A New Spring Tyre suitable for Bicycles, Tricycles, and Road Carriages.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1891
A New Spring Tyre suitable for Bicycles, Tricycles, and Road
Carriages.
I STEPHEN JOHN ROSE Bicycle and Tricycle Manufacturer High Street
Witney Oxfordshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
It consists in fixing springs preferably spiral springs made of steel suitable
distances apart all round the rim of the wheel so that it may run smoothly over
rough roads.
To do this I propose to provide a flexible hollow tube or case made so as to keep
the springs in position yet to allow free play in a vertical direction at the point
where it comes in contact with the ground composed of suitable material as india
rubber canvas leather or other material or a combination of several materials. **
Dated this 27th day of December 1890.
STEPHEN JOHN ROSE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Spring Tyre suitable for Bicycles, Tricycles, and Road.
Carriages.
I STEPHEN JOHN ROSE of High Street, Witney, in the County of Oxfordshire,
Bicycle and Tricycle 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 :-
My invention relates to the wheels of velocipedes and other road vehicles, and it
consists of an improved elastic tyre, the object being to increase the resliency or
spring-back of the said tyre.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention,
Figure 1 is a view in cross section and
Figure 2 a broken view in longitudinal section of my improved tyre.
Figures 3 and 4 are views in cross section and longitudinal section respectively
of another form my invention may assume, and
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views showing a further modification of my invention.
Throughout the several views similar parts are marked with like letters of
reference.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing, A designates the
rubber tyre preferably having a circular exterior shape and having a longitudinal
hole a running through it. At frequent and fixed intervals round the tyre are
formed pockets a' adapted to receive spiral springs B the strength of which is
determined by the weight the wheel will be called upon to bear. In the tyre A
during its construction is placed a strip of canvas a² adapted to form the bases of
the pockets a and reinforce the rubber and so equalize the pressure of the springs
on the outer face of the tyre. To give the springs a flat bearing surface in the
rim CI fix thereto a strip c which may be made of common rubber, vulcanite, or
any other suitable material, or the rim itself may be shaped to give the required
flat surface as shown by Figures 3 and 4, in which case the strip c is dispensed
with.
In order to obtain the best results from the springs B, it is necessary to provide
ample interior hollow space in the tyre A for the displacement of the rubber under
compression, and to this end I sometimes make the longitudinal hole a of a greater-
$

page_text: width than the pockets a' as shown by Figure 3 thus reducing the side walls of the
tyre to a minimum.
Instead of making the tyre A of one piece of rubber it may if desired for
convenience in construction 'be made of -two or more pieces. Figures 5, 6 and 7
show a tyre so constructed, Figure 5 being a cross section through one of the
pockets in the tyre, Figure 6 a cross section through the other part of the tyre,
and Figure 7 a broken view in longitudinal elevation. This tyre is made up of
three pieces of rubber A, A1, A2, vulcanized on to a strip of canvas a? by which
they are held together in their proper positions to form the tyre. In the base A
of the tyre adapted to fit in the rim are formed the pockets a to receive, the
springs B, and on the outer part A¹ of the tyre are formed the projections a
adapted to lie within the springs B and so guide them and act in an equivalent
manner to the pockets. The cushioning space or longitudinal hole a is formed by
and between the two parts A and A' of the tyre. The third part. A² of the tyre
is the outer part or tread and this may if desired be made of leather or any other
hard wearing substance. To provide a flat surface for the springs B to bed against,
insertion pieces are attached to the canvas a² which are adapted to close the top
of the pocket al and so provide a flat bearing surface for the springs.
It will be seen that by removing the elastic tyre from the rim of the wheel, to
which it is affixed by cement in the usual manner, the springs can be readily and
easily removed from the tyre either for the purpose of substituting stronger or
weaker ones, or for the purpose of replacing broken ones.
I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing, but that I hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations
as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
I am aware that it is not broadly new to combine metallic springs with rubber
to form, an elastic tyre, and I therefore do not claim such as my invention, but
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 :-
1st. In a wheel for velocipedes and other road vehicles the combination with the
wheel rim, of a rubber tyre of circular or approximately circular exterior form and
having a continuous longitudinal hole running through it and having radial pockets
formed at frequent and fixed intervals, as set forth.
2nd. In a wheel for velocipedes and other road vehicles the combination with
the wheel rim, of a rubber tyre having a longitudinal hole running through it
and radial pockets formed therein, and of a strip laid in the bottom of the rim
to present a flat surface to the open mouths of the pockets in the tyre, as set
forth.
3rd. The combination with a wheel rim made of a partially flat section, of a
rubber tyre D-shaped in cross section, having radial pockets formed at intervals
throughout its length, and a continuous longitudinal hole of a greater width than
the said pockets, as set forth.
4th. The combination with a wheel rim, of a rubber tyre having a longitudinal
hole running through it and radial pockets formed therein, and of a strip of canvas
inserted in the rubber tyre during its manufacture, as set forth.
3th. The combination with a wheel rim, of a rubber tyre having a continuous
longitudinal hole and radial pockets, and of spiral springs fitting in the said pockets
and adapted to cushion radially, as set forth.
6th. The combination with a wheel rim made of a partially flat section, of a
hollow rubber tyre having radial pockets and a continuous reinforcing strip of
canvas, and of spiral springs adapted to fit in the said pockets and cushion radially,
as set forth.
7th. The combination with a wheel rim, of a hollow. rubber tyre having radial
pockets and a continuous reinforcing strip of canvas, of spiral.springs adapted to fit

page_text: in the said pockets and cushion radially, and of the making-up strip in the bottom
of the rim, as set forth.
8th. The combination with a wheel rim, of a hollow elastic tyre built up of two
or more pieces of rubber on a strip of canvas and having radial pockets formed
therein, and of spiral springs fitting in the said pockets and adapted to cushion
radially, as set forth.
9th. The combination with a wheel rim, of a hollow rubber tyre having radial
pockets and a continuous reinforcing strip of canvas, of spiral springs adapted to fit
in the said pockets and cushion radially, and of washers or filling-up pieces adapted
to close the open ends of the said pockets and present a flat bearing surface to the
spiral springs, as set forth.
10th. The improved spring tyre, constructed, arranged, and operating, as and for
the purpose set forth.
Dated this 28th day of September 1891
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.