IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS AND TIRES FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Gratton and John Beal, both of Amber-
gate, in the County of Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS AND TIRES FOR RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 1st April 1873, and dated the 8th February 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Gratton and.
John Beal at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th February 1873.
We, THOMAS GRATTON and JOHN BEAL, both of Ambergate, in the
County of Derby, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS AND TIRES FOR RAILWAYS," to
be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to prevent accidents resulting from the
breakage of railway wheel tires.
The wheel is on the inner side or the side between the rails formed
with a projecting flange, in the outer side of which or the side nearest
the tire we form a dovetail groove. The tire is formed with a corre-
sponding rim or feather. The tire is on the opposite side formed with

page_text: flange projecting inwards, and formed with a dovetail, into which the
correspondingly formed outer side of the rim of the wheel is made
to fit.
We prefer to make wheel and tire flush on both sides, whereby a
greater strength is afforded than is generally the case.
We unite the wheel and the tire by means of set screws, having screw
thread where they pass through the wheel and plain ends, and where
they fit into the tire. They are put in from the inside of the felloe or
rim of the wheel, and
their plain ends enter only a short distance into
the tire, thereby obviating the loss of strength now experienced by
having pin holes right through the tread of the tire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Gratton and John Beal in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 7th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
GRATTON and JOHN BEAL, both of Ambergate, in the County of Derby,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Thomas Gratton and John Beal, Her special
licence that we, the said Thomas Gratton and John Beal, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas
Gratton and John Beal, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEELS
and Tires for RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Thomas Gratton and John Beal, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Gratton and John Beal,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that
is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to prevent accidents resulting from the
breakage of railway wheel tires.
The wheel is on the inner side or the side between the rails, formed
with a projecting flange, in the outer side of which or the side nearest
the tire we form a dovetail groove. The tire is formed with a corre-
sponding rim or feather. The tire is on the opposite side formed with a
flange projecting inwards, and formed with a dovetail, into which the
correspondingly formed outer side of the rim of the wheel is made
to fit.
We prefer to make wheel and tire flush on both sides, whereby a
greater strength is afforded than is generally the case.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings are views of the
component parts of a wheel constructed according to our Invention.
Figure 1 is a view of the tire detached; Figure 2 is a view of the wheel
proper without the outside tire; and Figure 3 is a sectional view of the
wheel and tire complete. a is the tire, and 6 is the wheel fitting into
and secured to same; c is the projecting flange on the wheel, and d is the
flange on tire, which fits into the corresponding groove on the wheel in-
such manner that one hooks on to the other, as shewn at Figure 3; fis
the inwardly projecting flange on the other or opposite side of the tire,
and I is the point of the rim of the wheel fitting and taking into the
dovetail groove formed by the inner side of the tire and the projecting
flange f, as shewn; h, h, are the set screws for holding the wheels and
tires together, but other suitable means of fastening may be employed if
desired.
If the tire should break in one or more places the peculiar formation
of the dovetail grooves of wheel and tire only tend to retain the tire or

page_text: pieces of it all the tighter on the wheel, and no serious accident would
result.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of a modification of the arrangement just
described, whereby we are able to dispense with the use of all bolts or
set screws, if desired, for securing the tire. k is a feather on the flange t
edge of the tire, which is left when the tire is rolled. To secure the tire
the feather is beaten down, as shewn at Figure 5. By these means we
are enabled to entirely dispense with set screws if desired, although, if
preferable, three may for greater security be used.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and in what 1
manner the same is or may be performed, we declare that we do not
limit ourselves to the precise arrangement described and shewn for con-
necting and fastening the tire to the wheel, although we prefer the
arrangements shewn, as we have found the same to answer well in
practice; but we claim as our improvements in the construction of 1
wheels and tires for railways,—
First. Forming the tires and wheels with projecting flanges and
grooves, all substantially as herein set forth.
Second. Fastening the tires on to the wheels, substantially as set
forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Gratton and John Beal,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.