Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SP BUIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
I FRANK PULLEN CANDY, of 56 Nightingale Lane, Balham, in the County
of Surrey, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My said invention relates to the pneumatic tyres now frequently used for cycling
purposes.
It is a common complaint that such tyres are subject to collapse owing to
the ease with which, they can be cut or punctured by sharp stones, thorns and
the like.
My invention has for its object to prevent such collapse by using the materials
known as "xylonite," "ebonite," "whaleite " or other similar flexible material in
the construction of pneumatic tyres, and employing the said materials in such a
manner as will most effectively protect the tyre from puncture. The said materials
while partaking to some degree of the flexible nature of the rubber have at the
same time a hardness and closeness of texture which enables them to resist cutting
and puncture to a much greater degree than the rubber.
"}
The indicated materials may be used in a variety of ways to compass the object
in view. For example I may form a protective covering for pneumatic tyres by
placing a series of rings of the indicated materials or of leather or thin steel (the
edges of which rings would preferably overlap each other) around the inner and
inflating tube, the said rings being incorporated or combined with the india rubber.
For example during the construction of the tyre the said rings can be embedded in
the rubber and covered over so that they are contained therein. The "xylonite'
or " ebonite or other similar material might also be applied to or incorporated
with the outer periphery of the tyre and so as to come into direct contact with the
ground. When using steel as an outer shield for the tyre I provide a steel ribbon
of sufficient width, to the edges of which I attach lips or flaps which can be drawn
over and secured behind the inner circumference of the inflated tyre or to the rim
of the wheel. The inflated tyre is thus enclosed in a steel faced bag or trough and
is thereby effectually protected.
"
Dated this 29th day of June 1801
DUTTUN & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
I, FRANK PULLEN CANDY of 56 Nightingale Lane, Balham in the County
of Surrey, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My said invention relates to pneumatic tyres now commonly in use, and has for
its object the prevention of the collapse of such tyres, which is often caused by
their being cut or punctured by sharp objects such as glass, thorns and the like met
with on the road.
In order to accomplish my object, I place on or in the tyre various substances
being themselves hard but flexible and so placed as to protect the tyre from being
cut through.
To render my invention more easily understood I have attached hereunto one

page_text: sheet of drawings to which I will refer in the course of the following description,
the same letters refer to the same parts throughout.
Referring to the said drawings
Fig. 1 shows a cross section of a tyre provided with the pocket to contain the
anti-puncturing material; a is the rim of the wheel, h is the inflation tube, p is the
pocket made of canvas or other suitable material attached at the edges p' to
the jacket is the anti-puncturing material placed within the pocket p (and shown
covered with canvas or other suitable material), the tyre is shown not fully inflated;
the pocket I sometimes attach to the outside of the inflation tube instead of to the
inside of the jacket.
Fig. 2 shows a part cross section of a tyre. f is the jacket, d d d three strips of
anti-puncturing material (shown covered with canvas or other suitable material)
embedded in the jacket / shows the inflation tube.
Fig. 3 shows a cross section of three strips of anti-puncturing material d did with
canvas or other suitable material cemented round them to keep them in position,.
are rivets for further securing the canvas and strips together.
Fig. 4 shows the steel strip a cemented to the flaps t and secured at; the edges by
rivets r.
I use the materials known as ebonite or vulcanite, or xylonite or other celluloid
which is hard and flexible and employ them in a variety of
ways. I take a strip or
band of one of the indicated materials, the said strip or band being sufficiently long
to encircle the tyre and about one and a half inches or two inches wide and about
one sixteenth of an inch thick and either of a flat, or very slightly curved cross.
section, and apply this at the tread of the tyre between the outer jacket or covering
of the tyre and the inner and inflation tube. I keep the strip or band in position
either by the simple inflation of the tyre, or preferably by placing it within a
pocket of canvas or other suitable material, see Fig. 1, the said pocket being
attached at its edges, by vulcanising or otherwise, to the inside of the tyre jacket.
or to the outside of the inflation tube, the pocket preferably extends. around the
whole length of the tread of the tyre, and I form it preferably with one or more
openings across it, and of such a width as will enable the strip or band to be easily
inserted therein and removed therefrom. The said strip or band I form such a
length as will encircle the whole circumference of the tyre, and preferably allow
the ends to overlap about three inches or I may join the ends of the band together
by cementing or otherwise either before or after it is placed in the pocket, or may
attach the ends of the strip or band together with an arrangement of a slot and pin
or otherwise which will allow one end to slide over the other for a distance of about
three inches.
By a modification I sometimes form the pocket of a number of separate pieces of
canvas or other suitable material placed similarly as before mentioned, these pieces
may be each about one inch wide and placed about six inches apart.
I sometimes use more than one strip or band, placed one over and above the
other so as to obtain greater flexibility; in this case I prefer to use the said strips
or bands not more than one thirty second of an inch thick.
Or insert the strip or band either within the body of the jacket or the body of
the inflation tube, during the course of manufacture of the said jacket or tube, or I
attach the strip or band, by cement or otherwise to the outside of the inner surface
of the jacket or to the outside surface of the inflation tube. When attach the
ebonite to indiarubber I prefer to vulcanise it thereto.
In place of using one broad strip or band of the anti-puncturing material, I
sometimes use a number, three for example, of narrower, strips or bands, each, about
half, an inch wide I find suitable, these strips are placed side to, side with, their
edges preferably bevelled and overlapping for a distance of about one eighth,of, an
inch,. in order to prevent such a thing as a sharp thorn penetrating between the
edges of the strips. The said strips extend lengthways, around the circumference
of the tyre at the tread thereof and may be used in the various ways as.before-.
mentioned for the single strip. When I do not, embed in see Fig., 2 or attach the

page_text: strips to the material of which the jacket or inflation tube is composed, I cement or
otherwise attach them, in their proper position with their edges overlapping to a
piece or pieces of canvas or other suitable material so as to keep the various layers
in their places, and enable them to be more easily manipulated see Fig. 3. Instead
of using the strip or strips in the manners before mentioned 1 sometimes apply it
or them to the outer periphery of the tyre jacket so as to come in direct contact
with the ground: when I use a single strip I keep it in its position on the outside
of the tyre jacket by cementing, or otherwise similarly attaching it thereto, or by
attaching it thereto by rivets or their equivalents, or I form the strip as an endless
band of a diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the tyre when fully inflated,
the strip is placed around and over the tyre when the tyre is deflated and is firmly
held thereto by the act of inflation.
I sometimes similarly place another strip, or strips of the anti-puncturing
material over this one. When I use a number of strips placed side to side I
attach each one by cement or similarly otherwise to the outside of the tyre jacket
or 1 fasten them to a piece or pieces of canvas as before mentioned when I treat
them as if they were one piece only.
The tyre when protected in the manners before mentioned will have the tread
thereof of a more or less flat nature instead of rounded as is now generally the
case, this flat tread reduces the tendency to side slip on greasy roads.
I sometimes substitute leather or thin steel, in the form of strips laid side to side,
preferably with their edges overlapping about one eighth of an inch, and used
embedded in the material of which the jacket or inflation tube is composed, or
attached to the inner surface of the jacket, or to the outside surface of the inflation
tube, similarly as before mentioned for the ebonite or celluloid.
When I use leather I employ it of a total thickness of about one eighth to one
quarter of an inch so that it will effectually shield the inflation tube from puncture
by such a thing as a nail or sharp thorn, if met with on the road. I am aware that
leather has been employed before in connection with pneumatic tyres but it has to
the best of my belief never been used so as to prove an effectual safeguard against
the puncturing of the inflation tube.
When I employ steel I use it of the finest quality and well tempered so that it
may be hard and spring like; a steel of too brittle a nature is to be avoided as also
is a soft steel with little spring. I find that steel of about one fiftieth to one
hundredth part of an inch thick is suitable. Instead of employing steel I some-
times use other hard and flexible metals or alloys as its equivalent for instance
brass, or aluminium, or aluminium brass or bronze.
I sometimes employ steel as an outer shield for the tyre, that is the steel is in
direct contact with the ground; I use a strip or band of thin steel sufficiently long
to encircle the inflated tyre and about one and a half or two inches wide formed
when necessary into an endless band.
I attach flaps to the edges of the steel strip or band; in securing the steel to the
flaps I take a piece or pieces of canvas or other suitable material preferably coated
or impregnated with rubber and vulcanised and preferably formed as a tubular ring
split along its inner periphery, and of such a size as will envelope the inflation tube
or tyre (when the said tube or tyre is inflated) to which it is to be applied; this
canvas forms the flaps. I take the steel strip which may or may not be previously
formed into an endless band, & cement it to the outside of the aforesaid canvas
split tubular ring with a preferably, waterproof glue or cement, I then rivet the
edges of the steel strip or band to the canvas, the rivets being about two inches
apart see Fig. 4, instead of riveting I may similarly fasten it in many other ways,
as for instance by clips passing, at the edges of the steel, through the flaps and one
end turned over the steel for about one eighth of an inch and the other end over the
flaps for about the same distance.
In some cases I dispense with glueing or cementing the steel to the flaps and
sometimes instead of attaching the flaps to the whole length of the steel I attach

page_text: separate flaps at intervals, for instance these separate flaps may be about three
inches wide and placed about one foot apart.
I secure the flaps to the rim or to the tyre itself. I may accomplish this in a
variety of ways, for instance I make the flaps of rubber and canvas so that they
practically form (in combination with the steel) the tyre jacket, the flaps being
attached to the wheel rim in the same manner as the jacket would otherwise be, or
I attach the flaps to the rim or to the tyre by lacing or cement or otherwise. Or
I form the steel as an endless band of a smaller diameter than either the outside of
the tyre or the outside of the inflation tube when fully inflated, and I attach it to
the flaps by placing it over them when the tyre is deflated, the flaps being attached
to the rim of the wheel or to the tyre jacket or to the inflation tube, the tyre is then
inflated and the steel thus firmly attached thereto.
Instead of one band of steel placed on the outside of the tyre I sometimes use
more than one, placed each one over and above the other, these bands being
generally thinner than when I employ only one band and I sometimes glue or rivet
or both glue and rivet these bands aforesaid together. Or I sometimes employ a
number of strips or bands of steel placed side to side with their edges preferably
overlapping, these strips are glued or riveted or both glued and riveted to a flap or
flaps of canvas, in their proper position in the same manner as before mentioned for
the one strip or band of steel and are applied to the outside of the tyre in the same
ways.
I sometimes use brass, or bronze, or aluminium or aluminium brass or aluminium
bronze or other hard and flexible metal or alloy in place of the steel shield on the
outside of the tyre.
By using a shield on the outside of the tyre not only do I protect the inflation
tube from puncturing but I do away with the sucking action of the rubber on the
ground and thereby obtain increased speed.
I have mentioned these various methods of protection as applied to double
tube tyres but it will be evident that parts of them are applicable to single tube
tyres.
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. For the protection of pneumatic tyres the use of the material known as ebonite
substantially as described.
2. For the protection of pneumatic tyres the use of the material known as xylonite
substantially as described.
3. For the protection of pneumatic tyres, the use of celluloid.
4. For the protection of pneumatic tyres, the use of the material known as
ebonite.
-
5. In connection with pneumatic tyres a pocket or pockets attached to the inside
of the tyre jacket or to the outside of the inflation tube in which pocket or pockets
is placed the anti-puncturing material substantially as described.
6. In connection with pneumatic tyres a pocket or pockets attached to the inside
of the tyre jacket or to the outside of the inflation tube in which-pocket or pockets
the anti-puncturing material can be easily placed and from which it can be easily
removed.
7. For the protection of pneumatic tyres the use of a series of rings or strips of
steel or leather embedded in or attached to the substance of the tyre jacket or the
substance of the inflation tube substantially as described.
8. For the protection of pneumatic tyres the use of leather of a thickness of one
eighth of an inch or more.
9. In connection with pneumatic tyres the use of a strip or strips or ring or rings
of steel placed on the outside of the tyre and coming in direct contact with the.
ground substantially as described.

page_text: 10. In connection with pneumatic tyres the use of a covering of flexible metal or
other hard flexible substance placed on the outside of the tyre at or about the tread
thereof.
F. PULLEN CANDY.