Landships II

Greg,

Here's a plan of the wheel.  I am not sure where I found it online.  If anyone knows the source, please let us know - I'd like to read the accompanying text and get a higher resolution scan!



The wheel is basically two rims laced to a single hub.  The rims appear to be attached together somehow, but I am not sure if they were welded, riveted, or simply clamped.

As to the number of spokes, I've never actually counted.  Be advised though that the elevation view of this plan may only show the first layer of spokes.  You should look to actual photos of historic wheels to get a precise count.


Here's a photo of a hub for a "RAF" Wheel as produced for the 1921-1926 US-made Springfield Rolls Royce Silver Ghosts.  I am not sure how, or if, this later hub was actually related to the wartime hub in any way, but it at least illustrates the general location of spoke holes on a Rolls Royce wheel of the period.




I hope this helps,

MarkV



-- Edited by MarkV on Monday 25th of May 2009 01:59:13 PM

Greg,

I saw your duplicate posting on the Missing Lynx forum and would add that Gerald Wingrove"s book Art of the Automobile in Miniature has detailed plans of a 1912 Rolls Royce - including lacing diagrams for the civilian wire wheels.

Your inquiry got me going and after a bit of a search online I came across an item that might be of interest: 1914 British patent number 19,035 "Improvements Relating to Twin Rims for Wire Spoked Vehicle Wheels".  You can find it here and the corresponding US patent number 1,239,824 here. 

Note that the plate joining the two rims as seen in the patent illustrations is flat and is located in-plane with the spoke nipples, while the section view seen in my previous post above appears to show a connector of some sort located between the rims.  I am not sure which (if either) accurately depicts the wheels as installed on the active duty cars.  The initial British patent application was dated 25 Aug. 1914, but it was not "complete" until 10 Feb. 1915 and finally accepted on 19 Aug, 1915 - so the patent illustration could represent anything from the initial idea through the final design.  I have no idea about the provinance of the other illustration.

PS - There is a website describing the model wheel making process here.

MarkV


-- Edited by MarkV on Tuesday 26th of May 2009 07:12:52 PM

Mark, Sgt Runflat,

Thanks for the replies and the links.  It's amazing what can be found on the web if you know what to ask for.

This has certainly given me a lot to work with.

I'll let you know how it all ends up

Cheers
Greg

Tom,

Amazing!  I didn't know that any twin rimed wheels had survived.   Yes, by all means post details!

By the way, do the wheels identify their maker?  Rudge-Whitworth and Dunlop (and there may have been others) offered twin rim wheels.

Thank you,

MarkV