Improvements in and relating to Wheels for Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 24th Dec., 1396-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Wheels for Velocipedes and
other Vehicles.
We ADOLPH KOTIN of 24 Clifton Road, Maida Vale, Merchant, and ALEXANDER
JAMES WALLIS-TAYLER, of 77 Victoria Road, Kilburn, Civil Engineer, A.M.I.C.E.,
both in the County of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to wheels designed more especially for use on velocipedes or
the like, but which are also applicable to other vehicles. Our said invention is
intended to facilitate the driving or propulsion, or the traction of velocipedes or other
wheeled vehicles and comprises the improvements hereinafter set forth.
According to one method of carrying our said invention into practice we fit the
wheel or wheels with a pneumatic, or a spring, or other suitable elastic tyre or tyres.
In the case of the first description of tyre being used, a metallic tread, which may
have a second, or outer or external, one of india-rubber or other elastic or springy
material, is provided. In connection with and close to the periphery of the said
wheel, moreover, and at the front or other suitable part thereof we arrange two or
other convenient number of rotatably mounted rollers which can, when desired, be
brought to bear against, and retained in contact with, the said wheel, through a
suitable lever or levers or otherwise. It will be seen that the tyre will in this manner
be caused to move more towards the rear of the wheel and will be retained in that
position, and consequently that the axis of the said wheel will be made thereby
eccentric, so that the said wheel will have a constant tendency to roll forward, and will
be assisted in so doing by the resilience of the tyre.
In a modification of our said invention we employ a metallic or other rim or felloe
with or without an india-rubber or other tyre upon its outer surface or periphery, and
having upon its inner surface a suitable path or race. Upon the shaft or axle are
keyed or fixed two vertical, or downwardly extending, arms, one of which arms is in
line or approximately in line with a vertical or perpendicular dropped through the
centre of the said rim or felloe, and the other one of which arms is situated at a
certain distance in front thereof. At the outer ends or extremities of each of those
arms is rotatably mounted a suitable roller or its equivalent which bears against the
inner surface of the rim or felloe or upon the path or race thereon. On the said
shaft or axle, moreover, are keyed or fixed two horizontal or laterally extending arms
having at their outer ends or extremities like rotatably mounted rollers, which may
have also a slight play or movement lengthways of the said arms, which play or
movement is governed or controlled by springs or otherwise. Or in some instances
the above described play or movement may be adapted to any or all the rollers, or
dispensed with altogether.
It will be seen that when propelled or drawn upon any surface the rim or felloe
will turn or revolve upon the above mentioned rollers, the shaft or axle remaining
stationary, and that any weight that may be superimposed upon the said shaft or axle
will, owing to the eccentricity of the latter, tend to a certain extent to turn or revolve
the rim or felloe, and thus to move the wheel forward.
The above mentioned rollers or any one of them may be covered with leather, india-
rubber, or the like; or the lower or any one or more-of-the-said-rollers may be

page_text: roughened, or milled, or otherwise arranged, so as to obviate any chance of slip upon
the path or race.
upon
In the case of the driving wheel of a velocipede or the like, teeth may be provided
the inner surface of the rim or felloe, with which will gear or mesh those upon
a suitable toothed wheel or pinion, which latter may be driven by chain gearing from
the crank-shaft or axle, or otherwise.
Although we have herein before described convenient and advantageous methods of
carrying our said invention into practice it will be readily understood that we can
somewhat further modify the construction of our apparatus, and secure the eccentricity
of the shaft or axle of the wheel or wheels for the purpose mentioned, without,
however, in any way departing from the nature of our said invention. For instance
we may mount the shaft or axle in an enlarged hole or aperture provided in each of
the wheels, or in the hub thereof, and provide suitable means for retaining it in that
part, or on that side of the said hole, situated in front of the centre of the wheel
during the rotation of the latter. The herein before mentioned arms may be so
arranged that the rollers, or their equivalents, at their free ends or extremities, will
bear against or run upon a suitable path or race formed on an inner or supplementary
rim or ring, which latter may be connected to the outer rim or felloe of the wheel by
means of spokes in the usual or ordinary manner, or in any other convenient way.
One or more of the said rollers may be arranged to act as a brake, or may be used
for driving purposes, in which case the said roller or rollers or portions of it or them
may be toothed and adapted to gear or mesh with corresponding teeth upon the
said inner ring.
In some cases we provide a ring of balls, or a live ring of rollers, between. an inner
rim attached to the spokes of the wheel, and an outer rim which is free to rotate.
thereon, or between, an inner ring secured to or formed on the axle and. another
ring connected, to the rim or felloe of the wheel, by means of spokes, or in any
other convenient manner.
ים
31 1000
ADOLPH KOTIN.
ALEX. J. WALLIS-TAYLER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to. Wheels for Velocipedes: and.
other Vehicles.
We ADOLPH KOTIN of 24 Clifton Road, Maida Vale, Merchant, and ALEXANDER:
JAMES WALLIS-TAYLER, of 77 Victoria Road, Kilburn, Civil Engineer, A.M.I.C.E.,.
both in the County of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to he particularly described and'
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to wheels for vehicles, and more especially to wheels intended.
for, use upon velocipedes and the like..
Our said invention is intended to facilitate the driving or propulsion or the
traction of velocipedes or other wheeled vehicles and comprises the improvements
hereinafter, set. forth.
In the accompanying drawings we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of the rear portion of a bicycle or dicycle showing an
application of our said. invention to the wheel thereof.
Figs..2.and.3 are sectional views, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing details of
construction hereinafter described.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of a closed four wheeled vehicle showing one
method of applying our said invention to the wheels thereof.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the said wheel showing details of construction
hereinafter described.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 3. A is the rear or driving wheel of a safety bicycle or
dicycle, B, B, are portions of the framework thereof.
According to our said invention we form the wheel A open, or with a supplementary
or second rim or felloe A', upon the inner surface of which is a suitable roller path
or race A2, and which supplementary rim or felloe is connected to the main or outer
rim or felloe of the wheel by means of laced spokes as shown, or in any other
convenient manner.
C, C1, C2, are grooved wheels or rollers, ball mounted, as indicated at D
(Fig. 3), or otherwise rotatably supported, at the ends of tubular or other arms
or pieces E, forming together a species of triangular frame; the frame proper of
the cycle is connected to the axle of the roller C. The roller path or race A is
preferably formed channel shaped or of a flattened inverted U-shape in transverse
section and the wheels or rollers C, C, are grooved or formed with flanges and
engage therewith as shown more clearly in the detail view Fig. 2. The wheel
or roller C, which is of larger diameter than the rollers C, and C, and forms
a frictional driving wheel, has a grooved rim which may be of a U-shape, or
approximately so, in transverse section, and to prevent slip and likewise cushion its
connection with the roller path or race A, as hereinafter mentioned, we prefer to fit
in the said groove, or in a portion thereof, a ring or packing (3, of leather, india-
rubber, or other resilient, or springy, or non-slipping, material. The wheel or
roller C, moreover, is so placed that a vertical line dropped through its centre
will be somewhat in advance of a similar line dropped through the axis of the
wheel A as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The third dotted line shows the point
of contact of the wheel Cand path A.
F is a chain or sprocket wheel secured to the friction wheel or roller C and to
which rotary motion can be imparted in the usual or ordinary manner by a pitch
chain G, from a second chain or sprocket wheel and cranks not shown in the
drawing. It will be seen that rotary motion can be thus very advantageously
transmitted to the wheel A through the friction wheel C, any desired proportion of
speed being readily attained by suitably arranging the relative proportions of the
sprocket or chain wheels. The ring or packing (3, moreover provides a yielding
connection between the race or path A2 and the friction wheel or roller C, thereby
affording to the rider all the advantages of a spring frame. The path or race A2 in
fact forms a circular or annular track upon which the driving wheel C is supported,
and rolls, through the said cushion (3. To further reduce any jolting to which the
rider might be subjected, when passing over rough or uneven surfaces, we some-
times also provide in the rear stays of the frame B spring boxes or coupling pieces B'.
It will further be seen that upon the bicycle or dicycle being propelled or drawn
upon any surface the entire superimposed weight will be practically supported,
through the friction-wheel or roller C, upon the path or race A, and, besides
obviously considerably reducing friction in other ways, will, owing to its eccentric
position in front of the axle of the wheel A, exert a constant tendency to rotate the
latter, thereby utilizing a portion of the load to facilitate the said propulsion or
traction.
In Figs. 4 and 5 we have shown an application of our said invention to one of
the wheels A* of a carriage. In this case we preferably employ four pairs of wheels
or rollers C, C, C and C, rotatably mounted in any suitable manner at the free
ends of tubular or other arms E, the other extremities of which arms are rigidly
secured, by brazing or otherwise, to collars or flanges H', H', upon a hub or boss H,
fixed upon the end of the carriage axle I. The said arms however when employed for
either single or double sets of rollers may sometimes be advantageously formed-in----
one piece with the hub or boss H. The wheels or rollers C, C, C, and C³ are shown
in this case formed of equal-diameters, and with V-shaped peripheries adapted to

page_text: engage and run in correspondingly shaped annular V-shaped grooves or races J, but
they might be also advantageously constructed with grooved or channel shaped rims
adapted to engage with suitable paths or races as shown in Fig. 1, or with plain
peripheries, running upon or in grooved or flanged paths or races, and with or without
peripheral or other coverings of leather, india-rubber, or the like; or any one or more
of the said rollers may be roughened, or milled, or otherwise arranged so as to
obviate any chance of slip upon the paths or races.
The wheel or roller C'is also in this case located in advance of the centre of the
wheel A, and it will be understood that a precisely similar arrangement is intended to
be applied to each of the other wheels of the carriage.
K, K, are plates secured to the axle I for boxing-in or enclosing the bearing, and
preventing the access of dust, dirt, or other foreign matter thereto.
To facilitate the starting of a very heavy vehicle upon an up-gradient, or upon a
rough surface, or the like, we sometimes provide in connection with two or more
of the wheels, an arrangement comprising ratchet wheels and levers, which latter
will be drawn back upon the stoppage of the said vehicle by springs or their
equivalents, and will be moved forward when starting, or attempting to start, the
same, so as to turn the said ratchet wheels through a certain angle, and, by reason
of the wheels or rollers C being connected therewith, also the wheels of the
vehicle.
It will be seen that, owing to the facility with which a toothed ring might be
connected to the inner or supplementary rim A', our improved wheels are especially
adapted for use on a motor car fitted with chain driving gear.
In a further modification of our said invention we fit the wheel or wheels with a
pneumatic, or a spring, or other suitable elastic tyre or tyres. In the case of the first
description of tyre being used a metallic tread, which may have a second, or outer,
or external one, of india-rubber, or other elastic, or springy material, is provided.
In connection with and close to the periphery of the said wheel, moreover, and at the
front or other suitable part thereof we arrange two or other convenient number of
rotatably mounted rollers which can when desired be brought to bear against, and
retained in contact with, the said wheel through a suitable lever or levers, or otherwise.
It will be seen that the tyre will in this manner be caused to move more towards the
rear of the wheel, and will be retained in that position, and consequently that the axis
of the said wheel will be made thereby eccentric, so that the said wheel will have a
constant tendency to roll forward, and will be assisted in so doing by the resilience of
the tyre. When employing a spring tyre we may place within the latter rings of flat
or ribbon steel with the ends left free and overlapping, which rings may be either
packed in the space or clearance provided therefor, or secured in position therein by
rivets or otherwise.
Although we bave herein before described convenient and advantageous methods of
carrying our said invention into practice, it will be readily understood that we can
somewhat further modify the construction of our apparatus, and secure the eccentricity
of the shaft or axle of the wheel or wheels, for the purpose mentioned, without how-
ever in any way departing from the nature of our said invention. For instance we
may mount the shaft or axle in an enlarged hole or aperture provided in each of the
wheels, or in the hub thereof, and provide suitable means for retaining it in that part,
or on that side of the said hole situated in front of the centre of the wheel, during
the rotation of the latter.
In the case of the driving wheel of a velocipede or the like, teeth may be provided
upon the inner surface of the rim or felloe with which will gear or mesh those upon
a suitable toothed wheel or pinion, which latter may be driven by chain gearing from
the crank-shaft or axle or otherwise.
In some cases we provide a ring of balls, or a live ring of rollers, between an
inner rim attached to the spokes of the wheel, and an outer rim which is free to
rotate thereon, or between an inner ring secured to, or formed on, the axle, and
another ring connected to the rim or felloe of the wheel by means of spokes, or in any
other convenient manner.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. An improved wheel for cycles or other vehicles, wherein the superimposed
weight is supported in a vertical plane located in advance of a perpendicular passing
through the true centre or axis of the said wheel, substantially as specified.
2. An improved wheel for cycles or other vehicles, having upon the inner surface.
of the rim or felloe, or upon the inner surface of a supplementary rim or felloe
connected thereto, an annular path or race, whereon are adapted to roll small wheels.
or rollers connected to the axle of the said main wheel, one of which small wheels or
rollers practically supports the weight superimposed upon the said axle, and in the
case of the driving wheel of a cycle or the like may be utilized for transmitting rotary
motion to the said driving wheel, substantially as specified.
3. An improved driving wheel for a motor car or the like, constructed open, or with
an inner or supplementary rim or felloe and roller path or race, and mounted upon its
axle through wheels or rollers, one of which may be placed in advance, or on one side
of a vertical line passing through the true centre of the main wheel, and a toothed
driving ring formed on or connected to the said supplementary rim, or roller path,
substantially as specified.
4. An improved wheel for velocipedes and other vehicles constructed substantially
as specified with reference to either of the forms or modifications hereinbefore described.
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of December 1896.
A. KOTIN.
ALEX. J. WALLIS-TAYLER..