Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres for the Wheels of Rcad Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: TROYDON
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres for the Wheels of Rcad
Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES YOUNG, of Nos. 19 and 20, Aldgate, in the City of London,
Analytical and Consulting Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described in pneumatic
tyres the object of my said improvements being to prevent escape of air or gas from
such tyres when punctured. According to my said invention I line or coat the said
tyres or such portions thereof as are liable to puncture with a composition con-
sisting essentially of glue or gelatine or other matter of like nature and glycerine
which composition possesses the property of immediately closing after being punc-
tured and thus prevents escape of air or gas from the tyre at the punctured part.
The said composition may be prepared by dissolving a quantity of glue or gela-
tine or other matter of like nature by the aid of heat in glycerine. To expedite
the solution of the glue or gelatine in the glycerine the glue or gelatine may be
broken into small fragments or be reduced to powder and to further expedite the
preparation of the solution water may be added but the addition of water is not
absolutely necessary and where it is used a considerable part of the water will
evaporate during the heating of the mixture.
It is advantageous that the ingredients of the said composition be used in such
relative proportions that the consistency of the said composition will be that of
a firm sticky jelly. I have found that the following proportions are suitable for
the production of a composition for the said use-
Gelatine or good glue such as French glue five parts by weight.
Pure glycerine of specific gravity 1.260 four parts by weight.
Water two parts by weight.
I however do not limit myself to the said proportions.
Where water is not used in the preparation of the composition the proportion
of glycerine should be increased.
Where the glycerine to be used is of less specific gravity than 1.260 the propor-
tion thereof relatively to the glue or gelatine should be increased and the pro-
portion of water decreased accordingly.
Where the composition is to be used in high temperatures as for instance in
tropical climates it is desirable that the proportion of glue or gelatine be increased.
In using the said composition for preventing collapse of single tube pneumatic
tyres I line or coat the inner side thereof or the inner side of such portion or por-
tions thereof as are liable to puncture with a layer or layers of the said composition
of suitable thickness or I cast the said composition to the shape of the surface of
the tyre to which the said composition is to be secured and I cause the composition
so cast to adhere to the tyre by means of pressure and by warming the tyre or I
warm the surface of the cast composition. Or I secure the composition as required

page_text: by any other suitable means. Or I melt the composition and apply it to the
tyre in a liquid state.
Dated the Twenty-third day of August 1897:
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres for the Wheels of Road
Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES YOUNG, of Nos. 19 and 20, Aldgate, in the City of London,
Analytical and Consulting Chemist, 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 consists in the improvements hereinafter described in pneumatic
tyres for the wheels of road vehicles the object of my said improvements being
to prevent escape of air from such tyres when punctured.
According to my said invention I line or coat the said tyres or such portions there-
of as are liable to puncture with a composition consisting essentially of glue or gela-
tine or other matter of like nature and glycerine which composition possesses the
property of immediately closing after being punctured and thus prevents escape
of air from the tyre at the punctured part.
The said composition may be prepared by dissolving a quantity of glue or gela-
tine or other matter of like nature by the aid of heat in glycerine. To expedite
the solution of the glue or gelatine in the glycerine the glue or gelatine may be
broken into small fragments or be reduced to powder and to further expedite the
preparation of the solution water may be added but the addition of water is not
absolutely necessary and where it is used a considerable part of the water will
evaporate during the heating of the mixture.
The following is a convenient method of preparing the said composition where
water is used.
The gelatine or glue is broken into fragments and placed in any convenient
vessel with the water. The vessel is then covered and left until the water has
been absorbed by the gelatine or glue. The glycerine is then added and the
vessel containing the ingredients is heated by steam or is placed in another vessel
containing water which is heated to boiling temperature. The ingredients are
then stirred from time to time until all lumps. have disappeared when the stirring
is discontinued but the heating is continued for about half an hour longer. The
surface of the mixture is then skimmed and when the mixture is seen to be clear
and free from rising air bubbles further heating is unnecessary and the preparation
of the mixture is finished.
Where the composition is to be made without use of water the glycerine is added
to the fragments of gelatine or glue in the first place instead of water. In other
respects the method of preparing the composition is the same as that where water
is used.
It is advantageous that the ingredients of the said composition be used in
such relative proportions that the consistency of the said composition will be that
of a firm sticky jelly. I have found that the following proportions are. suitable
for the production of a composition for use as hereinbefore described where, water
is to be dispensed with.
· Gelatine or good glue such as French glue five parts by weight.

page_text: Where water is to be used the following proportions are suitable.
Gelatine or good glue such as French glue five parts by weight.
Pure glycerine of specific gravity 1.260 four parts by weight.
Water two parts by weight.
Although I have stated the proportions of materials which I have found suitable
for the manufacture of a composition for the purpose herein before described I would
observe that I do not restrict myself to the said proportions, as they require vari-
ation according to the quality of the materials selected for use. Thus where the
glycerine is of less specific gravity than 1-260 the proportion thereof relatively
to the gelatine or glue should be increased and the proportion of water (where
water is used) decreased accordingly. Further in consequence of the great diver-
sity in quality of different samples of glue and gelatine sold as of one and the
same quality by different manufacturers and even by the same manufacturers at
different times it is impossible to adhere strictly in all cases to the foregoing for-
mulae or to any definite formula. Therefore when dealing with untried samples
of glue or gelatine the only practicable method of proceeding in order to decide
what proportions are necessary is to make a few test samples of composition using
the glue or gelatine in various proportions in the several samples and to arrive at
a conclusion respecting the proportions suitable by observing the consistency of
such samples with due regard to the required consistency which as hereinbefore
stated is that of a firm sticky jelly. It should also be noted that where the compo-
sition is to be used in high temperatures as for instance in tropical climates it is
desirable that the proportion of gelatine or glue be higher than where the compo-
sition is to be used in temperate climates.
I effect the lining of the said tyres with the said composition as hereinafter
described.
In the case of single tube pneumatic tyres and other tubular pneumatic tyres I
make an aperture in the tube and insert a sufficient quantity of the aforesaid com-
position and then close and seal the aperture by any of the well known means
and secure the tyre in place on the wheel rim and inflate the tyre and support the
wheel vertically in such a manner that it can be rotated and then apply heat to
the outer surface of the tyre and cause the wheel to rotate slowly in order to dis-
tribute the composition over the whole interior surface of the tube. I then increase
the speed of rotation of the wheel and thereby cause the melted composition to
accumulate by centrifugal action on the outward part of the interior of the tube
i.e. on the inner surface of the tread part of the tyre. Finally I remove the heat
and cool the tyre or allow it to cool while continuing rotation of the wheel
until the composition has solidified. By thus internally coating the tyre while it
is in place on the wheel and inflated all tension of the composition when solidified
is avoided consequently after solidification the lining within the tyre possesses the
maximum amount of elasticity inherent in the composition under ordinary con-
ditions by virtue of which elasticity escape of air is prevented when the tyre is
punctured.
ور
In the case of tyres of the kind sometimes termed "tubeless pneumatic tyres
I coat the innerside thereof with the said composition in a melted state or I cast
the composition to the shape of the inner surface of the tyre to which it is to be
applied and cause the said composition so cast to adhere to the tyre by means of
pressure and by warming the tyre or I warm the surface of the cast composition
and press it on the tyre or I secure the composition to the tyre by any other suitable
means and after applying the composition to the tyre in any of these ways I put
the tyre in place on the wheel and inflate the tyre and then rotate the wheel and
apply heat sufficient to cause the composition within the tyre to melt and increase
the speed of rotation as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and subsequently
cool the composition within the tyre or allow it to cool while continuing rota-
tion of the wheel as in the case of tubular tyres.
The tyre may be conveniently heated so as to cause the composition within it

page_text: to melt by mounting the wheel in a heated chamber or by so mounting it over a
vessel containing heated water that the lower part of the wheel will run in the water.
I have found that for a tyre of one inch and five eighths sectional diameter
and of a size suitable for a twenty eight inch wheel half a pound weight of the com-
position suffices to produce a lining of such thickness as will prevent escape of
air through punctures in the tyre. From this may be judged the quantity of
composition necessary for a tyre of any size.
I am aware that it has been proposed to manufacture a material for application
to the surfaces of various articles (pneumatic tyres among others) for causing
closure of punctures and that in such manufacture the use of gelatine or other
absorbent substance secured to an inextensible textile fabric and afterwards caused
to absorb other matter has been proposed and I wish to be understood that I make
no claim to such a manufacture which differs essentially from my invention in
that the virtue of the manufacture I refer to is due to restraint by the inextensible
fabric of the tendency to expansion which is produced in the absorbent substance
by its absorption of the other matter the effect of the said restraint being to cause
a self contained or internal pressure to be set up in the absorbent substance by
the said absorption. Whereas in my invention the protecting composition is under
no such restraint and its power of closing after puncture is due solely to its own
corpuscular elasticity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
Pneumatic tyres for the wheels of road vehicles lined or coated internally with
a composition consisting essentially of gelatine or glue or other like matter and
glycerine in such relative proportions that the consistence of the said composition
at ordinary temperatures is that of a firm sticky jelly substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
Dated the Fifteenth day of February 1898
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.