Help Identifying These Antique Metal Wheels

[vintagedperspectives]

I am trying to find out any information on these old metal wheels. They are 35" in diameter and the axle is 5" wide. My 83 year old neighbor said his father got them when he was a child but knows nothing else about them.

Any help would be great!

 

[trimacar]

My first thought was that they are wheels for some early piece of equipment.  Early fire extinguishers used a cruder style of wheel, see picture.

 

It's possible they are from a very early auto.  An Internet search for "highwheeler" shows a picture of an 1890's Peugeot with large rear wheels.  The hubs on your wheels appear to be for a front spindle, however, I can't see a keyway.

 

Very nice and interesting set of wheels!

[vintagedperspectives]

Ok! That is definitely a step in the right direction. I feel like I've learned more from your comment than the hours I've spent online. I really have no knowledge of antique or vintage wheels.

Thank you for replying! It is much appreciated.

[edinmass]

Try looking up an antique hay rake, I’m fairly sure that is what they are for. They sell for about 100 each in the suburbs but out in the country that are 50 each for decorative items. 

[Taylormade]

I'm no expert, but the concave curve of the rim and the lack of reinforced support on the edges of the rim make me believe these wheels were designed to work with tires of some type, either solid or inflated.  i don't think most early farm equipment used tires.

[CarlLaFong]

15 minutes ago, Taylormade said:

I'm no expert, but the concave curve of the rim and the lack of reinforced support on the edges of the rim make me believe these wheels were designed to work with tires of some type, either solid or inflated.  i don't think most early farm equipment used tires.

Also, they seem to have adjustable spokes. What size are they? Maybe a racing sulky?

[jpage]

I doubt that they are for any implement, as the rims look like they are made for a tubular type tire and the spokes are fine and look to be adjustable for centering. My guess is some type of early motor vehicle. Judging by the width of the siding, which looks about 4-41/2 in., I would guess that these wheels are about 3ft in diameter.

[mike6024]

Brass nipples on the spokes, and the way the bearing cups in the hub look are very similar to bicycle wheels. The difference is the spoke head is not bent at a right angle, it goes straight into the hub. Also spokes are heavy.

[vintagedperspectives]

I'll go take more measurements with pictures and post them. Everyone has been so helpful and I really appreciate it. I feel like we're narrowing it down? Even if not, the possibilities given are all very interesting. My neighbor seems to think they came off of an automobile also because the outer rim looks like it held a tubular tire of some sort around it.

I'll be back with more pictures and anymore information I can find.

Thanks again!

[ALF1920]

fertilizer spreaders and seed planters did have pneumatic tires on them. later hay rakes had pneumatics also.

[old car fan]

I personally Think they were hard rubber.No provisions that I see as demountable.

Edited December 6, 2017 by old car fan (see edit history)

[Digger914]

The first Ford had pneumatic tires

[vintagedperspectives]

I will have to say, my neighbor (Vance by the way), and his whole family, had a love for classic cars.Vance, up until recently had a Model A, and his brother a Model T. That still doesn't solve the mystery though since they were not the ones who acquired the wheels originally. It does makes me lean towards a car though.

(Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the updated pictures, I just haven't gotten over there yet)

Could someone tell me what other specifications you might need that would help, and if needed, what do I need to take pictures of that was not clear in the others.

Thanks!

[mike6024]

Outside diameter and rim width

 

Also is there evidence of a hole in the rim for a valve stem, like to inflate a tube

 

 

Edited December 7, 2017 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Look at the hub and bearing set up, they are not automobile wheels. I have worked on several pre 1900 automobiles, and the wheels looked nothing like the one in the photos. They are from some kind of equipment.

[JFranklin]

High wheeler bicycle?

[Digger914]

The 1880 steam tricycle had hard rubber tires and in this picture the spokes adjusted at the hub, if these wheels came from a vehicle these would be the front wheels.

[trimacar]

11 hours ago, old car fan said:

I personally Think they were hard rubber.No provisions that I see as demountable.

 

Early tires for bicycles and such were called single tube tires.  They were made of rubber and canvas, with the "tube" integral to the tire.  They were glued to the slightly cupped rim, as these wheels have......

 

These wheels either had solid tires, as you state,  or single tube tires.

[old car fan]

David I agree They are interesting as well

[jpage]

They do look similar to the wheel on that early Ford, and if my count is correct, both the ford wheels and those in question have 40 spokes. I don't know if Ford actually made the wheels for his car or if he adapted wheels already in production.They look to be about the right height too.

[Terry Bond]

Quadrant bicycle.  There are quite a few variations on these, both English and USA made.  The English version shown here was sold a while back at a Copake antique bicycle auction.  It is described as having 35" diameter wheels.  No measurement for the hubs provided in the listing but they look quite long.  Made for solid rubber tires.  I'm sure a little more internet research for antique cycles will turn up a more exact match. 

Terry

[mike6024]

The wheels in question as I guess you all have already noted are radial spoke, cannot be drive wheels, cannot transmit torque. All 4 wheels on that early Ford have cross spoke lacing. The two front wheels on that steam powered trike look extremely close, only the very slight difference being the tensioning nipples are at the hub, not out at the rim. Otherwise a good match so far as I'm concerned. Many other possibilities out there as well I suppose, like carts and the three wheel bike without engine directly above.