Improvements in the Rims and Pneumatic Tyres of Wheels for Bicycles, Carriages, and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
PROV ONAL SPI
CATION.
Improvements in the Rims and Pneumatic Tyres of Wheels for
Bicycles, Carriages, and other Vehicles.
I, HERBERT ARTHUR COUCHMAN, of Hillside, Shobnall Road, Burton-on-
Trent, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the rims and pueumatic tyres of cycle
wheels, for example, and has for its object to render such tyres practically
unpuncturable, less liable to slip on a "greasy" road, and also to obviate the
tendency of the outer tyre or cover to "creep" or work round the rim during use.
I form the tread portion of the tyre of solid india-rubber, or other suitable
material, the inner circumference of which is preferably of an enlarged section and
adapted to rest on the outer circumference of an inflatable tube. The rim, which
may be of metal or other suitable material, is so shaped as to receive between its
sides or edges the tread portion of the tyre, and also to receive and enclose the
inflatable tube on which the said enlarged part of the tread portion of the tyre
rests. Suitable projections are formed on the sides of the tread portion which take
into corresponding recesses in the sides or edges of the rim, or vice, versa, which
projections and recesses obviate the beforementioned tendency to ".
"
creep. The
inflatable tube is entirely enclosed within the rim except at that portion which
bears against the inner surface of the enlarged part of the tread portion of
the tyre.
The rim may be formed in one piece, but I prefer to form it in two or more
parts held together by bolts and nuts, screws, or otherwise, the heads and nuts of
which may be conveniently sunk in suitable recesses in the rim; and in order to
maintain the two halves of the rim an equal distance apart and prevent its sides or
edges from tightly grasping the tread portion of the tyre, suitable tubular distance
pieces are provided through which the bolts or screws are passed.
These tubular distance pieces also pass through the inflatable tube which is
suitably provided with airtight tubular passages or sleeves for that purpose. The
two portions of the rim may be further secured by bolts and nuts or screws
passing through suitable flanges thereon.
Dated this 12th day of November 1896.
H. A. COUCHMAN,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
LETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Rims and Pneumatic Tyres of Wheels for
Bicycles, Carriages, and other Vehicles.
I, HERBERT ARTHUR COUCHMAN, of Hillside, Shobnall Road, Burton-on-
Trent, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, 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 statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the rims and pneumatic tyres of
wheels for cycles and other vehicles, and has for its object to render such tyres

page_text: 66
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practically unpuncturable, less liable to slip on a greasy "road, and also to
obviate the tendency of the outer tyre or cover to "creep or work round the rim
during use.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I will proceed to
describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a cross sectional elevation, taken on line X-X of Figure 2, of a
wheel rim and tyre constructed in accordance with my invention,
Figure 2 a side view of part of a rim and tyre corresponding to Figure 1,
Figure 3 a partial sectional elevation taken on the line Y-Y of Figure 4 showing
how the spokes may be secured in the rim, and
Figure 4 a plan to a smaller scale than Figures 1, 2 and 3, also illustrative of the
fixing of the spokes in the rim.
I form the tread portion A of the tyre of solid india-rubber, or other suitable
material, the inner circumference of which is preferably of an enlarged section, as
shown at A, and adapted to rest on the outer circumference of an inflatable tube B.
The enlarged part A¹ of the tread portion A serves to prevent the latter from
being forced out of the rim by the pressure of the air in the inflatable tube B.
The rim C, which may be of metal or other suitable material, is so shaped as to
receive between its sides or edges the tread portion A of the tyre, and also to
receive and enclose the inflatable tube B.on which the said enlarged part A¹ of
the said tread portion rests. Suitable projections A2 are formed on the sides of
the tread portion A. which take into corresponding recesses C' in the sides or edges
of the rim C, or vice versa, that is to say the projections may be on the rim and the
recesses in the tread portion of the tyre. These projections and recesses obviate
the before-mentioned tendency of the outer tyre or cover to "creep."
inflatable tube B is entirely enclosed within the rim C except at that portion
which bears against the inner surface of the enlarged part A' of the tread portion A.
of the tyre.
The
The rim C may be made in one piece but I prefer to make it in two or more
parts held together by screws, or bolts and nuts D passing through flanges C (or
through any other suitable part of the rim) and prevented from springing apart
under the pressure of the air in the inflatable tube B by screws or bolts E passing
through the sides of the rim and through the inflatable tube. The heads and nuts
of the screws or bolts E are preferably sunk in suitable recesses in the rim C as
shown in Figure 1. It is obvious that instead of the ends of the screws or bolts D
and E being screwed into nuts. they may be tapped into the flauge C or into the
side of the rim C respectively as may be preferred.
In order to maintain the two halves of the rim C at a proper distance apart, and
prevent the sides or edges from tightly grasping the tread portion A of the tyre,
tubular distance pieces F are provided through which the bolts or screws E are
passed. These tubular distance pieces also pass through the inflatable tube B
which is provided with tubular passages or sleeves G for the bolts or screws E and
distance pieces F to pass through, such passages or sleeves being formed with or
connected air-tight at their ends to the sides of the inflatable tube.
Provision may be made for the attachment of the outer ends of the spokes H to
the rim in the usual way, when the rim is formed in two halves joined by flanges C
by forming such flanges as shown in Figures 3 and 4, so that the usual tightening
nuts J can be passed through between them, the head J¹ of the said nut bearing
against the inside of the rim C in the usual way, as shown in Figure 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire to have it
understood that I am aware that it is not novel to construct a pneumatic tyre
with a solid tread portion bearing upon a pneumatic tube enclosed within the rim
and that I make no claim generally to a tyre so constructed but that what I do
claim is :-
First. In a wheel having a tyre composed of a pneumatic tube enclosed within

page_text: the rim and a solid outer or tread portion bearing against the said pneumatic tube,
making the rim in two or more parts held together by screws or bolts passed
through any suitable part of the rim, substantially as described.
Second. In a wheel having a tyre composed of a pneumatic tube enclosed within
the rim, and a solid outer or tread portion bearing against the said pneumatic tube,
the use of screws or bolts passing through the sides of the rim and through the
inflatable tube for the purpose of maintaining the opening for the solid tyre at a
uniform or constant width, and also preventing the said sides of the rim from
springing apart, substantially as described.
Third. In a wheel rim made in two halves and adapted to contain a pneumatic
tube and a solid tread portion bearing against the said pneumatic tube, means for
holding the two halves together and at a proper distance from one another which
consist of bolts and tubular distance pieces passing through the pneumatic tube,
substantially as described.
Fourth. Constructing pneumatic tubes for wheel tyres with tubular passages or
sleeves passing through them, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. In a wheel having a tyre composed of a pneumatic tube enclosed within
the rim and a solid outer or tread portion bearing against the pneumatic tube,
making the said solid outer or tread portion with projections or recesses, and the
rim with corresponding recesses or projections, for the purpose of preventing.
creeping of the said outer or tread portion, substantially as described.
Sixth. A wheel tyre and rim constructed and combined substantially as described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Desed
1th dow of War 1907
H. A. COUCHMAN,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
H. A. COUCHMAN,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.