Improvements in Resilient or Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Auto-cars and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Resilient or Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of
Auto-cars and other Vehicles.
!
I, SAMUEL GRIFFIN Kingston Iron Works Bath Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to improvements in resilient, or elastic, tyres for the
wheels of vebicles such as auto-cars, road locomotives, bicycles, tricycles etc. in
which the necessary support, combined with any required degree of resiliency, or
elasticity, is obtained by means of a spiral, convoluted, or other convenient form of
spring, or springs, of any suitable metal or. other material, such spring, or springs
being fitted to the rim or periphery of the said wheels in any suitable manner, in
the case of spiral, or convoluted springs the axis following the circumferential
curve of the said wheel or wheels.
According to one arrangement of my invention I employ a spring or springs as
already described (advantageously spiral or convoluted) of any suitable shape, and
section, around which I fit a tube, or envelope, of suitable material such as india-
rubber, so as to form an endless elastic tyre such tyre being secured to the rim, or
periphery, of the wheel in any convenient manner and depending for support and
elasticity on the interior spring or springs..
According to another arrangement I employ a spring, or springs, as already
described (advantageously of steel), but having no outer tube or envelope, the..
spiral, convoluted, or other springs forming the tyre can be arranged to carry any
required load, having at the same time sufficient resiliency, or elasticity, to ensure
easy motion while the convolutions give a perfect hold, or grip, on the smoothest
road.
In certain cases the before-mentioned springs may be arranged in separate sections,
and further, such sections (either separate or combined may be advantageously
wedge shape so as to allow the outer portion of the said sections, when in position,
to be either close to each other, or at any desired distance apart.
Dated this 4th day of June 1896.
SAMUEL GRIFFIN.
Improvements:
Resilient
res
eeis
Auto-cars and other Vehicles.
I, SAMUEL GRIFFIN of Kingston Iron Works, Bath, in the County of Somerset,
Engineer, 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
5 following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in resilient or elastic tyres for the wheels
of autocars and other vehicles in which, the necessary support combined with any

page_text: required degree of resiliency or elasticity is obtained by means of a spiral
convoluted or other convenient form of spring or springs of any suitable metal or
other material.
According to my present invention-I arrange and mount the aforesaid spring
(or springs) in the substance of the tube or envelope (such as india-rubber) so as to
form an endless tube tyre that is to say I embed (or partially embed) the spring
or springs in the tube or envelope and this is done by making such spring (or
springs) in a ring or endless form of the required size diameter etc. and then
placing same in a mould or matrix of any suitable character and then moulding the
india-rubber etc. round or upon said spring and then vulcanising same so that an
endless tubular tyre is thus formed with the spring (or it may be two or more
springs each of different diameter) wholly or partially embedded and held in the
wall of the tyre and vulcanised therein and either with or without canvas or other
suitable material or materials. also embedded in or upon said tyre.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a short length of a tyre according to this
invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation (on a much smaller scale) of my complete endless
tubular tyre on a rim.
A is india-rubber or the like or equivalent material in which is embedded the
spring B.
C is canvas inside the convolutions of the spring B.
D is canvas outside the said spring B-with a layer of rubber between the said
canvas and said spring in each case or the canvas either inside or outside or both
may be proximate to the spring or one or both of same may be entirely dispensed
with or replaced by other material or materials in other suitable forms or the latter
may be used in addition to said canvases Co D.
Z is the metal rim-which may be of any other suitable shape in cross section
as.desired.
In Figs. 4 and 5 (which respectively correspond with Figs. 1 and 2) I have
illustrated a modified construction vis. the spring B is moulded on the inside face
of the india-rubber A in which it is partially embedded as shown and the latter is
vulcanised with said spring therein as before.
Canvas or other suitable material may be provided on either the interior.or
exterior of said spring B or both.
The endless tubular tyre formed as hereinbefore described may be secured on or
to the rim of the wheel in any suitable manner but advantageously by forming
same of rather less diameter or circumferential length than the rim to which it is
to be applied and is then simply "sprung" or stretched on to said rim (for instance
by any suitable expanding mechanism) the spring B readily permitting this and
then, said tyre will keep itself in position-or any additional means of securing
same may be used as desired.
This tyre depends for its support on the spring or springs B embedded therein
and is in no way a pneumatic tyre.
I am aware that prior to my present invention various patents have been
obtained in which the use of spiral springs in tyres has been described and such
springs have usually been described as arranged inside or outside of an air or
other tube and separately, mounted therein or thereon but so far as I am aware
no-one prior to my invention has enveloped or proposed to envelope the spring or
its eqvivalent in the india-rubber or the like material and vulcanise the latter (as
an endless tube) with the spring embedded therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An elastie tyre for the wheels of road vehicles having a spiral or convolute

page_text: spring or springs moulded in a tube or envelope of india-rubber and the latter theu
vulcanised with the said spring or springs therein substantially in the manner and
for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. An endless elastic tyre having a spiral or convolute spring or springs.
enveloped in suitable elastic material such as india-rubber and the latter vulcanised
with said spring or springs therein and depending for its support and elasticity on.
said embedded spring.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.