Year: 1898

page_text: I, DANIEL HILLCOAT, of Fulbar Street, in the Town and County of Renfrew,
Wright, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to wheels for vehicles and it has for its object, first, to
provide an improved spring cushioned tyre with means whereby the springs can
be adjusted to any degree of compression to suit different loads, and second, to
provide means whereby the spokes of said wheel may be secured and tightened in
their sockets should they become loose.
.
In carrying out the first part of my invention I make the wheel rim of complete
tubular form and I form on or secure to the rim a series of sockets passing diametri-
cally through the tube from beyond the outer periphery to the inside of the inner
periphery, these sockets being adapted to carry a corresponding number of coiled
springs. These springs surround the screwed end of the spokes which are extended
through the tubular rim within the sockets, the springs which bear upon the inner
surface of the tube being further covered by a tubular sleeve placed
on
shoulder formed
over their outer ends and having a
it which
bears thereon. A second tubular sleeve having shoulders on its upper and
on its lower ends passes down within the coiled spring, the upper shoulder of
the inner sleeve resting upon the shoulder of the outer sleeve. Within this
inner sleeve a nut is placed which engages with the screwed end of the spoke and
can be turned by means of a screw driver in order to regulate the degree of
compression on the spring. That portion of the outer sleeve which extends
beyond the wheel rim is provided with a cup adapted to hold a rubber stud or
tread which is placed within the cup after adjustment of the spring has been
made, the inner surface of this stud bearing against the shoulders on the outer
and inner sleeves. When a greater number of treads are desired than there are
spokes the treads between the spokes are constructed in the same manner, but
the nut for adjusting the degree of compression instead of engaging the end of
a spoke engages a bolt secured to the inner periphery of the tubular rim.
In an alternative form the wheel rim may be made of wood having a series of
holes bored around it in each of which a socket piece having a flange on its inne
end is secured by screws or otherwise, the other parts of the tread being as already
described.
Instead of forming flat circular shoulders on the bolts each of said shoulders
may be extended until it meets the adjacent shoulder thus forming a practically
continuous rim, these shoulders being made concave on their outer faces in order
to receive a solid or other rubber tyre.
In carrying out the second part of my invention I surround the spokes at their
outer ends with ferrules bearing against shoulders on the spokes, each ferrule
having its outer portion screw threaded and provided with a nut. The ends of

page_text: the spokes pass into holes bored through the wheel rim to receive them and the
nuts on the ferrules bear hard upon the inner periphery of the rim.
Dated this 28th day of January 1898.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
I, DANIEL HILLCOAT, of Fulbar Street, in the Town and County of Renfrew,
Wright, 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 relates to wheels for vehicles and it has for its object to provide
an improved spring cushioned tyre with means whereby the spring can be adjusted
to any degree of compression to suit the different loads.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings which shew its
application to a bicycle wheel, Figure 1 being an elevation of such a wheel, and
Figure 2 a part elevation and part section of a portion of the wheel to a larger
scale.
In carrying out the invention, and as illustrated at Figures 1 and 2, I make the
wheel rim A of complete tubular form and I form in, or as shewn, secure to the
rim A by means of nuts B¹, B³, a series of sockets B passing diametrically through
the tube A from beyond the outer periphery to the inside of the inner periphery,
these sockets B being adapted to carry a corresponding number of coiled springs C.
These springs C surround the screwed end of the spokes D which are extended
through the tubular rim within the sockets, the springs C which bear upon the
inner surface of the tube A or as shewn each bear upon the inner end of the
socket B, being further covered by a tubular sleeve E placed over its outer end
and having a shoulder E' formed on it which bears thereon. A second tubular
sleeve F having shoulders F1, F2, respectively, on its upper and on its lower ends
passes down within the coiled spring C, the upper shoulder of the inner sleeve F
resting upon the shoulder E¹ of the outer sleeve E. The outer sleeve E has one or
more tongue pieces E pressed out from its lower end which move each in a
slot 13 in the socket B, this engagement serving to prevent loss of these parts
should the threaded end of the spoke break. Within this inner sleeve F a nut t
is placed which engages with the screwed end of the spoke D and can be turned
by means of a screw driver in order to regulate the degree of compression on the
spring C, this nut being preferably adapted to bear upon the nut B¹ and so be
locked when the desired degree of compression has been obtained. That portion
of the outer sleeve E which extends beyond the wheel rim A is provided with a
cup E adapted to hold a rubber stud or tread H which is placed within the
cup E after adjustment of the spring has been made, the inner surface of this
stud bearing against the shoulders on the outer and inner sleeves E, F,
tively. When a greater number of treads are desired than there are spokes 1) the 4
treads between the spokes D are constructed in the same manner, but the nut G
for adjusting the degree of compression of the springs C instead of engaging the
end of a spoke D engages a bolt I secured to the inner periphery of the tubular
rim A as shewn.
respec-
For the heavier class of vehicles the wheel rim may be made of wood having a 5

page_text: series of holes bored around it in each of which a socket piece having a flange on
its inner end is secured by screws or otherwise, this and the other parts of the
tread being as already described.
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 vehicle wheel having a cushioned spring tyre composed of a tubular rim A
fitted with rubber studs H carried by hollow stems or sleeves E in sockets B within
which springs C are situated between the outer sleeve E and inner sleeve F the
outer end of each spring bearing against a collar E¹ on the sleeve E and the inner
end bearing against the lower end of the socket B whilst the outer end of each of
the spokes D is screw-threaded and provided with a nut which serves to retain the
sleeves E, F, together with the spring in position.
2. A vehicle wheel constructed as described in Claim 1 and provided with means
for regulating the degree of compression of the springs consisting in screw-
threading the ends of the spokes and fitting thereon screw nuts which may be
turned to apply more or less pressure on the springs.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.