Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Tension wheel; e.g. – spoke
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-08
2002-08-06
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Tension wheel; e.g., spoke
C301S055000, C301S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06428113
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bicycles and spoked wheels therefor. More specifically, the invention relates to tensioned paired spoked wheels which are low in weight, low in spoke count, high in spoke tension, high in stability and especially suited for use on bicycles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The art of tensioned spoked wheels is one which dates back well into the 1800's when such wheels were developed for the Highwheeler bicycles and Ordinaries of the 1880's. Prior to that time, compressively loaded spoked wheels were standard fare as evidenced by Roman chariot wheels, long ago, and, more recently, by the wheels of the Ford Model T automobile. An example of the compressively loaded spoked wheel in the context of a bicycle wheel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 452,649 (Powell).
U.S. Pat. No. 339,550 (Hudson) discloses a tensioned spoked wheel assembly from the heyday of the Ordinaries. This patent is particularly concerned with the construction of a rim from tubing or sheet metal and includes a seam which is protected from the elements by being positioned under the tire. In cross section, this wheel assembly is illustrated as having a toroidal rim, which is wider than a tire mounted on it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,013 (Hed et al.) discloses a bicycle wheel with good aerodynamic properties. The wheel has a toroidal rim with a high aspect ratio and a width exceeding the width of a tire to be mounted on it. FIG. 4 of the patent illustrates a wheel with 14 spokes. This is a reduced spoke count wheel in the sense that modern mass-produced bicycle wheels typically have 32 to 48 spokes. This is a conventionally spoked wheel in the sense that the outer ends of the fourteen spokes are connected to the rim at 14 points, which are evenly spaced about the circumference of the rim. The inner ends of the fourteen spokes are connected to the hub with seven spokes on each side of the hub. The fourteen-spoke wheel illustrated in FIG. 4 of the patent is a conventional radial spoked wheel. It is worth noting that the United States Cycle Federation (USCF) enforces a sixteen-spoke minimum, per wheel, for bicycles involved in sanctioned, mass-start races. This type of spoking will be referred to herein as conventional spoking.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,905 (Altenburger) discloses a rim configuration with a novel spoke connection in which the spoke nipple rests upon a surface which is canted so that spoke forces are well distributed on the nipple seat portion of the rim.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,787 (Michelotti) discloses a nipple seat bushing which is slanted to achieve a better stress distribution. U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,605 (Imao et al.) discloses a spoke with a fiber reinforced central portion and two fittings, one at each end of the central portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 452,046 (Mather) discloses a wagon wheel having a paired spoking arrangement. The tension of the spokes in the Mather wheel cannot be adjusted independently of the tension in the other spokes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,199 issued Apr. 14, 1992 (Schlanger) and discloses a composite wheel made from two wheel halves, each comprising a hub ring (26), a spoke web (29), “spokes” (42), (44), (46) and (48) and a circular member (64). The wheel halves are connected to a hub and to an annular rim to produce a wheel. Concerning the orientations of the spoke portions, the patent states:
“Additionally, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the spoke portions 42, 44, 46 and 48 of the left wheel half 16 as being oriented directly opposite the associated spoke portions 50, 52, 54 and 56 of the right wheel half. While this configuration minimizes the stress on the circular members 64 and 66, it is feasible to employ a staggered orientation between spoke portions 42, 44, 46 and 48 of the left wheel half 16 and associated spoke portions 50, 52, 54 and 56 of the right wheel half.” (Column 4, lines 23-31)
French Patent No. 1,019,285 (Menet) discloses a cycle wheel and, like the Mather patent, is concerned with eliminating lateral torsional forces at the rim while increasing lateral rigidity of the rim. According to the patent, this is achieved with a paired spoking arrangement.
British Patent Specification No. 3056 (Lovelace I) discloses improvements in cycles and discloses a wheel in which “two spokes, that is to say, one from each end of the hub, meet at the same point in the rim as shewn clearly in FIG. 5, thus bringing the strain to bear equally upon the rim and avoiding the liability to buckle, which is attendant on the usual arrangement.” The spokes are straight pull spokes with threaded ends, which are screwed into the flanges of the hub, and heads that engage the rim floor. Lovelace I discloses a rear wheel with 36 spokes and a front wheel with 28 spokes.
British Patent Specification No. 5968 (Lovelace II) discloses what are termed to be improvements on features disclosed in Lovelace I. Concerning the arrangement for attaching spokes to wheel rims, it is disclosed that there are “two holes in the rim one in front of the other and near together, but slightly on the skew, that is to say the holes are made in a line which is diagonal to the rim . . . ” The patent specification goes on to disclose that “In this case three holes 18, 19 and 20 are pierced in the rim 21, in line with each other, the center hole being large enough to admit the head of the spoke v . . . a slot is then cut connecting the holes . . . ”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,821 discloses a wheel with offset paired spoking in a twenty inch, fifty-six spoke wheel which behaves, for all intents and purposes, as a disk wheel behaves because of the large number of spokes and the small diameter of the wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 436,993 issued Sep. 23, 1890 (Overman) and discloses a wheel in which the spokes can be paired or conventionally laced and the spokes cross the wheel center plane between the rim and the hub. In the paired construction, the spokes in a pair are tied where they cross. Overman does not disclose a low spoke count wheel.
Tests have shown that each spoke of a modern quality bicycle wheel has an elastic limit, or yield point, of +300 kg in tension, approximately 4 times static tension. Since this yield point exceeds the total rider-machine weight by a factor of approximately 3 for a 175 lb. rider and 25 lb. bicycle, builders have become more daring in lowering spoke count. The minimum acceptable spoke count for mass-start United States Cycle Federation sanctioned races is 16 for a tensioned wheel. Conventional tensioned wheels with spoke counts below this have poor structural characteristics and become dangerously unstable and endanger not only the individual user but also other ride-race participants. Specifically, these low spoke count conventional wheels induce a steering input under load which becomes proportionately larger with each additional spoke count reduction and exhibit varying friction at the wheel-tire road contact point at a lean angle in turns. Measurements show that on a conventional fourteen spoke radially laced front wheel, the wheel axle departs from the horizontal, alternately dipping on the left side by net 0.015 inches when a right spoke passes over the wheel-road contact point (RCP) and then dipping net 0.015 inches on the right side when the next spoke, a left spoke, passers over the RCP. These horizontal position changes of the axle are measured with a 150 lb load applied at the axle at wheel center through the bicycle fork and are measured from axle center at the fork dropouts to the RCP on a 700C conventional fourteen spoke radially laced front bicycle wheel. Measurements show that the distance from the axle at the right dropout to the RCP decrease by 0.010 inches under load compared to the no-load distance as a right spoke is centered over the RCP and the distance from the axle at the left dropout to the RCP decreases by 0.025 inches under load compared to the no-load distance as the same right spoke is centered over the RCP. These differential distance variations result in a net 0.015 inch departure of the axle
Purdue David C.
Purdue John C.
Stormer Russell D.
LandOfFree
Cycle and tensioned spoked wheel assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cycle and tensioned spoked wheel assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cycle and tensioned spoked wheel assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2923690