Improvements in the Manufacture of Pneumatic Tyres
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by MORGAN AND WRIGHT incorporated of 339 West
Lake Street Chicago Illinois United States of America.]
"Improvements in the Manufacture of Pneumatic Tyres."
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the firm of D. Young & Co., of 11 and 12
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., 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 contemplates an improved process of manufacturing pneumatic
tyres.
In carrying out the invention, an annular, tubular pneumatic tyre-casing com-
posed of an outer layer of rubber and one or more inner layers of fabric, is formed
and vulcanized in any known or approved way, and an inner rubber air-tube,
open at its ends, and adapted for use as a lining for said casing, is formed and
vulcanized separately from the latter, and provided with a suitable valve.
The inner surface of the casing, or the outer surface of the inner air-tube, or
both, are then coated with rubber cement such as is commonly employed by rubber
manufacturers, but preferably, only the inner surface of the casing is coated
with such cement. The cement is then permitted to dry upon the surface or
surfaces to which it has thus been applied, and the inner air-tube is then drawn
within the casing through a short slit or opening previously made in the latter.
The ends of the inner air-tube are then telescoped and united by cementation,
and the coating of cement herein before mentioned is then subjected to the action
of a solvent so as to soften it and again render it sticky. The inner tube is then
inflated by pumping in air through its valve, thereby expanding it against the
ir.ner wall of the casing, and the tyre is then left in an inflated condition until
the inner tube has become suitably united to the inner wall of the casing as an
impervious lining therefor. The slit in the casing can then be closed in any
suitable way, preferably by cementation, and if desired a short layer of rubber
or fabric can be cemented over one or both sides of the slit.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a section taken longitudinally through a portion of the casing which
is understood to have its inner surface coated with cement.
Figure 2 is a like view, illustrating the inner tube within the casing the ends
of the inner tube being telescoped and the said tube being uninflated.
Figure 3 is a like view showing the inner tube inflated and cemented to the
casing.
Figure 4 is a like view showing the tube provided with internally arranged
patching fabric.
Figure 5 is a section on line -x Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a section on line y-y, Figure 4.
The endless, tubular tyre casing A, can be made and vulcanized in accordance
with any known or suitable method, and can be composed of any material or
materials suitable for pneumatic tyre casings, it being preferable, however, to

page_text: construct it with one or more inner layers of fabric as at a, and an outer layer a¹
of rubber or rubber compound.
The inner tube B, which is of suitable impervious material is preferably made
of rubber, and vulcanized separate from the casing.
A suitable slit or opening as at a² is made in the casing and before introducing
the inner tube, a suitable quantity of liquid cement such as the rubber cement
employed by rubber manufacturers for cementing rubber articles, is introduced
into the casing through the opening in the latter, and caused to spread over the
entire inner surface of the casing. This liquid cement can be introduced by a
suitable injector, but as a simple, rapid and convenient way, a quantity
of the liquid cement, for example about a pint, can be simply poured into the
casing, and by then circumferentially turning the casing while in a vertical plane
and during such operation manually kneading or exerting a rubbing or pressing
action upon a portion of the casing supported by a bed or table, the liquid cement
which has been introduced into the casing will be caused to rapidly work along
the entire length of the annular bore or passage within such casing, and while
thus passing along such bore or passage, the cement will be distributed over the
wall thereof. After this, most of the surplus cement can at once be emptied from
the casing through the opening in the latter and by then hanging up the casing
for a short time, all further surplus cement will find its way to the said opening
through which it can be readily discharged. As a further step, the cement in
the casing is permitted to dry, or harden to an extent to lose the stickiness which
would interfere with the drawing of an inner tube within the casing. For example, a
casing thus treated with cement, and left over night, will be in condition to
permit an inner tube to be drawn in without sticking, and without rubbing off
or injuring the thin coating of cement on the inner surface of the casing. As
a further step, the inner tube which can be provided with a suitable valve, is
drawn into the casing, and the cement on the inner surface of the casing is then
again rendered adhesive (sticky) preferably by subjecting it to the action of a
solvent, such as gasoline, benzine, or the like, to an extent to soften and thereby
render it adhesive, after which, the inner tube can be inflated so as to cause its
outer surface to adhere to the inner cemented surface of the casing and thereby
provide the latter with a smooth, tubular lining. Preferably, the ends of the
inner tube are closed or telescoped preparatory to introducing the solvent between
the tube and casing, in which way the tube can be completed and tested by a
temporary inflation while the cement is dry, for the purpose of ascertaining the
integrity of the joint at or between its ends. The ends of the tube could be
separately closed and lapped within the casing, but it is preferably to telescope
such ends, whereby a continuous tube is provided, and in such case, it is desirable
to temporarily inflate the inner tube so as to test the joint formed by telescoping
the ends of the tube, before the cement has been softened by a solvent.
The solvent, for example, in quantity about equal to the quantity of cement
previously introduced, as hereinbefore stated, can be easily introduced through
the slit or opening in the casing, (the inner tube being deflated) and by then
suitably manipulating the casing, for example in the way hereinbefore mentioned
in connection with the cement, the solvent can be caused to pass over the entire
layer of cement, after which, all surplus solvent can be readily emptied out of
the casing through the opening in the latter.
The short slit or opening in the casing which has been made for the intro-
duction of the air-tube, and other matters hereinbefore referred to, can be finally
closed in any desired way, for example, by lacing, or lacing and cementation, or
by other suitable means, and it can also be concealed, by any suitable strip or
layer cemented upon the casing. In constructing the tyre as herein before
described, an inner strip can also be arranged between the inner tube and the
short slit in the casing.
The inner tube can, if desired, be provided with any known or suitable arrange-
ment of patching fabric, involving one or more layers, for example, it can be

page_text: provided with a web or layer C attached to the inner side of the inner tube and
so arranged that it can be picked up, and cemented to the side of the inner tube
nearest the thread of the tyre, for the purpose of closing punctures.
The tyre thus made, can also be opened at any point, for purposes of repair,
without destroying the inner tube. For example, after cutting through the
casing at the base of the tyre, the portion of the inner tube adjacent to the
opening thus made, can be pulled away from the inner surface of the casing,
and where the tyre has been in use for a long time, the application of a solvent,
such as gasoline, or the like, will facilitate such separation of the inner tube
from the inner wall of the casing. After a repair has been thus made, the portion
of the inner tube which has been separated from the casing can be again cemented
to the latter, and the slit in the casing can be laced up or otherwise suitably
closed.
With reference to the feature of economy, it may be noted that, in manufac-
turing these tyres, one operator can work continuously on coating the inner wall
of the casing with cement; another can work continuously on introducing tubes;
another on telescoping the ends of the tubes; another on introducing the solvent;
and another on closing up the casings, in which way, a large number of tyres
can be produced with great rapidity and economy, as will be readily understood
by those acquainted with the various problems involved in manufacturing
industries.
to
Broadly considered, in place of coating the inner surface of the casing with
cement, as herein before described, the outer surface of the inner tube can be
coated with cement and such coating of cement can be allowed to dry, preparatory
to introducing the inner tube within the casing; or, in place of this coating with
cement one of the two surfaces which will be opposed the one
the other and which are formed by the outer surface of the inner
tube and the inner surface of the casing, both of such surfaces can
be coated with cement and, after the cement is dry, the inner tube can
be introduced within the casing and the solvent then introduced as herein before
described. It is preferable, however, to coat the inner side of the casing only
with cement, as hereinbefore first set for h..
In manufacturing pneumatic tyres by the process herein before described, the
layer of cement can without difficulty be spread evenly, and made of uniform
thickness, and by permitting it to dry before introducing the inner air-tube within
the casing, the layer of cement will not be injured by the process of introducing
the inner air-tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is: —
1. The process of manufacturing pneumatic tyres, consisting in separately
forming and vulcanizing an annular tubular pneumatic tyre-casing and an inner
air-tube therefor, coating with cement one or both of the two areas of surface
which will be opposed the one to the other, and respectively formed by the inner
tube and inner surface of the casing when the inner tube is in place within the
Jatter, drying such cement preparatory to placing the inner tube within the
casing, drawing the inner tube within the casing, subjecting the surface thus
coated with cement to the action of a solvent to again render it adhesive, and
inflating the inner tube to effect a cemented union between the inner tube and
casing, substantially as set forth.
2. The process of manufacturing pneumatic tyres, consisting essentially in
separately forming and vulcanizing an annular, tubular pneumatic tyre-casing
and an inner air-tube therefor, coating the inner surface of the casing with
cement and drying the latter preparatory to the introduction of the inner air-tube,
introducing the inner air-tube within the casing thus prepared, subjecting the
cement upon the inner surface of the casing containing the inner air-tube to the

page_text: action of the solvent so as to again render it adhesive, and inflating the inner
air-tube so as to bring together the outer surface of the inner air-tube and the
inner cement-coated surface of the casing while the cement is in adhesive con-
dition and cause such opposin surfaces of the casing and the inner air-tube to
unite, substantially as described.
3. The process of manufacturing pneumatic tyres, consisting essentially in
coating with cement the inner lining of fabric of an endless, tubular pneumatic
tyre-casing composed of layers of fabric and rubber, drying such cement pre-
paratory to introducing an inner air-tube, introducing an inner air-tube within
the casing thus prepared, telescoping the ends of the air-tube, passing between
the air-tube and inner cement-coated wall of the casing a solvent acting to again
render the cement on such inner wall adhesive, and inflating the air-tube while
such cement is adhesive so as to unite the outer surface of the air-tube with the
inner surface of the casing, substantially as set forth.
4. A pneumatic tyre manufactured substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated the 19th day of October 1897
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.