Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN WATSON, Engineer, of The Firs, Oak Lane, Wilmslow, in the County
of Cheshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce a tyre which shall have no liability to
puncture under any circumstances, while possessing the advantages of the ordinary
pneumatic tyre, & in which the chances of side-slip shall be reduced to a minimum.
For the purpose of my invention I form a tube from a thin strip or ribbon of
steel, or other suitable material, in the following manner :-
The ribbon, after being made into a ring to suit the required diameter of wheel
is punched across so as to form a series of parallel strips joined at each end.
Lateral pressure on the two sides of the ribbon now causes the strips to take a
curved form, and by so compelling the direction of the curvature of two contiguous
strips that one strip springs upwards and the next downwards throughout the ring,
I obtain a flexible tube, elastic, light & strong, having a piece projecting from each
side.
The tube is formed, together with an enclosing or outer cover composed of india-
rubber & fabric, is sprung into a rim of special section recessed on each side for the
projecting parts to fall into, and the side thrust or pressure of these projecting
parts upon the rim is utilized to hold the tyre in place.
The tube & cover as described may be used alone to form the tyre, but my inven-
tion also includes the use of a small air tube between the flexible tube & the rim.
of wheel.
I, JOHN WATSON, of The Firs, Oak Lane, Wilmslow, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, 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:-
The object of my invention is to produce a tyre which shall have no liability to
puncture under any circumstances, while possessing the advantages of the ordinary
pneumatic tyre, and in which the chance of side-slip shall be reduced to a minimum.
For the purpose of my invention I form a tube from a thin strip or ribbon of
steel or other suitable material, in the following manner; -

page_text: The ribbon after being made into a ring to suit the required diameter of wheel,
is punched across so as to form a series of narrow parallel strips joined at each end.
Lateral pressure on the two sides of the ribbon now causes these strips to take a
curved form, and by so compelling the direction of the curvature of two contiguous
strips that one strip springs upwards and the next downwards throughout the ring,
I obtain a flexible tube, elastic, light and strong, having a piece projecting from
each other.
The tube so formed, together with an enclosing or outer cover composed of india-
rubber and fabric, is sprung into a rim of special section recessed on each side for
the projecting parts to fall into, and the side thrust or pressure of these projecting
parts upon the rim is utilized to grip and thereby hold the tyre in place."
The tube and outer cover as described may be used alone to form the tyre, but my
invention also includes the use of a small air tube between the flexible tube and
the rim of the wheel.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
In carrying out my invention and referring to the drawings-Fig. 1 shows a
portion of the flexible ribbon after being punched across, a, 6 being contiguous
parallel strips. The said ribbon either before or after having been punched as
described is formed into a ring by soldering or otherwise connecting their ends
together. Figs. 2 & 3 show the form taken by the ribbon when under lateral
pressure and when contiguous strips are compelled to curve in opposite directions,
as a, a, a upwards b, b, b downwards and form a skeleton fashioned flexible
tube f, f are the edges or strips projecting from the sides of the flexible tube so
formed. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 show cross sections of various forms of the complete
tyre which may be made under my invention and Fig. 9 a detail thereof.
In Fig. 4 a is the flexible tube, r is the rim of the wheel, kis the enclosing or
outer cover of india-rubber and fabric thickened on the tread.
m is a metallic
strip or ring connecting the curved transverse strips a, a, a, together and attached
to the inside of the cover k on each side are pockets 7 into which the sharp project-
ing edges f of the tube a are inserted. The side thrust of these edges facts on
the lip or upper edge p of the rim r, through the pockets 7.
A bridging piece or ring d, shown in Fig. 9, may be substituted for the two
pockets . This will be fastened to the cover k at one side only.
In Fig. 5 a rim r of shallower section is employed and to the bottom of same is
rivetted a U shaped steel rings, a plan of which is shown in Fig. 10.
The upper
edges project above the rim r, and are turned to form pockets for the projecting
edges of the tube a. The outer cover k passes between this ring d and rim r and
terminates at each side in a hooked form which engages with the turned-in edges
of the rim r.
A pad n of rubber is interposed between the rim r and ring 8.
In Fig. 6 a second tube o formed exactly as the flexible tube a but smaller and
with long projecting pieces t bent nearly at right angles to the original plane of
the ribbon, is inserted within the flexible tube a and the bent pieces or flanges t
are rivetted to the flexible tube a at top and bottom, the strip or ring m being
in this case not required. The pockets are attached to the inside of cover k, as
in Fig. 1, but in other respects the rim r and outer cover k are formed as in Fig. 5.
The lower projecting piece t is not continuous but pieces are taken out at equal
distances to allow for the decrease in diameter between top and bottom of tube a.
In Fig. 7 the flexible tube a, rim r, outer cover k and strip m are as in Fig. 5,
but a second flexible tube w, formed like tube a, but smaller, and with its project-
ing edges bent to enclose the projecting edges f of tube a is inserted within the
tube a and within the tube w is an air tube c, provided with a valve passing as
usual through the rim r. This air tube is not endless.
The object of the inside tubes in Figs. 6 & 7, is to cushion the side thrust of the
5

page_text: projecting edges f of flexible tube a when pressure is applied on the tread of the
tyre.
Fig. 8 shows another form of my invention in which an air tube u is employed
between the flexible supporting tube a and the rim of the wheel, which serves
to cushion the flexible supporting tube and also to press the edges of the cover k
against the rim of the wheel and thus hold same in position thereon, a U shaped
rings being interposed as in Fig. 5.
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:
1st. In elastic tyres for cycles a tube for the support of an outer flexible tube or
cover formed of steel ribbon or the like flexible material having strips cross wise
which are adapted to curve successively up and down when lateral pressure is
exerted upon the edges of the ribbon and thus form a skeleton tube, all substan-
tially as set forth.
2nd. The combination of the flexible supporting tube and outer flexible tube or
cover, specified in the preceding claim, with a rim r the edges of which are formed
with lips p against which the sides of the outer flexible tube or the edges of the
cover are pressed by the edges of the flexible supporting tube a, all substantially
as set forth.
3rd. The combination with the flexible tyre, specified in the preceding claim,
of an air tube employed between the said flexible supporting tube and rim of the
wheel, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 12th day of November 1897
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4 Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.