New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-05
BICYCLE INTENTIONS.
DEVICES AT THE PATENT OFFICE

DEVICES AT THE PATENT OFFICE.
From The Washington Post
Although acknowledged TO be enormous adj
solid tires. the bad quality OF pneu-
mates liability 20 pIncture. is TO such an extent an
advance Is SIM prospective Numerous punctures
OF the same tire. and frequent changes from one
punciurc have led to unusual activity among me
chanics who have devoted themselves to improving
In consequence. inventions OF almost every nature
pour into the Patent Ohce so that Where at one
veyances engines wagons cars, and all. hat space
course came in Tor ther share OF attention from the
very first. but recent months have fairy flooded
the office with improvements in that feature Of the
At nrst james T. Holt. to whom this particular
branch Of bicycle Improvements has been assigned,
confined himself to the study OF the material Of
which tires were made a. both the manufac turcr
ana The rider thought that some flexible. tough ma
trru could be- Outlined that would obyllte the
only undesirable quality ~ the new tire. But after
q few months an Inner tube cam" in for attention.
and then conflicting claims for now IDEAS for inner
tubes led those who watched the development OF
the wheel 10 think nat THIS Was the solution OF the
problem.
tubes wcr" not sufficient. some inventors came
forward with tires mad" with ono large tube and
ii', =" thil "nrh, me IRE encountered any SUB
stance ihal would have formerly puactured II only
orc OF these small tubes would be cr and the rider
might proceed uhhlcffupcGly uniil IN" tube could
be- conveniently repaired. strangely. however, this
invention did not seem TO commend itself to those
wh" determine me pri'ucAl Nalue oi such inV'n-
toDs. so. like the dozens Of tire compositions Of
Tho resources = the inventor. change in ma
tcfial. chanse II form and change In construction.
seemed now 10 b" exhausted. bur the inventor
found new ones In tho proposition 10 construct
armor Tor the tire. Taere was originally a fiat
strip OF tr buried In the tire but ths involved the
contact Of about twice much rubber with the road
, Is now the case. Then came series Of plates
folded one within the other Ike old-fashionci
armOr; then succession Of plates like the scales Of
a fish, and these were all to bc built in the tire
as TO make practically no additional noise There
have been offered materials for this armor. be
sides these plates, catgut rawhde and compressed
TO the clerks in the Patent ONCE the use Of
cotton seemed the greatest Improvement though
another tire described below Is the fayorite among
tire manufacturers. Held tightly in place between
strips OF hard rubber. compressed until almost as
tough as lron absolutely noIseless and yet so
light to be almost addit weigh, cotton
would almost ideal protection. Nor Is such
plan unfeasible. for the inventor has organized a
company which makes and guarantees these tires
for any road. In exhibiting the tire re-
Gently. the inventor rode up and down two planks
covered with lacks and barbed wire without punct-
The tire that pieases bcycle-raakers is not an
Improvement on the one now in use but a plan to
make punctures practically harmless. The inven-
ton consists Of self mendns apparatus that
other than the time required for the imitation OF
the tire after repairs are effected.
the rim. IL Placed a narrow rubber tape. covered
with wet cement When this tire Is punctured. the
rider simply pushes its outer edge against the tape
and the cement fastens 1t closely the hole In
the tire. The rider then Initiates the tire and the
tape would interfere with the imitation OF the tire
is met by series OF cuts th h enable 6 the air to
This last invention is the only one that has met
with much OF reception from the manuiactnr ire
has been given $50 go md royalty IN proportion
TO the number OF tires sold. While this may not be
some OF the other Inventions specified, 1t IL GER
iainly the least expensive and the one most
patrons OF the manufacturers have been 80 fire.
quenty deceived by what seemed invunerable tires
that they are now suspicious OF anything OF the