Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1897
A communication by CHARLES ALBERT HUSSEY, of New York, in the County
and State of New York, United States of America.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 primary principle of this invention relates to a hollow tire more
particularly adapted for bicycles in which tho feature of compressed air is
eliminated and the same desirable results obtained by other means ns will be
explained.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the improved tire, showing the
parts assembled and in position on the rim of a bicycle.
Figuro 2 is a similar view with the outer envelope of the tire removed to disclose
the interior parts.
Figure 3 represents a side elevation of a wheel made in conformity with the
present invention, a part of the exterior surface of said wheel being broken away
in order to disclose the interior working parts.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary or detail view of the interior skeleton, said detail
being in longitudinal section.
Figure 5 is a cross section of the parts assembled showing also the manner of
Becuring the parte together.
Figure 6 is a cross section of the interior skeleton, separate.
Figure 7 is a cross section of the exterior envelope, also separate.
In these drawings, A represents a series of formers or supporters formed of
spring steel, said steel being about ten one-thousandths of an inch in thickness
to give the best result, and being constructed in the shape shown in the drawings,
the parts B, B curving inwardly and terminating in points C, C, exposing thereby
a V-shaped opening or inset, facing the tread or periphery of the wheel. These
formers or supporters are about one inch in width and are secured one to the
other in continuous circular series by means of a rubber or other elastic band or
strap D fastened by means of rivets E, or otherwise. They are located about
one-eighth of an inch apart and so arranged as that when in operation one will not
encroach upon the territory of its neighbour. The object of the rubber band is to
hold the formers at a given distance apart and prevent them crowding together, and
also to permit the tire to expand over the rim and by its tension to assist in holding
the tire around the rim.
An envelope or hollow tire F is also provided made preferably of rubber and
having a continuous opening at G so as to permit the parts being easily assembled.
At H is provided a wedge, cone, or V-shaped extension upon the interior of the
tire formed preferably of rubber integrally with the tire and perfectly solid.
For securing the rubber tire around the spring steel skeleton a cord J is

page_text: employed which is Inced in and out, drawing the edges of the tire towards each
other, and holding them in a central position as shown in Figure 5.
When the parts of the tire are assembled they are placed over the rim K, as
shown in Figures. 1, 2 and 3.
It will also be seen from Figures 1 and 5 that the wedge-shaped extension H
fits into the complementary opening formed by the insetting ends of the supporters
or formers A, the result being that the thick portion of the envelope is constantly
kept at the central and most used portion of the tread so that tendency to puncture
at this point will be offset by the resistauce which the thickness of the envelope
gives. The arrangement of the formers or supporters, bent inwardly as shown
and described, and having the curved shoulders, affords additional menos for
centralizing the V-shaped extension H permitting and compelling a balance
between the complementary shoulders of the formers through the medium of said
V-shaped extension. The parts thus constructed and assembled will maintain a
balance each with the others at all times and the connected series of formers or
supporters sustained at regulated distances apart, will secure an equilibrium of
peripheral resiliency impossible in the pneumatic tire.
In the employment of this wheel, also, it is noticeable that the wedge-shaped
structuro H not ouly affords a resistance to puncturing but, by reason of its
resting ou the shoulders of the former, the tendency to compression is constantly
resisted by the contractile efforts of the spring formers.
The tendency in the employment of this tire will be that the wedge-shaped
extension will operate to expaud the ends of the spring formers and the rubber
tire or envelope will tend to draw the same together; there will thus he a
balance maintained and the result will, to a certain extent, simulate the action of a
pneumatic tire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said iuven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a hollow tire for bicycles or other vehicles, the combination of a series of
spring formers or supporters constructed and arranged substantially as shown and
described and connected to each other by an elastic band and an envelope or cover
baving a wedge-shaped extension immediately inside and contiguous to the tread
and arranged in connection with the spring former, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2. lu a hollow tire for bicycles or other vehicles, a series of spring steel formers
or supporters arranged a slight distance one from the other and connected in a
series by an elastic band as shown, said formers being divided at points opposite
the central point of the tread and having inwardly curved and wedge-shaped
shoulders, with a rubber envelope or cover secured around the formers and having
a complementary wedge-shaped portion, all arranged substantially as shown and
described.
Dated this 16th day of November 1896
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.