Improvements in the Manufacture of India-rubber Tubes for Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of India-rubber Tubes for
Pneumatic Tyres.
I, JOSEPH MOSELEY of the Chapelfield Works, Ardwick, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Indiarubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows
The object of this invention is to simplify and facilitate the manufacture of india-
rubber tubes, such as are used in pneumatic tyres.
In the customary process of manufacture, these tubes are formed and vulcanised
upon a mandrel, with or without an external wrapping of cloth. According to
these improvements, each tube is vulcanised within a tube or the like, or within a
series of clips or formers, or other equivalent device or devices.
As illustrating the nature of the improved process of manufacture according to
this invention I will describe it as applied in the production of a " non-puncturing
air tube.
"
The tube is formed from the usual sulphurised rubber compound on a suitable
core, one side of the tube being thicker than the other. The tube is then removed
from the core and its thinner side is collapsed within the thicker, so as to form a
U-shape. The collapsed tube is then inserted within the tube, series of clips, or
the like, and is vulcanised therein. The vulcanising tube or the like should in this
case be of such a size that the collapsed tube fits freely in it. After vulcanisation,
the rubber tube is withdrawn and may be turned inside out.
In other cases, the collapsing of the tube may be omitted, the rubber tube being
transferred from or with the core to the interior of the vulcanising tube or its
equivalent without alteration of form or dimension.
Dated this 13th day of June, A.D. 1895.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of India-rubber Tubes for
Pneumatic Tyres.
I, JOSEPH MOSELEY of the Chapelfield Works, Ardwick, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Indiarubber Manufacturer, 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 invention is to simplify and facilitate the manufacture of
indiarubber tubes, such for example as are used in pneumatic tyres.
In the customary process of manufacture, these tubes are vulcanised upon a
mandrel, with or without an external wrapping of cloth. According to these
improvements, the tubes are vulcanised within metallic or glass tubes or the like,
or in formers, a series of clips, or other equivalent device or devices.

page_text: I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 of which represents, as an example, a non-puncturing tube, in cross
section, during the first stage of its manufacture. The tube A, is constructed from
the sulphurised indiarubber or indiarubber compound either upon a suitable
mandrel M, or in any convenient manner, one side of the tube being, in this case,
thicker than the other. The tube having been constructed, and removed from the
core or mandrel if constructed thereon, is collapsed as shewn by Figures 2 and 24.
As shewn by Figure 2 the thinner part is collapsed within the thicker, and the
reverse in Figure 2ª. The collapsed tube is then inserted into the external
tube T, as illustrated by Figure 3 in cross section, the external tube being of such
a length and diameter that the collapsed tube fits freely within it. The rubber
tube is vulcanised with the external tube and-is-afterwards withdrawn therefrom,
_and-may-be-turned outside-in.
In the modification illustrated by cross section in Figures 2A and 2B, the thicker
part of the air tube has been collapsed within the thinner part. In this case,
may take an ordinary pneumatic tyre cover W, a "Dunlop-Welch" for example,
and after reversing its curvature, I may cement it within the concave part of the
collapsed tube as shewn by Figure 2. I then reverse the curvature of the tube
and attached cover so that they relatively occupy the positions shewn by Figure 2B,
which represents the tube and cover upon the rim R, the tube being supposed to be
inflated. By this arrangement I bring the tube, at the tread, into severe
compression, and have a tyre which may be very readily attached to or removed
from the rim of a wheel by known means.
$6
If I vulcanise the rubber tube within a former instead of within an external
tube, I may construct the rubber tube as herein before described, and may then
partially vulcanise it, but only sufficiently to
""
set it. The former which I may
employ, may consist of a circular trough with its opening upon its periphery, as
indicated by Figure 4, where the trough T, with the tube contained therein is
illustrated in cross section, a part of the trough being shewn as broken away.
It should have a diameter about equal to that of the wheel with which the tube is
to be used, and a breadth less than that of the inflated tube or tyre. I have found
that this form gives superior results in practice and therefore prefer it. The tube
after being partly vulcanised, as before set forth, is placed upon the former T,
with one end tucked into the other to form the joint, and in this condition it is
vulcanised or its vulcanisation is completed. If it be desired to open out the tube
after vulcanisation, the ends may be coated with French chalk to prevent adhesion,
but otherwise, the ends may be vulcanised so as to unite and form a closed annular
tube.
I may vulcanise a number of the air tubes simultaneously within a series of the
formers, in a similar manner, by using a drum or frame upon which a series of the
tube containing formers can be arranged and held. But, in such a case, space may
be economised by the adoption of the modification illustrated in cross section
by Figure 5. As is shewn, D is a drum of sheet metal, having a flange d, at its
lower end. A number of loose flanges d', are provided to fit freely upon the drum.
A suitable number of the air tubes having been constructed, as hereinbefore
described, and partly vulcanised or not, are arranged around the drum D, and the
ends of the tubes are tucked one within the other as described for the separate
former. One of the loose flanges d' is placed over the first tube, and upon this
loose flange the second tube is arranged similarly to the first. This is repeated
until the drum is filled or until as many tubes as may be required have been
arranged thereon, a loose flange being placed between contiguous tubes. The
drum, with the tubes thereon is then transferred to a stove or steam pan where
the vulcanisation of the air tubes is completed or effected by heat, as. is well
understood.
The loose flanges may have a number of distance pieces d", at or near their
edges, to preserve uniformity of space between the flanges. The flanges are thus

page_text: the precise equivalents of the series of formers already hereinbefore described, but
with the advantage, of a great reduction in cost and weight.
It is sometimes necessary to construct form and vulcanise a tube having such a
total length that a former or drum of the necessary diameter would be inconvenient
to handle, or to employ in vulcanisation. In such cases, a slight modification in
the loose flanges & described with reference to Figure 5, may be employed..
Suppose each flange to be divided, at one point only, by a radial cut, and that two
such flanges be placed one over the other with their dividing cuts vertical.
If now, the right hand side of the cut of the upper flange be joined to the left
hand side of the cut of the lower flange, a spiral of two turns will be formed..
If more turns be required, more flanges are joined in the same way.
The spiral
former thus produced, having been placed upon the drum, the tube is arranged in.
the spiral, commencing at the bottom, but in this case the ends cannot be tucked.
one within the other.
It will be obvious that the spiral former may be constructed in a similar manner.
from short segments. The spiral arrangement of the tube upon the drum is shewn
by Figure 8, in cross section, but, as illustrated, a series of clips C, are substituted
for the spiral former. Each clip may have the form shewn in elevation by Figure 6.
and in cross section by Figure 7, these figures being drawn on a larger scale..
The air tube is arranged spirally upon the drum, commencing at the flange d, and
at intervals of every few inches, one of the clips is placed upon it. The clips.
retain the tube upon the drum, act as formers, and prevent contact between the
successive turns of the spiral.
Either a single long tube may be arranged in the spiral, or two or more shorter-
ones, and their vulcanisation thereon is completed or effected as hereinbefore.
described.
The method of manufacture of the air tubes on the formers and clips as herein--
before described has an advantageous result inasmuch as the tubes produced have
an elliptical cross section with the major axis of the ellipse in the plane of the
wheel. When such a tube is inflated under a non-extensible cover in the usual.
manner, the outside diameter will not be increased, as it already has the full
diameter before inflation. It follows that the tread of the air tube not being under
tension, will have a very much less tendency to open when punctured at that point,.
than those which are produced in the ordinary manner.
It will be understood that the preliminary partial vulcanisation of the air tubes
may be employed or omitted as may be determined by the conditions of
manufacture, and that they may have uniform thickness or not.
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. The hereinbefore described process for the manufacture of indiarubber tubes,.
which consists in constructing them in the first instance in the usual manner,.
collapsing them, and thereafter vulcanising them in the collapsed condition within
an external tube, substantially as set forth and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2. The hereinbefore described process for the manufacture of indiarubber tubes,.
which consists in constructing them in the first instance in the usual manner,.
collapsing them, thereafter vulcanising them in the collapsed condition within an
external tube, cementing upon the concavity of each tube a reversed pneumatic-
tyre cover, and reversing the curvature of the tube and cover as hereinbefore set
forth and as illustrated by Figures 24 and 2B of the accompanying drawings.
3. The hereinbefore described process for the manufacture of indiarubber tubes,
which consists in constructing them in the first instance in the usual manner,.
transferring them to formers or clips or equivalent devices and completing or
effecting their vulcanisation therein or thereon, substantially as set forth and as.
llustrated by the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 4. Indiarubber tubes constructed and manufactured substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of March. A D. 1896.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.