Year: 1899

page_text: T
I, HARRISON CLEMENT FROST, of No. 170, Summer Street, Boston, County of
Suffolk, State of Massachusetts and United States of America, Dealer in Rubber
Goods, 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 relates to improvements in tires that have a "separated" tread
or a tread which is made up of a series of alternate elevations and depressions;
and further my invention relates to improvements in tires which are solid as
distinguished from tires which are chambered to receive retaining strips.
Tires have heretofore been secured to their wheels by means of retaining strips
which are passed longitudinally through the substance of the tire. These retain-
ing strips destroy the resiliency and greatly lessen the durability of the tire.
Moreover, the chambers for these retaining strips weaken the tire. One object
of my invention is to dispense with these retaining strips and to provide a solid
tire and one which is more resilient, more durable, and stronger.
Another object of my invention is to provide an efficient mode of securing the
tire to the wheel and at the same time avoid the use of the objectionable method
of passing the securing means through the active portion of the tread of the
tire, thereby destroying its resiliency.
A further object of my inventon is to increase the resiliency of the tire over
that of known forms of tire having a separated" tread; and the construction
of the tread portion to accomplish this object is a feature of my invention. This
construction also affords the advantages of economy in rubber, of the absence of
any tendency on the part of the tire to pick up and throw stones, gravel or other
missles.
Another object of my invention is to provide a tire which will allow the water
of the roadway to flow off freely between the tread portions and which will not
collect the water between the tread portions and cause it to be thrown out upon
the occupants of the vehicle.
A further object of my invention is to provide a tire which may be readily
fitted to different sizes of wheels without any sacrifice of uniformity of appearance
in the completed tire.
Reference being had to the accompanvine drawing

page_text: Figure 1 is an elevation of a wheel fitted with my new tire.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a section of my new tire bolted in place in its
tire holder to the felloe, part of the view being sectional.
Figure 3 is a lower plan view of what is shown in Figure 2:
Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4, Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5, Figure 2.
Figure is a sectional view on line 6-6, Figure 2.
Figure 7 is is a view showing the compression of the tread members resting on
the ground, the dotted lines showing their ordinary relaxed appearance.
In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode
now known to me of applying that principle, A is the felloe of the wheel on the
outer peripheral surface of which is secured the tire holder B. My new tire is
made up in sections which permit of the fitting of a tire of my construction to
any size of wheel. The base of the tire is of hard rubber or other flexible or
slightly inextensible material (which may be joined to a soft rubber covering as
by vulcanization) which gives a degree of strength and firmness to the tire.
Above this hard rubber base D is a thin covering of soft rubber E. Integral
with this soft rubber covering E are the tread portions F separated from each
other by intervals as shown. The tread portions F are undercut as best shown
in Figure 2 and this undercut construction gives several advantages, among
which are first, the resiliency of the overhanging portion G is increased, thereby
increasing the resiliency of the tire as a whole; second, the opening between
the tread portions being narrower at the top than at the bottom, a stone entering
this opening will not be held by the tread portions or thrown against the occupants
of the carriage but will pass downward and outward; and third, the undercutting
gives economy in rubber. The lower part of the tread portion F is elliptical in
horizontal cross section as is best shown in Figure 4. This construction prevents
the tire from collecting water between the tread portions and throwing it out
on the occupants of the carriage. A free flow if afforded the water and there is
in this construction no tendency to collect the water from the surface of the road.
The extremities of the sections which make up my tire are formed with slots H
which pass through the soft rubber covering E and the hard rubber base 1). The
sections are secured to the tire-holder and felloe by a screw I, the screw I passing
through the slots H and screw-holes in the tire-holder B and felloe A. The
slots H are open ended and slightly elongated. The sections are preferably
made of uniform length and should the wheel be of such a size that a whole
number of sections would form too large a tire, the total length of the tire may
be reduced by cutting from the extremities of each section a short length, as one-
sixteenth of an inch making a total reduction of one-eighth of an inch in the
total length of the section. My construction also admits of cutting from a section
one or two tread portions F, preferably at a point midway between the tread
portions. A slot is then formed in the extremity and the compensating portion
thus produced inserted in the vacant space between the ends of the sections. In
this way my construction permits of a tire of any size being made up and the
uniform appearance of the tire is retained; for the tread portions are maintained
of the uniform size and the intervals between them of the same uniform length.
This method of securing the tire to the wheel is new with me. Where the
screw bolt, or other securing means is passed through the solid tread portion, a
loss of resiliency is inevitable. The hole above the screw-head must be filled by
a rubber plug and this plug soon wears loose and falls out. The holes thereby
left gather stones and the tire soon becomes worthless. Again, in such a con-
struction there is no cushioning effect on the bolt and the nut may be stripped
from the threads, or if a screw is used, the threads may be stripped from
the screw or the screw loosened. In my new mode of securing the tire to the
wheel, I avoid these disadvantages by first, passing the bolt, screw, or other
securing means, through the tire between the portions which form the tread of
the tire; second, by providing under the bolt or screw-head a thin cushion of soft

page_text: rubber. This cushion being thin and very resilient prevents by its cushioning
effect any stripping of the screw threads or nut. The advantages of my method
of securing the tire to the wheel are obtained by first, separating the tread
portions from each other by intervals which are wide enough to permit the inser-
tion of the bolt between them; second, by making the soft rubber, which covers
the hard rubber base, thin and resilient to form a cushion for the bolt. The
simple and easy method of securing the tire to the wheel enables me to dispense
with locking bolts of special construction and with the gripping machines and
other special machinery. The only tools necessary to secure the tire to its
wheels by my method are those found in any carriage-smith's shop.
The advantages of my tire are: (1) freedom from retaining strips, which gives
increased resiliency, durability and strength, and does away with the necessity
of locking bolts of special construction, gripping machines, and the like: (2) No
tendency to pick up missiles; this is due to the shape of the tread portion, and
to the opening of the space between the elongated ends when the tread portion
is relieved from the load, as shown in Figure 7; moreover, the overhanging
adjacent ends of the tread portion move relatively to each other and make it
impossible for any stone to lodge between them: (3) No tendency to collect and
throw mud and surface water; the base portions of the tread members are
rounded and permit the free flow of surface water and the overhanging ends act
as guards to prevent the water and mud being thrown outward from the recesses
between the tread members: (4) Adjustability to any size of wheel without sacri-
fice of uniformity in appearance; this is attained by the sectional construction
of the tire and the mode of attaching the tire to the wheel: (5) A simple and
economical means of securing the tire to its wheel: (6) A cushion provided for
the screw or bolt-head by part of the tire itself: (7) My tire is solid and not
chambered, which makes it more resilient, durable, and stronger: and (8) The
over-hanging ends of the tread portion allow the transferring of the load from
tread member to tread member without jolt, and increases the resiliency of the
tire as a whole. By my construction I obviate the great objection which has
been urged against tires having separated treads; that is to say, the objection that
they cause jolting action of the vehicle. This jolting action in tires heretofore
made has been due to the abrupt transfer of the load from one tread portion to
the succeeding tread portion. In my tire the over-hanging ends give a springy
action to the transfer of the load from one tread member to the other and allow
it to be accomplished without jolt.
These advantages particularly adapt my tire to roads which are rough and
render riding upon such rough roads free from the jolting and throwing of mud
and stones which are incident to travel on such roads with tires heretofore made.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1-An elastic tire for wheels consisting of a base member of hard rubber or like
material an elastic member attached to said base member, and tread members
integral with said elastic member, the tread members flat-rounded on their
exterior, elongated and overhanging at their ends where they approach each
other, leaving a recess underneath whereby an elastic transfer from one tread
member to another without jolts is secured.
2 An elastic tire for wheels made up in sections, each section having a base
member of hard rubber or like material, an elastic member attached to said
base member and tread members integral with said elastic member, said tread
members flat-rounded on their exterior, elongated and overhanging at their ends
where they approach each other leaving a recess underneath whereby an elastic
transfer from one tread member to another without jolts is secured.
3 An elastic tire for wheels made up in sections each section having a base
member of hard rubber or like material, an elastic member attached to said

page_text: base member and tread members integral with said elastic member, said tread
members flat-rounded on their exterior, elongated and overhanging at their ends
where they approach each other leaving a recess underneath whereby an elastic
transfer from one tread member to another without jolts is secured; each section
being slotted at the extremities of its base for securing means such as screws,
bolts, or the like, said slots being formed' in the hard rubber lower portion, and
in the elastic portion attached to said hard rubber portion.
4-An elastic tire for wheels, consisting of a base member of hard rubber or
like material, an elastic member attached to said base member, and tread
members integral with said elastic member and joined thereto by supporting
base portions, the tread members flat-rounded on their exterior, elongated and
overhanging said supporting base portions at the ends where they approach each
other leaving a recess underneath whereby an elastic transfer from one tread
to another without jolts is secured: said supporting base portions of the tread
members being rounded to permit the free flow of surface water.
5 The combination of an elastic tire made up of a base member of hard rubber
or like material and an elastic member attached thereto; and tread members
integral with said elastic member and separated from one another by portions
of said base; a wheel; and securing means such as screws, bolts, or the like,
which pass downwardly between said tread portions and through holes in the
felloe of said wheel, the head of the securing means being cushioned by the elastic
member attached to the hard rubber base member.
6-The combination of an elastic tire made up of a base member of hard rubber
or like material and an elastic member attached thereto; and tread members
integral with said elastic member and separated from one another by portions of
said base; a wheel; a tire-holder; and securing means such as bolts, screws, or
the like, which pass downwardly through slots formed in said base member
between said tread members and through holes in the felloe of said wheel, and
in said tire-holder, the head of said securing means being cushioned by said
elastic member.
7 The combination of an elastic tire for wheels consisting of a base member
of hard rubber or like material, an elastic member attached to said base member
and tread members integral with said elastic member, the tread portions flat-
rounded on the exterior, elongated and overhanging at the ends where they
approach each other leaving a recess underneath; with securing means such as
screws, bolts, or the like, which pass downwardly through slots in the base
member between the tread members, the head of the securing means being
cushioned by the elastic member attached to said base member.
Dated this Eleventh day of September 1899.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London,
Agents to Applicant.