Improvements in and in relation to Pneumatic Tyres for Bicycles and other Vehioles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in relation to Pneumatic Tyres for Bicycles
and other Vehioles.
I, PERCY ALBERT CRAVEN, of 9 King's Road, Wimbledon, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of rubber, or elastic, tyres, for
cycles and the like, and is based upon my application for a Patent dated
22nd January 1894, No. 1353, and consists of certain modifications thereof, and
improvements thereon, as follows-In my Patent Application No. 1353 A.D. 1894
I describe a method, or methods, of constructing pneumatic tyres, in which I
employ elastic webbing, or other special material as a lining for the jacket, or
outer cover, of said tyres, and provision is therein made for the lining of that
portion only of the jacket which comes in contact with the ground with the elastic
webbing, or other similar, or suitable material, and it is this part of the invention
that I now more particularly desire to deal with. I find in practice that the most
simple means of carrying this method of construction into effect, is by lining the
sides of the elastic webbing, or other suitable material, either before or after it has
been secured to the rubber cover, or jacket, as a lining therefore, with a strip, or
strips of woven material, such as canvas or the like, or a material having an open
mesh, such as net, or cellular cloth, of any breadth required, in such a way that
when they are secured, preferably by means of rubber solution, to the elastic
webbing, a space, of any desired width is left between the inner edges of said strips
in which the webbing is free to stretch lengthwise in the direction of the circum-
ference of the rim of the wheel when the tyre is attached thereto. I prefer to
cut the said strips on the cross, or bias, so as to enable them to conform more
readily to the shape of the tyre, & also to give increased flexibility while at the
same time acting as a stiffening to the sides thereof as a prevention against too
much lateral spread, or displacement of the tyre. I also prefer to pink, slit, nick,
or otherwise jag the inner edges of the canvas strips, so as to detract as little as
possible from the spring and elasticity of the tyre, and as a further means to secure
this end, I may perforate the said strips, or punch small holes therein, and these
holes may be either in a row placed near to the outside edge of the strips, that is
to say the edge furthest from the centre of the cover, in combination with the
pinked edges, or in any desired position, and in any desired numbers.
I may find it convenient to place narrow strips of canvas, or other suitable
material, from one strip of the canvas employed as a lining for the side of the
webbing, as before dealt with, to the other, across the centre of the cover, having
a space between each, and when I employ this method of construction I prefer to
place the said narrow strips at an angle, other than a right angle, to the circum-
ference of the wheel, or I may employ a number of such narrow strips, crossing each
other at contrary angles, and these strips may also he perforated.
As an alternative method I may line the entire webbing with canvas, or similar
material, so as not to have a free space down the centre thereof, and said canvas
may be cut on the bias and perforated with any number of holes, apertures, or
interstices, of any shape, and in any desired position, or a material having an open
mesh, such as net, or cellular cloth, may be used.
I find that it is possible to manufacture a woven material capable of stretching
in one direction only, and I desire to provide for the use of this, or of any other

page_text: similar material, in the manufacture of tyre covers under the principle embodied
in my invention for which a Patent has been applied, No. 1353 A.D. 1894-this
woven material may be placed upon one, or between two sheets of rubber, and the
whole may then be vulcanised, or partly vulcanised, and the material thus
formed used as a lining for, or incorporated with, the jackets, or outer covers of
pneumatic tyres.
Improvements in and in relation to Pneumatic Tyres for Bicycles
and other Vehicles.
I, PERCY ALBERT CRAVEN of 9 King's Road, Wimbledon, in the County of
Surrey Gentleman 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of elastic tyres, or
the outer covers or wearing surfaces of elastic tyres, as used upon the wheels of
bicycles, tricycles and other vehicles, and consists of certain improvements upon
and modification of the methods and means of lining or partly lining such outer
covers, described and shewn in the Specification and drawings of my previous Patent
No. 1353 of A.D. 1894, and has for its object to provide means whereby the
extent of the circumferential elasticity of the tyre, when upon the ground, may be
limited in the direction of the travel of the machine.
In my said Patent No. 1353 of 1894 I describe and show a method or methods
of constructing pneumatic tyres in which I employ elastic webbing or and other
special material incorporated with, or used as a lining for, the jackets or outer
covers of such tyres, and provision is therein made, that the said webbing or other
elastic material is placed at, or about, the centre of the width of such covers or
jackets, or such part thereof as comes in contact with the ground or forms the
actual tread of the wheel. Now I find in practice that under certain conditious it
may be advantageous to so line only the sides of such covers or jackets, with such
webbing or other elastic material as that described and shewn in my said previous
Patent, while the remainder of the cover may have canvas or other similar an!
non-elastic fabric, cut straight or upon the bias, solutioned or otherwise connecte:
thereto as a lining therefor, and the said canvas or other fabric may be of such a
width as to occupy the whole of the width of the cover, between the said elastic
portions lining its edges, or the said non-elastic fabric may consist of narrow strips
placed parallel with each other, and at any desired distance apart, the object of the
said canvas, or strips of canvas or other non-elastic fabric being to limit the
elasticity of the cover at its centre or tread of the wheel, and I find that sufficient
circumferential elasticity is provided by the use of the elastic portions, before
mentioned, at the sides of the cover.
Or as an alternative arrangement the said elastic material, instead of lining the
edges only, may line the whole of the width of the cover, and down the centre of
the said elastic material, the said canvas strips may be solutioned or otherwise
fixed to attain the same ends, not necessarily of equal width, nor placed at an
equal distance apart, but distributed over the width of the cover in any manner
desired.
Or as a further modification, and in lieu of, or in combination with, the said strip
or strips of canvas or other fabric, and with the said elastic material lining the
edges only, or the entire width of the cover or jacket, I may employ any number

page_text: of short lengths of narrow silk, cotton, or other tape or threads, each made
into the form of a letter V, and these I may solution or otherwise fasten to the
inside of the said cover, or to the said strip or strips of cauvas or other non-
elastic fabric when such is or are provided, preferably, in such a manner, that
the points of the said ✓ pieces occur at the centre of the width of the cover, or in
other words, at the tread of the wheel and point in the direction of the forward
travel of the machine, when these are nearest to the ground, while the legs or ends
of the said V pieces would extend to, or nearly to the edges of the cover, and be
firmly fixed thereto. The said V shaped pieces may be arranged close to each
other or at any suitable distance apart, one behind the other, and instead of using
said tape I may stamp or otherwise cut these out of sheet canvas, or other suitable
material, preferably, severed at their points, and when the whole of these are in
position within the cover in the manner stated such severances may or may not be
joined by a continuous strip of tape, canvas or other fabric solutioned or otherwise
connected to them all. By the use of such V shaped pieces, or the jointed strips.
forming such V shaped pieces, placed in the order stated within the cover, the
drag or pull upon the tread of the tyre as it meets the ground, would occur in a
direction from the points of the V pieces, so that the force of such drag or pull
would be distributed from the said points down each leg or tail of the V to the
edge of the cover.
In order that my invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect may
be fully understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an outer cover or envelope of such a
tyre in which the elastic webbing or any other of the elastic materials described
and shewn in my previous Patent No. 1353" are employed at the sides of such
cover or envelope only.
Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the inner surface of such a cover or envelope, the
former illustrating the use of a strip of elastic webbing or other elastic material at
each side thereof, the central space between them being filled or occupied by a
strip of canvas or other non-elastic fabric, while the latter view illustrates the
employment of the said elastic material occupying the centre and sides of the
cover in combination with two or more strips of canvas or other non-elastic-
material placed longitudinally down the centre of same.
Fig. 4 is an external view or side elevation of a portion of such a cover when in
use, while Fig. 5 is an inside view of a portion of same, illustrating the use of.
V shaped pieces of tape, canvas or other non-elastic fabric.
Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, A. is the outer cover or
envelope of such a tyre, upon the sides of the inner surfaces of which is solutioned
or otherwise fixed strips B and B of elastic webbing or other elastic material, aud
between these are two or more strips C of canvas or other non-elastic fabric, cut.
straight or upon the bias and solutioned or otherwise fixed upon A.
In Fig. 2 the strips B occupy a similar position to that shewn in Fig. 1, but in
this method, in lieu of the strips C, the whole of the space between the strips B is
occupied by a single strip or sheet C¹ of canvas or other non elastic material, cut.
straight or upon the bias, and solutioned or otherwise fixed upon A, but I may
find it convenient in addition to the strips or sheet C, to employ two or more.
strips C, as shewn by dotted outline in the same figure, not necessarily of equal
width, nor at any equal distance apart, but distributed over the width of the cover
in any manner most convenient, and which may be solutioned or otherwise fixed
directly upon C', or between this and A as desired.
In Fig. 31 illustrate how one sheet or strip of the elastic webbing or other
elastic material B may occupy the entire width of the cover that would be exposed
above the rim of the wheel, while down the centre of this is solutioned or otherwise
fixed two or more strips of non-elastic material C, either upon the inner side of B
or between this and A.
In Figs. 4 and 5 I illustrate a further modification in which I employ (in lieu or
in addition to the canvas or the like C or C) the elastic webbing or other elastic

page_text: material B lining the sides only of the cover A, as at Figs. 1 or 2, but I may
employ the material B in the same manner as at Fig. 3. In this arrangement,
I solution or otherwise fix upon the inner surface of A or upon the fabric C, C¹
or B, in whatever combination these may be used, any number of short lengths or
strips of silk, cotton or other tapes or threads D, each made in the form of a
letter V, placed one behind the other, at any distance apart all round the cover; in
such a manuer, that the points of these occur at the tread or centre of the width of
the cover A, and all pointing in the direction of the forward travel of the machine
(shewn by the arrow in Fig. 4) when these are nearest to the ground (representeil
by the line E) while the legs or ends of the said V pieces D, would extend to or
nearly to the edge of A, and by means of these the drag or pull that is given to
the tyre, as this becomes more or less flattened upon the ground, would be first.
given upon the points of the V pieces, and from these distributed down both legs
of same to the edges of the cover, thus preventing undue stretch circumferentially
of the tyre, and undue lateral expansion when the tyre is flattened upon the ground
as stated and shewn at F Fig. 4. I may instead of using silk, cotton or other tape,
stamp or otherwise cut these V pieces out of sheet canvas, or other non-elastic
fabric, straight or upon the bias, and I may in lieu of having the said V pieces
entire, sever these at their points as shewn in Fig. 5, which may or may not be
covered by a length or strip of canvas or the like G solutioned to them all as
shewn by dotted outline in the same figure.
Although in the accompanying drawings I have shewn elastic webbing as the
elastic material employed, I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to this
but may employ either of the elastic materials described and shewn in my said
previous Patent No. 1353.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st. In the manufacture of outer covers or envelopes A for pneumatic tyres, the
employment of elastic webbing or other elastic material B (such as that described
and shewn in my previous Patent No..1353 of 1894) as a lining for the outer edges
of same, the intervening space or centre of said cover being lined with a strip C
or strips C of canvas or other non-elastic fabric substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and shewn by Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. In the manufacture of the outer covers or envelopes A of pneumatic tyres,
the employment of elastic material B (as set forth in the preceding claim) as a lining
for the entire width of same, the centre thereof being further lined with a strip or
strips of canvas or other non-elastic fabric C, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and shewn by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In the manufacture of the outer covers or envelopes of pneumatic tyres,
the employment of V shaped pieces of silk, cotton or other tape or threads or
canvas or other non-elastic fabric D, each entire or severed at their points, with or
without the piece G, and used in the order stated in combination with the elastic
material B, mentioned in the preceding, claims, or in combination with such elastic
material and a strip or strips of canvas or other non-elastic fabric C or C as a
lining or part lining for such covers or envelopes, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and shewn by Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 15th day of Merel 1904
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.