Herculean Wheels.
Page 2
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The accompanying illustrations of composite wheels for motor wagons show a pair which have been designed and made specially to the order of Fodens, Limited, of Sandbach, for one of its standard five-ton wagons, by The Atlas Resilient Road Wheels Limited, of tit, Piccadilly, London, W. So far as the general principles of construction are concerned, the wheels are of that company's standard " Herculean " pattern, but their hubs have been modified to suit the particular make of wagon mentioned. The good points of these wheels are becoming more widely known and appreciated by wagon and van builders.
The sectional drawing shows the tubular spokes and the channel-section rim which supports the wooden fclloes, and our readers, after a study of this form of construction for a moment, will realise that, as the felloes are supported along their whole length and width, instead of on the shoulders of the spokes as is the case with an ordinary wooden wheel, it is permissible to apply much greater pressure to the rim while the wheel is in the tiring press ; with wooden wheels, the pressure must not be so great as to cause the shoulders of the spokes to be crushed into the felloes. The effect of this increased pressure is that the tires remain tight on the felloes for much longer than do those of a wooden wheel, and the trouble and inconvenience of the more frequent pressing up of the rims is avoided.
For a pair of driving wheels similar to those illustrated, and which are 42 inches in diameter with tires in inches
wide, the price is about which price is but slightly higher than wooden -wheels of the same size. As the size of the wheels increases, the difference in the price, between the .woodon wheel and the composite
variety, becomes gradually less, but, with smaller sizes of wheels, the difference in the prices becomes more marked. This characteristic is due to the difficulties experienced in the casting of small wheels.
Amongst other users of this type of wheel are : The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company, Limited; The Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Company, Limited ; and the Vanguard