Improvements in Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, HANS SCHNEPP, of Gögginerstr. 54, Augsburg, in the German Empire,
Regimental Shoemaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in elastic tyres for the wheels
of cycles and other vehicles, and more particularly to improvements in the type
of single-tube tyre characterised by the cover being held extended by two hoops
held apart by springs of elastic material, such as rubber, arranged crossing each
other and connected to the two hoops, and it is the special object of this invention
to construct and arrange these springs in such a way that two of them are com-
bined in one piece.
In carrying my invention into effect:-within the tube of rubber or other
pliant material which constitutes the tyre carcase, two hoops are placed. These
hoops extend around the entire interior circumference; the one lying within the
concavity of the rim or felloe and the other, slightly larger in diameter, extends
internally around the tread of the tyre. Both these hoops are like the rim, curved
or concave in cross-section and they are so placed in the carcase that the convexity
of the one near the internal surface of the tread is directed towards the concavity
of the one lying in the concavity of the rim.
Hereinafter the hoop lying in the rim will be referred to as the inner rim and
that surrounding the internal surface of the tread will be referred to as the outer
hoop.
The inner hoop is fastened to the rim by means of bolts or screws, and the
outer one is held apart from it by means of a number of elastic springs formed
preferably of short flat pieces of rubber. The end of each piece or spring is pro-
vided with a hook which serves for hooking it into holes provided around the
edges of the outer hoop. These springs or pieces of rubber are passed under the
inner hoop, then crossed and the hooks at their extremities hooked into the eyes
or holes around the outer hoop.
:
The inner tube has its edges curled up or bent inwards to prevent them cutting
the rubber springs, whilst the edges of the outer hoop are bent or curled out-
wards to grip or hold the edges of a stretchable supporting band which I am now
about to describe.
This supporting band consists of an endless strip of rubber or like elastic
material and has hooks provided at intervals along both edges. This band is
stretched around the external periphery of the outer hoop and is secured in position
by fastening the hook on its edges into holes in the outwardly curled over edges
of the outer hoop; so that it forms a bridge, so to speak, over the concavity of
the said hoop, upon the top of which bridge the internal surface of the tread rests.
This internal surface may be of any contour but is preferably semi-cylindrical,

page_text: that is to say semi-circular in cross-section or following the curvature of the outer
hoop. This arrangement is for the purpose of increasing the resiliency of the
tyre.
The thickened portion or tread of the tyre may be either integral with the
tube forming the carcase, or it may be a thick band separate therefrom, and
inserted and secured in a circumferential recess in the carcase tube; the portion of
the said band outside the said tube being formed by two planes meeting in a
central ridge which comes in contact with the .road.
Instead of the rubber band being a separate piece from the carcase-tube it may
.be so constructed as to take its place as well as perform its own function, by
extending it or making it of sufficient width to be secured direct to the rim or
felloe of the wheel in the one direction, and in the other direction forming it into
a thickened portion for a tread, and in this latter case the internal surface of
the tread itself would of course form the bridge over the outer hoop.
.
Dated the 16th day of June 1898.
41
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Elastic Tyres for the Wheels of Cycles and other
Vehicles.
I, HANS SCHNEPP, formerly of Gögginerstr. 54, Augsburg, and now of Binden-
berg, Algäu, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Shoemaker, 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 present invention relates to improvements in elastic tyres for the wheels
of cycles and other vehicles, and more particularly to improvements in the type
of single-tube tyre characterised by the cover being held extended by two hoops
held apart by springs of elastic material, such as rubber, arranged in such manner
as to show in transverse section as crossing each other and connected to the two
hoops, and it is the special object of this invention to construct and arrange these
springs in such a way that two of them are combined in one piece.
My invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a cross-section through the tyre.
Fig. 2 shows the rubber spring b₁,
Fig. 3 shows the flat rubber piece t, and
Figs. 4, 5, and 7 show modifications, in section.
Fig. 6 is a modification of the springs b¹, Figure 2.
Within the tube h of rubber, or other pliant material which constitutes the
tyre case, two hoops a and c are placed. These hoops extend around the entire
interior circumference; the one c lying within the concavity of the rim or felloe e
and the other a, slightly larger in diameter, extending internally around the
tread of the tyre. Both these hoops are, like the rim, curved or concave in cross-
section and they are so placed in the tubular case that the convexity of the one a
near the internal surface of the tread is directed towards the concavity of the
one c lying in the concavity of the rim e.
.
Hereinafter the hoop c lying in the rim will be referred to as the inner hoop and
that near the internal surface of the tread will be referred to as the outer hoop.
The inner hoop c is fastened to the rim e by means of bolts or screws f and the
outer one a is held apart from it by means of a number of elastic springs b
formed preferably of short flat pieces of rubber (Fig. 2). The ends of each piece

page_text: or spring 6 are provided with a hooks which serves for hooking it into holes
provided in the sides of the outer hoop a. These springs or pieces of rubber
are passed under the inner hoop e, then crossed and the hooks s at their extremities
hooked into the eyes or holes in the outer hoop, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 4.
The inner hoop c has its edges curled up or bent inwards to prevent them
cutting the rubber springs, whilst the edges of the outer hoop are bent or curled
outwards to grip or hold the edges of a stretchable supporting band which I
am now about to describe.
This supporting band 't (Fig. 3) consists of an endless strip of rubber or like
elastic material and has hooks u provided at intervals along both edges. This
band is stretched around the external periphery of the outer hoop a and is
secured in position by fastening the hooks u. on its edges around the outwardly-
curled edges of the outer hoop, so that it forms a bridge so to speak, over the con-
cavity of the said hoop, upon the top of which bridge the internal surface h² of
the tread h rests. This internal surface may be of any contour but is preferably
semi-cylindrical, that is to say semi-circular in cross-section or following the
curvature of the outer hoop. This arrangement is for the purpose of increasing
the resiliency of the tyre.
The thickened portion h² or tread of the tyre h may be either integral with
the tube forming the tubular case, or it may be a thick band separate therefrom,
and inserted and secured in a circumferential recess in the tubular case (Fig. 4).
Instead of the rubber band t being a separate piece from the tubular case it
may be so constructed as to take its place as well as perform its own function, by
extending it or making it of sufficient width to be secured direct to the rim or
felloe (Fig. 4) of the wheel in the one direction, and in the other direction form-
ing it into a thickened portion for the reception of a separate tread h³, and in
this latter case the internal surface of the thickened portion would of course form
the bridge over the outer hoop a. In this modification as shown in Fig. 4,
hooks u are arranged on the internal surface of band t behind which hooks grip
the edges of the outer hoop a.
The modification shown in Fig. 5 consists in that the spring b is formed in
such a manner that it serves at the same time to bridge over the outer hoop a,
so that the rubber band referred to in Fig. 1 may be dispensed with. In this
case the springs b₁ are larger at the ends than in the middle part where they are
crossed, so that the ends completely cover the outer hoop a to the edges of which
hoop they are fastened by means of hooks s¹.
Hooks 2 or ribs are provided on the inner side of which grip behind the
inwardly curved edges of the outer hoop a to increase the security of the different
parts.
In Fig. 7 is shown a further modification consisting in the inner hoop ¢ being
fastened together with the tyre h to a special rim y by means of screws z. In
the said rimy and portion of the case within it, holes w for the spokes A are
provided. The outer hoop a is-although larger-formed in the same manner as
the inner hoop c. The springs are hooked by means of hooks * into holes in
the edges of the inner hoop c, so that the flat or middle part of the springs cover
the outer hoop a forming the above-mentioned bridge as a rest for the tread h².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A tyre for cycle and vehicle wheels consisting of the combination of two
concentric annular hoops connected together by means of a number of flat
rubber springs having a hook at each end passed around the under side of the
inner hoop and after having been crossed are hooked into holes provided in the
sides of the outer hoop, a stretchable supporting band spread over the outer hoop
and fastened to its outwardly-curled edges by means of hooks in such a way that

page_text: it forms a resilient support for the internal surface of the tread of the tubular
casing.
2. The modification of the arrangement claimed in Claim 1, consisting in the
rubber band being extended to a sufficient width to replace and constitute the
outer tyre cover or tubular casing, the said band having internal hooks behind
to grip the edges of the outer hoop.
3. The modification of the arrangement herein before claimed consisting in the
spring being made to serve as a bridge over the outer hoop and at the same
time provided with large end parts hooked alternately to the edges of the outer
hoop by means of hooks, whilst other hooks as or ribs are provided on the
inner surface of the springs b₁ to grip behind the opposite inwardly-curved edges
of the outer hoop.
4. The modification of the arrangement set forth in Claim 3, consisting in
the inner hoop with tyre being fastened to a special rim such as y; springs b
forming a bridge over the outer hoop and hooked into holes in the edges of the
inner hoop.
...
101
1000
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.