An Improved Spring Tyre for the Wheels of Velocipedes and other Road Carriages.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1897-Accepted, 10th July 1897.
TRUVIDIONAL
An Improved Spring Tyre for the Wheels of Velocipedes and other
Road Carriages.
I THOMAS ROWLAND of Market Buildings Pontypridd in the County of Glamorgan
South Wales Architect do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a spring tyre for use on and with the
wheels of velocipedes and other road carriages that shall be simple in construction
that can very easily and quickly be fitted on and removed from such wheels
and that can be extremely resilient and therefore easy and comfortable in
use.
same.
To carry out this object I take a flat piece of a suitable material that has the
desired resiliency preferably perhaps of metal and especially steel and this piece is
of the required length having regard to the diameter of the wheel whereon it is to
be placed and of any suitable breadth and of a thickness proper to produce the
desired resiliency and at the same time to support the weight of the velocipede
or other carriage wherewith it is to be used and of the rider or riders on or in the
This piece is then by stamping or cutting or otherwise formed and created
of the following shape and plan. A continuous longitudinally central ribbon of the
desired breadth is created wherefrom as from a backbone extend on both sides a
number of arins of the desired breadth and these arms so extend at right angles or
thereabouts to the central ribbon and are so created at any desired intervals in the
length of such ribbon and are preferably arranged in an alternate manner on both
sides of the ribbon that is to say the one arm on the one side of the ribbon is
opposite to an interval between two adjacent arms on the other side of the ribbon
and the end of each arm is most conveniently enlarged in plan so much as may be
desired.
This piece so created and formed constitutes my spring tyre and it is fitted to
and arranged for and on the wheel in the following manner according to one and
perhaps the best and most efficient style.
The central ribbon is passed round the outer surface or periphery of the felloe
of the wheel any soft or other material being if desired interposed and when this
ribbon has been drawn sufficiently tightly round and on the felloe it is there secured
in any convenient and ordinary manner. For example the ends of the ribbon may
be connected together or they may be passed through holes or slots in the felloe and
be secured on the inner periphery thereof. Each arm is curved and bent
outwardly from the felloe and caused in elevation to assume a shape somewhat
similiar to that of an S and all the arms on the one side of the central ribbon
are of the same shape in elevation while all the arins on the other side of the
central ribbon are likewise of the same shape in elevation but are reversed
The ends of these two series of
or opposed to those on the former side.
spring arins being duly enlarged therefor and if and when desired connected together
may form the outer periphery of this spring tyre which will come in contact with

page_text: the ground but it inay and perhaps generally will be most convenient to surround
the same with a preferably endless band. This band can be made of light metal
or other suitable material perhaps preferably solid india rubber of any desired section
and the ends of the spring arms can be duly bent and formed to clasp and hold
the particular band.
According to another style of fitment and arrangement a certain number of the
spring arms on each side of the central ribbon say each alternate one are curved and
bent inwardly from the ribbon while the other spring arms are curved and bent
outwardly from the ribbon as aforesaid but each of these arms does not assume an
entire shape in elevation but only a part of the same in such wise that the required
Sshape that affords the desired resiliency is produced by an outside arm the section
of the central ribbon and an inside arm. In this arrangement the ends of the inside
series of arms will bear against the outer periphery of the felloe the ribbon being
maintained by these arms a certain distance off the same and when this ribbon has
been properly strained round the wheel preferably to put a certain compression on
the inner series of spring arms the ends thereof could be secured as aforesaid. In
this case also the ends of all the arms inside the ribbon or of such and so many thereof
as may be desired could be secured on the outer periphery of the felloe. The ends
of the outside series of arms are treated and formed as aforesaid to constitute the
outer periphery of this spring tyre according to this modification or to clasp and
hold the metal india rubber or other band that forms the same in manner
aforesaid.
Although this spring tyre is preferably made from and by one piece of material
it can also be made from and by more than one piece of material which would
be connected or attached together in any usual manner. The central ribbon also
can be formed without ends and be endless.
Although this spring tyre in tranverse elevation is preferably made of an S shape
as aforesaid for I consider that this shape affords greater resiliency than any other
yet the spring arms may be made to assume any desired shape in profile. For
example in the first style of fitment and arrangement these spring arms may
assume a C shape in profile similarly reversed or opposed to each other and in the
second style of fitment and arrangement they would assume a double C shape in
profile with the central ribbon interposed.
Dated this 0th day of Santambar 1900
HART & Co.,
168, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agents.
An Improved Spring Tyre for the Wheels of Velocipedes and other
Road Carriages.
I THOMAS ROWLAND of Market Buildings Pontypridd in the County of Glamorgan
South Wales Architect 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 object of this my invention is to provide a spring tyre for use on and with
the wheels of velocipedes and other road carriages that shall be simple in
construction that can very easily and quickly be fitted on and removed from such wheels
and that can be extremely resilient and therefore easy and comfortable in use.
In order the more clearly to explain this my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing wherein I have shewn

page_text: my spring tyre as adapted for and applied to the wheels ef velocipedes for the which
purpose indeed it has been more especially designed and to which wheels it is
perhaps more particularly appropriate."
Figure 1 is a plan of one form and style of construction of the spring tyre before.
it is made up and placed in position and Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same
after it is made up and placed in position ready for use.
This spring tyre is made from and by a single flat piece of a suitable material
that has the necessary resiliency preferably perhaps of metal and especially steel
and this piece is of the required length having regard to the diameter of the wheel
whereon it is to be placed and of any suitable breadth appropriate for the purpose
hereinafter stated and of a thickness proper to produce the desired resiliency and at
the same time to support the weight of the velocipede or other carriage wherewith
it is to be used and of the rider or riders on or in the same. This piece of material
is then by stamping or cutting or otherwise formed and created of the following
shape and plan as is shewn in Figure 1. A continuous longitudinally central ribbon Å
of the desired breadth is created wherefrom as from a backbone extend on both
sides a number of arms B of the desired breadth and these arms B so extend at
right angles or thereabouts to the central ribbon A and are so created at any desired
intervals in the length of the ribbon A and are preferably arranged in an alternate
manner on both sides of such ribbon A that is to say the one arm B¹ on the one
side of the ribbon A is opposite to an interval between two adjacent arms B on the
other side of the ribbon A and vice versa and the end of each arm B is most
conveniently enlarged so much as may be desired and in plan is of a desired shape it
may be as is shewn at D.
This piece of material so created and formed constitutes my spring tyre and
according to one and perhaps the best and most efficient style and manner it is
fitted to and arranged for and on the wheel in the following manner as is shewn
in Figure 2.
The central ribbon A is passed round the outer surface or periphery of the
felloe E of the wheel any soft or other material being if desired interposed and when
this ribbon A has been drawn sufficiently tightly round and on the felloe E it is there
secured in any convenient and ordinary or other manner. For example the end of
the ribbon A may be attached or connected together or they may be passed through
holes or slots in the felloe and be secured on the inner periphery thereof. Each arm B
is curved and bent outwardly from the felloe E and caused in elevation to assume a
shape somewhat similar to that of an S and all the arms B on the one side of the
central ribbon A are of the same shape in elevation while all the arms B¹
on the other side of the central ribbon A are likewise of the same shape in elevation
but are reversed or exactly opposed to the arms B as is shewn in this Figure 2. The
arms B must obviously be of such a length that they can easily and properly assume
this shape and it is plainly evident that the longer these arms B are the more
resilient but at the same time the weaker this spring tyre will be and vice versa.
The ends D of these two series of arms B being duly enlarged therefor and
attached or connected together in any appropriate manner may form the outer
periphery of this spring tyre which will come in contact with the ground but it may
and perhaps even generally will be most convenient to surround the same with a
preferably endless band or ring. This band or ring may be made in the usual
inanner of flat light metal or other suitable material which can be secured on these
ends D in any convenient manner but perhaps preferably it may be made of india
rubber of any desired sections as is shewn at F in Figures 2 and 3 and 4 in which
case the ends D are duly bent and formed to clasp and hold this india rubber ring F
and these ends D can most conveniently be so enlarged lengthwise or round the
circumference of the wheel that the whole of the inner periphery of the ring F all
round the wheel can be clasped and held in and supported by the ends D and D'
alternately.
Although this spring tyre is perhaps even preferably made from and by one piece
of material as is herein before described yet as is indeed sufficiently obvious

page_text: it can also be made from and by more than one piece of material in the same
manner.
For example when the arms B are separate from the central ribbon A they can be
attached or connected together in any usual and convenient manner.
Again Figure 3 is a transverse section of this spring tyre in which the separate
arms B are not irremoveably attached or connected to the central ribbon A but are
only clasped round the same as shewn at A¹.
Again Figure 4 is a tranverse section of this spring tyre in which the arms B
are entirely separate and no central ribbon A is needed to connect them together.
In this case the felloe E is preferably made with a deep longitudinally central recess or
depression E and the inner end of each arm B being duly prolonged therefor is
passed through a slot H made in the felloe E close to the shoulder of this
depression E, and also if desired through another slot K made near the bottom of
this depression E. Each arm B is perhaps preferably passed across the open mouth
outer part of the depression E¹ before it enters the slot H on the opposite side of such
depression E and passing down the outer side of the same re-enters such depression E
by the slot K on the same side thereof and any small shoulders or enlargements or
the like may be provided on and with this arm B in the proper positions to prevent
the same leaving or being forced or drawn away from its proper position very easily or
readily.
In both these modifications the arms B are fitted and bent alternately in manner
as is herein before described and they are arranged at such a distance apart as may be
desired in each case.
Although this spring tyre in tranverse elevation is preferably made of an S shape
as is herein before described and as is shewn in the drawing for I consider that this
shape affords greater resiliency than any other shape yet I would have it clearly
understood that I do in no wise limit myself thereto for the arms that form the
spring may be caused to assume any desired shape in profile. For example these
spring arms may be caused to assume a C shape in profile being similarly alternately
reversed or opposed to each other. In a like manner they could be caused to assume
any other appropriate shape in profile.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a spring tyre for the wheels of velocipedes and other road carriages the use
and combination of a number of spring arms B transversely arranged across the
felloe E of a wheel and projecting therefrom in an S or other shape in profile of
which arms B the inner ends are secured or connected on or to the felloe E and the
outer ends D form or carry a band or ring being the outer periphery of the tyre
substantially as herein before described and set forth.
2. The combination with the spring arms B of a central ribbon A wherewith the
same are made or whereto the same are attached or connected which ribbon A is
secured on and round the felloe E of the wheel substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and declared.
3. The spring tyre for the wheels of velocipedes and other road carriages
substantially as herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 9th day of June 1897.
HART & Co.,
168, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agents.