US700032A - Wheel-hub. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUOIUS T. GIBBS, `OF NEW YORK, N.. Y., ASSIGrNORl TO VEHICLE EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

- WHEEL-HUB;

SPECIFICATION forming pare of Lettersratent No. 700,032, dated May 1e, 1902.

Application tiled September 11, 1901. Serial No. 74,993. (No model.) I

To all wwnt t may vconcer-71,:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS T. GIBBS, a citi! sion of means for the support of the wheel.

bearing or box in the hub in such manner that it will be vsecurely maintained in iixed relationship to the hub and spokes, and, secondly, to permit the ready replacing of any spoke or spokes which may be defective or broken without displacingany ot' the remaining spokes or removingthe flanges of the hub.

The nature and object of my said improvement will be better understood from a consideration of the plan of construction employed in the ordinary forms of wheel-hub of the general class to which the invention pertains. In such hubs it has heretofore been customary to bolt two iianges together over a wooden core, the spokes being disposed between the flanges and mortised into the wooden core.- The bearing." or box is then driven into a hole bored through the center of the wooden core. In hubs of this general plan of construction, however, it will be noted that the bearing or box is held in position solely by the wood, so that should the latter shrink or swell the bearing or box is liable to be thrown more or less out of line. It is also impossible in such forms to replace one spoke without disarranging the others while bolting the flanges. In other forms of hub which are usually cast in a single piece the spokes aredriven into spoke-holes; but

the practicability of this construction requires the wheel to be Well tired in order to keep the spokes tight in the hub. Any shrinkage of the spokes in the drive will cause them to become loose. In order to avoid these objections and at the same time to secure what vis regarded asessentialv in wheel-workthat Vtion.

true;

Figure l is a longitudinal central section of my improved hub, and Fig. 2 an end ,elevation of thesame. A designates a malleable-iron or steel casting in one piece, with spoke-holes disposed symmetrically around the center anges and 6o an inwardly-extending liange at one end. I usually cast these spoke-holes straight in sec- Into this casting is pressed or driven a wooden core B, after which the hubv is placed in a machine and'the wooden core and 65 outer end C of the casting boi-edo ut perfectly At the same time the inner end of the cylindrical casting is bored out to a slightly larger diameter, as shown at D. The two vsurfaces C and Dforrn supports for the bear- 7o ing or box F, which is pressed into them.

` The wooden core B has small holes E, preferably rectangular in section, mortised into it, and the inner ends of the spokes H are formed with corresponding tenons G, which fit tightly intothe holes E. The spokes when inserted in place are thus supported by the casting A and at their inner ends by the mortises E.

It will be seen from the above description 8o that the bearing or box F has a support at eachfend in the iron or steel hub, and this not' only secures a stronger and truer hub, butzitV renders it easily possible to insert a new box orbearing when necessary or to replace a spoke whenever occasion requires by simply drawing out such as may be defective andinserting a new one in its-place without displacing or disturbing any of the others.

Having-now described my invention, what 9o I claimris- A wheel-hub comprising in combination a single-casting A, a tubular wooden core B driven or pressed into the same, the outer end of said casting having an opening equal in diameter to that through the wooden core,

and the inner end being of greater diame- LUCI'US T. GrIBBS.A

Witnesses: I i

M. Lawson DYER, BENJAMIN MILLER.

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