Year: 1898

page_text: JOHN HUBBARD, of 6, Pemberton Gardens, Upper Holloway, N., do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The tyre has formed within or attached to one edge of the cover a sheath in
which is inserted a gripping band which slides freely in the sheath. This band
may be of metal, or wood, or other suitable material, &, if of wood, is preferably
made of plano-convex section, the convexity being outwards, & corresponding
approximately with the cross sectional curvature of the tyre. This band, unlike
most other gripping bands, has no coupling device, but is automatic in its
action, yet it is not operated by the action upon it of the air pressure, but by
the action of a spring or springs. The spring may be a sinuous or crimped wire.
formed into a ring surrounding the band, & having whatever degree of tension
is found to be most desirable; or the spring may consist of a small spiral coil
of wire, which may conveniently be placed in a longitudinal slot or groove formed
in the centre of one end, or partly in the two ends, of a plano-convex wood band,
the ends of the spring being attached to the two ends of the band. The two
ends of the band are unjoined, & may abut on either side of the valve stem,
or may overlap & have longitudinal slots through which the valve may be
passed; but in either case, when contracted to its smallest size circumferentially,
the band should preferably form a ring only from half an inch to one inch
shorter than the circumference of the interior of the rim, so that it should check
the spring from contracting the tyre too greatly in circumference when off the
rim, as this would occasion difficulty in replacing the tyre on the rim.
On the other edge of the cover a bead is provided, & this side of the cover is
folded underneath the tyre, so that the bead lies just over or just within the
edge of the rim on the farther side of the tyre, & if within the edge of the
rim, is held there, against the tendency of the airpressure to pull it back, by
the edge of the gripping band.
Thus constructed the tyres are adapted to be applied to rims which have steep
sides or lips like Dunlop-Welch rims; but, when applied to plain crescent rims,
to prevent the bead on the edge of the cover, when it lies within the edge of the
rim, tilting the tyre, another corresponding bead is fixed on the base of the
tyre so as to lie just within the other edge of the rim. Or this second bead may
be fixed to one edge of the rim, the tyre then being passed on to the rim over
its other edge. For the sake of uniformity, & to render all the tyres applicable
to all ordinary rims, & interchangeable from one to another, I prefer to put the
two beads described on all the tyres.
In some cases, instead of the beads described, I may stiffen that edge of the
cover to which otherwise they are attached, the stiffening extending to a breadth
corresponding to the breadth of the gripping band, & being effected in such a

page_text: way as not to impair the longitudinal elasticity of the edge of the cover necessary
to permit of its being readily pulled over the edge of the rim, & being then
readily forced by the spring action of the band into the channel of the rim. This
is another construction of the tyres by which they are adapted to be applied to
rims which have steep sides or lips like Dunlop-Welch rims. Such tyres may
be applied to plain crescent rims by fixing on the rims a band with beads on
its two edges, forming between them a channel into which the base of the tyre
will readily fit.
To prevent the free edge of the cover being pulled too far under the tyre in
placing the tyre on the rim, I may attach to the inside of that edge of the cover
a flap, designed to lie on the top of the sheath on the other edge, so that the
free edge of the cover can only be pulled under the tyre till the outer edge of the
sheath bears against the base of the flap.
Owing to the way in which the two edges of the covers of these tyres overlap
in the base, & in which the inner edge with the sheath & band is pressed by
the action of the spring on to the other edge, the tyre can if desired be made
tubeless without any modification of the construction, except to render the
interior surface air retaining. This may be done by coating it with a thick
viscous substance, such as a preparation of burnt rubber, which may afterwards
be coated with a skin of thin rubber or gutta-percha film. This method would
be very cheap, & would at the same time cause the tyres to be selfhealing after
small punctures. To increase the self healing property when thus made, or to
render the tyres selfhealing when made tubeless with a lining of ordinary rubber,
I place in the tread, beneath the lining of viscous material or of rubber, a pocket,
rather broader than the surface of contact with the road, & preferably made of
a textile material with an absorbent inner surface, & enclose in this pocket some
viscous selfhealing material which should preferably be of thinner consistency
than that that would be used to line the tyre.
As described these tyres are adapted to fit rims of all ordinary sections, particu-
larly those of crescent section, & the construction gives them in an exceptional
degree the capacity to readily accomodate themselves to variations in the size
of rims circumferentially, points which I believe are now vital to the commercial
success of any new tyres.
The action of the spring operated band gives the tyres an automatic initial
grip on the rim, & their inflation afterwards presses all the parts so firmly together
that, after a little time, particularly after being ridden for any distance, the tyres
will not shift even after deflation till purposely pulled off. All the parts of
the tyres are as simple as possible, & they are as cheap as possible to produce.
I prefer to manufacture them by forming a tubular skin of textile material,
which may be either itself airretaining or have an airtube enclosed within it.
I then inflate this skin till it forms a sufficiently firm mandril & wind
two layers of thread obliquely in reverse directions upon it, by a machine
designed for the purpose. The angle at which the thread is wound
is that which is formed to give the tyre the best self-gripping action
without unduly straining the fabric. After winding I cut the tyre
open all round in the centre of the base, & secure on the edge which
does not contain the sheath, a band of textile material having the two beads
described formed on its edges, the breadth of this band corresponding to the
breadth of the rim; or I stiffen that edge of the cover, or otherwise complete the
tyre as described.
DI 11.
T

page_text: An Improved Pneumatic Tyre.
JOHN HUBBARD, of 6, Pemberton Gardens, Upper Holloway, N., Tyre Expert,
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 tyre has formed within or attached to one edge of the cover a sheath,
in which is inserted a gripping band which slides freely therein and is preferably
slightly narrower than the channel of the rim which the tyre is designed to fit.
This band may be of metal, preferably steel, or wood, or other suitable material,
or a combination of steel and wood, and if of wood is preferably made of an
approximately plano-convex section, the convexity being outwards and corre-
sponding approximately with the cross sectional curvature of the tyre.
The ends of the gripping band are not rigidly connected together but tend to
close together by the action of a spring or springs. The spring may be a sinuous
or crimped wire, preferably of hard steel, joined up into a ring surrounding the
band, and having such a degree of tension that, while it will securely grip the
tyre on the rim, it will not require an inconvenient degree of force to pull the
tyre on to the rim. The spring may consist of a small spiral coil of wire, which
may conveniently be placed in a longitudinal slot or groove formed in the centre
of one end, or partly in each of the two ends, of a plano-convex wood band, the
ends of such spring being attached to the two ends of the band. Any suitable
spring connection between the two ends of the band may be used. The two ends
of the band may abut on either side of the valve stem, or may overlap and have
longitudinal slots through which the valve may be passed; but in either case when
contracted to its smallest side circumferentially, the band should preferably form
a ring only from half an inch to one inch shorter than the circumference of the
interior of the rim, so that it should check the spring from contracting the tyre
too greatly in circumference when off the rim, as this would occasion difficulty
in replacing the tyre on the rim.
On the other edge of the cover a bead is provided, which may be of a simple
round shape, and may be formed by simply folding the fabric of the cover over a
cord, preferably of rubber, or a small spiral coil of wire. This edge of the cover
is folded underneath the sheath containing the gripping band, so that the bead
lies just over or just within the edge of the rim and, is held there, against the
tendency of the air pressure to pull it back, by the edge of the gripping band.
When with this construction a plano convex wood band is used its edge next
the bead should be flattened to the thickness of the bead and a stiff flap hereafter
described should be attached to the same edge of the cover as the bead and should
be of such breadth as to extend over the bead. In some cases to prevent the bead
on the edge of the cover, when it lies within the edge of the rim, tilting the
tyre, another corresponding bead similarly formed on the edge of a strip of fabric,
is solutioned on the base of the tyre, so as to lie just within the other edge of the
rim. When two beads are used in conjunction with a plano convex wood band
both edges of the band should be flattened to the thickness of the beads.
In some cases, instead of the bead or beads described, I may stiffen that edge
of the cover to which otherwise it or they would be attached, the stiffening
extending to a breadth corresponding to the breadth of the gripping band, and
being effected in such a way as not to impair the longitudinal elasticity of the

page_text: edges of the cover necessary to permit of its being readily pulled over the edge
of the rim and being then readily forced by the spring action of the band into
the channel of the rim. This stiffening may be effected by enfolding in the
edge of the cover or enfolding in fabric and solutioning or sewing to the edge
of the cover, a thin strip-of-hard material like vulcanite, celluloid, or vulcanised
fibre, the strip being, throughout its length notched or cut at short intervals,
alternately on each edge, nearly across its breadth, which renders it slightly
elastic in its length. Or the strip may consist of several lengths of the hard
material enclosed in a sheath in which they will freely slide and with their ends
overlapping a little but each length being fixed in the sheath in some convenient
way at about its centre so that the lengths will not permanently shift relatively
to one another. Thus constructed the tyres are adapted to be applied to rims
which have steep sides or lips like Dunlop-Welch rims. Such tyres may be
applied to plain crescent rims by fixing on the rims, as by cementing it, a band
with beads formed on its two edges and forming between them a channel into
which the base of the tyre will readily fit. Where stiffening of the edges of the
cover is used in place of beads and the rims are narrow and of crescent shape the
overlapping edges of the cover are preferably roughened or have small circum-
ferential ridges formed upon them or on one of them which when pressed by
the air pressure in the tyre between the band on the one side and the strip of
hard material in the free edge of the cover on the other side will prevent lateral
movement of the surfaces inter se. A simple and efficient means of forming these
ridges is to lay parallel lines of stout thread or small string on the fabric of the
tyre and cover them with a strip of thin textile material solued on which will
securely hold them in place or bands of this thin textile material having the
ridges formed upon them may be first produced and be then solutioned on the
edges of the cover.
To prevent the free edge of the cover in any of the above described modifications
of the tyre being pulled too far under the tyres in placing them on the rims, I
may attach to the inside of that edge of the cover (preferably by sewing its inner
edge to the fabric of the tyre) a flap of stiff material designed to lie on the top
of the sheath on the other edge, so that the free edge of the cover can only be
pulled under the tyre till the outer edge of the sheath bears against the base of
the flap. If desired the spring may instead of being directly connected to the
gripping band be placed in this sheath or the sheath may be made of sufficiently
elastic material to itself act as the spring to contract the gripping band.
Owing to the way in which the two edges of the covers of these tyres overlap
in the base, and in which the inner edge with the sheath and band is pressed by
the action of the spring on to the other edge, the tyres can if desired be made
tubeless, without any modification of their construction, except to render the
interior surface air retaining. This may be done by coating it with a thick
viscous substance, such as a preparation of burnt rubber, which may afterwards
be coated with a skin of thin rubber or gutta percha film. This method is very
cheap, and at the same time causes the tyres to be self-healing after small
punctures. To increase their self-healing property when thus made, or to render
the tyres self-healing when made tubeless with a lining of ordinary rubber, I
place in the tread, beneath the lining of viscous material or of rubber, a pocket
rather broader than the surface of contact with the road, and preferably made of
a textile material with an absorbent inner surface (as described in the Letters
Patent granted to me No. 9297 of April 22nd 1898) and enclose in this pocket
some viscous self-healing material, which should preferably be of thinner con-
sistency than that that would be used to line the tyre.
of
As described, and without changing the form of the parts, these tyres are
adapted to fit rims of all ordinary sections, particularly those of
crescent section, it being only necessary to vary the breadth
the base of the tyres to fit broad or narrow rims, and the con-
struction gives the tyres in an exceptional degree, through the automatic action

page_text: of the spring operated band, the capacity to readily accommodate themselves to
variations in the size of rims-circumferentially-points which I believe are
now vital to the commercial success of any new tyres.
The action of the spring operated band gives the tyres an automatic initial
grip on the rim, and their inflation afterwards presses all the parts so firmly
together that, after a little time, particularly after being ridden for any distance,
the tyres will not shift, even after deflation, till purposely pulled off. All the
parts of the tyres are as simple in construction as possible, and they are so designed
as to be as cheap as possible to produce.
I may manufacture the tyres from any known tyre fabric, but preferably I use
fabric made from two layers of threads not interwoven but cemented together in
known ways the threads in the two layers being preferably arranged at angles of
60 degrees with the rim which I find gives the tyres the best self gripping
action without unduly straining the fabric or a very useful fabric can be made by
using the machine described in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 12342
of the year 1898.
For the purpose of applying the tyres with two round beads to narrow rims,
which would not allow of the use in such tyres of bands of sufficient breadth to
have the desirable degree of lateral stiffness, since in such tyres the band has
to lie between the beads, I form, in or on that edge of the cover otherwise con-
taining the band, a flat bead of hard, light and sufficiently elastic material, such
as cork carpet, cut into strips, of the breadth and shape to fit the channel between
the two beads on the other edge of the cover and make the interior flap previously
described double, so that it forms a sheath, and then I insert the gripping band
in this sheath, the band being now made of such breadth that its edges lie on
the top of the beads, and extend to their outside edges.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the constructions herein before described.
The same letters of reference indicate the corresponding parts in the various
figures. Throughout the figures A is the tyre and B the rim.
Fig. 1 represents the first described form of the tyre applied to a Dunlop-Welch
rim. In it a is the sheath formed in one edge of the cover, 6 the gripping band
sliding therein, c the bead formed on the free edge of the cover, and h a flat
ring of crimped wire forming a spring to operate the gripping band.
Fig. 2 represents the next form of the tyre applied to a crescent rim. In this
form the sheath a formed in one edge of the cover, contains a plano convex band b
with its two edges flattened to the thickness of the beads. d is the secondary bead,
provided to prevent, the other bead tilting the tyre, both beads being attached
to the same side of the cover, and both being more or less elastic and e is the stiff
flap, provided to prevent the free edge of the cover being pulled too far underneath
the tyre in placing it on the rim.
Fig. 3 represents the last described form of the tyre in which, in the place of
the sheath a and the gripping band b, shown in the other figures, an approxi-
mately flat flexible and more or less elastic bead f is formed within the edge
of the cover and in place of the stiff flap e, a double flap g is provided, which forms
a sheath in which the gripping band is placed. In this form of the tyre, as
the edges of the band extend over the beads, a broader band can be used, in
proportion to the breadth of the base of the tyre, than in the other forms, and
by it the tyres can consequently be made narrower in the base than they can con-
veniently be made by the other form of this construction. This form of the
tyre as made to suit the ordinary Dunlop-Welch rim of 1899 pattern, which is
considerably reduced in breadth, is too narrow in the base to be advantageously
applied to an ordinary crescent rim, but the same construction may be advan-
tageously applied to ordinary crescent rims, by simply making the base broader,
as may be required to fit the rim, without varying the construction of the parts.
Figs. 4, & 5 represent the form of the tyre in which the free edge j is stiffened
to a breadth corresponding to the breadth of the gripping band, Figure 4 showing
the tyre applied to a Dunlop section rim and Fig. 5 the tyre applied to a crescent

page_text: rim, this figure showing the roughening or circumferential ridges k k k k formed
as described on the adjacent surfaces of the overlapping edges of the cover. In
both figs. e is the stiff flap to prevent the free edge of the cover being pulled too
far under the tyre.
By reference to these illustrations the nature of the other modifications of
the tyres described will also be readily understood by those conversant with tyre
constructions, so that it is deemed superfluous to illustrate them further in detail.
In placing the tyres on the rim the cover (and inner tube, if used) should be
put together to form one structure with all the parts in their indicated positions
and the cover as a whole should then be sprung on to the rim. The spring
action of the gripping band will pull the cover down into the rim and care
should be taken to get the cover evenly seated on the rim before inflation.
I do not limit myself in all details to the precise constructions hereinbefore
described, or to the precise methods described for producing the tyres, as these
may be variously modified but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A detachable pneumatic tyre having in one edge of its cover a gripping
band and in or on the other edge of its cover a bead or beads or an extensible
stiffened edge the whole being constructed arranged and operating substantially
as herein before described and illustrated.
2. In combination with the detachable tyre claimed in Claim 1, an additional
flap at one edge of the cover substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
3. A detachable pneumatic tyre constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
4. A detachable pneumatic tyre constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
5. A detachable pneumatic tyre constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
6. A detachable pneumatic tyre constructed and operating substantially as
described and illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-first day of August 1899.
J. HUBBARD.