Improvements in Apparatus for applying Rubber Tires to Wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sep., 1897--Accepted, 4th Dec., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for applying Rubber Tires to Wheels.
I, THEODORE BENJAMIN BLOSSER, of Springfield, Clark County, and State of
Obio, U.S.A., 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
n and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in Devices for
Applying Rubber Tires to Vehicle Wheels, especially when great pressure is
required to seat the tire in the channel iron used on such wheels.
In applying rubber tires to vehicles it has heretofore been a serious question how to
put them on with great enough pressure to prevent the tire from rolling out of the
channel iron when the varying strains, due to unevenness of roadways and rapid
travel around bends and sharp turns were brought to bear upon them. This result I
have accomplished with my invention.
In the accompanying drawing on which like reference letters indicate corresponding
parts:
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a wheel showing the rubber tire partly out of the
channel irou and a sectional view of my apparatus taken on the line x. x. of Fig. 2;
Fig. 2, is a front elevation partly in section ;
Fig. 3, an enlarged detail view of the adjustable tire guide mechanism ;
Fig. 3A, a detail sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 3;
Fig. 4, detail views of the roller bearing for the wheel rim when applying the
rubber tire;
Fig. 5, a detail view of the adjustable wheel supports;
Fig. 6, a detail sectional view of the wheel rim, tire, and clamp on the line 2. z. of
Fig. 1; and
Fig. 7, a perspective view of a lever used for revolving the wheel.
The letter A designates stout upright bars suitably secured to the floor or base and
connected at their upper ends by a cross piece B. In these uprights are mounted
screw threaded shafts G and G fitted in threaded thimbles or bushings H and H'
and having respectively hand wheels E and E¹ by which said shafts are rotated so as
to adjust them in and out and bring their conical ends F and F properly within the
bore or box of the various sized wheels upon which tires are to be placed. In Fig. 5
these conical ends are well shown extending within the hub of a wheel. Thus the
wheel is well supported and may be revolved by hand as by taking hold of the arm
and spokes, or by applying to the wheel a type of lever shown in Fig. 7, which is
used when additional leverage or power is required to revolve the wheel when the
final part of the tire is being applied to the wheel at which time the tires are
undergoing a very high strain or tension.
This lever is composed of a bar I, with hooks J and K to engage the spokes.
In the upper part of the frame I mount at one side the adjustable tire, guiding
mechanism and at the other side an adjustable wheel bracing device. The form of
mechanism consists of ways L secured to one of the uprights A by bolts M and a
block O slidable in said ways with a screw-threaded shaft P rotatably connected with
the block and extending up through a threaded bushing Qiu the cross bar B and

page_text: having a hand wheel R. The block O carries a stud-shaft S on which is monnted a
grooved pulley T; which I term the tire guiding pulley. By manipulating the hand
wheel R the pulley T is adjusted so that its upper part is about level with the upper
edge of the channel iron of the wheel to which the tire d is to be applied as such a
wheel is indicated at U in Fig. 2.
The wheel bracing devices consist of a roller V whose end spindles are mounted in
blocks W supported by a screw-threaded rod X, mounted in one of the uprights A.
Jamb-nuts Y on one side and jamb-nuts Z on the other side of said uprights hold
this rod at adjusted positions, namely, with the roller V against the channel iron or
rim of the wheel to which the tire is to be applied. Such position varies somewhat
with different sized wheels.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to vehicle wheels, the combination
with a frame or fixed structure composed of uprights and a cross piece, adjustable
wheel supports mounted in the uprights, and a wheel guide mounted in one of the
uprights, ways on the other upright, a slidable block in the ways, a screw-threaded
shaft to adjust the block, and a pulley carried by the block along side of the wheel
rim and adjustable from a point beneath the wheel rim thence outward and adapted
to draw outward on the rubber tire and to shift it laterally over on to the vehicle
wheel.
2nd. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires .to vehicle wheels, the combination
with a frame or fixed structure consisting of uprights and a cross-piece, adjustable
wheel supports composed of threaded rods mounted in the upright, an adjustable
wheel brace composed of threaded rods mounted in one of the uprights and having
an inclined antifriction roller, ways mounted on the other upright, a slidable block in
said ways, a pulley secured by the block and inclined to the vehicle wheel, and a
threaded shaft to adjust the block.
3rd. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to vehicle wheels, the combination
with a frame or fixed structure, of wheel supports, a tire guiding mechanism carrying
a pulley inclined to the vehicle wheel when mounted on said supports, said mechanism
and supports being relatively adjustable to bring said pulleys substantially level with
the flange of the channel iron of the said wheel.
Dated this 16th day of September 1897
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.
Agents to Applicant, 18 Buckingham Street Strand W.C. London;