Improvements in Elastic Tyres for Vehicle Wheels and Method of Fixing them to Rims or Felloes thereof.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Elastic Tyres for Vehicle Wheels and Method of
Fixing them to Rims or Felloes thereof.
I, LAVINIA LENTON, of Rockland Works, Eagle Street, Coventry, Warwickshire,
Trimmings Manufacturer, 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:-
1
My invention relates to elastic tyres for vehicle wheels and method
of fixing them to rims or felloes thereof, and consists principally in
improvements on the invention described in the Specification of my prior Patent
No. 16675 A.D. 1896.
According to my said prior invention the tyre was constructed of a wire fabric
woven flat like a ribbon with a number of hard warp wires arranged close
together in the centre to form the tread of the tyre, and four other warp wires,
one at each edge and one at each side. The weft wires were of hard steel wire
and ran straight across from side to side of the fabric, as distinguished from
the diagonal position of the wefts in wire tyres woven in tubular form. The tread
warp wires were prevented from slipping when the tyre was bent round the wheel
by working in soft binding warp wires close beside them. The four other warp
wires were made comparatively thick and soft and the weft wires slipped on them
in shaping the tyre.
The accompanying drawings illustrate a tyre and' rim constructed according to
my present invention.
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan showing the woven fabric employed in tyres
constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of a portion of such a tyre in a more
advanced state of construction.
FD

page_text: SUCH
tyre.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of part of the tyre and rim, showing the joining
of the ends of the tyre.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figures 2 and 3, the tyre and rim being secured
together.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the said tyre.
The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.
In constructing a woven wire elastic tyre according to my present invention,
I still weave the fabric in a ribbon like strip, as a tyre constructed by
transversely bending a flat strip is more resilient than a tyre woven in tubular
form.
In forming the tread I now prefer to arrange two or more hard warp wires A, A
in each dent, for the purpose of joining together the two ends of the tyre as
hereinafter explained. The tread wires A, A are retained in close order by
weaving into the two dents next respectively to the two outside tread wires A, A
two or more soft warp wires B, B. These wires B, B give way to the weft
wires C, C and bind the tread wires A, A as disclosed in my previous specification.
The effective length of the tread wires A, A determines the circumference
of the tyred wheel, and the fabric is therefore made about 2% of the desired
diameter of the tyred wheel, e.g. about 7' 4" for a 28" wheel. Similarly a fabric
about 5" wide will make a tyre of about 15/8" transverse diameter when finished.
As the under part of the tyre which fits the wheel rim is of smaller
circumference than the tread it is necessary that the side and edge warp wires
1), D and the corresponding parts of the weft C should be relatively movable. To
facilitate this I weave in beside the warp wires D, D¹ (which I now construct
of hard drawn wire), removable warp wires E, E. The wires E, E are woven
into the same dents respectively as the wires D, D¹; there may be either one
such wire E in each such dent, when it is preferably of thicker gauge than the
wire D, D or there may be two or more wires E of smaller diameter in each such
dent.
The transverse configuration of the groove of the rim preferably conforms to
the transverse configuration of the under part of the tyre. Through the bed of the
rim I pierce a number of equidistant holes I, I to receive the wires H, H and
these holes are preferably so arranged that a spoke hole occurs regularly between
each pair of poles I, I. In each edge of the rim I form a series of slots or
notches F, F opposite to the holes I, I. The holes I, I and notches F, F should
be arranged accurately to ensure the tyre being true.
I draw the two edges of the fabric together with a wire J passing over and under
the two edge wires D₁, D¹ until the said two edges just touch and the fabric
assumes the form of a straight tube. I then take a number of lengths of copper
wire H about 5" long and wrap the centre portions of these round the edge
wires D, D¹. The number of wires H may be about the same as the number of
inches in the circumference of the tyre or about twice the number of spokes in an
ordinary cycle wheel; say 72 wires H for a 28" wheel having 36 spokes.
Next, I cut the warp wires E, E into pieces and draw them out of the fabric
thus leaving the hard warp wires D, D and the weft wires C, C room to move
relatively to each other. Then I thread through the woven wire tube two lengths
of soft wire G, G placing one on each side of the tube.
The tyre is now ready for attachment to the rim. I place the centre of
the tyre on the rim and tie or clip it temporarily thereto. Then I commence
shaping and fixing from this point. I thread three of the double ends of wires H
through three corresponding holes I in the rim and leave them hanging. I
them measure along the tyre the portion of the side weft wire required to be fixed
between two slots T, F say 1" and, beginning from the tread and working
downwards, I compress together the wires C, C in this portion of the weft, until

page_text: the said portion of the weft will fit into the space allotted for it. To keep the said
portion of the weft in its compressed position, I draw out, by means of a hook
or otherwise, two loops G₁ of the wire G, one before and the other behind the said
compressed portion of the weft and force these loops into two adjacent slots F, F.
I repeat the above process until I have three loops G¹ in three consecutive slots F
on each side of the rim and two compressed portions of weft. I twist up the
wire loops like a cord, leaving only small eyes G2 at the end. This pulls tight
the intervening portions of the wire G inside the tube. I take the two ends of
one wire H hanging through one of the holes I in the rim and thread them
through the respective eyes G2 in the two wire loops G¹ resting in the two
slots F, F directly above them on each side of the rim. I pull tight the two said
ends of the wire H and twist them together at the back of the rim; the
extremities of the said wire H may be passed back through the same hole I, out
of sight. A part of the tube is now fixed firmly between the straight portions
of the wires G and the rim, and is thereby drawn down to and secured to the
said rim. By this process the weft wires C are drawn closer together in the
sides and the under part of the tyre, which fits the rim than in the tread part.
In continuing to shape and fasten the tyre it is necessary to deal with. it in
small portions, otherwise I find it will get out of shape before it can be fixed.
The work should be commenced at or near the centre of the length of tube,
otherwise difficulty may be found in getting the wires D to slip through the
weft and project through the ends of the fabric. It is best for two persons to
work on the tyre at the same time one on each side.
When say about 9" of each end remains to be shaped and fixed I prepare to
make the joint. About this time the warp wires D, D' will, on account of the
compression of the weft, project further through the ends of the fabric than they
did at the completion of the weaving, and the edge wires D1, D1 will so project
more than the side wires D. I make these projecting ends say about 3 ins
long, and thread them into the corresponding dents at the respectively opposite
ends of the fabric where the warp wires E came out. I then cut and draw out
of each end of the fabric a piece say 1" long of one of each pair of hard tread
warp wires A so as to allow for the introduction into the openings thus made of
the projecting ends of the remaining wires A respectively. The two ends are
pressed well together and when the shaping and fixing to the rim are completed
the joint is not apparent.
Instead of holding the edges of the fabric together by means of the edge
wires D, D' and the wire J as above described, I prefer in the case of tyres for
heavy vehicles to make the woven wire fabric tubular in the following manner. I
take a single strong hard drawn wire and slip a few of the weft wires C of one of
the edge wires D on to the single wire, then I slip a few of the weft wires C
off the other edge wire D' on to the said single wire and so on alternately until
all the weft wires are threaded off the two edge wires D¹ on to the single wire,
and the fabric is thus made tubular. The loops of the wires C are caused to
ride up on each other to prevent the weft avoiding compression along its inner
circumference. In this case the fabric should be made about "wider to make
a tyre of the same transverse diameter. The tube thus formed is attached to
the rim preferably in the manner last above described.
When lightness is important and great strength not essential I can make a
tyre of the same effective transverse diameter from a narrower fabric as follows:
Instead of lacing the two edges of the fabric together I place them inside the
rim at a considerable distance apart and fasten the said edges to the said rim by
means of the wires G as herein before described, but instead of the wires H, I lace
the eyes G of the loops G¹, G¹ together with wire passing underneath the wheel
rim. In this modification no holes I, I are required in the rim.
By constructing tyres as herein before described a very high degree of
resiliency is attained without the employment of air and without its attendant
disadvantages

page_text: A tread or cover of rubber, gutta percha or any other suitable material may
be applied to the tyre.
I do not confine myself to the number of warp wires and other details shown
in the drawings. In some cases I prefer to employ more than two warp wires D, D
in the sides of the tyre, and the warp wires nearer the tread need not have
removable wires woven into their respective dents. For an average safety
bicycle wheel tyre I find the following guages of highest quality piano wire
suitable; tread warp wires, 19 gauge; side and edge warp wires, 19 and 14
gauge respectively; weft wires 29 gauge; but these guages are given as a guide
only.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it
understood that I do not claim anything described or claimed in my prior
Specification No. 16675 A.D. 1896 unless in combination with other features of
novelty described herein, but I déclare that what I claim is:-
1. In weaving a flat material of wire for an elastic tyre, weaving into one dent
a permanent wire and a removable wire for the purpose set forth.
2. In the manufacture of elastic tyres from a flat fabric of woven wire,
weaving therein permanent warp wires and removable warp wires in the same
dents and removing the said removable warp wires so as to allow for relative
movement between the permanent warp wires and the weft wires in shaping the
tyre.
3. In an elastic tyre of woven wire the combination of a tread portion
consisting of immovable warp and weft wires, and side portions of warp
and weft wires which are relatively moveable for the purpose of shaping the tyre.
4. Shaping a woven wire elastic tyre to a circular form by compressing the
sides and edges of the weft in regular portions and securing such portions in
their compressed condition, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
5. Shaping an elastic tyre made from a flat fabric of woven wire and securing
the same to the wheel rim by drawing the two edge warp wires together by means
of a wire J, passing wires Ġ lengthwise through the tyre, compressing the sides
and edges of the weft in regular portions and holding such portions of the
weft in their compressed condition by loops G¹ formed by drawing portions of
the wires G out through the fabric, which loops engage with notches or
slots F, F cut at regular intervals in the rim, doubling wires H over the edge
wires D¹, passing them through holes I in the rim and engaging them with the
ends of the loops G¹, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with an elastic tyre of,-a rim having notches in the
edges thereof and holes in the centre thereof, a wire in each edge of the said tyre
a series of short wires wrapping round the said edge wires, passing through the
said holes in the centre of the rim and engaging with twisted loop portions
of wires the said loop portions of which project outside the tyre and engage with
the said notches in the rim while the remaining portions of such wires lie within
the tyre, substantially as set forth.
7. Forming a woven wire fabric, for an elastic tyre, into a tubular form by
slipping the loop edges of the weft off the two separate edge wires onto a single
wire, substantially as set forth.
8. Shaping a woven wire elastic tyre and securing the same to the wheel rim
by placing the edges of the fabric inside the rim and fastening the said edges
to the said rim by means of the wires G, the loops G¹ whereof are laced together
under the said rim, substantially as set forth.
9. Joining the ends of an elastic tyre made from a fabric of woven wire by
inserting projecting portions of the warp wires of each end of the fabric into
spaces formed in the corresponding dents of the other end respectively by
withdrawing removable warp wires or portions of warp wires from such dents.

page_text: 10. A wheel rim provided with holes such as I in the bed and notches or
slots such as F, F in the edges substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 20th day of July 1898.
G. DOUGLAS LEECHMAN,
18, Hertford Street, Coventry, 75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and
9, Exchange Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.