Improvements in Tyres of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1893-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tyres of Bicycles and other Vehicles.
JOHN STEEL DIXON SHANKS, 42 Brougham Street, Mechanical Engineer,
JOHN BOWLES, 118 Percy Street, Metal Merchant, SAMUEL MORELAND,
55 Peters Hill, Merchant and RICHARD WYLIE 48 North Boundary Street,
Merchant, all of the City of Belfast, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
A tyre for wheels of bicycles and other vehicles, which will be distended or
inflated by compressed air or gas, and which tyre although inflated by compressed
air or gas will not require an air tube, and will be puncture proof. The above is
effected in the following manner :-We use any suitable form of rim, but prefer a
flat rim with flanges; and a tyre made of unbleached linen and india rubber, in
alternate layers. This tyre is secured to the rim by a cylindrical plate or hoop of
steel or other metal or suitable material being pressed down on the edges of the
tyre, by bolts passing through this hoop or plate and the rim, and screwed tight on
the outside of the rim by nuts and washers; the washers being large enough to
cover slots which are made in the rim, and which are necessary to allow of the
bolts moving longitudinally in the rim when the plate or hoop is being tightened.
The plate or hoop is lined on the side next the rim with rubber, canvass, cotton or
other material suitable for a soft pad. Metallic and rubber washers are provided
under the nuts of bolts inside the tyre, and bearing on the hoop or plate. The ends
of this hoop or plate overlap and are enclosed in a pocket of india rubber to prevent
air escaping at this point. The washers on the outside of the rim have indentations
into which a projection on the face of the nuts fits, and thus prevents the nut from
turning round, slacking back, or coming off the bolt. To prevent the escape of
air or gas contained inside the tyre and rim through cutting or puncturing of the
tyre, we use a T shaped hoop of india rubber placed against the inside of the tyre,
the edges of such hoop being bent over so as to take hold of a steel or other
metallic boop or plate. The side of the T. hoop in contact with the metallic plate
or hoop having several plys of fine linen attached to it to prevent the edges of the
plate or hoop cutting into the india rubber hoop. The edges of this last mentioned
plate or hoop are smooth, and the ends overlap to allow of the free expansion or
contraction of the plate or hoop. Between this metallic plate or hoop and the air
space, and completely separating the air from the above combination is a thin strip
or hoop of india rubber attached to the tyre on both sides, air tight. The tyre has
two ridges on the outside placed over the edges of the metallic plate or hoop last
referred to, and which is in contact with the T hoop. These ridges will tend to
prevent side slipping when the wheel of the vehicle is at an angle with the ground,
nd help to prevent puncture at these points in the tyre. The tyre is inflated in the
usual way by means of a force pump and through a valve attached to the metallic
plate or hoop which binds the tyre to the rim. The annexed drawing illustrates
the combination."
"..
"A" is the rim, "B" is the tyre, "C" is the plate or hoop for securing the tyre
“” the Theon of india rubber. "F" the

page_text: metallic protector plate or houp. "G" the rubber slip running around the inside
of the last mentioned plate and attached on each side to the tyre. "H" the ridge
on the tyre.
"
Dated this 8th day of June 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tyres of Bicycles and other Vehicles..
JOHN STEEL DIXON SHANKS of 42 Brougham Street, Mechanical Engineer,
JOHN BOWLES of 118 Percy Street, Metal Merchant, SAMUEL MORELAND of
55 Peters Hill, Merchant, and, RICHARD WYLIE of 48 North Boundary Street
Merchant, all of the City of Belfast, 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 :-
A tyre fór wheels of bicycles and other vehicles, which tyre will be distended or
inflated by compressed air or gas and which tyre when so inflated by air or gas will
not, require an inner tube for the purposes of inflation, and which tyre will be
rendered puncture proof in the manner hereinafter described.
a
We effect our invention in the following manner. We use any suitable form of
rim but prefer to use a flat rim with flanges (A) and a tyre made of unbleached
linen and india rubber in alternate layers (B). This tyre is secured to the rim by
cylindrical plate or hoop of steel (C) or other suitable material, which is pressed
down on the edges of the tyre by bolts passing through this hoop or plate and the
rim (D), and screwed tight on the outside of the rim by nuts and washers, the
washers being large enough to cover slots which are in the rim, and which are
necessary to allow of the bolts moving longitudinally in the rim when the plate or
hoop is being tightened. The plate or hoop is lined on the side next the rim with
rubber, canvass, cotton or other soft material suitable for forming a soft pad.
Metallic and rubber washers are provided under the nuts of the bolts on the inside
of the tyre and rim, and bearing on the said hoop or plate. The ends of this hoop
or plate overlap and are enclosed in a pocket of india rubber, to prevent escape of
air at this point. The washers on the outside of the rim have indentations into
which a projection on the face of each nut fits to prevent the nuts from turning
round, slacking back, and coming of the bolt. To prevent the escape of the air or
gas contained inside of the tyre through cutting or puncturing of the tyre, we use
a T shaped hoop of india rubber (E) placed against the inside of the tyre, the
edges being bent over so as to take hold of a steel or other metallic hoop or
plate (F), and the sides of the T hoop which are in contact with the metallic hoop
or plate last mentioned have several plies of fine linen attached to them to prevent
the edges of the last mentioned hoop or plate cutting into the T shaped india rubber
hoop or ring. The edges of the last mentioned steel hoop or plate are'smooth, and
the ends overlap to allow of the free expansion and contraction of the said hoop or
plate; and between the chamber containing the compressed air or gas and the last
mentioned hoop or plate of steel, there is placed a strip of india: rubber (G),
attached to the tyre on both sides air tight, so as to completely separate the air
chamber from the above combination of the india rubber hoop and the steel hoop
or plate. The tyre has two ridges on the outside (H), placed opposite the part
where the edges of the last mentioned metallic hoop or plate are in, contact with
the Thoop of india rubber. This ridge'tends to prevent side slipping whch the
wheel of the vehicle is at an angle with the ground and helps to prevent puncture.

page_text: at that part of the tyre, but we do not bind ourselves to use a tyre having these or
any ridges. The tyre is inflated in the usual way by means of a force pump and
through a valve attached to the first mentioned metallic hoop or plate which binds
the tyre to the rim. The drawing annexed to the Provisiomal Specification lodged
by us in connection with the application for a Patent for an invention, of which
this purports to be a Complete Specification, illustrates the above combinations,
and the letters referred to herein are the letters attached to, and explanatory of,
the said drawing.
Having now particularly, described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we are
aware that it has been previously proposed to secure wheel tyres by means of steel
or other hoops or rings bolted to the rims and we do not desire to claim per se any
such method of securing a tyre but what we claim is :-
1. The construction and arrangement of a tyre secured to the rim by a hoop or
plate and bolts and nuts in the manner described, and which when inflated by air
or gas forms a complete tyre, inflated by compressed air or gas without the
necessity for an inner and separate tube to contain such air or gas.
2. A combination of a T shaped india rubber hoop and a steel or other metallic
hoop or plate, with linen and rubber strips to make puncture proof, tyres, inflated
by gas or air, of bicycles and other vehicles, in the manner described.
Dated this 14th day of July 1893.
JOHN STEEL DIXON SHANKS.
JOHN BOWLES.
SAMUEL MORELAND.
RICHARD WYLIE.