Improvements in Rubber Tire Equipments for Vehicle Wheels,
Year: 1898

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rubber Tire Equipments for Vehicle Wheels,
I, JAMES FRANK WINCHELL, of Springfield, County of Clark, and State of Ohio,
United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statements: -
-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rubber tire
equipments for vehicle wheels.
The object and purpose of my improvements are to provide practical and
efficient appliances for equipping an ordinary vehicle wheel, such as a carriage or
buggy wheel, with the usual wooden felly and a flat iron tire, with a rubber tire,
these appliances being such that the attachment may be made by the users or
owners of such vehicles or by hardware merchants or other persons outside of
mechanics; so that my equipment can be carried in stock in retail establishments
and the tires applied by the clerks of such establishments or by the customers
themselves.
With these ends in view my invention consists of the combinations and con-
structions hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing on which like reference letters indicate corre-
sponding parts, and which forms a part of this specification.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of an ordinary carriage or buggy wheel with my
tire equipment applied thereto;
Fig. 2, a plan view of such wheel with such equipment;
Fig. 3, an enlarged detail perspective view, in cross section of an ordinary wheel
rim, its flat iron tire and my equipment attached;
Fig. 4, a transverse sectional view of the same parts showing a clamping bolt;
Fig. 5, a like view showing a modification of the rubber tire itself, in which is
included a vulcanized strip harder than the general body of the tire;
Fig. 6, a detail perspective view of one of the retaining rings;
Fig. 7, a detail cross sectional view of the rubber tire before it is applied and
a sectional view of the ordinary flat iron tire, the figure showing the relative normal
sizes of the two parts.
The letter A designates a vehicle wheel of the ordinary or any approved type,
say a carriage or buggy wheel. This wheel has the usual rim or felly B and the
usual flat iron or steel tire C, which is secured to it in the ordinary manner, say
by tire bolts. On this wheel I propose to mount and secure a rubber tire without
removing the ordinary flat iron tire, and without making additional holes in the
wooden rim or felly. To this end my equipment consists of the following instru-
mentalities: A pair of annular or ring-like plates which for a short term I will
call rings. They are shown at D in the drawing. At intervals they are provided
with holes, as shown, the holes in one ring being countersunk, as shown at a in
Fig. 4; and the holes in the other ring also being countersunk. The purpose
of the countersunk holes shown at a is to receive the tapering bolt heads of the
077

page_text: clamping bolts c, while the purpose of the countersunk holes shown at b, is to
receive the tapering nuts d, of these bolts. This form of nut fitting into such
holes together with the expansive force of the rubber effectually holds the nuts
against working off the bolts.
The rings are so fashioned in the rolls that produce them that they normally
bend or flare inward as shown, while their inner edges are turned somewhat to
one side as shown at E, to form a sort of annular hook or recess constituting a hook,
shown at F. This turning of the rings to one side gives them the proper finish,
while these annular recesses forming such hooks adapt them to fit upon the edges
of the ordinary flat iron or steel tire C, on which latter the rings have a sort of
pivotal action, when they are being clamped and drawn toward each other as will
presently be described.
Referring to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the rubber tire is normally of slightly
greater width than the flat iron or steel tire. Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, it
will be seen that the rubber has been reduced along its inner portion to a width
substantially equal to that of the flat iron tire. From this it will be understood
that the rings D are engaged with the ordinary iron tire and then are drawn
together so as to compress and take a firm grip upon the rubber. This is done
by means of clamps of any approved construction, but which of course, form no
part of this invention. After the rings are clamped against the rubber and brought
to the position shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the bolts c, are inserted as shown in
Fig. 4, and the nuts d are screwed up, preferably by means of a screw-driver
applied to the slot or recess d¹ in the nut. The heads of the bolts and ends of
the nuts are then filed off smooth and flush with the rings. The clamps are then
removed and the expansive force of the rubber is exerted against the rings.
The effect, as I have ascertained, is two-fold; first, to force the rings outward
so strongly that the bolts are put under severe tensile strain and the nuts are firmly
bound so that they cannot work off; second, to hold the rubber in this dove-tailed
groove thus formed by the two rings with such a grip that the rubber cannot
become displaced. It must be understood also that this gripping action is exerted
throughout the entire circumference of the rubber. The result is a quick and
lasting mounting of the rubber on the ordinary flat iron tire.
The outer or exposed part of the rubber is not affected in respect to the matter
of compression and so is not solidified or hardened beyond its normal condition
as determined by the composition and treatment employed in the factory production
of the rubber tire.
In several of the figures I have illustrated longitudinal openings for the recep-
tion of wires G, which extend throughout the length of the rubber tire and at
their ends are secured in any of the now several known ways. These retaining
wires may or may not be used in conjunction with my attaching equipment.
In Fig. 5, I have also shown at H a part or band-like section of the rubber
tire designed to be vulcanized to the rest of the tire and of a different degree of
hardness, being much harder or firmer than the tire generally. This portion is
for the purpose of rendering the tire more solid or less yielding in that portion
which is clamped by the rings D. This harder portion may or may not be used,
but, in some cases it would be preferred in practice.
From Fig. 6, it will be seen that the rings D are cut or open and that their ends
stand some little distance apart, either by overlapping or not quite meeting. The
latter is indicated by the dotted line e." The purpose of leaving the rings thus
open is to enable them to be fitted to wheels which are a little less in circumference
than the actual circumferential measurement of the rings themselves, so that
one size of rings may be adjusted to several sizes of wheels, the surplus of the
rings if any, being filed or sawed off, so as to bring the ends of the rings in abutting
position when they are finally fitted to the wheels. It will be further understood
that as the rings are clamped against the sides of the rubber tire they have a sligh
pivotal movement against the edges of the flat iron tire; that the bolts are accommo
dated either by cutting the rubber away or by simply displacing as much rubber a

page_text: he space they occupy; that the screwing up of the nuts and bolts is an easy
operation since the clamping of the rubber and drawing of the rings to clamping
position is accomplished by means of any suitable clamps placed at intervals
around the wheel, and that as the space between the rings is dovetail in shape,
the clamping action of the rings forces the rubber tire constantly and firmly
nward to its proper and desired place, so that such clamping action gives something
additional, in its practical effects, to the gripping of the rubber merely.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
-
1st. A rubber tire equipment comprising a pair of rings, each having a hook
portion and each a series of holes, those in one ring to receive bolts and their
heads, and those in the other to receive bolts and their nuts, and bolts and nuts
for such openings, the openings being outside of the hook portions.
2nd. In a rubber tire equipment comprising a pair of rings turned to one side
along their inner periphery and having hook portions, one of the rings having bolt
holes countersunk to receive bolt heads and the other ring having bolt holes
countersunk and shouldered for bolt nuts, and bolts and nuts to fit such openings,
such openings being outside of such hook portions.
3rd. In a rubber tire equipment, the combination with a pair of open rings, of
a body of india rubber composing a rubber tire, such rings having hook portions
along their inside near their inner periphery, and one of them having holes to
receive bolts and their heads and the other holes to receive bolts and their nuts, said
rings being adapted to clamp against the sides of said rubber tire and thus form
a dove-tailed clamping seat for such tire, and bolts and nuts to hold the rings
in such clamping relation to the rubber, the nuts on the bolts being held from
unscrewing by the expansive action of the rubber.
4th. In a rubber tire equipment, an open ring having a hook portion on its
inner side near its inner periphery, and normally flaring at one side so that its
main portion will stand inward and partially over such hook portion.
5th. In a rubber tire equipment, the combination with a vehicle wheel having
a wooden rim or felly and a flat iron tire, of a pair of open rings having hook
portions on their inner sides near their inner periphery which portions clamp
and pivotally engage with the edges of the flat tire, one of said rings having a
series of holes for bolts and their heads, and the other a series of holes for bolts
and their nuts, such holes being outside of such flat tire, bolts and nuts for such
holes, and a rubber tire fitted upon such rings and clamped thereby, the expansive
force of the rubber acting to hold the nuts on the bolts and the nuts acting to hold
the rings in clamping position.
6th. In a rubber tire equipment, the combination with an ordinary vehicle wheel
having a wooden rim or felly and a flat metallic tire, of a pair of rings having
hook portions on their inner sides near their inner periphery, and one ring having
a series of holes for bolts and their heads, and the other having a series of holes
for bolts and their nuts, such hook portions engaging with the edges of the flat
iron tire and such holes being outside of such flat tire, bolts and their nuts for
such holes, and a rubber tire of excessive normal width and adapted to be clamped
into normal width by such rings, such bolts and nuts holding the rings in clamped
position, and the expansive force of the rubber holding the nuts from working off.
7th. In a rubber tire equipment, the combination with a rubber tire proper
having a portion thereof harder or less yielding than its general body, and a
pair of clamping plates acting compressably upon a portion of said rubber tire
including such hardened or less yielding portion.
8th. In a rubber tire equipment, the combination with a wheel having an
ordinary flat iron tire and a pair of rings engaging the edges of such iron tire in
5 a hook-like and pivotal-like manner, and adapted to be drawn toward each other
outside of said iron tire to form a dove-tail shaped piece, a rubber tire filling such

page_text: space, clamped between said rings and forced inward thereby, and bolts for holding
such rings in such clamping position, the bolts being outside of such iron tire.
Dated this 9th dox of July 1900
JAMES FRANK WINCHELL,
By Herbert Haddan & Co.,
Agents to Applicant,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.