IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO THE ROAD WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES SO AS TO ENABLE THEM TO BITE OR HOLD BETTER ON PAVED OR OTHER ROADS
Year: 1884

page_text: I. WILLIAM BOX, of Hall Lane in the parish of Walton Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO THE ROAD WHEELS OF TRACTION ENGINES
SO AS TO ENABLE THEM TO BITE OR HOLD BETTER ON PAVED OR OTHER ROADS,
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the increase of friction between the tire of the
wheel and the surface of the road and consists in forming a tough fibrous surface
or tire upon the wheel. I prefer to do this by binding rope as tightly and closely
together as possible or in the form of a web round the wheel, or it might be in the
form of felt fastened to the tire so as to be incapable of shifting; this can be done
still more securely in the case of felt or old ropes, jute and the like by binding it
with wire-the wire sinks into the material and holds it tight-or it can be attached
by marine glue and studs and wires.
In the case of rope encircling the tire it may be well to bind it at the sides by &
slightly projecting rim and fix it here and there with studs, but otherwise beyond
its own tensile strain and possibly marine glue it will require no further binding..
Dated this 6th day of February 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM Box of Hall Lane in the parish of Walton, in the county of
Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO THE ROAD WHEELS OF TRACTION
ENGINES SO AS TO ENABLE THEM TO BITE OR HOLD BETTER ON PAVED AND OTHER
"
ROADS 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 the increase of friction between the tire of the
wheel and the surface of the road, and consists in forming a tough fibrous surface
or tire upon the wheel. I prefer to do this by binding rope as tightly and closely
together as possible round the wheel.
The best mode known to me of doing this is best described by aid of the
accompanying sketches in which :-
Fig 1 shows a section and Fig 2 a plan of the tire of the wheel at one of the
clips and
Fig 3 a nail, stud, or cotter pin for holding the rope in, of about diameter and
six inches long.
I prefer to use one of those old large flat ropes used in collieries, about 21/2 inches
thick and 6 or 8 inches broad, but if this is not obtainable then old rope about
2 to 3 inches in diameter or (as it is more usually designated in the trade where
ropes are classed according to their circumference,) 7 to 9 inch rope.
The end of this I tightly bind with wire, and then nail to the tire not far from
the edge by studs or nails such as those shown in Fig 3 hammered through the
rope and through a hole in the tire and cottered or clenched on the other side to
hold them tight and firm. The tire is of the ordinary description with cross biting
plates placed obliquely as usual, between these plates at three or four points in the
circumference I rivet flat bar clips half inch by two inches, and turned up a little
end as shown in Fig 1 at A. I now fasten the other end of the rope to some firm
stationary point, and let the engine itself gradually wind the rope onto the wheel,
putting on a heavy drag so as to make it as tight as possible, and also by hammering
as the work proceeds keep the one strand up to the next as close as possible; the
rope is fixed every third of a turn or thereabouts by studs or nails such as Fig 3,
and the rope is not allowed to come quite up to the edge of the tire, lest it should
be scraped off sideways. The concluding end is bound with wire, and firmly nailed
like the commencement of the rope. This contrivance works splendidly on
pavements formed of stone on which naked traction engine wheels take poor hold,
and so far from the cross pieces having to be first cut-off the tire for fear of them
cutting the rope, I find them almost necessary to prevent the rope working loose.
I do not bind myself to old ropes only, as other fibrous material such as thick
canvas belting tightly put on, or material woven or felted expressly for this purpose
from jute, hemp or other fibre would do, but it would be much more expensive and
not so efficacious for the purpose as rope, and I merely mention it as a clumsy and
inferior manner of carrying out my invention, and which I cannot recommend,
merely to prevent others claiming it or trying to get round my patent by using it.
I am also well aware that india-rubber has been proposed for traction engine tires,
but it is of little use for sets, and is entirely outside my invention, which I limit
to fibrous material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it however to
be understood that I make no claim for the use of india rubber or fibrous material

page_text: to act as springs in the wheels, as I am well aware that both have been used for
that purpose, but in every case they have been bound round outside or covered
with metal, showing the metal coming in contact with the road, which is what my
invention is designed chiefly to avoid, and further I do not claim india rubber at
all, confining myself to fibrous material, and that what I claim is :-
1st. The improvements in the road wheels of traction engines which consists in a
tough fibrous covering firmly attached round the tire, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
2nd. The method of enabling traction engines to take a firm hold of roads, paved
with sets and the like, which consists in firmly binding rope or other tough fibrous
material over the ordinary surface of the tires, substantially as described.
3rd. The method of holding the rope tires in place by means of clips and studs
or nails cottered through, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1884.
WP. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.