US330809A - Vehicle-hub - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

D. G. STOVER.

VEHICLE HUB.

No. 330,809. Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

V4 INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY- f UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

DANIEL O. STOVEB, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-HUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,809, dated November 17, 1885.

Application filed August 22, 1885. Serial No. 175,064. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL G. STOVER, a resident of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle- Hubs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle hubs of that class in which a wooden hub-body is strengthened by the insertion or addition of metal bars lying between the spokes and held in place by metal bands or other equivalent metal connecting devices.

The use of metal bars lying between the spoke-mortises of a wooden hub is old in the art of wheel-construction; but such bars have heretofore been inserted singly in the hub, or have been formed upon rigid bands or sections of bands, and such bands or sections of bands have been inserted bodily in or forced longitudinally upon the hub. I

In this application I show and describe a number of forms of bands of malleable metal, (preferably annealed cast-iron,) each of such form that it may be cast in a straight bar or strip and then wrapped about a hub, entering a suitable annular groove therein.

In the drawings illustrating this construction, Figure 1 is a plan. of a hub provided with one form of the malleable retaining-bar strip, and also with an encircling-band, B, covering the retaining-bar strip, the band being broken away at one point to show said strip. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a portion of a hub, the plane of section passing through the line at y, Fig.1, and apart of the spokes being in position in the hub, the spokes and spoketenons being lettered F F and the spokemortises and tenon-mort-ises f f,- Fig. 3, a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of one form of the malleable strip referred to, a portion of it being straight and the balance bent into the curve of the circumference of a hub. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal section of a part of a hub, the plane of section being radial with reference to the axis of the hub, and passing through a spoke-mortise, f, and its corresponding tenon-mortise, f. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4., except that the plane of section passes between two contiguous mortises and through one of the bars D lying between said mortises. The barD shown in section in this figure is slightly different in form from that shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4.. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4:, except that itillustrates the form of strip and bar shown in Fig. 5, instead of that shown in Figs. 2, 3. 4. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the form of strip illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 in section.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, A is a wooden hub, formed with an annular groove about midway between its ends, and having a series of tenon-mortises, f, extending inward from said groove. Within this groove lies a strip of malleable metal of such length and width as to completely fill the groove, and of such form as to divide the groove into a series of spoke-mortises, f, corresponding in position to the tenon mortises f of the wooden hub; and outside of the strip isa continuous encircling-band,B,formed with openings corresponding in size and position to the spoke-mortises f, the openings in the band being separated by narrow cross-strips B, forming part of the band. The strip consists of three integrally-formed parts or sets of parts-namely, a thin backing or ribbon, D, formed with suitable spoke-openings, aseries of V-shaped bars, D, at right angles to the line of length of the ribbon and lying between the openings therein, and a series of end flanges, O, at right angles to the bars D and extending inward from the edges of the ribbon. This strip, when cast and annealed, is preferably straight, as shown in a portion of Fig. 3, and while the strip is straight the contiguous flanges O G G are separated each from the next on either side of it by an angular space, 0, Fig. 3, these angles being such that the bending of the strip into a circle closes them all and brings the ends of the flanges O 0 into contact. When the strip is wrapped about the hub and embedded in the annular groove therein,it will be seen that it forms a series of sockets or spoke-mortises adapted to receive the fullsized ends of a series of spokes, the bars D being the partitions between the mortises, and the flanges O O forming the end walls thereof. Before being bent into acircle, the strip, as a whole, is straight; but each section of the strip (that is, each portion between two of I the groove, and'even then such aform as that the angular spaces, 0) is curved, as shownin Fig. 3. The connection of the flanges C with the ribbon D prevents the bending of the ribbon, except at the vertices of the angles 0, and it is therefore necessary to give the short sections the necessary curve when cast.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 the end flanges, G O, are dispensed with, and the bars D are lengthened, so as to enter the wood of the hub on either side of the annular groove. These projecting ends may be of equal crosssection throughout their length and be sunk in suitable mortises or grooves in the hub; but I prefer to make them of the form shown in Fig. 5, the inner edge of each of the ends being an arc of a circle. This form has the advantage that the groove which receives it may be cut by a small rotary cutter or former more easily and cheaply than a straight V- shaped groove can be mortised out. Otherwise the form is not material. When the end flanges, O C, are dispensed with, the ribbon D may be cast perfectly straight, since it can be bent at all points, and there is therefore no necessity to give its parts any curve in castingit.

It is evident that the two forms of strip shown are only representative of a large class which may be devised, and I do not therefore desire to limit my invention to any particular form or arrangement of the cross-bars D on the ribbon D. In fact the bars maybe dispensed with, if desired, and the ribbon used alone, in which case it may be either of malleable cast-iron or of rolled band-iron. Vhen band-iron is used, the openings for the spokes may be punched.

I have spoken of the strip D D, as being cast in a straight piece, and this form is preferable, since it dispenses with the necessity of coring and greatly lessens the cost of production. I do not mean, however, to limit my invention to the casting of the strip in this form, since it might be cast in a curved form, or even in a circle of the same diameter as the hub on which it was to be used, with-v out losing the advantages which it has over a rigid structure of the same shape. So long as the ends of the strip are not connected together to form an endless ring the strip may, if malleable, be opened sufiiciently to he slipped over the hub, and may then be closed and embedded in the annular groove intended to receive it. If the strip be of rigid mate rial, it must necessarily be made of not less than two pieces, in order to introduce it to shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 cannot be used, since the cross-bars D cannot be made to enter the longitudinal grooves in the hub in which they are to be embedded.

The use of a malleable strip permits the gradual wrapping of the strip about the hub, and thus allows the successive bars D to enter the longitudinal grooves in the hub without difficulty.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A strip of malleable metal provided with suitable spoke-openings and adapted to be wrapped about a vehicle-hub and form a ring thereon, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

2. A strip of malleable metal formed with suitable spoke'openings and provided with transverse bars lying between said spokeopenings, said strip being adapted to be wrapped about a vehicle-hub and to form a series of spoke-mortises therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A strip of malleable metal formed with spoke-openings and provided with transverse bars V-shaped in cross-section lying between said spoke-openings, said strip being adapted to be wrapped about a hub with the thinner parts of said bars inward, and said bars being adapted to form. bearing'surfaces for a series of spokes, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. A strip of malleable metal formed with suitable spoke-openings and provided with transverse bars lying between said spoke-openings, and with flanges at right angles to said bars and running lengthwise of the strip, said strip being adapted to be wrapped about a vehicle-hub with said bars and flanges inward, and said bars and flanges to form sockets for the reception of a series of spokes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The ribbon D, of malleable metal,formed with suitable spoke-openings and provided with bars D and flanges 0, said flanges O being separated by notches O, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL G. STOVER.

WVitnesses:

Gno. H. PATTISON, J. A. GRAIN.

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