BRASS DUMMY WHEEL WEDGE NUTS

[kramaton]

Anybody have some knowledge on these brass nuts. I got them in this Pratt & Whitney box with this hand written note taped to the side. The note reads BRASS DUMMY WHEEL WEDGE NUTS. They have a 9/16 hex. They have 5/16 NC threads. Two inches long. Any info? Thanks. 

[41 Su8]

They look like brass valve stem covers for brass era cars.

[E_Johnson]

Some wooden wheels on early cars had wedges inside the clincher tires that pulled/pushed the beads of the tires against the rim.  It helped secure the tire to the rim.

If you have a Dyke's or other early automotive enclopedia, it should explain how it all works better than I can.

An early automotive book on my shelf refers to the wedges as "chaplets."

However, I don't think they are really needed today.

What you have are merely decorations in order to make the car look more authentic.

Click on these links to see what this looks like:
https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1210907/1904-cadillac-model-a-for-sale-in-morgantown-pennsylvania-19543

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/cadillac/model-b/1904/857197

Edited December 12, 2023 by E_Johnson
overhaul original post (see edit history)

[E_Johnson]

Click on this link to see correctly and incorrectly installed chaplets inside a tire - page 324:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Audels_Automobile_Guide_with_Questions_A/To1qsxrtkMQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=chaplets+tires&pg=PA324&printsec=frontcover

[Layden B]

Also called tire locks. 4 are shown here installed on a Cadillac and a pair of different manufacture.

Yes they were intended to help keep the early soft latex rubber tire from rolling off the rim on a tight corner. 

Today they are usually fakes, just the external pieces in place as the internal parts are such a bear to install and not needed with synthetic rubber and synthetic cord tires.

Your box seems to probably be modern reproductions but surely someone would like to make their early car appear more authentic. Sure gets questions from the crowd as to " why do you have so many tire fillers, is the tube made in sections?".

.

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Layden B (see edit history)