The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-29
InVention Of a Providence Man That
WPs ImpsraliYely Needed,
OUGHT 70 PROVE A BONANZA.
A substitute for the Pneumatic Tire
That Can Never Collapse and 10 Is
Practically Everlasting in Its Dura-
bility--Tho Way IL Is Made.

There seems TO be no limit to the
powers OF the human mind in inventive
Ingenuity. Invention follows invention
and Improvement follows improvement
In such rapid succession as TO leave one in
doubt as to whether or not the residents
OF the country century ago really lived
or just existed. What would the staid
conservative citizens of Providence in
1873 have done could they have looked
ahead into the future and seen the streets
of their city filled with cars shooting
along at high speed without any evidence
OF motive power save long iron rod ex
tending obliquely from the top OF the
car. Probably the sight would have
caused stra bismus or heart failure, and
it is not to be doubted but
that those old residents would have taken
but one look through the torn veil of the
future, and then, overcome by the multi
dude OF new Inventions and methods
would have died then and there rather
than contribute, however little, to the
successful outcome of the vision.
mol Even fifty years ago the wondrous
devices OF the latter portion of the nine
feenth century would have caused thrill
of amazement, and incredulous scofiing
would have driven the prophet who fore
saw these devices to suicides grave
But this is an age of progress.
Continued use of existing methods
becomes monotonous, and the
great tendency of the times to save time
and labor is manifest by the myriads of
inventions and improvements. Machine
ry has undergone an almost entire revo-
luton and other things have changed in
the great rush OF the. day.
The Result of Deep Thought
Certainly these changes only result
from deep thought and study. 1t Is not
the work OF a day or week to dig ont an
Improvement on some way OF manufac-
turing, but of years OF constant study.
Sometimes man will know intuitively
that by the removal of a cog wheel and
the substituting of belt the machine
that he is running will be simplified
and strengthened, but when he mekes the
change other points of simplification
present themselves and be works on and
on until suddenly he hits upon the right
coordination and produces machine that
revolutionizes workshops and causes
manufacturers to hold their breath as the
immense possibilities OF the future strike
them.
With the invention of the cushion tire
for bicycles the whole country at once fell
into line and accepted it in place OF the
small, hard tire then in general use. The
cushion tire, however, was followed close
ly by the pneumatic tire and again the
country gasped with amazement. But
with the adoption of the pneumatic tire
there came q difficulty. Sometimes the
merry bicyclist, in spinning over the
road would encounter some sharp piece
81 glass or sharp stone.
Pneumatic Tires Eurst.
Snap would go the tire and tho inflated
cushion would collapse. 1t would neces-
state q walk to the nearest settlement
or town before the damage could be
remedied and even then perhaps for the
want of the necessary articles, a two
weeks four OF the country would have TO |
be delayed.
This is what happened to young man |
In this. city two years ago. He rode to |
6aylesville and his pneumatic tire col |
lapsed. OF course he had to return to |
this city and he did SO on foot. In speak |
ing of the matter to a friend the latter |
saw a chance for himself and very |
quietly set to work to improve |
the tire. AT last after repeated |
failures he succeeded and yesterday a |
patent was granted him by the United |
States on cork and rubber tire
The patentee George Hancock was seen
by NEWS reporter at his home, 165 Silver
Spring street last evening. He proved TO |
te very genial man and showed no
hesitation in exhibiting and explaining
his patent.
How the Now Patent Was Conceived.
He said that two years ago when his
friend spoke TO him OF the troubles WITH
the pneumatic tire, he had become pos
sessed with the ideas that cork and
rubber mixed would just fill the bin.
and he at once started TO work.
He tried first cushion tire of
solid cork aud rubber and Thus
commenced mixing the cork with the
rubber with the best OF results. One ex-
pertinent led TO another until the present
pneumatic tire Of ground cork and rub
Der mixed was evolved.
Mr.. Hancock exhibited portion OF
the new tire, and explained its su-
pcriority all others. The ground cork
forms stifiening for the tire and is so |
tenacious that II is with great difficulty
that knife blade can be forced through
1t. Bnt the best thing about the tire is
the fact that the cork closes the aperture
immediately after the Withdrawal of the
knife blade or any lacersting substance
and consequently there Is no opportunity
Tor the air in the tire TO leak out and ali |
possibility OF q collapse is thus done away
with.
a Collapse Impossible.
Hf;1iancock stated that in fact Il was
impossible for the tube to collapse as the
cork and rubber clung with such pcrsis-
tcney tcgether that tho passing over a
sharp substance would not result in n
pdpctnring OF the tire nt ALL
<h4 tire has been i'm use for several ,
m6nths by business men in this city. and
in 20 case hns the Tire ever been
pun1<ored. .1 ~
A. English patent has already been
1cc1<>d On, ,thc tire, and now the An,erican
pa1snt p>o<ccts Mr.. Hancock in this
'oenzfy