Improvements in and Relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
I, JOHN TOWNSEND TRENCH, of Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland, Land Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of so-called tubeless"
pneumatic tyre, and it consists in forming on the edge of the strip or band adapted
to form the tyre when placed on or in the wheel rim, a double bead or flange one
of which is adapted to engage with the wheel rim in any convenient manner for
the purpose of retaining it in position thereon, and the other is adapted to engage
with the edge of the rim or with a band placed thereon or therein for the purpose
of forming an air-tight joint both before and after inflation.
One method of attaching the edge of the cover to the wheel rim-which I give
by way of illustration only-is to form grooves on or in the edges of the wheel
rim on the inner side thereof to receive the locking beads or flanges on the tyre,
the said beads or flanges being kept in the grooves in the wheel rim by means of
detachable hoops or plates secured to the wheel rim by any suitable attachments.
The beads or flanges on the tyre adapted to form the air locks are suitably
shaped to enable them to so engage with the wheel rim as to make an air-tight
joint therewith both before and after inflation. These beads or flanges are prefer-
ably formed in one with the interior lining of the tyre which is preferably
vulcanised independent of the body of the tyre and is subsequently cemented or
otherwise attached thereto.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in and Relating to Pneumatic Tyres.
I, JOHN TOWNSEND TRENCH, of Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland, Land Agent,
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 pneumatic tyres of the so-called
tubeless" type,
and
it consists in forming at and near one edge of the strip or band constituting the
tyre two beads or their equivalents adapted to engage with the edges of the wheel
rim in any convenient manner for the purpose of retaining the tyre in position
[Pine S1

page_text: :
thereon, and in so forming the other edge of the strip or band constituting the tyre
that it engages with the other edge of the strip or band stretched across the rim
and forms and air-tight joint.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates by way of example some
methods of carrying this invention into practical effect:-
Figure 1 is a broken view in transverse section showing one form this invention
may assume.
Figure 2 is a broken view in transverse section of the same construction of tyre
showing the method of mounting and dismounting one edge of the tyre to obtain
access to the interior of it.
Figures 3 and 4 are views in transverse section showing alternative constructions.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
The tyre A which is composed of rubber reinforced with canvas or other suit-
able fabric and lined interiorly with pure rubber or other air proof material has
formed at its one edge a a bead or enlargement a¹ adapted to engage with a groove
or recess on the exterior of one of the edges of the wheel rim B. At a convenient
distance from this bead or enlargement a¹ is another bead or enlargement a²
adapted to engage with a similar groove or recess on the exterior of the other edge
of the wheel rim B, the distance apart of these two beads a¹ and a being such as
will stretch the part a³ of the tyre lying between the two beads a¹ and a tightly
across the groove of the rim B so as to form a diaphragm. The part a³ of the tyre
lying between these two beads a¹ a² is so inade that it has a certain amount of
elasticity, which may be attained by making it either of rubber only or of rubber
reinforced with fabric arranged on the cross or bias.
The other edge a* of the tyre A is made inextensible by any suitable construc-
tion, a convenient one being to run a wire such as C through it as shown, or to
reinforce it by means of strands of thread or other suitable material.
The beads or enlargements a¹ a² are retained in the grooves in the wheel rim B
by means of detachable hoops or plates D secured to the wheel rim B by screws
such as d or by any other suitable devices.
As an equivalent to the beads a¹ a² hooks such as a' may be employed to engage
with the edges of the wheel rim B as shown by Figure 3.
As a further modification the beads a¹ a² may be attached to the wheel rim by
making them inextensible by means of hoops a³ of wire or other suitable material
as shown by Figure 4.
Instead of making the bead a² or its equivalent in one with the tyre A it may
be formed on or carried by a separate strip A' and fixed to the tyre A as shown by
Figure 4. A further obvious construction is to make the bead or its equivalent a¹
and the part a³ lying between the said bead and the bead a separate from the tyre
and fix it thereto in any suitable manner.
It will be seen that in this construction of "tubeless" tyre the initial seal or
air-tight joint is made by reason of the edge a* of the tyre engaging with the
part a lying between the two edges of the wheel rim. The edge a is preferably
formed or covered with soft rubber and it is conveniently formed in one with the
interior lining of the tyre which is preferably vulcanised independently of the body
thereof, and is subsequently solutioned or otherwise attached thereto.
To dismount the tyre the inextensible edge a* is forced down into the groove of
the rim B on one side of the wheel as shown in the top part of Figure 2 so that the
diametrically opposite part in the said edge rises above the edge of the rim as
shown in the bottom part of Figure 2 and allows the edge of the tyre to be passed
over the edge of the rim.
If the part a³ forming the diaphragm is not sufficiently elastic to allow the
edge a* approaching near enough to the bottom of the groove in the rim one or
other of the beads a¹ a² or their equivalents must be detached from the wheel
rim.
It will be seen that when the edge a* beds itself so to speak on a flexible
diaphragm formed on or attached to the other edge of the tyre lying between the

page_text: edges of the wheel rim, and that the initial seal or air-tight joint is made by
reason of the elasticity of this diaphragm, and further that the greater the
pressure of air within the tyre the more securely the edge a* will be kept in
contact with the diaphragm.
I wish it to be understood that the position of the edge a* and the diaphragm a³
as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 is only approximately the position they will occupy
when the tyre is inflated as their exact positions will depend to a large extent
upon the construction and elasticity of the part a³ forming the diaphragm.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
(1) The improved construction of "tubeless" pneumatic tyre, substantially as
herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
(2) A pneumatic tyre consisting essentially of a band adapted to be attached to
the two edges of the wheel rim at and near its one edge, and having its other edge
inextensible and adapted to rest on and make an air-tight connection with a
diaphragm formed by the other edge of the tyre stretched across the groove in
the wheel rim, as set forth.
(3) The improved "tubeless" pneumatic tyre as herein described with refer-
ence to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.
(4) The improved "tubeless" pneumatic tyre as herein described with refer-
ence to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.
(5) The improved "tubeless" pneumatic tyre as herein described with refer-
ence to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 28th day of January 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.