Improvements in Pneumatic Tires and Rims therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1900-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tires and Rims therefor.
I, LOUIS DE FRANKLIN MUNGER, of 46, Cedar Street, in the City of New York,
County of New York, State of New York, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tires and rims therefor,
its object being to provide a non-collapsible, pneumatic tire and an improved
means of attachment of the same to the wheel felly, especially designed for use
on traction wheels of automobile vehicles.
To this end my invention consists essentially in providing an ordinary
pneumatic tire, substantially circular in cross section, with interiorly oppositely
disposed buffer ribs or cushions, one adjacent the tread of the tire, and the
other adjacent the rim. These buffer ribs are of such dimensions and shape and
so positioned, that the tire is protected against collapse by reason of excessive
load or deflation, the ribs being brought into contact under such circumstances
and automatically forming thereby a cushion tire. The conformation of the
meeting faces of the ribs is such as to cause them to interlock and prevent
lateral displacement of one upon the other, and of consequent lateral distortion
of the tire, as would be the case if the ribs slipped out of engagement with each
other, permitting the tire to collapse, which could readily occur when the vehicle
is turning a corner or travelling upon a lateral incline. The preferred form
in cross section of the ribs, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which
one is provided with a V-shaped groove, and the other with a correspondingly
shaped tenon to fit the same. If desired however, such interlocking and engag-
ing means may be made of other form or may be dispensed with.
My invention further consists in providing an annular metallic rim or bed
for the tire to which all the meeting surface of the tire is permanently vul-
canized.
This rim or bed is fitted to slip upon the wheel felly and be thereon detachably
secured, the rim thus being made a permanent part of the tire itself and
attached to and detached from the wheel with it and while in a state of
inflation.
The accompanying drawings forming part of this specification show my im-
proved tire and its connections with the wheel felly, all in cross section.
The tire A is made up of a compound structure, consisting of an exterior
layer or tread 2 of rubber, layers of fabric or cloth 3, inner air tube 4, buffer
ribs 5 and 6, and supplementary inner air tube 7, which covers the inner surface
of buffer rib 5, and has its edges vulcanized upon the tube 4, thus forming a
further protection against leakage from any rupture or puncture through the
tread of the tire. The upper tread 5 is V-shaped or it may be rounded or of
other suitable form that will give it a central depending ridge and side walls.
The base buffer rib 6 has a conversely shaped groove to receive the tread buffer
so that the latter will enter the base buffer and be interlocked therewith so as

page_text: to prevent lateral displacement of the buffers and distortion of the tire. Between
and around the buffer are air spaces which extend to the air tube at the edges
of the side walls of the tire and between said buffers and side walls are sub-
stantially elliptical in form. The outer wall of each air space is thus parallel
for its whole length with the outer periphery of the tire and the centre of the
elliptical spaces is slightly above the centre of the tire, so that when the tire
is depressed and the buffers are in contact these centres will coincide. By
these features when the buffers are pressed into contact the side walls of the
tire will be bent in a perfect curve and the side spaces into substantially circular
form. The shape and size of these air spaces will give practically the same
effect as the air space in an ordinary pneumatic tire when the central tread
is depressed and elliptical air cushions formed on either side thereof. Hence it
will be seen that the buffers will not destroy the cushioning power of the air
but the resiliency and buoyancy of the ordinary pneumatic tire will be retained.
My invention therefore, consists essentially of improvements in a pneumatic tire
and differs materially from those cushion tires in which a small interior hole
is provided to give greater resiliency to the tire, as the spaces in the latter
are provided to enable the tire to yield and collapse while the spaces in my
tire are provided to contain air under pressure by means of which the too ready
yielding of the tire is prevented and which spaces correspond to the air space
of an ordinary pneumatic tire. My tire differs however from the ordinary
pneumatic tire in providing by the addition of the buffer a thickened tread
surface which will not flatten out to as great a degree and will therefore offer
less frictional resistance to the ground. The buffers 5 and 6 are made integral
with the tire as hereinafter described.
The rim B is made up of the concave annular ring 8 conforming to the curva-
ture or shape of the inner periphery of the tire and to which the latter is per-
manently vulcanized. The edges of the ring 8 are out-turned to embrace a
strengthening wire 9, the tire being preferably provided with soft rubber shoulders
or ribs 10, lying over the edges of the ring 8, and vulcanized thereto. These
ribs strengthen the connection in case of lateral strain and tend to prevent
breaking away of the tire from the rim and resultant chafing. In order to fit
the rim to the felly, I preferably attach to the ring 8 another sheet metal
ring 11, shaped to the periphery of the felly 12, and with its edges turned over
the wire 9 inside of the rolled edges of the ring 8, the rings being braised
together at their points of contact, if desired, to make the connection more
secure, as along their medial line. The ring 11 is seated upon the steel tire 13,
upon the face of the felly 12, which tire is slightly bevelled or inclined as shown,
whereby the tire can be readily slipped on and off the wheel. I provide the
wheel felly with a series of transverse, interiorly threaded tubes or sleeves 14,
anchored in place by means of wood screws 15, which serve also to hold in
place the steel tire 13. 16 is an annular clamping ring permanently attached
to the inner or body side of the wheel by means of the bolts 17 threaded into
the sleeves 14; the ring 16 also has studs 18 permanently secured thereto and
adapted to enter holes or sockets in the rim B. On the outer side of the wheel,
I arrange a smaller clamping ring 19, adapted to be slipped upon the wheel
after the tire is in place, and to be held thereon by means of bolts 17 (not shown
on the outer side) threaded into alternating sleeves 14, and to be removed from
the wheel by a series of backing-off bolts 20, alternating with the bolts 17, and
having shoulders 21 engaging the inner faces of the ring 19, whereby the
bolts 20, on being unscrewed will carry the ring 19 off from the wheel.
ring 19 is secured to the wheel rim B by means of bolts or screws 22, so that
when the annular ring 19 is drawn off from the wheel by means of the back-
ing-off screws 20, the tire and rim are drawn off with it.
The
The operations of attaching and detaching the tire are obvious from the
foregoing description.
The bolts 20 are screwed home into their respective sleeves, the annular

page_text: ring 19 is then applied and secured to the rim by means of the screws or bolts 22,
and the whole then driven into place by means of the bolts 17 alternating with
the bolts 20. In removing the tire, the bolts 17 are first removed, and then
unscrewing the bolts 20 the ring 19 and the connecting rim B and tire A are
drawn off the felly.
My invention is especially adapted to a pneumatic tire in contradistinction
to a cushion tire, and must have on its inner periphery the air tight lining
referred to which is composed of about ninety-five per cent. of pure rubber and
this inner lining in my tire must be formed on and substantially as an integral
part of the tire itself in order to maintain a rigid connection of the buffers and
tire and hold them in rigid relative position so as to prevent collapsing and
distortion of the tire and prevent the buffers from sliding over and crushing
down within the spaces around the buffers, and the spaces on the sides of the
buffer must extend to the inner edges of the tire in order to maintain at all
times air spaces around the buffers.
My invention is not limited to the particular form of buffers herein shown and
described, as buffers with different means for engaging or interlocking or with-
out such means and having merely plain, flat meeting faces may be employed
without departing from the scope of my invention.
The dotted lines in the drawing illustrate the distortion of the tire when by
reason of overload or deflation of the tire the buffer ribs are brought into
contact and serve the function of a solid rubber or cushion tire.
The tapered fit of rim and felly and the arrangement of clamping and remov-
ing bolts enable the tire to be easily attached and detached in a few minutes,
merely with the aid of an ordinary wrench and while keeping the tire inflated.
In use with an ordinary or light load, the tire acts as a simple pneumatic tire.
In case, however, of excessive load or a partial deflation of the tire, the buffer 5,
becomes seated upon and engages with the buffer 6, opposite the bearing point
of the wheel upon the pavement, and the tire is thus prevented from entirely
collapsing or receiving injury by lateral distortion.
LOUIS DE F. MUNGER.
W. P. Thompson & Co.,
Agents.
Improvements in Preumatic Tires and Rims therefor.
I, LOUIS DE FRANKLIN MUNGER, of 46, Cedar Street, in the City of New York,
County of New York, State of New York, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tires and rims therefor,
its object being to provide a non-collapsible, pneumatic tire and an improved
means of attachment of the same to the wheel felly, especially designed for use
on traction wheels of automobile vehicles.
To this end my invention consists essentially in providing an ordinary
pneumatic tire, substantially circular in cross section, with interiorly oppositely
disposed buffer ribs or cushions, one adjacent the tread of the tire, and the
other adjacent the rim. These buffer ribs are of such dimensions and shape and
so positioned, that the tire is protected against collapse by reason of excessive

page_text: load or deflation, the ribs being brought into contact under such circumstances
and automatically forming thereby a cushion tire. The conformation of the
meeting faces of the ribs is such as to cause them to interlock and prevent
lateral displacement of one upon the other, and of consequent lateral distortion
of the tire, as would be the case if the ribs slipped out of engagement with each
other, permitting the tire to collapse, which could readily occur when the vehicle
is turning a corner or travelling upon a lateral incline. The preferred form in cross
section of the ribs, is shown in the drawings accompanying the Provisional Speci-
fication, in which one is provided with a V-shaped groove, and the other with a
correspondingly shaped tenon to fit the same. If desired, however, such inter-
locking and engaging means may be made of other form or may be dispensed with.
My invention further consists in providing an annular metallic rim or bed
for the tire to which all the meeting surface of the tire is permanently vul-
canised.
This rim or bed is fitted to slip upon the wheel felly and be thereon detachably
secured, the rim thus being made a permanent part of the tire itself and
attached to and detached from the wheel with it and while in a state of
inflation.
The drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification show my improved
proved tire and its connections with the wheel felly, all in cross section.
The tire A is made up of a compound structure, consisting of an exterior
layer or tread 2 of rubber, layers of fabric or cloth 3, inner air tube 4, buffer
ribs 5 and 6, and supplementary inner air tube 7, which covers the inner surface
of buffer rib 5, and has its edges vulcanised upon the tube 4, thus forming a
further protection against leakage from any rupture or puncture through the
tread of the tire. The upper tread 5 is V-shaped or it may be rounded or of
other suitable form that will give it a central depending ridge and side walls.
The base buffer rib 6 has a conversely shaped groove to receive the tread buffer
so that the latter will enter the base buffer and be interlocked therewith so as
to prevent lateral displacement of the buffers and distortion of the tire. Between
and around the buffer are air spaces which extend to the air tube at the edges
of the side walls of the tire and between said buffers and side walls are sub-
stantially elliptical in form. The outer wall of each air space is thus parallel
for its whole length with the outer periphery of the tire and the centre of the
elliptical spaces is slightly above the centre of the tire, so that when the tire
is depressed and the buffers are in contact these centres will coincide. By
these features when the buffers are pressed into contact the side walls of the
tire will be bent in a perfect curve and the side spaces into substantially circular
form. The shape and size of these air spaces will give practically the same
effect as the air space in an ordinary pneumatic tire when the central tread surface
is depressed and elliptical air cushions formed on either side thereof. Hence it
will be seen that the buffers will not destroy the cushioning power of the air
but the resiliency and buoyancy of the ordinary pneumatic tire will be retained.
My invention therefore, consists essentially of improvements in a pneumatic tire
and differs materially from those cushion tires in which a small interior hole
is provided to give greater resiliency to the tire, as the spaces in the latter
are provided to enable the tire to yield and collapse while the spaces in my
tire are provided to contain air under pressure by means of which the too ready
vielding of the tire is prevented and which spaces correspond to the air space
of an ordinary pneumatic tire. My fire differs however from the ordinary
pneumatic tire in providing by the addition of the buffer a thickened tread
surface which will not flatten out to as great a degree and will therefore offer
less frictional resistance to the ground. The buffers 5 and 6 are made integral
with the tire as hereinafter described.
The rim B is made up of the concave annular ring 8 conforming to the curva-
ture or shape of the inner periphery of the tire and to which the latter is per-
manently vulcanised. The edges of the ring & are out-turned to embrace a

page_text: strengthening wire 9, the tire being preferably provided with soft rubber shoulders
or ribs 10, lying over the edges of the ring S, and vulcanised thereto. These
ribs strengthen the connection in case of lateral strain and tend to prevent
breaking away of the tire from the rim and resultant chafing. In order to fit
the rim to the felly, I preferably attach to the ring 8 another sheet metal
ring 11, shaped to the periphery of the felly 12, and with its edges turned over
the wire 9 inside of the rolled edges of the ring 8, the rings being braised
together at their points of contact, if desired, to make the connection more
secure, as along their medial line. The ring 11 is seated upon the steel tire 13,
upon the face of the felly 12, which tire is slightly bevelled or inclined as shown,
whereby the tire can be readily slipped on and off the wheel. I provide the
wheel felly with a series of transverse, interiorly threaded tubes or sleeves 14,
anchored in place by means of wood screws 15, which serve also to hold in
place the steel tire 13. 16 is an annular clamping ring permanently attached
to the inner or body side of the wheel by means of the bolts 17 threaded into
the sleeves 14; the ring 16 also has studs 18 permanently secured thereto and
adapted to enter holes or sockets in the rim B. On the outer side of the wheel,
I arrange a smaller clamping ring 19, adapted to be slipped upon the wheel
after the tire is in place, and to be held thereon by means of bolts 17 (not shown
on the outer side) threaded into alternating sleeves 14, and to he removed from
the wheel by a series of backing-off bolts 20, alternating with the bolts 17, and
having shoulders 21 engaging the inner faces of the ring 19, whereby the
holts 20, on being unscrewed will carry the ring 19 off from the wheel. The
ring 19 is secured to the wheel rim B by means of bolts or screws 22, so that
when the annular ring 19 is drawn off from the wheel by means of the back-
ing-off screws 20, the tire and rim are drawn off with it.
The operations of attaching and detaching the tire are obvious from the
foregoing description.
The bolts 20 are screwed home into their respective sleeves, the annular
ring 19 is then applied and secured to the rim by means of the screws or bolts 22,
and the whole then driven into place by means of the bolts 17 alternating with
the bolts 20. In removing the tire, the bolts 17 are first removed, and then
unscrewing the bolts 20 the ring 19 and the connecting rim B and tire A are
drawn off the felly.
My invention is especially adapted to a pneumatic tire in contradistinction
to a cushion tire, and must have on its inner periphery the air tight lining
referred to which is composed of about ninety-five per cent. of pure rubber and
this inner lining in my tire must be formed on and substantially as integral
part of the tire itself in order to maintain a rigid connection of the buffers and
tire and hold them in rigid relative position so as to prevent collapsing and
distortion of the tire and prevent the buffers from sliding over and crushing
down within the spaces around the buffers, and the spaces on the sides of the
buffers must extend to the inner edges of the tire in order to maintain at all
times air spaces around the buffers.
My invention is not limited to the particular form of buffers herein shown and
described, as buffers with different means for engaging or interlocking or with-
out such means and having merely plain, flat meeting faces may be employed
without departing from the scope of my invention.
The dotted lines in the drawing illustrate the distortion of the tire when by
reason of overload or deflation of the tire the buffer ribs are brought into
contact and serve the function of a solid rubber or cushion tire.
The tapered fit of rim and felly and the arrangement of clamping and remov-
ing bolts enable the tire to be easily attached and detached in a few minutes.
merely with the aid of an ordinary wrench and while keeping the tire inflated.
In use with an ordinary or light load, the tire acts as a simple pneumatic tire.
In case, however; of excessive load or a partial deflation of the tire, the buffer 5,
becomes seated upon and engages with the buffer 6, opposite the bearing point

page_text: of the wheel upon the pavement, and the tire is thus prevented from entirely
collapsing or receiving injury by lateral distortion.
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 pneumatic non-collapsible, cylindrical, continuous tire provided with
interior buffers on the inner periphery of the air-tube, one buffer adjacent to
the tread of the tire and the other directly opposite thereto, and air-spaces
between and on both sides of said buffers extending entirely across the tire to
the air-tube, substantially as described.
2. A pneumatic continuous tire circular in cross-section provided with an
air-tube and interior buffers, one being adjacent to the tread of the tire and
the other adjacent to the rim, said buffers made integral with the said tube or
inner lining of the tire, substantially as described.
3. A combined pneumatic and cushion tire, comprising an outer tube, its
impervious lining, a pair of cushion-ribs arranged within the same, one adjacent
the tread and the other adjacent the wheel-rim and having parallel adjacent
faces, and an impervious lining or coating covering the inner surface of the
outer rib and joined to the lining of the tube, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
4. A non-collapsible pneumatic tire, circular in cross-section, provided with
interiorly, oppositely-disposed surfaces formed on the inner periphery of the
tire with air spaces between and around them and extending entirely across the
tire to the air-tube, said surfaces provided with means to engage and interlock
whereby collapsing, and lateral distortion of the tire are prevented, substantially
as described.
5. A pneumatic tire circular in cross-section provided with interiorly
oppositely-disposed ribs, said ribs having interlocking meeting faces, and air-
spaces on both sides of said ribs extending entirely across the tire to the air-
tube, whereby when the said ribs engage the lateral displacement of the
same and distortion of the tire are prevented, substantially as described..
6. A pneumatic tire provided with a buffer-ridge on the interior of its tread
surface, and an interior groove in the tire opposite said ridge and corre-
spondingly shaped to receive the same on the deflation of the tire or under
excessive pressure thereon to thereby prevent the collapse of the tire and limit
the inward depression of the tread, and air-spaces on both sides of said buffer-
ridge and extending entirely across the tire to the air-tube substantially as
described.
7. As an improved article of manufacture, a tire of the class described, having
an annular metallic ring conforming to its inner periphery, and with all its
contacting surface permanently vulcanised thereto, the ribs or shoulders upon
the tire overlapping and vulcanised to the edges of the rim, the strengthening-
wire in the rim edges, and the annular ring conforming to the face of the wheel-
felly and fitted thereto and permanently attached to the ring vulcanised to the
tire, and adapted to be detachably connected to the wheel.
S. A tire of the class described, in combination with a metallic ring con-
forming to its inner periphery and having its entire contacting surfaces vul-
canised thereto, strengthening-wire included in the edges of the ring, the ribs
upon the tire overlapping and vulcanised upon the edges of said ring, the
annular ring conforming to the face of the wheel-felly and permanently secured
to said first-named ring, annular clamping rings upon the sides of the felly,
engaging and securing in place the rings attached to the tire.
surface of said felly and rim tapered, means for fastening said rim to the felly
9. In combination with a tire. a felly. a detachable tire-rim, means for fasten-
ing said rim to the felly consisting of clamping-bolts and removing-bolts having
shoulders interior the ring substantially as described.

page_text: 10. In combination with a tire, a felly, a detachable tire-rim, contacting
surface of said felly and rim tapered, means for fastening said rim to the felly
consisting of clamping-bolts and removing-bolts having shoulders interior the
ring, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of Tul, 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.