An Improved Method and Means of Fitting Joined Up Rubber Tyres to Wheels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method and Means of Fitting Joined Up Rubber Tyres
to Wheels.
ALFRED HOPTON, 124, Euston Road, London, Coach Ironmonger, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The rubber tyre after being joined up is placed as far as posible, by hand,
in the rim or channel of the wheel.
To stretch the remaining portion of the tyre into the rim or channel I use a
lever at the bottom of which is made a slot or recess for gripping the edge
of the rim.
A short distance from the bottom end of the lever I have a clamp, either fixed
to the lever or movable, at the end of which is a flat plate or foot, so that it
acts as a clutch (the end of the lever resting on the rim) to hold the rubber
tyre, and pull it over into the channel or rim.
Dated October 10th 1808
An Improved Method and Means of Fitting Joined Up Rubber Tyres
to Wheels.
I, ALFRED HOPTON, of 124, Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex, Coach
Ironmonger, 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 invention relates to improvements in means of fitting or applying joined
up rubber or other elastic tyres to wheels and has for its object to obtain a simple
and inexpensive instrument by the aid of which a rubber or elastic tyre in its
complete form may
be readily stretched onto the rim or metal channel of a wheel.
For this purpose a lever is employed which at the fulcrum end is curved or
bent and at its extremity slotted recessed or notched to seat upon the edge of
the grooved rim or metal channel of the wheel and to this lever at about the
commencement of the bend is pivotally connected a clamp or jaw, or the jaw might
be fixed to the lever and if desired adjustable and the extremity of this jaw or
clamp is formed or provided with a plate or flap which acts as a clutch to engage
and hold the tyre.
In order to fit a tyre upon the rim or in the channel of the wheel the rubber
tyre in its joined up or complete form is first laid in the groove or channel of the

page_text: rim or felloe of the wheel as far as possible by hand and is there temporarily
secured to the rim channel or felloe by any suitable means.
The lever or instrument is then by its notched end seated upon the edge of
the rim or channel and the plate flap or clutch is caused to engage that part
of the tyre outside the rim or channel, the lever is then pulled over thereby
lifting the free portion of the tyre into a convenient position to enable the same
to be deposited in the channel or groove of the rim or felloe of the wheel.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more
fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wheel clamped upon a bench or
pillar and a tyre partly fitted thereto and an instrument constructed according
to the present invention clutching the tyre in readiness for stretching it into
position in the rim or channel of the wheel.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of part of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 3 but showing the tyre stretched or
distended and about to be deposited in the channel of the rim of the wheel.
Figure 5 is a side view of the instrument separately.
Figure 6 is a plan or edge view thereof, and
Figure 7 is a side view representing a modified form of instrument.
In the several figures of the drawings in which like parts are indicated by
similar letters of reference Figures 2 to 4 are drawn to an increased scale with
respect to Figure 1, whilst Figures 5 to 7 are drawn to a still further increased
scale.
Referring to Figures 1 to 6 a represents the lever or instrument, b represents
the rim or felloe proper of the wheel which is a carriage wheel of ordinary type bl
represents the metal channel which may be of any shape suitable to the tyre
and is shrunk onto the felloe or rim. b and fixed thereto in place of the ordinary
iron tyre, represents the india-rubber tyre which is in a joined up or complete
form and ready to be fitted into the groove of the metal channel and d
represents a bench or pedestal upon which the wheel is clamped during the
fitting operation.
The lever or instrument a is near the fulcrum end thereof formed with a curve
or bend a¹ and at its extremity the said curved or bent part is formed with a
transverse notch or recess a² to seat upon the edge of the iron rim or felloe b¹.
To the lever a at about the commencement of the bend a' is pivotally connected
at aa clamp or jaw a³ which at its extremity is formed or provided with a plate
or flap which acts as a clutch or grip to engage and hold the india-rubber tyre e
as represented more particularly at Figures 3 and 4.
In order to fit an india-rubber tyre such as e into the metal channel 61 the wheel
is placed in a horizontal position on a bench or table such as d and there fixed,
the rubber tyre e in its joined up or complete form is then laid in the groove or
channel of the rim b¹ as far as possible by hand and is there temporarily secured
to the channel or felloe of the wheel b by any suitable means such for example
as straps e.
The lever or instrument a is then by its notch or recess ² seated upon the lower
edge of the metal channel 61 of the wheel and the plate flap or clutch of the
jaw is caused to engage that part e* of the india rubber tyre e which is vet
free and outside the groove of the metal channel 61 of the rim as represented
more particularly at Figures 1, 2, and 3.
The lever a is then pulled over as represented at Figure 4 thereby lifting
and distending the free portion c* of the tyre c and depositing the same
enabling it to be deposited in the groove of the metal channel of the rim or
felloe.
or

page_text: It frequently happens that it is necessary to lift a portion at a time of the
free part of the tyre e into the groove of the rim or channel 6 and in that case
the instrument is first applied near to one of the straps e as shown at Figures I
and 2 and shifted along as required whilst it is sometimes necessary to employ
a mallet or other instrument in order to dislodge the tyre from the plate or
flap a as will be readily understood.
In the example given at Figure 7 the lever or instrument a instead of being
formed with a pivotally movable jaw is formed with a fixed jaw a' the fixed
position of which might if desired be adjustable longitudinally of the lever a
but although this modified form of the device will more or less answer the purpose
in view it is thought to be inferior to that hereinbefore described with respect to
the previous figures inasmuch as various sizes would be required and the scope
of its action is more limited therefore the former arrangement is the preferred one.
It will be obvious that the device may be employed in connection with wheels
ana elastic tyres of various kinds and that it may be more or less modified without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
By the means hereinbefore described a simple and inexpensive instrument
is obtained by the aid of which joined up india rubber or like tyres may be
readily fitted into the grooves or channels of the rims or felloes of carriage
wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
i An instrument for facilitating the application of elastic tyres to wheels
comprising a lever adapted to seat or rest upon the edge of the rim fellae or
channel and provided with a clamp or jaw at its extremity furnished with a plate
flap or clutch adapted to engage the tyre and lift or stretch the same into the
groove or channel of the rim or felloe substantially as herein shown and described.
2. An instrument for facilitating the application of elastic tyres to wheels
comprising a lever adapted to seat or rest upon the edge of the rim felloe or
channel and provided with a clamp or jaw at one end pivotally connected to the
lever and at the other end furnished with a plate Hap or clutch adapted to engage
the tyre and lift or stretch the same into the groove or channel of the rim or
felloe substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 30th day of March 1899
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
Rooms 221-225, Birkbeck Bank Chambers,
Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.