IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, LOCOMOTIVE B, AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Cous ilting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, LOCOMOTIVE B,
AND OTHER VEHICLES."-A communication from abroad by John
Raddin, of Lynn, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Scaled the 13th April 1869, and dated the 19th January 1869.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 19th January 1869, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WHEELS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES. LOCOMOTIVES, AND OTHER VEHICLES," and
have potitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, adınınis-
[Price Bd.]

page_text: trators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have
made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me from
abroad by John Raddin, of Lynn, Massachusetts, United States of
America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
Beal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
making a part of this Specification.
This Invention relates to the construction of wheels for common road
carriages and for railway carriages, and more particularly for locomotives
and passenger carriages, the object of the said Invention being to render
such wheels more enduring, more conducive to the wear of the carriages
supported upon them and the comfort of passengers riding in the
carriages.
The said Invention has particular reference to so introducing cushions
of rubber between the hub or the body of the wheel and the tire thereof,
that the hub or the body of the wheel is not only supported relatively to
the tire against elastic cushions, so that both in radial directions and
torsionally the direct strain comes upon these cushions, but is so
bolted relatively to the tire that while the parts ate securely fastened
together wear cannot come upon the bolts.
In the wheel for common carriages constructed according to the said
Invention the metal hub is made with flanges at such distance apart as
to receive the butt ends of the respective spokes (which are tenoned in
the tire in the usual manner), one of the flanges being cast with the hub
and the other being a loose collar bolted to the fixed flange. Around
the hub between the flauges is placed a thick caoutchouc or elastic ring,
around which is another ring made in sections of metal, the end of each
hub resting against this metal ring, the capability of relative movement
of the parts of which permits the hub to yield slightly in a radial
direction in the line of each spoke as such spoke comes into vertical
position beneath the hub, the flange of the hub being cast with cross
pieces between which the butt ends of the spokes enter, the bolts passing
through the cross pieces, and lateral contact of each spoke with the cross
pieces and with the collar and flange being prevented by the insertion of
elastic shims between the spoke and the metal. In the railway carriage

page_text: wheels each wheel is made with interlocking parts in the hub and tire,
which prevent relative slipping or rotativo movement. It is in these
peculiarities of construction and arrangement of parts that the said
Invention consists. The Drawings represent wheels varying in con-
struction, but each embodying the said Invention.
A shews half in elevation and half in section one form of railway
carriage or locomotive wheel, and B is a central cross section thereof;
C and D are similar views of another railway carriage wheel; E and F
are similar views of another modification of a carriage wheel; G shews
partly in elevation and partly in section a common road carriage wheel
embodying the said Invention; and H a central cross section of the
same.
In the wheel shown at A and B the construction is as follows:-The
hub a is cast with spokes b or a web connecting the hub with a rim c
having a peripheral tire d cast separate from the hub and rim c. In the
periphery of the rim is a series of mortices or rectangular recesses f
and on the inner surface of the tire g Cast a corresponding series of
projections h, each of which enters the adjacent recess f as seen at A.
The recesses do not extend entirely through the rim c, and the tire is
supported laterally on one side of the wheel by the walls i at the ends
of the recesses, while on the other side the tire is supported by a ring k
bolted to the walls i by screw bolts and nuts m. The teeth or pro-
jections n between the several recesses of the rim o interlock with the
teeth or projections of the tire g, as seen at A, and between the outer
peripheral surface of each projection and the adjacent inner surface of
the rim, as also between the inner surface of each tire projection hand
the adjacent surface of the rim ca cushion o of caoutchouc or similar
elastic material is placed, while between each two adjacent side surfaces
of each two adjacent projections n, h, is a similar elastic cushion or
packing. An elastic ring is placed between a flange 2 (projecting
from one side of the rim c) and the tire, and another elastic ring r
between the opposite side of the rim c and the ring k. Thus it will be
seen that while the interlocking of the tire and the hub rim or felly
prevents any possibility of separation from relative rotative movement
or from wear of the cushions, the bolts prevent all iujurious lateral dis-
placement, while the cushions permit the hub to yield towards the rim
and torsionally, so as to render the wheel very enduring under all con-
cussive strains and secure a freedom from the jarring effects generally
felt in riding in railway carriages.

page_text: In the railway carriage wheels shewn at C and D the web and tire
are cast in one piece, and the hub is made in two pieces, the hub
extending through a large hole in the centre of the wheel, and the
web adjacent to the hub being embraced between a flange cast upon
one end of the hub and a collar slipped upon the opposite end,
while around the hub between the collar and flange is a caoutchouc
or other elastic ring, upon which the web is directly supported rela-
tively to the hub. Upon the hub flange are series of projections which
extend through the web of the wheel, the holes for their reception
being larger than the projections, so that a space is left entirely around
each projection, as seen at C. Through the flange and each of these
projections and the hub collar a screw bolt is passed, the hole for
which is larger than the bolt, and by means of the series of bolts and
nuts the hub is bolted to the wheel. Provision is secured for radial
play of the hub towards the tire against the elastic cushion, and for
an elastic bearing for relative rotative movement between the tire and
hub, the hub projections through the web being surrounded if desirable
with elastic cushions, while the flange and collar may also be com-
pressed against cushions placed between the web and each adjacent
face of the collar and flange, as seen at D.
In the Drawings C, D, a³ denotes the hub; 63, the tire; c³, the web;
da, the hub flange; e, the hub collar; A, the cushion between the hub
and web; 92, the projections from the hub flange; A³, the openings through
the web; the screw bolts. In both of these wheels A, C, it will be
seen that if the cushions become worn the only result will be that
the metal of the hub and tire or web are brought into contact, but that
no lateral strain can possibly come upon the bolts; consequently, no
breakage of the bolts or separation of the hub from the tire or hub
from the web can take place, the strength of the wheel being thereby
ensured. In the carriage or locomotive wheel seen at E, F, the tire is
made separate from the hub, the hub, spokes, or web, and tire being cast
in one piece, and the inner surface of the tire has sunk into it a series
of circular recesses, opposite to each of which is a corresponding recess
in the peripheral surface of the rim. In each pair of these recesses is
placed a metal disc, which, extending across the joint between the rim
and tire, of course prevents both rotative and lateral movement of the
hub and tire relative to each other. The recess in the rim also contains
another disc, between which and the tire disc is interposed an elastic
disc or cushion. The inner discs rests upon the end of a radial screw,

page_text: which is screwed through the rim between the spokes, as seen at E.
When the screw is turned back the three discs fall below the peripheral
surface of the rim so that the wheel can be dropped into the tyre. Then
by turning each screw out the discs are forced outward bringing the
wheel to a bearing upon the clastic cushions, the turning back of the
screws (from jar) being prevented by suitable check nuts. On one side
of tho tire is a flange, between which and tho rim may be placed an
elastic washer.
At E and F, denotes the hub; 1, the spokes; m³, the rim; n³, the
tire; o, the outer discs, projecting into the adjacont recesses in the tire
and rim, and extending across the joint between the tire and rim; p³, the
iuner discs resting against the ends of screws, by which the discs are
forced outwardly, compressing between them the elastic cushions &³, the
rim being supported upon aud against theso cushions.
In the common road carriage wheel, shewn at G, H, the felly, tire, and
spokes are mado and connected in the ordinary manner, but the inner
end of each spoke passes between a flango of the metal hub u³ and a
collar on the said hub, and its end has a bearing against the surface of
a metal ring placed around the hub and resting upon an elastic
ring interposed between the hub and the metal ring. This metal ring
is made in sections, so that either part of it can be freely compressed
towards the hub. The flange and collar are connected by screw
bolts and nuts y, each bolt passing through a projection 2 cast upon
the hub flange, and extending across from flange to collar between
each two adjacent spokes, and by these means all relative slipping or
rotative movement between the hab and spokes is prevented, while the
hub by resting upon the elastic cushions can yield radially in the line of
each spoke as the weight of the carriage rests upon or partially upon
such spoke. Between each spoke and the adjacent surface of the pro;
jection, and between each spoke and the adjacent surface of the hub,
flange, or collar an elastic shim of rubber may be driven.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I claim, a railway carriage or loco-
motive wheel made with separate hub and web or hub and tire, having
interlocking parts, the hub and tire being fastened together by screw
bolts, and the interlocking projections being so disposed that in any
rotative movement of the tire or web relatively to the hub the strain
comes upon these projections and not upon the bolts, and the hub being

page_text: cushioned relatively to the web or tire by an interposed elastic ring or
by elastic blocks, substantially as described. Also the specific construc-
tion of the rail way carriage wheels shewn at A and B, C and D,
E and F, and the carriage wheel shewn at G and H.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Nineteenth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.s.)
Witness,
THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.