Improvements in the Rubber Tyres of Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 16th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Rubber Tyres of Velocipedes and other
Vehicles.
FRANK STANLEY WILLOUGHBY of 15 Cross Street Manchester Wine Merchant
and FREDERICK CHARLES LYNDE of 25 Cross Street Manchester Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
:-
Our invention consists of fixing a solid or nearly solid rubber tyre of smaller
diameter as an extra tyre to the outside of any larger rubber tyre whether inflated with
air or not, and so placed upon the largest periphery of the larger rubber tyre that
under ordinary conditions the extra rubber tyre only comes in contact with the ground.
The object of this extra smaller tyre being threefold.
Firstly. In the case of rubber tyres inflated with air, to minimise the risk of
perforation by stones or other obstructions on the road whilst retaining all the
advantages of the elasticity which such inflation gives.
Secondly. In the cases of inflated tyers or simply larger tyres to reduce the area of
contact with the ground whilst still retaining all the advantages of the elasticity which
the larger tyre whether inflated or not gives.
Thirdly. To enable the smaller outer tyre to be renewed from time to time as it wears
out without necessitating the renewal of the larger tyre.
It is obvious that the larger and smaller tyre might be joined together in the process
of manufacture. We may if found desirable embed a flexible metal ring about the
point of contact between the tyres for the purpose of auding support to the smaller
tyre and so prevent the tendency which it may have to lean over under pressure.
We do not confine ourselves to using one ring for this purpose as it will be obvious
that more than one may be applied.
Dated this 17th day of March 1890.
FRANK STANLEY WILLOUGHBY.
FREDERICK CHARLES LYNDE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Rubber Tyres of Velocipedes and other
Vehicles.
We FRANK STANLEY WILLOUGHBY Wine Merchant 15 Cross Street Manchester
and FREDERICK CHARLES LYNDE Civil Engineer 25 Cross Street Manchester 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:-
Our invention consists in improvements in the rubber tyres of velocipedes chiefly,
but is also applicable to the rubber tyres of other light vehicles such as perambulators
or bassinnettes, for the purpose of simplification we shall only speak of its application
to velocipedes in this Specification, whereby advantages obtained by the use of very
large rubber tyres particularly those known commercially as (1.) Pneumatic tyres
(2.) Cushion tyres are secured without the defects found in such tyres as ordinarily
constructed.
Before proceeding with a description of our invention we will briefly describe both
the pneumatic and cushion tyres, explain their respective advantages and point out
the defects in them when constructed as at present, this we believe will enable our
improvements to he more easily and better understood.
(1.) The pneumatic tyre is when finished substantially an elastic pipe or tube some
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page_text: war
2 or 3 inches in diameter placed round the velocipede wheel in lieu of an
ordinary solid rubber tyre, it is tightly inflated with air which can be renewed
from time to time through a small tube or other device containing a one
Inlet valve. Very special and costly precautions are taken in the manufacture of
this tyre to remove as far as possible the danger of perforation by reason of its
contact with sharp stones and other obstructions on the road. These precautions
consist chiefly in placing a layer or layers of canvas between layers of the rubber
chiefly on the side of the tube which goes on the ground.
The advantages of the pneumatic are as follows: (1.) Owing to the air cushion
round the wheel the vibration caused by inequalities in the road is thoroughly
absorbed. Consequently such vibration does not reach the velocipede rider. (2.)
Owing to the fact that the interior of the tyre is air, it is free to change its
location without friction and as the wheel revolves under the weight of the rider
a compression or flattening of the tyre takes place in front of the wheels point
of contact with the ground, this causes the air inside to rush round to the back
of the wheels point of contact with the ground where it assists the tyre to regain
its normal condition, the action and reaction being almost equal consequently that
objectionable and energetically considered wasteful attribute of all rubber tyred
wheels known as "riding up a hill" is largely obviated. It is this but little under-
stood fact which gives such an enormous superiority in point of speed to the
pneumatic over any other tyre.
The defects in the pneumatic tyre are (1.) Its cost, in a measure due to the special
precautions it is deemed necessary to take to guard against perforation (2.) On
muddy roads the stick and lick up are enormous owing to the very large area of tyre
which is always laid on the ground, it is scarcely an exaggeration to say that from
4 to 6 inches in length and from 1 to 2" in width is constantly in contact with the
ground.
The cushion tyre is substantially as follows: A large rubber tyre from one inch
to three inches in diameter with a small hole some of an inch in diameter run-
ning through the centre, this hole flattens or closes at about the area of the tyres
contact with the ground as the wheel revolves. The advantage of this tyre is
that owing to the large mass of rubber and the temporary flattening or closing of
the internal hole, the vibration caused by inequalities in the road is absorbed,
consequently such vibration does not reach the velocipede rider.
"
The defects in the cushion tyre are (1.) The objectionable and energetically
considered wasteful attribute of all rubber tyred wheels known as riding up a
bill is present in an intensified degree in this tyre, the larger the tyre the more
pronounced does this become. Such tyre being fast to the rim of the wheel, being
almost solid, its interior, unlike the pneumatic is not able to remove itself when
compressed or flattened in front of the wheels point of contact with the ground, to
the back of the wheels contact with the ground, action and reaction are not the same
and the rider is always climbing a hill. (2.) The objection raised with regard to the
pneumatic laying down a large surface on the ground also applies to the cushion
tyre though in a lesser degree.
Having now particularly described the advantages and defects present in Pneumatic
and cushion tyres we will proceed to show how by our invention we shall (1.) Retain
the advantages (2.) Minimise or entirely obviate the defects.
Taking the Pneumatic first, we, instead of making it when finished, practically a
round tube, mould it with a segment or semi-circular channel in its outer periphery
as shewn in the sectional drawing Fig. 1. And in order to assist it to retain the
special shape even when tightly inflated, and before our extra tyre A, hereinafter
described, is put on we make it thicker towards X. Y. Z. P. N. and we make it of
such varying thickness, as is necessary to best allow of the object we have in view.
Round this tyre and in the segment or semi-circular channel we place and firmly
secure an extra tyre of solid or nearly solid rubber A and we prefer to make the extra
tyre of much harder, or incompressable rubber. A modification of our invention is
when this extra tyre is formed in the original tyre. We however much prefer the

page_text: former plan, for one reason, on account of the facility it gives for the renewal of the
extra tyre as hereinafter named. Our object in forming a tyre as just described
is (1.) To only present to the road a tyre of hard solid rubber, the pneumatic portion
being well in the background, so by elevating it to remove from the pneumatic all
danger of perforation, consequently we can if desired dispense with the special and
costly precautions previously referred to, to guard against the danger of such
perforation, and the pneumatic portion of our tyre may be merely a specially moulded
rubber tube. (2.) By presenting an area to the ground no larger than an ordinary
velocipede tyre we very materially lessen the stick or lick up so objectionable with
ordinary pneumatic tyres. Our improvements however do not materially interfere
with the advantages claimed for the pneumatic tyre, these are retained although the
pneumatic is placed at the back of the solid tyre. (3.) By making the extra tyre of
harder or more incompressable rubber, we, without destroying the elasticity containe:
in the air cushion at the back, present a more unyielding substance to the road and
distribute the vibration caused by the roads inequalities over a much larger area of
the pneumatic surface and what little of that objectionable property known as riding
up a hill is present in the pneumatic is by our extra tyre further diminished.
Taking the cushion tyre we, instead of making it of the customary round section
with a small hole running through the centre of its entire length, mould it with a
segment or full semi-circular channel or groove in its outer periphery as shewn in
the sectional drawing Fig. 2. Y. Z. P and in lieu of forming the small hole above
named through the centre of the entire length we prefer to form it nearer to the tyres
inner periphery as shown at M in Fig. 2. Round this tyre and in the segment or semi-
circular channel we place and firmly secure an extra tyre of solid or nearly solid
rubber A and we prefer to make the extra tyre of much harder or incomprossable
rubber as we do not seek to obtain elasticity or cushioning from the extra tyre, this
we obtain from the cushion tyre in which it is partly embedded.
It is obvious that in this case also our extra tyre might be formed in the cushion
tyre in the process of manufacture. We however much prefer the former plan for one
reason on account of the facility it gives for the renewal of the extra tyre as herein-
after named.
Our object in forming a tyre as just described is (1.) To only present to the road,
a surface no larger than that of an ordinary velocipede wheel tyre, thereby obviating
the great stick or lick up present when travelling on muddy roads with an ordinary
cushion tyre:-(2.) To present to the road a hard comparatively unyielding tyre in
order that we may to a great extent if not entirely get rid of that objectionable
property common so all solid or nearly solid soft rubber tyres, and more pronounced
the larger the tyre is, known as riding up a hill. We have found that by belting a
cushion tyre in the way just described, it more nearly approaches a pneumatic in its
freedom from that objectionable and energetically considered, wasteful property just
named. Nevertheless we do not materially interfere with the soft cushioning action
of this tyre we still retain it though at the back of our extra tyre which distributes
the vibration, caused by inequalities in the roads surface, over a larger area of the
cushion tyres surface. A further advantage contained in our improvements and an
advantage which is common to both the pneumatic as well as to the cushion tyre is
that when the extra tyre A becomes cut or worn out it can easily and cheaply be
renewed without necessitating the renewal of the more costly pneumatic or cushion
tyre. Indeed it is obvious that, inasmuch as neither the pneumatic or the cushion como
themselves into contact with the road they will last as long as the nature of rubber
will allow.
We stated in our Provisional Specification that we may, if found desirable, imbed a
flexible metal ring about the area of contact between the tyres, for the purpose of
adding support to the smaller tyre, and so prevent the tendency it may have to lean
over under pressure.
When we deem it advisable to use a metal ring, we, in order to
obtain the flexibility alluded to, specially construct it as follows:-We take a long
length of metal wire or rod, preferably steel, of any section, such as round or square,
or any other section, but what we much prefer is metal of an oblong section,

page_text: dimensions three thirty seconds by th of an inch are very suitable, though we do
not confine ourselves to these dimensions. This metal we coil on a mandril some one
quarter to three eights of an inch in diameter and in the case where we use metal of
an oblong section we prefer to coil it on edge. We in this way form a close flexible
metal coil in appearance similar to a close spiral spring. Having formed a length
sufficient to about go round the outer periphery of the pneumatic or cushion tyre, we
hoop such length and firmly unite the two ends, thus forming a metal ring which
owing to its peculiar construction is very flexible about the circumference but rigid so
far as compression or flattening is concerned under any pressure it is likely to get
used for the purpose to which we apply it. Our reason for preferring to make these
flexible metal rings of metal of oblong section is that greater flexibility about the
circumference together with greater compressable rigidity is thereby obtained.
The drawing in section Fig. 3 taken in conjunction with the above description will
make this portion of our invention easily understood F. O. Y. Z is our flexible metal
ring. We sometimes place the supporting flexible ring nearly or quite in the centre
of our extra tyre as shown in Fig. 4,-B is our flexible metal ring and in this case
our extra tyre becomes a rubber tube round a flexible metal ring, and the flexible
metal ring in addition to the lateral support it affords materially assists us in making
our extra tyre compressably hard, without material interference to such extra tyro's
flexibility about the circumference, such hardness being so desirable as before
explained, to minimise the "riding up a hill" attribute of most rubber tyres.
As stated in our Provisional Specification we may use more than one Hexible metal
ring, for instance we may place one about the line where tyres unite, and we may
place another about the centre of the extra tyre.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the natnre of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be carried into practical effect we wish it to be
clearly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact design, details or
measurements described and illustrated herein as it is obvious that these might be
altered without departing from the spirit of the invention, for instance it is obvious
that the section of the extra tyre might instead of round section as we have shown in
our drawings and which we very much prefer, be of some other section, or the
flexible metal ring might be of a section otlier than round or more than one, cushion
hole might be made through the cushion tyre. horizonial to each other or the cushion
hole might be dispensed with altogether thus making the tyre a large solid one.
we do claim however is
What
The addition to and combination with any pneumatic, or cushion tyre, of an extra
tyre of rubber or similar substance preferably harder than the original tyre such extra
tyre being attached to or combined with the pneumatic, or cushion tyre about their
outer periphery substantially in the manner described in this Specification and
shown in the sectional drawings attached, and for the purposes and objects described
in this Specification.
Such extra tyre being either with or without a flexible metal ring or rings as herein
described, and illustrated.
Where we use such metal ring or rings, we claim them substantially as described
for the purpose chiefly of giving the tyre lateral support without material interference
with the tyre's flexibility about the circumference.
Dated this 11th day of December 1890.
FRANK STANLEY WILLOUGHBY.
FREDERICK CHARLES LYNDE.