446 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



A is the tire. It has seven holes properly countersunk to receive the 

 conical heads of an equal number of tire-bolts, which pass throug-h peculiar 

 wedges B at the ends or joints of the seven felloes C. These tire-bolts are 

 designated by D, and the nuts which are fitted thereon by d. 



These parts constitute the rim of my wheel. The wooden felloes G are 

 forced apart and stiffly maintained in position by the rim wedges B, acted 

 on by the bolts D and nuts d. As the tire A becomes gradually stretched 

 by use on a hard road, the wedges B must be all operated outward to keep 

 the parts in tight contact; and when the tire A is removed to be contracted 

 by the blacksmith in the usual manner, it may be contracted more than 

 with ordinary wheels, and by letting the Avedges B back or inward, by 

 slackening the nuts d, the wheel will be diminished to its minimum size, 

 provided, always, that the spokes are correspondingly allowed to contract 

 by the operation to be described below, so as to maintain the proper rela- 

 tions of the parts of the entire wheel. 



Mil are malleable iron castings, secured upon the ends of the felloes by 

 screws or nails as represented. They are made in the form represented, 

 and provided at each edge with a flange mm, embracing the wood B at the 

 end of the felloe. This prevents the wood from splitting, and prevents the 

 wedge from working itself into the wood, or in any manner distorting the 

 same. A flange or lip m^ is also provided, which rests against the inner 

 periphery of the felloe, and prevents the castings from being displaced 

 radially. The wedges B are rounded both longitudinally and laterally as 

 represented. The castings M are rounded to correspond with the lateral 

 curvature, or the curvature exhibited in figures 46 and 47, and are not 

 rounded in the radial direction, being straight in that direction, as previ- 

 ously shown. 



The spokes are designated by E. There are two spokes inserted in each 

 felloe in the manner represented. The inner end of each spoke U is tapered 

 as shown, and each alternate one is perforated by a bolt F. These bolts 

 are fitted with nuts/, and by operating the latter, the hub is contracted in 

 the direction of its length. The figures show the construction of the hub, 

 and the manner in which the heads and nuts of these bolts apply to the 

 exterior thereof, to compress the same upon the tapering or wedge-formed 

 ends of the spokes E. It will be observed that the hub is in two parts, G 

 and JI. The part G includes the whole bearing upon the axle. The part 

 J? is a ring capable of sliding to a sufficient extent thereon to compensate 

 for any shrinkage and radial motion of the spokes; long holes or slots are 

 provided in the spokes E as represented, to carry the bolts i^ so as to allow 

 a radial motion of the spokes. 



The inner ends of the spokes E abut against the heads i' of bolts /, 

 which are inserted through wedges J and operated by nuts i. These hub 

 wedges J fill the spaces between the spokes as shown, and complete the 

 hub of the wheel. When the wheel is new the heads i of the radial bolts 

 /, rest against the casting G as indicated. When from an enlargement of 

 the tire by use, or from any other cause, it is desired to slightly enlarge 

 the wheel by moving the spokes radially outward within the hub G H, the 

 bolts F and I must be first slackened by loosening the nuts f and i. ' The 

 rim wedges B may then be operated to expand the rim in the manner above 



