As part of that study, I’ve encountered a number of
unsubstantiated perceptions in the field; perceptions that have been repeated
enough times that they’re sometimes wrongly accepted as truth. One such experience centers on the design
function of a wagon wheel. For instance,
I’ve seen individuals shake a wheel on a wagon and if it moved side to side,
declare the piece to be worn out and unsound.
To be sure, wheels can wear in the hub boxings, thimble skeins, spokes,
felloes, etc. Overall, though, a typical
wooden wagon wheel (non-roller bearing) is actually intended to have some
lateral movement. There is a strong
purpose for that action and perhaps, it’s most appropriate to let one of the
most historic and legendary wagon-making veterans explain the reason. Below is a quote from Louis Espenschied,
founder of the famed Espenschied Wagon Company in St. Louis. The excerpt comes from his 1878 patent on
Vehicle Axle Lubricators. I’ve placed
some of the text in a bold and enlarged manner to help call out the function of
a typical wagon wheel on a thimble skein.
“This invention is an
improved mode of lubricating the thimbles of wagons through the knocking action
of the wheels in their playing on the spindles; and consists in a grease
reservoir or box constructed to have its opening through the hurdle or collar
of the spindle, and coming flush against the hub of the wheel. The play that the wheel has longitudinally on
its spindle when in motion causes its hub to knock against the collar or
hurdle, thus thereby forcing the grease before it through an opening
communicating with it, and coming out at the top of the spindle to be
distributed over the same and the box of the hub.”
It’s a bit of a wordy segment in the patent but it
does a wonderful job in describing how the side to side action of the wheel
working in a back and forth action along the skein actually functions to
distribute grease and help the vehicle run smoother.
So, if some longitudinal movement is necessary, how
does a person know how much slack is appropriate? That’s where the experience of today’s
skilled wagon makers is helpful. Craftsmen
like Doug Hansen of Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop in Letcher, South Dakota have
decades of experience and can be especially insightful with answers. In a recent conversation with Hansen, he
shared that there are many factors that come into play. “Unless you’re talking about a new or unused
new-old-stock piece, there will be at least some wear on a wagon’s skeins and
boxings,” said Hansen. “The wear on
skeins is easier to measure since it occurs predominantly on the lower sections
while the boxings will wear on the full circumference. The skeins and boxings can wear both
laterally and radially with each type requiring different evaluations and
corrective actions. If a wheel is
radially out of alignment by a half inch or so, it’s going to be noticeable and
create problems beyond the added drag to the draft. It will, ultimately, affect the soundness of
the rest of the wheel. Wheels with a
quarter inch or less of lateral and radial movement are typically still within
original tolerances.” Reinforcing that
statement as well as the quote from the Espenschied patent, the photo below
shows a period new-old-stock (never used) skein with a boxing allowing 3/16
inch of lateral movement.
Our conversation with Mr. Hansen was extensive so we
will likely cover more on this subject in a later blog. Suffice it to say that from wheel-making to
the fitting of skeins on axles and a whole slew of patented wagon innovations,
truly understanding these early vehicles requires a willingness to devote
oneself to documented study. Ultimately,
that commitment to research and recovery of so much primary source material is
a founding principle of our Wheels That Won The West® Archives. It’s a focus that not only helps to separate
fact from fiction but continues to help uncover some of the rarest wheeled
history in America.
