Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Pneumatic Tyres.
I, CHARLES KINGSTON WELCHI, of Park House, Coventry, in the County of War-
wick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tyres, and it has for its
chief object to provide a pneumatic tyre specially suitable for racing purposes,
that is to say a tyre that will offer an exceedingly slight amount of resistance
to its deformation or flattening at that point where it momentarily bears on the
ground.
According to my invention I provide the inexpansible jacket with a protecting
strip composed of a thin sheet or skin of highly resilient and tough indiarubber
which is either unvulcanized, or has been vulcanized only to such a slight extent.
as to avoid the loss of its natural toughness, which loss occurs to a large extent
in rubber that has been fully vulcanized.
For example, in applying my invention to a "Dunlop-Welch" pneumatic tyre
I employ an inexpansible jacket of suitable fabric, preferably such as that described
in the Specification of prior Letters Patent granted to me on the 10th July 1893
No. 13391, and, instead of employing in connection therewith a protective band
or strip of the ordinary vulcanized india rubber, I cover the whole or the tread
portion only of the outer surface of said fabric with a thin sheet or skin of the
aforesaid unvulcanized or slightly vulcanized india rubber, preferably that known
in the trade as *
mottled cut sheet," of the toughest quality.
Although I have described my invention with reference to a tyre designed for
racing purposes, it is obvious that I may if. desired employ a protective band or
strip of unvulcanized or slightly vulcanized rubber having the usual form (i.e.
thicker at the peripheral or tread portion than at the sides). Such band or strip
may be formed either by building up such tread with superimposed strips of
varying widths, or by cutting or otherwise forming the band or strip in one piece.
Dated this 17th day of June 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: ner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tyres, and it has for its
chief object to provide a pneumatic tyre specially suitable for racing purposes,
that is to say a tyre that will offer an exceedingly slight amount of resistance to
its deformation or flattening at that point where it momentarily bears on the
ground.
According to my invention I provide the inexpansible jacket of a pneumatic
tyre with a protecting strip composed of a thin sheet or skin of highly resilient
and tough india rubber which is either unvulcanized or has been so slightly vul-
canized as to avoid the loss of its natural toughness, which loss occurs to a large
extent in rubber that has been fully vulcanized.
Instead of employing this unvulcanized or substantially unvulcanized india
rubber in the form of strips, it may be applied to the outer surface of the tyre in
any other appropriate manner.
"
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings which illustrate various methods of carrying my said invention into
effect, applied, by way of example, to the well known Dunlop-Welch " pneu-
matic tyre. It is obvious however, that may apply my invention to any form
of pneumatic tyre, whether it be of the kind or class known as "double tube,"
"single tube ог tubeless" tyres.
"
In all the figures A is the inexpansible jacket and B the air chamber of the
tyre.
In carrying out my invention I employ an inexpansible jacket of suitable fabric
preferably such as that described in the Specification of prior Letters Patent
granted to me on the 10th July 1893 No. 13391, and, instead of employing in con-
nection therewith a protective band or strip of the ordinary vulcanized india
rubber, 1 cover the whole, or the tread portion only, of the outer surface of said
fabric with a thin sheet or skin a of the aforesaid unvulcanized or slightly vul-
canized india rubber. I prefer to employ the material known in the trade as
"mottled cut sheet," of the toughest quality, applied to the fabric in the form
of a strip or strips.
In Figure 1 of the drawings I have shown a tyre in which the whole of the
outer surface of the jacket is covered in the said manner; while in Figure 2 the
tread surface only of the jacket is so covered.
Figures 3 and 4 show tyres whose jackets are protected by a cover or coating
of the said material which is thicker at the peripheral or tread portion than at
the sides.
In the construction shown in Figure 3 the cover is formed by a strip a of raw
rubber covering the whole of the outer surface of the jacket. Upon the tread por-
tion of the tyre a suitable number of separate strips a', a² a³ are superposed. These
strips are of varying width, the narrowest strip forming the base, and they are
firmly solutioned together and to the strip a. If desired however the strips a¹, a³,
³, may be arranged between the strip a and the fabric A.
In the construction shown in Figure 4 the cover is cut, moulded or otherwise
formed in one piece, and the thickened tread portion may be formed either with
a plain exterior surface, or with ridges, as shown, or other projections or depres-
sions designed to prevent side slip.
Although I have described my improved tyres as chiefly designed for racing
purposes, it is obvious that they may if desired be employed for ordinary riding
on the road, for which purpose the constructions shown in Figures 3 and 4 are
more suitable.
The said unvulcanized or slightly, vulcanized india rubber not only possesses
more resilience and toughness than the ordinary vulcanized india rubber; but it
is also capable of being cut into, and employed in the form of much thinner sheets
than is generally obtainable with vulcanized rubber, by which means a still more

page_text: resilient and flexible jacket can be obtained. Moreover the employment of the
said material in place of ordinary vulcanized india rubber greatly facilitates the
manufacture of the tyres, because the said material can be caused to adhere to
the fabric constituting the inexpansible jacket much more readily than can the
vulcanized india rubber.
It will be obvious that this special protective material may be applied to the
tyre by other means than by cementing strips of the same to the exposed surface
of the inexpansible jacket as herein described; and I do not therefore confine
myself to the exact method described with reference to the drawings; the essen-
tial feature of my invention being the employment of an unvulcanized or sub-
stantially unvulcanized indiarubber outer surface for a pneumatic tyre, in place
of the vulcanized indiarubber heretofore employed.
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:-
-
A pneumatic tyre having its outer surface or tread portion consisting of unvul-
canized or substantially unvulcanized india rubber for the purpose specified.
Dated this 17th day of March 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.