Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
I, PARDON WILBUR TILLINGHAST, of 435 Potters Avenue, in Providence,
Rhode Island, United States of America, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR BICYCLES AND
SIMILAR VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide the wheel with a pneumatic tire of
improved construction which is suitably protected from injuries resulting from
sharp or pointed objects lying in the road or track, and to provide means for
automatically inflating the tire, and preserving therein a certain uniform pressure
of air and also to provide for the convenient removal and insertion of the spokes,
for change or repair, without requiring the removal of the tire, from the rim of the
wheel, as heretofore.
And my invention consists in providing the tire with longitudinal concentric
corrugations, which will serve to protect the sides of the tire from injurious contact
with surrounding objects, without adding materially to the thickness of the tire so
as to impair its flexibility, the said tire being preferably made of india-rubber,
protected exteriorly by canvas, or other suitable material.
My invention also consists in providing the circumferential bearing portion of
the pneumatic tire, with a protecting band of sheet metal, embedded in the material
of the tire, whereby the tire will be protected from injury by contact with sharp or
pointed' objects, which are liable to cut into or penetrate the inner cavity of the
tire, containing the air, which is held therein under pressure, thus causing a leak,
which would destroy the elastic yielding action of the tire.
My invention also consists in the combination with the rim of the wheel, and the
hollow pneumatic tire, of an automatically operated air-pump which is attached to
the rim and is actuated to force air into the cavity of the tire, through the yielding
movement of the tire at a point opposite to the attached pump, when the tire is
brought to bear at that point upon the road or track, by the revolution of the
wheel. It also consists in the combination with the rim of the wheel, and an air-
pump attached thereto for automatic action to force air into the hollow tire, of a
relief valve, whereby any excess of pressure in the tire will be prevented, and the
required pressure of air can be uniformly maintained; with means for the
proper adjustment of the air pressure to suit the varying requirements of the road
or track.
It also consists in the combination with the rim of the wheel provided with per-
forations for the attachment of spokes thereto, of a sectional bushing, having an
attaching shoulder, and adapted to fill the opening around the spoke or its attaching
nipple, subsequent to the insertion of the said spoke, or nipple, into the opening
in the rim and in providing the said sectional bushing with an outer screw thread,
and applying a nut thereto, whereby the said sectional bushing will be firmly
clamped to the rim of the wheel and will embrace the spoke, or the nipple, which
serves for the attachment of the spoke to the rim of the wheel.
Dated this Nineteenth day of November 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wheels for Bicycles and similar Vehicles.
I, PARDON WILBUR TILLINGHAST, of 435 Potters Avenue, in Providence,
Rhode Island, United States of America, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS FOR BICYCLES AND
SIMILAR VEHICLES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object to provide the wheel with a pneumatic tire of
improved construction, which is suitably protected from injuries resulting from
contact with sharp or pointed objects lying in the road or track, and to provide
means for automatically inflating the tire, and preserving therein a certain uniform
pressure of air, and also to provide for the convenient removal and insertion of the
spokes, for change or repair, without requiring the removal of the tire from the
rim of the wheel, as heretofore.
My invention consists in providing the circumferential bearing portion or tread
of a pneumatic tire, with a thin flexible protecting band of spring metal embedded
in the material of the tire, so as to be protected thereby from rust and wear,
whereby the tire will be protected from injury by contact with sharp or pointed
objects, which are liable to cut into, or penetrate the inner cavity or air chamber
of the tire.
My invention also consists in the combination with a yielding hollow tire, of an
air-pump arranged to be operated by the outward movement of the tread of the
said tire, after the same has been inwardly displaced by pressure.
It also consists in the combination with a yielding hollow tire, and an air-pump|
adapted to force air into the cavity of the hollow tire, of a relief valve, whereby an
excess of pressure in the tire will be prevented, and the required pressure of air
can be uniformly maintained, with means for the proper adjustment of the air
pressure to suit the varying requirements of the road or track.
It also consists in improved details in the construction of the hollow tire, and in
the combination with the rim of the wheel provided with perforations for the attach-
ment of spokes thereto, of a sectional bushing adapted to fill the opening around
the spoke, or its attaching nipple, subsequent to the insertion of the said spoke or
nipple into the opening in the rim.
Figure 1, represents a transverse section of a bicycle wheel provided with my
improvement.
Figure 2, represents a similar transverse section showing a modification in the
construction of the pump.
Figure 3, represents a detailed side view of the rim and tire, a portion being
broken away to show the attachment of the spokes.
Figure 4 represents an enlarged perspective view of the bushing hooks.
Figure 5. represents an enlarged sectional view showing the head of the spoke
inserted into the hole in the rim, preparatory to the insertion of the bushing hooks
at the side of the spoke.
Figure 6, represents an enlarged sectional view showing the complete attachment
of the spoke to the rim.
In the accompanying drawings, A represents a flexible hollow tire which may be
of any approved construction, and is provided with a short metal tube b, vulcanized
therein, so as to form an air tight joint around the said tube.
The tube is pro-
vided with a screw thread, which may be made either upon the outside of the tube,
as shown in Figure 1 or upon the inner side, as shown in Figure 2, and to the
tube is attached an air pump C, which may also be of any approved construction,
and as shown in Figure 1, is provided with a centrally arranged tube which
screws upon the tube and fits snugly in the perforation c, made in the rim B of
the wheel of the vehicle. At each side of the tube a are placed the elastic rubber
bulbs D D held in the concave metal cups e, e, which are connected with the tube g,

page_text: the said tubes forming the inner lining of the tubes ff which extend in opposite
directions from the side of the tube a, and the end of the tube g serves to form a
seat for the valve E, the opposite valves E, E being held against their respective
seats by means of the bent spring F. The bulbs D are each provided with an
inlet opening i, which is closed by the flap-valve G, and with an outlet opening i¹
leading to the valve E, so that, upon the swelling of the bulb D after its com-
pression, air will be drawn into the cavity of the bulb under the inlet valve G ;
and upon the subsequent forcible compression of the said bulb, the air will be forced
from the bulb, through the tube g, and under the valve E, to the chamber H of
the tire.
At the top of the bulbs D, are placed the concave metal shields I, and over the
said shields, is placed the narrow strap J, which may be made of any suitable
material, and is perforated at j, to loosely receive the upper end of the tube a, and
passes around the outer side of the inner tube k of the tire; so that, upon the
outward expansion of the tread of the said tire, after its inward displacement by.
pressure, the bulbs D will be compressed to force a portion of the air contained
therein into the cavity H of the tube k.
The pump tube a, is also provided with a perforated diaphragm 1, forming a seat
for the relief valve K, consisting of an elongated rubber head me, which forms the
clastic yielding face of the valve, and the hollow sliding holder n, provided with
the outer grooves o, o, and openings p, and upon the upper end of the tube a,
placed the screw cap 7, which is provided with the narrow opening, and by
screwing the cap 7, upon the tube a, the bearing face of the relief valve K may be
adjusted to spring from its seat at any desired degree of pressure.
The tire as shown in the drawings, is formed of a continuous inner rubber tube k,
made of circular cross section, surrounded by an outer tube k¹ of the same material,
provided with a flattened side r, which forms the tread of the tire, the said
Hattened side being protected against the danger of puncture by sharp or pointed
objects, and supported against undue lateral movement at the point of contact with
the ground, by means of the thin flexible metal bearing band L, which is
preferably enclosed in a covering of canvas s, and then embedded in the rubber of
the said tire the said metal band L being made of spring-metal, and very thin, so as
not to interfere with the desired up and down flexibility of the tread of the tire,
and by means of the covering of canvas, the thin metal band L, will be prevented
from cutting the rubber at the corners t, t, of the tube ¹; and in order to properly
distend the outer tube ¹, and support the corners t, t, of the same, against inwardly
directed pressure, I arrange the ribs u, u, between the tubes k and A, in the vacant
spaces v, v, whereby an inward movement of the corner t, would be directly com-
municated to the inner tube k.
A modification in the form of the air-pump is shown in Fig. 2, in which the
pump barrel al, is screwed into the tube b, the lower end of the said barrel being
provided with the outlet valve E', and the upper end with the stuffing cap M.
Within the pump barrel a', is placed the hollow piston N, which is provided at its
face with the inlet valve G', and with the hollow piston rod O, through which the
air is admitted to the pump. The upper end of the piston rod O, is provided with
a collar
and with a screw thread adapted to receive the corresponding screw
thread of the cap z, provided at its upper end with the foraminous plate y, to
prevent sand or other material from being drawn into the pump; and between the
lower end of the cap 2, and the collar w, is loosely held the yoke-piece to the
outer end of which the operating strap J, is attached: the said strap being made
to pass around the outer side of the inner tube k, so that any outward movement of
the said tube, will be imparted to the yoke-piece and to the attached piston of the
pump; thus causing the air to be forced from the chamber of the pump, into the
chamber H of the tire to cause the proper distension of the same: and the loose
connection of the yoke-piece z to the piston rod O, serves to allow for the accidental
lateral movement of the tread of the tire, with relation to the plane of the rim

page_text: of the wheel, without cramping the piston, or interfering with the proper action of
the pump in forcing air into the chamber H of the tire.
When the wheel of the bicycle has turned so as to carry the pump to its lowest
position, the yielding tire at the point directly opposite the pump, will be displaced
inwardly by the pressure upon the ground, caused by the weight of the rider
and the vehicle, thus allowing the upward expansion of the elastic bulbs, or causing
the upward movement of the piston of the pump to draw air into the same: and
as soon as the tire is released from this pressure, by the forward movement of the
wheel, the resilience of the yielding tire, and the pressure of air within the same,
will serve to compress the bulbs, or force the piston inward to cause the contained
air to pass thence into the tire, and any surplus of air may be allowed to escape
from the tire, by means of the relief valve, which may be adjusted to the specific
pressure desired.
In order to provide for the ready attachment and removal of the spokes of the
wheel of a bicycle or similar vehicle, I provide a perforation in the rim B, of
sufficient diameter to receive the head c¹, of the spoke R, or the head of an
attaching screw nipple d', and around the said spoke or nipple, in the opening ',
and subsequent to the insertion of the said heads within the cavity of the rim, are
inserted the bushing hooks S, S, which are made in L form and tend to reduce the
opening, so that the heads cannot be thereafter withdrawn, without the previous
removal of the said bushing hooks, thus allowing the bushing hooks to be screwed
up so as to tightly grip the spoke, and in order to provide a desirable finished
appearance, and for holding the hooks snugly around the spoke or nipple, I provide
one arm of the hook, with a screw thread which is adapted to enter the thread of
the nut, thus firmly holding the said bushing hooks.
The nut is first placed upon the spoke, and the head c¹ of the spoke inserted
into the opening in the rim B, as shown in Figure 5, the arm h² of the bushing
hook S, is then inserted into the opening, as shown by the dotted lines and the
arm is to be thereafter thrown outward by rocking the hook, so that the arm /'
will lie along the side of the spoke; and after the insertion of the opposite bushing
hooks S, S the nut jis to be brought into engagement with the screw thread at
the outer side of the arms ' thus firmly clamping the parts to each other, as shown
in Figure 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A vehicle wheel, provided with a yielding hollow tire having a thin flexible
band of spring-metal embedded therein, so as to be protected from oxidation and
wear, and adapted to prevent the accidental perforation of the tire. without
interfering with its desired flexibility at the tread, substantially as described.
2.A vehicle wheel, provided with a yielding hollow tire, having a thin flexible
band of spring-metal embedded therein, so as to be protected from oxidation and
wear, and adapted to prevent the accidental perforation of the tire, with a canvas
covering for the spring-metal band, whereby the edges of the metal band will
be prevented from cutting the rubber composition of the tire, substantially as
described.
3. A vehicle wheel, provided with a yielding hollow tire, having a thin flexible
band of spring metal embedded therein to prevent the accidental perforation of the
tire, and an air-pump operated automatically to force air into the chamber of the
tire, substantially as described.
which
4. A vehicle wheel, provided with a yielding hollow tire, and an air pump
is automatically operated to force air into the chamber of the tire by the outward
movement of the tread of the tire, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a vehicle wheel provided with a yielding hollow tire,
and an air-pump for automatically inflating the tire, of a band or strap which

page_text: serves to connect the pump with the yielding tread of the tire, substantially as
described.
6. The combination with a vehicle wheel provided with a yielding hollow tire,
and a pump for automatically inflating the tire, of a relief valve, whereby any excess
of pressure in said tire may be prevented, substantially as described.
7.-The combination with a vehicle wheel provided with a yielding hollow tire,
of a metal tube vulcanized in the wall of the said tire, and an air-pump attached
to the said tube, and means for operating the air-pump to force air into the chamber
of the tire, substantially as described.
8. The combination with a vehicle wheel, of a yielding hollow tire composed of
an inner circular tube adapted to retain the air under pressure, and an outer tube
fitting the inner tube at one side, and having a flat side, which forms the tread of
the tire, and provided with the inner ribs which serve to prevent the collapse of the
corners of the outer tube, substantially as described.
9. The combination with a vehicle wheel having a rim provided with perfora-
tions for the attachment of spokes thereto, of the screw threaded bushing hooks,
adapted for insertion into the said perforations, subsequent to the insertion of the
spoke or its attaching nipple therein, and the nut for clamping the opposite screw
threaded bushing hooks, substantially as described.
Dated the 30th day of January 1891.
PARDON WILBUR TILLINGHAST.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.