Improvements in Elastic or Pneumatic Tires, and in Apparatus for Applying and Removing them.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic or Pneumatic Tires, and in Apparatus for
Applying and Removing them.
I, ALPHONSO ANTHONY VÉREL, of 179, West George Street in the County of
Glasgow, North Britain, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to facilitate the application, removal, or changing
of wheel tires, being principally intended for use with solid or hollow tires of rubber
or compounds or combinations thereof with other materials.
In carrying out my invention in the case of a carriage wheel, I shrink or otherwise
fix on the felloe a metal ring made with a radially projecting flange at one side; and
I adapt to fit on this felloe ring what may be termed a metal tire ring which is of
channel-like section. The rubber or other tire is fixed in the groove of the tire ring
in any suitable manner. According to one plan 1 form an adherent coating of
vulcanite on the surface of the groove, and subsequently put on the rubber tire,
preferably vulcanising it in situ. The tire ring may be fixed on the felloe ring by
means of screw pins, or bolts; or a ring to act as a flange may be held by a small
flange or segments of a flange formed on the felloe ring, projections on the inner
edge of the ring being entered through notches or between the segments of the flange,
and the ring then turned round as in a bayonet joint. With this construction the tire
on its ring can be at any time quickly removed and another one substituted. In the
case of some wheels, what has been termed a felloe ring may serve also as a felloe
and have the spokes connected to it. The tire ring may be made double by
compressing a tube of thin metal into the channel-like or other suitable form.
Instead of fixing the tire ring according to any of the modes herein before described
it may be forced upon the felloe ring or felloe of the wheel by means of special
apparatus hereinafter described in a manner to require little or no additional fastening,
the same apparatus being also applicable for removing a tire ring when required.
The apparatus comprises two hydraulic cylinders placed in the same vertical line, the
lower one heing fixed in a base frame and the upper one in an arched or other suitable
frame fixed to the base frame. The rams of the cylinders have fixed to them plates
between which the wheel is held, and which have fixed to them changeable holding
plates for the various sizes of wheels to be operated on.
The felloe or rim of the
wheel is firmly gripped by the outer parts of the holding plates; and the hub of the
wheel is held tightly by packing blocks placed between it and the ram plates. The
tire to be applied is held between two changeable annular gripping plates, resting on
standards made capable of adjustment to and from the centre to suit the various
gripping plates provided for wheels of different sizes. When put together the two
annular gripping plates present a groove on the inner side, and the tire is
placed in this groove, the upper plate being lifted to admit it. The upper
annular gripping plate is niade with its inner edge slightly tapered, the
lower part being the more contracted and of the same diameter as the inside of
the tire ring.
The bottom hydraulic cylinder is of a size suitable, with the water pressure
employed, for sufficiently gripping the wheel. The upper hydraulic cylinder is larger,
so as to combine with the lower cylinder in gripping the wheel, and in addition to

page_text: move the gripped wheel downwards with sufficient pressure to force it down through
the upper annular gripping plate and into the tire. The felloe or rim of the wheel
is made slightly larger externally than the inside of the tire ring; and it becomes
compressed in being forced down through the inner tapered surface of the upper
annular gripping plate so that it fits the tire ring with great tightness. Passages may
be formed through the annular gripping plates for the introduction of steam or other
heating agent, if found beneficial.
Dated this Twenty-second day of May 1896.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Elastic or Pneumatic Tires, and in Apparatus for
Applying and Removing them.
I, ALPHONSO ANTHONY VÉREL, 179, West George Street, in the County of
Glasgow, North Britain, Merchant, 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, that is to say:-
My said invention has for its object to facilitate the application, removal, or
changing of wheel tires, being principally intended for use with solid or hollow tires
of rubber or compounds or combinations thereof with other materials.
The invention comprises a solid or hollow band of rubber vulcanised into the
groove of a ring of channel or other section and fixed either to a radial flange of au
inner ring on the wheel rim or held by a sort of bayonet joint to the said inner ring
by a separate ring. The ring of channel or other section may be put together in
halves and be clamped to the wheel rim by clips.
The invention also comprises an improved form of tire ring constructed of hollow
double section by compressing a tube of thin metal into a channel-iike or other
suitable form.
The invention also comprises apparatus for applying and removing tires consisting
essentially of two changeable annular gripping plates fixed adjustably to a base
framing and of two unequally-powered directly-opposing hydraulic cylinders held in
the framing concentrically with the annular gripping plates and having changeable
holding plates fixed to their rams, the annular gripping plates being constructed
to hold the tire and the ram plates to hold the wheel which is forced into the tire by
the action of the larger-powered hydraulic cylinder.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to, and showing examples of my improved tires, and of my
improved apparatus for applying and removing them.
Figures, 1, and 2, on Sheet 1, of the drawings are respectively a cross section and
an elevation, as at right angles to each other, of a part of one modification of the
improved tire.
Figures, 3, and 4, are respectively a cross section and an elevation, as at right
angles to each other, of a part of a second modification of the improved tire, Figure, 5,
being a section, as at right angles to Figure, 4, of the same.
Figure, 6, is a cross section of a part of a third modification of the improved tire.
Figure, 7, is a cross section of one example of the improved tire ring.
Figure, 8, on Sheet, 2, is a sectional elevation, and Figure, 9, is a horizontal section
of the improved apparatus for applying and removing the tires.
Figure, 10, is an enlarged vertical section of a part of the annular gripping rings.

page_text: Figure, 11, is a plan of the holding plates and the annular gripping plates.
In these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my invention in the case of a carriage wheel, such as is partly
shown in Figures, 1, and 2, I shrink or otherwise fix on the felloe, A, a metal ring. B,.
made with a radially projecting flange, C, at one side; and I adapt to fit on this
felloe ring what may be termed a metal tire ring, D, which is of channel section..
The rubber or other tire, E, is fixed in the groove of the tire ring, D, in any suitable
manner. According to one plan I form an adherent coating of vulcanite, G,
on the
bottom surface of the groove, and subsequently put on the rubber tire, E, preferably
vulcanising it in situ. The tire ring, D, may be fixed to the felloe ring, B, by means
of screw pins, H, or it might be bolts; or as in the modification shown in Figures, 3,
and 4, a ring, J, to act as a flange is held by a small flange or lateral extension, J 1,
of the felloe ring, B, (or it might be by segments only of a flange formed on the
felloe ring) projections, J2, on the inner edge of the ring being entered through
notches, J3, (or between the segments of the flange) and the ring then turned round
as in a bayonet joint.
In the modification shown in Figure, 6, the tire ring, D, and the vulcanite, G, are
put on the felloe, A, in halves. The felloe ring (B) is in this case dispensed with
and the halves of the tire ring, D. are fixed to the felloe, A, by clip pieces, A 1, fitted
in transverse grooves in the felloe and having at each side parts turned radially
alternately outwards and inwards so as to grip both the tire ring and the felloe. The
rubber or other tire, E, is fixed in the groove of the tire ring, D, in any suitable
manner.
With this construction the tire, E, on its ring, D, can be at any time quickly
removed, and another one substituted. In the case of some wheels what has been
termed a felloe ring may serve also as a felloe and have the spokes connected to it.
The tire ring, D, may be made by compressing a tube of thin metal (such as is shown
in Figure, 7) into the channel-like (or other) suitable form.
The tire ring may be fixed by being forced upon the felloe ring or felloe of the
wheel by means of special apparatus hereinafter described, in a manner to require
little or no additional fastening, the same apparatus being also applicable for removing
a tire ring when required. The apparatus is shown in Figures, 8, 9, 10, and 11, and
comprises two hydraulic cylinders, K, and L, placed in the same vertical line, the
lower one being fixed in a base frame, M, and the upper one in an arched or other
suitable frame, N, fixed to the base frame. The rams, K1, and L. 1, of the cylinders, K,.
and, L, have fixed to them plates, K 2, L 2, between which the wheel is held, and which
have fixed to them changeable holding plates, K 3, L3, for the various sizes of wheels.
to be operated on. The felloe or rim, A, of the wheel is firmly gripped by the outer
parts of the holding plates, K 3, L3; and the hub of the wheel is held tightly by
packing blocks, P, placed between it and the ram plates, K 2, and, L2. The tire, E,.
to be applied is held between two changeable annular gripping plates, Q, resting on
standards, R, capable of adjustment along slots, M 1, in the base frame, M, to and
from the centre to suit the various annular gripping plates, K 3, and L3, provided.
for wheels of different sizes. When put together the two annular gripping plates, Q,
present a groove on the inner side, and the tire, E, and tire ring, D, are placed in
this groove, the upper plate being lifted to admit it. The upper annular gripping
plate, Q, is made with its inner edge slightly tapered, the lower part being the more
contracted and of the same diameter as the inside of the tire ring, D. The lower-
annular gripping plate, Q, is provided with radial screws, Q1, for adjusting the
gripped tire circumferentially. For slight difference of size a thin metal band may be
attached to the inner part of the upper annular gripping plate, Q.
The bottom hydraulic cylinder, L, is of a size suitable, with the water pressure
employed, for sufficiently gripping the wheel. The upper hydraulic cylinder, K, is.
larger, so as to combine with the lower cylinder, L, in gripping the wheel, and in
addition to move the gripped wheel downwards with sufficient pressure to force it
down through the upper annular gripping plate, Q, and into the tire ring, D. The

page_text: felloe or rim, A, of the wheel is made slightly larger externally than the inside of the
tire ring, D, and it becomes compressed in being forced down through the inner
tapered surface of the upper annular gripping plate, Q, so that it fits the tire ring
with great tightness. Passages may be formed through the annular gripping plates
for the introduction of steam or other heating agent if found beneficial.
The apparatus is obviously also applicable for fixing or removing tires of metal
only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. An improved compound tire comprising a solid or hollow tire of rubber applied
to a metal ring of channel or flanged section fixed to an inner metal ring on the wheel
rim or felloe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures, 1, 2,
or 3, 4, and 5, of the accompanying drawings.
2. An improved compound tire comprising a solid or hollow tire of rubber applied
to a metal ring made in halves and fixed to the wheel rim or felloe substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figure, 6, of the accompanying drawings.
3. The improved tire ring formed by compressing a tube of thin metal into a
channel-like or other suitable form substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figure, 7, of the accompanying drawings.
4. Apparatus for applying and removing tires consisting essentially of two
changeable annular gripping plates fixed adjustably to a base framing and of two
unequally-powered directly-opposing hydraulic cylinders held in the framing
concentrically with the annular gripping plates and having changeable holding plates
fixed to their rams, the said annular gripping plates being constructed to hold the
tire, and the ram holding plates to hold the wheel which is forced into the tire by
the action of the larger-powered hydraulic cylinder, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twentieth day of February 1897.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.