Improvements in Methods of Utilising Air under Pressure for Cycles and other Wheeled Vehicles, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
Improvements in Methods of Utilising Air under Pressure for
Cycles and other Wheeled Vehicles, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE of 29 Great George Street, Westminster,
London, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of effecting the storage of air or
gaseous pressures, to permit the rapid and ready renewal of pressures, to pneumatic
tyres, saddles, and for the purpose of inflating such tyres of cycles or other wheeled
vehicles having what are known as pneumatic tyres, pneumatic saddles, and other
pneumatic appanages associated with wheeled vehicles, some of which appanages are
to be here described as forming essential features of my invention.
I will briefly describe my invention.
I utilise the hollow tubular and metallic framework of the cycle or wheeled vehicle
for the storage or accumulation under relatively high pressures of air or gases, I do
not limit myself to any particular pressures. I may however give some indication of
their limit, which for ordinary purposes will not exceed 500 lbs. to the square inch.
One of the associated advantages of utilising the hollow part of the tubular framework
for storing the pneumatic pressure, is the fact that it will tend to stiffen such tubular
framework and permit lighter tubes to be utilised without involving a reduction of
strength.
I provide as near as may be convenient to the tyres of the cycles, a special form of
needle valve having a flexible or other kind of very small bore connection so devised
as to be readily and rapidly attachable by a simple screw arrangement to the valve
attachment of the inlet of the tyre or saddle in a somewhat if not exactly similar
manner to the method associated with the connection made with the ordinary hand
air pressure pump. The screw connection on being screwed up, opens the air valve,
and on the opening of the needle valve the stored up air under pressure is released and
enters the tyre, and rapidly establishes in the latter the pressure desired.
The needle valve is then closed and the connection to the tyre is broken.
I may provide a small pressure indicator to the air pressure accumulator to:
indicate the degree of pressure established or I may provide a simple safety-valve to
each tyre that will permit the air to escape when the proper pressure has been
established.
Instead of utilising the hollow tubular framework of the cycle or in addition.
thereto, I may provide a short length of armoured indiarubber tube which I hang
or suspend from the framework by means of clips, so that the tube can be easily
detached. I may make this tube of other material than indiarubber, for instance
aluminium, steel or leather may be used. But when using material other than that of.
a metallic character such as indiarubber or leather, 1 strengthen it with metallic
coils either inside or outside or both, so as to enable pressures up to 150 lbs. or more,
to be established.
I provide metallic mountings, having one or more needle or other suitable form
of valves and equipped with small bore flexible tube connections, which can be.
rapidly attached to the inlet valves of the tyres or other pneumatic appanages.

page_text: I may inflate this attachable air pressure storage attachment tube with an ordinary
air pressure pump before starting a journey, but I may obtain the pressure from
large accumulations of air pressure produced by air pressure engines, such
pneumatic accumulations can be established at convenient positions along the cycle
routes.
Once the attachable storage attachment is supplied with its air under pressure
established as described its outlet valve being closed, the attachment apparatus can
then be fixed to the framework of the wheel vehicle by clips or otherwise, and I can
then proceed on my journey ready with a storage of air under pressure, in the
event of leakages of the stored pressure in the pipes or in the saddle.
I may utilise the air pressure thus stored up for injecting the lubrication and
lighting or lamp oil so as to establish an oil pressure on the wheel roller bearings and
for supplying the lamp burner with a mixture of oil and air.
I allocate part of the hollow tubular space for storing a supply of lubricating
oil and to this oil space I attach the air pressure connection, also attaching the oil
storage space to the bearings by exceedingly fine copper or other metallic tubes.
The pressure of air maintains the lubricating oil constantly against the bearings,
care being taken that the oil is not of a quality subject to oxidation by contact with
air, I may employ instead of air, a storage of reducing gas such as towns gas, which
I should force into the storage vessels instead of air.
I may employ this air and gas pressure fed from the storage tubes to inflate a
hollow tubular brake strap or bell having an equipment of valvular connections to
enable a new supply to be rapidly supplied, such a brake strap would be much more
sensitive than one of a solid character.
Dated this 30th day of Anril 1806
Improvements in Methods of Utilising Air under Pressure for
Cycles and other Wheeled Vehicles, and in Apparatus therefor.
I BENJAMIN HOWARTH THWAITE 29 Great George Street Westminster Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:
My invention relates to an improved method of effecting the storage of air or
gaseous pressures, to permit the rapid and ready renewal of pressures, to pneumatic
tyres, saddles, and for the purpose of inflating such tyres of cycles or other wheeled
vehicles having what are known as pneumatic tyres, pneumatic saddles, and other
pneumatic appanages associated with wheeled vehicles, some of which appanages are
to be here described as forming essential features, of my invention.
I. will briefly describe my invention.
I utilise the hollow tubular and metallic framework of the cycle autocar or.
wheeled vehicle for the storage or.accumulation under relatively high pressures of air
or gases, I do not limit myself to any particular pressures. I may however give some
indication of their limit, which for ordinary, purposes will not exceed 500 lbs. to the
square inch. One of the associated advantages of utilising the hollow part of the
tubular framework for storing the pneumatic pressure, is the fact that it will tend to
stiffen such tubular framework and permit lighter tubes to be utilised without
involving a reduction of strength.
I provide as near as may be convenient to the tyres of the cycles, a special form.
of needle valve to be described by reference to figures, accompanying this specification

page_text: having a flexible or other kind of very small bore connection so devised as to be
readily and rapidly attachable by a simple screw arrangement to the valve attachment
of the inlet of the tyre or saddle in a somewhat if not exactly similar manner to the
method associated with the connection made with the ordinary hand air pressure
pump. The screw connection on being screwed up, opens the air valve, and on the
opening of the needle valve the stored up air under pressure is released and enters
the tyre, and rapidly establishes in the latter the pressure desired.
The needle valve is then closed and the connection to the tyre is broken.
I may provide a small pressure indicator to the air pressure accumulator to indicate
the degree of pressure established or 1 may provide a simple safety-valve to each tyre
that will permit the air to escape when the proper pressure has been established.
Instead of utilising the hollow tubular framework of the cycle or autocar or in
addition thereto, I may provide a short length of armoured indiarubber tube which I
hang or suspend from the framework by means of clips, so that the tube can be easily
detached. I may make this tube of other material than indiarubber, for instance
aluminium, steel or leather may be used. But when using material other than that
of a metallic character such as indiarubber or leather, I strengthen it with metallic
coils either inside or outside or both, so as to enable pressures up to 150 lbs. to be
established.
I provide metallic mountings, having one or more needle or other suitable form of
valves and equipped with small bore flexible tube connections, which can be rapidly
attached to the inlet valves of the tyres or other pneumatic appanages.
I may inflate this attachable air pressure storage attachment tube with an ordinary
air pressure pump before starting a journey, but I may obtain the pressure from large
accumulations of air pressure produced by air pressure engines, such pneumatic
accumulations can be established at convenient positions along the cycle routes.
Once the attachable storage attachment is supplied with its air under pressure
established as described its outlet valve being closed, the attachment apparatus can
then be fixed to the framework of the wheel vehicle by clips or otherwise, and I can
then proceed on my journey ready with a storage of air under pressure, in the event
of leakages of the stored pressure in the pipes or in the saddle.
I may utilise the air pressure thus stored up for injecting the lubrication and lighting
or lump oil so as to establish a pressure on the wheel roller bearings and for supplying
the lamp burner with a mixture of oil and air.
$
I allocate part of the hollow tubular space for storing supply of lubricating oil
and to this oil space I attach the air pressure connection, also attaching the oil storage
The
space to the bearings by exceedingly fine copper or other metallic tubes.
pressure of air maintains the lubricating oil constantly against the bearings, care
being taken that the oil is not of a quality subject to oxidation by contact with air, I
may employ instead of air, a storage of reducing gas such as towns gas, which I should
force into the storage vessels instead of air.
I may employ this air and gas pressure fed from the storage tubes to inflate a hollow
tubular brake strap or ball having an equipment of valvular connections to enable a
new supply to be rapidly supplied, such a brake strap would be much more sensitive
than one of a solid character.
It is obvious that although I have named a mechanical means of providing the
accumulation of air pressure, I may employ any method, physical and chemical,
for promoting the potential of air or gaseous pressures for satisfying the pressure
requirement of my tubular framed or detachable containers, for instance I may
employ the chemical method of generating gaseous carbondioxide pressures utilised
for many purposes such as for the aeration of liquids and for fire extinction purposes.
I have found that with a tube of the same character of steel, high class Swedish, as
that employed for making the highest quality of cycle tubes both air and other gases
can be safely stored in my tubular containers up to pressures of over 2 tons to the
square inch. I have found that an attachable tube container of only some 5 inches in
length, and weighing only a few ounces will with perfect safety coutain air enough
to inflate 5 tyres and that the time occupied in each inflation is only 25 seconds.

page_text: In order to prevent the possibility of the valvular arrangements of the attachable
container from being damaged, I provide a light metallic sliding cover.
I also provide several thick indiarubber rings around the tubular container, or
I
may entirely encase such attachable container with indiarubber or like elastic and
flexible material.
I may make the attachable container of such small dimensions as to permit it
to be introduced into the socket part of the cycle framework that carries the seat or
the handle bar.
I make the attachable containers of various sizes or dimensions according to the
number of inflations, for instance, the smallest one will contain air enough for a single
inflation only, and the next one will contain air or gas pressure to inflate 2 tyres.
I therefore call them 2 inflation containers, 3 inflation containers and so on, but for
ordinary purposes I use three sizes, 4, 8 and 16 the last containing air pressure for
16 inflations and is conveniently applicable for attachment to the horizontal framework
of the cycle.
In order to make the cycle tubular framework suitable for the sustained storage of
the air or gaseous pressure, I submit such framework when the latter is built up to the
influence of the Bower Barff process, by which the framework and the joints are
internally if not externally also coated with a thin film of magnetic oxide (Fe,O), any
leakage of the joint is by this process oxidised or black-rusted up, the joints and the
tubes become oxidised into a continuous whole, capable of sustaining the stored up air
or gas pressures. It also increases the strength and rigidity of the framework.
Before describing the two sheets of drawings that accompany this specification, I.
wish it to be clearly understood that I do not intend to be confined to the employment
of the details as therein exactly defined-a considerable variation may be effected
without departing from the area limited by the said invention.
In Sheet 1 of drawings, Figure 1 shews a full size longitudinal section of an
attachable and detachable No. 5 container connected to the tubular framework of the
cycle by ordinary clips.
In Figure 1, A. is the container preferably formed of Swedish steel or aluminium,
one end of the container is secured with a finely pitched thread at B. to receive the
needle valve c. The needle valve c. is well made of the finest quality of gun metal,
formed as shown with the wheel handle E.
A cover F. is provided to enclose the valve and I provide indiarubber rings G. to
encircle the container so that if the container, by accident or otherwise is allowed to
fall, the indiarubber rings prevent metallic concussion.
The container is suspended by clips H. from the tubular framework J. Figures 2
and 3 show the application of the container A. to two typical kinds of cycles, in one
or the Figure 2, the container is hung from the top frame, in the other Figure 3, the
container is attached to a diagonal frame.
In Figure 2. an air inlet is provided at K. to permit the introduction of a storage
of air under pressure into this frame. The tube is plugged at the point L. and M. so
that the upper part of the frame still provides the sliding pocket for the seat.
Figure 4, Sheet 2 of drawings shews the container applied as a hollow brake.
Figure 5 shews the air pressure applied for the purpose of ejecting the lubricant
on to the metal bearings of the cycle, such lubricant being stored in the hollow
framework of the cycle.
Referring to Figure 4, N. is the hollow brake which may be made cylindrical or
ball shaped; at least one half of the ball N. is enclosed in the metallic shell O.
The air is introduced by the back pressure valvular connection P. provided with
the coil spring Q. and the screwed end R. for connecting the hollow brake valve with
a main supply of air.
The application of the brake is effected by the sliding rings S. which slide on the
tube T. the pressure being applied by the rod U. which is actuated by manual effort,
from the handle bar.
In Figure 5. the lubricant is shewn by the dotted lines at V. stored in the cycle
tube frame V. The lubricant is introduced by the funnel W. past a valve X. The

page_text: air pressure is introduced by the valve Y. from the air pressure container Z. which
may or may not be attached to the same tube frame V as shewn.
The oil escapes by the small copper or other tube 2. past a valve 3. and this.
tube leads the lubricant to the different wheel bearings of the cycle, a supply of
oil being constantly maintained by the pressure of air which is introduced over the oil
or other lubricant.
In order to permit an indication of the number of "inflations" remaining in the
container, I provide the arrangement shewn on Figure 6 and 7. This consists in
attaching a brass or other metallic slide frame 4., see Figure 6 and 7, on which the
number of inflations stored in the container is stamped or marked; a metallic sliding.
index 5, is provided and this is moved along the frame, in proportion as the pressure
in the container is exhausted.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same may be performed I declare that what I claim is as follows:-
First. The utilisation of the hollow framework of cycles, auto-cars, and other like
tubular framed vehicles, for storing air or gaseous pressures for the purpose and in the
manner herein defined."
Second. The small air or gaseous pressure containers for the storage of air or
gaseous pressures suitable for attachment to cycles or other like vehicles or auto-cars.
Third. The valvular arrangements for such air or gaseous, tube frame or detachable
containers and their safety provisions, substantially as shewn and described.
Fourth. The combination of rubber with metal containers for the purpose described..
Fifth. The method of preparing the tubular framework to resist the pressures set.
up in them.
Sixth. The method of utilising the air in gaseous pressures so stored for the purpose
of effecting the forced lubrication of the bearings and for braking the movement of
the wheels of cycles and auto-cars substantially as shewn and described.
3007
B. H. THWAITE..