Improvements in Wheels for Road Vehicles
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1874
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sect, 189'-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Road Vehicles
I, PETER FYFE of 1 Montrose Street, in the City of Glasgow, Sanitary
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows-
This invention has for its object to obviate the vibration communicated to road
vehicles such as caninge and ommibuses by the passage of the wheels over 1ough
1oadways, whilst avoiding the use of pneumatic or similar expensive tyres which
e unsuitable for heavy vehicles. To that end I form the wheel with an elastic
o resilient hub which prevents the transmission of vibration from the wheel nave
to the axle and thence to the body of the vehicle
In carrying out the invention I form the wheel nave on hub of wood or other
material between which and the axle bush I secure a sleeve formed either of solid
ubber suitably coed or made hollow and inflated. The rubber sleeve is passed
over the axle bush and pressed endwise against a flange on the bush being held on
at its opposite cud by a nut screwed on to the end of the bush
To prevent
creeping on cucumferential slipping of the rubber sleeve on the axle bush the latter
is fluted or has projections on it entering recesses in the sleeve and similar
provision is made as between the wheel nave and the abber sleeve or lining. An
annular metallic plate is fitted on each side of the nave into rubbing contact with
which the flange of the axle bush at one end and the nut at the opposite end bear.
This arrangement whilst preventing rocking of the wheel on its axle permits of its
ficely mosing vertically as the rubber yields under the load.
When the sleeve is made hollow or is composed of an uner and outer shell
enclosing air, the an space is divided into a number of separate chambers by means
of webs or partitions which are preferably tangential to the periphery of inner
shell the better to take up the torsional strain.
Dated this 27th day of December 1894.
1, PETER FYFE. of 1 Montrose Street, in the City of Glasgow, Sanitary
Engineer, 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 has for its object to obviate the vibration communicated to road
vehicles such as carriages and omnibuses by the passage of the wheels over rongh
1oadways, whilst avoiding the use of pneumatic or similar expensive tyres which
are unsuitable for heavy vehicles To that end I form the wheel with an elastic
or resilient hub of improved construction which prevents the transmission of
vibration from the wheel nave to the axle and thence to the body of the vehicle.
Q1

page_text: drawings
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a wheel hub with "Mail" axle,
constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse section of
same and
Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the hub hereinafter particularly referred to.
Figs 4 and 5 are respectively longitudinal and transverse sections of a modifi-
cation of a wheel hub, and
"
Figs. 6 aud 7 are longitudinal and cross vertical sections of another modification
of the wheel hub, showing its application in a "Warner" wheel with the " Collinge
axle.
Figs. 8 and 9 are longitudinal vertical and transverse sections respectively of the
hub as applied to a bicycle and
Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 show various sections of the pneumatic sleeve.
In carrying out the invention I form the wheel nave or hub A of wood or other
material between which and the axle bush B, I secure a sleeve C which is mado
hollow and inflated as shown at Figs. 1 and 2; or it may be formed of solid rubber
cored as shown at Figs. 4 and 5, or cored out in any other form, end pieces D
being solutioned on to the sleeve C to enclose the air spaces E in the latter case.
The rubber sleeve C is passed over the axle bush B, the bush B being held on at
its outside end by a flanged uut G screwed on to the end of the bush. The flanged
nut is locked in position by the screwed oil cup a To prevent creeping or
circumferential slipping of the rubber sleeve C on the axle bush B the latter 19
fluted or has projections d on it entering recesses in the sleeve and similar
provision 18 made as at II between the wheel nave and the rubber sleeve or lining C.
An annular metallic plate I is fitted on each side of the nave A in rubbing contact
with which and just bearing are the flange F of the axle bush B at one end and a
flanged nut G at the opposite end. This arrangement whilst preventing rocking
of the wheel on its axle-box, permits the free movement of the axle-box as the
wheel suddenly rises and falls because of the inequalities of the road or street.
When the sleeve C is made hollow it is composed as shown by Figs. 1 and 2 of
an inner and outer shell K, L, enclosing air under pressure, the air space being
divided into a number of separate chambers by means of webs or partitions A
which are preferably mado tangential to the periphery of the inner shell K the
better to take up the torsional strain, but which may be made of sinuous, V or cup
shape or other like shape in section such for example as shown at Figures 10, 11, 12
and 13, being such as will not interfere with the free cushioning action of the
aleeve whilst providing sufficient strength to take up the torsional strain necessary
to revolve the bukh on the atle All the chainbers'k of tho air space in the wheel
nave may be inflated sumultaneously at an equal pressure by applying an air pump
at the inlet to an air passage M haring connecting branch passages N to supply
an to the several chambers or cells These passages may be formed in the end
of the sleeve as shown at Figs 1 and 2 or they may be external to it as shown at
Figs. 8 and 9
A screw down or other valve or cap may be fitted to shut off
communication between the air passages N and the atmosphere The ends of the
sleeve may be of semi-cncular or other suitable section such as is shown and may
be covered over with a leather covering solutioned on, in order to prevent damage
to the rubber by hhy oil which might chance to find access to the outside of the
axle bush. Fig. 3 is an elevation of an annular metallic ring I against which the
Hauge of the axle bush B bente, an orifice E' is provided in the ring to permit of
access to the valve or inlet nozzle N the said onfice being subsequently plugged.
Set screws are fitted in the ring I which when the chambers & have been inflated
are tightened up and bear on various points of the air passage M in order to close
off communication between the various chambers k.
Figs. 8 and 9 represent the improved hub as applied to a bicycle each of the
compartments of the air chamber being adapted to be inflated simultaneously by
the use of the tube R shown in Fig. 9. In the length of this tube R between each

page_text: compartment ka wire S having its ends tapered is fitted which allows the air to
pass during inflation and also provides a means of closing up the tubes by wies T
at these points to prevent egress of air from one chamber to the other, which would
destroy the full cushioning action.
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 [
claim is:-
1. In a wheel for road vehicles an elastic or resilient hub composed of a hollow
sleeve divided into compartments independently maintained under inflation
substantially as described
2. In a wheel for road vehicles an elastic or resilient hub composed of rubber
cored out and having end pieces enclosing and separating the air spaces substan-
tially as described.
3. In a wheel for road vehicles an elastic hub or sleeve composed of au outer
and inner shell divided by webs tangentially connecting the shells substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 28th day of September 1895.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.