US1495464A - Resilient wheel - Google Patents

Description

may 27, 1924. 1,495,464

M. VAARALA RESITITENT WHEEL Filed Aug, 24, 1925 z sheets-sheep 1 May 27, 1924. l 1,495,464

M. VAARALA RESILIENT vWHEEL.

Filed Aug. 24 1925 2 wwwsheen 2 mmm Applicationy led August 24, 1923.

To all whom t may concer/n:

Be it known that I, MATTI VAARAL'A, a

citizen of the United States, residing at- Painesdale, in the county of- Houghton and State of Michigan, have inventedl certainnew and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and I do declare the following tov be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as' will enable others skilled in the artvto which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to resilient wheels of the typevin which shock-absorbing compression springs are interposed between' a felly andrim.

One object'ofthe invention istoprovide a novel arrangement of folly-carried cushioning springs and'coacting rim-carrying plungers, and to mount. the springs inl a unique manner to effectively anchor them, while permitting their outer'endportions to compress andl absorb shocks.

Another object is toplace the convolutions at the inner portions of certain of 'the springs, in tight contactwith each other, thusformi'ng cylinders-in which the plungers operate, the inner ends of saidcylinders being closed, whereby pneumatic cushions are formed, in addition to the cushioning action of the springs.

In mounting the springs, -circumferentially spaced folly-carried, cylinder-forming blocks are employed, and a further aim is to make novel'vprovisionfor rigidly holding said-blocks in properly spaced relation.'

Yet another aim is to provide a rim formed of pivotally-connected sections associatedin a novel manner with the plungers.

A still further object is toprovide a re-' silient wheel.v structure which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive, yetwill- Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinalsectional view, partly in4A elevation.

Figure 2 isa transversefsectional view as indicated byt line'2-2 of Fig. l.

Figure 3 isa partial plan view o-f the pe- Lttttf RESILIENT WHEEL.

Serial No. 659,182.

riphery of the wheel, parts being broken away and in section.

In constructing the preferred form of my invention, which I have selected yfor illustration in the present application, I makeusev of a` channel-shaped metal felly which is designated' in the vdrawings by the numeral l.v Snugly received between the side-flanges 2 ofthe felly 1, at circumferentially spaced points,varea number of metal blocks 3 which `extend uninterruptedly from one of the flanges 2, to the other of said flanges. The outer ends of the blocks 3, are provided with circumferentially extending lugs l which ex tend between the flanges 2, the lugs of each block, being in contact with the adjacent lugs of adjacent blocks, as shown clearly Fig. l. Spacers 5, preferablyformed of wood, are interposed between the lblocks 3, the outer portionsv ofv said spacers being in contact with the inner sides of the lugs 4, and radial bolts 6 pass through the lugs and spacers and through the innersidey of the felly 1.v i u In the present disclosure, each of the blocks 3, is formed with a pair of radial openings 7, constituting cylinders for a pair of relatively large, radially positioned', coiled, compression springs 8. The cylinder-contained portions ofthe springs 8, have their convolutions disposed in tightcontact with each other and these convolutions contact tightly with the walls of the cylinders, so that the springs are effectively anchored. rlhe convolutions beyond the blocks 3, however, are spaced apart so that the outer ends of thev springs may compress to absorb shocks.'

Disposed within the'springs 8, are auxiliary cylinders 9, which contact with'the inner sides'of said springs, said cylinders 9 being. secured tothe folly l, in' a manner hereinafter described. yAuxiliary compression springs 1.0l are tightly received in the cylinders 9 and have their cylinder-contained convolutions disposed in tight contact with.. each other. The other ends of the springs 10, however, project beyond-the cyl inders and beyond the springs 8 and have their convolutions spaced apart, permitting them to compress and absorb shocks'.

Radially disposed plungers 1ll are slidably' receivedv inthe springs'lO andare provided at their outer ends, with transverse plates 12, the endsl of each plate being provided FFE QE.

MATTI vAAaALA, .or PAINESDALE, MICHIGN. i y

with a pair of radially projecting lugs 13, for a purpose to appear. lt may .here be pointed out, that the plates 12 and plunge-rs 11 move inwardly against the action of the springs 10 only, when slight road roughness is encountered, and that under excessive jars, the plates 12 strike the relatively large springs 8 and thus bring them into play. ln addition to these cushioning actions, attention is directed to the fact that the tightly coiled inner po-rtions ot the springs 10, form cylinders in which the plungers 11 operate, thus providing pneumatic cushions also.

Any desired means may be provided for securing the cylinders 9 in place, but as it is necessary to provide for lubricating the plungers 11, l prefer to provide common means for securing the cylinders and permitting the lubricant lto be injected. lin the present showing, cap screws 14 are passed through the inner ends of the cylinders 9 and are threaded through the telly 1, the inner ends of said screws being positioned in countersinks 15, in the Jfelly. The screws 14 are formed with oil ports 16, and caps 17, within the countersinks 15, are normally threaded upon the screws to close said ports. By removing these caps however a quantity of oil may be injected through the ports 16, to lubricate the plungers 11 and springs 10, thus insuring smooth and easy operation thereof.

While any adequate rim structure might be used in connection with the features above described, I prefer to provide a rim formed of arcuate sections 18 having intermeshing knuckles 19 which rest against the outer sides of the plates 12, the knuckles of adjacent sections, being pivotally connected with each other by pins 2O passing therethrough, the ends of the pins being in abutting relation with the lugs 13, so that the latter hold them against removal, as well as holding the entire rim structure against lateral shifting. To permit the necessary relative movement of the sections 18, allowing the plungers 11 to move radially, certain of the openings in said sections, through which the pins 20 pass, are of elliptical form as indicated at 21.

Any desired means may be employed to prevent circumferential creeping of the rim, upon the plates 12, but Jfor this purpose l have disclosed a rounded stud 22 on one of the plates 12, received rather loosely in a socket 23 in the adjacent rim sections 18, it being understood that any desired number of studs and sockets may be used in the complete wheel.

Any desired form of tire (not shown) may be used upon the rim and will be held against lateral shifting thereon, by the projecting outer ends of the lugs 13. To permit the tire to be easily applied, it is necessary to first compress a number of the cushioning springs 8 and 10, permitting the diincense ameter of the rim to be decreased. To fucilitate this operation, I have shown apertured lugs 24C on the ends of the plates 12, for engagement by any desired means tor drawing said plates inwardly and holding f themv until the tire is applied.

By providing the construction shown and described or a substantial equivalent thereof, a spring wheel is provided which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive, yet it i spring contiguous to the convolutions thereof, an auxiliary coiled compression spring in said auxiliary cylinder contiguous to the wall thereof and extending beyond the outer end ot the first-named spring, and a rimcarrying plunger slidable in said auxiliary spring and having a shoulder abutting the same, said shoulder being adapted to strike the relatively large spring under severe shocks.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; the cylinder-contained portions of said springs having their convolutions in tight contact with each other.

3. A structure as speciiied in claim 1; the cylinder-contained portion of said auxiliary spring having its convolutions in tight contact with each other to provide a cylinder for said plunger.

4f. A resilient wheel comprising a tellycarried coiled compression spring disposed radially, and a rim-carrying plunger slidable in said spring and having a shoulder bearing against the outer end thereof, the inner portion of said spring having its convolutions in tight contact with each other to provide a cylinder for the plunger, said cylinder being closed at its inner end.

Miti

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5. A resilient wheel comprising a periphplates each having a pair of transversely spaced radially extending lugs, a plurality of rim sections extending between said plates and having intermeshed knuckles rest- 5 ing on said plates, pivot pins extending through said knuckles and abutting said lugs, and means for holding said rim sections against circumferential creeping on said plates, said lugs extending beyond said rim sections to retain a tire in place on the l0 latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

MATTI VAARALA.

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