Improvements in and relating to Elastic Tyres.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Feb., 1895
Improvements in and relating to Elastic Tyres.
I, PIERRE AMBJORN, COMTE DE SPARRE, of 16 Place de la Madeleine, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in elastic tyres for bicycles, tricycles and
other vehicles and in rims for such tyres.
My invention consists in a novel construction of tyre of india-rubber or other
suitable elastic material which can be applied to the rim of a velocipede wheel or
the like without it being necessary to be attached thereto by rods, cement or the
like but which can be put in place and removed therefrom by hand when desired
and practically instantaneously, the rim of the wheel being adapted to receive and
hold the improved tyre as hereinafter more particularly described.
According to my invention I employ a solid or hollow tyre of india-rubber or
other suitable elastic material the inner surface of which that comes in contact with
the rim is advantageously lined or covered with cloth or other suitable material for
the purpose of preventing the elastic material from stretching under the pressure
of the tyre against the ground during its travel and which would be liable to cause
the tyre to leave the rim.
To ensure the adherence of the tyre to the rim, its diameter is less than that of
the rim as is ordinarily the case but, in order to allow of applying it to the rim,
I form the inner surface of the tyre with transverse grooves or projections corre-
sponding with projections or grooves with which I provide the surface of the rim
so that the projections of one engage with the grooves in the other whereby
when the tyre is stretched on the rim any circumferential displacement, that is to
say, creeping is prevented.
By this arrangement although the tyre is covered internally by a strong
fabric it can be stretched owing to the transverse grooves or projections which
flatten out when the tyre is stretched to allow of it being put in place upon
the rim.
When the surface of the rim against which the tyre is applied is flat, instead
of concave as generally employed, I advantageously provide small projections which
can be formed in one with the hereinbefore described transverse grooves or
projections or they can be formed separately; they can be of any suitable form
and may be arranged between the said grooves and projections and have for object
to prevent any lateral movement of the tyre upon the rim.
Sometimes for the same purpose when the rim consists of a flexible metal band I
widen the tyre in order that its edges may pass round the edges of the rim to form
a kind of hook.
I sometimes for the same purpose attach to the cloth lining of the tyre trans-
versely and at certain intervals strips of metal or other suitable material, the two
ends of which can be folded over the edges of the rim.
Although I have described my improved tyres as being provided with a cloth
lining it will be understood that I can for the purpose of economy dispense with the
employment of such lining.
Dated this 28th day of August 1894.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Elastic Tyres.
I, PIERRE AMBJORN, COMTE DE SPARRE, of 16, Place de la Madeleine, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Civil Engineer, 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 relates to elastic tyres for bicycles, tricycles and other vehicles
and in rims for such tyres, whereby the application of the tyres to the rims is
facilitated and the tyre is prevented from slipping longitudinally and laterally.
In the accompanying drawing;—
Figure 1 is a view of the inner side of an elastic tyre triangular in cross section
and constructed according to my invention:
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are transverse sections of the tyre respectively on the
lines 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 of Figure 1:
Figures 5 and 6 are longitudinal sections of the tyre taken respectively on the
lines 7-8 and 9-10 of Figure 1:
Figure 7 represents a plan and a cross section of a hollow wheel rim adapted to
receive and hold the tyre illustrated in Figures 1 to 6:
Figure 8 represents a plan, a cross section and a longitudinal section of a hollow
rim of slightly modified construction :
Figure 9 represents a cross section of my tyre with curved tread, adapted to a
flat rim, and a view of the inner side of such tyre.
Figure 10 represents a view of the inner side and a cross section of a flat
rim with a tyre, triangular in cross section, attached thereto in a slightly different
manner:
Figure 11 is a side elevation of part of a tubular rim with one of my improved
tyres ; and,
Figure 12 is a transverse section of the same:
Figure 13 is a side elevation of half of a complete wheel having a tubular rim
provided with one of my improved tyres:
Figure 14 shews in side elevation and transverse section a tyre round in cross
section :
Figure 15 shews similar views of a solid rim corresponding thereto :
Figure 16 shews similar views of a hollow round tyre; and,
Figure 17 shews similar views of a tubular rim adapted to receive it :
Figure 18 is a cross section of another form of triangular tyre constructed
according to my invention :
Figure 19 is a longitudinal section of the same; and,
Figure 19 is a plan of the inner side ::
Figures 20, 21 and 21 are cross sections of rims suitable for receiving the tyre
shewn in Figures 18 and 19.
Figures 22 and 23 are plans of the rims shewn in Figures 20 and 21 respectively.
Similar letters of reference in all the figures indicate similar or corresponding
parts.
'i
According to my invention I employ a tyre aº of india-rubber or other suitable
elastic material which may be solid as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, 9, 10, 11, 12,
14, 18, 19 and 19ª, or hollow as illustrated in Figure 16 and preferably triangular
in cross section as illustrated in Figures 2, 34, 10, 12, 13, and 18; the inner
surface of the tyre, namely, that which comes in contact with the rim e is
advantageously lined or covered with cloth or other suitable material a for the
purpose of preventing the elastic material a° from stretching under the pressure to
7:3

page_text: which the tyre is subjected against the ground during its travel and which would be
liable to cause the tyre to leave the rim.
To ensure the adherence of the tyre aº to the rim cº, its diameter is less than that
of the rim as is ordinarily the case but, in order to allow of stretching the tyre to
apply it to the rim, I form the inner surface of the tyre a° with transverse grooves
or projections : I also provide the surface of the rim with corresponding projections
or grooves c so that when the tyre is placed on the rim and has contracted to its
normal dimensions, as shewn in Figures 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, the projections on the
rim will pass into the grooves of the tyre or vice versa so that any circumferential
displacement, that is to say, creeping is prevented.
Figure 5 shews how the inner surface of the tyre although covered by a strong
fabric can be stretched owing to the transverse grooves or projections opening out
when the tyre is stretched to allow of it being put in place upon the rim.
When the surface of a hollow rim c against which the tyre a is applied is flat,
as shewn in Figures 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13, instead of concave as generally employed.
and as illustrated at Figures 15 and 17, I sometimes provide small projections c¹
(outward as shewn in Figure 7 or inward as shewn in Figure 8) which can, as shewn,
be formed continuously with the transverse grooves or projections b; or they can
be formed separately, for example, they can be arranged between the grooves or
projections b, as shewn at e², Figures 7 and 8, and can be of any suitable shape;
their object is to prevent any lateral movement of the tyre aº upon the rim c°.
Sometimes for the same purpose when the rim co consists of a flexible flat metal
band, I form the tyre aº, as shewn in Figure 9, so that its edges a*, a* can extend
round the edges c*, c* of the rim c° and form a kind of hook, embracing the said
edges of the rim.
I sometimes for the same purpose attach strips a¹ of metal or other suitable
material, Figure 10, to the cloth lining a of the tyre transversely and at certain
intervals, the two ends a³, a² of which strips can be folded over the edges c*, c* of
the rim a° so as to form hooks.
In practice I have found it advantageous to make the tyres triangular in cross
section as illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 13 and 18 because in a tyre of this
section when its periphery encounters an obstacle it will yield thereto gradually
with an increasing resistance in a similar manner to a pneumatic tyre.
Figures 20 and 22 shew a hollow rim provided with side flanges d, d adapted to
clip the edges of the base of the triangular tyre.
The yielding capacity of my tyre is rendered more effective if the middle part of
the bearing surface of the rim be cut away, as shewn at d' Figures 21 and 23,
leaving sufficient support at each side for the tyre, as, although, in this case, the
base of the triangular tyre will not be deflected by contact with irregularities or
obstacles in the road, the shocks caused thereby will be softened to a much
greater extent or the rim may be formed of the shape shewn in cross section at
Figure 214.
Although I have described my improved tyre as being provided with a cloth
lining, it will be understood that I can, for the purpose of economy, dispense with
the employment of such lining.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A solid or hollow elastic tyre the inner surface of which is provided transversely
with grooves or projections corresponding to projections or grooves in the rim of
the wheel for the purpose of preventing the tyre from slipping or creeping in a
longitudinal or circumferential direction upon the rim, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
2. An elastic wheel tyre having grooves or projections as described in Claim 1
and covered on its inner surface with a strong fabric or other suitable non-extensible
material as, and for the purpose, described.

page_text: 3. Au elastic tyre having small projections formed integral with or attached to
the tyre and serving as hooks to embrace the rim and prevent the tyre from slipping
laterally upon the rim substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawing.
4. Wheel rims for receiving elastic tyres provided transversely on their outer
surfaces with projections or grooves corresponding respectively with transverse
grooves or projections upon the inner surface of the tyre substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
5. The manufacture and use of the improved elastic wheel tyres and wheel rims
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the several figures of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 28th day of December 1801
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.