Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1886
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1886-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1887
I GEORGE HOOKHAM of Nos. 7 and 8 New Bartholomew Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to
be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide an india rubber tyre for velocipedes and
other wheeled vehicles which can be sprung into its place in the concave metallic rim
of the wheel without injuriously stretching it and which when in position will clasp
the said rim so tightly as to render it unnecessary to use cement for the purpose of
fixing it.
•
My said invention consists mainly of the introduction of a steel or other strong
metallic core into the axis (preferably) of the india rubber tyre. This core consists of
a plain wire or band which extends through the greater part but not the whole of the
length of the tyre the ends of the wire being connected by a helical spring I prefer to
make the elastic part of the tyre from six to twelve inches in length and I have found
in practice that steel wire one sixteenth of an inch in diameter answers well but I do
not limit myself to any particular proportions in the relative lengths of the plain wire
and helical spring nor do I limit myself to any particular size of wire.
A tyre thus made is incapable of stretching longitudinally through the greater part
of its length but is capable of elongating at that part containing the helical spring.
The tyre in its normal or unstretched condition is of somewhat less diameter than
the metallic rim of the wheel to which it is to be fitted. In order to elongate or
stretch the tyre at this part it is necessary to apply a pressure in excess of the
combined resistances of the india rubber at that part and the contained helical spring.
In putting the tyre in its place in the concave rim of the wheel that part of the tyre
containing the plain wire is laid in the groove or concave part of the rim and the
elastic part is then stretched by hand until it is sufficiently lengthened to permit it to
pass over the edge of the rim into the trough of the rim. The elastic part of the tyre
D

page_text: then contracts into the rim and the tyre is held in its place by the combined tension
of the coiled spring and the india rubber at the part containing the spring.
Instead of using a plain wire or band for the axial core of the india rubber tyre
chain or twisted strands of fine wire or of vegetable fibre may be used. The flexibility
of chain or twisted fine wire and vegetable fibre affords great convenience in packing
the tyres.
The coiled spring may be omitted altogether the india rubber being solid that is
without an axial hole at the part which in the arrangement first described contains the
coiled spring. In this case the india rubber tyre is inelastic in the direction of its
length excepting at the part unoccupied by the wire and in fitting the tyre in the rim
the whole of the required stretching is thrown on the solid part of the tyre. The tyre
in this case is fixed much more securely by contraction than an ordinary tyre but it
may be desirable in this case for greater security to use cement.
Instead of making only one part of the metallic core of the tyre elastic the required
limited elasticity may be distributed through the whole length of the core.
This may
be effected by using for the core a helix of steel or other wire drawn out longitudinally
to several times the length of the original compact helix first made. Or instead of an
elongated helix a crimped or zig-zag wire or strip of metal drawn out may be
employed.

page_text: Improvements in or Additions to the India Rubber Tyres of
Velocipedes and other Wheeled Vehicles.
I GEORGE HOOKHAм of Nos. 7 and 8 New Bartholomew Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention has for its object to provide an india rubber tyre for velocipedes and
other wheeled vehicles which can be sprung into its place in the concave metallic rim
of the wheel without injuriously stretching it and which when in position will clasp
the said rim so tightly as to render it unnecessary to use cement for the purpose of
fixing it.
My said invention consists of the introduction of a steel or other strong metallic
core of the kinds hereinafter described into the axis (preferably) of the india rubber
tyre and through the whole length of the said tyre so that a limited elasticity is
distributed through the whole length of the core. The metallic elastic core which I
use consists either of a helix of steel or other hard and elastic wire drawn out
longitudinally to several times the length of the original compact helix first made or
of a crimped or zig-zag or undulated strip of metal drawn out or of a wire having a
crimped undulated or zig-zag figure.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation drawn to a large
scale a helix of steel or other hard and elastic wire drawn out longitudinally to form
an elastic core and Figure 2 represents partly in side elevation and partly in
longitudinal section and in cross section the said core of the full size applied to the
india rubber tyre of a wheel.
a is the drawn out helix of steel or other wire constituting the elastic metallic core
and b is the india rubber tyre the said core a being embedded in the axis of the tyre
during the manufacture of the said tyre.
In order to prevent the elastic metallic core from cutting the tyre the interior of
the drawn out helix is filled with a strand of hemp or other fibrous material as
represented at c the said fibrous strand being connected to the drawn out helix by
Or instead of a fibrous strand
coiling as will be understood by reference to Figure 1.
a strip or cord of hard india rubber may be employed. The drawn out helix or
core a may however be used without the fibrous strand or strip of hard india rubber
being coiled upon it. In this case the interior of the drawn out helix is wholly or
partially filled with india rubber during the manufacture of the tyre.
An elastic metallic core of either of the kinds described and represented extends
through the whole length of the tyre 6 the ends of the metallic core being hooked or
otherwise joined together before being introduced into the mould in which the tyre is
made.
In putting the tyre in its place in the concave rim of the wheel a portion of the
tyre is laid in the groove or trough of the rim and the tyre is then stretched by hand

page_text: until it is sufficiently lengthened to permit it to pass over the edge of the rim into the
trough of the rim. The elastic tyre then contracts into the rim and the tyre is held in
its place mainly by the tension of the elastic metallic core a.
In place of the longitudinally drawn out helix represented in Figures 1 and 2 the
drawn out crimped or zig-zag strip of steel or other elastic metal represented in
Figure 3 may be employed to form the elastic core of the tyre. Figure 4 represents
the drawn out crimped or zig-zag strip Figure 3 applied to the tyre the india rubber
tyre being marked b and the elastic metallic core d. In place of the crimped strip of
steel an undulated or corrugated strip may be employed with like effect. Or a drawn
out crimped or zig-zag wire of steel or other elastic metal as represented in Figure 5 or
an undulated steel or other elastic wire as represented in Figure 6 may be used for
the elastic core in place of the drawn out belix Figures 1 and 2 or the drawn out
crimped or zig-zag strip Figures 3 and 4 or the undulated or corrugated strip
described.
The elastic metallic cores Figures 3 4. 5 and 6 are introduced into the axis of the
india rubber tyre through its whole length and their action is the same as that of the
elastic metallic core herein first described and represented in Figures 1 and 2.
I am aware of Barrett & Varley's patent No. 4812 of 1885 and I do not claim the
manufacture and use of elastic wheel tyres having flat cores of metal or other suitable
material as thereiu described and claimed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
the manner of performing the same I declare that I claim as my invention of
"Improvements in or additions to the india rubber tyres of velocipedes and other
wheeled vehicles":―
The introduction into the axis (preferably) of the india rubber tyre and extending
through the whole length of the tyre of an elastic metallic core consisting either of a
longitudinally drawn out helix of steel or other strong and elastic wire or of a
longitudinally drawn out crimped or zig-zag or undulated or corrugated strip of metal
or of a wire having a crimped zig zag or undulated figure substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: FIC.D.