Improvements in Rubber Tyres.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rubber Tyres.
I, PAUL EHRLICH, Manufacturer of Leipzic-Gohlis in the Kingdom of
Saxony, German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be
s follows:-
The present invention relates to hollow rubber tyres filled with water or com-
pressed air for cycles and other purposes, and its object is to construct the tyre in
such manner as to obviate the great fault with these tyres which is that when
broken at one point by accident, or rough travelling the whole tyre is disabled
and rendered useless for the time being owing to the escape of the water or
compressed air.
According to my invention I compose the tyre of a number of separate air tight
rubber segments filled with water or compressed air and arranged on the wheel in
suitable manner, so as to allow of easy removal and replacement by a new one,.
should any such segment get damaged from either of the above mentioned or other
causes. For instance these segments may be placed into a rubber tube and the
latter attached to the rim of the wheel or they may be inserted into an exterior
rubber tubular tyre through suitable apertures in the same, or they may be attached
individually to the metallic tyre of the wheel by means of small plates attached to
each segment and provided with hollow projections having internal threads, said
projections extending through a forked plate on. the next section or segment and
In this case
through the metallic tyre and then secured to the latter by a screw.
one end of each section is advantageously provided with a lug or projection which
fits into a depression or socket at the other end of the second section or segment.
Or each segment may be provided with leather loops passing through apertures in
the tyre, said loops being secured in the tyre by means of suitable wires or rods
passed through the same.
Deted the 2nd dor of January 1899
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rubber Tyres.
I, PAUL EHRLICH, Manufacturer, of Leipsic-Gohlis in the Kingdom of
Saxony, German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in
what manner the same is performed to be particularly described and ascertained.
in and by the following statement:-
The present invention relates to hollow rubber tyres, filled with water or com-
pressed air, for cycles and other purposes and its object is to construct the tyre in
such manner as to obviate the great fault with these tyres, which is that when
broken at one point by accident or through rough travelling the whole tyre is
disabled for the time being owing to the escape of the water or compressed air.
According to my invention I compose the tyre of a number of separate air tight
rubber segments arranged on the wheel in such manner as to allow of easy removal
and replacement by a new one should any such segment get damaged from either of
the above mentioned causes.
In order to make this Specification more easily intelligible reference is had to
the accompanying drawings forming part of the same and in which similar letters
denote similar parts throughout the several views.
Figs. 1-5 show various arrangements of the segments on the wheels.

page_text: to the wheel.
actan views Various ways of fastening the rubber segments
The segments a (Fig. 1) may be formed to a tyre by, being arranged in a rubber
tube (Figs. 2 and 3) which latter is then fixed to the rim of a wheel in the ordinary
manner. Instead of rubber tubing a hollow tyre may be employed into which the
segments are placed through the openings b, b (Figs. 3 and 4). In order to still
further protect the segments against injury they may be provided with small
metallic or other plates on the outside as shown at f in Fig. 1. Such hollow tyre
containing the segments may be fixed to the wheel in the usual manner, or it may
be provided with lugs c on its inner periphery, having holes d, whilst the rim of
the wheel (Fig. 5A) is made in two parts 12 of which one part is provided with
pins e' having screw threads on their ends, and the other with holes, said pins and
holes corresponding in position to those d of the tyre lugs. When the whole is
fixed together the pins on project through the tyre lugs and holes d and those of
the rim-half and may be fastened in position by a nut.
Figs. 6 and 7 show another method of attaching the rubber tyre to the rim,
according to which the tyre is provided with metal lugs m on its inner periphery
said lugs having interior screw thread and being adapted to pass through holes in
the wheel rim and attached thereto by means of screws o screwed into the lugs
from the inside of the rim l.
The segments may also be attached separately to the wheel rim as shown in
Fig. 8, either in the usual manner or each segment may be provided with two or
more perforated lugs h which fit through corresponding holes in the rim and may
be retained in position by means of a cord or leather strap k being threaded
through all the lugs and having its ends screwed together. The segments may also
be attached by means of lugs such as m (Fig. 6) but in this case the interior
thread must not extend. through the lug as it will impair the tightness of the
segment.
From this it will be evident that if the tyre be damaged at any point sucir
damage will only affect the tyre for a distance corresponding to the length of a
segment and as the segments may be easily taken out and replaced by new or
undamaged ones, the defect can be quickly and conveniently remedied.
When the segments are fixed to the rim separately it is advisable to bevel off
the ends of each segment in such manner as to allow the end of one segment to
overlap that of the next (Figs. 10 and 11) so that when the wheel revolves the
ends of the segments will be pressed together before coming into contact with the
ground and dust or small stones effectually be prevented from getting pressed in
between the said segments.
In order to secure the segments properly in place against each other, each is
provided at one end with a lug a¹ and at the other end with a depression a² into
which the lug of the next segment fits. In order to render the segments more stiff
they may be divided into compartments a³ by partition walls having openings a* to
establish communication between the compartments.
Such segments are attached to the rim of the wheel in the following manner that
side of each segment which comes against the said rim, is provided with two
plates g and e one at each end, of which is let into the segment and provided
with a screw stud g¹ rivetted thereto and projecting inwards whilst e projects over
the end of the segment and has an open slot e¹ at its end. The plate 9 has its end
containing the stud g' bent to allow the end of plate e to lie underneath it, the
pin g when in position lies in the slot e¹ of plate e and passes through the tyre to
which it may be secured by a nut. Instead of the stud 9' a lug m¹ with internal
thread may be employed and secured by screws o¹. The method of attachment as
shown in Fig. 10 allows of a more rapid and easy removal of any one segment, and
replacement by another.
In order to enable a more easy changing of the segments than is possible with
the devices illustrated in Figs. 2-4 short pieces of rubber tubing i (Fig. 11) may
he slipped over the same and secured to the wheel in the same manner as described

page_text: with reference to Fig. 10. In this case instead of lugs small closed metallic-
tubes a may be employed at the ends of the segments if so desired each two or-
more segments may communicate with each other by small open tubes a".
The device illustrated in Fig. 12 enables the segments to be fixed to the rim of
the wheel independently of the position of the spokes in the said rim. For this
purpose the segments are mounted on metallic plates having lugs 2 extending
downwards at the sides. The end lugs r of each plate are provided with slots and
engage over the slotted lugs of the next segment, said lugs being secured to the
rim of the wheel by a bolt s and a nut as shown at Fig. 12. The lugs rr are simply
for the purpose of stiffening and holding the plates in position on the wheel.
Fig. 12 shows a detail view of the plates r with their slotted lugs r¹ and guide
lugs. Such lugs may also be attached singly to the wheel rim, not engaging
over each other, as shown at Fig. 12ª.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. A rubber tyre consisting of a series of segments filled with water or com-
pressed air and attached to the rim of the wheel either separately or altogether
by means of a hollow rubber tyre enclosing the said segments, substantially as
described.
2. In tyres composed of hollow segments the device for joining the ends of such
segments, in which the said ends are bevelled off to overlap each other and whereby
a lug on the end of one segment fits into a depression in the other segment substan-
tially as described.
3. In tyres composed of hollow segments, the combination of such segments with
plates g and e of which one plate is provided with a stud,-
,-or lug with internal
thread, the other plate having a slot to embrace said stud or lug, the latter
passing through the tyre and secured by means of a nut or screw substantially as
described.
4. In tyres composed of hollow segments, the combination of such segments
with plates such as rattached to the same and having slotted lugs extending
downwards at the sides and engaging over the wheel rim, and guide lugs also-
extending downwards and embracing the wheel rim said slotted lugs being secured
to the rim by means of bolts, substantially as described.
Dated the 13th day of June 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.