Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
HENRY BANCROFT, Clogger, 70, Market Street, Church, near Accrington, lo
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a tyre for cycles and other road
vehicles the air tube of which will not be liable to become inserviceable through
puncture and in order to illustrate it I may take a piece of leather, or indiarubber
or other pliable material shaped somewhat like an half round file or rasp, of
sufficient length as to encircle the air tube of a pneumatic tyre when inflated, and
wide enough to cover the tread part of the same the surface of this device may be
roughened by corrugations or projections or left plain, and in order to make it
more flexible and resilient than it otherwise would be I may make slight cuts
in it on both sides these cuts may be all one way or cross each other of sufficient
depth as to leave a solid portion in the centre prefferably I cut it only on the thick
or half round side these cuts may be made rather deeper than half the thickness
of the device and all one way that is across from one side to the other, straight
downwards or in a slanting direction of equal or unequal depth or equal or unequal
distance apart. When sufficient cuts have been made to obtain the desired
flexibility the device may then be bent round the tread part of the air tube the flat
side in contact with the said tube and secured in position by rubber solution or
other suitable means. The outer cover may then be placed on the tyre and
secured in the usual way. If desired the device may be made as part of the air
tube itself by making the tread part of the desired thickness and afterwards operat-
ing upon it as discribed above.
Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
I, HENRY BANCROFT, of 70, Market Street, Church, near Accrington, in the
County of Lancaster, Clogger, 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 certain improvements in pneumatic tyres for cycles,
motor cars, and other vehicles, and consists in providing the inner tube of the
pneumatic tyre with a piece or band of leather, rubber or other flexible material,
of a length sufficient to completely encircle the air tube along the tread portion
thereof; and also in cutting the said piece or band of leather or like material with
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page_text: a series of slits along the entire face thereof at close intervals, so that the leather
whilst being of a sufficient thickness to absolutely prevent puncture, nevertheless
by being cut or incised as aforesaid does not interfere with the resiliency of the
tyre.
This slitting or cutting of the piece or band of leather or like material con-
stitutes the essential and all-important feature of my invention. I am perfectly
aware that innumerable attempts have been previously made to prevent puncture
by the introduction of bands of unpuncturable material (so called) between the
air tube and the outer cover, but such attempts as is well known have been un-
successful on account of either interfering with the resiliency of the tyre, or
otherwise the band introduced has been so thin that it has been practically useless
for the purpose intended. The band being slit or cut with a number of incisions
as aforesaid presents a front of thick and strong material, perfectly invulnerable
to puncture, and yet imparing none of the elastic properties of the tyre.
The band is preferably in the shape of the segment of a circle in cross section,
so as to bed on the air-tube to which it may be cemented or otherwise secured.
The cuts or incisions are preferably made sloping all one way, so as to close in
the direction of the movement of the wheel when the machine or vehicle is in use.
The band of leather or like material may be cut on one or both sides, and in the
latter case the cuts may be made to cross each other, so as to leave a solid portion
in the centre. The slits may be made in the leather of equal or unequal depth,
or equal or unequal distance apart, but in all cases sufficient cuts must be made to
obtain the desired flexibility, which is the all-important factor in non puncturable
devices. The slits or cuts by closing on one another when in contact with the
ground present a solid front, by which means I obtain a comparitively thick band
of stout and tough material defying puncture as well as possessing resilient
properties.
The band or piece of leather slit as described is fixed to the tread portion of
the inner tube by cement or otherwise with the flat side in contact with the_said
tube, the arched portion thereof being face to face with the canvas lining of the
outer cover.
In a modification, the air tube may be thickened at the tread during manu-
facture, and afterwards slit in the manner herein before set forth.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a detached view of a bicycle rim
having a pneumatic tyre attached with a section of the outer cover removed, so as
to expose the inner air-tube, and reveal my improved puncture stopping device.
Fig. 2 is a section of the inner tube with my improved puncture proof band
affixed.
Referring to Fig. 1, A is the rim, B the outer cover of the pneumatic tyre
having a section thereof removed, so as to expose inner air-tube C, to which is
fixed by cement or otherwise my improved puncture proof band of leather or
other material D, which is arranged to completely encircle the tread of the inner
tube C, and in which is cut a series of sloping cuts, slits or incisions E at short
intervals, so as to greatly increase the flexibility of the band, and yet maintain
its original thickness, and consequently its puncture resisting properties.
The thickness of the band, and the depth of the incisions are slightly exagge-
rated in the drawing, so as to give a clearer conception of the device.
In Fig. 2, the air-tube is shewn in section, with a plan view of my improved
puncture resisting band 1) cut with slits E at close intervals, and preferably taking
the form of a segment of a circle in cross-section.
The band may also be cut with slits on its under or flat side, the said cuts cross-
ing those above without intersecting thus leaving a solid central portion between.
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
1 claim is:
In pneumatic tyres for cycles, motor-cars and other vehicles, the employment

page_text: of a puncture proof band D of leather or other flexible material, the said band
being fixed to and encircling the air tube C, and having some such slits or
incisions cut in it at short intervals as shewn at E, substantially as described, and
illustrated for the purpose specified.
Dated thin 1941 1
J
1 1000
RICHMOND & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.