An Improvement in the Construction of Rims for Cycle and other Wheels.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Construction of Rims for Cycle and other
Wheels.
WILLIAM REYNOLDS Ryley Street Coventry Engineer WILLIAM JOHN
BUTLIN Ryley Street Coventry Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:--
A ribbon of metal having been bent in the usual way to the desired section of a
hollow rim or felloe another ribbon of metal is bent longitudinally to the form of a
girder which may be of a U or V shape with an extended flange at the base and
this is placed inside the hollow rim traversing it from end to end with the flanged
part to the inner or spoke side of the rim being intended to better support the
spokes by supplying a double thickness of metal for them to pass through and to
stiffen the rim. The outer side of the rim moulded to carry the rubber has the
edges of the ribbon of metal of which it is made overlapping and the joint is
secured by rivets at suitable intervals from end to end such rivets passing through
and securing the lapping edges to each other and to the crown of the inside girder.
Instead of rivets screws may be used either with heads or without and if preferred
the screws may be rivetted as well.
To add to the strength of the joint the edges may be further secured by soldering
or brazing or this may be temporarily done to assist in making the joint with the
rivets or screws. The girder may be soldered or brazed to the inner or spoke side
of the rim or the spoke heads only may be relied on to hold the parts together.
The construction of the rim may be varied by dispensing with the inside girder and
relying only on the rivets or screws with or without the assistance of brazing or
soldering to secure the longitudinal joint. After the rivets or screws are placed in
position in the rim they may be further secured by soldering or brazing the heads
or ends to the rim.
Dated this 10th day of Anril 1893
WILLIAM REYNOLDS.
WILLIAM JOHN BUTLIN.
An Improvement in the Construction of Rims for Cycle and other
Wheels.
We, WILLIAM REYNOLDS, Engineer and WILLIAM JOHN BUTLIN, Electrical
Engineer, both of Ryley Street, Coventry in the County of Warwick 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 relates to an improvement in the construction of rims for cycle
and other wheels.
A ribbon of metal having been bent in the usual way to the desired section of a
hollow rim or felloe,, another ribbon of metal may be bent longitudinally to the
form of a girder, which may be of a U or V shape with an extended flange at the
base and this is placed inside the hollow rim traversing it from end to end with
the flanged part to the inner or spoke side of the rim, being intended to better
support the spokes by supplying a double thickness of metal for them to pass
through, and to stiffen the rim.

page_text: The outer side of the rim moulded to carry the rubber or other elastic tire has
the edges of the ribbon of metal of which it is made overlapping and the joint is
secured by rivets at suitable intervals from end to end, such rivets passing through
and securing the lapping edges to each other and to the crown of the inside
girder.
Instead of rivets, screws may be used either with heads or without and if
preferred the screws may be rivetted as well.
To add to the strength of the joint the edges may be further secured by soldering
or brazing or this may be temporarily done to assist in making the joint with the
rivets or screws. The girder may be soldered or brazed to the inner or spoke
side of the rim or the spoke heads only may be relied on to hold the parts
together.
The construction of the rim may be varied by dispensing with the inside girder
and relying only on the rivets or screws with or without the assistance of brazing
or soldering to secure the longitudinal joint.
After the rivets or screws are placed in position in the rim they may be further
secured by soldering or brazing the heads or ends to the rim.
In working out our invention we find that the girder may well be dispensed with,
the rim then being provided with a thickened bottom or with washers or other well
known means for supporting the spokes; and we find that it is best to avoid brazing
altogether as we can then use a class of steel, of a superior temper and quality
which it has not been possible to use for rims in which the longitudinal joints are
brazed and, therefore, subjected to a great heat; and in this way we are able to
produce a rim combining strength and lightness to a higher degree than has
hitherto been accomplished. Soft solder has been used alone for securing the said
longitudinal joint but it is not sufficiently strong to be relied on exclusively.
Having brought the ribbon by any suitable well known means to the transverse
section desired for the rim, with the edges overlapping, preferably in the centre of
the outer side, we solder the said overlapping edges to one another to hold them in
place while we rivet them together. We drill holes through the double thickness
of metal formed by the overlapping edges at convenient distances apart say 1", and
of convenient diameter, say 11th. We then tap the holes with a suitable screw
thread.
From copper wire or other suitable material of suitable dimensions we make a
number of rivets and provide them with a suitable external screw thread. We may
then screw the rivets, by pliers or other convenient means, into the tapped holes so
tbat each rivet projects a suitable distance through each end of its hole and then
hammer heads on the said rivets, the same having been, if necessary previously cut
down to a suitable length.
During the heading the rim may be laid in a suitable grooved block so that the
blows will not distort its form, and in this case the heading may sometimes be
performed after the rim is rolled into its circular form, if desired. But we prefer
to perform the rivetting while the rim is still in a straight length, and before
screwing in the rivets we prefer to insert a mandrel of suitable material, form and
dimensions in the rim so that there is a space or clearance, of say, 32" between the
face of the mandrel and the inner surface of the outer side of the rim.
We then screw the rivets in until their points come in contact with the face of
the mandrel; the force of the blows in hammering the heads on the rivets causes
the rim to give and the points of the rivets pressing against the face of the mandrel
become swelled or rivetted as well as the heads. The rim springs back after the
blows and when all the rivets have been headed the mandrel may be easily with-
drawn. The grooved block may be employed as herein before described, in this
case also. The edges of the ribbon may if preferred, be made to overlap at any
other position in the rim than that hereinbefore described. And in like manner
other hollow rims constructed of one or more ribbons of metal having suitably
overlapping edges may have their longitudinal joint or joints secured by rivetting,
our invention having no reference to the position and form of the said overlapping

page_text: edges, (provided only that they are adapted for the purpose), but to the method of
securing them together by rivetting.
In order that our invention may be well understood we append drawings which
show our invention applied, by way of example, to three forms of hollow rims,
having their edges overlapping in different ways, and which show also the use of
the mandrel and the block hereinbefore referred to, in constructing rims according
to our invention.
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
Figures I and II show a transverse section and a plan respectively of part of a
rim made from a ribbon having its edges overlapping in the centre of the outer
side of the said rim, the longitudinal joint being secured by rivetting the said
overlapping edges together according to our invention.
Figures III and IV are similar views of part of a rim made from a ribbon
having its edges abutting one against the other, and a second ribbon or strip which
overlaps the said edges, the longitudinal joint being secured according to our
invention, and
Figures V and VI show a transverse section of part of a rim similar to that
shown in Figures I and II and the use of a mandrel and block in constructing rims
according to our invention.
Referring to Figures I, II, V and VI. Having brought the ribbon 2 by any
suitable well known means to the transverse section desired for the rim with the
edge 3, overlapping the edge 4, in the centre of the outer side 1 of the rim, we
solder the said overlapping edges to one another to hold them in place while we
rivet them together. We drill holes 5 through the double thickness of metal
formed by the overlapping edges 3, 4 at convenient distances apart say 1" and of
convenient diameter say ". We then tap the holes 5 with a suitable screw
thread. From copper wire or other suitable material of suitable dimensions we
make a number of rivets 6 and provide them with suitable external screw threads.
We may then screw the rivets 6, (by pliers or other convenient means) into the
tapped holes so that each rivet projects a suitable distance through each end of its
hole and then hammer heads on the said rivets (see Figure 1) the same having been
if necessary cut down to a suitable length. During the heading, the rim may be
laid in a suitable grooved block 7 so that the blows will not distort its form, and in
this case, the heading may sometimes be performed after the rim is rolled into its
circular form, if desired. But we prefer to perform the rivetting while the rim is
still in a straight length, and before screwing in the rivets we preter to insert a
mandrel 8 of suitable material, form and dimensions in the rim so that there is a
space or clearance of say " between the face of the mandrel and the inner
surface of the outer side 1 of the rim. We then screw the rivets 6 in until their
points come into contact with the face of the mandrel 8 (see Figure V); the force
of the blows in hammering the heads on the rivets causes the rim to give, and the
points of the rivets pressing against the face of the mandrel become swelled and
rivetted as well as the heads (see Figure VI). The rim springs back after the
blows and when all the rivets have been headed the mandrel may easily be
withdrawn. The grooved block 7 may be employed as hereinbefore described, in
this case also.
3
As a modification, the holes may be drilled right through both the outer and
inner sides of the rim and rivets, adapted to reach through to the inner side of the
rim, used. In this case, neither the holes nor the rivets need be screw threaded, as
both ends of the holes being exposed and readily accessible, headed rivets may be
used and the points rivetted in the well known manner. But we do not recommend
this construction unless the outer and inner sides of the rim are in contact or
nearly in contact where the rivets pass through them, as otherwise the subsequent
rolling of the rim is apt to interfere with this form of rivetting.
Referring to Figures III and IV, the edge 3 abuts against the edge 4 and the
two edges are covered by a strip 9 to which they are rivetted (preferably having
been previously soldered). The rivetting is performed in one of the two ways

page_text: hereinbefore described, though there will necessarily be at least two rows of rivets.
the said rivets being preferably arranged in regular alternation as shown, first ou
one side and then on the other of the abutting line; and the distance from one
rivet to the next is preferably rather less, say 1", instead of 14". The strip 9
covering the abutting edges 3, 4, may be placed on the inside of the rim ; or two
strips may be used, one being placed inside and the other outside of the rim, if
preferred.
As a modification, instead of the edges 3, 4 abutting one against the other there
may be a space of any convenient width between them and the strip 9 would then
be made of a correspondingly greater width.
For greater security and to give a smooth finish to the joints we prefer to solder
over the heads of the rivets and over the headed points of the rivets too, if
exposed, making such soldering continuous round the rim.
The longitudinal joint or joints having been secured by rivetting according to
our invention the rim may be completed in any convenient manner.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise methods, materials and measurements
herein before described, as modifications and variations may be made without
departing from the spirit of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
.claim is
1. In rims. for cycle and other wheels, constructed from one or more ribbons or
strips of metal, forming the longitudinal joint or joints by securing together the
overlapping edges of the said ribbons or strips by rivetting, substantially as herein
described.
2. In hollow rims, for cycle or other wheels, constructed from one or more
ribbons or strips of metal with overlapping or similarly arranged edges or their
equivalents, securing the longitudinal joint or joints by rivetting together the said
edges or their equivalents, substantially as herein described and illustrated by way
of example in the accompanying drawings.
3. The improvement in the construction of rims for cycle and other wheels,
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 10th day of January 1893.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent,
19, Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicants' Agent.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent,
19, Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicants' Agent.