Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles or other Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1893
Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles or
other Vehicles.
JAMES HARRISON 82 Stanley Grove Longsight Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Manager do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists in the shape of the rim of wheel and the way that the
pneumatic tyres of cycles is fastened thereto though it may if desired be applied
to other vehicles.
It is is designed with the object of facilitating the method of getting at the air
tube, or balloon tyre in case of puncture and to prevent the cutting of it. The
rim A of wheel is convex shape on the outside, instead of concave which is usual in
cycles this is a special feature in it, so that when the pressure is put on the wheel
there is no edges to cut or chave.
There is a liner of canvas B or wadding to prevent the heads of spokes from
rubbing the tyre. Another point is the concave inside to receive on either side of
it, a ring c c which goes all round the inside of rim A. The said ring is a little
larger than the opening which goes into the rim of wheel. The outer cover D
has these rings on each edge c c to secure it to the rim A. To get the outer
cover D on the wheel you have first to spring one of the rings cover the outside of
rim A, then press the ring e down into the hollow E, in the inside of rim this will
then give superfluity of space for the ring c c to go in as it passes the flange F
the air tube G is then put in its place deflated, then the ring c¹ on the other side is
pressed down to the bottom of concave E and pressed inside, same as the other
side, then it is ready to inflate. As the air is being inflated it brings the rings c, cl
which are attached to the outer cover D, against the inside flanges F of rim A, and
the harder you inflate it the tighter it will force the rings against the flanges.
In order to repair :-Either of the wires c, c', is pressed into the hollow E for half
the circumference of the wheel this leaves sufficient space to pull the wire c out of
the rim A, when the air tube G and the interior of outer cover D are at once
exposed. The outer covering D is not secured to the rim A in any way.
Another feature in the tyre is
-When the air tube is moulded or made so as to
hold itself open as G₁ the said tube will have less space in it, when it is on the
convex rim A, than when it is off.
Before the tyre is put on the rim, and the valve is open, it will draw in the air
till it comes to its proper shape, G', but as the rim A is convex shape on which the
tyre rests, the said convex will not permit the tyre, to go to its proper shape G¹, so
it will still leave a vacuum in the air tube as G².
T
1
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Pneumatic Tyres for Cycles or
other Vehicles.
1, JAMES HARRISON, of 82 Stanley Grove, Longsight, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Manager 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:
This invention relates to the construction of the rims of wheels and the means of

page_text: securing pneumatic tyres thereto and is designed to facilitate the removal of the
inner air tube for the purpose of repairs in case of fracture through puncture or
other damage and also to prevent or reduce the liability of the tube becoming cut.
It consists essentially in constructing the rim of the wheel convex or approxi-
mately convex upon the outer surface upon which the air tnbe is placed and concave
on the surface towards the spokes with flanges projecting towards the centre of the
wheel to form cavities in the rim at the sides of the spokes and in securing the air
tube and pneumatic tyre in position by means of a rubber covering with wire rings
or hoops inserted in the edges which rings or hoops are passed into the cavity
formed by the edges of the rim on the concave side next the spokes the covering
being drawn over the outer edges of the rim.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
a tyre constructed according to my invention is shown.
Fig. 1. Transverse sectional elevation of tyre in position when inflated.
Fig. 2. Transverse sectional elevation deflated showing method of removing the
rubber covering.
Fig. 3. Side elevation (partly in section) showing covering unfastened and air
tube partly removed.
Fig. 4. Transverse section of modified form of tyre.
Fig. 5. Transverse section of another modification.
The rim A of the wheel is constructed of a convex shape on the outside periphery
instead of concave as has hitherto been usual so that the air tube B rests upon the
top of the rim which is embedded into it instead of in a hollow or trough shaped
rim. And the other side of the rim towards the spokes D is concave with flanges a
extending towards the centre of the wheel forming a cavity a² at each side of the
spokes around the spoke ends the circle formed by the edges a of the rim being less
than that formed by the part of the rim on which the air tube B is embedded
instead of being greater as has hitherto been the case.
The form in which I at present prefer to construct the rim A is corrugated with
two convex surfaces on the outer side and two concave surfaces a' one on either
side of the spokes the edges a of the rim extending from these towards the centre of
the wheel forming flanges to increase the concavity of the surface. The chief
object of corrugating the rim is to render it more rigid without increasing the
weight of the material and to provide a groove d¹ to receive the heads d of the
spokes D to prevent the pressure of the air tube bearing direct upon them.
A layer c of felt rubber or other soft or protective material is inserted in the groove d¹
to cover the spoke heads d and protect the air tube B.
It is evident that the rim may be curved with a plain convex surface upon which
the air tube rests as in Fig. 4 or it may be slightly convex or nearly flat the edges a
extending inwards towards the centre of the wheel to render it concave at the side
towards the spokes.
The air tube B is made in the usual way and sufficiently strong to resist the
desired amount of pressure and the outer covering or tread E is also of ordinary
construction but is provided with a wire ring or hoop F inserted in each edge e.
To secure the tyre in position the air tube B is placed in position and the
covering or tread E placed over it. The edges e containing the wires F are then
passed over and around the edges a of the rim A into the cavity a¹ formed around
the ends of the spokes D. The ring F of wire is rather larger than the ring formed
by the edges a of the rim.
In Fig. 2. the method of placing the tyre on the rim or of removing it is shown.
In placing the outer cover or tread E in position on the wheel one of the hoops F
forming the edge e of the cover E is sprung over the exterior surface of the rim A.
One edge of the hoop F is then pressed down into the cavity a¹ formed in the
concave surface of the rim A thereby drawing the opposite side of the hoop F
below the edge a of the rim A allowing sufficient space for the hoop F to pass the
flange a as shown in Fig. 2. The air tube is then put in its place deflated see,

page_text: Fig. 3, and the hoop F on the opposite edge e of the cover E then placed in
position in a similar manner. The air tube B when inflated draws the hoops F and
the edges e of cover E tightly against the flanges a of the rim and holds them in
position. The cover E may be removed after the air tube B is deflated by first
depressing one side of the hoop F into the cavity a' and then drawing out the
opposite edge as illustrated in Fig. 2. The air tube B is then exposed and may be
removed as illustrated in Fig. 3.
When the air tube B is made sufficiently thick or rigid to maintain its normal
shape when the air contained in it is not under pressure the convex shape of the
rim decreases the internal area and tends to increase the pressure when the tube is
placed thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A pneumatic tyre for bicycles and other vehicles consisting of a rim A having a
convex surface on which the air tube rests a concave surface next the spokes and
edges or flanges extending towards the centre of the wheel forming spaces or
cavities a¹ into which the hoops F in the edges of the cover may be pressed at one-
side so that they may be drawn past the flanges a at the opposite side, an air tube B,.
and a cover E provided with hoops of wire F in the edges e the hoops F being
greater than and secured by being passed into the rings formed by the edges or
flanges a substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of September 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.