Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic or Air Inflated Tyres.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Mar., 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic or Air Inflated Tyres.
We, CHARLES KINGSTON WELCH, of Fairmead Philip Lane, Tottenham, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, and HARVEY DU CROS, Chairman of The Pneu-
matic Tyre and Booth's Cycle Agency, Limited, of Oriel House, Westland Row,
Dublin, in the County of Wicklow, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to pneumatic or air inflated tyres and comprises improve-
ments in the methods of attaching the same to the rims or felloes of the wheels of
velocipedes and other vehicles by means of securing wires or cores enclosed in the
said tyres after the manner described in the Specification of British Letters Patent
No. 14563 of 1890 granted to the said Charles Kingston Welch, and in the canvas
or other non-elastic woven envelope or jacket of such tyres.
According to the first part of our present invention which relates chiefly to
methods of and means for attaching tyres to wheel rims or felloes, we provide means
whereby a pneumatic or air inflated tyre can be very easily and efficiently secured
to and also removed from a wheel rim or felloc, we provide rims or felloes of
suitable section, and improved wires or cores for binding and securing tyres to rims
and especially for binding and securing pneumatic tyres to wheels which are already
furnished with metal tyred or other rims such as for instance traps carriages and
the like. An important feature of this part of our invention consists in making the
securing wire or core in two separate parts one of the said parts surrounding and
enveloping the other of the said parts, this compound core or wire we may call an
annular roller. We sometimes use a core which consists of a spiral of wires which
is made with only one joint or coupling and which is practically equivalent to a
stranded wire. We may make the binding cores of any suitable material of any
section and we in some cases find it convenient to use hoops of metal something like
an ordinary cask hoop in shape and also we sometimes use hoops having very different
external and internal diameters but rather thin and flat axially.
In another part of our invention which relates to the non-elastic envelope or
jacket which is usually placed around the air containing tube of pneumatic tyres, we
weave the same with separate channels or pockets at the edges or at the sides in
the case of tubular woven envelopes, through which the wires or cores which are
used to secure the tyre to the rim may be drawn or threaded or otherwise enclosed.
The chief feature of our improved method of attaching or securing pneumatic or
air-inflated tyres to wheel rims consists in placing the binding wires or cores loose
inside the jacket or envelope of the air-tube or in the channels thereto attached or
woven therewith and we prefer then to use what we call an annular roller for the
core or binding wire.
We make our improved rims of various sections and prefer to form them with a
channel or groove at or near each edge in which the wires will lie when the pneu-
matic tyre is in position.
We sometimes provide a rim or felloe for a velocipede or other wheel which may
be used without a tyre or which is already furnished with a rubber or other tyre
such wheels for instance are at present used in cabs, traps and the like. We then
prefer where possible to secure the pneumatic tyre without having any grooves or
channels in the said rim or felloe. In these cases we either provide a rim or felloe
which is of larger diameter at the centre than at the sides so that the tread portion
of the rim is curved or convex, under which circumstances the securing wires or
cores which are preferably hoops like cask hoops will bed on the sloping parts of
the said tread portion of the rim, or we attach pucumatic tyres to existing wheel

page_text: rims, felloes or tyres with flat or nearly flat sides such as ordinary iron tyred
carriage wheels have, the securing wires or cores bedding against the flat sides of
the rims or felloes. The said binding wires or cores may then be flat rings or
discoidal in shape in order to prevent slipping of the tyre side ways.
In all cases
the securing wires or cores are made into complete rings or hoops by brazing or
other means before the tyre is put into position on the wheel, and the circum-
ference of the said rings or hoops is less than the greatest circumference of the
wheel rim.
In weaving a non-tubular envelope or jacket according to the second part of
our invention we prefer to arrange the threads so that when the band or strip leaves
the loom it assumes a curved shape the threads of the warp being longer or capable
of being apparently made longer at some parts of the cover than at others. The
said envelope or jacket will then more easily assume and maintain the desired
shape around the rim or tyre of the wheel. Furthermore the texture of the woven
fabric is rendered more elastic at the tread portion of the tyre where the greatest
amount of stress is encountered, and is therefore more resilient than it otherwise
would be.
In the case of tubular envelopes or jackets we may either make the tube com-
plete on the loom or we may join up a strip by its edges by sewing or in any other
suitable manner so as to form a tube. In some cases we may weave the envelope or
tube around or enclosing the securing wires or cores. We often arrange trans-
verse or longitudinal slits or openings in a tubular envelope or jacket so that the air
tube can be partly extricated through the same if required for examination or
repair.
In order that removal of the air tube may be rendered easier we sometimes
use instead of a tubular jacket or envelope a plain arched envelope which is rolled
round the air tube so that two thicknesses of the jacket will come between the rim
or felloe of the wheel and the said air tube, the said jacket being secured in place
by three or more wires or cores. The air tube can then be extricated upon the
removal of one of the wires or cores.
In securing a pneumatic tyre to a wheel rim which is already furnished with a
metal or other tyre or which is of such a section that the middle portion thereof is
further from the axle of the wheel than the edges or sides, we generally pursue the
following method, we use a tubular inelastic envelope or jacket which may or may
not be provided with the channels or pockets hereinbefore mentioned; the
securing wires, cores or annular rollers are inserted loose inside the envelope or in
the channels or pockets in the same and then by brazing or otherwise, made into
complete rings or hoops; the air tube is then placed inside the envelope and its
ends joined or permanently capped and the envelope is united at its ends so as to
complete the tyre. The tyre is now put upon the wheel and the air tube inflated in
the usual way care being taken that the wires or cores find proper bearing position.
As the inflation proceeds the wire rings or cores gradually approach nearer to
each other and to the centre of the rim that portion of the envelope which lies
between the wires or cores and next to the rim being tightly stretched across and
pressed firmly against the rim when the tyre is pumped hard. The securing wires
or cores must be arranged to bed in the grooves provided for them or against the
sloping portion or the side of the rim or felloe, and in the case of metal tyred wheels
such as are commonly used in cabs and the like we may arrange suitable guides at
intervals on the flat portions of the felloe or a raised rib so as to keep the securing or
binding cores concentric with the wheel, it being understood that the securing wires
or cores are placed in tension and hold the tyre on simply by reason of the pulling
of the inelastic envelope or jacket when the air tube is inflated. When a compound
securing core or annular roller as we call it is used the action of the envelope in
pushing the said securing cores towards the centre of the rim is much more uniform
the tubular portion of the roller rolling round the inner wire or core reducing the
friction considerably.
The air tube of our improved pneumatic tyre is made of any suitable material

page_text: or materials in any convenient manner and in all cases the securing wires or cores
or any other metallic parts may be covered or protected with canvas, rubber or
other suitable material."
Our method of securing pneumatic tyres to wheels which are provided with rims
capable of being ridden or used without an elastic tyre is very advantageous as in
the case of puncture the pneumatic tyre is very easily taken off and if beyond
repair at the time, put aside, and the vehicle ridden or driven home.
Dated this 21st day of June 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic or Air Inflated Tyres.
We, CHARLES KINGSTON WELCH, of Fairmead Philip Lane, Tottenham, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, and HARVEY DU CROS, Chairman of The
Pneumatic Tyre and Booths Cycle Agency Limited of Oriel House, Westland
Row, Dublin in the County of Wicklow, Ireland, do bereby 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 :-
Our invention relates to pneumatic or air inflated tyres and comprises the
improvements hereinafter described.
An important part of our invention relates to methods of and means for
attaching tyres to wheels rims or felloes. We provide means whereby a pneumatic
or air inflated tyre or envelope can be very easily and efficiently secured to and
also removed from a wheel rim or felloe. We provide rings or cores for binding
and securing tyres or envelopes to rims and especially for binding and securing
pneumatic tyres to wheels which are already furnished with metal tyred or other
rims, such as the wheels of traps, carriages and the like.
Another important feature of our said invention relates to the non-clastic envelope
or jacket which is usually placed around the air containing tube or pneumatic tyres.
We weave the same with separate channels or pockets at the edges or at the sides
in the case of the tubular woven envelopes, through which the wires or cores
which are used to secure the tyre to the rim may be drawn or threaded or otherwise
enclosed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 to 6 are transverse sections showing different methods of securing the
covers of pneumatic tyres to rims of vehicles according to our invention.
Figures 7 to 11 are transverse sections of wheel rims which are suited for the
purpose of our invention.
Figures 12 and 13 are transverse sections shewing a tyre secured to the rim of a
wheel by means of three binding wirês or cores.
Figure 12 is a section of the canvas envelope removed from the wheel rim and
Figure 12 is a detail view showing how the binding wires or cores are secured
in the edge of the canvas envelope.
Figures 14 to 17 are views showing various forms of binding wires or cores which
we employ in attaching said envelopes to rims.
Figures 18 and 19 are views shewing our improved form of non-clastic jacket
or envelope which is placed round the air tube of a pneumatic tyre.
Figure 20 is a transverse section, shewing a tyre applied to an ordinary cab
wheel, and,
Figures 21 to 26 are detail views shewing various methods of joining the binding
wires or cores.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts in all the drawings.
A is the rim or felloe of the wheel to which the tyre is fitted; B is the non-

page_text: elastic or inextensible jacket or envelope surrounding the air tube C; and D, D are
the binding wires or cores which secure the tyre to the rim.
In Figure I the rim or felloe of a heavy wheel such as a cab wheel is shewn
fitted with a metal or other tyre A', A2 A2, are chamfers forming seatings for the
cores D by which the pneumatic tyre is secured in place. The cores D are in this
instance rings of crescent section of a circumference a little smaller than the
greatest circumference of the wheel rim. The said cores are placed loose inside
the tubular jacket B and are tightened on to their seats when the air tube is
inflated in a manner easily understood. The tubular jacket B is sometimes formed
with pockets B' for the reception of the binding cores as will be hereinafter more
fully explained.
In Figure 2 a pneumatic tyre is shewn fitted to a heavy wheel furnished with a
metal or other tyre A¹ which has only a shallow channel to its outer periphery.
The cores are placed loose inside the air tube C and bed against the sides of the
felloe or rim.
In Figures 3 and 4 the rim or felloe A is furnished with projections A³ which
may either be placed at intervals round the rim or may take the form of complete
rings forming seatings A² for the binding wires or cores. The tyre is thereby
prevented from slipping round so as to become eccentric to the rim of the wheel.
The said cores are shewn in Figure 3 as being in two parts, one portion D' com-
pletely surrounding and enclosing the other part D which may be a solid cylindrical
core such as a wire for instance. When the tyre is being inflated and the part B
of the jacket is being tightened across the rim the outer part D₁ of the binding
core rolls round the inner part D thereby obviating the friction which would
otherwise occur between the jacket B and the binding core. Such a binding core
as that described we prefer to call an "annular roller." In Figure 4 the binding
cores are shewn of a crescent section.
Figure shews a device which we sometimes use instead of forming or securing
projections on the sides of the rim as shewn in Figures 3 and 4. A' are metal
clips of suitable width which are placed at intervals round the rim. The ends A³, A
of the said clips form seatings for the binding cores in the same manner as the
projections Ashewn in Figure 3.
In Figure 6 the rim or felloe A is fitted with a convex metal or other tyre A¹.
The binding cores in this case take the form of conical hoops of rectangular section
which when the tyre is inflated tend to ride up to the highest portion of the
periphery and then hold the tyre on very firmly.
In all these cases the binding cores may be made of round or flat rod or wire
which may or may not be covered with a layer of india-rubber, gutta-percha, or the
like or varnished, or plated or otherwise made smooth and protected on the outside.
Annular rollers made in the fashion hereinabove described may also be used. The
said cores are either loose inside the tubular envelope or they may be placed loosely
in pockets formed in the sides of the woven jacket hereinafter described.
In Figures 7 to 11 we have shewn various forms of light hollow rims suitable for
velocipede wheels on which tyres can be fitted as hereinabove described.
For instance Figure 7 shows a rim on which a pneumatic tyre may be fitted as
shewn in Figure 1. Figures 8 and 9 in like manner shew rims on which the tyre
may be secured as hereinabove described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 10 is
a rim with a convex or doubly conical periphery the binding cores to be used with
this form of rim being conical hoops as above described with reference to Figure 6.
In Figure 11 a light wheel rim is shewn which is already fitted with a flat
india-rubber or other tyre E the outer circumference of which is larger than the
outer circumference of the rim A thus forming seatings A2, A3, for the binding
cores which secure the pneumatic tyre in place as described with reference to
Figure 1.
In Figures 12 to 13 is shewn a method of securing a pneumatic tyre to a wheel
rim by means of three binding wires or cores. The woven jacket in this case is
not tubular but consists of an arched band having binding cores D³, D³, firmly

page_text: secured to each edge thereof, the third core D' which is preferably an annular
roller as shown in Figure 13 is placed loose inside the jacket or air tube. The
envelope is preferably made with three thicknesses of canvas B3 B+ B as shewn
more clearly in Figures 12 and 12". In order to avoid making a thick joint at
the parts where the cores D, D³ are enclosed, the folded edges of the three layers
of canvas are successively reduced in width and made narrower, thus the layer B³
does not lap round the cores and the lap of the layer B is narrower than the lap
of the layer B as shewn in Figure 12. The envelope is so placed round the air
tube with reference to the wheel rim that it forms two thicknesses on the periphery
thereof as shewn at B2, B2, Figure 124, the air tube is thereby thoroughly protected
from injury by the tyre A of the wheel. The cores which we use for securing
tyres on to wheels are of any suitable description, and in all cases are made into
complete rings by brazing or otherwise, before being put on the wheel. Besides
the annular roller hereinbefore described we use cores made as shewn in
Figures 14 to 17 in which Figures 14 and 16 are side views and Figures 15 and 17
sectional views respectively of cores formed by winding a spiral either of cylindrical
wire as shewn in Figures 14 and 15 or flat strip as shewn in Figures 16 and 17.
The ends of the wire or strip are joined together by welding, brazing soldering or
in any other suitable manner and the whole of the core may be soldered together
and covered with any suitable material such as rubber, canvas or the like, we
preferably cover the said cores with gutta-percha.
The canvas jacket or envelope which we place round the air tube of a pneumatic
tyre is very often a woven tube and we make the same with pockets B' at the sides
as shewn in Figure 18. These pockets serve to contain the binding wires or cores
which secure the tyre in place on the wheel. When an arched envelope is used we
make similar pockets B₁ at the edges of the canvas strip as shewn in Figure 19.
These pockets are not formed by securing separate strips of canvas to the tube or
by folding in the edges of the strip as heretofore, but are woven at the same time
as the tube or canvas strip. When we use a tubular woven envelope as in
Figure 18 we very often make transverse or longitudinal slots in the under or that
part nearest the hub of the wheel so that the air tube can be easily withdrawn
through the said slots when it is deflated.
We prefer to weave the cover or tubular envelope in a curved form so as to
approximately fit the circumference of the wheel even before it is applied thereto.
We do this by arranging that the warp threads shall be longer in one part of the
cover than in another.
The
In the case of an arched cover the warp threads are longest in the central portion
of the cover and gradually diminish in length up to the edges of the same.
cover then assumes a circular form longitudinally and will readily assume the
desired arched form laterally which enables it to be very easily and smoothly
applied to the wheel.
The said covers may be woven with or without pockets at the sides or edges
thereof to receive the cores.
We sometimes weave the said envelope or jacket round the endless binding wires
or cores, and we make the said jacket of any suitable material such as linen, silk or
other textile fabric.
In Figure 20 a pneumatic tyre made with an arched jacket is shewn, fitted to a
wooden felloe, the said felloe is provided with an iron rim A¹ having a deep central
channel and side channels A',. A in which the binding wires or cores D are seated.
The cores in this figure are of the kind hereinabove described with reference to
Figures 14 and 15.
In Figures 21 to 26 we have shown various methods of joining the wires or
binding cores so as to make them into rings or annuli. This is done before the
woven jacket or air tube is made into a complete endless tube. In Figure 21 a
method of joining the ends of the wire which forms the spiral core shewn in
Figures 14 and 15 is illustrated. D is a sleeve which is slipped over the lapped
ends of the wire, the said ends are then turned up as shewn at D', D'; the whole

page_text: joint may be then made solid with soft solder if desired. The construction of the
other joints is clearly shown in the drawings, the wires being brazed or soldered or
otherwise united where necessary.
All the tyres herein described are put on and off the rims when the air tube is
deflated by pulling the cores on one side of the wheel eccentric to the rim in a
manner well known in the trade. The tubes and valves through which the tyre is
inflated and deflated are of the ordinary pattern.
This method of securing a pneumatic tyre to rims of wheels which may be used
without an elastic tyre such as those shewn in the accompanying drawings is very
advantageous as in the case of puncture the pneumatic tyre is very easily taken off,
and, if beyond repair at the time, put aside and the vehicle ridden or driven home.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
1. Securing a pneumatic tyre to the rim or felloe of a wheel by means of
inextensible rings or cores of smaller circumference than the largest circumference
of the said rim or felloe placed loosely within the jacket or within the air tube of
the tyre and capable of lateral movement therein, for the purpose specified.
2. The modification of our invention wherein we place the inextensible binding
rings or cores loosely inside pockets formed at the sides of the jacket of the tyre,
substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
3. Securing a pneumatic tyre to the rim or felloe of a wheel by means of a jacket
of textile fabric and three inextensible cores of smaller circumference than the
largest circumference of the said rim or felloe, two of.said cores being secured to, or
contained in pockets formed in the edges of the jacket, and the third being placed
loosely within the jacket when the same is folded to form a tube, substantially as
described.
4. An inextensible ring or core constructed in two separate parts, one of which
parts is tubular and surrounds and encloses the other of the said parts and is
adapted to roll round the same, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
5. An inextensible ring or core made of one piece of wire or strip wound in a
spiral and having only one joint, with or without a covering, substantially as, and
for the purpose, specified.
6. A tubular jacket for containing the air tube of a pneumatic tyre having
pockets formed at the sides thereof and woven integrally therewith, substantially
as, and for the purpose, specified.
7. An arched jacket, for use in a pneumatic tyre, having pockets formed at its
edges and woven integrally therewith, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
8. An inexpansible arched or tubular jacket of textile fabric woven in such a
manner as to have the warp or longitudinal threads of the same longer at one part
than another and with or without pockets at the edges or sides thereof, substantially
as described.
9. The method of maintaining the inextensible cores concentric with the wheel
rim or felloe by means of clips placed at intervals round the said rim or felloe,
substantially as described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
10. The methods of securing a pneumatic tyre to the rim or felloe of a
wheel wherein two cores are used substantially as described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 of the accompanying drawings.
11. The method of securing a pneumatic tyre to the rim or felloe of a
wheel wherein three cores are used substantially as described with reference to
Figures 12 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1892
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.