Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
1, WILLIAM EDWARD CROWTHER, of 88 Sandy Lane, Chorlton, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to pneumatic tyres for wheels and means for preventing
leakage when the tyre is punctured.
In carrying out my invention, I subject raw rubber to a degree of heat sufficient
to melt the same, the product being termed by me, melted or raw, or boiled
rubber, for the reason that I have found it desirable to boil or heat the rubber up
to the boiling point. By thus melting the raw rubber, I produce a sticky or
adhesive semi-liquid which will maintain such characteristics for a long time.
I arrange a suitable quantity of this boiled or melted rubber as a layer within a
pneumatic tyre and confine it between layers of any known or suitable fabric or
material used in pneumatic tyres such fabric or material being usually vulcanized
rubber. As one way in which I employ this melted rubber, I arrange it as a layer
between two concentric tubes whereof the inner tube, which should be comparatively
thin, and may be smooth, puckered or wrinkled, forms the wall of the inflatable
air-chamber of the tyre. The adhesion of the melted rubber to the opposing tyre
surfaces, between which it is confined, tends to maintain it against flow and undue
displacement, while its semi-liquid nature prevents it from stiffening and detracting
from the resiliency of the tyre. The position of the thin inner tube or lining is
also assured by the adhesiveness of this layer of melted rubber, which latter
also ensures the imperviousness of the two layers, and enters and closes small
punctures.
I also may and prefer to slightly thicken up the melted rubber with some resinous
or other suitable material, for example tar, proportioned so as to preserve the melted
rubber as a sticky semi-liquid, and at the same time ensure against a tendency on
the part of the melted rubber, to flow to an extent to render it liable to gather in
spots or settle out of its proper place in the tyre, as can be readily determined in
practice. In other words, I can thicken up the melted rubber with other substances
so as to make it pasty, but still of a semi-liquid character--the foregoing melted
rubber can be readily and economically prepared and in use it will not injure the
material of which the tyre is made.
Where the outer of the two tubes forms the main outer tyre tube, the latter can
be opened so as to admit of the insertion of the thin inner tube and a suitable
quantity of melted rubber, but where the two tubes, with the intervening layer,
of melted rubber are both thin rubber or like tubes, they can as a whole be placed
in any known or suitable outer tyre cover or casing, previous to which intro-
duction, the layer of melted rubber can be arranged between the two previously
vulcanized thin rubber tubes.
I have also successfully used boiled or melted gutta-percha with bird lime,
preferably of the kind made from holly bark, and I may also use melted rubber
with bird-lime.
Broadly I may use melted rubber with or without a thickening ingredient, as

page_text: au adhesive semi-liquid. substance in any and all uses to which it may be put in
pneumatic tyres as means for effecting or aiding in the closing of punctures.
Dated this 19th day of February 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
1, WILLIAM EDWARD CROWTHER, of 88 Sandy Lane, Chorlton, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to he performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to pneumatic tyres for wheels and means for preventing
leakage when the tyre is punctured.
In carrying out my invention, I subject raw rubber to a degree of heat sufficient
to melt it, the product being termed by me, melted, raw or boiled rubber, for the
reason that I have found it desirable to boil or heat the rubber up to the boiling
point. By thus melting the raw rubber, I produce a sticky or adhesive semi-liquid
which will maintain such characteristics for a long time. I arrange a suitable
quantity of this boiled or melted rubber as a layer within a pneumatic tyre and
confine it between layers of any known or suitable fabric or material used in
pneumatic tyres usually vulcanized rubber. As one way in which I employ this
melted rubber, I arrange it as a layer between two concentric tubes whereof the
inner tube, which should be comparatively thin, and may be smooth, or puckered
or wrinkled, forms the wall of the inflatable air-chamber of the tyre. The
adhesion of the melted rubber to the opposing tyre surfaces, between which it is
confined; tends to maintain it against flow and undue displacement, while its
semi-liquid nature prevents it from stiffening and detracting from the resiliency of
the tyre. The position of the thin inner tube or lining is also assured by the
adhesiveness of this layer of melted rubber, which also ensures the continuity of
the two layers entering and closing small punctures.
I also may and prefer to slightly thicken up the melted rubber with some resinous
or other suitable material, for example tar, proportioned so as to preserve the
melted rubber as a sticky semi-liquid, and at the same time ensure against any
tendency on the part of the melted rubber, to flow to an extent to render it liable
to gather in spots or settle out of its proper place in the tyre, as can be readily
determined in practice. In other words, I can thicken up the melted rubber with
other substances so as to make it pasty, but still of a semi-liquid character. This
melted rubber can be readily and economically prepared and in use it will not injure
the material of which the tyre is made.
Where the outer of the two tubes forms the main outer tyre tube, the latter can
be opened so as to admit of the insertion of the thin inner tube and a suitable
quantity of melted rubber, but where the two tubes, with the intervening layer of
melted rubber, are both thin rubber or like tubes, they can as a whole be placed in
any known or suitable outer tyre cover or casing, previous to which introduction,
the layer of melted rubber cau be arranged between the two previously vulcanized
thin rubber tubes. Or the air tube can be placed within an outer tube consisting
of an outer cover and wheel rim with the melted or boiled rubber between the air
tube and outer cover.
I have also successfully used boiled or melted gutta-percha with bird lime,
preferably of the kind made from holly bark, and I may also use melted rubber
with bird-lime.
Broadly I may use melted rubber with or without a thickening ingredient, as an

page_text: adhesive semi-liquid substance in any and all uses to which it may be put in
pneumatic tyres as means for effecting or aiding in the closing of punctures.
By making the inner tube of larger diameter than the outer tube or cover it
becomes puckered or wrinkled when in place and is merely compressed against
the outer tube by the pressure of the air; it is thus in a slack or non-distended
condition and in the claims I have employed the term "slack" to indicate this.
condition.
In the appended claims I use the term "boiled" rubber or gutta-percha to.
indicate the material treated in the manner above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is;-
1. In a pneumatic tyre the employment of "boiled" rubber.
2. In a pneumatic tyre the combination of an inner tube or layer which may or
may not be "slack" and is adjustable relatively to the outer tube or cover and a
layer of "boiled" rubber or guttapercha.
3. In a pneumatic tyre the combination of an inner tube or layer which may or
may not be "slack" and is adjustable relatively to the outer tube or cover and a
layer of a sticky semi-liquid material.
4. A pneumatic tyre comprising an inner tube or layer which may or may not be
slack," a layer of a sticky semi-liquid material and an outer tube or cover
relatively to which the inner tube is adjustable.
Witnesses :-
The day of May 1990.
ARTHUR H. WALKER,
57 Chancery Lane, London.
THOMAS HARMAN,
Queen's Hotel, Manchester.
W. E. CROWTHER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Annlicent