442 



ON DRAUGHT, 



expensive, and not easily repaired, except at the original manufactory, and 

 therefore we should think are not so well adapted for agricultural as for 

 commercial purposes, and in a large town where the means of repair may 

 be at hand. 



The most simple innovation upon the original wooden wheel is the cast 

 iron nave. This we should think must be much less liable to wear than 

 the wooden nave, which is literally honeycombed with the mortices for the 

 spokes ; and a wheel of this sort can be repaired by the most ordinary 

 wheelwright, provided he has one of the castings at hand. 



We should strongly recommend that these naves should be made with 

 a double row of sockets for the spokes, so as to cross the dishing of them 

 in the same manner as those of the wrought iron wheels described above ; 

 and we think they would then form a strong, durable, and economical 

 wheel. There might be some danger from the effects of wet or damp 

 remaining in the cast iron sockets, and attacking the wood ; but we should 

 think a small hole bored into the socket to allow the moisture to escape, 

 and common precaution in painting these parts, would prevent any evil 

 consequences. 



With respect to the size of wheels, we have shown that wheels of large 

 diameter certainly offer less resistance than small ones ; but expense and 

 weight cause a limit to this. From 4 ft. 9 in. to 5 ft. 6 in. is a good size 

 for cart-wheels, and is about the limit where any great increase of diameter 

 would cause more inconvenience and expense than would be compensated 

 for by any advantage gained ; and if much less in diameter than this, the 

 draught is unnecessarily augmented. 



Yet the front wheels of a waggon are always below this standard, rarely 

 exceeding four feet, and frequently much less. This is a serious evil 

 attending the use of four wheels ; it is an arrangement originally made 

 for the purpose of enabling the front wheels to lock under the body of 

 the waggon, which may thus turn in a small space. 



Now it rarely happens that a waggon is required to turn short round, 

 and it cannot cause any .serious inconvenience if it be rendered altogether 

 incapable of doing so. 



In this respect a great improvement has taken place within a few years. 

 In the place of those moving mountains which were formerly dragged 

 slowly along upon immensely heavy and broad, but low, wheels, we now 

 see, particularly on the roads leading northward from London, a great 

 number of light, well-built waggons, with much larger wheels, especially 

 the front wheels, which, instead of being small enough to turn under the 

 f^oor of the waggon, are about four feet six inches in diameter. As those 

 waggons are used only on the road, and are never required to turn in a 

 small compass, but a very small action is allowed to the fore axle, and the 

 floor and body of the waggon is continued froni end to end of nearly the 

 same width. 



