The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-30
CHEAPER WHEELS
FOR AUTOMOBILE
Newly-Periected Invention Will
Do Away with Costly Outer
Shoe Of Rubber.
TREAD MADE OF WOOD
WOOD
Principle OF Wheel Suspended
Within Wheel Gives Heavy
Car Easy Riding Qualities.

NEW YORK. January 2o.--Whcn an
automobile equipped with tires lacking
tho essential feature OF the tires now
in common use--that IL, pneumatic
outer shoe OF rubber-can run full tilt
over car tracks, cobblestones and holes
In asphalt pavement with as great ease
as the pneumatic tire, II looks to auto
mobilists as II a revolution were at hand
in the development of the motive vehl-
Gle. And yesterday q flve-ton alght-
seeing car, with the recently perfected
over the toughest portions OF the city
streets with the Jolting so prevalent in
these cumbersome cars reduced to a
minimum Only q sixty-pound air pres
sure was used In the tube.
fifty-horse power touring car,
equipped with the game principle wheel,
was also run ut high speed over rough
portions OF the roadway, and to those
in the tonneau practically no difference
could be detected between the running
qualities OF the new tire and the pneu-
able with tho latter, was scarcely evil
dent, the car riding somewhat In the
manner OF one equipped with shock alb
sorbers.
Wheel Within Wheel.
Liz pIIHClplt VI tAS - tiittI
OF wheel built within wheel, with a
pneumatic tube between them, two sets
OF short steel spokes being employed to
keep the two wheels In the same vertical
plane. The inner wheel includes the
hub, which Is mounted on the axle OF
the car. From the hub radiate short,
fiat steel spokes. the outer ends OF which
are bolted to a steel rim whose inner
surface Is OF convex cross sections. This
is the tread OF the inner wheel, and
rests on the outer circumference OF the
pneumatic tire. The pneumatic tube Is
attached to an inner steel rim. which is
rigidly connected with the outer rim Of
the wheel by pairs OF spokes arranged
to form a series Of triangles. Tho re-
suit OF this arrangement Is that the
weight of the oar is carried on top OF
the pneumatic tire. The tire Is thus
subjected to no wear from the road and
cannot puncture.
The first demonstration of the wheel
was made In August, 1905. when a
run was made from New York to STAN
ford on wheels crudely made in a
blacksmith shop. The principle of the
wheel created furore among auto
mobile experts at that time. and In the
interim It's inventor. John Chamber
Rutherford. q young mining engineer
has worked incessantl yto make i'm
provements in its construction.
The weight has been reduced suit
ably for all vehicles, and the resiliency
greatly increased Each OF the newly
invented web shaped spokes. OF which
there are twenty-four in the wheel. has
tensile strength capable of holding
at least eight thousand pounds.
One OF the most remarkable features
in the new wheel will be the WOOD
tread. This will be made OF rock ma ma;
/ Hntrf will
be only about one.third as heavy as
rubber. 1t will be noiseless. as wood II
a nom conductor of sound. and, 1t Is
claimed. Will outwear steel. For rae
ing purposes the car equipped with this
style Of wheel would not be hampereo
by skidding. and even in case one OF
the pneumatic tubes became Debated
for the outer circumference Of the
wheel would always remain the same
Great Speed Possible.
! Great speed should be possible. too
from this wheel. because there can BIZ
no tlattening OF the outer circumfer-
ence, as is the case with pneumatic
tires, which become compressed by the
traction OF the machine. When the
car is in motion with the iron tire
wheel the weight Is suspended upoI
the upper half Of the air cushion. The
shocks and Jars are distributed over
this upper half of the tube, instead Of
the few inches resting on the ground
as in the case of tho ordinary wheels
Because of the elimination of tbs
costly rubber-for the makers expect
to do away with 1t even in the pneu-
matte tube-the cost of the wheels
| will be from two TO three hundreds
| dollars less for set than with the
| present tires. Where the real wear ant
| tear will come will be on the tread
| and this can be replaced for re"
dollars. If further tests prove the
+ wheel to be perfectly successful. re.
markable vista of possibilities will be-
opened up with regard especially to the
. davatonment az commercial vehicles.