A New or Improved Method or Process of Manufacture of India Rubber, especially applicable for the Tyres of Wheels for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method or Process of Manufacture of India
Rubber, especially applicable for the Tyres of Wheels for Cycles
and other Vehicles.
I, EUGENIE ARBOUCAU, née Fourquet, 48 Rue de Malte, Paris, in the Republic
of France, 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 has for its object the production of a cellular india rubber, that is
to say an india rubber consisting of a number of air cells or chambers separated by
partitions, the said cells being filled with air or gas compressed or otherwise as may
be desired.
The india rubber thus produced when applied to the tyres of cycle wheels, or the
wheels of other vehicles, presents a very elastic cover in which the number of cells
is so numerous that the perforation of the partitions of one or more of the said
cells does not affect the efficiency of the tyre.
This manufacture of india rubber can also be applied in all cases where india rubber
is ordinarily used.
The principle of my invention consists in taking a tube of india rubber (having
the property of cementing before vulcanisation) of any suitable section or shape
and by pressing this tube together to cause the inner surfaces of this tube (filled
with air or a gas) to cement together at certain distances in its length. The tube
may also be cut or clipped at short distances, the clipping resulting in the closing
of the cut extremities, and in their being cemented together. By thus compressing
a rubber tube at different places I obtain a succession of cells, and by cutting
obtain a number of separate cells, closed at both ends, and incapable, after
vulcanisation, of being flattened by reason of the air contained in them.
Tubes, divided into cells, or cut into separate cells, as above described, I mass
together in moulds, or by superposition, or by rolling, or joining or other suitable
means into such a form as I desire to obtain, after which I vulcanise the mass.
The expansion of the air or gas contained in each cell at the temperature of
vulcanisation (whatever the normal pressure of this air or gas may be) compresses
the outer surfaces of the cells so as to cement them together, resulting in the forma-
tion of an agglomeration of independent cells. I may fortify, or cover, the cellular
mass with cloth. To vary the pressure of air in the cells I take a tube containing
air at the ordinary pressure, I first close it at the two ends, then compress it at
rather large intervals and subsequently at shorter intervals. It will be readily
understood that the quantity of air originally enclosed is getting more and more com-
pressed every time the number of cells is increased. The pressure will increase
more rapidly if I make large or broad compressions instead of small or narrow ones.
Instead of compressing the tube, which is originally closed at both ends, I can
cut it at the ends by clipping it with tools of such a form that they will at the
same time compress and close the cut ends of the rubber tube.
The pressure of the air in the tube may be increased above that of the external
atmosphere by forcing air (or gas) into the tube.
may also, after agglomerating the cells compress them in the moulds in which
they are brought together, thereby increasing the inner air pressure.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood, I will proceed with
the aid of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings to illustrate my invention.
In these drawings Figure 1 shows in elevation a portion of an india rubber tube
before compression into cells.
Figure 2 is a cantion
of the com

page_text: Figure 3 shows a tube compressed and cemented together at the two ends.
Figure 4 shows the same compressed at different intervals, and in different ways,
and with broad or large compressions, and with small or narrow compressions.
It is obvious that the method of compression may be infinitely varied.
The following figures are sections of Figure 4, that is to say Figure 5 is a section
through, Figure 6 is a section through cd, Figure 7 is a section through d f.,
Figure 8 is a section through g, Figure 9 is a section through gh; Figure 10 is
an elevation of clipped cells. Figure 11 is a section through hi of the preceding;
Figure 12 is a section through ij of Figure 10; Figure 13 is a transverse section,
and Figure 14 is a longitudinal section of a mass of cells after vulcanisation, formed
by agglomerating a number of cells in a mould in which they are swollen under a
slight pressure by the heat of vulcanisation.
By compressing the cells in the mould we obtain smaller cells, narrower and with
a higher inside pressure. It will be readily understood that by means of my
invention cellular pieces of rubber of all shapes and suitable for a variety of
purposes may be produced.
The original tubes from which the cells are prepared may be of various sizes,
and of square or other section, and instead of dividing the tube in cells by transverse
compressions it is possible to divide or compress it lengthwise.
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. A method of manufacturing india rubber full of cells containing air or gas,
under pressure or not as desired, the said method consisting in the cementing of the
inner surfaces of non-vulcanised india rubber tubes together, by bringing the said
surfaces in contact, or by compression, so that a number of cells are formed; or by
clipping the tube in such a manner that the clipped edges cement together, thus
forming independent cells.
2. A method of agglomerating by superposition, rolling or moulding, or other
suitable means, cells, which have been prepared as above described under pressure,
and then yulcanising the mass for the purpose of obtaining pieces or masses of
cellular india rubber of any desired shore.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1893
Dated this 22nd day of July 1893
.
J. G. LORRAIN, Mem. Inst. E.E., Mem. Inst. M.E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent,
Per A. P. W.