US391833A

US391833A - Wheel

Info

Publication number: US391833A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 1905-10-30

Description

(No Model.)

G. W. BAKER.

WHEEL.

Patented 001;. 30

lllrarrnn STATES PATENT Ormea.

GEORGE YV. BAKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WHEEL..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,833, dated October 30|, 1888.

Application filed April QB, 1888. Serial No. 272,132. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, may concern,.-

Bc it known that I, Gnonen W. BAKER, of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvementi n \Vagon or otherWheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of said invention is to provide an easy-running strong wheel.

1t consists substantially of the following combination: An axle provided with ahub, a series of friction wheels or rollers encircling and supporting said hub, and a rim encircling and supporting said series of wheels or rollers, said hub and said rim both having grooves to receive said series of wheels or rollers, each of said friction wheels or rollers being composed of three concentric drums, the two exterior ones thereof being in diameter respectively equal but less than the central drum, the circuniferences of said exterior roller-drums being preferably made to bear the same proportion to the eircumferences of the exterior hubdrums, which ride upon the said exterior drums of the frictionrollers, as the circumferences of the center roller-drums, which bear and roll on the track in the bottom of the rim-groove,

bear to the circumference of said track, and' said wheels or rollers being braced apart from each other by means of connecting-rods, which at their ends are journaled on the axles of said friction wheels or rollers, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, and as illustrated in the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Fignre l is an elevation of the outer side of a wheel embodying Ithe improvement under consideration. Fig. 2 is a view showing the wheel partly in section and partly in edge elevation, the sectional portion being on the line 2 2, Fig. l, and the portion within the rim being in edge elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4, which in turn is a section on line 4. 4t of Fig. 3.

The last two views illustrate a modilied form of the improvement.

Similar letters applied to the several drawings denote the same parts.

A represents the rim of the wheel, said rim being of the ordinary construction, saving that in its inner edge it has a groove, a.

BBrepresent the series of rollers or friction-wheels. Said rollers B are each composed of three concentric parts or drumsmviz., the central drum, b, and the two side drums, bb, the diameters of the latter two in the present instance being about half the diameter ofthe central drum, b. It is the central drum, b, which travels in the rim-groove a, and the side drums, b', do not touch the rim A. The hub C is also composed of three concentric drums-viz.,the two outside drums, c c,whicli are of equal diameter, and the central one, c, of less diameter than the two outside ones-all of which are fastened on and to the axle c?. The parts c c and c serve to form the groove in the hub in which the central part, b, ofthe roller B travels. Said partb does not come in contact with the central part, c, of the hub, but the outside drums, c c, of the hub ride upon the side drums, b b', of the rollers.

c3 c3, Fig. 2, are washers concentric with Vthe hub and designed to play between the sides of the hub-drums c and of the rollers b. The rollers B are connected and held apart from each other and arranged regularly around the hub in their respective positions by means of the connecting-rods D. These rods at their ends are journaled on the axles b2 of the rollers, and are shaped substantially as shown.

The operation of the herein-described iinprovement is as follows: The weight of the load applied to the Vehicle rests on the axle and thence on the hub. In the movement of the vehicle the hub rides upon the series of wheels or rollers,bcarin g especially upon those of the series which for the time being are beneath the hub, and the series of wheels or rollersin turn bear upon the rim of the wheel. The wheel being supposed to rest on a suitable road or surface and a hauling-strain applied to the axle, the hub bears against the roller, then forward of it, which roller in turn bears against the rim in a forward direction, causing the main wheel to roll on the road and rollers to roll on the track in the groove of the main wheel.

The two annular sheet metal cases ci d, termed dust-shields,77 extend from the outside drums, c, of the hub to the rim of the wheel for the purpose of protecting the inte- IOO rior of the wheel from dust and dirt. They are fastened to the outsides of the hub-drums c, their outer edges, dd, sliding on the rim A l Fig. l.

In the modified form of the improvement shown in Figs. 3, 4, the flat rings d2 d?, shown in Fig. 4, take the place of both dust-shield d, Fig. 2, and the connecting-rods D. The axles of the rollers journal into said ring d2 and it revolves with the rollers, its edges projecting over the hub-drums c and the rim A, on which it slides as it revolves. The structure may be constructed entirely of metal. If the rim and any of the drums are constructed of Wood,they may be provided with iron tires, and an iron track or tread may be laid at the bottom of the groove in the rim of the wheel.

The number of rollers employed in wheels of this character is preferably ive; but the number may be reduced to three or it may be increased in number, provided in either case that they are properly proportioned and are arranged uniformly, as above described.

To secure the least friction, the circumferences of the roller-drums on which the hubdrums bear and the circumferenccs of the said hub-drums should bear the same proportion to each other as the circumfcrences ofthe center drums of the rollers do tothe circumference of the track in the bottom of the groove in the and the hub may be arranged to revolve on the axle or be rigidly fastened thereto.

In the above description of the said im- 4o provement the part called the hub, being rigidly fastened to the axle, becomes in fact part of the axle. ,A

I am aware of a wheel having a series of friction-rollers interposed between the hub and the rim, the rollers each consisting of a single drum whose periphery comes in contact with both the hub and the rim and the rollers touch ing each other. Such a construction would not answer my purpose, because of the excessive friction incident thereto caused partly by the rubbing of the friction-wheels against the hub and the rim, and especially by the jamming and consequent rubbing of the friction-rollers against each other.

I claim- A wheel having in combination an axle provided with a hub, a series of friction wheels or rollers encircling and supporting said hub, and a rim encircling and supporting said series of wheels or rollers, said hub and said rim both having'grooves to receive said series of wheels or rollers, said wheels or rollers having a central larger drum and two exterior smaller drums, and the exterior drums ofsaid hub riding upon the exterior drums of said wheels or rollers, and the central drum of said wheels or rollers riding in the rim-groove,sub stantially as described.

fitness my hand this 2d April, 1888.

GEO. XV. BAKER.

Witnesses:

C. D. MOODY, A. M. EvERIs'r.