Improvements in or connected with the Hubs of Wheels of Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Hubs of Wheels of Vehicles.
ROBERT WILLIAM MACCULLOCH, of 24, Albert Road, West Kirby, in the County
of Chester, Engineer, FREDERICK GASH, of 8, Mona Terrace, Douglas, in the Isle
of Man, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to prevent or reduce the vibration of wheels
being conveyed to vehicles such as cycles, carriages, auto-cars, bath chairs &
wheels of like kind. This invention consists in mounting & arranging the hub &
nave for clearness, we will call the nave that part of centre of wheel to which the
spokes are attached & the hub that part in which the spindle or axle bearing is
situated of a wheel seperate from each other so that there is an annular space
between them, which is packed with an elastic cushion advantageously on the
pneumatic principle, to prevent vibration being transmitted from the tyre or rim
to the hub or spindle & thence to the vehicle, that I may attain this I construct
the wheel proper with a nave of larger diameter than usual the spokes being
joined to such nave & to the rim in any usual mode, the nave has radiating arms
web's or flanges, which serve to keep the annular cushion or pneumatic tube or
tubes in position, the hub may have any usual form of spindle and bearing either
balls rollers or the ordinary bush, the hub is constructed of steel, iron, or other
material with a square centre on this part of the hub is placed the tube or cushion
having a square or other shaped hole in centre, & fitting to the hub, on either end
of the hub is placed a triangular shaped, arm web, or flange by means of a screw,
or key, on these triangular shaped arms, webs, or flanges, are placed balls or
other anti-friction material, which bear against the radiating arms, webs, or
flanges of the nave, in the form of a ball race or they may have rollers, which
prevent any lateral movement on the part of the wheel but do not interfere with
the resiliency of the hub or wheel, as these triangular arms, webs, or flanges form
part of the hub to which they are affixed revolve with the same and at their
external points where the balls, rollers or other anti-friction means are placed, by
the friction they create in their revolutionary movement, cause the wheel to
revolve by pressing against the arms webs, or flanges attached to the sides of the
nave, on the arms, webs, or flanges of the nave, is affixed a steel ball race on either
side hardened and planed as a smooth surface for said balls or rollers that aro
fixed to the triangular arms, webs, or flanges above mentioned to run, this ball
race is of sufficient dimensions to alow of the travel or resilient movement the nave
will have so that the three points of the triangle will be bearing at one & the same
time and will have, an aperture equal to the travel of the ball race aforesaid, in
order to convey the motion from the rim of the wheel to the hub, the hole or
aperture in the centre of the pneumatic tube or cushion is made square and may
have a steel liner fixed in the centre, the hub which is also square on that portion
covered by the air tube is fitted firmly to the tube or steel liner, to prevent any
movement, by this square in centre of air tube or cushion, and the ball race

page_text: aforenamed the motion is conveyed either from the rim and nave of the wheel
to the hub, or from the hub to the nave and rim of the wheel. The cushion or
tube named and which is inserted in the space between the hub and inside of
the nave may be made of rubber or other suitable material and either in the form
of a cushion or pneumatic air tube, which will absorbe the vibration of the road
traffic.
Dated this 24th date of Na..
1000
improvements in or connected with the Hubs of Wheels of Vehicles.
We, ROBERT WILLIAM MACULLOCH, of 24, Albert Road, West Kirby, in the
County of Chester, Engineer, and FREDERICK GASHI, of 8, Mona Terrace, Douglas,
in the Isle of Man, Mechanic, 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 has for its object to form a cycle or other like vehicle wheel in
such a manner that its hub shall in great measure absorb the shocks and vibration
resulting from the movement of the vehicle on the road.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of our invention applied to a cycle wheel;
Figure 2 a front elevation.
Referring to these figures, we so mount and arrange the wheel centre in two
concentric parts A and C separate from each other (we will for clearness call that
part of the wheel centre to which the spokes B are attached, the nave A, and that
part in which the spindle or axle bearing D is situated, the hub C) that there is
an annular space between them, which is filled with an elastic cushion E to
absorb the vibration transmitted from the tyre or rim to the hub or spindle, and
thence to the rider. This cushion is preferably on the pneumatic principle as
shown, and is provided with a valve F for inflating it with air. The nave A is
constructed of larger diameter than usual, the spokes B being joined to the nave
and to the wheel rim in any suitable manner. The bearings on the rotatable hub C
and stationary spindle 1) are of any suitable construction either ball bearings,
rollers or the ordinary bush. In the drawings ball bearings are shown consisting
of balls G working between the cones H and the hub. The hub is constructed of
steel, iron, or other suitable material having its centre part square as shown by
dotted lines at I. On this centre part of the hub is placed the annular elastic
cushion E having a square or other shaped hole in the centre fitting on to the
correspondingly shaped part I of the hub so that the two parts are locked together.
Secured to each side of the nave A by means of bolts is an annular flange J and
secured to the hub near each end are radiating arms K having bearings L which bear
against the face of a flange J and resist lateral movement, while in no way inter-
fering with the resiliency of the hub. These radiating arms are secured to the
hub so as to rotate with the same, and as they press firmly against the flanges J of
the nave, they assist in making the wheel revolve in unison with the hub so that
the entire force needed to revolve the wheel does not pass through the air cushion E
from the square shaped hub, but part of it is communicated direct to the flange L,
and so to the nave. M is the sprocket wheel for the chain. The pneumatic

page_text: cushion when inflated presses tightly against the inside of the nave A, and against
the flange J, so as practically to lock it with those parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. The improvement in the wheels of cycles and other like vehicles, which con-
sists in forming the metallic wheel centre of two concentric parts separate from
each other with an annular space between, and packing this annular space with
a resilient air cushion locked to the two parts of the wheel centre, whereby the
cushion will in great measure absorb the shocks and vibrations resulting from the
movement of the vehicle on the road, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a wheel, in which the wheel centre is formed of two
concentric parts separate from each other with an annular space between packed
with a resilient air cushion, of annular flanges secured to the outer concentric
part of the wheel centre at each side, and radial arms secured to the inner con-
centric part thereof, the latter having ball bearings at the ends which press
against the side face of the flanges aforesaid, whereby lateral movement of the
air cushion is resisted while in no way interfering with the resiliency of the hub,
and whereby also the entire force of the revolving wheel does not pass through
the air cushion but is transmitted also through the arms and flange, substantially
as described.
L
220
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.