Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1892—Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I, ALBERT LESPAGNOL, of 2, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer; do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to wheels for velocipedes, perambulators, invalid carriages,
ambulances and the like vehicles, and has for object to reduce to a minimum the
vibrations and shocks common to wheels as at present constructed and having
elastic tyres, whether solid or hollow or pneumatic.
My improvements consist essentially in placing concentrically within the ordinary
rim of a wheel having an elastic tyre, a wheel of smaller diameter, india-rubber in
the form of a band or tyre, either solid or hollow or preferably what is known as
pneumatic being placed between the two wheels.
In carrying out my invention I employ a half-round or other suitably shaped rim
adapted to receive an india-rubber tyre serving, to some extent, to deaden the
vibration and shocks. Within this rim I place a hollow rim of half-round or other
suitable section connected to the outer rim by spokes. The india-rubber in the
form of a band or tyre is placed partly within the said rim and partly within the
rim of the smaller or inner wheel. This india-rubber band or tyre separates
the large wheel from the small wheel and tends to prevent the communication to
the small wheel of the vibrations and shocks received by the large wheel through
irregularities of the ground or other causes.
The two parts of the wheel are connected together by means of open clips
arranged in two series fixed respectively to the two rims which confine the india-
rubber band or tyre of the smaller wheel so as to prevent one rim from turning
independently of the other, but without interfering with the free action of the
india-rubber band or tyre. In the said two rims are lugs or projections serving to
prevent the said band or tyre from sliding round.
Dated this 11th day of September 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
I, ALBERT LESPAGNOL, of 2, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic
of France, 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 :-
My invention relates more particularly to wheels for velocipedes but is also
applicable to the wheels of children's carriages, invalid carriages, ambulances and
like vehicles.
Velocipedes as far as regards their india-rubber tyres may be divided into three

page_text: .
Moreover, by reason of their small size as much as by their resistance to become
flattened they present the great advantage of reducing to a minimum the contact of
the wheel with the ground, and this latter advantage, when rain is falling or the
roads are wet, is very important.
The above mentioned advantages although important are more than balanced by
the great objections arising from vibration and shocks that the solid tyres do not
sufficiently counteract.
These vibrations and shocks cause a loss in-speed. and force expended equal to
the gain effected by the minimum of contact with the ground. Further with
nervous persons-the vibrations of a velocipede, in the course of time, produce cop-
siderable fatigue and uneasiness. Hollow or cushion tyres have been used to
obviate the inconveniences connected with solid tyres with respect to shocks and
vibrations, which are in fact thereby greatly counteracted but the contact with the
ground is greatly increased which is a serious objection at all times but more
especially when rain is falling or the roads are wet.
Hollow or cushion tyres are, besides, very expensive and require frequent
renewal.
The hollow or cushion tyre holds an intermediate position between the solid tyre
and the pueumatic tyre which presents to a larger degree the objections and the
advantages of the hollow or cushion tyre.
It would therefore appear that what is required is a machine offering the
advantages of the solid tyre (economy, small repairing expenses, infrequent renewal
and more especially slight contact with the ground) and those of the pneumatic
tyre (complete counteraction of vibrations and shocks, and greater speed with a
given expenditure of force) without any of the objections of either of them. The
object of my invention is to meet this requirement.
My improvements consist essentially in placing a wheel of smaller diameter con-
centrically within the ordinary rim of a wheel having an elastic or other tyre,
india-rubber either solid or hollow, or preferably in the form of what is known as a
pneumatic tyre, being placed between the two wheels.
In carrying out my invention I employ a half-round or other suitably shaped rim
adapted to receive an india-rubber tyre serving, to some extent, to deaden the
vibration and shocks. Within this rim I place a hollow rim of half-round or other
suitable section connected to the outer rim by spokes. The india-rubber in the
form of a band or tyre is placed partly within the said rim and partly within the
rim of the smaller or inner wheel. This india-rubber band or tyre separates
the large wheel from the small-wheel and tends to prevent the communication to
the small wheel. of the vibrations and shocks received by the large wheel through
irregularities of the ground or other causes.
The two parts of the wheel are connected together by means of open clips
atranged in two series fixed respectively to the two rims which confine the india-
rubber band or tyre of the smaller wheel so as to prevent one rim from turning
independently of the other, but without interfering with the free action of the
india-rubber band or tyre. In the said two rims are projections or swellings
serving to prevent the said band or tyre from sliding round.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate
two examples of wheels constructed according to my invention.
Figure 1 is a side view of a wheel comprising two concentric parts or wheels
having an intermediate pneumatic tyre or tube and
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views to Figures 1 and 2 respectively but illustrating
a similar wheel having intermediate india-rubber balls.
Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections on the lines 12 and 34 respectively of
Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a detail view of one of the enclosing plates hereinafter described.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 a is the ordinary rim of-a wheel which is shown

page_text: of half round section, but which may be of any other suitable shape in cross-section,
and b is the solid rubber tyre which is made of small diameter in order that its
contact with the ground shall be slight and which to a certain extent serves to
deaden the vibrations and shocks.
:
-c, c.are the spokes which may be radial as shewn or tangential according to
requirements. is the inner rim of half round section as shewn (or it may-be
of other suitable section) connected to the outer rim a by means of the spokes c.
e is the india-rubber band or tyre (which is by preference in the form of a pneumatic
tube as shewn) placed partly within the inner rim d and partly within the rim fof.
the small or inner wheel and separating the large wheel from the small wheel and
.preventing the transmission to the small wheel of the vibrations and shocks which
the large wheel may receive through the unevenness of the ground or any other
cause.
Similarly the shocks and vibrations directly received by the small wheel are
deadened by the separating tube e.
9, 9 are the spokes which connect the rim f of the small wheel to its nave h of
suitable construction such spokes being radial-as shewn, or tangential. k, k¹are the
open clips serving to connect the smaller to the larger wheel such clips being
arranged in two series, one of which is fixed to the inner rim d of the outer wheel
and the other to the rim of the inner wheel, so as to prevent one rim from turning
independently of the other but without interfering with the free action of the
pneumatic tube e.
m and n are the projections or swellings in the rims d and frespectively for pre-
venting the pneumatic tube e from sliding round.
A small inflating tube e¹ is fitted inside the small wheel for inflating the pneumatic
tube e.
The wheel illustrated in Figures 3 to 7 is similar to that hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 except that the inner rim d of the larger or outer
wheel and the rim of the smaller or inner wheel are of undulated section (as
shewn in Figures 5 and 6) a number of hollow india-rubber balls n being placed
between the rims d and f
Two plates p, p¹ serve to enclose the space comprised between the rims d and ƒ
and being bolted to the rim d prevent any lateral deviation of the small wheel. A
number of bands of fabric o, o, o connect the rims d and f. Each of these bands
of fabric o passes over two small cross bars r, r¹ one of which r is connected to the
rim d and the other to the rim f.
These hands have for object to ensure the two wheels moving together.
Instead of the balls n I can use portions of an india-rubber ring or band or a
number of short tubes or cushions placed close together or at intervals between the
rims d and f.
My improved wheels when applied to velocipedes allow of obtaining a maximum
of useful effect with a maximum of pleasure and ease.
They can be very easily adapted to all kinds of bicycles, tricycles, children's
carriages, invalid carriages ambulances and the like.
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. A wheel for velocipedes and other vehicles consisting essentially of a wheel of
small diameter placed concentrically within a larger wheel having a rim provided
or not with a solid or hollow india-rubber tyre and placing between the said wheels
an india-rubber band or tube (in the form of a pneumatic tyre by preference) the
wheels being rigidly connected to each other as regards any movement of rotation
but both subject to the effects of the shocks and vibration produced on one or the
other of the said wheels, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A wheel for velocipedes and other vehicles consisting essentially of a wheel of
small diameter placed concentrically within a larger wheel provided or not with a

page_text: solid or hollow rubber tyre, hollow balls or bodies of india-rubber being placed
between an inner rim of the larger wheel and the rim of the smaller wheel; the two
rims between which the india rubber balls are placed being connected by means of
inextensible bands of fabric or other material the space between the said rims being
inclosed by means of plates fixed to the inner rim of the larger wheel or to the rim of
the smaller wheel the two wheels being so combined that one carries the other with
it in rotating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
3. The application of the new wheel forming the subject of Claim 1 or of Claim 2
to the construction of velocipedes, bicycles, tricycles, carriages for children and
invalids, ambulances and the like.
4. The improved wheels for velocipedes and other vehicles herein before described
.and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and in Figures 3 to 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
-
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.