Improvements in Spring Wheels for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PRUVIDIUNAL DITUITIO
Improvements in Spring Wheels for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, JOHN LAPSLEY, residing at 20, Tower Street, Kinning Park, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:--
The adoption of an outer rim of steel, or other suitable metal, to which is
fixed the tyre, and an inner rim of steel, or other metal, to which the
spokes may be fixed in the usual manner, and between the outer and inner rims,
is placed a sufficient number of curved, or bent springs, made of thin flat steel,
which are fixed to both the outer, and inner rims by bolts, or in other suitable
manner. Fig. 1 is a side view of a part of the wheel, a shows the rubber tyre,
b the outer rim, c, c, c, the angle and S shaped springs, d the inner rim to which
the spokes fare fixed, e shows the manner in which the springs are fastened to
the outer and inner rims, by bolts or otherwise, g the nave or wheel hub.
Fig. 2 represents a transverse section of the wheel, and breadth of springs c,
and how fixed to the outer and inner rims by bolts, or otherwise at e, e.
Fig. 3 shows how the outer rim can be adapted to the large rims and tyres at
present in use, by removing the spokes and fixing the one rim on to the other
by brazing or otherwise in a suitable manner at k
Fig.
shows a transverse section of inner rim with a flange upon each side,
and curved in the centre d, for fixing the spokes of wheels.
Fig. 5 shows a bolt adapted for fixing the springs to inner rim, with one side
of the head taken off to pass the curve of inner rim at d.
Fig. 6 shows how the outer rim may be made of two pieces of thin steel or
other metal, moulded or rolled into forms as shown, and reveted or otherwise
fixed together at b b. Or it may be made from steel or other suitable metal,
rolled into channel form, as shown at Fig. 7 and bent up at h to form the seat
for the tyre a, see Fig. 2.
I, JOHN LAPSLEY, residing at 20, Tower Street, Kinning Park, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
[Price 8d.]

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists in the employment of curved springs, made of thin flat
steel, and fixed to an inner and outer rim, as hereinafter described in the con-
struction of wheels, for cycles, velocipedes, gigs, carriages, and other vehicles.
I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent side views of a portion of a wheel each showing the
angular and curved S shaped springs, fixed between an outer and an inner rim
in each of these figs., with a portion of the spokes attached to the inner rim, in
the usual manner.
Figs. 3, and 4, represent transverse sections, of Figs. 1, and 2, with the springs
fixed to each of the rims, by bolts, or screws, Figs. 5, 7, and 8, represent sections
of suitable outer rims, without springs, or tyres attached, Figs. 6, represents
sections, of an inner rim, without springs or spokes attached to it, also, Fig. 9,
represents a plan view, of a portion of the inner rim Fig. 6, showing the position
of the spokes, and oblong holes, for fixing the springs to it. In the following
discription of the drawings, the same numbers and letters of reference, indicate
the same parts, in the different figs., of the drawings.
a, is a solid rubber tyre, fixed to the outer rims b, and k, in the usual manner,
b, is an outer rim of steel, or other metal, showing two portions of a circle, one
part being raised above the other, see Fig. 5, with a thin ring of flat steel, or
other metal c, brazed, or fixed tightly, to the bottom part, of the double rim b,
forming a flat seat, for the ends of the springs d, any number of holes as required,
is bored through these rims, to pass the screw of the bolts e, through, but in the
top part of the circle b, the holes must be wide enough to let the heads of the
bolts e, pass through, so that the bolt heads, which may be either cup, square,
or Tshaped, lie between the two parts of the circles b, and thus leave a smooth
bed, for the rubber tyres a, to rest upon, before putting on the rubber tyres. fis
an inner rim of steel, or other suitable meterial, with a flange upon each side,
so as to strengthen it, and prevent the springs d, from turning either way, and
to which rim the spokes g, are fixed in the usual manner, between the spokes g, a
sufficient number of oblong holes h, see Fig. 9, are made in the inner rim f,
to meet any inequality in the set, of the springs d, after being tempered, and
through which oblong holes, the screws of the bolts e, are passed, upon which a
small washer of copper or other metal, may be placed previous to screwing on
the nuts upon the bolts when fixing the springs d, to the rim.
The curved springs d, may be either angular, or S, shaped, as shown in
Figs. 1, and 2, at d, d, with sufficient space between the rims b, k, and f, to allow
of an elastic movement when in motion.
k, see Figs. 2, 4, and 7, show an outer rim of wood, which may be used instead
of the steel rim b, and fixed to the springs d, with bolts and nuts in the same
manner, sinking the heads of the bolts into the wood rim k, to prenvent them
from turning round.
Or where prefered, small wood screws with square heads may be passed through
the springs d, between the rims f, and k, and screwed into the outer rim k, thus
fixing the springs d, to it, in an equally secure manner. Fig. 8, shows another
outer rim made of steel or other suitable metal which may be used instead of
the outer rim b, and may be fixed to the springs and rubber tyres in the same
manner as the outer rim b.
It will thus be seen, by the arrangement and manner, of fixing the springs
with bolts and nuts, or wood screws, as now described herein, that no difficulty
arises in removing, and replacing, any individual spring when required, and,
owing to the double action of the springs, d, at the top, and bottom of the wheel,
when any weight rests upon its axle, great elasticity is obtained owing to the
lightness of the springs required, when in motion.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I make no general
claim to the use of curved springs, between inner and outer rims, in the con-
struction of spring wheels, but I declare, that what I claim is :-
The combination and improvements herein before described in wheels, having
inner, and outer rims, with angular or curved S, shaped springs, secured between
these rims by bolts and nuts, or wood screws, all as hereinbefore described, and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
1000
Dated this igne day
JOHN LAPSLEY,
20, Tower Street, Kinning Park, by Glasgow, North Britain,
Applicant.