Improvements in Mechanically Expanded Cycle Tyres.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by GUSTAVE CHAMBOREDON, Mechanical Engineer,
81 Rue du Temple, and Miss JUSTINE MARLY, 2 Rue de Valois, both of Paris,
in the French Republic.]
Improvements in Mechanically Expanded Cycle Tyres.
I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., Fel. Ch. Inst. P.A., F.I. Inst.,
practising as Phillips and Leigh of No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the Administrative County of London, Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 :-
The present invention relates to improvements in mechanically expanded cycle
tyres, and the object of it is to produce an elastic tyre capable of being repaired
without skilled assistance and one in which the expanding springs are not individually
connected to the wheel rim.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a tyre made according to the present
invention and shewing one end in section.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section including the fastenings of the wire or cord.
Figure 3 is a front elevation, Figure 4, a plan and Figure 5, a side elevation, of
one of the expanding springs.
Figure 6 is a side elevation; and Figure 7, a plan of a link.
A is the wheel rim; and a, a, its retorted or grooved edges adapted to receive the
thickened edges of the rubber tyre B. is the thickened tread of the latter.
C, C are the springs. They stand between the rim A and the tyre B, fitting up
to both. They are kept in proper working position between the said rim and tyre
by the flat portion c of each resting upon the corresponding internal flat face c of
the tread b, in conjunction with the elastic tension of the tyre B due to its being
held along its edges to those of the rim A. None of the springs C are connected
individually to the tyre at any point, but each is held to its immediate neighbours
by a link D on either hand, the retorted ends of such links engage in holes d in
the respective flat portions c, c, thereby forming an endless chain which extends
round the tyre. Both springs and links are, respectively, of uniform size and shape
throughout.
The free ends of each spring C, extend past each other, and under these free
ends and where they so pass, there is led a wire or cord E. The two ends of this
latter are led out through a hole in the rim A where they are made fast and capped
in any convenient way, as indicated at E' in Figure 2.
The collapse or fracture of any spring C is perceptible from the outside of the
tyre B. In such an event the rider has only to detach the adjoining portion of
the tyre from the rim A, slacken the wire E, remove the broken spring, insert a
new one and replace the said portion of the tyre, when the tyre, as such, will be as
good as ever.
It is to be distinctly understood, that the shape of the springs C and links D,
their connections with each other, as well as the shape of the tyre B as they are,
respectively, illustrated in the drawings, may be varied without departing from
the limits of the present invention, so long as the co-operations above described are
provided for.

page_text: 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 :-
The combination of individual springs, links, tyre and wheel rim, as set forth.
Dated this 11th loss of Sontember 1800
HENRY H. LEIGH, C.P.A.