Year: 1894

page_text: I, CHARLES KINGSTON WELCH, of The Hollies, Eaton Road, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to elastic tyres and comprises the improvements hereinafter
indicated.
The object of my said invention is to provide tyres which shall be cheaper than
tyres made of solid indiarubber, and more resilient than such tyres without having
the disadvantage which pneumatic tyres have in general of being liable to
collapse when punctured.
According to my invention I construct tyres of jelly or the like substance
enclosed in a suitable jacket in order to retain it in shape.
In a modified form of tyre I combine with an interior tube inflated with air or
gas under pressure, an outer covering or pad of jelly or jelly-like substance which
protects the air tube from puncture. I may use one or several inflated tubes
enclosed in jelly or the like and in some cases I dispense with the tubes, and enclose
the air in the jelly in globules, or in other words I "aërate" the jelly.
The jelly which I use is made of gelatine, isinglass, glue or other suitable
gelatinous substance mixed with a suitable quantity of water or other solvent.
1 secure the tyre to the rim in various ways, for example I can utilize the various
methods now well known of securing pneumatic tyres to the rims of wheels.
In employing these methods, the air tube, confining jacket and outer cover are
secured to the rim after the usual manner and the air tube is distended or charged
with the jelly warmed to a liquid state either under pressure or otherwise through
a suitable valve. I sometimes provide means for the air in the tube to escape
through a suitable deflating valve while the jelly is being pumped or otherwise
injected into the tube or 1 may expel as much of the air as possible out of the tube
by flattening or rolling the same before injecting the jelly; the slight amount of air
then left in the tube will not interfere with the action. If it is desired to
inject more jelly after the first portion is set, I may warm the valve to assist the
operation.
The restraining envelope for the jelly may consist of a complete or divided tube
of inextensible fabric woven or otherwise constructed after any of the methods now
known, and either with or without an interior lining of india-rubber. Or the
jacket may be made of an inextensible jacket impregnated with rubber.
In a modified form of tyre I use air or gas under pressure in combination with
jelly to distend the tube.
For example 1 may use any ordinary pneumatic tyre and partially fill the air
tube with jelly the remaining portion being filled with air or gas under pressure.
Or I may provide a tyre which is composed of a tube filled with jelly having two
or more air tubes extending through it, or having a number of air chambers
embedded therein. Said air chambers may in some cases be bound only by the
jelly itself that is to say the air is in direct contact with the jelly. Instead of air.
any suitable gas or liquid may be used. In a modification of this construction
I provide between the air tube and the outer cover of a pneumatic tyre a pad of
jelly enclosed in a suitable confining jacket. Said pad which may be of crescent

page_text: shape in cross section acts very effectually to prevent puncture of the air tube while
not affecting to any great extent the resiliency of the tyre.
In securing my improved tyres to the rims of wheels I may make use of endless
wires or other suitable cores contained in the sides or edges of the restraining
jacket or of the cover of the tyre. Or I may employ various methods in which
the edges of the tyre cover are received in recesses formed by the turned in edges
of the rim..
Many other methods of securing the tyre to the rim may also be employed in
carrying out my invention.
When I desire to remove the jelly from the interior of the tyre I warm the same
so as to render the jelly liquid and extract it through any suitable orifice such as
the valve orifice.
My improved tyre is more especially suited for the wheels of vehicles which
carry heavy loads but they may be used for any vehicles the wheels of which are
fitted with pneumatic or other elastic tyres.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, CHARLES KINGSTON WELCH, of The Hollies, Eaton Road, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, 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:—
My invention relates to elastic tyres and comprises the improvements hereinafter
described.
The object of my said invention is to provide elastic tyres which shall be more
resilient than solid indiarubber tyres without having the disadvantage which
pneumatic tyres have in general of being liable to collapse when punctured.
According to my invention I construct tyres of jelly or the like substance
enclosed in a suitable jacket or cover having cores or inextensible edges or their
equivalents for retaining the cover on the rim. In some instances I enclose in the
jelly one or more air-tubes or a series of other suitable chambers spherical or
otherwise filled with air for increasing the elasticity of the tyre.
When I use air-
tubes I prefer to inflate the same and so put the jelly under pressure, and when
I use balls or other chambers I prefer to put the jelly under pressure and so
compress the air in the balls or chambers.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated by way of example several
forms of my invention.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a tyre filled with jelly or the like.
Figure 2 is a part transverse section and part circumferential section of a similar
tyre having air-balls or chambers embedded in the jelly.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a similar tyre having an air tube enclosed
within the jelly.
A is the rim; B is the inextensible cover which is secured to the rim by endless
wires or other suitable cores contained in its sides or edges. In lieu of such cores
I may employ various other methods of securing the cover for example those
methods wherein the edges of the cover are received in recesses formed by the
turned-in edges of the rim. It is obvious in this instance that the jelly being under
pressure assists in holding the tyre to the rim. In other cases the jelly under
pressure performs the same functions as the air under pressure in pneumatic tyres.

page_text: C is an inner tube for enclosing the jelly or like substance D. In Figure I the said
tube C is entirely filled with jelly which is introduced through a suitable valve or
cock by means of a pump or otherwise, the jelly being first reduced to a suitable
consistency by heat and maintained at a suitable temperature until the process of¨
filling under pressure is completed.
In Figure 2 there are shown a number of small elastic air balls or chambers E
within the tube C and enclosed by the jelly D. The said balls are introduced into
the tube C before the ends of the said tube are united. The balls may be
temporarily fastened in position to ensure that they shall retain their proper relative
positions while the jelly is being introduced and before the latter sets. The jelly is
introduced through a valve or cock as above described with reference to Figure 1.
The balls or chambers are employed for the purpose of increasing the elasticity of
the tyre and also so as to fill up any spaces that night otherwise be formed by the
contraction of the jelly on cooling.
In Figure 3 a small continuous or endless air-tube or chamber F is shownL
enclosed by the jelly which is on the outside of the said small tube between the
latter and the fabric cover. This air-tube is provided with a valve and is inflated
in the usual manner. With this construction of tyre I may introduce or apply the
jelly to the inner side of the cover next the fabric before the cover is applied to the
rim. For example I may make a ring of jelly of crescent section as shown
in Figure 3 and place or fix the said ring inside the cover thus forming a thick
arched cover which is then applied to the rim around the small air-tube in the
well-known manner. When the air-tube is inflated it communicates its pressure to.
the jelly and fills out the cover thus rendering the tyre firm but very elastic.
It will be seen that the air-tube of such a tyre is not readily accessible to puncture
in ordinary use. In some cases I employ two or more air tubes and also in some
cases I use tubes which are not endless but are butt ended.
It is obvious that with this construction of tyre when the air-tube is deflated and
the filling strips G in the grooves in the rim are removed the cover and jelly can be
removed together from the rim in the manner now well-known and described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 22669 A.D. 1892.
In some instances I use a dividing strip of fabric, rubber or other material H
between the air-tube and the jelly. This strip is so arranged that it does not
prevent the expansion of the air-tube when the latter is inflated to put the tyre under
pressure, for example the fabric may be attached at one side to the outer cover, and
be loose or unattached at the other side.
I sometimes provide for allowing the air in the tube to escape through a suitable
valve while the jelly is being pumped or otherwise injected into the tube; and at
times I expel as much of the air as possible from the tube by flattening or rolling
the tube before injecting the jelly, or I may otherwise exhaust the air from the
tube; the slight amount of air then left in the tube will not interfere with the
introduction of the jelly. If it is desired to inject more jelly after the first portion
is set, I may heat the valve to assist the operation. I sometimes introduce either-
with the jelly in filling or afterwards such quantity of air or gas as may be found
desirable for the purpose of maintaining the pressure.
The restraining envelope or inextensible cover may be made of inextensible
fabric woven or otherwise constructed after any of the methods now known, and
either with or without an interior lining of india-rubber. The cover may be
impregnated with rubber.
The jelly which I use is made of gelatine, glue, or other suitable gelatinous
substance mixed with a suitable quantity of water, treacle or other solvent. Other
substances may be mixed with the jelly but must not be of such a nature as to
destroy its resiliency. I may secure the tyre to the rim in various ways, for
example by endless wire cores as shown in the drawings or by other well known
methods of securing pneumatic tyres to the rims of wheels.
By the term air in the above Specification I desire to include gas. When
I desire to remove the jelly from the interior of the tyre I warm the same so-

page_text: as to liquefy it and then extract it through any suitable orifice such as the
valve orifice.
My improved tyre is more especially suited for the wheels of vehicles which carry
heavy loads.
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 I make no
claim to the use of jelly or such like material for the purpose of filling up any holes
in the rubber due to puncture nor do I claim generally the use of jelly or such like
material by itself or mixed with other substances in a pneumatic tyre, but what
I claim is :-
1. An elastic tyre consisting of a cover. and an inner tube or cavity filled with a
gelatinous substance maintained under pressure, for the purposes described.
2. In a tyre for a vehicle wheel, the combination, with an outer cover consisting
of a flexible fabric or substance having endless wire or other cores or their
equivalents in its edges, of a filling consisting of jelly or like gelatinous substance
under pressure, for the purpose specified.
3. A tyre consisting of a cover and an inner tube containing jelly or the like
under pressure and a series of elastic balls or chambers containing air or gas
embedded in the jelly.
4. In a tyre, the combination, with an outer cover, of a tube or tubes containing
air under pressure, and jelly or like substance between the said tube or tubes and
the said cover, with or without the dividing strip between the jelly and the tube or
tubes, the jelly being put under pressure by the expansion of the air-tube.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.