
their outer ends secured to the tire, whereby the rim of the tire is held at a fixed
distance from the hub and its periphery allowed to yield under pressure,
substantially as described.
3. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel comprising a hub, a hollow elastic
tire forming both a rim and periphery, the rim being of harder or denser material
than the periphery, and spokes radiating from the hub and having their outer ends
secured to the tire, whereby the rim of the tire is held at a fixed distance from the
hub, substantially as described.
4. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel comprising a hub having two collars

page_text: mounted thereon, two disc mounted on the hub outside the collars, nuts secured
onto the hub to hold the discs in place, and an elastic tire secured to the discs,
substantially as described.
5. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel comprising a hub formed of two
parts secured together by screw mechanism, a collar mounted on each part, two
discs mounted on the hub outside the collars, nuts screwed onto the hub to hold the
disc in place, and an elastic tire secured to the discs, substantially as described.
6. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel comprising a hub, spokes radiating
from the hub and entering a hollow elastic tire, and nuts inside the tire for securing
and holding the spokes and tire together, whereby the rim of the tire is held at a
fixed distance from the hub and its periphery allowed to yield under pressure,
substantially as described.
7. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel comprising a hub, spokes extending
from the hub, and a cushioned or inflated tire secured directly to the spokes,
substantially as described.
8. As a new article of manufacture, a cushioned or inflated tire for wheels,
forming both a rim and periphery of different degrees of hardness or density in
cross-section, the harder portion forming the rim and the softer portion the periphery,
whereby the rim of the tire may be held at a fixed distance from the hub and its
periphery allowed to yield under pressure, substantially as described.
9. In combination with the hub and tire of a wheel, a disc formed of wire cloth
or netting securing the hub and tire together, substantially as described.
10. In combination with the hub and tire of a wheel, two discs, one at each
side of the wheel, formed of wire cloth or netting and securing the hub and tire
together, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of February 1892
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.