An Improvement connected with Tyres for Bicycle and other Wheels.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement connected with Tyres for Bicycle and
other Wheels.
I, RICHARD SIMON, Engineer, of Zulla Road, Carrington, Nottingham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
In order to diminish the vibration felt by the rider, I construct the tyres of hollow
rubber tubes containing water or other liquid which being mobile and non-compres-
sible distributes the pressure of the concussion more or less over the whole of the
periphery of the tyre.
The tyres may be secured, filled. and protected in several ways.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for Richard Simon.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement connected with Tyres for Bicycle and
_other_Wheels.
1, RICHARD SIMON, Engineer, of Zulla Road, Carrington, Nottingham, 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:-
In order to diminish the vibration felt by the rider, I construct the tyres of
hollow rubber tubes containing water, or other liquid, which being mobile and non-
compressible, distributes the pressure of the concussion more or less over the whole
of the periphery of the tyre. The tyres may be secured, filled, and protected in
several ways.
My invention relates primarily to tyres intended to be applied to cycle wheels
but may also be applied to cabs and other carriages.
Its object is to distribute the pressure exerted on the outside of the tyre at the
point where it comes in contact with the ground, over the whole surface in a practi-
cally instantaneous but even manner, so that the impact of concussion may not pass
to the same extent as heretofore from the tyre to the rim and make itself
unpleasantly felt by the rider, but may be absorbed by the natural clasticity of the
rubber.
In the solid rubber tyre hitherto mostly used for cycles and sometimes for carriages,
the elastic force of the rubber is not utilized to diminish the vibration but only that
portion of the rubber in actual contact with the ground is displaced. The amount
of vibration saved to the rider is measured by the force absorbed in thus displacing
the small portion of the tyre at any moment in actual contact with the ground.
The remainder is transmitted to the wheel.
The cushion tyre, which was intended to meet this difficulty only does so to some
extent by making more rubber available at the point of contact, but it increases the
weight and cost of the machine, and has disadvantages, such as side-slipping, and
bad hill climbing properties.
In order to counteract these defects and to obtain the object desired, I use a hollow
rubber tube having a larger bore than the ordinary cushion tyre (thus effecting a
saving in cost and a decrease of weight as the substance I use to fill the core is
evidently cheaper and is also lighter than rubber) and charge it with a liquid,

page_text: preferably water, to which chemicals may, if desired, be added in order to decrease
the specific gravity of the water, or to exercise a hardening effect on the rubber.
The tube may be round or elliptic and of any convenient size and section, the bore
being central, excentric or otherwise.
I fix my new or improved tyre to any conveniently shaped wheel-rim, either by
means of cement, or the tyre may have been originally moulded over projections
in the rim, to secure it in its place, or by expansion consequent on pressure and I
charge it with water in one of the ways hereinafter described, or other ways
equivalent thereto.
When such a wheel is pressed on to the ground, or encounters any obstacle, the
pressure on the outside of the tyre will be taken up by the liquid core which will
distribute the pressure over the containing walls sufficiently to reduce the vibration
but more gradually than is the case with air tyres and the free periphery of the
rubber will be stretched while the counter pressure on the inner side will be equal, or
nearly so, at all points of the rim and will only be a fraction of what it would be if
it were all concentrated in a small area, as in other tyres.
A cycle, or carriage fitted with such wheels will pass over the ordinary
inequalities of the road without any objectionable vibration, because the momentum
of concussion instead of being more or less transmitted to the rim is, by means of
the non-compressible liquid core, distributed over the whole periphery of the tyre
where its force expends itself in very slightly distending the rubber (which owing
to its natural elasticity, immediately recovers its shape when the pressure is
removed).
It will be observed that to obtain this result it is not necessary for ordinary purposes
to have the liquid core under pressure, which is in favour of durability, although
for heavy riders, or on tyres of high elasticity, and also for racing purposes, the
tyres may be distended by means of water or other liquid driven in by a force pump,
to any tension found desirable.
The whole of my new or improved tyre is, as it were, in action whatever part
may touch the ground, it has therefore a great deal of what may be called "life" in
contra distinction to the well known "deadness" of the cushion tyre and is much
faster up hill as well as being free from the side slipping so characteristic of cushion
and pneumatic tyres.
In order to charge my new or improved tyre with water, or other liquid, I
use any suitable nozzles, or valves but preferably such as shown in the drawings
annexed.
Figures 1 and 2 show a simple form, consisting of a rubber mouthpiece A moulded
with the tyre B and having a central passage C to the core D. After being filled
through a tube temporarily passed into C, the clamp E is screwed up so as to close
the passage C and prevent the escapement of water.
Figures 3 and 4 show an arrangement in which also a rubber mouthpiece A is
moulded on the tyre B and communicating by means of a passage C with the
core D.
In this passage, however, is fixed and secured by wire lapping, a brass
tube F, having two openings G and E, the latter of which carries the screw plug I.
G is screwed to receive the nozzle of the syringe used to fill the core. When filled,
the plug I previously screwed down, is screwed up, and by means of its conical end
closes the passage.
When it is not convenient to mould a rubber mouthpiece on the tyre, arrangements,
such as shown in Figures 5 to 8 may be used.
In Figures 5 and 6, F is a brass nozzle shaped to the curve of the core and
furnished with recurved arms intended to press into the rubber to form a joint,
a washer, and a casing containing two openings G and H closed by means of
the screw plug I. The plug in this and other cases may be inserted in its place
before the ends of the tube are joined during manufacture.
Figures 7 and 8 show a more convenient form having a third opening I closed
with the plug M intended to allow the escape of the contained air from the core
during continuous filling.

page_text: In Figures 9 and 10, B is the rubber, D, the core, A, the rubber mouthpiece in
which is secured by wire lappings, the plug F, having two passages C and N.
Water is pumped in at G, the air escapes through N at L. I closes the opening G
before (as in other cases) the connection with syringe or pump is broken. In this as
in other cases, the opening at which the nozzle of the syringe or force pump enters,
is closed with a screw plug to keep out dust.
This nozzle, or its equivalent will be found most convenient when large quantities
have to be filled especially if pressure is applied by means of a force pump, and to
empty the tyre when required.
In another form of my invention, I place two tyres, each fitted and charged, as
above described, side by side, in one wide rim, or a cushion having two or more cores,
(see Figures 11 and 12), communicating or independent, also fitted and charged as
above described, which has the advantage of presenting a wider surface and in the
first case of affording a hollow between them in which heads to the spokes might be
arranged, thereby strengthening the spokes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The employment of water, or other liquid within a hollow elastic tyre, for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
2. Applying to the rims of cycle or carriage wheels, a hollow rubber tyre and
charging same with liquid, for the purposes described.
3. The combination of a hollow rubber tyre having a non-compressible liquid core,
and the rim of the wheel of a cycle or carriage..
4. The combination of a hollow rubber tyre having a non-compressible liquid core
for the purposes described, with a nozzle for charging same.
5. The combination of a tyre, having a non-compressible liquid core with a filling
nozzle and a wheel rim, as described.
6. The combination of such tyre, core, and any one of the nozzles shown.
7. The two tyres with non-compressible liquid core, as described, or cushion tyre
with two or more such cores in one rim.
8. The mouthpieces or nozzles shown in Figures 1 to 10, for the purposes
described.
The 28th day of February 1891.