Improvements in Tires and Valves for Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tires and Valves for Bicycles and other
Vehicles.
I, HERBERT SUMNER OWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at
Number 1328 Riggs Street, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia,
Manufacturer of Bicycles, 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 is designed to afford a flexible or elastic tire possessing the
advantages of the ordinary pneumatic tire, obviating some of its disadvantages,
and supplying additional features of merit which contribute to prolong its life and
to enhance its general utility with respect both to the comfort of the rider and the
attainable speed.
To this end, the characteristic feature of my invention consists in combining or
associating for the tire portion of the wheel a plurality (two or more) of chambers
or compartments, one of which shall contain a liquid and which shall preferably
constitute the tread portion of the tire.
A tire of this general construction embodies a structure made up of separate
chambers or compartments one containing a non-compressible fluid, and another
adjacent thereto containing a compressible and elastic fluid such as atmospheric air
under pressure or some equivalent aeriform body.
In an ordinary pneumatic tire, containing air under pressure, the advance of the
wheel causes a continuous series of local compressions of the air at the point of
contact with the ground, the propagation of these compressions throughout the
tire occupying a sensible time, and occasioning a jumping or jolting motion more
or less aggravated according to the character of the road-bed and the speed of
travel. Moreover, where the conditions are such that these local compressions are
excessive, an extraordinary strain is put upon the walls of the tire at the
advancing point of contact, exposing them to danger of rupture that cannot be
guarded against.
These disadvantages and dangers are due to the local action of the compressing
force upon the tire and it is the object of my invention to obviate them as far as
possible by providing for the instantaneous transmission of the force, as it arises,
to the entire outer periphery of the pneumatic chamber, so that it may be exerted
thereon at all points with substantial equality. This function is secured by the
action of the chamber containing the non-compressible fluid (preferably water)
which chamber immediately propagates throughout its entire length, with uniformity,
the force of impact at the point of contact with the ground, and therefore exerts
a correspondingly uniform pressure at all times upon the periphery of its adjacent
chamber containing the elastic, aeriform fluid.
It results that the wheel in its travel hugs the ground more closely than the
ordinary pneumatic tire and travels without its excessive jolting, jumping and
jarring, and yet with a free elastic movement due to the presence of the pneumatic
compartment and conducive to high speed and comfort. An additional advantage
in the composite structure is that many a small puncture that would be fatal to the
operativeness of a pneumatic tire is without effect when made in the walls of the
liquid-containing compartment and will not occasion the collapse of the latter.
This tends to prolong the life of the tire, and the substantially equal and uniform
pressure exerted by the water upon all sides of the air-containing chamber insures
the latter against bursting, while permitting it to be made of such thin, pliable,
and elastic material as will permit the contained body of air when compressed by
the surrounding water, to increase in elasticity.

page_text: .
In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a number of exemplifications of
my invention so as to illustrate quite fully its generic character. I have also
shown my preferred form of valves for inflating and deflating the compartments
or tubes.
Referring to the drawing,
Figure represents, in cross-section, a wheel felly containing one form or
modification of my invention, another arrangement being indicated in dotted lines;
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, represent cross-sectional views of
further modifications;
Figure 13 represents in vertical section a suitable arrangement of inflating and
deflating valves;
Figure 14 represents a like view of a modification thereof, and Figure 15
represents partly in section and partly in elevation a complete tire constructed in
accordance with one of the modifications.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.
The tires may be provided with the customary enclosing elastic jacket a as
indicated for instance in Figs. 1, 3, 5, 9, and 12; or, if made in two or more parts,
each part may have a separate jacket, as a¹ az in Fig. 7. Any suitable means,
familiar to the art, may be employed for securing the tire within the wheel felly,
as will be readily understood.
In the form of the invention shown in full lines in Fig. 1, b indicates an inner
elastic tube or compartment containing an aeriform fluid such as atmospheric air
under pressure, and c indicates an outer tube (preferably of rubber with a canvas
backing) containing a non-compressible liquid such as water. Brine or other
non-freezing liquid, may be employed with advantage in cold weather.
The outer tube may be supplied with its liquid filling by means of a valved
nipple as shown in Fig. 15, and the inner tube may be inflated through the
separate valved nipple e, as shown in said figure. But I prefer to employ but a
single nipple for whatever number of tubes may be employed, as shown in Fig. 13
or Fig. 14, the valved filling tubes being arranged one within the other. Thus in
Fig. 13, an inner tube b is shown as provided with the valve b¹ normally seated by
the spring b², and having a stem 63 extending into the hollow valve c', whose end
is closed by a screw cap c². The valve c¹ is in its turn held to its seat by a spring c³,
the nipple being closed by the screw cap c³.
لادیم
By unscrewing the caps e and c² the inner tube may be filled. The screw cap
may then be replaced and the outer tube may be filled, the screw cap c³ being
subsequently replaced to close the nipple.
In Fig. 14, a similar valve normally seated by the spring d² controls the
passage to the inner tube and permits the filling of the inner tube through an
opening closed by the screw cap d³. The outer tube may be filled through the
nipple having a valve e', held to its seat normally by a spring e and having a
closing cap e³.
It is evident that, in like manner, a greater number of valved tubes or nozzles
connecting each with a corresponding tube or compartment may be included one
within the other.
In dotted lines in Fig. 1, is indicated a modified arrangement for the inner tube,
consisting in having the inner tube rest directly upon the inner surface of the
outer tube. Ordinarily, in order to support the inner tube concentrically within
the outer tube, the two are spaced apart by projections extending from the one to
the other. Different forms of these spacing projections are shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4,
and 10. Thus in Fig. 2 is illustrated a spiral web, either separate from both
tubes, or integral with either, or with both. In Fig. 3, the spacing is effected by
stud-like projections g or by a single rib ; in Fig. 4 the spacing is effected by
perforated longitudinal ribs k, and in Fig. 10 by longitudinal perforated ribs l. In
all of these cases, the ribs or projections permit communication between all parts
of the annular space between the tubes or compartments so that the fluid in any
one part of said space may not be isolated from the remainder.

page_text: In Figs. 3 and 4 it will be noted that there is a plurality of tubes within the
outer tube c. Thus in Fig. 3 I have shown within the pneumatic tube or chamber b,
an inner liquid-containing tube or chamber m, and in Fig. 4 I have shown within
the liquid-containing tube or chamber b, an inner pneumatic tube or chamber n;
in this instance the outer tube c is used as a pneumatic tube or chamber, i.e. a
chamber containing an acriform fluid, preferably air under pressure.
The tubes or chambers instead of being arranged one within the other may be
arranged one upon the other, as indicated in Fig. 7, wherein a³ represents the liquid-
containing chamber and at the pneumatic chamber, located the one above the other
within the wheel felly. Or the tubes or chambers may constitute adjacent
compartments formed by partition walls within the tube as indicated in
Figs. 5, 6, 8 and 9, and containing respectively liquid and compressed air. In
Fig. 6 the two lower compartments are illustrated as put into communication with
each other by perforations in the separating partition, and in Fig. 9 the uppermost
and lowermost compartments containing compressed air or liquid, as the case may
be, and separated by the middle compartment which correspondingly contains either
liquid or compressed air, may be connected by means of tubes as indicated in dotted
lines. A similar connection may be established between the innermost and
outermost tubular chambers of Figs. 3 and 4, as indicated by dotted lines in those
figures.
In Fig. 11, the inner tube is made up of a single tube c capped at its ends and
coiled in three coils as shown; and in Fig. 12, there are two separate inner
tubes c², ca.
The walls of the pneumatic chambers, compartments, or tubes, adjacent to the
liquid should preferably be of rubber, sufficiently soft and elastic to permit of the
further compression of the contained body of air, when the compressive force of
the water is exerted upon them.
While I prefer to fill the particular compartment or chamber constituting the
tread of the tire with liquid, as fully illustrated in the drawing, yet, as also
illustrated therein, I do not confine my invention to that arrangement, but in some
(cases contemplate the employment of air under pressure for the tread compartment
or chamber of the tire. In both cases I will obtain advantages of the same kind,
although in the former I believe they will be greater in degree.
It will be understood that where in the claims I use the word "fluid" without a
qualifying adjective I intend it to have its generic meaning of a liquid or an
aeriform body.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A wheel tire with a plurality of chambers or compartments one of said
chambers or compartments containing a liquid, and another containing an aeriform
fluid; substantially as described.
2. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of chambers or compartments adjacent
to each other, one of said chambers or compartments containing a liquid and the
other containing an aeriform fluid, substantially as described.
3. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of chambers or compartments adjacent
to each other, one of said chambers or compartments containing a liquid and
another containing an aeriform fluid, and an enclosing jacket; substantially as
described.
4. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of independent chambers or compart-
ments, one containing a liquid and another containing an aeriform fluid; substantially
as described.
5. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of independent chambers or compart-
ments one having an enclosing jacket and containing a liquid and another having a
separate enclosing jacket and containing an aeriform fluid; substantially as
described.

page_text: 6. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of chambers or compartments, nested
within each other, one containing a liquid and another containing an aeriform fluid;
substantially as described.
7. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of chambers or compartments nested
within each other, an outer one containing a liquid and an inner one containing an
aeriform fluid; substantially as described.
8. A wheel tire provided at its tread portion with a compartment containing a
liquid and having an additional compartment containing an aeriform fluid;
substantially as described.
9. A wheel tire provided with a chamber or compartment containing a liquid and
a plurality of chambers containing an aeriform fluid, the latter chambers communi-
cating with each other; substantially as described.
10. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of chambers or compartments, an
outer one containing a liquid and an inner one containing an aeriform fluid;
substantially as described.
11. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of tubular chambers or compartments
one within the other, one containing a liquid and another containing an aeriform
fluid substantially as described.
12. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of concentric tubular chambers or
compartments one within the other, one containing a liquid and another containing
an aeriform fluid; substantially as described.
13. A wheel tire provided with an outer compartment containing a fluid and a
plurality of inner compartments one containing a liquid and another containing an
aeriform fluid; substantially as described.
14. A wheel tire provided with an outer compartment containing a liquid, an
inner compartment containing a liquid and an intermediate compartment containing
an aeriform fluid; substantially as described.
15. A wheel tire provided at its tread portion with a compartment containing a
liquid and having a plurality of inner compartments containing a fluid; sub-
stantially as described.
16. A wheel tire provided at its tread portion with a compartment containing a
liquid, and having a plurality of inner compartments one containing a liquid and
another containing an aeriform fluid; substantially as described.
17. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid-containing chambers or
compartments located one within the other, and separated from each other by
spacing or supporting means extending from the one to the other; substantially as
described.
18. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid containing chambers or
compartments located one within the other, and separated from each other by
spacing or supporting means, all parts of the annular space thus provided between
the compartments communicating with each other; substantially as described.
19. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid-containing chambers or
compartments located one within the other and separated from each other by rib
spacing substantially as described.
20. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid-containing chambers or
compartments located one within the other and separated from each other by rib
spacing integral with one of the chambers; substantially as described.
21. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid-containing chambers or
compartments located one within the other and separated by a spiral rib;
substantially as described.
22. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid-containing chambers or
compartments located one within the other and separated by a spiral rib integral
with one of the chambers; substantially as described.
23. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid-containing chambers one within
the other and a plurality of valved charging or filling tubes one within the other,
each of said tubes being provided with a separate end cap; substantially as
described.

page_text: 24. A wheel tire provided with a plurality of fluid-containing chambers one
within the other and a plurality of valved charging or filling tubes, one within the
other, the valve of the outer tube being hollow so as to provide a passage way
through said valve to the inner chamber; substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.