Novel or Improved Puncture-proof or Armoured Pneumatic Tyres for Wheels.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Novel or Improved Puncture-proof or Armoured Pneumatic Tyres
for Wheels.
We, JONATHAN MILLS, of No. 31 West 61st Street, in the City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, WILLIAM
HENRY RATCLIFF and FLETCHER LOOMIS BARR, of No. 353 North 3rd Street,
in the City of Newark, in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United
States of America, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for preventing the puncturing of a pneumatio
tyre, and the object is to provide a simple and inexpensive armour for the tyre
which shall not detract from but rather add to the resiliency of the tyre.
In carrying out our invention we employ a series of slips, plates or strips of thin,
bard metal, preferably thin, tempered steel, arranged to extend transversely of
the tyre, or somewhat spirally or obliquely, bent to the curve of the inside of the
tyre and applied closely thereto, said slips, plates, or strips of metal overlapping
each other in the manner of scales.
In order to properly assemble and space the said slips, plates, or strips of metal,
we prefer to form pockets in a strip of thin, flexible material, such as muslin, and
enclose the metal slips in said pockets, the latter properly overlapping laterally.
The pocket-strip may have lateral flaps for the purpose of securing the armour to
the inner surface of the hollow tyre, and these flaps may be cemented to the
tyre. The armour will be placed close to the inner surface of the tyre exterior
to the inner, inflatable tube, if such a tube be used. If the armour be applied to
what is called a "hose tyre," without the inflatable tube, then the fabric of the
pocket-strip should be impermeable to air and be cemented closely to the inner
surface of the hollow tyre all around the same.
Preferably the metal slips, plates or strips will be long enough, when applied
to the inner surface of the tyre, to extend about two-thirds of the way around its
transverse circumference; and preferably also the metal strips will be shaped or
set by rolling or otherwise so as to nearly or quite conform to the curved surface
of the inner wall of the tyre.
Dated this 12th day of December 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Agent for the Applicants.
Novel or Improved Puncture-proof or Armoured Pneumatic Tyres
for Wheels.
We, JONATHAN MILLS, of No. 31 West 61st Street, in the City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, WILLIAM
HENRY RATCLIFF and FLETCHER LOOMIS BARR, of No. 353 North 3rd Street,
in the City of Newark, in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, United
States of America, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
ID 37

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to means for preventing the puncturing of the tire, and
the object is to provide a simple and inexpensive armor for the tire which shall
not detract from but rather add to its resiliency.
The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of our invention. In
these drawings-
Figure 1 is a transverse section of the tire provided with the armor.
Figure 2 is a section of a part of the tire, taken in the plane indicated by the
Jine 2, 2, in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of a fragment of the armor, detached; and Figure 3ª is
a section of the same on the line 3, 3, in Figure 3.
✗ represents a rubber tire of any kind, and Z the usual inflatable tube inside
of the same.
A represents, as a whole, our armor, with which the tire X is lined to protect
the tube Z against punctures.
Our armor A consists preferably of a strip of thin, flexible material, as muslin,
silk, or the like, plaited in such a manner as to form a laterally overlapping series
of pockets, a, which extend transversely of the strip, and thin slips of steel, or
other hard metal, b, in said overlapping pockets, whereby said slips also overlap
each other. When this strip of armor is applied to the inner face of the hollow
tire X, the slips of metal will be bent, into a hook-like form, as seen in Fig. 1.
We prefer as a pocket-fabric, thin silesia, and we prefer to make the metal slips
of spring-tempered steel, four to six one-thousandths of an inch thick and about
three-eighths of an inch wide. We prefer to have these metal slips overlap ench
other about one-third of their widths at the crown of the wheel, and to have them
extend around about two-thirds of the inner lateral diameter of the hollow of the
tire X, as seen in Fig. 1. These materials, dimensions and proportions need not
be rigidly adhered to, of course. The strip of armor will be of the proper length
to extend throughout the whole length of the tire, or circumference of the wheel,
and in order that it may be conveniently secured in place we prefer to provide it
with lateral attaching flaps, c, c, which may be cemented to the inner face of the
tire when the armor is in place therein.
In making the pocket-strip of the armor, the fabric may be folded properly and
the pockets be formed therein by rows of stitching.
We prefer to form the pockets a so that they will extend across the strip at
right-angles to its margins, but they might be placed somewhat oblique to the
margins without detriment. This arrangement will be readily understood without
the necessity of illustration.
"
Our invention may be conveniently applied to any of the several kinds of
pneumatic tires commonly used on bicycles and other vehicles, but it is best
adapted to those having an inner inflatable tube. Where applied to a
" hose
tire it will have to be carefully cemented to the inner surface thereof and the
fabric should be of impermeable material. The flexible material of the pocket-
fabric allows for the slight "gather" at the sides of the tire farthest from the
crown; that is to say, owing to the tire being a circle, the overlapping of the
slips b, will be a little less at the crown of the tire than at the sides, and the stretch
and flexibility of the pocket-fabric will permit of the slips adjusting themselves.
In forming the armor, we prefer to give to the slips of thin metal a set curved
form of nearly that which they will have when in place in the tire, as seen in Fig. 1.
This may be done by rolling or otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim, is :-
1. The combination with a pneumatic tire for a wheel of an
armor therefor

page_text: comprising a series of slips of thin hard metal extending transversely of the tire
and applied close to the interior surface of the same, said slips overlapping each
other laterally, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a pneumatic tire for a wheel, of an armor therefor
comprising a series of slips of thin spring steel extending transversely of the tire
and applied closely to the interior surface thereof, said slips being enclosed each
in thin fabric and arranged to overlap each other laterally, substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination with a pneumatic tire for a wheel, of an armor therefor
comprising a strip of thin, flexible fabric, as muslin, having laterally overlapping
pockets a, formed in it and extending transversely thereof, and thin slips, 6, of
spring steel, enclosed in said pockets, said armor being applied closely to the inner
face of the hollow tire and secured in place in the latter, substantially as set
forth.
4. An armor for pneumatic tires comprising a series of connected, laterally
overlapping pockets a, formed of thin, flexible material, attaching strips at the
edges of said strip, and thin slips, b, of hard, spring metal enclosed in the respective
pockets of the series, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1896.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.