Expanding Hub. Page: 3 of 4
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UNITED
STATES
PATENT OFFICE
LOUIS F. VOLLRATII, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
EXPANDING HUB.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,278, dated May 17, 1898.
Application filed July 23, 1897. Serial No, 645,722. (No model.)To all whom zt may concerns,:
Be it known that I, Louis F. VOLLRATH, a
citizen of the United States, residing at San
Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of
5 Texas, have invented certain new and useful
Improvements in Expanding Hubs, of which
the following is a specification.
This invention relates to improvements in
metallic vehicle-wheel hubs.
io The object of the invention is to provide a
hub of the character indicated which will read-
ily receive and firmly hold the spokes of the
wheel properly spaced apart, and a hub that
permits of expansion of the wheel whenever
15 it is necessary or desirable to tighten the tire.
The invention consists of a box screw-
threaded on the outside, the rear portion of
the box being tapered on the exterior, a sec-
tional spoke-bracing ring screw-threaded on
20 the inside adapted to engage the tapered por-
tion of the box, clamping rings and nuts in
cooperation with the box and spoke-ring, all
combined and operating as hereinafter de-
scribed.
25 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation
of my improved hub. Fig. 2 is a central lon-
gitudinal section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side
elevation of the box detached. Fig. 4 is a cen-
tral vertical section of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an
30 end view of the spoke receiving and clamping
rings. Fig. f is a central longitudinal sec-
tion of a spoke-bracing ring. Fig. 7 is a side
elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a side eleva-
tion of the sectional spoke-bracing ring, and
35 Fig. 9 is an end view of the same.
A represents an axle-arm of a vehicle of
usual construction, and B the axle-box. The
axle-box has a central bore to receive the axle
in the usual manner. This box is tapered on
40 the outside at b and screw-threaded from the
rear of the tapered portion to the forward end,
as clearly shown in Fig. 3. b' is a nut formed
integral with the box, and b2 is a screw-thread
on the rear end of said box.
45 C is the spoke receiving and expanding ring,
made in sections. I show this ring in the
drawings as made of three sections; but of
course it is obvious that it may be made in
more or less sections, as found desirable. c
50 are sockets formed in the periphery of said
ring adapted to receive the inner ends of the
spokes. The interior of the ring C is conicaland is provided with screw-threaded ribs c',
which are adapted to engage the screw-thread
on the tapered portion b of the box. 55
c2 are collars which fit snugly against the
expanding-ring C. c3 is another ring which
fits snugly around the collars, as clearly seen
in Fig. 2. This ring is provided with an an-
nular groove c4. 6o
D is an annular groove in the end of the
box B.
d is a nut having an interior screw-thread
adapted to engage the thread on the end of
the axle-arm. d' is an annular rim depend- 65
ing from said nut and adapted to engage the
annular groove D.
E is a cap-nut provided with interior screw-
threads which are adapted to engage the
threads on the outer end of the box. 70
F is the forward outside cap of the hub,
provided on the inside with an annular rib f,
screw-threaded on its face, said threads adapt-
ed to engage with the threads of the box. f'
is a shoulder formed inside the cap adapted 75
to bear against the collar c2.
F' is the rear hub - cap, provided with a
shoulder f2 similar to the shoulder f' in the
forward cap.
f3 is an annular rib screw-threaded on its 8o
face, said thread being adapted to engage
with the thread b2 on the rear of the box. The
inner edges of the hub-caps F and F' are pro-
vided with an annular lugf4, which enters the
groove c4 in the ring c3, as seen in Fig. 2. 85
G is a set-screw passing through the rear
hub-cap and engaging the box B.
As will be seen from the drawings, the inner
end of the spoke is placed in the socket c.
The collars c2 are then placed over spoke-re- 90
ceiving ring C, and the shoulders of said ring
bear against the sides of the spokes. To fur-
ther brace the spokes, I employ the bracing-
ring c3.
To tighten up the wheel when the tire be- 95
comes loose, the rear hub-cap F' is detached
and a wrench applied to the nut b' on the box
B. In turning the box the ring Cis expanded
by reason of the tapered portion b, whereby
the spokes are forced outward from the cen- zoo
ter, thus tightening the entire wheel within
the tire. After the wheel is sufficiently tight-
ened the cap F' is replaced and the cap-nut E
screwed onto the forward end of the box un-
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Vollrath, Louis F. Expanding Hub., patent, May 17, 1898; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth508665/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.