CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS AND TIRES, AND ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES EMPLOYED IN SUCH OR SIMILAR MANUFACTURES.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Dubs, of Vulcan Foundry, near War-
rington, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS AND
TIRES, AND ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES EMPLOYED IN SUCH
OR SIMILAR MANUFACTURES.'
Sealed the 6th March 1854, and dated the 8th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Dubs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th October 1858.
I, HENRY DUBS, of Vulcan Foundry, near Warrington, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
WHEELS AND TIRES, AND ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES EMPLOYED
IN SUCH OR SIMILAR MANUFACTURES," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate, firstly, to the manufacture of such wrought
iron railway and other wheels wherein the central boss is formed by the
ends of the arms welded together, a washer or plate being simulta-
neously welded upon each side of the same. Such wheels have been

page_text: hitherto manufactured by heating the ends of the arms and the two
plates or washers in separate fires, and then welding them together by
hand. My improvement consists in "piling" the arms and the two
plates or washers altogether whilst in a cold state, then by means of my
improved construction of "smith's" fire or furnace (hereafter described)
bringing the whole of the boss thus formed to a welding heat at once,
and subsequently welding the same into a solid boss by gradual com-
pression.
The second part of my improvements relates to the manufacture
of tires for railway and other wheels, and consists principally of a
peculiar method of "piling" the same previously to welding, whereby
their liability to fracture is greatly lessoned. I take a certain number
of flat bars of iron, bent into the form of rings, so that the ends
just meet, and "pilé" them one above the other in number and thick-
ness according to the breadth of the tire required (say six), taking
care that the joints are equally distributed, that is to say; that no two
joints are at or near the same situation in the rim, and that wherever
there is a joint at that place there are five solid portions of the rings
or plates of metal without joint. The tire being thus piled," is
heated in a furnace and welded together by means of gradual compres-
sion, to be afterwards finished by rolling and turning as usually done.
The third part of my Invention relates to the construction of the
"smith's fire" or furnace employed in such or similar manufactures,
and consists principally in the adaptation thereto of a concave cover
formed of fire clay or other suitable material. This said cover can be
removed and replaced at pleasure. The boss of a wheel being placed
upon the fire, the cover is placed over the same. A blast of air being
then supplied in the ordinary manner, the fire will asceud through the
centre of the boss and the ends of the arms, and will be thrown down
again or caused to reverberate by the concave cover, so that the upper
and lower sides of the boss will become simultaneously heated, and be
brought to a welding heat at one operation.

page_text: -
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Dubs in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1,
HENRY DUBS, of Vulcan Foundry, near Warrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Dubs, Her especial
license that I, the said Henry Dubs, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Dubs, my 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS AND TIRES, AND ALSO IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF FURNACES EMPLOYED IN SUCH OR SIMILAR MANUFACTURES,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Dubs,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the 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
inonths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE,. that I, the said Henry Dabs, do hereby declare
the nature of iny said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):
My improvements.relate, first, to the manufacture of tires for rail-
way and other wheels, and consists principally of a peculiar method of
piling" the same previously to welding, whereby their liability to
fracture is greatly lessened.. I take a certain number of flat bars of iron

page_text: prepared for the purpose, bent into the form of rings, so that the ends
just meet, as shown at A, Fig. 9, and "pile" them one above the other,
in number and thickness according to the breadth of the tire required,
(say six, as an illustration,) taking care that the joints are equally dis-
tributed, that is to say, that no two joints are at or near the same
situation in the rim, and that whenever there is a joint at that place
there are five solid portions of the rings or plates of metal without
joints. The tire being thus piled is heated in a furnace, and welded
together by means of gradual compression, to be afterwards finished by
rolling and turning as usually done.
The second part of my Invention relates to the construction of the
"smith's fire" or furnace employed in such or similar manufactures,
and consists principally in the adaptation thereto of a reflector or
concave cover formed of fire clay or other suitable material. This said
cover can be reinoved and replaced at pleasure. The boss of a wheel
(or other work having a hole in the centre) being placed upon the
fire, the cover is placed over the same. A blast of air being there
supplied in the ordinary manner, the fire will ascend through the centre
of the boss, and between the ends of the arms, and being checked in
its progress by the concave cover will be by it thrown down and spread
over the top of the boss. The fire now having imparted its heat is
allowed to escape by the sides to the chimney or flue; or, should it be
required, the fire may be forced or drawn round the sides of the mass or
form to be heated, and allowed to escape by a hollow centre in the
fire-clay reflector or cover, where there is no central hole in the work
under operation.
But in order that my Invention may be more readily explained in
detail, and perfectly understood, I have attached to these Presents a
Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of about half an inch to the
foot, having corresponding letters of reference marked upon similar
parts of the machinery throughout.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, represents a sectional eleva-
tion of my improved "smith's fire" or furnace with a reflector or
concave cap or cover suspended above; in this case a railway wheel
and plate ready for the heating preparatory to the welding of the

page_text: same is shewn. Fig. 2, exhibits a similar furnace for heating solid
plates or masses of iron or steel; in this case the fire passes round the
sides of the mass or plate of metal to be heated, and is thrown down
upon and spread over the top of the same by the concavities, plainly
shown in the Figure, when the fire is allowed to escape by the hollow
centre of the fire-clay cap or reflector. Fig. 3, shows a plan of the
fire-clay reflector, cover, or cap, and counterbalance weight, represented
in Fig. 2. Fig. 4, represents a full section of my improved furnace
and reflector or cap with two plates being beated preparatory to being
welded. Fig. 5, exhibits an end sectional elevation of the same.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, a represents the brickwork of the furnace; 6,
the blast pipe; c, the fire-clay concave cover, reflector, or cap, suspended
by two arms from the lever d, in connection with the counterbalance
weight e, for the more readily raising or lowering the cover; f, a lining
or casing for the fire, of fire-clay, cinders, or whatever material may be
best approved for the purpose; g, the fire; h, the flue; and j, the ash
pit. Figs. 6, 7, 8, represent plan views of hoops, wheels, or tires, and
forms of metal to be welded, with their joints broken or so placed as to
obtain the greatest soundness in the welding. Figs. 9, 10, 11, represent
the respective sections of Figs. 6, 7, 8, showing more distinctly the
"piling" of the metal or plates preparatory to heating or welding them.
Figs. 6, and 9, shewing a tire as constructed of piled hoops or plates of
iron and steel, the steel being shown in section by coarser lines in
Fig. 9. This is the most approved method of manufacture, as the
metal may be piled or arranged with more certainty and regard as to
whatever space may be liable to the greatest wear, and the steel parts
ensured in their proper situation after welding. Figs. 8, and 11,
showing a tire as formed of two single bars wound into a helical form,
instead of the hoops or plates, as shown in Figs. 6, and 9. Figs. 7,
and 10, show a single bar wound into an oval shape by the same means,
or of plates or bars piled, as at Fig. 9, and intended to be drawn out,
rounded, and finished by flat and edge rolling machinery, as ordinarily
practised. Fig. 12, exhibits a hydraulic press, with the upper die k,
suspended above the plates 1, confined or held in the lower die m.
Fig. 13, represents the same press with the upper and lower dies

page_text: brought together by the rise of the plunger or piston m, and the
plates 1, welded. Fig. 14, represents the mandril n, and the method
of tightening or loosening the same.
Having thus particularly described my Invention of improvenients
in the manufacture of hoops, wheels, or tires, and also in the construc-
tion of furnaces employed in such or similar manufactures, I wish it to
be distinctly understood, that what I claim is, first, the peculiar
methods of "piling" in the manufacture of tires for railway and other
wheels previously to welding, whereby their liability to fracture is
greatly lessened; and, secondly, I claim the adaptation of a concave
cover or reflector, formed of fire-clay or other suitable material, to the
"smith's fire" or fürnace employed in such manufactures, not confining
or limiting myself to any particular dimensions of the several parts,
nor to any precise arrangement of the details, as substantially exhibited
in the Drawings hereunto attached, and herein particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Dubs, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
HENRY DUBS. (L.S.)