IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WHEELS OF CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES FOR COMMON ROADS.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Melling, junior, of Coupland Street, in the
City of Manchester, and County of Lancaster, Coach Builder, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WHEELS OF
CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES FOR COMMON ROADS.".
Sealed the 20th October 1864, and dated the 28th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Melling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th April 1864.
I, RICHARD MELLING, junior, of Coupland Street, in the City of Manchester,
and County of Lancaster, Coach Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WHEELS OF
CARRIAGES OR VEHICLES FOR COMMON ROADS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in a new combination of parts forming an improved
construction of the wheels of carriages or vehicles for common roads. The
spokes are made of malleable metal, and are secured in the nave when it is
cast, the nave being formed of cast metal. The nave has a bush in it formed
of wood, which has another bush in it formed of metal to work upon the
axle; this wooden bush acts to check or deaden the vibrations arising from
concussions upon the wheel. The cast metal nave is hooped at its ends by

page_text: malleable metal hoops. The end of each spoke is made to span or grasp its
felloe and is secured by a screw bolt. The felloes are formed of wood and are
hooped by the tyre in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Melling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
MELLING, junior, of Coupland Street, in the City of Manchester, and County
of Lancaster, Coach Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Melling, junior, Her special license that I, the said
Richard Melling, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Melling, junior, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WHEELS OF CARRIAGES
OR VEHICLES FOR COMMON ROADS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Richard Melling, junior, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly 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
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Melling, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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) :-
i
My Invention consists in a new combination of parts forming an improvedl
construction of the wheels of carriages or vehicles for common roads. The
spokes are made of malleable metal and are secured in the nave when it is

page_text: cast, the nave being formed of cast metal. The nave has a bush in it formed
of wood, which has another bush in it formed of metal to work upon the
axle; this wooden bush acts to check or deaden the vibrations arising from
concussions upon the wheel. The cast metal nave is hooped at its ends by
malleable metal hoops. The end of each spoke is made to span or grasp the
felloe (formed of wood) and the tyre and felloe are secured to the end of
each spoke. The felloes formed of wood are hooped by the tyre iu the usual
manner.
The particular manner in which I prefer to carry my improvements into
effect is illustrated by the Figures upon the accompanying Sheet of Drawing.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a section of one modification; and
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively corresponding views of another modification
according to my Invention.
a is the ordinary axle; b is the metal bush fitting upon the ordinary axle ;
c is a wood bush inserted in the cast metal nave (d) of the wheel. The nave
is hooped at each end by malleable metal hoops (d'); c' are bolts passing
through the nave and discs (c³ and c) at each side of the nave to secure the
wheel upon the axle in the usual manner. The spokes (e) are of malleable
metal, and have their ends cast in the metal nave (d). The outer end of
each spoke (e) is formed as shown, and is secured to the felloe (f) and
tyre (9) by means of bolts with conically-formed heads, as shown. The ends
of the spokes may be wholly or partially sunk into the felloe, so that their
exterior surface will be flush with the surface of the felloes if desired. The
felloes (f) are made in two or more segments; but I prefer to make them
in two segments from bent pieces of wood, making each of the junctions come
opposite the centre of a spoke.
Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification of my improved wheel where the spokes
(e) are made of two pieces of malleable metal, or of one piece of malleable.
metal bent double, but so curved that a sufficient force acting in the direction
of their length will cause each half of the spoke to bend outwards from the
other, by this means, though the spokes are made sufficiently strong to carry
the required weight, they are slightly elastic and resist more effectively the
destructive percussive action upon the wheel.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
modes of carrying the same into effect, and wish it to be understood that
I claim as my Invention in the wheels of carriages or vehicles for common
roads the combination and construction of parts as herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: I also claim, with the improved combination and construction of parts
herein-before described, the formation of the felloes in two segments, and the
formation of the spokes to give elasticity in the manner described in reference
to Figs. 3 and 4 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Melling, junior, have hereunto 5
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
R. MELLING, JUNIOR. (L.S.)