Improvements in and relating to Elastic Tires for Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Elastic Tires for Vehicles.
I, FRANK ELMER HALL, Manufacturer, residing at No. 64, Federal Street, in
the City of Boston, County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States
of America, 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 new and useful improvements in elastic tires and is
in the nature of an improvement of the tire disclosed in the Specification of
British Patent No. 11,246 of 1898, granted to Henry Harris Lake as communi-
cated by me.
The object of my invention is the production of a more practical form of tire
and to avoid defects and objectionable features in the well known continuous
rubber tire and also in the tire shown in my said patent; for instance, in the
continuous rubber tire in turning a corner there is a tendency to roll the tire off
the channel of the wheel, as the tire being in one continuous base with an
unbroken periphery it does not give as it would if the periphery of the tire was
in separate pieces because the material on to which the wheel is advancing is
turned out of its normal position by the part resting on the ground being turned
out of its position by the weight of the carriage.
In a continuous tire the carriage vibrates by the unevenness of the ground and
by horse motion, the tire having a continuous periphery continually imparts its
vibration to that part of the rubber next approaching the ground because said
rubber having a continuous periphery there is no way in which the tire can
expand and compress without affecting the rubber ahead of it and continually
imparting vibration to the carriage.
The tire disclosed in the patent previously mentioned is made up of a series of
sections of independent rubber which in practice in getting them close together
or in touching, leaves a very small flange to prevent the rubber from pulling out
of the perforated tire holder or clamping band. Therefore, to meet the objections
to the continuous tire previously mentioned and to the independent rubbers, I
have devised and constructed a tire hereinafter more fully explained, wherein
it is provided that the base of the tire may be continuous and the periphery made
in sections with spaces between sections of the periphery. This base may
be made continuous around the wheel or may be made in sections with two
or more wearing rubber sections or knobs for each base section and held down
by very narrow cross pieces so that the knobs could not pull out as they would
be connected under the cross piece. By making the tire in this manner with
two or more joined sections the spaces between the sections of the periphery
are reduced, thereby bringing the periphery of the tire very close together but
not making a continuous tire.
In a tire of the construction disclosed in this application the vibration
previously described as taking place in a continuous tire is avoided because only
one to three sections rest on the ground at one time and after vibrating the
wearing surface passes to sections of rubber that have not had this vibration'
imparted to them by the preceding rubber on account of the space between them
in the periphery which cuts off the vibration.

page_text: My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described and
particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my
invention.
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a wheel with my improved tire attached
thereto.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the tire holder.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a section of the tire.
Figure 4 is a section of the rim and tire, taken on the line X-X Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a section of a tire adapted for heavy work, and
showing a series of transversely and longitudinally located independent rubber
wearing sections.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.
Around the felly A. of the wheel is located the usual tire B which is shrunk
or otherwise secured to the felly. Upon the iron tire B is located the elastic
tire G having the reinforced base G and having end and side flanges and said
tire G is held in place on the tire B by the clamping band C provided with
downwardly extending flanges D adapted when the bars are in place to embrace
the sides or edges of the tire B, and the cross pieces I of the band C pass into
the spaces G3 between the sections or knobs F of the tire which project up through
the openings C¹ in the clamping band C.
In preparing the rubber tire G the sections or knobs of the periphery are first
made up separately, then they are placed in each cavity of the mould; the base G¹
being reinforced throughout its entire width and length by one or more layers
of cotton duck G or other suitable fabric material to make it rigid, is then
placed on top of the bottom of the sections and the mould being brought together
presses the base onto the sections and vulcanizes them all together. The object
of a continuous base for a series of knobs is to make the tire very much stronger
and to make it impossible to pull the sections up through the perforated clamp-
ing band.
It also allows for making the cross pieces of the clamping band
much narrower; with these narrow cross pieces if the sections were made
separately the flanges would not be wide enough to prevent them from pulling
up through the clamping band.
The bringing of the adjacent edges of the sections closer together (giving the
appearance of a continuous wearing surface to the tire) does away with the
vibration of a tire having an unbroken periphery. In an ordinary sized wheel
four or five sections of the base of this continuous tire are used, or it may be made
in one continuous strip..
Figure 5. is a plan of a section of a tire for heavy work and shows a broad
base G capable of carrying two or more wearing sections F in width as well
as longitudinally. The object in having two or three transverse strips is to
distribute the weight of the vehicle on the full width of the tire, whereas if there
is but one large rubber there is but one bearing point; if three strips of rubber
are used, as in Figure 5, there are three bearing points.
In this construction the clamping band C is provided with longitudinal pieces
which fit into the longitudinal spaces G' between the sections as well as with
the transverse cross pieces D¹ which fit into the spaces G².
The advantage of having a common base for any series of the sections or
knobs is to get the sections closer together, and the benefit of this is to get more
rubber in the width and length of the tire.
In the construction of the tire there is used a fabric either of cotton, silk, or a
similar material, which material being woven allows the rubber compound
during vulcanization to pass through and around the fibres of the fabric making
the fabric integral with the rubber, therchy stiffening the base of the tire so that
it cannot be pulled out through the apertures of the steel the holder and the
fabric will not separate from the upper portion of the base.
The object of using fabric in place of metal is to more effectually unite the

page_text: rubber through the meshes of the fabric, and make a more solid integral mass
than can be done by having perforations through a metal reinforcing plate,
as the rubber compound will not adhere to metal as strongly as to fabric material.
I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown as the same
may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.
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. In a tire for vehicles, a series of elastic knobs or. sections, a common base
for said series, a fabric material vulcanized to said base and integral therewith
for reinforcing and stiffening the same, and a clamping band adapted to engage
said base to hold the tire on the wheel.
2. In a tire for vehicles, a series of elastic knobs or sections, a common base
for said series provided with side flanges extending beyond said knobs or sections,
a fabric material vulcanized to said base and integral therewith for reinforcing
and stiffening the same, and a clamping band adapted to engage said flanges to
hold the tire on the wheel.
3. In a tire for vehicles, a series of elastic knobs or sections, a common base
for said series provided with side flanges extending beyond said knobs or sections,
a fabric material vulcanized to said base throughout its width and integral there-
with for reinforcing and stiffening the same, and a clamping band adapted to
engage said flanges to hold the tire on the wheel.
4. In a tire for vehicles, a series of clastic sections or knobs, a common base
for said series provided with side flanges extending beyond said sections or knobs
and with end flanges between said knobs or sections, a fabric material vulcanized
to said base throughout its width and length and integral therewith for reinforcing
and stiffening the same, and a clamping band adapted to engage said side and
end flanges to hold the tire on the wheel.
5. In a tire for vehicles, a series of elastic sections or knobs, a common base for
said series provided with side flanges extending beyond said sections or knobs
and with end flanges between the said knobs or sections, a fabric material
vulcanized to said base throughout its width and length and integral therewith
for reinforcing and stiffening the same, and a clamping band having cross
bars and adapted to engage said side and end flanges to hold the tire on the
wheel.
6. In a tire for vehicles, a series of longitudinally and transversely arranged
elastic sections or knobs, a common base for said series a fabric material vul-
canized to said base and integral therewith for reinforcing and stiffening the same,
and a clamping band adapted to engage said base to hold the tire on the wheel.
7. In a tire for vehicles, a series of longitudinally and transversely arranged
elastic sections or knobs, a common base for said series provided with side and end
flanges, a fabric material vulcanized to said base throughout its length and width
and integral therewith for reinforcing and stiffening the same, and a clamping
band adapted to engage said flanges to hold the tire on the wheel.
Dated the Fifteenth day of September 1800
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.