Certain Improvements in and connected with Elastic Tyres for Velocipedes, Road Vehicles, and Skates.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in and connected with Elastic Tyres for
Velocipedes, Road Vehicles, and Skates.
We, FRANK IORNS GIBBS and WILLIAM WRIGHT, trading together as
Gibbs & Wright, of 70, Lower Hurst Street, Birmingham, Tin Plate Workers
and Metal Platers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to elastic tyres for bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes and for road vehicles and wheel skates.
In making a combined wheel and tyre according to this invention we first form
a core by binding short pieces of cork, cane, wood or other suitable substance round
the wheel rim which is by preference made of trough section in which the cork or
other pieces will fit. The pieces of cork, cane, wood or other suitable substance
and the canvas or like material by which the same are bound are secured by
indiarubber solution or other suitable ceinent. The wheel rim with the cork or
other core as aforesaid is now laid in one half of an annular mould having the shape
and size of the outside of the required tyre and indiarubber (with canvas insertion
if necessary) is worked round the core and the wheel rim so as to enclose the same;
the other half of the mould is then placed in position so as to enclose the wheel rim
and core covered by the indinrubber and then the indiarubber is vulcanized so that
we thus form a combined tyre and wheel rim which latter is enclosed by the india-
rubber covering of the tyre.
The spokes of the wheel are by preference fixed to the wheel rim in any ordinary
manner before the tyre is fixed thereto as aforesaid and in fact the wheel may be
and by preference is, built up complete before the tyre is fixed thereto. The
combined tyre and wheel made as above described is resilient and lasts a long time
in wear.
Instead of the indiarubber outer covering of the tyre enclosing the wheel rim as
above described, the wheel rim may if preferred be outside the tyre as is usual. In
this case the ring like cork or other said core has first to be made of short pieces of
cork or wood or like substance preferably strengthened by being bound round an
internal wire ring and secured by canvas bound round the same and cemented
thereto. This ring like core is by preference made of such a size that although it
is practically non-elastic it can be placed in position round the rim of the wheel
leaving a certain space between the inner diameter of the core and the bottom of
the trough of the rim. The rim and the core are then laid in the mould and india-
rubber is worked round the core and between the core and the wheel rim so as to
thus form the outer covering of the tyre fitting in the wheel rim. After this tyre
is vulcanized it will be securely fixed on the wheel rim and will be found to be very
resilient.
The said pieces of cork or other suitable substance for forming the core may be
each breaded on to an elastic ring which will stretch to allow of the core being
placed in position round the wheel rim.
The spokes may be fixed to the wheel rim after the tyre has been formed on the
same as above described. In this case ordinary spoke nipples are placed in position
in the spoke holes in the wheel rim before the tyre is formed on the same so that
the spokes can be screwed in to these nipples to build up the wheel.

page_text: In order to increase the resiliency of the tyre each of the said pieces of cork or
like substance of which the core is formed may have a deep groove formed in it
which groove will be the periphery of the core so that the canvas or like material
which strengthens the core will be stretched across this groove and increase the
elasticity of the tyre. In the said groove there may if desired be placed an india-
rubber ring surrounding the core so as to still further increase the resiliency of the
tyre.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1896.
Certain Improvements in and connected with Elastic Tyres for
Velooipedes, Road Vehicles, and Skates.
We, FRANK JORNS GIBBS and WILLIAM WRIGHT, trading together as
Gibbs & Wright, of 70, Lower Hurst Street, Birmingham, Tin Plate Workers and
Metal Platers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention aud in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to elastic tyres for bicycles, trioycles and other
velocipedes and for road vehicles and wheel skates and consists in making the said
tyres combined with the wheel rims in the ways we will describe by referring to the
accompanying drawings on which
Fig. 1 is a cross section of one form of a combined wheel rim and tyre constructed
according to this invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the said wheel rim and core of the tyre in an early stage
of manufacture;
Fig. 3 shews on an enlarged scale a cross section of the said core and
wheel rim (Fig. 2) laid in position in the mould ready for the indiarubber to be
worked round the core and rim;
Fig. 4 is a cross section of another form of combined wheel rim and tyre made in
accordance with this invention.;
Fig. 4 is a cross section of a strengthening strip of canvas which we sometimes
use in the tyre;
Fig. 5 shews one method of making the core part of the combined tyre and
. wheel rim;
Fig. 6 shews the said core and wheel rim in position in the moulds ready for the
indiarubber to be worked around the core and within the rim so as to secure the
core and rin together;
Fig. 7 is a plan of a part of the bottom mould with the tyre and rim in position;
Fig. 8 is a side elevation and Fig. 9 is a plan of a part of the said cork core of
'the tyre;
Fig. 10 is a side elevation and Fig. 11 is a plan of two of the pieces of cork of
which the core is composed shewing one method of fitting their ends together;
Fig. 12 represents in side elevation and Fig. 13 in plan two of the cork pieces for
forming the said core shewing another method of fitting their ends together;
Fig. 14 is a cross section of a modified form of our improved combined wheel rim
and tyre and Fig. 15 is a cross section of a further modification of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures of the drawings.
According to one method of making a combined wheel rim and tyre according to
this invention; (see Figs. 1 2 and 3) we first form a core by binding short pieces

page_text: of cork A round the wheel rim B which is by preference made of trough section in
which the cork pieces A will fit. The meeting ends of the cork pieces A are
cemented together and are or may be shaped so as to engage with each other for
instance as shewn by Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 where the pieces of cork A are
alternately made with end projections a' which fit into corresponding recesses a
formed in the ends of the next pieces of cork. These projections a' and recesses a
may be of various shapes as for instance square as shown in Figs. 8 and 9,
or V-shaped as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, or rounded as shewn in Figs. 12 and 13.
The pieces of cork A and the strip or strips of canvas C or like material by which
they are bound to the rim B are secured by india rubber solution or other suitable
means. Before the core pieces A are laid in and bound to the rim B the
apoke nipples D are threaded through holes in the rim B in the ordinary way so as
to be ready to receive the spokes; and in addition to the spoke nipples D the wheel
may if preferred be built up complete with the spokes and hub before the next
process which we will now describe. The wheel rim with the cork core A. bound
thereto by the canvas (and with or without the spokes and wheel hub is now laid
in the lower half E' of an annular mould which is made iu halves divided in the
plane of the wheel the lower half of the mould heing marked E and the
upper half E. The interior e' e' of this mould bas the shape and size of the outside
of the required tyre. There are recesses in the mould to receive the
spoke nipples D. Indiarubber in the paste form is now worked round the core and
rim of sufficient thickness to fill the annular space between the combined tyre and
rim and the interior of the mould, the upper half E of the mould is now placed in
position on the lower half E' so as to enclose the combined wheel rim B and core A
covered by the indinrubber and the same is subjected to pressure in the usual way
and then vulcanized. We thus form a combined tyre and wheel rim which latter is
enclosed by the indiarubber covering F vulcanized thereto the said combined wheel
rim and tyre having the shape shewn in cross section by Fig. 1. It is to be
understood that we do not bind ourselves to any particular shape in cross section of
the combined wheel rim and tyre as it will be evident that the same be made in
various shapes in cross section without departing from the nature of our invention.
Instead of the indiarubber outer covering F of the tyre enclosing the wheel rim B
as above described, the wheel rim B may, as shewn for instance by Fig. 4, be
outside the inner circumference of the tyre the latter being moulded in and
vulcanized to the rim so as to be part thereof. In this case the ring like cork core
has first to be made of the short pieces of cork A as described for instance in the
Specification of our prior Letters Patent No. 23013 of A.D. 1895 by the ends of
the pieces of cork being secured together as aforesaid and canvas bound round the
same the said cork ring being if preferred strengthened by an internal wire ring G
(see Fig. 5). The wheel rim B is by preference made with turned in edges b
as shewn in Fig. 4. Tbo ring like core A is by proference made of such a size that.
although it is practically non-extensible it can be placed in position round the
wheel rim B leaving a certain narrow space (see Fig. 6) between the inner
diameter of the core A and the bottom of the trough of the rim B. The rim B and
the core A are now laid in the lower part E' of the mould and the indiarubber is
worked round the core A and between the core A and the interior of the trough
of the wheel rim B. The upper half of the mould E is then placed in position and
the whole is vulcanized thus forming a combined wheel rim and tyre with the tyre
moulded in and vulcanized to the trough of the wheel rim B and thus securely
fixed thereto. The rubber part F which is within the rim B is by preference
strengthened by the band of rubbered canvas K shown separately in cross section
by Fig. 4 the edges of which are coiled round and the baud is laid round the
trough of the wheel rim B as shewn in Fig. 6 before the indiarubber F is worked
round the tyre as aforesaid. This canvas band strengthens the rubber part of the
tyre which is within the rim.
If preferred the pieces of cork A forming the core may be each threaded on to
an elastic ring which will stretch to allow of the core being placed in position round

page_text: the wheel rim when the latter is made of so deep a trough section shape that the
core A must be extended to enable it to be placed in position in the trough of the
rim. It is to be understood that we may or may not use the wire or other ring G
threaded through the cork pieces A. ns stated above. When the euds of the cork
pieces A are butted together or are fitted and cemented together as above described
and represented by Figs. 8 to 13 and bound by the canvas we find that they are
sufficiently secure without any internal ring G.
In order to increase the resiliency of the tyre each of the pieces of cork A
forming the core may have a groove such as 1, Fig. 14, formed in it which groove
will be the periphery of the core A so that the canvas or like material C which is
bound round the core to strengthen the same will be stretched across this groove [
and increase the resiliency of the tyre. The said groove I may be made of any
convenient depth and in the said groove there may if desired be placed an indin-
rubber ring as shewn in Fig. 15 surrounding the coro so as to still further
increase the resiliency of the tyre. This indiarubber ring J is placed in position
round the cork pieces A before the canvas is bound round the same.
Between the cork pieces A and the interior of the trough of the rim B there
may also if desired be an indiarubber ring K as shewn in Fig. 14 which is placed
round the rim B before the cork pieces A are bound thereto thus further inoronsing
the resiliency of the tyre.
We wish it to be understood that we are well aware that prior to our present
invention tyres have been made consisting of a cork core strengthened by one or
more wrappings of cauvas cemented or otherwise fixed thereto and an outer india-
rubber covering moulded over and vulcanized to the canvas covered core as
described for instance in the Specification of our prior Letters Patent No. 23013
of A.D. 1895 but these tyres were formed separately from the wheel rim instead of
being moulded therein or thereon and vulcanized thereto as in our presant
invention and wheel rims for the said tyres made according to our said prior
patent had usually to be in halves to enable the tyre to be placed in position thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A combined wheel rim and tyre consisting of a trough section wheel rim and
a cork core strengthened and bound together by canvas or like material cemented
or otherwise fixed thereto and an outer indiarubber covering moulded over and
enclosing and vulcanized to said core and wheel rim all substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. The combination of a trough section wheel rim, spoko nipples threaded through
holes in the same, a cork.core fixed in said wheel rim and strengthened and
bound thereto by canvas or like material, and an outer indiarubber covering
moulded over and enclosing and vulcanized to said core and wheel rim substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 1 and with reference to Figs. 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. A combined wheel rim and tyre consisting of a trough section wheel rim, a
cork core strengthened by canvas or like material bound round the saine and au
outer indiarubber or indiarubber and canvas covering moulded over said core and
within the said rim and vulcanized to the core and wheel rim all substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The combination of a trough section wheel rim made with in-turned edges, a
cork core strengthened by canvas or like material bound round the same and au
outer indiarubber or indiarubber and canvas covering moulded over said core and
within said rim and vulcanized to the core and wheel rim all substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 4 and with reference to Figs. 4", 5,
6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. The combination of a trough section wheel rim made with in-turned edges,
spokes nipples threaded through holes in said rim, a cork core strengthened by
canvas or like material bound round the same and an outer indiarubber or india-
rubber and canvas covering moulded over said core and within said rim and
vulcanized to the core and wheel rim all substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by Fig. 4 and with reference to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. In combined wheel rims and tyres of the kind denoted by the preceding claims
making the cork core with a deep groove all round the tread with the canvas
biuding stretched across the same substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described with reference to Fig. 14 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In combined wheel rims and tyres of the kind denoted by the preceding claims
making the core with a deep groove all round the tread with an inliarubber ring
such as J lying in the same and with canvas binding stretched across the same
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described with reference to Fig. 15
of the accompanying drawings.
8. Combined wheel rims and tyres made substantially in any of the several ways
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd dex of January 1807
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.